The James River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data
The National Map
, accessed March 9, 2011 river in southern

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

. It flows from northeast Webster County until it is impounded into Table Rock Lake. It is part of the White River watershed. The river forms

Lake Springfield Lake Springfield is a reservoir on the southeast edge of the city of Springfield, Illinois. It is above sea level. The lake was formed in 1931–1935 by building Spaulding Dam across Sugar Creek, a tributary of the Sangamon River. The lake wa ...

and supplies drinking water for the city of Springfield.

Course

Its source is northeast of the town of

Seymour Seymour may refer to: Places Australia * Seymour, Victoria, a township * Electoral district of Seymour, a former electoral district in Victoria * Rural City of Seymour, a former local government area in Victoria * Seymour, Tasmania, a localit ...

in Webster County. Its headwaters initially flow south then turns west to northwesterly north of Seymour and turns southwest near Northview and passes down the east side of Springfield where it is impounded to form

. From Springfield, it flows west and then south past

Galena Galena, also called lead glance, is the natural mineral form of lead(II) sulfide (PbS). It is the most important ore of lead and an important source of silver. Galena is one of the most abundant and widely distributed sulfide minerals. It cr ...

where it enters Table Rock Lake, a reservoir on the White River. Major tributaries into the James River include:

Pierson Creek Pierson Creek is a stream in Woodbury County and Cherokee County, in the US state of Iowa. It is a tributary of the Little Sioux River. The headwaters are at and the confluence with the Little Sioux are at . The name of the stream was named a ...

, Wilson Creek, Finley Creek, Crane Creek, and Flat Creek.

Recreation

Large sections of the James River are floatable by canoe or kayak. A solid 3-day float from the public access on the downstream side of the dam to Galena is possible when the levels are high enough. The James River is a source of drinking water for the city of Springfield. Lake Springfield is the primary source of water for the cooling system at the James River Power Plant which sits by the dam. The lake is a popular fishing and kayaking destination with docks and access points made by the Missouri Conservation Department. The river contains bass, catfish, crappie and bluegill. Four of the five world record

Ozark bass The Ozark bass (''Ambloplites constellatus'') is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family (Centrarchidae) of order Perciformes. It is native only to the White River, Sac River, James River, and Pomme de Terre river drainages of Misso ...

were caught on the James River.

Dams

The dam on the James River creates Lake Springfield and serves as the cooling reservoir for the James River Power Plant. The river flows into the White River upstream from the

hydroelectric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined an ...

Table Rock Dam, operated by the

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Name

The name most likely is a transfer from the

James River The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 to Chesap ...

located in Virginia. James River Freeway on the Springfield's south side is named after the river.

References

{{authority control Rivers of Missouri Rivers of Greene County, Missouri Rivers of Webster County, Missouri Rivers of Christian County, Missouri Rivers of Stone County, Missouri Geography of Springfield, Missouri Bodies of water of the Ozarks Bodies of water of Greene County, Missouri Tributaries of the White River (Arkansas–Missouri)