# Cow Bayou

Cow Bayou is a bayou in Orange County and Japser County in the U.S. state of Texas. It was formed by the Gum Slough and Dognash Gully. The bayou runs through the cities of Buna, Mauriceville Vidor, and Bridge City. There are 3 tributaries of the Cow Bayou, which includes Cole Creek, Terry Gully, and Coon Bayou.

## History

In the early 1910s, the bayou was formed by rice farmers. Since rice production skyrocketed over there, By 1911 almost all farmers in Orange County were using the bayou. In 1940 the Cow Bayou Swing Bridge was created, the bridge was the last major component constructed along Texas State Highway 87. The bridge is 806 feet long and has 2 lanes. In 1963 Congress improved the bayou by constructing a channel 100 feet wide and thirteen feet deep for 7.7 miles from its mouth to Orangefield. It wasn't till 1967 when the project came into effect since oil wells were blocking the construction plan.
Fleash-eating bacteria was found in September 17, 2022, when a resident went into the water. This is the first case of flesh eating bacteria in Orange County. Officials have been warning residents about the flesh eating bacteria since the attack.

## Wildlife

Marine mammals:
* West Indian manatee (very common)
* Bottlenose dolphin (common))
* Bull shark (common)
* Hammerhead shark (very rarely)
* Blacktip shark (common)
* American alligator (very rare)
* West Indian manatee
* Bottlenose dolphin
* Bull shark
* Hammerhead shark
* Blacktip shark
* American alligator
Smaller fish species:
| Taxa |
| Taxa | Common name | Taxa | Common name | Taxa | Common name |
| Anchoa mitchilli | Bay anchovy | Gobinellus boleosoma | Darter goby | Microgobius gulosus | Clown goby |
| Fundulus blairae | Blair's starhead topminnow | Gobiosoma bosc | Naked goby | Mugil cephalus | Striped mullet |
| Brevoortia patronus | Gulf menhaden | Leiostomus xanthurus | Spot | Notropis emiliae | Pugnose minnow |
| Citharichthys spilopterus | Bay whiff | Lepomis macrochirus | Bluegill sunfish | Percina sciera | Dusky darter |
| Etheostoma chlorosomum | Bluntnose darter | Lepomis microlophus | Redear sunfish | Pimephales vigilax | Bullhead minnow |
| Fundulus chrysotus | Golden topminnow | Lepomis punctatus | Spotted sunfish | Syngnathus scovelli | Gulf pipefish |
| Fundulus grandis | Gulf killifish | Lepomis | Sunfish |
| Fundulus notatus | Blackstripe topminnow | Lucania parva | Rainwater killifish |
| Gambusia affinis | Mosquitofish | Menidia beryllina | Tidewater silverside |
* Golden topminnow, Fundulus chrysotus, Mississippi
* Alligator gar, Atractosteus spatula, Brazos River system
Big fish species:
| Taxa |
| Taxa | Common name | Taxa | Common name | Taxa | Common name |
| Aplodinotus grunniens | Freshwater drum | Dorosoma cepedianum | Gizzard shad | Ictalurus furcatus | Blue catfish |
| Ictalurus punctatus | Channel catfish | Ictiobus bubalus | Smallmouth buffalo | Lepisosteus oculatus | Spotted gar |
| Lepisosteus spatula | Alligator gar | Micropogon undulatus | Croaker | Micropterus salmoides | Largemouth bass |
| Minytrema melanops | Spotted sucker | Morone mississippiensis | Yellow bass | Mugil cephalus | Striped mullet |
| Paralichthys lethostigma | Southern flounder | Pomoxis annularis | White crappie | Pomoxis nigromaculatus | Black crappie |
| Strongylura marina | Atlantic needlefish | Oncorhynchus mykiss | Rainbow trout | Sciaenops ocellatus | Red drum |
| Pogonias cromis | Black drum | Herichthys cyanoguttatus | Yellow bullhead |
| Oreochromis niloticus | Nile tilapia | Archosargus probatocephalus | Sheepshead |
| Ameiurus melas | Black bullhead | Ariopsis felis | Hardhead catfish |