The Spring River is a long river which flows through the

U.S. 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 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...

states of

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

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 ...

.Wildernet: Spring River, Arkansas
/ref> It consists of two branches, the South Fork of the Spring River and the Spring River proper. The South Fork of the Spring River starts in

Howell County, Missouri Howell County is in southern Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 39,750. The largest city and county seat is West Plains. The county was officially organized on March 2, 1857, and is named after Josiah Howell, a pioneer settler ...

and flows south through Fulton and Sharp counties in Arkansas.South Fork of the Spring River
/ref> The South Fork of the Spring River joins the Spring River proper near the town of Hardy, Arkansas. The South Fork is a quiet stream with gravelly bars that are ideal for camping. The Spring River proper begins where Mammoth Spring and Warm Fork of the Spring River merge at Mammoth Spring State Park in

Mammoth Spring, Arkansas Mammoth Spring is a city in Fulton County, Arkansas. The population was 929 at the time of the 2020 census and is home to Mammoth Spring, one of the largest natural springs in the world. The location is renowned for its trout fishing. History ...

. Mammoth Spring is the outlet of an underground river that runs from Missouri into Arkansas. Over per hour flow out of the massive spring and forms the Spring River. Being predominantly spring fed with water averaging 58 °F (14 °C), the river is kept cool during warmer months and is suitable trout habitate for several miles. The Spring River proper is a popular destination for tourists, canoers, and for riding

inner tube An inner tube is an inflatable torus that forms the interior of some pneumatic tires. The tube is inflated through a valve stem and fits inside the tire casing. The inflated inner tube provides structural support and suspension, while the out ...

s ("toobers"). The most popular stretch of the river is between Mammoth Spring and the tourist town of Hardy. Below Hardy, the Spring River flows past Ravenden and Imoden to its confluence with the Eleven Point River near Old Davidsonville State Park. The Spring River joins the Black River near Black Rock, Arkansas. There are a variety of outfitters along the river who provide supplies, canoe rental, and shuttle services in the area between Mammoth Spring and Hardy. Several resorts provide lodging for tourists. The Spring River has a diverse population of fish including

trout Trout (: trout) is a generic common name for numerous species of carnivorous freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', ''Salmo'' and ''Salvelinus'', all of which are members of the subfamily Salmoninae in the ...

walleye The walleye (''Sander vitreus'', Synonym (taxonomy), synonym ''Stizostedion vitreum''), also called the walleyed pike, yellow pike, yellow pikeperch or yellow pickerel, is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the Northern ...

, largemouth and

smallmouth bass The smallmouth bass (''Micropterus dolomieu'') is a species of freshwater fish in the Centrarchidae, sunfish family (biology), family (Centrarchidae) of the order (biology), order Centrarchiformes. It is the type species of its genus ''Micropterus ...

, channel

catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order (biology), order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Catfish are common name, named for their prominent barbel (anatomy), barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, though not ...

, redear sunfish, and tiger muskies. A state record tiger muskie weighing 23 lb 12 oz (10.8 kg) was caught in the river in 1995. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission maintains a trout

hatchery A hatchery is a facility where eggs are hatched under artificial conditions, especially those of fish, poultry or even turtles. It may be used for ''ex situ'' conservation purposes, i.e. to breed rare or endangered species under controlled ...

on the river and the

United States Fish and Wildlife Service The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is a List of federal agencies in the United States, U.S. federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior which oversees the management of fish, wildlife, ...

operates another on the river near Mammoth Spring.

Flooding

In March 2008, a vigorous, slow moving low pressure system moved out of

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

and into

inundating the area with over a foot of rain falling in some areas of Arkansas and

. Heavy rainfall rates caused the river to over flow its banks with an observed maximum depth of . This river level had only been surpassed by the record 1982 floods that reached a level of 29 feet. The mayor of Hardy ordered evacuation of 250 citizens of the town because of dangerous river levels that flooded over 100 buildings in and around the Spring River.Arkansas Matters - Flooding in Hardy
/ref>

References

External links

* {{authority control Rivers of Arkansas Rivers of Missouri Rivers of Fulton County, Arkansas Rivers of Howell County, Missouri Bodies of water of Sharp County, Arkansas Bodies of water of the Ozarks Tributaries of the White River (Arkansas–Missouri)

Flooding

See also

References

External links