The
Ouachita River is a 605-mile-long river that runs south and east through the
U.S.The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
states of
ArkansasArkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquin name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares a border with six states, with its eastern border largely defined by the Mississippi River. Its diverse geography ranges from the mountainous regions of the...
and
LouisianaThe State of Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state divided into parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, joining the
Red RiverThis page is about the tributary of the Mississippi River; for the tributary of Lake Winnipeg, see the Red River of the North.
The Red River, or sometimes The Red River of the South, is a major tributary of the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers located in the United States of America. The...
just before the Red enters the
Mississippi RiverThe Mississippi River is the second longest river in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to its mouth in the Gulf of Mexico....
.
Course
The Ouachita River begins in the
Ouachita MountainsThe Ouachita Mountains are a mountain range located in west central Arkansas, southeastern Oklahoma and north-east Texas. The range's subterranean roots may extend as far as central Texas, or beyond it to the current location of the Marathon Uplift...
near
Mena, ArkansasMena is a city in Polk County, Arkansas, United States. It is also the county seat of Polk County.It was founded by Arthur Edward Stilwell during the building of the Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf Railroad...
. It flows east into
Lake OuachitaLake Ouachita is a reservoir created by the damming of the Ouachita River by Blakely Mountain Dam . The lake is located near Hot Springs, Arkansas. Lake Ouachita is the largest lake completely in Arkansas, as the larger Bull Shoals Lake extends into Missouri. Lake Ouachita has over of shoreline...
, a reservoir created by Blakely Mountain Dam. The North Fork and South Fork of the Ouachita flow into Lake Ouachita to join the main stream. Portions of the river in this region flow through the
Ouachita National ForestThe Ouachita National Forest is a National Forest that lies in the western portion of Arkansas and portions of eastern Oklahoma.The Ouachita National Forest is the oldest National Forest in the southern United States. The Forest encompasses , including most of the scenic Ouachita Mountains...
. From the lake, the Ouachita flows south into
Lake HamiltonLake Hamilton and Lake Catherine are a pair of man-made lakes around Hot Springs, Arkansas. The two lakes have greatly improved the tourism in Hot Springs. Both Lakes were created by Arkansas Power & Light .-Lake Hamilton:...
, a reservoir created by Carpenter Dam, named after
Flavius Josephus CarpenterFlavius Josephus Carpenter, born March 24, 1851 in Franklin County, Georgia, died August 2, 1933, at home in Arkadelphia, Clark County, Arkansas, was a American Civil War veteran, steamboat captain, U.S...
. The city of
Hot Springs, ArkansasHot Springs is the 10th most populous city in the U.S. state of Arkansas, the county seat of Garland County, and the principal city of the Hot Springs Metropolitan Statistical Area encompassing all of Garland County...
, lies on the north side of Lake Hamilton. Another reservoir,
Lake CatherineLake Hamilton and Lake Catherine are a pair of man-made lakes around Hot Springs, Arkansas. The two lakes have greatly improved the tourism in Hot Springs. Both Lakes were created by Arkansas Power & Light .-Lake Hamilton:...
, impounds the Ouachita just below Lake Hamilton. Below Lake Catherine, the river flows free through most of the rest of Arkansas.
Just below Lake Catherine, the river bends south near
Malvern, ArkansasMalvern is a city in, and the county seat of, Hot Spring County, Arkansas. The city had a population of 9,021 at the time of the 2000 census, and is also called the "Brick Capital of the World", due to the three Acme Brick plants in the area...
, and collects the
Caddo RiverThe Caddo River is a 50-mile-long river that flows through the U.S. state of Arkansas.-Course:The Caddo River flows out of the Ouachita Mountains through Montgomery, Pike, and Clark counties in Arkansas before flowing into DeGray Lake and then to its terminus at the Ouachita River north of...
tributary near
ArkadelphiaArkadelphia is a city in Clark County, Arkansas, United States. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 10,548. The city is the county seat of Clark County. The city is situated at the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains...
