| White River | |
|---|---|
 White River inArkansas, January 2008 | |
 Map of the White River watershed | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Arkansas,Missouri |
| Cities | Newport,Batesville,Fayetteville |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Boston Mountains |
| • location | Ozark-St. Francis National Forest,Madison County,Arkansas |
| • coordinates | 35°50′20″N93°36′16″W / 35.83889°N 93.60444°W /35.83889; -93.60444[1] |
| • elevation | 2,260 ft (690 m)[2] |
| Mouth | Mississippi River |
• location | Desha County,Arkansas |
• coordinates | 33°57′5″N91°4′53″W / 33.95139°N 91.08139°W /33.95139; -91.08139[1] |
• elevation | 188 ft (57 m)[3] |
| Length | 722 mi (1,162 km)[4] |
| Basin size | 27,765 sq mi (71,910 km2)[5] |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Devalls Bluff[6] |
| • average | 26,180 cu ft/s (741 m3/s)[7] |
| • minimum | 3,230 cu ft/s (91 m3/s) |
| • maximum | 154,000 cu ft/s (4,400 m3/s) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Clarendon |
| • average | 29,479 cu ft/s (834.8 m3/s)[8] |
| Basin features | |
| Landmarks | White River National Wildlife Refuge |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | James River,North Fork River,Black River,Cache River |
| • right | Buffalo River,Little Red River,Bayou des Arc |
| Waterbodies | Lake Taneycomo,Beaver Lake,Bull Shoals Lake,Table Rock Lake |
TheWhite River is a 722-mile (1,162 km)river that flows through theU.S. states ofArkansas andMissouri. Originating in theBoston Mountains of northwest Arkansas, it arcs northwards through southern Missouri before turning back into Arkansas, flowing southeast to its mouth at theMississippi River.
The source of the White River is in theBoston Mountains of northwestArkansas, in theOzark–St. Francis National Forest southeast ofFayetteville. The river flows northwards from its source to loop through southwestMissouri before heading southeast through Arkansas to its mouth on theMississippi River.
On entering theMississippi River Valley region nearBatesville, Arkansas, the river becomes navigable to shallow-draft vessels, and its speed decreases considerably. The final 10 miles (16 km) serves as the last segment of theMcClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System; this part of the channel is deeper than the rest of the river.
Despite being much shorter than theArkansas River, it carries nearly as much water—normally more than 20,000 cubic feet per second (570 m3/s), and occasionally more than 100,000 cubic feet per second (2,800 m3/s) during periods of flooding.
In the 20th century, large sections of the White River were modified viadam construction to form a series of artificial reservoirs for the purpose of flood control, as well ashydroelectric power generation, water distribution and management, and recreation. The first of these encountered from the headwaters isBeaver Lake in northwest Arkansas, followed byTable Rock Lake andLake Taneycomo in southern Missouri, and finallyBull Shoals Lake as the river loops southward into northern Arkansas. Downstream ofBull Shoals Dam, the White River returns to its natural riparian state as it heads southeast through the eastern Ozark-St. Francis National Forest.
In 1910, Congress authorized construction of ahydroelectricdam on the White River by the newly formed Ozark Power and Water Company.[9] Completed in 1913 at a cost of $2.3 million,[9]Powersite Dam nearForsyth, Missouri[10] confined a section of the White River to createLake Taneycomo. The project brought electricity to a rural area of theOzark Mountains south ofSpringfield, Missouri with rural electrification programs in the 1940s expanding service to the surrounding region. Recreation on Taneycomo drew tourism toRockaway Beach andBranson. The Ozark Power and Electric Company operated independently until 1927 when it merged withEmpire District Electric Company in 1927, who own and operate Powersite to this day.[9]
Beaver Lake,Bull Shoals Lake, andTable Rock Lake are man-made lakes orreservoirs created by theU.S. Army Corps of Engineers under the authority of theFlood Control Act of 1938.[11]
Bull Shoals Dam nearMountain Home, Arkansas was constructed from 1947 to 1951 at a cost of $86 million[12] and is the 5th largest concrete dam in the United States.[13] It confinesBull Shoals Lake, the largest[13] of the lakes on the White River and the most downstream.
The next to be constructed wasTable Rock Dam nearBranson, Missouri, completed in 1958 at a cost of $65 million.[14] It confinesTable Rock Lake, the second largest on the White and a popular tourist destination as part of theBranson area.
Beaver Dam nearEureka Springs, Arkansas was built between 1960 and 1966 for $46 million.[15] It confinesBeaver Lake, the most upstream dam and reservoir on the river.
A total of eight dams impound the upper White River, six in Arkansas and two in Missouri. TheWhite River National Wildlife Refuge lies along the lower part of the river.
The tributaries of the White River includeCache River,Bayou des Arc,Little Red River,Black River,North Fork River,Crooked Creek,Buffalo River,Kings River,James River, andRoaring River.
Fishing fortrout is popular in the upper portions of the river from theBeaver Lake tailwaters in northwestern Arkansas, through its course through southwest Missouri (including all of Lake Taneycomo), and back down through Arkansas to the Highway 58 bridge inGuion. The river has long been ranked one of the top trout fisheries in the country. Fishing is popular in these waters for a number of trout species includingrainbow,brown, andcutthroat trout.[16] A number of trout fishing resorts lie on the tailwaters of Bull Shoals Lake and the North Fork River.[17] Fishing forwhite bass is also popular in these waters.
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