What River Runs Through Birmingham Alabama?

Cahaba River
Location
Country	United States
State	Alabama
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Jefferson County, Alabama
• coordinates	33°41′15″N 86°36′0″W  /  33.68750°N 86.60000°W
Mouth	Alabama River
• location	Dallas County, Alabama
• coordinates	32°19′9″N 87°05′41″W  /  32.31917°N 87.09472°W
Length	194 mi (312 km)
Basin size	1,870 sq mi (4,800 km 2 )
Basin features
Tributaries
• left	(numerous)
• right	(numerous)

The Cahaba River is the longest substantially free-flowing river in Alabama and is among the most scenic and biologically diverse rivers in the United States, It is a major tributary of the Alabama River and part of the larger Mobile River basin. With headwaters near Birmingham, the Cahaba flows southwest, then at Heiberger turns southeast and joins the Alabama River at the ghost town and former Alabama capital of Cahaba in Dallas County,

What large river runs through Alabama?

The Tennessee River flows some 650 miles through the Southeast, beginning near Knoxville, Tennessee, and dipping through north Alabama. It is the largest river system that passes through the state and is one of the only rivers whose course enters and leaves a state at more than one point.

What is the longest free-flowing river in Alabama?

Description – The Cahaba River, an 1870 square mile watershed, flows through approximately one third of the Alabama landscape and has twelve major tributaries. This makes the Cahaba Alabama’s longest free-flowing river. Lake Purdy, the only major reservoir in the basin, is the source of Birmingham’s drinking water supply.

• There are at least 69 rare and imperiled species in this watershed, 12 fish and mussel species listed under the U.S, Endangered Species Act, and 131 species of freshwater fish, more than any other river its size in North America.
• The Conservancy has been working to protect this watershed and its unique biodiversity for many years.

The Conservancy has established three preserves along this river: Pratt’s Ferry, Bibb County Glades, and Barton’s Beach, A landscape of this size cannot be preserved by land acquisition efforts alone. Preserving a massive landscape like the Cahaba takes the willing partnership of many private citizens, private businesses, and local, state and federal partners.

What are the rivers in Alabama called?

Alabama

River	County	Length (miles)
Choctawhatchee River, East Fork	Geneva, Houston, Dale, Henry, Barbour	54
Conecuh River	Escambia, Conecuh, Covington	75
Conecuh River	Covington, Crenshaw, Pike, Bullock	103
Coosa River	Elmore	7

What is a fact about the Cahaba River?

The Cahaba River is the longest free-flowing river in the southeastern Gulf Coast Region. It contains the largest number of fish species for its size in North America.

What are 2 major rivers in Alabama?

The 10 Longest Rivers in Alabama

Rank	River	Length (miles)
1	Tennessee River	652
2	Chattahoochee River	430
3	Alabama River	318
4	Coosa River	280

What are the three main rivers Alabama?

Cahaba River Alabama’s river drainages and abundant water resources are one of the state’s most distinctive natural features. In creating the original “Great Seal of the State of Alabama,” Gov. William Wyatt Bibb included Alabama’s main river channels in the design, forever imprinting the strategic importance of rivers to Alabama’s future.

1. He could not have known at the time that the great Mobile River basin, which covers some two-thirds of the state, has a greater yield of water per square mile of land than any other basin in the United States, including the Mississippi River.
2. Nor could he have guessed that Alabama’s springs, streams, rivers, lakes, and wetlands are home to more species of aquatic and semi-aquatic animals than any other state in the union.

The abundance and high-quality of Alabama’s water resources helped determine the location of many settlements, towns, and eventually cities, contributed significantly to the economic development of the state, and will be a catalyst in Alabama’s future as an emerging Sunbelt state. Chattahoochee River A basin is a land area drained by a river or stream and its tributaries. The basin includes both the channels that convey the water and the land surfaces that collect and funnel water into those channels. Each of the basins is separated from each adjacent basin by an intervening topographically high area.

