Louisiana Purchase Historic State Park lies in an unusual habitat, a headwater swamp, which differs greatly from the more common backwater swamps found within the floodplain zones of large streams and rivers. Backwater swamps respond to fluctuating water levels with alternate periods of flooding and drying, while headwater swamps, usually located in the upper reaches of streams or rivers, seldom flood deeply yet rarely dry up. Before wholesale drainage and clearing, headwater swamps were common in eastern Arkansas, but although they posed hardships for early settlers, they were relatively easy to drain and clear for cultivation. That pattern continues today and is the primary reason these swamps are fast disappearing.