Alabama River

The Alabama River, in the U.S. state of Alabama, is formed by the Tallapoosa and Coosa rivers, which unite about north of Montgomery, near the town of Wetumpka.

The river flows west to Selma, then southwest until, about from Mobile, it unites with the Tombigbee, forming the Mobile and Tensaw rivers, which discharge into Mobile Bay.

Description

The run of the Alabama is highly meandering. Its width varies from , and its depth from . Its length as measured by the United States Geological Survey is ,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data
The National Map
, accessed April 27, 2011 and by steamboat measurement, .

The river crosses the richest agricultural and timber districts of the state. Railways connect it with the mineral regions of north-central Alabama.

After the Coosa and Tallapoosa rivers, the principal tributary of the Alabama is the Cahaba River, which is about long and joins the Alabama River about below Selma. The Alabama River's main tributary, the Coosa River, crosses the mineral region of Alabama and is navigable for light-draft boats from Rome, Georgia, to about above Wetumpka (about below Rome and below Greensport), and from Wetumpka to its junction with the Tallapoosa. The channel of the river has been considerably improved by the federal government.

The navigation of the Tallapoosa River – which has its source in Paulding County, Georgia, and is about long – is prevented by shoals and a fall at Tallassee, a few miles north of its junction with the Coosa. The Alabama is navigable throughout the year.

The river played an important role in the growth of the economy in the region during the 19th century as a source of transportation of goods, which included slaves. The river is still used for transportation of farming produce; however, it is not as important as it once was due to the construction of roads and railways.

Documented by Europeans first in 1701, the Alabama, Coosa, and Tallapoosa rivers were central to the homeland of the Creek Indians before their removal by United States forces to the Indian Territory in the 1830s.

Lock and dams

The Alabama River has three lock and dams between Montgomery and the Mobile River. The Robert F. Henry Lock & Dam is located at river mile 236.2, the Millers Ferry Lock & Dam is located at river mile 133.0, and the Claiborne Lock & Dam is located at river mile 72.5.Courtes
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mobile District

Gallery

Image:USACE Claiborne Lock and Dam.jpg, Claiborne Lock and Dam on the Alabama River, approximately upriver from Claiborne, Monroe County
Image:USACE Robert F Henry Lock and Dam.jpg, Robert F. Henry Lock and Dam on the Alabama River, approximately east of Selma
Image:Cesam249.jpg, Millers Ferry Lock and Dam on the Alabama River in Wilcox County, approximately northwest of Camden
Image:Alabama River RM192 Selma.JPG, Alabama River in Dallas County looking upstream towards Selma.
Image:Alabama River at Benton Park.JPG, The Alabama River in Lowndes County as seen from Benton Park in Benton, Alabama.
Image:Edmund Pettus Bridge over Alabama River.jpg, The Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma overlooking the Alabama River.
File:Selma December 2018 11 (Alabama River).jpg, The Alabama River in Selma
File:Riverfront Park December 2018 07 (Alabama River).jpg, Alabama River at Riverfront Park in Montgomery

See also

* List of Alabama rivers
*Tallapoosa River
* Coosa River
* Mobile River
* South Atlantic-Gulf Water Resource Region

References

External links

Allrefer.com
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Alabama placenames of Native American origin
Rivers of Autauga County, Alabama
Rivers of Monroe County, Alabama
Rivers of Montgomery County, Alabama
Rivers of Wilcox County, Alabama
Rivers of Dallas County, Alabama
Rivers of Mobile County, Alabama
Rivers of Elmore County, Alabama
Rivers of Alabama