Drainages in the state can be classified geographically into three broad areas: the Tennessee River drainage in the north, the Mobile River basin in the central region, and the coastal drainages in the south, from the Escatawpa River in the southwest to the Chattahoochee River in eastern Alabama. An estimated 132,000 miles of river and stream channels, representing the state’s 17 major river systems, are carved into Alabama’s landscape, with about 61 percent flowing permanently throughout the year and 39 percent flowing only intermittently during wetter times.

At 1,438 miles, Alabama leads the nation in miles of navigable channels, with 16 lock-and-dam structures on six river systems. More than 20 hydroelectric generating facilities and 20 or more impoundments on smaller streams for public water supply have been built throughout the state.

1. The total surface area of lakes, ponds, and reservoirs is 563,000 acres, and about 33.5 trillion gallons of water flow through Alabama’s river and stream channels every year.
2. Also, Alabama’s underground water supplies are estimated at about 553 trillion gallons, or more than 16 times the amount of surface water.

Tennessee River Drainage Tennessee River The waters of the Tennessee River originate in Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee and flow southwest into north Alabama before turning northwest and leaving the state at the Alabama-Mississippi-Tennessee border toward its juncture with the Ohio River.

The main channel of the Tennessee River is impounded along its entire length in Alabama, creating four reservoirs within state boundaries: Pickwick Lake, Wilson Lake, Wheeler Lake, and Lake Guntersville, All are operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and have a combined surface area of 195,200 acres.

These lakes and projects greatly expanded the economy of the region in the early twentieth century and have provided flood control, electrical power generation, navigation, and recreational opportunities for generations of Alabamians throughout the watershed.

The Tennessee River enters Alabama with an average flow of more than 37,600 cubic feet per second (cfs) and adds about 14,000 cfs of stream flow on its journey through the state. Within the state’s boundaries, the Tennessee River drains approximately 6,800 square miles or about 13 percent of Alabama’s total land area.

Mobile River Basin Tombigbee River The Mobile River basin drains an area of 43,680 square miles in Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Georgia. In Alabama, the Mobile River basin drains approximately 32,700 square miles, or 63 percent of Alabama’s total land area. The western part of the basin is comprised of the upper Tombigbee River (3,650 square miles inside Alabama), the Black Warrior River (6,274 square miles), and, below the confluence of these two river systems, the lower Tombigbee River (4,044 square miles inside Alabama).

1. More than 82,000 acres of impoundments are found in the western Mobile basin, with Lewis Smith Lake on the Sipsey Fork of the Black Warrior River being the largest at more than 21,000 acres.
2. The series of impoundments created by completion of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway are navigable and connect the Mobile River basin with the Tennessee River drainage in northeast Mississippi.

The upper Tombigbee skirts the Fall Line Hills physiographic district and the lower Tombigbee crosses lower Coastal Plain physiographic districts before reaching its confluence with the Alabama River. The upper reaches of the Black Warrior River system drain the Cumberland Plateau in Jefferson, Cullman, Walker, and Tuscaloosa counties, and the lower reaches drain the upper Coastal Plain.

The eastern Mobile River basin is drained by the Alabama River (6,023 square miles), Cahaba River (1,818 square miles), Coosa River (10,161 square miles, with 5,400 square miles in Alabama), and Tallapoosa River (4,675 square miles, with 4,022 square miles in Alabama) and contains more than 170,000 acres of impoundments, almost double that found in the western Mobile basin.

The largest impoundments are Lake Martin (39,000 acres) on the Tallapoosa River and Weiss Lake (30,000 acres) on the Coosa River. Impoundments on the Coosa and Tallapoosa rivers were constructed for hydroelectric generation and flood-control purposes and neither river is commercially navigable throughout its length. Cahaba Lilies The Cahaba, Coosa, and Tallapoosa rivers flow over terrain underlain by carbonaceous and metamorphic rocks of the Valley and Ridge and Piedmont physiographic sections and, as such, generally have clearer waters as compared with the waters flowing over more easily eroded shales and sandstones in the Cumberland Plateau and sands and clays in the Coastal Plain.

