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The Tombigbee River Basin (see figure) covers an area of about 6,000 square miles in northeastern Mississippi. The headwaters of the Tombigbee River are in the northeastern corner of the State. The main headwater streams are Big Brown and Mackeys Creeks which converge to form the east fork of the Tombigbee River. From there the river flows southerly for about 130 miles before entering Alabama. Other major streams in the basin include Town Creek, Tibbee Creek, and the Buttahatchee and Noxubee Rivers. The Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, completed in 1985, connects the north-flowing Tennessee River with the south-flowing Tombigbee River and provides a shorter route for waterborne commerce between the Gulf of Mexico and areas farther north. In Mississippi the Waterway parallels and combines with the Tombigbee River from its headwaters to the Alabama state line. This Waterway consists of a series of interconnected lakes, locks, and pools that provide recreational opportunities. Elevations in the Tombigbee River Basin are relatively high, ranging from about 100 to 700 feet (30 to 210 meters) above sea level. The topography in the basin is mostly hilly. Livestock production and row crop farming are major land uses in the basin. About 57 percent of the basin is forested, and about 39 percent is agricultural land.  The flow of the Tombigbee River at the Columbus lock and dam near Columbus averages about 58,200 gallons per second. However, in the past flow has been as low as about 900 gallons per second and as high as about 1,450,000 gallons per second. Use of surface water in the Tombigbee River Basin is relatively large. About 2.8 million gallons per day are used for irrigation, about 2.7 million gallons per day are used for livestock, and about 8.3 million gallons per day are used for municipal drinking-water supply. In the western part of the basin, turbidity resulting from non-point sources can be high, resulting in poor water quality in some areas, but in the upper reaches of many of these same streams the water quality is excellent. In the eastern part of the basin, streams are fast flowing and have sandy bottoms. With some exceptions, these streams are in a relatively natural condition with good to excellent water quality. Overall, water quality in the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway is rated as excellent. |