The Sulphur River is a
river
A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...
in northeast
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 southwest
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 ...
. It is a tributary of the
Red River.
Geography
The Sulphur River begins at the confluence of its north and south forks forming (following earlier meanders) the northern and southern boundaries of, and meeting at the eastern end of,
Delta County (Texas). This is about northeast of the town of
Sulphur Bluff, northeast of
Dallas
Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
, and downstream (air miles) along the south fork from the
Cooper Lake dam.
The river flows generally eastward through several Texas counties. Tributaries include
Shawnee Creek and
Brevelle Lake. The river provides most of the water for
Wright Patman Lake, on the border between
Bowie and
Cass
Cass may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Cass (surname), a list of people
* Cass (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
* Big Cass, ring name of wrestler William Morrissey
* Cass, in British band Skunk Anansie
* Cass, ...
counties. Below
Wright Patman Dam, the river continues its generally eastward flow to the Arkansas state line. The river flows southeastward through
Miller County in southwestern Arkansas for until it joins the southbound
Red River east of
Doddridge, a few miles north of the
Louisiana
Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...
border.
Recreation
The Sulphur River provides numerous opportunities for fishing, boating, and other activities.
Above Wright Patman Lake, the river has enough water for recreation most of the time. The flow is slow, and the river is murky, largely due to
channelization upstream. Below Wright Patman Dam, the river flow depends on the amount of water being released from the dam; however, water quality is usually good.
Wright Patman Lake provides additional opportunities for camping, boating, swimming, and fishing.
File:Lake Wright Patman Spillway.jpg, The spillway at Lake Wright Patman during the flood of 2015-2016. After this the Sulphur river flows into Miller County, Arkansas.
File:Lake Wright Patman Spillway Riser.jpg, The control center for the Lake Wright Patman dam gates. After this the Sulphur river flows into Miller County, Arkansas.
File:Survey Marker at the Lake Wright Patman Dam.jpg, This is a brass survey marker for the Lake Wright Patman Dam installed in 1981 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
See also
*
List of rivers of Texas
The list of rivers of Texas is a list of all named waterways, including rivers and streams that partially pass through or are entirely located within the U.S. state of Texas. Across the state, there are 3,700 named streams and 15 major rivers ...
*
Sulphur Springs, Texas
Sulphur Springs is a city in and the county seat of Hopkins County, Texas, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, its population was 15,941. Sulphur Springs is located in Northeast Texas.
History
Sulphur Springs
* Days Creek (Arkansas)">Days Creek
*
Brevelle Lake
References
External links
Sulphur River Basin AuthorityTexas Parks and Wildlife Department: An Analysis of Texas Waterways*
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Rivers of Arkansas
Rivers of Texas
Tributaries of the Red River of the South
Bodies of water of Miller County, Arkansas