. Downstream, the
Little Missouri RiverThe Little Missouri River, or Little Mo, is a river which runs from the Ouachita Mountains of southwest Arkansas into the rolling hills area in the surrounding countryside.- Overview :...
joins the Ouachita. After passing the city of
CamdenCamden is a city in and the county seat of Ouachita County in the southern part of the U.S. state of Arkansas. According to 2007 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 11,657. Camden is the principal city of the Camden Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Ouachita...
, shortly downstream from where dredging for navigational purposes begins, the river collects the waters of Smackover Creek and later the Ouachita's main tributary, the
Saline RiverThe Saline River is a 204 mile-long tributary of the Ouachita River in the southwest portion of the U.S. State of Arkansas.The Saline River begins in the eastern foothills of the Ouachita Mountains in Saline County, Arkansas...
. South of the Saline, the Ouachita flows into Lake Jack Lee, a reservoir created by the Ouachita and Black River Project, just north of the Louisiana state line. The
Felsenthal National Wildlife RefugeThe Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge is a 64,902.14 acre wildlife refuge located in south-central Arkansas in Ashley, Bradley, and Union counties. It is the world's largest green tree reservoir....
encompasses the Ouachita from the Saline River to Lake Jack Lee's mouth.
Below Lake Jack Lee, the Ouachita continues south and into Louisiana. The river flows generally south through the state, collecting the tributary waters of Bayou Bartholomew, Bayou de Loutre, Bayou D'Arbonne, the
Boeuf RiverThe Boeuf River is a river in the United States. Its name comes from the French word , which means "bull". The river originates in Arkansas and flows southeast into Louisiana where if joins the Ouachita River....
, the
Little RiverThe Little River is a tributary of the Ouachita River, about 90 mi long, in central Louisiana in the United States. Via the Ouachita and Red rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River...
, and the
Tensas RiverThe Tensas River is a river in Louisiana in the United States. The river begins in East Carroll parish in the north-east corner of the state and runs roughly south-west for 400 km more or less in parallel with the Ouachita River...
. Beyond the Tensas, the Ouachita is called the Black River for several miles until it joins the Red River, which flows into both the
Atchafalaya RiverThe Atchafalaya River is a distributary of the Mississippi and Red rivers, approximately 170 miles long, in south central Louisiana in the United States. It is navigable and provides a significant industrial shipping channel for the state of Louisiana, as well as the cultural heart of the Cajun...
and the Mississippi River, via the
Old River Control StructureThe Old River Control Structure is an artifice built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at the divergence of the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers in order to maintain the water distribution between the two, at 70% and 30%, respectively...
.
The river has six locks and dams along its length.
History
The river is named for the
Ouachita tribeThe Ouachita are a Native American tribe from northeastern Louisiana.-History:The Ouachita were loosely affiliated with the Caddo Confederacy. Their traditional homelands were the lower reaches of the Ouachita River and along the Black River...
, which was one of several that lived along the river. Others included the
CaddoThe Caddo Nation is a confederacy of several Southeastern Native American tribes, who traditionally inhabited much of what is now East Texas, northern Louisiana and portions of southern Arkansas and Oklahoma...
,
Osage NationThe Osage Nation is a Native American tribe in the United States that originated about 1200 CE in the Ohio River valley in present-day Kentucky. Ancestors lived in the area for thousands of years. After years of war with invading Iroquois, the Osage migrated west of the Mississippi River to their...
, Tensas,
ChickasawThe Chickasaw are Native American people originally from the Southeastern United States . They are of the Muskogean linguistic group....
, and
ChoctawThe Choctaw are a Native American people originally from the Southeastern United States . They are of the Muskogean linguistic group...
. "Washita" is an Indian word meaning "good hunting grounds" and "sparkling silver water." A mound-building civilization existed along the river at one time, as evidenced by the mounds found along its length. The largest such mound was destroyed during construction of a bridge at
Jonesville, LouisianaJonesville is a town in Catahoula Parish, Louisiana, at the confluence of the Ouachita, Tensas, and Little rivers. The three rivers become the Black River at Jonesville though the "Black" is primarily the continuation of the Ouachita River. A new bridge over the Black River is under construction...