The Alabama River flows almost entirely within the Coastal Plain before reaching its confluence with the lower Tombigbee to form the Mobile River. The expansive Mobile-Tensaw Delta begins where the Mobile River splits into a braided network of several distributary systems. The Mobile, Middle, Tensaw, Apalachee, and Blakeley rivers contribute an average of 41 billion gallons per day of fresh water to Mobile Bay.

The Alabama, Black Warrior, and Cahaba river watersheds are contained entirely within state boundaries. Coastal Drainages Pea River The coastal river drainages include a series of smaller river basins emptying into the Gulf of Mexico. The Escatawpa and tributaries to the Chickasawhay River (767 square miles in Alabama) eventually flow into Pascagoula Bay in south Mississippi.

The Perdido River (841 square miles in Alabama) forms the boundary between Alabama and the western Florida panhandle and eventually enters Perdido Bay, which empties into the Gulf at Alabama Point. The Escambia and Conecuh rivers (3,849 square miles), a small part of the Blackwater River (148 square miles), and the Yellow River (507 square miles) eventually empty into Pensacola Bay, while the Pea River joins with the Choctawhatchee River (3,130 square miles combined area in Alabama) at the state line and flows into Choctawhatchee Bay, which enters the Gulf near Destin, Florida.

The Apalachicola River basin drains approximately 25 percent of Alabama’s land area and includes western tributaries to the Chattahoochee River (2,574 square miles) and the headwaters of the Chipola River system in Houston County (258 square miles). Both systems eventually enter the Apalachicola River in Florida. Conecuh River Alabama has jurisdiction only over the tributaries entering the east side of the Chattahoochee River, whereas the state of Georgia has jurisdiction for the Chattahoochee River main channel. The topography of coastal drainages is generally unsuited for reservoir development and, consequently, only a few have been constructed in this region.

Impoundments of significant size are Point A and Gantt lakes (about 1,300 surface acres combined) on the Conecuh River near Andalusia, Walter F. George Lake (45,180 acres) on the Chattahoochee River northeast of Dothan, and Big Creek Lake (3,600 acres) in Mobile County, The free-flowing nature, topography, and plant communities of coastal rivers and streams produces some of the most beautiful and scenic aquatic habitats in Alabama, with many having darkly stained waters that meander through forested swamps or flow over extensive sand and gravel shoals.

The Future of Alabama’s Watersheds Water needs in the state will continue to spiral upward as the Southeast increasingly becomes a center for population migration, as industries move into the state, and as agricultural lands are irrigated to increase production.

• In the face of these rising demands, there is the danger that Alabama’s seemingly unlimited water resources can be overused and polluted, limiting their usefulness to humans and ecological systems.
• Wise use, sound management, and vigilant protection will be required if Alabamians are to continue to enjoy adequate supplies of clean water in the future.

Severe drought in 2000 and 2007, the inadequate political resolution of interstate water disputes in the Southeast, the lack of comprehensive water policy and statewide water management plans, and the future uncertainties of climate change will be issues of concern in Alabama’s water future.

• Additional Resources Deutsch, William G.
• Alabama Rivers, A Celebration and Challenge.
• Florence, Ala.: MindBridge Press, 2018.
• Mettee, M.F., P.E.
• O’Neil, and J.M. Pierson.
• Fishes of Alabama and the Mobile Basin.
• Alabama Geological Survey Monograph 15.
• Tuscaloosa: Geological Survey of Alabama, 1996.
• Soil Conservation Service.

State of Alabama Hydrologic Unit Map with Drainage Areas by Counties and Sub-watersheds. Auburn, Ala.: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service, 1985.

What is the fastest running river in us?

1. The Mississippi River. The average discharge rate of the Mississippi River is 593,000 cubic feet per second.

What is the fastest river stream in the world?

