| Hatchie River | |
|---|---|
 The Hatchie River at Rialto, Tennessee, on the boundary ofTipton andLauderdale Counties. | |
  Location of the mouth in Tennessee Show map of Tennessee Hatchie River (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| States | Tennessee andMississippi |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Union County, Mississippi near Pleasant Ridge, MS |
| • elevation | 210 ft (64 m) |
| Mouth | |
• location | Mississippi River near Randolph, TN |
| Length | 238 mi (383 km) |
TheHatchie River is a 238-mile-long (383 km)[1]river in northernMississippi and southwesternTennessee. It is of considerable geographic,cultural, and historic significance. In large measure, this is because it is the only major river ofWest Tennessee that has never been impounded,channelized, or otherwise modified by human activity to any major degree, although several of its tributaries have. Its environs are indicative of what much of West Tennessee must have resembled prior to the time ofEuropean settlement in early 19th century.
The Hatchie rises in the northern part ofUnion County, Mississippi and travels throughTippah andAlcorn counties before crossing intoHardeman County, Tennessee, near the community ofPocahontas. After a short jog into adjoiningMcNairy County, Tennessee, the Hatchie flows north, in a serpentine fashion, then turns northwest towardBolivar. While there is usually a discernible main channel, the Hatchie at this point is largely a zone ofwetlands approximately one mile (1.6 km) wide. Supposedly Bolivar was the head ofnavigation for small, shallow-draughtsteamboats in the 19th century.
From Bolivar, the Hatchie continues generally northwest, crossing intoHaywood County and the southwestern corner ofMadison County. It then entersHatchie National Wildlife Refuge. The rest of the stream course generally trends west.US 51 (FutureI-69) crosses the river. There is a "bow" to the north in the final part of the stream course, which forms the line betweenTipton County andLauderdale County. The Hatchie enters theMississippi River just north of the Hatchie Towhead and just south of theLower Hatchie National Wildlife Refuge. The Hatchie is designated as a "scenic river" under the Tennessee Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.
The name "Hatchie River" istautological, as the element "hatchie" means "river" in theChoctaw language.[2]
Variant names of the Hatchie River include Arteguet River and Big Hatchie River.
35°33′5″N89°53′38″W / 35.55139°N 89.89389°W /35.55139; -89.89389
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