Tombigbee River

Tombigbee River
Tombigbee River atWhite Bluff(Ecor Blanc) inDemopolis
Tombigbee and Alabama river basins
Location
Country	United States
State	AlabamaandMississippi
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	ConfluenceofTennessee-Tombigbee WaterwayandBlack Warrior River
Mouth
• location	Mobile River,atMobile, Alabama
Length	200 miles (320 km)

TheTombigbee Riveris a tributary of theMobile River,approximately 200 mi (325 km) long, in theU.S. statesofMississippiandAlabama.Together with theAlabama,it merges to form the short Mobile River before the latter empties intoMobile Bayon theGulf of Mexico.The Tombigbee watershed encompasses much of the ruralcoastal plainof western Alabama and northeastern Mississippi, flowing generally southward. The river provides one of the principal routes of commercial navigation in the southern United States, as it is navigable along much of its length through locks and connected in its upper reaches to theTennessee Rivervia theTennessee-Tombigbee Waterway.

The name "Tombigbee" comes fromChoctaw/itumbi ikbi/,meaning "box maker, coffin maker", from/itumbi/,"box, coffin", and/ikbi/,"maker".The river formed the eastern boundary of the historicalChoctawlands, from the 17th century when they coalesced as a people, to the forcedIndian Removalby the United States in the 1830s.

Description

Coffeeville Lock and Dam on the Tombigbee River near Coffeeville, Alabama. Coffeeville is the last lock and dam down the Tombigbee River to the Gulf of Mexico.

1955 Failure of theMississippi Highway 25N/U.S. Route 45S bridge over the Tombigbee River relief (Big Nichols Creek)/Tennessee-Tombigbee WaterwayinAberdeen, Mississippiduring the March floods of that year

The river begins in northeastern Mississippi just south of thePharr Moundsnear the northern county line ofItawamba County,at what was once known as the source of theeast fork of the river.Historically, the beginning of the river was in northernMonroe Countyat the confluence ofTown Creek(also known as West Fork Tombigbee River) and the east fork of the river.

The river flows east throughAberdeen LakenearAberdeen,andColumbus LakenearColumbus.It flows throughAliceville Lakeon the Mississippi-Alabama border, then generally SSE across western Alabama in a highlymeanderingcourse, pastGainesvilleandDemopolis.There it is joined from the northeast by theBlack Warrior River.South of Demopolis it flows generally south across southwestern Alabama (formingSumterandChoctawcounties' borders withMarengo County). PastJacksonit joins theAlabama Riverfrom the north on theMobile-Baldwincounty line, approximately 30 mi (50 km) north ofMobile;this confluence forms theMobile River.

After the completion of theTennessee-Tombigbee Waterwayin 1985, much of the middle course of the river in northeastern Mississippi was diverted into the new, straightened channel. Above Aberdeen Lake, the waterway flows alongside the original course of the river.

In addition to the Black Warrior, the river is joined by theButtahatchee Riverfrom the east, north of Columbus, Mississippi. To the South of Columbus, Luxapalila Creek joins with the Tombigbee River, approximately 5.2 miles from downtown Columbus. Approximately 10 mi (15 km) north of Gainesville, it is joined from the north by theSipsey River.At Gainesville, it is joined from the west by theNoxubee River.

TheChoctaw National Wildlife Refugeis along the river in southwestern Alabama, approximately 20 mi (30 km) northwest of Jackson.

The upper reaches of the Tombigbee formed the homeland of the formidableChickasaw.The French officialBienvilleused the Tombigbee to travel with his forces in his1736 campaignagainst the Chickasaw. In the nineteenth century, they were considered one of theFive Civilized Tribesof the Southeast, as they adopted some European-American ways. But Congress passed theIndian Removal Actof 1830, in order to remove the Native Americans and enable development by European Americans. The United States forced the Chickasaw west of the Mississippi toIndian Territory,extinguishing most of their claims to land in the Southeast.

Lock and dams

The Tombigbee River has five lock and dams along its length. Lock & Dams are listed from north to south; the river mile indicates the distance from the mouth of theMobile RiveratMobile Bay.

• John C. Stennis Lock & Dam is located at river mile 334.7
• Tom Bevill Lock & Dam is located at river mile 306.8
• Howell Heflin Lock & Dam is located at river mile 266.1
• DemopolisLock & Dam is located at river mile 213.2
• Coffeeville Lock and Damis located at river mile 116.6.

Tributaries

Tributaries that empty directly into the Tombigbee:

• West River
• Bassetts Creek(Washington County)
• Bassett Creek(Clarke County)
• Jackson Creek
• Santa Bogue Creek
• Turkey Creek
• Okatuppa Creek
• Oak Slush Creek
• Big Tallawampa Creek
• Bashi Creek
• Wahalak Creek
• Sucarbowa Creek
• Horse Creek
• Tuckabum Creek
• Beaver Creek
• Kinterbish Creek
• Chickasaw Bogue
• Cotohaga Creek
• Sucarnoochee River
• Spring Creek
• Hall Creek
• Black Warrior River
• Brush Creek
• Trussells Creek
• Noxubee River
• Sipsey River
• Lubbub Creek
• Big Creek
• Luxapallila Creek
• Buttahatchee River
• Tibbee Creek
• Town Creek
• Bull Mountain Creek

Cahabaincident

On April 28, 1979, a tugboat namedM/VCahabawas on the Tombigbee nearDemopolis, Alabamatrying to guide two coal barges under a flooded side-span of the old Rooster Bridge (removed years later), but the flood current was too strong. The tug and barges approached thedrawbridge-section, which failed to re-open fast enough while the river was near flood stage (drawbridges must close and re-open to allow waiting traffic to cross). The fast currents pinned the Cahaba's starboard side against the bridge in high waters. The force was so great that it pulled the boat downward, tilting it beneath the bridge, and fully submerging it in the river.The underwater pressure blew out a port-side window in the pilot house, which began filling with water, while the captain remained at the helm.Soon the tugboat emerged from beneath the other side of the bridge and righted itself, with water pouring from the doorways and decks.

One of the two main ventilator funnels had tilted to the center, yet one engine was still running, and the captain steered to anchor the tugboat in a flooded cornfield. Another downstream tugboat, M/VTallapoosa,rescued the captain and all three crew members; with the pilot, then secured the two barges of coal. The barges were later towed to Mobile by the same company's towboat M/VMauvilla.The Mauvilla is otherwise notable for its later involvement in the1993 Big Bayou Canot train wreck.

Recreation

Pleasure boats, cruising America'sGreat Loop,use the waterway each year in the fall.

Folklore

The river is closely associated with several steamboat disasters, including theEliza BattleandJames T. Staples.

The "Tombigbee River Waltz" or the singing song "Tombigbee River" are beloved old time waltzes performed by fiddlers including James Bryan, Kenny Jackson, Jay Ungar and Eric Hatling. The song was featured as a Charles Ingalls song in the Little House books.

See also

• List of Alabama rivers
• List of Mississippi rivers
• South Atlantic-Gulf Water Resource Region

External links

• Media related toTombigbee Riverat Wikimedia Commons
• Historic American Engineering Record(HAER) No. AL-7, "Bridges of the Upper Tombigbee River Valley, Cochrane, Pickens County, AL",14 photos, 1 data page, 3 photo caption pages