Lower Mississippi Mississippi River

lower mississippi river near new orleans

the mississippi river called lower mississippi river confluence ohio river mouth @ gulf of mexico, distance of 1,000 miles (1,600 km). @ confluence of ohio , middle mississippi, long-term mean discharge of ohio @ cairo, illinois 281,500 cubic feet per second (7,970 cubic metres per second), while long-term mean discharge of mississippi @ thebes, illinois (just upriver cairo) 208,200 cu ft/s (5,900 m/s). thus, volume, main branch of mississippi river system @ cairo can considered ohio river (and allegheny river further upstream), rather middle mississippi.

in addition ohio river, major tributaries of lower mississippi river white river, flowing in @ white river national wildlife refuge in east central arkansas; arkansas river, joining mississippi @ arkansas post; big black river in mississippi; , yazoo river, meeting mississippi @ vicksburg, mississippi. widest point of mississippi river in lower mississippi portion exceeds 1 mile (1.6 km) in width in several places.

deliberate water diversion @ old river control structure in louisiana allows atchafalaya river in louisiana major distributary of mississippi river, 30% of mississippi flowing gulf of mexico route, rather continuing down mississippi s current channel past baton rouge , new orleans on longer route gulf. although red river commonly thought tributary, not, because water flows separately gulf of mexico through atchafalaya river.