#1 World’s Fastest River – The world’s fastest river is the Amazon, which flows at an average speed of around 7 miles per hour. However, the river’s speed can increase to around 10 miles per hour during high rainfall. The Amazon is also the world’s largest river by volume, with an average discharge of around 209,000 cubic feet per second.

What is the 1 longest river in the United States?

The longest river in North America formed in response to both Laurentide ice sheet glaciation and to glaciation of the Rocky Mountains. The Missouri is the longest river in the US – North America, The Missouri flows entirely though the United States, where it crosses seven states: Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri.

1. The headwaters of the Missouri are located where the Jefferson, Madison and Gallatin rivers meet, in the Rocky Mountains, in Montana, 1,200 metres above sea level.
2. It flows into the Mississippi river as its main tributary, 16 kilometres from the city of St. Louis.
3. The Missouri is 3,943 kilometres long.

If we consider the Mississippi-Missouri river system, the total length would increase to 7,725 kilometres, forming the world’s fourth longest river, after the Amazon, Nile and Yangtze rivers. The drainage basin spans 1,371,100 square kilometres, making it the sixth largest one in the world, comprising 16,840 square kilometres in southern Canada.

For thousands of years, the Missouri has been home to Native Americans. The first Europeans to discover the river were explorers Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet in 1673. After that, explorers Lewis and Clark (1804-1805) were the first to navigate from its headwaters to its mouth. During the 19 th century, steam boat traffic increased until 1858, when it started to decline.

In 1944, the US Congress approved a programme for irrigation development, flood control, and hydropower generation.

Does Birmingham AL have a river?

Putting People First View More In This Section A watershed is an area of land urban or rural that accumulates storm water and eventually drains to a lake, river, wetland or other waterway. Together, land and water make up a watershed system, and a healthy watershed is a vital component of an overall healthy ecosystem.

Watersheds act as a filter for storm water runoff, providing clean water for drinking, irrigation, industry and recreation. The City of Birmingham has several urban creek watersheds, as well as two larger regional watersheds, which are essential for providing a healthy and livable community for our residents.

Learn more about your local watersheds here:

Valley Creek- a tributary to the Black Warrior river. This creek originates in Birmingham intersecting 5th avenue North and 7th street. Valley creek flows west to Bankhead Lake and has a high density of residential and commercial land uses; this means there are many large impervious surface areas, which contribute to storm water runoff. Village Creek- a tributary to the Black warrior river, it begins in the Roebuck Springs area of northeast Birmingham. The upstream portion of this watershed is primarily in contact with residential areas, while the downstream areas are used mainly for industry. Village creek is listed on the Alabama’s 303(d) impaired waters list for pathogens (E. coli). Five Mile Creek- this is a tributary to the Black Warrior river and it originates at the eastern base of Red Mountain, flowing westward through Birmingham. This creek has a range of 78 miles of total watershed, most of which is in contact with residential areas. Shades Creek- this creek is a sub-watershed of the upper portion of the Cahaba River Basin and its primary use is residential. Shades creek flows through and over urban and residential surfaces on the south side of Birmingham. Little Cahaba River- this is a major tributary for the Cahaba river within the city limits. Cahaba River Watershed- this is the longest free-flowing river in Alabama. It is major tributary of the Alabama River and part of the larger Mobile River Basin. Birmingham is in the upper portion of the Cahaba River watershed with forest and open space being the dominant use of the land. Rapid residential growth along the watershed has increased the possibility of introducing additional pollutants to this river. This is a major public health concern regarding water quality as Birmingham Water Works draws from this river to supply our local drinking water. Black Warrior Watershed- this watershed drains portions of seventeen counties in Alabama, covers 6,276 square miles of watershed and about 300 miles upstream to downstream. The Black Warrior watershed is heavily populated with Birmingham residents and contributes to roughly half of the city’s drinking water.

: Putting People First

Are there alligators in the Cahaba River?

Alligator population on the rise in region TUSCALOOSA – If you think the only gators this far north play football, think again. On a recent evening, conservation officer Rick LeCroy heard a dispatcher mention a report from near the Sawmeal Restaurant of someone dragging an alligator down the highway by its tail.

