For other uses, see Barachois (disambiguation).
A barachois is a term used in Atlantic Canada and Saint Pierre and Miquelon to describe a coastal lagoon separated from the ocean by a sand bar. Salt water may enter the barachois during high tide.
The sand bar often is formed as a result of sediment deposited in the delta region of a river or - as is the case in Miquelon - by a tombolo.
The term comes from a Basque word, “barratxoa”, meaning “little bar”. The popular derivation from the French “barre à choir” is without historical merit.
In Newfoundland English, the word has become written and pronounced as 'barasway.'
Examples
- Dark Harbour, Grand Manan, New Brunswick (photo).
- Barachois de Malbaie on the Gaspé Peninsula, fed by the Malbaie, Beattie, du Portage and Murphy Rivers
- Grand Barachois, Miquelon Island
- Barachois Pond Provincial Park in western Newfoundland
- Big Barasway and Little Barasway, communities on Newfoundland's Cape Shore
- Prince Edward Island National Park has several examples.
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