Arkansas River (USA): length, basin area, main tributaries. Exploring the river valley

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:47

The main river system in North America is the Mississippi. But one of its largest tributaries is the Arkansas River. Where is it? What is the total area of its drainage basin? And how are the resources of this river being used today? Our article will answer all these questions.

Arkansas River on US map

Arkansas is not only a river, but also one of the states in the USA, as well as the county and city of the same name within this state. In addition, there is a watercourse with the same name in Russia, on the island of Sakhalin. But we, nevertheless, will tell you about the American Arkansas. This is the name of the third largest tributary of the Mississippi River. It is located entirely within the United States (see map). The source of the river is on the slopes of the Rocky Mountains. Descending from them, Arkansas flows through the expanses of the Great Plains, crossing the territories of four American states (Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas).

The total length of the watercourse is 2364 kilometers. The pool area is 505 thousand square meters. km. The average flow of water in the river is 1150 m3/sec. Directly on the shores of Arkansas grew a wholea number of relatively large cities (Tulsa, Little Rock, Wichita, Fort Smith).

Main tributaries of the river:

• left: Pawnee, Walnut, Verdigris, Neosho, Little Arkansas;
• right: Cimarron, Canadian River, Poto, S alt Fork Arkansas.

Research and study of the river

The first mention of this watercourse was found in the report of the expedition of Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, the Spanish conquistador, who was the first European to visit the Rocky Mountains. It was he, by the way, who discovered the origins of Arkansas. Initially, the river appeared on geographical maps under the name Napeste. It received its modern name thanks to French travelers who named one of the local peoples with this word.

The peak of scientific research in the Arkansas valley and basin occurred in the second half of the 18th - first half of the 19th century. In the history of the study of the river, such personalities as Newton Boone, Stephen Long, Montgomery Pike and others were especially noted. In the 1850s, the Arkansas riverbed was heavily used to transport corn, nuts, cotton, and other goods.

River hydrology and flow patterns

In the upper reaches, Arkansas cuts through numerous mountain slopes, dressing its banks in rocky and deep gorges. In the narrowest places, the width of the river valley does not exceed 15 meters. In the future, the river enters the plains and becomes much wider. Below the city of Pueblo, it is already a classic flat-type watercourse with low banks,regularly flooded spring floods. In winter, Arkansas freezes only in its upper reaches.

Most of Arkansas is navigable. The river is an important transportation artery of the United States. In addition, its waters are used to supply water to a number of settlements, as well as to obtain cheap electricity. The river is also very popular among tourists. In particular, the upper Arkansas is a great place for kayaking and boating.