The Tensas River is a river in Louisiana

Louisiana

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 in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...

 in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The river, known as Tensas Bayou in its upper reaches, begins in East Carroll Parish

East Carroll Parish, Louisiana

East Carroll Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Lake Providence and as of 2010, the population was 7,759.-Law and government:In the 2004 presidential race, East Carroll gave the George W. Bush - Richard B...

 in the northeast corner of the state and runs roughly southwest for 177 miles (284.9 km) more or less in parallel with the Mississippi River

Mississippi River

The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...

. The Tensas River merges with the Ouachita River

Ouachita River

The Ouachita River is a river that runs south and east through the U.S. states of Arkansas and Louisiana, joining the Tensas River to form the Black River near Jonesville, Louisiana.-Course:...

 in Jonesville

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 has been built over the Black River...

 in Catahoula Parish to become the Black River, not to be confused with Black Lake in Natchitoches Parish in north central Louisiana.

For the twenty miles south of Interstate 20

Interstate 20

Interstate 20 is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States. I‑20 runs 1,535 miles from near Kent, Texas, at Interstate 10 to Florence, South Carolina, at Interstate 95...

 between Delhi

Delhi, Louisiana

Delhi, originally called Deerfield, is a town in Richland Parish, Louisiana, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 3,066.-History:...

 and Tallulah

Tallulah, Louisiana

Tallulah is a city in and the parish seat of Madison Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 9,189 at the 2000 census...

, the river winds its way through the Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge

Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge

The Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge is located in Madison, Tensas, and Franklin parishes in northeastern Louisiana, west of the city of Tallulah.-Wildlife and Habitat:...

 (in Madison

Madison Parish, Louisiana

-National protected areas:* Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge * Vicksburg National Military Park -Demographics:-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S...

, Franklin

Franklin Parish, Louisiana

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 21,263 people, 7,754 households, and 5,706 families residing in the parish. The population density was 34 people per square mile . There were 8,623 housing units at an average density of 14 per square mile...

, and Tensas

Tensas Parish, Louisiana

Tensas Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The seat of the parish is St. Joseph. In 2010, the population of Tensas Parish was 5,252; it is the least-populous of all sixty-four parishes....

parishes), established in 1980 "for the preservation and development of environmental resources" about the river.