White River (Arkansas–Missouri)

White River
River
White River, 2008
Country	United States
States	Arkansas, Missouri
Tributaries
- left	James River, North Fork River, Black River
- right	Buffalo River, Little Red River, Bayou des Arc
Cities	Newport, Batesville, Fayetteville
Source	Boston Mountains
- location	Ozark-St. Francis National Forest, Madison County, Arkansas
- elevation	2,260 ft (689 m)
- coordinates	35°50′20″N 93°36′16″W / 35.83889°N 93.60444°W / 35.83889; -93.60444
Mouth	Mississippi River
- location	Desha County, Arkansas
- elevation	188 ft (57 m)
- coordinates	33°57′5″N 91°4′53″W / 33.95139°N 91.08139°W / 33.95139; -91.08139Coordinates: 33°57′5″N 91°4′53″W / 33.95139°N 91.08139°W / 33.95139; -91.08139
Length	722 mi (1,162 km)
Basin	27,765 sq mi (71,911 km2)
Discharge	for Devalls Bluff
- average	26,180 cu ft/s (741 m3/s)
- max	154,000 cu ft/s (4,361 m3/s)
- min	3,230 cu ft/s (91 m3/s)
Map of the White River watershed

The White River is a 722-mile (1,162-km) long river that flows through the U.S. states of Arkansas and Missouri. Originating in the Boston Mountains of northwest Arkansas, it flows northwards into southern Missouri, and then turns back into Arkansas, flowing southeast to its mouth at the Mississippi River.

The source of the White River is in the Boston Mountains of northwest Arkansas, in the Ozark–St. Francis National Forest southeast of Fayetteville. The river flows northwards from its source in northwest Arkansas, loops up through southwest Missouri through Branson, Missouri. In Branson the river is actually Lake Taneycomo since it is held back by the Powersite Dam. The Powersite was the first dam on the White River. The flow into this comes from Table Rock Lake and down stream flows into Bull Shoals Lake where it travels back into Arkansas, and then heads generally southeast to its mouth at the Mississippi River.

On entering the Mississippi River Valley region near Batesville, Arkansas, the river becomes navigable to shallow-draft vessels, and its speed decreases considerably. The final 10 miles (16 km) of the river serves as the last segment of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System; this part of the channel is deeper than the rest of the river.

Despite being much shorter than the Arkansas River, it carries nearly as much water—normally more than 20,000 cubic feet per second (570 m³/s), and occasionally more than 100,000 cubic feet per second (2,800 m³/s) during floods.