, in the 20th century. This mound was reported in use as late as 1540 by the explorer
Hernando de SotoHernando de Soto was a Spanish explorer and conquistador who, while leading the first European expedition deep into the territory of the modern-day United States, was the first European to discover the Mississippi River....
. A lightning strike destroyed the temple atop the mound that year, which was seen as a bad omen by the tribe. The temple was never rebuilt and the tribe moved away around 1730.
The river served as a route into northern Louisiana and southwestern Arkansas for European colonists and has served as an important transportation and trade route since the 18th century.
During the 1830s, the Ouachita River Valley was a magnet for land
speculatorsIn finance, speculation is a financial action that does not promise safety of the initial investment along with the return on the principal sum...
from New York and other eastern cities, due to its rich soil and to the fact it was accessible via the country's elaborate
steamboatA steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels....
network. Steamboats ran scheduled trips between
CamdenCamden is a city in and the county seat of Ouachita County in the southern part of the U.S. state of Arkansas. According to 2007 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 11,657. Camden is the principal city of the Camden Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Ouachita...
and New Orleans, for example, and it was possible to travel from any eastern city to the Ouachita River without ever touching land except to transfer from one steamboat to another. One of the eastern investors was Meriwether Lewis Randolph, youngest grandson of
Thomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson was the third President of the United States , the principal author of the Declaration of Independence , and one of the most influential Founding Fathers for his promotion of the ideals of republicanism in the United States...
, who was in the process of building his home on the Ouachita River in what is now
Clark County, ArkansasClark County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2000, the population was 23,546. The county seat is Arkadelphia.The Arkadelphia Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Clark County.-Geography:According to the U.S...
, when he died of
malariaMalaria is a vector-borne infectious disease caused by a eukaryotic protist of the genus Plasmodium. It is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions, including parts of the Americas, Asia, and Africa. Each year, there are approximately 350–500 million cases of malaria, killing between one and...
in 1837. He had been appointed Secretary of the
Arkansas TerritoryThe Territory of Arkansas, initially organized as the Territory of Arkansaw, was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, 1819, until June 15, 1836, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Arkansas.-History:The...
by President
Andrew JacksonAndrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . He was military governor of Florida , commander of the American forces at the Battle of New Orleans , and eponym of the era of Jacksonian democracy...
in 1835, and had relinquished his commission when Arkansas became a state in 1836.
Natural History
The river continues to be utilized for commercial navigation on a smaller scale than its prior "
steamboatA steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels....
" days. It is fed by numerous small creeks containing endemic native fish such as
killifishFundulus is a genus of ray-finned fishes in the family Fundulidae. Many of the 40-odd species are commonly known as killifish, studfish, or topminnows.- Species :FishBase lists 41 species:...
. Fishing remains popular in the river for
black bassMicropterus , is a genus of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of order Perciformes. The type species is M. dolomieu, the smallmouth bass...
,
white bassThe white bass or sand bass is a freshwater fish of the temperate bass family Moronidae. It is the state fish of Oklahoma. White Bass are unrelated to the black basses, which are members of the sunfish family....
,
breamLepomis is a genus of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of order Perciformes. The most recognizable of this genus is the Bluegill....
,
freshwater drumThe freshwater drum, Aplodinotus grunniens, is a fish endemic to North and Central America. It is the only species in the genus Aplodinotus. It is also known for its succulent flesh, but many fishermen are put off by its mucus lining and dank smell. Freshwater drum possess an adapted swim bladder...
, and
garIn American English the name gar is strictly applied to members of the Lepisosteidae, a family including seven living species of fish in two genera that inhabit fresh, brackish, and occasionally marine, waters of eastern North America, Central America, and the Caribbean islands.-Etymology:In...
, although concerns about airborne
mercury contaminationFish and shellfish have a natural tendency to concentrate mercury in their bodies, often in the form of methylmercury, a highly toxic organic compound of mercury. Fish products have been shown to contain varying amounts of heavy metals, particularly mercury and fat-soluble pollutants from water...
in some areas deter those who wish to eat the fish. The river is commercially navigable from
Camden, ArkansasCamden is a city in and the county seat of Ouachita County in the southern part of the U.S. state of Arkansas. According to 2007 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 11,657. Camden is the principal city of the Camden Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Ouachita...
