Ouachita River, << WAHSH ih `taw,` >> begins in the Ouachita Mountains of western Arkansas and flows east and then south into Louisiana. It is about 605 miles (974 kilometers) long. The Ouachita joins the Tensas River to form the Black River about 25 miles (40 kilometers) west of Natchez, Louisiana. Small barges can sail about 350 miles (563 kilometers) up the river to Camden, Arkansas. During some high water seasons, barges can go about 70 miles (110 kilometers) farther, to Arkadelphia.
The river’s name was formerly spelled Washita. Another river called the Washita flows in Texas and Oklahoma.
