Black River (Arkansas)
Encyclopedia
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the White River
White River (Arkansas)
The White River is a 722-mile long river that flows through the U.S. states of Arkansas and Missouri.-Course:The source of the White River is in the Boston Mountains of northwest Arkansas, in the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest southeast of Fayetteville...
, about 300 mi (480 km) long http://reference.allrefer.com/gazetteer/B/B07098-black-river.html, in southeastern Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
and northeastern Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Via the White River, it is part of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
. Black River Technical College
Black River Technical College
Black River Technical College is a public community college serving northeast Arkansas, located in Pocahontas, Arkansas. It is named for the Black River which runs through the city....
is named for the river.
Headwaters and course
The Black River rises in Missouri as three streams:- The East Fork Black River rises in Iron CountyIron County, MissouriIron County is a county located in the Lead Belt region in Southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the county's population was 10,697. A 2008 estimate, however, showed the population to be 9,918. The largest city and county seat is Ironton...
and flows generally southwardly, through Johnson's Shut-Ins State ParkJohnson's Shut-Ins State ParkJohnson's Shut-Ins State Park is a Missouri state park on the East Fork Black River consisting of in Reynolds County. The park is jointly administered with adjoining Taum Sauk Mountain State Park, and together the two parks cover in the St...
where the Taum Sauk pumped storage plantTaum Sauk pumped storage plantThe Taum Sauk pumped storage plant is located in the St. Francois mountain region of the Missouri Ozarks approximately south of St. Louis near Lesterville, Missouri in Reynolds County. The pumped-storage hydroelectric plant, operated by the AmerenUE electric company, was designed to help...
Upper Reservoir dam breach caused severe damage to the Park. A dam on the East Fork forms the Taum Sauk Lower Reservoir which was used to pump water to the Upper Reservoir. - The Middle Fork Black River is formed by a confluence of creeks in the Mark Twain National ForestMark Twain National ForestMark Twain National Forest is a U.S. National Forest located in the southern half of Missouri. MTNF was established on September 11, 1939. It is named for author Mark Twain, a Missouri native. The MTNF covers approximately 1.5 million acres , 78,000 acres of which are Wilderness, and National...
in northern Reynolds CountyReynolds County, MissouriReynolds County is a county located in the northwestern portion of the Ozark Foothills Region in Southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the county's population was 6,689. A 2008 estimate, however, showed the population to be 6,388. Its county seat is Centerville...
and flows generally southeastwardly. - The West Fork Black River is formed by a confluence of creeks in the Mark Twain National Forest in western Reynolds County and flows generally westwardly, past the town of CentervilleCenterville, MissouriCenterville is a city in Reynolds County, Missouri, along the West Fork of the Black River. The population was 171 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Reynolds County.-West Fork Lead Mine:...
.
The headwaters forks converge near Lesterville
Lesterville, Missouri
Lesterville, Missouri is an unincorporated community in southeast Missouri. It is located in Reynolds County on Routes 21, 49, and 72 near the Black River....
, and the Black River flows generally southwardly through Reynolds, Wayne
Wayne County, Missouri
Wayne County is a county located in the Ozark Foothills Region of Southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the population was 13,259. A 2008 estimate, however, showed the population to be 12,652. The county seat is Greenville...
and Butler
Butler County, Missouri
Butler County is a county located in the southeast Ozark Foothills Region in Southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the county's population was 42,794. The largest city and county seat is Poplar Bluff. The county was officially organized from Wayne County on February...
Counties in Missouri; and Clay
Clay County, Arkansas
Clay County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2010, the population was 16,083. The county has two county seats, Corning and Piggott...
, Randolph and Lawrence Counties in Arkansas. In its lowermost course the river is used to define the boundary between Independence and Jackson Counties. It flows past the towns of Mill Spring
Mill Spring, Missouri
Mill Spring is a village in Wayne County, Missouri, United States, along the Black River. The population was 219 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Mill Spring is located at ....
, Williamsville
Williamsville, Missouri
Mayor- The Honorable Angie SmithWilliamsville is a city in Wayne County, Missouri, United States, along the Black River. The population was 379 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Williamsville is located at ....
and Poplar Bluff
Poplar Bluff, Missouri
Poplar Bluff is a city in Butler County located in Southeast Missouri in the United States. It is the county seat of Butler County and is known as "The Gateway to the Ozarks" among other names. As of the 2000 U.S...
(the largest city along its course) in Missouri; and Pocahontas
Pocahontas, Arkansas
Pocahontas is a city in Randolph County, Arkansas, United States, along the Black River. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, its population of the city is 6,765. The city is the county seat of Randolph County....
, Black Rock
Black Rock, Arkansas
Black Rock is a city in Lawrence County, Arkansas, United States, along the Black River. The population was 717 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Black Rock is located at ....
, and Powhatan
Powhatan, Arkansas
Powhatan is a town in Lawrence County, Arkansas, United States, along the Black River. The population was 50 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Powhatan is located at ....
in Arkansas. It joins the White River at Jacksonport, Arkansas
Jacksonport, Arkansas
Jacksonport is a town in Jackson County, Arkansas, United States, along the White River at its confluence with the Black River. The population was 235 at the 2000 census.- History :Jacksonport was once an important steamboat stop on the White River...
.
Dams
A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers damDam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
in Wayne County, Missouri, causes the river to form Clearwater Lake
Clearwater Lake (Missouri)
Clearwater Lake is a reservoir on the Black River six miles from Piedmont, Missouri. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers uses Clearwater for flood control in the White and lower Mississippi River Basins....
.
Tributaries
In Arkansas, the Black River is joined by the Little Black River, the Current RiverCurrent River (Missouri)
The Current River forms in the southeastern portion of the Ozarks of Missouri and becomes a 7th order stream as it flows southeasterly out of the Ozarks into northeastern Arkansas where it becomes a tributary of the Black River, which is a tributary of the White River, a tributary of the...
, the Spring River
Spring River (Arkansas)
The Spring River is a 57-mile long river which flows through the U.S. states of Missouri and Arkansas.The Spring River consists of two branches, the South Fork of the Spring River and the Spring River proper....
and the Strawberry River
Strawberry River (Arkansas)
The Strawberry River is a tributary of the Black River, about long, in northern Arkansas in the United States. Via the Black and White rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River....
.