The Arkansas River has long served as an important transportation corridor into the interior of North America; first for American Indians and later for European explorers and trappers.  Today, the Arkansas River is managed by the Army Corps of Engineers.  The corps maintains a navigable channel on the river all the way to Tulsa, Oklahoma.  The locks and dams on the river have raised the river substantially over its historic level, resulting in the inundation of lowlands surrounding the park, including the post bayou and post bend areas.