One thing is certain: Louisiana waters all have alligators in them. Sometimes, those silly dinosaurs even end up in swimming pools. If you want to avoid swimming with alligators, don’t swim in Louisiana! Some bodies of water are exponentially more dangerous than others, with bayous and swamps ranking the highest. In this article, we will discuss Louisiana’s alligator-infested rivers and why the Ouachita River is an alligator haven.
The Ouachita River
The Ouachita River begins in Mena, AR, and wraps its way southeast through the Ouachita Mountains, then snakes its way through the Ouachita National Forest to Louisiana. The river’s total length is 605 miles. It crosses through 11 counties in AR and six parishes in Louisiana. Once in Louisiana, it merges with the Tensas River, forms the Black River near Jonesville, LA, and ends in the Red River approximately 35 miles north of the Mississippi and Red Rivers merging. The river is named for the Ouachita tribe, with the name actually derived from the Choctaw, meaning “good hunting grounds” or “hunt big.” Other tribes known to live along the Ouachita River are the Caddo, Osage Nation, Tensa, Chickasaw, and Choctaw.