The Current River forms in the southeastern portion of the
Ozarks
The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, Ozark Highlands or Ozark Plateau, is a physiographic region in the U.S. states of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and the extreme southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover a significant port ...
of
Missouri
Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
and becomes a
7th order stream[Inventory and Assessment for Current River Watershed, Missouri Department of Conservation]
/ref> as it flows southeasterly out of the Ozarks into northeastern Arkansas where it becomes a tributary of the Black River, which is a tributary of the White River, a tributary of the Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
. The Current River is approximately long and drains about [ of land mostly in Missouri and a small portion of land in northeastern ]Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...
. The headwaters of the Current River are nearly above sea level, while the mouth of the river lies around [ above sea level. The basin drains a rural area that is dominated by ]karst
Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant ro ...
topography, underlain by dolomite Dolomite may refer to:
*Dolomite (mineral), a carbonate mineral
*Dolomite (rock), also known as dolostone, a sedimentary carbonate rock
*Dolomite, Alabama, United States, an unincorporated community
*Dolomite, California, United States, an unincor ...
and sandstone
Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks.
Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...
bedrock with a small area of igneous rock
Igneous rock (derived from the Latin word ''ignis'' meaning fire), or magmatic rock, is one of the three main The three types of rocks, rock types, the others being Sedimentary rock, sedimentary and metamorphic rock, metamorphic. Igneous rock ...
southeast of Eminence, Missouri
Eminence is a city in Shannon County, Missouri, United States. The population was 515 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Shannon County.
History
A post office called Eminence has been in operation since 1844. According to one account, ...
. The annual daily mean discharge of the river near Doniphan, Missouri
Doniphan is a city in Ripley County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,781 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Ripley County.
History
The first settlement at Doniphan was made in the 1840s. The community was named for Alexa ...
is per second.[ In 1964, over 134 mi (160 km) of the upper course of the river and its tributaries were federally protected as the ]Ozark National Scenic Riverways
The Ozark National Scenic Riverways is a recreational unit of the National Park Service in the Ozarks of southern Missouri in the U.S.
The park was created by an Act of Congress in 1964 to protect the Current and Jacks Fork rivers, and it was fo ...
, the first national park in America to protect a river system.
Source and tributaries
The Current River begins in Montauk State Park
Montauk State Park is a public recreation area occupying nearly at the headwaters of the Current River, southwest of Salem, Missouri. The state park contains a fish hatchery and is noted for its rainbow and brown trout angling. It was acqu ...
located in the southwestern corner of Dent County in southeastern Missouri. The confluence of Pigeon Creek and Montauk Spring form the headwaters of the river. Montauk Spring makes up most of the consistent flow of the headwaters, providing ideal conditions for trout fishing. After leaving Montauk State Park the river enters the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. The uppermost reaches of the river are swift with numerous riffles broken by deep pools of crystal clear water, further downstream the riffles continue but get further apart. Hardwood trees, rock ledges, caves, springs, gravel bars, and towering dolomite bluffs line the banks of the river. Welch Spring, a first magnitude spring, enters the river approximately downstream from the headwaters, nearly doubling the flow of the river. Other notable springs to add to the river include Cave Spring, Pulltite Spring, and Round Spring. Downstream from the headwaters approximately the Current River receives its largest tributary the Jacks Fork
Jacks Fork is one of two rivers in Missouri that are part of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways system.
Starting in Texas County, Missouri, this spring-fed river flows in a general east to northeasterly direction through the heart of the geolog ...
from the west near the small town of Eminence, Missouri. Blue Spring, another first magnitude spring, empties into the river, downstream from the confluence with the Jacks Fork. The Current River is approximately long when it passes by the town of Van Buren and under U.S. Route 60. South of Van Buren a few miles the Current River receives its second biggest tributary, the largest spring in the Ozarks and one of the largest single spring outlets known in the world. Big Spring empties into the river providing nearly of water per second.USGS Surface Water data for US – Big Spring 1981-2009
/ref> From Big Spring the river continues southeasterly leaving the Ozark National Scenic Riverways from the headwaters. The river then flows through Mark Twain National Forest until reaching Doniphan, Missouri
Doniphan is a city in Ripley County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,781 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Ripley County.
History
The first settlement at Doniphan was made in the 1840s. The community was named for Alexa ...
and passes under U.S. Route 160
U.S. Route 160 (US 160) is a 1,465 mile (2,358 km) long east–west United States highway in the Midwestern and Western United States. The western terminus of the route is at US 89 five miles (8 km) west of Tuba City, Arizo ...
. From here the river slows as it exits the Ozark Highlands, the river continues its slow silt laden path into Arkansas where it receives the Little Black River from the northeast before it joins the Black River near Pocahontas, Arkansas
Pocahontas is a city in Randolph County, Arkansas, United States, along the Black River. According to the 2010 Census Bureau, the population of the city was 6,608. The city is the county seat of Randolph County.
Pocahontas has a number of hist ...
.
Recreational activities
Canoeing, fishing, horseback riding, and camping are popular activities along the Current River. The river is fairly gentle and is considered to have mostly class 1 rapids and a few rated class 2.
Some of the points of interest along the course of the river include Montauk State Park
Montauk State Park is a public recreation area occupying nearly at the headwaters of the Current River, southwest of Salem, Missouri. The state park contains a fish hatchery and is noted for its rainbow and brown trout angling. It was acqu ...
, Welch Spring and its abandoned tuberculosis hospital, Aker's Ferry, Cave Spring, Devil's Well, Deer Leap, Rock House Cave, Pulltite Spring, Round Spring, Jacks Fork
Jacks Fork is one of two rivers in Missouri that are part of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways system.
Starting in Texas County, Missouri, this spring-fed river flows in a general east to northeasterly direction through the heart of the geolog ...
, Blue Spring, Rocky Falls (on a small tributary), and Big Spring.
See also
*List of Missouri rivers
List of rivers in Missouri (U.S. state).
By drainage basin
This list is arranged by drainage basin, with respective tributaries indented under each larger stream's name.
Mississippi River
Arkansas River
*Mississippi River
**Arkansas River (AR ...
*List of Arkansas rivers
List of rivers in Arkansas ( U.S. state).
For a list of dams and reservoirs in Arkansas, see List of Arkansas dams and reservoirs Rivers are listed by drainage basin, by size, and alphabetically.
By drainage basin
This list is arranged by draina ...
* List of Ozark springs
References
Further reading
*''Stars Upstream: Life Along an Ozark River'', Leonard Hall, University of Chicago Press
The University of Chicago Press is the largest and one of the oldest university presses in the United States. It is operated by the University of Chicago and publishes a wide variety of academic titles, including ''The Chicago Manual of Style'', ...
, Chicago, 1959
*''Missouri Ozark Waterways'', Oz Hawksley, Missouri Department of Conservation
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and the Missouri Conservation Commission were created by Article IV Sections 40-42 of the Missouri Constitution, which were adopted by the voters of the state in 1936 as Amendment 4 to the constitution ...
, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102, 1965, Revised 1989 Conservation Commission of the State of Missouri
External links
Ozark National Scenic Riverways
Missouri Scenic Rivers
Information compiled by the Missouri Department of Conservation
Discharge of Big Spring, USGS
(1981–2006)
{{authority control
Rivers of Arkansas
Rivers of Missouri
Bodies of water of the Ozarks
Tributaries of the Black River (Arkansas–Missouri)
Bodies of water of Clay County, Arkansas
Rivers of Randolph County, Arkansas
Rivers of Carter County, Missouri
Rivers of Dent County, Missouri
Rivers of Ripley County, Missouri
Rivers of Shannon County, Missouri