IBERIA PARISH (JEFFERSON ISLAND) — What is now a tranquil lake on Jefferson Island was once the site of a disaster that changed the landscape forever. On November 20, 1980—44 years ago exactly— an oil drilling accident caused the formation of Lake Peigneur, a sinkhole that remains the largest of its kind in the United States.
The incident began when a Texas oil company was granted permission by Diamond Crystal, the owner of the salt mine, to drill into the lake. The crew unintentionally struck a salt dome, which triggered a catastrophic collapse. The lake quickly drained into the salt mine below, creating a whirlpool-like effect.
Amy Gary, a former tour guide at the Rip Van Winkle property, explains the events from that day.
“The water began to rush in and it took off and started to do this swirl thing, almost like a toilet going down the drain,” she said. “It took with it barges, it swallowed up this land — it became this huge lake for one because it swallowed up 65 acres of this property.”
Gary also explained that the disaster swallowed a home and caused the Delcambre Canal to reverse its flow, temporarily filling the sinkhole. The chimney of the home that was lost still stands above the water, serving as a haunting reminder of the day the lake was born.
Today, visitors can see the lake and lush gardens that surround it. Despite the lasting effects of the drilling accident, the area has flourished with diverse plant and animal life.
Jean and Jim, visitors from Beaumont, Texas, were on their third trip to the Rip Van Winkle property and were struck by the environmental transformation.
“We love gardens and we love coasts, and so we thought we would drive up the coast to Louisiana,” Jean explained. “It’s really cool to see how a freshwater lake turned brackish because of an error of mankind, but all of this flora and fauna has been preserved through the gardens, which is just very exciting for us to see.”
