White River (Arkansas)

White River
River
The White River at Des Arc, Arkansas
Country	United States
States	Arkansas, Missouri
Tributaries
- left	James River, North Fork River, Black River
- right	Buffalo River, Little Red River, Bayou des Arc
Cities	Newport, Batesville, Fayetteville
Source	Boston Mountains
- location	Ozark-St. Francis National Forest, Madison County, Arkansas
- elevation	2,260 ft (689 m)
- coordinates	35°50′20″N 93°36′16″W
Mouth	Mississippi River
- location	Desha County, Arkansas
- elevation	188 ft (57 m)
- coordinates	33°57′5″N 91°4′53″W
Length	722 mi (1,162 km)
Basin	27,765 sq mi (71,911 km2)
Discharge	for Devalls Bluff
- average	26,180 cu ft/s (741 m3/s)
- max	154,000 cu ft/s (4,361 m3/s)
- min	3,230 cu ft/s (91 m3/s)
Map of the White River watershed

The White River is a 722-mile (1,162-km) 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. The river flows northwards from its source in northwest Arkansas, loops up through southwest Missouri through Branson, Missouri. In Branson the river is actually Lake Taneycomo since it is held back by the Powersite Dam. The Powersite was the first dam on the White River. The flow into this comes from Table Rock Lake and down stream flows into Bull Shoals Lake where it travels back into Arkansas, and then heads generally southeast to its mouth at the Mississippi River.

On entering the Mississippi River Delta region near Batesville, Arkansas, the river becomes navigable to shallow-draft vessels, and its speed decreases considerably. The final 10 miles (16 km) of the river serves as the last segment of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System; this part of the channel is deeper than the rest of the river.

Despite being much shorter than the Arkansas River, it carries nearly as much water—normally over 8,200 cubic feet per second (230 m³/s), and as much as 40,000 ft³/s during flooding.

White River near Flippin, AR

River modifications

A controversial plan to deepen the navigation channel of the river (above the McClellan-Kerr segment) is under consideration though it is opposed by many Arkansans. The lower portion of the river contains a multitude of wildlife species including bear, turkey, songbirds, and over 160 species of fish. Many residents of Arkansas believe that deepening the navigation channel will adversely affect the wildlife which is a major source of tourism in the area. However, many farmers along parts of the White support the proposal for economic reasons.

Lake Taneycomo was created in 1913 when the Empire District Electric Company built a dam just south of Forsyth, Missouri. Beaver Lake, Bull Shoals Lake, and Table Rock Lake are man-made lakes or reservoirs created by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers under the authority of the Flood Control Act of 1938. A total of eight dams impound the upper White River, six in Arkansas and two in Missouri. The White River National Wildlife Refuge lies along the lower part of the river.

Tributaries

The tributaries of the White River include Cache River, Bayou des Arc, Little Red River, Black River, North Fork River, Buffalo River, James River, and Roaring River. Some cities that lie on the White River are Newport, Arkansas; Augusta, Arkansas; Calico Rock, Arkansas; Batesville, Arkansas; Branson, Missouri; and Hollister, Missouri.

See also

• Cotter Bridge
• List of Arkansas rivers
• List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem)
• List of Missouri rivers
• Whitewater Development Corporation
• White River Monster

References

• Cushing, Charles Phelps (August 1911). "Floating Through The Ozarks". The Outing Magazine LVIII (5): 537–547. http://books.google.com/?id=CEBhAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA537. Retrieved 2009-08-16.