1. You don’t see that every day,” LeCroy said.
2. In the same week, newspapers in Bibb and Hale counties reported alligator-human encounters.
3. In the case LeCroy heard, a motorist had run over the 7½-foot gator and was removing it from the road.
4. He took it to a veterinarian and contacted Alabama Wildlife Rescue, but neither could help.

“He was pretty badly beat up,” LeCroy said. “He had a broken leg and probably some internal injuries. Even if he had lived he probably wouldn’t have been able to make it in the wild. He wouldn’t have been able to feed himself.” LeCroy had to shoot the animal.

An 8½-foot gator ensconced in a Greensboro catfish processor’s pond met the same fate. Trappers permitted to remove nuisance alligators couldn’t catch the beast and had to destroy it when it appeared to pose a threat. Wildlife officials say alligators are becoming an increasingly common sight in West Alabama.

“It’s really no surprise,” LeCroy said. “I see one or two a year. The closer you get to the Alabama River, the more common they get.” Most of the alligators he sees are on the Cahaba River south of Centreville. The gator killed on Highway 5 apparently came from a nearby bottom with a creek that empties into the Cahaba.

1. The Cahaba itself empties into the Alabama River, which is experiencing a burgeoning alligator population.
2. Dallas County, Wilcox County, Clark County – those areas next to the Alabama River and the creeks that drain off of that river – have lots of alligators,” said David Nelson, a wildlife biologist based in Demopolis.

Nelson is trying to trap a gator lounging in a private pond in south Greene County. Alligators have been seen as far north as Epes, where a dead 11-footer was discovered in the mid-1980s. Heading home The state Wildlife and Freshwater Fish eries Division began getting complaints from fishermen and boaters on the Alabama River more than a decade ago, Nelson said.

At first he wasn’t sure whether several people were seeing the same animal. He began an annual alligator survey on the river, which revealed the fishermen’s imaginations weren’t overactive. “Each year, we see a few more,” Nelson said. “Last year, I think we saw, in a 15-mile stretch of river, about 25 – some up to 10 or 12 feet long.” And the survey doesn’t give a good indication of how many alligators actually are living on the river.

Gators prefer slow-moving backwater, while Nelson’s survey covered the open river. While not as populous as in the Alabama River, alligators do live in the Tombigbee and Warrior rivers, Nelson said. “At this point they’re uncommon from Demopolis north,” Nelson said.

• But from Demopolis south, the farther south you go, the more you see.
• If somebody found one up the Warrior River, it wouldn’t surprise me.” The gators are reclaiming old habitat, said David Hayden, assistant chief of wildlife for the state.
• We’ve got them through rivers and lakes up to the fall line,” Hayden said.

Alligator habitat generally stops at the fall line, a geological formation where waterfalls occur, Hayden said. Tuscaloosa was located on the fall line before dams deepened the water and obliterated the shoals. Alligators were hunted to near extinction for their hides until federal officials placed them on the endangered species list.

They lay a good many eggs,” Nelson said. “With restrictions placed on them and the market for hides reduced, we’ve had an increase.” The alligator’s strong comeback has led to open hunting seasons in Florida and Louisiana. In Alabama, a limited number of permit holders can catch or kill nuisance gators.

When alligators attack Alligators generally avoid people, Nelson said. But the 12-footers Nelson saw can be a threat. People make two mistakes with alligators, wildlife officials say, either becoming frightened of their appearance, or forgetting an alligator is not a pet.

“When they start getting accustomed to people and they lose that fear of people, they become more dangerous,” Nelson said.Some people clean fish and throw the heads and entrails into the water to watch alligators devour them.”If that gator starts associating that bucket of fish heads with a human, he might come up and try to snap a hand or something,” Hayden said.Alligator attacks are extremely rare, Nelson said, and usually occur when someone has been feeding or disturbing the alligator.