, to its terminal point in Jonesville, Louisiana. Upstream of Camden, the river receives substantial recreational use. The Ouachita is lined for most of its length with deep woods, including substantial
wetlandA wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with moisture either permanently or seasonally. Such areas may also be covered partially or completely by shallow pools of water. Wetlands include swamps, marshes, and bogs, among others. The water found in wetlands can be saltwater, freshwater,...
s, giving the river a scenic quality representative of the southwestern Arkansas and northern Louisiana region.
The Ouachita River has been threatened by the proposed El Dorado Pipeline project. Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality approved an application that would place a pipeline in the bed of the river in
Union County, ArkansasUnion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2000, the population was 45,629. The county seat is El Dorado. The county was formed on November 2, 1829, and named in recognition of the citizens' petition for a new county, stating that they were petitioning "in the spirit...
that is proposed to dump 20 million gallons of effluent discharge from three privately owned chemical plants as well as the city of El Dorado wastewater into the river per day.
Louisiana Attorney General Foti has interceded in the process, and if needed states he will file a lawsuit to prevent this project from progressing further.
Keith Skinnera freelance photojournalist has penned several articles concerning the project citing an Environmental Engineer's independent assessment of the proposed project. of the Ouachita is designated Louisiana Scenic Waterway, from the state line to the north bank of Bayou Bartholomew that has no industry on it. The first sampling station on the Ouachita River after the Louisiana / Arkansas state line is at Sterlington.
Lists
Major towns along the river are:
- Mena, Arkansas
Mena is a city in Polk County, Arkansas, United States. It is also the county seat of Polk County.It was founded by Arthur Edward Stilwell during the building of the Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf Railroad...
- Hot Springs, Arkansas
Hot Springs is the 10th most populous city in the U.S. state of Arkansas, the county seat of Garland County, and the principal city of the Hot Springs Metropolitan Statistical Area encompassing all of Garland County...
- Malvern, Arkansas
Malvern is a city in, and the county seat of, Hot Spring County, Arkansas. The city had a population of 9,021 at the time of the 2000 census, and is also called the "Brick Capital of the World", due to the three Acme Brick plants in the area...
- Arkadelphia, Arkansas
Arkadelphia is a city in Clark County, Arkansas, United States. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 10,548. The city is the county seat of Clark County. The city is situated at the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains...
- Camden, Arkansas
Camden is a city in and the county seat of Ouachita County in the southern part of the U.S. state of Arkansas. According to 2007 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 11,657. Camden is the principal city of the Camden Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Ouachita...
- Crossett, Arkansas
Crossett is the largest city in Ashley County, Arkansas, United States, with a population of 5,518, according to 2008 Census Bureau estimates. Combined with North Crossett and West Crossett, the population is 10,763.-Geography:...
- Sterlington, Louisiana
Sterlington is a town in northern Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,276 at the 2000 census.Actor Ed Nelson, a co-star of ABC's Peyton Place during the 1960s, retired to Sterlington from his native New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.-Geography:Sterlington is located at...
- Monroe, Louisiana
Monroe is a city in and the parish seat of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 53,107, making it the eighth largest city in Louisiana. A July 1, 2007, United States Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 51,208...
- West Monroe, Louisiana
West Monroe is a city in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 13,250 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Monroe Metropolitan Statistical Area....
- Columbia, Louisiana
Columbia is a town in and the parish seat of Caldwell Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 477 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Columbia is located at ....
- Harrisonburg, Louisiana
Harrisonburg is a village in and the parish seat of Catahoula Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 746 at the 2000 census.- History :...
- Jonesville, Louisiana
Jonesville is a town in Catahoula Parish, Louisiana, at the confluence of the Ouachita, Tensas, and Little rivers. The three rivers become the Black River at Jonesville though the "Black" is primarily the continuation of the Ouachita River. A new bridge over the Black River is under construction...
External links