The Sunflower River (also known as the Big Sunflower River) is one of the main tributaries of the

Yazoo River The Yazoo River is a river in the U.S. states of Louisiana and Mississippi. It is considered by some to mark the southern boundary of what is called the Mississippi Delta, a broad floodplain that was cultivated for cotton plantations before th ...

in the U.S. state of

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

. It is navigable by barge for 50 miles. It rises in De Soto County, Mississippi near the

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 36th-largest by ...

border and flows south for 100 miles to the Yazoo River, a major tributary of the Mississippi River. At Clarksdale, the county seat of

Coahoma County Coahoma County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, the population was 26,151. Its county seat is Clarksdale, Mississippi, Clarksdale. The Clarksdale, M ...

, the annual Sunflower River Blues & Gospel Festival is held. The

United States Army Corps of Engineers , colors = , anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day) , battles = , battles_label = Wars , website = , commander1 = ...

maintains a navigation channel, thirty miles in length. Built in 1976, the channel is used by barges and pleasure craft. According to the

USGS The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...

, variant names include Hushpuckaman Creek. The

Hushpuckena River Hushpuckena River is a stream in the U.S. state of Mississippi. It is a tributary of the Sunflower River, splitting off just north of Mississippi Highway 32's bridge over the Sunflower near the Mississippi State Penitentiary, flowing through the ...

drains the northwestern part of the Sunflower River Basin,

Quiver River Quiver River is a river in Mississippi, United States. The source of Quiver River is the Upper Quiver River and Lower Quiver River, located northwest of Sumner, Mississippi. Quiver River flows south, passing through Tallahatchie County, Leflo ...

drains the northeastern portion, and

Bogue Phalia Bogue Phalia is a stream in the U.S. state of Mississippi. It is a tributary to the Big Sunflower River. ''Bogue Phalia'' is a name derived from the Choctaw language The Choctaw language (Choctaw: ), spoken by the Choctaw, an Indigenous people o ...

drains the west central portion of the watershed, all of which lies in the alluvium soil of the Yazoo Delta. At Sunflower, Mississippi, the river flow measures approximately 1,099 cubic feet per second.

Water quality

Like the Yazoo, this river is silt laden. The river collects mud from runoff in the bayous and small streams that feed it. The river has a distinct "Clear-Mud Line" where it meets the Yazoo, showing that the Big Sunflower is muddier than the Yazoo at their confluence.

Archaeology

Early investigators of Native American culture identified many mound sites along the river. With what is now known of the cultures in the Southeast, scholars believe these earthwork mounds to have been built by cultures that existed before the emergence of the Choctaw and Chickasaw peoples. Clarence B. Moore conducted notable studies of the earthworks on the river near Holly Bluff, about a half a mile from the entrance to Lake George.Brown, Calvin S. (1926). ''Archeology of Mississippi.'' 1992 ed. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi. p. 73.

Wildlife refuges

Land use along the river and in the watershed is predominantly agricultural, with many large-scale, industrial-style farms. From the antebellum period into the 20th century, cotton was the major commodity crop. Three forested areas have been designated as national wildlife refuges, the Holt Collier National Wildlife Refuge, the Dahomey National Wildlife Refuge, and the Panther Swamp National Wildlife Refuge; all are managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

References

Rivers of Mississippi Landforms of DeSoto County, Mississippi Landforms of Sunflower County, Mississippi Landforms of Coahoma County, Mississippi Landforms of Bolivar County, Mississippi Landforms of Yazoo County, Mississippi {{Mississippi-river-stub

Water quality

Archaeology

Wildlife refuges

See also

References