Flotant

Russell, Richard

FLOTANT, ordinarily translated "floating" by the French trappers of southern Louisiana and anglicized as "floating marsh" by the Ameri- can, is a type of coastal marsh formed along most of the abandoned channels and in many of the low basins between the natural levees of both inactive and active stream channels of this part of the state. It is a significant step in the evolutional sequence through which open water is converted into firm land. On one side of the flotant lie mats of floating vegetation covering areas that should be considered water. On the other side lies roseau marsh, firm under foot, valuable for trapping, subject to burning, and essentially land. Although widespread, flotant, in its typical forms, is, to an amazing degree, cultural in origin. More than half of it seems to have formed since the turn of the century. Not the least interesting aspect of this anomalous formation is that of the legal implications.

Flotant

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