Arkansas << AHR kuhn `saw` or ahr KAN zuhs, >> River, is a stream of the south-central United States. It is the longest river that flows into the Mississippi-Missouri river system. The total length of the Arkansas is 1,459 miles (2,348 kilometers). The river rises on the east slope of the Rocky Mountains, in the central part of Colorado near Leadville. It flows southeast through Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The Cimarron, Canadian, and White rivers flow into the Arkansas. They drain parts of New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri.
The Arkansas has a rapid current as it flows through mountain valleys and canyons. One of the rocky canyons worn by the Arkansas is the Royal Gorge. Its walls rise more than 1,000 feet (300 meters). Cities on the banks of the river include Pueblo, Colorado; Wichita, Kansas; Tulsa and Muskogee, Oklahoma; and Fort Smith and Little Rock, Arkansas. The river is named for the Arkansas Indians.
The Arkansas River makes up the main section of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System. The flow of water on much of the river system is controlled by 18 dam and reservoir projects. These projects control flooding, aid in navigation, and generate water power.
