River vs Bayou: What’s the Difference?

When discussing waterways, it’s confusing when the terms river and bayou are thrown around to describe similar bodies of water. What’s the difference between a river vs a bayou?

If you’re traveling through Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, or Texas, you’ll undoubtedly hear the word “bayou.” The term refers almost solely to certain bodies of water in the aforementioned states. On the other hand, rivers can be found across the world.

We’ll continue our discussion by comparing and contrasting a river and a bayou now.

River vs Bayou Explained

The key differences between a river vs a bayou are:

• A river can contain a bayou, but a bayou is not a river.
• Bayous are almost stagnant, whereas rivers are relatively swift.
• Bayous tend to be brackish, while rivers are mostly freshwater.
• Rivers are found all over the world, whereas bayous are exclusive to the southern United States.
• Bayous exist at lower elevations, whereas rivers span elevations.
• There are massively different kinds of rivers around the world, but bayous are relatively similar.
• Bayous support more diverse ecosystems than some rivers.

What is a River?

Rivers drain watersheds by carrying water deposited by precipitation from a high elevation to sea level. They can be found in all sorts of terrains and elevations. Some move fast, others move slow, and most have varying speeds along their course.

Rivers have defined channels and banks. They are the main artery of more complex water systems and are fed by tributaries such as streams and creeks.

What is a Bayou?

Bayous have more stagnant water than rivers, and a bayou can be a part of a river. Bayous are swampy, slow-moving, and shallow areas found in a lake, along a river, or as part of a creek system. They’re almost exclusively found in flat, low-lying areas.

Small sections of braided rivers are most commonly bayous. These small sections split off from the main watercourse of a river and, due to the terrain, move much slower than the remainder of the river. This creates conjoined ecosystems with the river.

These bodies of water do not necessarily have defined banks, as they often act as a floodplain for part of the year. This massive surface area at times also helps to slow the water to a standstill. While most bayous are big, some are tiny.

Some bayous are turning into rivers due to human activity. Bayou Lafourche used to be susceptible to the ebb and flows of floodwaters which cleared deep sediments from the bayou every so often. A pumping plant was put in nearby, which now regulates the water flow and keeps it at an almost constant speed.

This does not create the same opportunities for the elimination of sediment, so too much debris is gathering in the bayou. Like most natural phenomena, the human element is taking its toll.

What’s the Difference Between a River vs a Bayou?

The definitive difference between a river and a bayou is the speed of water flow and the depth of the water. A bayou can be described as an extremely wide and slow-moving stream.

Bayous may not have consistent water sources, and, as such, the water isn’t replenished as often as in other water ecosystems. This is what makes them marshy and slow. A bayou is sometimes a tributary to a larger river or body of water.

Rivers almost exclusively transport fresh water, though their deltas and river mouths into oceans and seas can be brackish. Bayous, on the flip side, are almost always brackish and responsive to the tides. Rivers always flow in one direction, whereas bayous sometimes change direction in response to tidal activity.

The above rules are not steadfast, as the locations of bayous in the southern United States vary widely. Bayous on rivers will be freshwater with more water movement, while bayous in areas like coastal Louisiana will be brackish and susceptible to tidal shifts.

How Are Rivers and Bayous the Same?

Both rivers and bayous have currents, though the direction of that current can differ if the bayou experiences effects from the tides. Both are responsible for the storage and movement of precipitation. There are both bayous and rivers in the southern United States.

What Are the Different Animals that Live in Bayous?

Because the slow-moving waters in a bayou allow for stationary life, there is an abundance of it in bayous compared to swift rivers. Plankton blooms support a wide variety of fish species as well as other animals. They play host to leeches, shellfish, catfish, spoonbills, frogs, toads, newts, salamanders, crocodiles, alligators, tortoises, herons, lizards, turtles, and other species.

As an aside, humans have been affecting the landscapes of bayous for eons. The Wapanocca Bayou in Arkansas has been shown to have experienced changes in vegetation over the last 12,000 years that are not attributable to natural causes. These changes were initiated by people who settled along the bayous, no doubt so they could tap into the abundance of natural resources.

What Are the Different Animals that Live in Rivers?

Because rivers are found all over the world and aren’t confined to the American South, the type of wildlife that is in them differs as much as the countries in which they are found. Some rivers are almost completely desolate, while some play host to a myriad of plants and animals.

Most swift rivers are not a haven for fish. They use them mainly as a corridor between a still body of water, like a lake, or to spawn and then die. Some deepwater river fish find deep pools to live in when the river levels are low.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/Norm Lane