I lived along Teche (Tesh)(local native american dialect for snake) Bayou in Patterson, LA. I don't think length has much to do with it, at least in Louisiana. Some like the Teche run for 30 miles. There are several that go through three or four name changes through the different parishes (parishes are the equivalent of counties). The worst thing about most of them is that they look so much alike that it's very easy to get lost.