This article is about an individual river. For type of tributary, see Yazoo stream.
The Yazoo River is a river in the U.S. states of Louisiana and Mississippi. It is considered by some to mark the southern boundary of what is called the Mississippi Delta, a broad floodplain that was cultivated for cotton plantations before the American Civil War. It has continued to be devoted to large-scale agriculture.
Yazoo River flows from Greenwood to Vicksburg. Not all tributaries are shown.
The Yazoo River was named by French explorer La Salle in 1682 as "Rivière des Yazous" in reference to the Yazoo tribe living near the river's mouth at its confluence with the Mississippi. The exact meaning of the term is unclear. One long held belief is that it means "river of death".[1]
The river is 188 miles (303 km) long and is formed by the confluence of the Tallahatchie and the Yalobusha rivers, where present-day Greenwood developed. The river parallels the Mississippi River in the latter's floodplain for some distance before joining it north of Vicksburg, Mississippi. Natural levees which flank the Mississippi prevent the Yazoo from joining it before Vicksburg. A "yazoo stream" is a hydrologic term that was coined to describe any river or major stream with similar characteristics. Potamologists believe the Yazoo River had its origins as the lower Ohio River.[2]
The French (and later European Americans) historically called the surrounding area of Mississippi and Alabama the Yazoo lands, after the river. This became the basis for naming the Yazoo Land Scandal of the late 18th and early 19th century.
The river was of major importance during the American Civil War. The Confederates used the first electrically detonated underwater mine in the river in 1862 near Vicksburg to sink the Union ironcladUSS Cairo. The last section of the Cairo was raised on December 12, 1964. It has been restored and is now on permanent display to the public at the Vicksburg National Military Park. There are 29 sunken ships from the Civil War beneath the waters of the river. The steamer Dew Drop was reportedly sunk near Roebuck Lake as an obstruction to the United States Navy, but Union sources claim the vessel was captured and burned.[3]
Variant names of the Yazoo River include Zasu River, Yazous River, Yahshoo River, Rivière des Yasoux, and Fiume del Yasous.
In 1876, the Mississippi River changed its course, shifting west several miles and leaving Vicksburg without a river front. In 1902, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers diverted the Yazoo River into the old river bed, forming the Yazoo Diversion Canal. The modern-day port of Vicksburg is still located on this canal. Commercial navigation of the Yazoo River has declined considerably since the 1990s and is mainly concentrated on the section from Vicksburg to Yazoo City.[4]
At Long Lake, MS, the river measures 18,486 cubic feet per second.[5]
Gallery
Outline of the Mississippi Delta region, through which the Yazoo River runs
^Mills, Gary B. "New life for the river of death:development of the Yazoo River Basin, 1873-1977". Journal of Mississippi History. 41. (Nov. 1979) 4, p. 287.
^Smith, Frank E. (1988). The Yazoo River. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi. p. 150 ISBN0-87805-355-7
^Stole, Bryn. (23 May 2015). "Goods moving on Yazoo River declines". The Greenwood Commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss). Retrieved 9 December 2015. Clarion Ledger website
^"USGS Surface Water data for Mississippi: USGS Surface-Water Annual Statistics".
External links
Geology
Yazoo Basin - Engineering Geology Mapping Program PDF files of publications about and maps of the geology of the Yazoo River region.
yazoo, river, this, article, about, individual, river, type, tributary, yazoo, stream, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, remov. This article is about an individual river For type of tributary see Yazoo stream This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Yazoo River news newspapers books scholar JSTOR September 2014 Learn how and when to remove this template message The Yazoo River is a river in the U S states of Louisiana and Mississippi It is considered by some to mark the southern boundary of what is called the Mississippi Delta a broad floodplain that was cultivated for cotton plantations before the American Civil War It has continued to be devoted to large scale agriculture Yazoo River flows from Greenwood to Vicksburg Not all tributaries are shown Contents 1 History 2 Gallery 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksHistory EditThe Yazoo River was named by French explorer La Salle in 1682 as Riviere des Yazous in reference to the Yazoo tribe living near the river s mouth at its confluence with the Mississippi The exact meaning of the term is unclear One long held belief is that it means river of death 1 The river is 188 miles 303 km long and is formed by the confluence of the Tallahatchie and the Yalobusha rivers where present day Greenwood developed The river parallels the Mississippi River in the latter s floodplain for some distance before joining it north of Vicksburg Mississippi Natural levees which flank the Mississippi prevent the Yazoo from joining it before Vicksburg A yazoo stream is a hydrologic term that was coined to describe any river or major stream with similar characteristics Potamologists believe the Yazoo River had its origins as the lower Ohio River 2 The French and later European Americans historically called the surrounding area of Mississippi and Alabama the Yazoo lands after the river This became the basis for naming the Yazoo Land Scandal of the late 18th and early 19th century The river was of major importance during the American Civil War The Confederates used the first electrically detonated underwater mine in the river in 1862 near Vicksburg to sink the Union ironclad USS Cairo The last section of the Cairo was raised on December 12 1964 It has been restored and is now on permanent display to the public at the Vicksburg National Military Park There are 29 sunken ships from the Civil War beneath the waters of the river The steamer Dew Drop was reportedly sunk near Roebuck Lake as an obstruction to the United States Navy but Union sources claim the vessel was captured and burned 3 Variant names of the Yazoo River include Zasu River Yazous River Yahshoo River Riviere des Yasoux and Fiume del Yasous In 1876 the Mississippi River changed its course shifting west several miles and leaving Vicksburg without a river front In 1902 the U S Army Corps of Engineers diverted the Yazoo River into the old river bed forming the Yazoo Diversion Canal The modern day port of Vicksburg is still located on this canal Commercial navigation of the Yazoo River has declined considerably since the 1990s and is mainly concentrated on the section from Vicksburg to Yazoo City 4 At Long Lake MS the river measures 18 486 cubic feet per second 5 Gallery Edit Outline of the Mississippi Delta region through which the Yazoo River runs Yazoo River in Vicksburg Mississippi One of many control structures constructed to control flooding and the flow of water in the Yazoo River basinSee also EditList of rivers of Mississippi Mississippi Delta Flood Control Act of 1937 Yazoo stream U S Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System Yazoo River Yazoo land scandalReferences Edit Johnson s revised Universal Cyclopaedia 1886 Mills Gary B New life for the river of death development of the Yazoo River Basin 1873 1977 Journal of Mississippi History 41 Nov 1979 4 p 287 Smith Frank E 1988 The Yazoo River Jackson University Press of Mississippi p 150 ISBN 0 87805 355 7 Stole Bryn 23 May 2015 Goods moving on Yazoo River declines The Greenwood Commonwealth Greenwood Miss Retrieved 9 December 2015 Clarion Ledger website USGS Surface Water data for Mississippi USGS Surface Water Annual Statistics External links EditGeologyYazoo Basin Engineering Geology Mapping Program PDF files of publications about and maps of the geology of the Yazoo River region EcoregionsEcoregions of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain Ecoregions of MississippiCoordinates 32 20 8 N 90 53 50 W 32 33556 N 90 89722 W 32 33556 90 89722 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Yazoo River amp oldid 1079863250, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
