Big Black River (Mississippi)
| Big Black River | |
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| Country | United States |
| Basin features | |
| Main source | Webster County, Mississippi |
| River mouth |
Mississippi River 40 feet (12 m) |
Big Black River is a river in the U.S. state of Mississippi and a tributary of the Mississippi River. Its origin (33°41′40″N 89°07′59″W / 33.6944°N 89.1331°W) is in Webster County near the town of Eupora in the north central part of the state. From there it flows 330 miles (530 km) in a generally southwest direction until it merges with the Mississippi River 25 miles (40 km) south of the city of Vicksburg. It is the major contributor to the Big Black River Basin. It forms part of the northern border of Choctaw County, passes through Montgomery County, and forms the eastern border of Holmes County and the northern border of Claiborne County.
The Big Black River and most of its tributaries are silt-filled. The rivers carry large amounts of suspended sediment, resulting mostly from agricultural runoff. These tributaries are slow-flowing muddy streams. However, some are swift-flowing with sandy bottoms.
The Battle of Big Black River Bridge, fought during the Battle of Vicksburg, was part of the Vicksburg Campaign in the American Civil War.
The size of the Big Black River Basin drainage area is 3,400 square miles (8,800 km2). Its elevation varies from 50 to 650 feet (14 to 198 meters) above sea level. It is 160 miles (260 km) long and averages 22 to 25 miles wide. Most of its small tributaries are in the upper part of the basin and flow only part of the year. The terrain is hilly with 56% of the land forested and 39% used for farming and cattle ranching.
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