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Arkansas River

Whitewater Class -

Description - 

Arkansas River, pronounced AHR kuhn saw or ahr KAN zuhs, is a stream of the south-central United States. It is the longest running river that flows into the Mississippi-Missouri river system. The total length of the Arkansas is 1,459 miles (2,348 kilometers). The waters from an area of about 160,500 square miles (415,690 square kilometers) drain into it. 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, and 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 that are located on the banks of the river include Pueblo, Colo. ; Wichita, Kans. ; Tulsa, Okla. ; Muskogee, Okla. ; Fort Smith, Ark. ; and Little Rock, Ark. The river is named for the Arkansas Indians.