Elk River (Oklahoma)
| Elk River | |
|---|---|
| Basin | |
| Main source |
Confluence of Big Sugar Creek and Little Sugar Creek near Pineville, Missouri 860 ft (260 m) 36°35′18″N 94°22′58″W / 36.5883333°N 94.3827778°W |
| River mouth |
Confluence with the Neosho River in Delaware County, Oklahoma 741 ft (226 m) 36°39′56″N 94°46′03″W / 36.6655556°N 94.7675°WCoordinates: 36°39′56″N 94°46′03″W / 36.6655556°N 94.7675°W |
| Progression | Elk River → Neosho → Arkansas → Mississippi → Gulf of Mexico |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Length | 35 mi (56 km) |
| Features | |
| GNIS ID | 1092538 |
The Elk River is a 35.2-mile-long (56.6 km)[1] tributary of the Neosho River in southwestern Missouri and northeastern Oklahoma in the United States.[2] Its tributaries also drain a small portion of northwestern Arkansas. Via the Neosho and Arkansas rivers, the Elk is part of the Mississippi River watershed.
Some say the river was named after elk in the area, while others believe the river derives its name from Steve Elkins, a local politician.[3]
Course
The Elk is formed by the confluence of Big Sugar Creek and Little Sugar Creek at Pineville, Missouri, and flows generally westward through McDonald County, Missouri, past the town of Noel, into Delaware County, Oklahoma, where it meets the Neosho River. Most of the river's course in Oklahoma is part of the Grand Lake o' the Cherokees, an impoundment formed by Pensacola Dam on the Neosho.
See also
References
- ↑ U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed May 31, 2011
- ↑ "Elk River". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2015-09-11.
- ↑ "McDonald County Place Names, 1928–1945". The State Historical Society of Missouri. Archived from the original on June 24, 2016. Retrieved November 4, 2016.