The Saline River, also known as Saline Creek, is a
[U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data]
The National Map
accessed June 3, 2011 tributary
A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage ...
of the
Ouachita River
The Ouachita River ( ) is a river that runs south and east through the U.S. states of Arkansas and Louisiana, joining the Tensas River to form the Black River near Jonesville, Louisiana. It is the 25th-longest river in the United States ( ...
in the south central portion of 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 ...
of
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 ...
. It is the longest river that flows entirely within the state of Arkansas.
The Saline River begins in the eastern foothills of the
Ouachita Mountains
The Ouachita Mountains (), simply referred to as the Ouachitas, are a mountain range in western Arkansas and southeastern Oklahoma. They are formed by a thick succession of highly deformed Paleozoic strata constituting the Ouachita Fold and Thru ...
in
Saline and
Garland
A garland is a decorative braid, knot or wreath of flowers, leaves, or other material. Garlands can be worn on the head or around the neck, hung on an inanimate object, or laid in a place of cultural or religious importance.
Etymology
From the ...
counties. The river has four headwater tributaries, the South Fork, the Middle Fork, the Alum Fork, and the North Fork, which merge northwest of the city of
Benton.
The upper section of the Saline is a clear, cold-water stream with a series of fast running shoals interspersed with quiet pools. The central section of the river has clear to murky water with long slower moving pools interrupted by short stretches of fast water. The lower section is sluggish with murky water. The
L'Aigle Creek (Saline River of the Ouachita River) L’Aigle Creek is a waterway in Bradley County, Arkansas. It is 44.2 miles long. It flows into the Saline River. The Saline River (Ouachita River) flows into the Ouachita River.
The watershed of the creek covers a large portion of Bradley County, ...
connects to the Saline River near where the Saline River connects to the Ouachita River. During parts of the year the lower stretches of the river can be somewhat clogged with brush or trees.
After the merge of the three forks the river flattens and travels through
Grant
Grant or Grants may refer to:
Places
*Grant County (disambiguation)
Australia
* Grant, Queensland, a locality in the Barcaldine Region, Queensland, Australia
United Kingdom
*Castle Grant
United States
* Grant, Alabama
*Grant, Inyo County, C ...
,
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
,
Bradley
Bradley is an English surname derived from a place name meaning "broad wood" or "broad meadow" in Old English.
Like many English surnames Bradley can also be used as a given name and as such has become popular.
It is also an Anglicisation of t ...
, and
Ashley Ashley is a place name derived from the Old English words '' æsc'' (“ash”) and '' lēah'' (“meadow”). It may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Ashley (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name ...
counties.
The river reaches its
confluence
In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main stem); o ...
with the Ouachita River in the marshy area north of
Lake Jack Lee within the
Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge
The Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is a 76,000 acre (307.56 km2) national wildlife refuge located in south-central Arkansas in Ashley, Bradley, and Union counties. Felsenthal NWR is one of three refuges forming an administrative complex ...
.
The Saline is relatively free of development. The river runs through dense forests which are home to bear, deer, mink, otters, beaver, muskrats, turkey, squirrel as well as alligators in southern sections of the river. The river provides excellent fishing, scenery, and wilderness floating.
Smallmouth, largemouth, rock bass, and spotted bass as well as warmouth, longear, green sunfish, bluegills, channel catfish, and crappie inhabit the river.
Picnicking and swimming facilities are available at Jenkins' Ferry Historical Monument south of
Sheridan which commemorates the
Battle of Jenkins' Ferry
The Battle of Jenkins' Ferry, also known as the Engagement at Jenkins' Ferry, was fought on April 30, 1864, at Jenkins' Ferry, southwest of Little Rock (present-day Grant County, Arkansas), during the American Civil War. Although the battle ...
during the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
.
History
Steamboats
In the days of the steamboats, the steamboats traveled upstream as far as Bridges Bluff in Cleveland County. Cotton, timber, and staves (to make wood barrels) were shipped downstream each winter and spring (while the river water was high) to New Orleans and Monroe, Louisiana. Fifty-four steamboats have been documented on the Saline River.
*Carrie Poole, steamboat
*Enos Taylor, steamboat
*Handy, steamboat
*The Morgan Nelson, steamboat
Steamboat traffic on the Saline river was considerably reduced with the arrival of the rail system in 1880. One of the last steamboats on the Saline River was the Gate City,
Gate City (Packet, 1900-1913) steamboat which sank on October 14, 1913, near Warren.
Flood of 1927
The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927
The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 was the most destructive river flood in the history of the United States, with inundated in depths of up to over the course of several months in early 1927. The uninflated cost of the damage has been estimat ...
flooded the areas along the Saline and Ouachita Rivers.
See also
*List of rivers of Arkansas
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 ...
References
{{authority control
Rivers of Arkansas
Tributaries of the Red River of the South
Rivers of Saline County, Arkansas
Rivers of Garland County, Arkansas
Rivers of Grant County, Arkansas
Rivers of Cleveland County, Arkansas
Rivers of Bradley County, Arkansas
Rivers of Ashley County, Arkansas
Ouachita River