The city draws its name from the Laou river, a small watercourse that empties in the Mediterranean. The river is 65 km long and its headwaters are located near Bab Bered in the western
Rif Mountains; it passes near
Chefchaouen before receiving water from its tributaries such as
Akchour. The average flow of the river is 12 m3/s and drains an area of about 1,000 km2. Oued Laou was mentioned by
Pliny the Elder as
flumen Laud and described it as navigable:
flumen Laud et ipsum navigiorum capax (river Laud, which is also navigable for vessels). The river Laou forms a fertile valley as it approaches its mouth; the valley is known for its fruit orchards. ==External links==