Atchafalaya River

Length: 21 miles (34 kilometers)

Atchafalaya Bay (uh-CHA-fuh-lei-uh) is an arm of the Gulf of Mexico in south Lousiana south of Morgan City, at the mouth of the Atchafalaya River. Running northwest to southeast, it is approximately 21 miles long and 10 miles wide; located at longitude 29°25'N and latitude 91°18'W Point Chevreuil is at the northwest side of the entrance and Point Au Fer is at the southeast side. There is a shell reef extending 10 miles to the northwest and on the reef 3 miles offshore is Eugene Island, site of the Point Au Fer Reef lighthouse. Four League Bay is an 11-mile southeast extension of Atchafalaya Bay with a channel going into the gulf. This entire bay area makes up the Atchafalaya Delta State Wildlife Area.