The Sulphur River is a
river
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...
in northeast
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
and southwest
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 ...
in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
.
Geography
The Sulphur River begins at the confluence of its north and south forks forming (following earlier meanders) the northern and southern boundaries of, and meeting at the eastern end of,
Delta County (Texas)
Delta County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 5,230. Its county seat and largest city is Cooper. The county was founded in 1870 and is named for its triangular shape, which resembles the ...
. This is about northeast of the town of
Sulphur Bluff, northeast of
Dallas
Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
, and downstream (air miles) along the south fork from the
Cooper Lake dam.
The river flows generally eastward through several Texas counties and provides most of the water for
Wright Patman Lake
Wright Patman Lake is a reservoir in northeast Texas in the United States. The lake is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir formed on the Sulphur River in Bowie and Cass counties by Wright Patman Dam. The reservoir provides flood control an ...
, on the border between
Bowie and
Cass counties. Below
Wright Patman Dam
Wright Patman Dam (formerly called Texarkana Dam) is an earth-fill dam across the Sulphur River in northeast Texas in the United States. The water impounded by the dam forms Wright Patman Lake.
Geography
Wright Patman Dam is situated southwes ...
, the river continues its generally eastward flow to the Arkansas state line. The river flows southeastward through
Miller County in southwestern Arkansas for until it joins the southbound
Red River east of
Doddridge, a few miles north of the
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
border.
Recreation
The Sulphur River provides numerous opportunities for fishing, boating, and other activities.
Above Wright Patman Lake, the river has enough water for recreation most of the time. The flow is slow, and the river is murky, largely due to
channelization upstream. Below Wright Patman Dam, the river flow depends on the amount of water being released from the dam; however, water quality is usually good.
Wright Patman Lake provides additional opportunities for camping, boating, swimming, and fishing.
See also
*
List of rivers of Texas
*
Sulphur Springs, Texas
References
External links
Sulphur River Basin AuthorityTexas Parks and Wildlife Department: An Analysis of Texas Waterways*
{{Waters of Texas
Rivers of Arkansas
Rivers of Texas
Tributaries of the Red River of the South
Bodies of water of Miller County, Arkansas