| Black River | |
|---|---|
 Black River | |
  Location of the mouth of the Black River in Arizona | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Arizona |
| County | Apache,Graham,Navajo,Gila,Greenlee |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | nearAlpine |
| • location | Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, Greenlee County |
| • coordinates | 33°45′03″N109°21′46″W / 33.75083°N 109.36278°W /33.75083; -109.36278[1] |
| • elevation | 7,480 ft (2,280 m)[2] |
| Mouth | Salt River |
• location | Confluence withWhite River,Gila County |
• coordinates | 33°44′20″N110°13′32″W / 33.73889°N 110.22556°W /33.73889; -110.22556[1] |
• elevation | 4,222 ft (1,287 m)[1] |
| Length | 114 mi (183 km)[3] |
| Basin size | 1,314 sq mi (3,400 km2)[4] |
| Discharge | |
| • location | mouth (average) and a gauge 5 miles (8 km) upstream for maximum and minimum[4][5] |
| • average | 420 cu ft/s (12 m3/s)[4][6] |
| • minimum | 11 cu ft/s (0.31 m3/s) |
| • maximum | 54,700 cu ft/s (1,550 m3/s) |
TheBlack River is a 114-mile-long (183 km)[3] river in theWhite Mountains of theU.S. state ofArizona. It forms south of the town ofGreer and west of the towns ofNutrioso andAlpine. The river flows southwest then northwest to meet theWhite River west ofFort Apache. The merged streams form theSalt River, a major tributary of theGila River.[7] Both theSalt andGila rivers supply water to thePhoenix metro area as well as provides water for farmland and crops around the valley.
James Ohio Pattie named the river in 1826 as he explored this area in Arizona'sWhite Mountains.[8]
From source tomouth, the river flows throughApache,Greenlee,Graham,Navajo andGila counties.[1] It forms a boundary between Apache and Greenlee counties, then between Apache and Graham counties, and further downstream, between Graham and Navajo counties.[7]
Along its lower reaches, the Black River is the boundary between theFort Apache Indian Reservation on the north and theSan Carlos Indian Reservation on the south.[7] The river also passes near theBear Wallow Wilderness, through which flows one of the river's tributaries, Bear Wallow Creek.[7]
Some of the places along the lower river are difficult to reach. Many of the roads in the area are unpaved and unmarked on major maps. The "Black River AZ Map" and "Lower Black River guide book" show more details. Bear encounters are possible along this river.Indian route 9 crosses the river at Black River Crossing.[9]
Rainbow andbrown trout andsmallmouth bass are among the 13 species of fish found in the Black River.[4] Major fishes in this river system also includechannel catfish,desert suckers, andfathead minnows, among others.[4]Anodonta californiensis and Anodonta have been found on the north fork at Crosby Crossing.[10]
The East Fork Black River and West Fork Black River, which merge to form the mainstem, have populations of brown trout andApache trout.[11] The headwaters tributaries support many aquatic insects, including more than 30 species ofcaddisflies. Some of the state's best sports fisheries are found in the Black River watershed.[12] Special permits are required to fish on either reservation.
Plants in theriparian zones include several kinds ofwillows andcottonwoods, as well asalders andsaltcedar.[4]Beaver,muskrats,great blue herons,mallards, andosprey are among thevertebrates found in or near the river.[4]
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