Kiamichi River
| Kiamichi River | |
| River | |
 The Kiamchi River watershed
|
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| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | Oklahoma |
| Part of | Red River |
| Mouth | |
| - coordinates | 33°57′40″N 95°13′46″W / 33.96111°N 95.22944°WCoordinates: 33°57′40″N 95°13′46″W / 33.96111°N 95.22944°W |
| Sardis Lake | |
|---|---|
Sardis Lake and Dam
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|
| Coordinates | 34°39′30″N 95°22′44″W / 34.6583333°N 95.3788889°W |
The Kiamichi River is a river in southeastern Oklahoma. A tributary of the Red River, its headwaters rise on Pine Mountain in the Ouachita Mountains near the Arkansas border. From its source in LeFlore County, Oklahoma it flows approximately 177 miles (285 km) to its confluence with the Red River south of Hugo, Oklahoma.
The exact origin of the word Kiamichi is a matter of debate and may never be fully known. Most accounts say the word is French for "horned screamer" or "noisy bird," a reference to woodpeckers or other birds living along the river's banks. The spelling of the modern word was not standardized until the twentieth century, making its origin more difficult to determine. The Antlers News, a newspaper published in Antlers, Oklahoma (then Antlers, Indian Territory) first used the spelling "Kiamichi" in November 1900—prior to this it, along with other authoritative sources, spelled the name of the river as "Kiamichia" or "Kiamitia".
Muriel H. Wright suggested that Kaimichi may be from the French word kamichi, which meant "horned screamer", and possibly referred to the whooping cranes along the river. Other spellings of the name have included: Kiomitchie, Cayameechee, Kiamisha, Kimesha, Kimichy, and Kimishi.
From Pine Mountain the Kiamichi River flows southwest, past Talihina, Tuskahoma and Clayton to Antlers, where it turns abruptly southeast, flowing in this direction to its confluence with Red River.
For much of its journey the river flows through the picturesque and highly defined Kiamichi River valley, framed by mountains of the same name. Pine Mountain, at approximately 2,600 feet (790 m), is the highest, although the mountains lining its course, such as Flagpole Mountain at Clayton, are significant, rising generally between 900 feet (270 m) and 1,800 feet (550 m). At Antlers the river meets the massive geological formation known as Standpipe Hill, forcing its turn to the southeast. From Antlers to the Red River the Kiamichi is generally characterized by flowing through a broad alluvial plain, particularly on its approach to the Red.
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Wikipedia