Okatoma Creek is a tributary of the

Bouie River The Bouie River, sometimes known as the Bowie River, is a tributary of the Leaf River, long, in southern Mississippi in the United States. Via the Leaf River, it is part of the watershed of the Pascagoula River, which flows to the Gulf of Mexic ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

. It is part of the

watershed Watershed is a hydrological term, which has been adopted in other fields in a more or less figurative sense. It may refer to: Hydrology * Drainage divide, the line that separates neighbouring drainage basins * Drainage basin, called a "watershe ...

of the

Pascagoula River The Pascagoula River is a river, about 80 miles (130 km) long, in southeastern Mississippi in the United States. The river drains an area of about 8,800 square miles (23,000 km²) and flows into Mississippi Sound of the Gulf of Mexico. ...

. Okatoma Creek is popular for

canoeing Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. Common meanings of the term are limited to when the canoeing is the central purpose of the activity. Broader meanings include when it is combined with other acti ...

and

kayaking Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving over water. It is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle. A kayak is a low-to-the-water, canoe-like boat in which the paddler sits fac ...

particularly near

Seminary, Mississippi Seminary is a town in Covington County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 314 at the 2010 census. Okatoma Creek, part of the Pascagoula River watershed, runs through Seminary, and is popular for canoeing and kayaking. History 184 ...

, where there are several boat rental businesses. While a far cry from being a challenge to the highly-experienced canoeist, it offers several Class I falls and shoots. It makes for a half-day or full-day trip and can be done comfortably in early spring or late autumn. The Okatoma Creek (sometimes referred to as the Okatoma River) is known for canoeing, picnicking, and camping. The creek offers many flat spots, is easy to paddle, and boats can be ported past the whitewater when needed. Below each of the whitewater areas, and in other spots along the way, there are beaches for

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

. (There are even a few

rope swing A swing is a seat, often found at playgrounds for children, at a circus for acrobats, or on a porch for relaxing, although they may also be items of indoor furniture, such as the Latin American hammock or the Indian oonjal. The seat of a swing ...

s along the way.) The average temperatures in Seminary range from in the winter to in the summer. The spring and fall months have higher amounts of rain and offer better rides on the river; the temperatures then ranging from .

Name

''Okatoma'' is a name derived from the

Choctaw language The Choctaw language (Choctaw: ), spoken by the Choctaw, an Indigenous people of the Southeastern Woodlands, is part of the Muskogean language family. Chickasaw is separate but closely related language to Choctaw. The Choctaw Nation of Oklahom ...

purported to mean either (sources vary) "radiant water" or "foggy water". Variant names include "Lawsons Creek", "Oakatoma Creek", "Ocatona Creek", "Oka Toma Creek", "Okatoma River", "Okatomy Creek", "Okatona Creek", and "Sun Creek".

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Waterdata
{{authority control Landforms of Covington County, Mississippi Landforms of Forrest County, Mississippi Rivers of Mississippi Landforms of Simpson County, Mississippi Landforms of Smith County, Mississippi Mississippi placenames of Native American origin

Name

See also

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