Ouachita River
| Ouachita River | ||
 Map of the catchment area of the Ouachita River |
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| Data | ||
| Water code | US : 558280 | |
| location | Arkansas , Louisiana (USA) | |
| River system | Mississippi River | |
| Drain over | Red River → Mississippi → Gulf of Mexico | |
| source | in the Ouachita Mountains 34 ° 41 ′ 56 " N , 94 ° 19 ′ 57" W |
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| muzzle | in the Red River coordinates: 31 ° 37 ′ 53 " N , 91 ° 48 ′ 25" W 31 ° 37 ′ 53 " N , 91 ° 48 ′ 25" W.
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| length | 970 km | |
| Left tributaries | Saline River , Boeuf River , Tensas River | |
| Right tributaries | Caddo River , Little Missouri River , Little River | |
| Reservoirs flowed through | Lake Ouachita , Lake Hamilton , Lake Cathrine , Lake Jack Lee | |
The Ouachita River [ wɑːʃɪtɑː ] is around 970 km long river in the southeast of the United States of America . It flows through the two states of Arkansas and Louisiana and flows into the Red River shortly before it joins the Mississippi River .
course
The Ouachita River rises in the Ouachita Mountains not far from the parish of Mena in Polk County , Arkansas. In an easterly direction, it first flows into Lake Ouachita , a reservoir created by the Blakely Mountain Dam . On its way, the river partially crosses the Ouachita National Forest . The northern and southern arms of the Ouachita River also flow into this lake, where they merge with the main stream. Behind the dam, the Ouachita River flows south into Lake Hamilton , another reservoir formed by the Carpenter Dam . On the north bank of this reservoir is the town of Hot Springs . Lake Hamilton is followed by Lake Cathrine , also an artificially created lake. After crossing this lake, the Ouachita River flows largely without major human intervention through Arkansas towards the Louisiana border.
It takes up the Little Missouri River during its course and passes the city of Camden . Other tributaries are the Smackover Creek and the main tributary of the Ouachita River , the Saline River . Below the mouth of the saline and just before the Louisiana border, the Ouachita flows into Lake Jack Lee , a reservoir that is being formed as part of the “Ouachita and Black River Project”. Below the lake, the Ouachita continues its way south and crosses the border. In Louisiana, it takes its tributaries Bayou Bartholomew, Bayou de Loutre, Bayou D'Arbonne, the Boeuf River , the Little River and the Tensas River . After the inflow through the Tensas River, the Ouachita River is known as the "Black River" until its confluence with the Red River near Catahoula Parish .
A total of six locks and dams control the river.
history
The river was named after the Indian tribe of the Ouachita (Washita) who settled on the banks of the river. Other tribes that lived on the river were the Caddo , Osage , Tensas , Chickasaw , and Choctaw . The word Washita means both "good hunting grounds" and "glittering silver water". Some mounds of earlier cultures are still preserved along the river. The largest of these mounds was destroyed in the 20th century when a bridge was built near Jonesville . The temple on the mound was destroyed by a lightning strike around 1540 during the Hernando de Sotos expedition . This was seen as a bad omen by the moundbuilders and they did not rebuild the temple and left the region around 1730.
During the colonization of northern Louisiana and southwestern Arkansas by European settlers from the 18th century, the river was an important transport and trade route. In the 1830s, the fertile soils and accessibility of the region by steamboats made it a desirable area for land speculators from the north. There was a regular connection between Camden and New Orleans via steamboats and it was possible, for example, to travel directly from the cities in the east to the region without having to enter the country. One of those investors was Meriwether Lewis Randolph , a grandson of Thomas Jefferson , who while he was a house on the Ouachita River , built on malaria fell ill and died. He had been installed by Andrew Jackson in 1835 as Secretary of State for the Arkansas Territory and resigned when Arkansas was approved as a state in 1836.
nature and environment
The river is still used for shipping, but to a much lesser extent than in the days of steam shipping. Commercial shipping is available between Camden and Jonesville. Above Camden, the river is mainly used as a recreation and leisure area and is bordered by dense forests. The Ouachita River is fed by a number of smaller streams that are common with native fish such as killifish ( fundulus ). Fishing is a popular sport on the Ouachita River, with black bass , bluegill , freshwater drummers, and bonefish in particular.
Naming
The Ouachita County , Arkansas is named after the river, as well as the Ouachita map turtle ( Graptemys ouachitensis ).