Caney Lakes Recreation Area

Not to be confused with another Caney Lake at Jimmie Davis State Park southwest of Chatham in Jackson Parish, Louisiana

Caney Lakes Recreation Area, located in the Kisatchie National Forest north of Minden in Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana, offers opportunities for bicycling, hiking, picnicking, camping, swimming, boating, water skiing, fishing, and hunting. A triathlon is held annually in August. Surrounded by wooded hills, the shoreline is easily accessed, and the landscape and water are scenic.

Though there are two lakes – Upper and Lower Caney – most refer to the park in the singular. Lower Caney is the larger and more visited unit closer to the main entrance. The Sugar Cane National Recreation Trail, named for the sugar cane that once grew in the area, winds its way around Lower Caney. Cotton was also grown there. The lakes total 350 acres (150 hectares).

Land for the lakes was acquired in 1934 and 1935 through the Great Depression-era Resettlement Administration. The site for the lakes was chosen in a low area that contained the three tributaries: Caney Creek (which crosses the Lewisville Road), Cow Creek, and Butler Creek. The dredging of the lakes was undertaken by primitive methods, with trees leveled by cross-cut saws. Plow mules were used to remove the dirt. The soil was placed on dirt sleds as the mules slowly pulled away the debris.

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Wikipedia