The Black River is a
tributary
A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they ...
of the
White River, about long,
[AllRefer.com]
in southeastern
Missouri
Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...
and northeastern
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...
in the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
.
Via the White River, it is part of the
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...
watershed.
Black River Technical College is named for the river.
The river was so named on account of the black tint of its water.
Headwaters and course
The Black River rises in Missouri as three streams:
*The East Fork Black River rises in
Iron County and flows generally southwardly, through
Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park
Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park is a public recreation area covering on the Black River (Arkansas), East Fork Black River in Reynolds County, Missouri. The state park is jointly administered with adjoining Taum Sauk Mountain State Park, and toget ...
where the
Taum Sauk pumped storage plant
Tuam (; , meaning 'mound' or 'burial-place') is a town in Ireland and the second-largest settlement in County Galway. It is west of the midlands of Ireland, about north of Galway city. The town is in a civil parish of the same name.
Human ...
Upper Reservoir dam breach caused severe damage to the park. A dam on the East Fork forms the Taum Sauk Lower Reservoir which holds water that is pumped to the Upper Reservoir.
*The Middle Fork Black River is formed by a confluence of creeks in the
Mark Twain National Forest
Mark Twain National Forest (MTNF) is a U.S. National Forest located in the southern half of Missouri, composed of nine disconnected parcels. MTNF was established on September 11, 1939. It is named for author Mark Twain, a Missouri native. The ...
in northern
Reynolds County 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 eastwardly, past the town of
Centerville.
The headwaters forks converge near
Lesterville, and the Black River flows generally southwardly through Reynolds,
Wayne and
Butler
A butler is a person who works in a house serving and is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments, with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantries, pantr ...
Counties in Missouri; and
Clay
Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolinite, ). Most pure clay minerals are white or light-coloured, but natural clays show a variety of colours from impuriti ...
,
Randolph and
Lawrence Counties in Arkansas. In its lowermost course the river is used to define the boundary between
Independence
Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state, in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the status of ...
and
Jackson
Jackson may refer to:
Places Australia
* Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region
* Jackson North, Queensland, a locality in the Maranoa Region
* Jackson South, Queensland, a locality in the Maranoa Region
* Jackson oil field in Durham, ...
Counties. It flows past the towns of
Mill Spring,
Williamsville and
Poplar Bluff in Missouri; and
Pocahontas
Pocahontas (, ; born Amonute, also known as Matoaka and Rebecca Rolfe; 1596 – March 1617) was a Native American woman belonging to the Powhatan people, notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. S ...
,
Black Rock, and
Powhatan
Powhatan people () are Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands who belong to member tribes of the Powhatan Confederacy, or Tsenacommacah. They are Algonquian peoples whose historic territories were in eastern Virginia.
Their Powh ...
in Arkansas. It joins the White River at
Jacksonport, Arkansas.
Dams
A
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is the military engineering branch of the United States Army. A direct reporting unit (DRU), it has three primary mission areas: Engineer Regiment, military construction, and civil wor ...
dam
A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...
in Wayne County, Missouri, causes the river to form
Clearwater Lake.
Tributaries
In Arkansas, the Black River is joined by the
Little Black River, the
Current River, the
Spring River and the
Strawberry River.
Mayberry Branch and
Eads Creek are tributaries in Missouri.
See also
*
List of Arkansas rivers
This article is a list of rivers in the U.S. state of Arkansas.
By drainage basin
This list is arranged by drainage basin, with respective tributaries indented under each larger stream's name.
Red River
* Mississippi River
** Red River
*** ...
*
List of Missouri rivers
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Black River (Arkansas-Missouri)
*
Rivers of Arkansas
Rivers of Missouri
Bodies of water of the Ozarks
Tributaries of the White River (Arkansas–Missouri)
Bodies of water of Clay County, Arkansas
Rivers of Randolph County, Arkansas
Bodies of water of Lawrence County, Arkansas
Bodies of water of Independence County, Arkansas
Bodies of water of Jackson County, Arkansas
Rivers of Iron County, Missouri
Rivers of Wayne County, Missouri
Rivers of Butler County, Missouri
Rivers of Reynolds County, Missouri