“The main thing with any wildlife, whether it’s a snake or a hawk or an owl or an alligator, they just want to be left alone,” LeCroy said. “Most of the people who get snake bit, you’ll find out they were fooling with the animal. It’s the same with alligators.” : Alligator population on the rise in region

Is the Cahaba River safe to swim in?

While many people enjoy swimming in the Cahaba safely, it is always important to use caution and common sense around the water. Our partners at Cahaba Riverkeeper monitor water quality along the Cahaba River during the summer months with their Cahaba River Swim Guide program. Click here to view their results.

What is the widest river in Alabama?

Cahaba River
Country	United States
State	Alabama
Physical characteristics
Source

What is the name of two large famous rivers in the United States?

The two longest rivers in the United States are the Mississippi River and the Missouri River. The Mississippi River runs through ten U.S. states.

What is the most beautiful river in Alabama?

Alabama: Cahaba River – The 194-mile Cahaba, Alabama’s longest free-flowing river, is special not just for its beauty, but its biodiversity. The river claims more native fish species — 128 — than any other river of its size in North America, according to the Cahaba River Society. 3 / 51 Jodi Jacobson/istockphoto

What is the deepest river in Alabama?

Black Warrior River – Wikipedia.

What state has the most rivers?

Alaska has the most water – The state with the largest total area of water is Alaska, which has 94,743 square miles of water. Alaska contains approximately 12,000 rivers, 3 million lakes larger than 5 acres, and numerous creeks and ponds, accounting for more than 14% of the state’s total area.

What are the cleanest rivers in Alabama?

Little River Canyon’s ‘little brother’ The water of Little River is considered by many the cleanest in the state.

What is the biggest river in Alabama?

The Tennessee River flows some 650 miles through the Southeast, beginning near Knoxville, Tennessee, and dipping through north Alabama. It is the largest river system that passes through the state and is one of the only rivers whose course enters and leaves a state at more than one point.

What is the main river in Alabama?

Fish and Fishing in the Alabama River True to its name, the Alabama River flows through the heart of the state of Alabama. Originating just north of Montgomery, the Alabama River is born from the marriage of the Coosa River and the Tallapoosa River near the Fall Line.

As with most of Alabama’s great rivers, dams slow the progress of the Alabama River as it flows to meet the Tombigbee River and form the Mobile River. All of the Alabama River downstream of Montgomery is commercially navigable. The Alabama Scenic River Trail is a 631-mile boating trail from Weiss Lake down the Coosa River into the Alabama River and through the Mobile Delta to the Gulf of Mexico.

Gage height readings and water discharge information for the Alabama River is available from NOAA. The lakes on the Alabama River are run-of-the-river type impoundments, each lake is basically the old river channel. From upstream to downstream, the U.S.

• Army Corps of Engineers lakes on the Alabama River are Jones Bluff, Millers Ferry, and Claiborne.
• Jones Bluff or R.E.
• Bob” Woodruff Reservoir Officially, Robert F.
• Henry Dam forms R.E.
• Bob” Woodruff Lake, but it is commonly known as Jones Bluff.
• Most local anglers simply call it the Alabama River.
• This upper section of the Alabama River and the lower ends of both the Coosa River and the Tallapoosa River are known for the giant spotted bass, which often hold on the edge of current.

Largemouth bass like to ambush prey from quieter sloughs and flooded creeks of the lower section of Jones Bluff. Unimproved access to the lower Coosa River is available below Jordan Dam on the east side. Improved boating and fishing access to the lower Coosa River is available at Crommelin Landing and Fort Toulouse.

1. Boat ramps are available in the middle and lower part of Jones Bluff at Benton, Cooters Pond, Gunter Hill, Holy Ground Battlefield Park, Powder Magazine, Prairie Creek, and Swift Creek.
2. Millers Ferry or William “Bill” Dannelly Reservoir From R.E.
3. Bob” Woodruff Lake, the Alabama River flows into William “Bill” Dannelly Reservoir.

