TECHE Project Announces Floating Dock in Arnaudville as Part of Bayou Teche National Paddle Trail

ARNAUDVILLE, La (press release) – The TECHE Project is excited to announce that the installation of a floating dock next to Myran’s Maison de Manger in Arnaudville is now complete.

The dock installation was implemented via a grant from the Federal Highway Administration’s Recreational Trails Program administered through the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism.

Joining floating docks in Port Barre, Breaux Bridge, St. Martinville, Loreauville, Jeanerette, Baldwin, Charenton and Patterson, the Arnaudville dock is located off Neblett Street. It provides access to Bayou Teche for paddlers of all ages and skill levels and aims to fulfill The TECHE Project’s mission to develop low-impact recreation that promotes tourism in communities along Bayou Teche. St. Martin Parish’s future plans for the Arnaudville site include a pavilion and restroom, making it a full trailhead.

Patti Holland with The TECHE Project says, “It is an easy 3-hour paddle from Leonville to Arnaudville, where you can partake in the many great options for food, art and music that make Arnaudville such an awesome destination to enjoy Cajun culture.”

Bayou Teche has the prestigious distinction of being the only National Water Trail in Louisiana—and one of only 21 nationally recognized water trails in the nation.

That honor was bestowed in 2015 by the U.S. Department of the Interior. Designation as a National Water Trail places the Teche in an elite group of waterways and will increase recreational tourism for the 15 communities and four parishes the 135-mile bayou touches.

As planned, the Bayou Teche Paddle trail will have a total of 15 official access points for paddle trips, as short as seven miles and as long as 130 miles. Information kiosks with maps and community stories are also part of the infrastructure at each site, funded in part by a $46,000 grant from the Atchafalaya Trace Commission.

The paddle trail lies parallel with the state’s Bayou Teche Scenic Byway and is part of the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area. The TECHE Project nonprofit organization serves as the manager of the National Paddle Trail and is working with local communities, parish and state governments to develop a first-class paddle trail.

“St. Martin Parish is proud to have partnered with The TECHE Project to make the Arnaudville paddle trail access dock a reality,” says St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars. “The construction of the dock is just the beginning, however. The parish will soon be commencing the construction of a pavilion at this site utilizing RESTORE Act funding. The surrounding community, under the leadership of its council representative, will have the benefit of a facility that will accommodate the hosting of events throughout the year on Bayou Teche. Therefore, we welcome one and all to embark on a journey of  our parish, experiencing what we have to offer and starting at the paddle trail access dock in Arnaudville.”

More information, including a full list of dock locations, can be found at techeproject.org.