Contraband Bayou

Contraband Bayou is a large bayou, a tributary of the Calcasieu River.^[1] It runs through Lake Charles, Louisiana, and empties into Prien Lake.^{[citation needed]}

Contraband Bayou as it runs west of the McNeese State University campus.

The bayou is so named because of the legendary pirate Jean Lafitte, who built a slave barracks on the bayou in the early 1800s^[2] and reputedly hid his contraband somewhere along the shores of the bayou.^[3]

The bayou is moderately saline, with low flow, and receives Lake Charles municipal waste discharge.^[1] Over the years, it has been dredged and channelized along part of its length.^[4] While the bayou was once lined with many cypress trees, the saltwater brought in during this dredging caused some to die off, leaving behind stumps in the water.^[5]

The bayou runs through the McNeese State University campus.^[3] L'Auberge du Lac Resort is located near the mouth of the bayou, and the resort's Contraband Bayou Golf Club is named for it.^[6] Part of the city docks of the Port of Lake Charles are also located near the bayou.^{[citation needed]}