Kiosk contractor and former TECHE Project Council member David Dahlquist speaks at the unveiling.

LOREAUVILLE — The Loreauville kiosk for the Bayou Teche National Water Trail was unveiled Tuesday by the TECHE Project Iberia Parish Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Village of Loreauville at the Loreauville trailhead, according to a prepared statement.

The kiosk is one of a group that will be at each of the 16 trailheads along Bayou Teche, the Lower Atchafalaya and Atchafalaya rivers from Port Barre to Berwick. The kiosks will orient water and land trail users to the Bayou Teche and the Lower Atchafalaya and Atchafalaya rivers and present special stories of the 16 trail communities.

The TECHE Project is the all-volunteer, nonprofit organization representing the many assets of the Bayou Teche/Atchafalaya corridor. In 2015, The TECHE Project received the exceptional designation of “National Water Trail” from the U.S. Department of the Interior’s National Park Service program. This recognition is one of 21 such designations in the United States and the only one in Louisiana.

The unveiling also recognized the financial support provided by the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area and the Atchafalaya Trace Commission through the awarding of a $46,000 grant to supplement the sponsorships already provided by families, local governments and businesses for the information kiosks.

“This project represents an effective example of federal, state and local agencies and organizations working together to help residents and visitors enjoy and appreciate the rich natural, historic, cultural and recreational resource of this nationally-important region and waterway,” said Carrie Broussard, deputy assistant secretary of the Louisiana Office of Cultural Development, which oversees the 14-parish Atchafalaya National Heritage Area.

The Iberia Parish Convention and Visitors Bureau is the primary sponsor for the Loreauville Bayou Teche information kiosk.

“The Bayou Teche National Water Trail is one of the many important and active attractions for Iberia Parish,” Executive Director Fran Thibodeaux said.

“The information kiosks are important communication tools for the intrinsic resources of the Acadiana region and our community,” Loreauville Mayor Brad Clifton said.

The Village of Loreauville, along with all water users, will maintain the floating dock and the kiosk.

Installing the floating docks with federal and state funding and the information kiosks with local sponsorships in the 16 bayou and river towns is a major part of The TECHE Project’s “TECHE Renaissance” initiative comprised of programs to increase the recreational use of the waterways and to enrich boaters’ enjoyment.

“This is the eighth of 16 kiosks to be installed on the 135-mile water trail,” said Conni Castille, executive director of The TECHE Project. “It serves as a model for other water trail towns of what is coming to their community very soon.”

Each information kiosk measures 4 feet wide by 5 1/2 feet tall and holds two panels: an orientation panel and a community panel. The orientation panel depicts a waterway-long map, safety tips and an inset map of each trail town. The community panel presents stories about the locality, the waterway, wildlife and native plants and helpful advice for exploring Bayou Teche and the Atchafalaya corridor.

“For many towns along the Teche and Lower Atchafalaya, these information kiosks serve as a primary ‘storyteller,’” kiosk designer David Dahlquist said. “Our main design objective is to provide information that is easily accessible, useful and encourages people to learn and do more in each town and all along the waterway.”

The TECHE Ecology, Culture and History Education Project started in 2008 in St. Landry Parish. Our nonprofit, membership-based organization is made up of individuals passionate about making Bayou Teche a healthier waterway for fishing, kayaking, canoeing, boating, tubing and even swimming. We advocate for improved water quality in the Bayou Teche watershed and have removed 54 tons of garbage to date. The TECHE Project encourages everyone to enrich, explore and embrace the Bayou Teche.