The 105-mile long Dannelly Reservoir is more commonly known as Millers Ferry, after Millers Ferry Lock and Dam operated by the US Army Corps of Engineers. Although this section of the Alabama River has excellent fishing for largemouth bass, Miller Ferry is more famous for its consistently good crappie fishing.

1. Historically significant Selma is in the upper half of Millers Ferry Lake.
2. An inexpensive getaway spot on Millers Ferry is Roland Cooper State Park near Camden, which has a nine-hole golf course, vacation cabins, and a modern campground.
3. The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the US Army Corps of Engineers have boat ramps around Millers Ferry.

The tailwaters below Millers Ferry Lock and Dam provide excellent seasonal fishing for striped bass, spotted bass, crappie and large catfish. Claiborne Lake Immediately downstream of Dannelly Reservoir is Claiborne Lake. Formed by Claiborne Lock and Dam, Claiborne Lake is the most primitive of the Alabama River lakes.

1. Nestled in Alabama’s southwest hill country, the lake encompasses over 60 miles of the Alabama River.
2. Although the lake remains mostly within the original river banks, Claiborne Lake provides extensive opportunities for water-related recreation, including good fishing for largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill and catfish.

Lower Alabama River The Lower Alabama River begins at the Claiborne Lock and Dam and runs south 72.5 miles through Monroe, Clarke, and Baldwin counties where it joins the Tombigbee River. This reach of the Alabama River is located within a 30-minute drive of hotels, restaurants, service stations, and grocery stores in Monroeville, Grove Hill, and Jackson.

Public boating access along the Lower Alabama River is operated in cooperation with the Corps of Engineers, county government, and the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division. Privately owned ramps also service the Lower Alabama River.The lower Alabama River is one of Alabama’s natural treasures.

The lower Alabama River has natural beauty including high bluffs. Home to one of the richest freshwater mussel beds in Alabama, The lower Alabama River also provides a home for a host of interesting fish species such as alligator gar, paddlefish, Alabama darter, and one of the most endangered species on the planet, the Alabama sturgeon.

Anglers on the lower Alabama River generally target largemouth bass, spotted bass, crappie, catfish, striped bass, and white bass. Many bass tournament anglers will travel over 110 miles north to fish the lower Alabama River from as far south as the Causeway on US Highway 90-98. Largemouth bass can be found among the fallen timber and creek mouths along the banks, as well as in the backwater areas off the main river.

These backwater areas are important nursery habitats for a host of game and non-game fish species. Spotted bass are commonly found just below Claiborne Lock and Dam, and along creek mouths, rock piles, and bluff banks. Crappie fishing is typically good in early spring in the southernmost oxbows and lakes such as The Cut-Off, Boatyard Lake, and Mimms Lake.

Spring is also a good time to fish below Claiborne Lock and Dam for white bass up to 3 pounds and large striped bass.Channel catfish, blue catfish, and flathead catfish are all abundant in this area and can be caught almost year-round. Anglers should not be surprised to catch blue catfish over 30 pounds and flathead catfish over 40 pounds.

For more information on the Lower Alabama River, please contact the District V Fisheries Office.

What is the largest body of water in Alabama?

Fishing in Lake Guntersville Lake Guntersville is located in north Alabama between Bridgeport and Guntersville. Alabama’s largest lake contains 69,100 acres and stretches 75 miles from Nickajack Dam to Guntersville Dam. Free boat ramps and private marinas dot the lake’s perimeter.

Fishing, boating, camping, hunting and eagle watching are popular sports in the area. Eagle watching centers on Guntersville State Park and the dam during the winter, though some bald eagles stay all year. Guntersville Lake fish habitat includes milfoil and hydilla weed beds from which big bass are commonly caught.

Though most noted nationally for large bass, Lake Guntersville is home to quality angling for a variety of fish. Historically, about two-thirds of the anglers on Guntersville target largemouth bass, although bream (bluegill, redear sunfish, and longear sunfish), crappie, sauger and catfish attract their fair share of anglers.

What is the widest river in Alabama?

Cahaba River
Country	United States
State	Alabama
Physical characteristics
Source