The Yockanookany River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data
The National Map
, accessed June 13, 2011

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 central

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 ...

in the

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. It is a

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

Pearl River The Pearl River, also known by its Chinese name Zhujiang or Zhu Jiang in Mandarin pinyin or Chu Kiang and formerly often known as the , is an extensive river system in southern China. The name "Pearl River" is also often used as a catch-a ...

, which flows to the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of ...

Course

The Yockanookany rises in Choctaw County on the west side of the town of

Ackerman Ackerman may refer to: Surname *Ackerman (surname), people with the surname Ackerman *Ackerman is a family name for singer Barlin Ackerman Places *Ackerman, Mississippi, town in Choctaw County, Mississippi, US *Ackerman, West Virginia, former un ...

and flows generally southwest through Attala and Leake counties, past the towns of

Weir A weir or low head dam is a barrier across the width of a river that alters the flow characteristics of water and usually results in a change in the height of the river level. Weirs are also used to control the flow of water for outlets of l ...

McCool McCool is an Irish surname. People Notable people with the surname include: * Alex McCool (1923–2020), American NASA manager *Billy McCool (1944–2014), professional baseball player * Colin McCool (1916–1986), Australian cricket player * ...

Ethel Ethel (also '' æthel'') is an Old English word meaning "noble", today often used as a feminine given name. Etymology and historic usage The word means ''æthel'' "noble". It is frequently attested as the first element in Anglo-Saxon names, b ...

and Kosciusko. It flows into the Pearl River in southwestern Leake County.''Mississippi Atlas & Gazetteer'', DeLorme, 4th ed. 2010, pp 31,32 and 37 The Yockanookany's upper course through Choctaw and Attala counties was channelized in 1914 and the middle section was completed in 1928; in some of these areas, water continues also to flow in the river's old natural channel. Low-water stages at the Koscuisko gauge in 1960 were six feet higher than those of 1939 as the channel silted significantly during that period. Downstream of Kosciusko, the river is paralleled by the

Natchez Trace Parkway The Natchez Trace Parkway is a national parkway in the southeastern United States that commemorates the historic Natchez Trace and preserves sections of that original trail. Its central feature is a two-lane road that extends 444 miles (715 ...

Name

''Yockanookany'' 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 "land creek". The

United States Board on Geographic Names The United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN) is a federal body operating under the United States Secretary of the Interior. The purpose of the board is to establish and maintain uniform usage of geographic names throughout the federal governm ...

settled on "Yockanookany River" as the stream's name in 1949. According to the

Geographic Names Information System The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) is a database of name and locative information about more than two million physical and cultural features throughout the United States and its territories, Antarctica, and the associated states of ...

, the river has also been known as: *Yexgonnongoune River *Yockahockany River *Yockammockanna Creek *Yokahocany River *Yokahochany River *Yokahockana River *Yokahockany Creek *Yokahockany River

Sources

Columbia Gazetteer of North America entry
Landforms of Attala County, Mississippi Landforms of Choctaw County, Mississippi Landforms of Leake County, Mississippi Rivers of Mississippi Bodies of water of Leake County, Mississippi Tributaries of the Pearl River (Mississippi–Louisiana) Mississippi placenames of Native American origin {{Mississippi-river-stub

Course

Name

See also

Sources