12 Months of Alabama Rivers

December 9, 2021

All About the Yellow, Blackwater, & Choctawhatchee Rivers

There are eight Coastal Plain rivers in Alabama (draining 25% of the state) that are not part of the Mobile Basin. Three of those eight rivers are the Blackwater, Choctawhatchee, and Yellow Rivers.

The Blackwater River is 58 miles long and originates in Baldwin County near Loxley, AL and discharges into the Perdido River near Lilian, AL. Only 9 miles of the river are within Alabama.

The Choctawhatchee River is 141 miles long and begins as two separate forks (East Fork and West Fork) near Clayton, AL. The two forks join near Ozark, AL in Dale County to form the Choctawhatchee River which then flows southeast for 48 miles to Geneva, AL before crossing the state line into Florida, ultimately emptying into the Choctawhatchee Bay.

The Yellow River is 114 miles long and originates in southern Crenshaw County. The river flows south through Coffee and Covington Counties before exiting Alabama near Florala to join the Blackwater River and eventually reaches Blackwater Bay near Pensacola, FL.

November 29, 2021

All About The Tombigbee Basin

The Tombigbee begins in Mississippi, crosses the Alabama state line at Aliceville Lake, joins the Black Warrior River at Demopolis, and eventually joins the Alabama River to form the Mobile River. The Tombigbee flows throughout 15 counties in Mississippi and 15 counties in Alabama, with slightly more than 50% of the river in Alabama.

The main stem of the Tombigbee River is approximately 200 miles long.

Tombigbee Watershed (yellow shading) with the Alabama portion of the river and its tributaries (in blue). Map Credit: Sydney Zinner

October 14, 2021

All About the Tennessee River Basin

The Tennessee River begins at the confluence of the Holston and French Broad Rivers near Knoxville, Tennessee. It then bends south out of the Appalachian Mountains, cuts across the northern quarter of Alabama and turns north to join the Ohio River in Kentucky.

The mainstem of the Tennessee is over 650 miles long and 17% of the river is in Alabama. The Tennessee Basin encompasses 40,900 square miles.

September 24, 2021

All About the Tallapoosa River Basin

August 12, 2021

All About the Mobile & Tensaw River Basins

July 14, 2021

All About the Escatawpa and Perdido River Basins

The Escatawpa River is a 129-mile long river in southwest Alabama and southeast Mississippi that originates in the town of Millry, AL. It is a tributary of the Pascagoula River that ultimately drains into the Gulf of Mexico at Pascagoula Bay. The Escatawpa flows through two counties in Alabama: Washington and Mobile. Escatawpa means “where cane is cut” in the Choctaw language. Cane refers to the Southeast’s native bamboo, Arundinaria spp. also known as rivercane.

The Perdido River is a 65-mile long river in southwest Alabama and northwest Florida. The Perdido forms the western boundary between Alabama and Florida for almost its entire length, ultimately draining into the Perdido Bay of the Gulf of Mexico. Its headwaters begin in Escambia County, AL northwest of the town of Atmore, flows into Baldwin County, AL, and shares the state line with Escambia County, FL. Perdido means “lost” in Spanish and was named by Spanish settlers who occupied the area until 1813.

July 1, 2021

Twelve Months of Alabama Rivers

Alabama Water Watch works to protect Alabama’s precious water resources by training citizens to collect credible water quality data from rivers, lakes, and other local waterbodies. Educating people about Alabama’s waters and helping them to find a meaningful connection to their watershed is an important part of what we do.

Lucky for us, Alabama has so much to offer in the way of water resources, it is easy to foster these connections. With 132,000 miles of streams and rivers, Alabama can call itself “the River State”. Moreover, each river has a unique set of flora and fauna, geology, culture and history that can provide you with a lifetime’s worth of learning.

How much do you know about your own river basin? Check out AWW’s Twelve Months of Alabama Rivers campaign to test your knowledge and learn more. During each month of 2021, we will be publishing blog articles and social media posts that highlight the unique and interesting characteristics of each of the state’s major river basins.

June 16, 2021

All about The Conecuh River Basin

The Conecuh River is a 230-mile long river in the Coastal Plain that covers nine Alabama counties. Its headwaters begin in Bullock County near the town of Union Springs. Once the river crosses the state line into Florida, it is called the Escambia River where it ultimately drains into the Escambia Bay near Pensacola.

The Conecuh is the largest of the Coastal Plain rivers in Alabama.

The Conecuh River Basin encompasses 3,848 square miles in Alabama, covering nine counties in the Coast Plain physiographic province. Map by Sydney Smith

May 18, 2021

All About the Chattahoochee River Basin

The Chattahoochee River is the 11th largest river in the U.S.

It begins as a small spring in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Helen, Georgia and flows south for 434 miles through Georgia and Alabama until it joins the Flint River at Lake Seminole to form the Apalachicola River which ultimately drains into the Apalachicola Bay in Florida.

April 22, 2021

All About the Coosa River Basin

The Coosa River is shared between Alabama and Georgia, and begins at the confluence of the Oostanaula and Etowah Rivers in Rome, Georgia and runs for 280 miles before it joins the Alabama River northeast of Montgomery. The Coosa is one of Alabama’s most developed rivers due to the impoundments along the majority of the river’s main stem.