Basin Group 3

The Pearl River Basin is located in east central and southwest Mississippi and in the southeastern part of Louisiana, and drains an area of about 8,000 square miles. The river extends from its headwaters in Neshoba County through the Jackson metropolitan area and empties into the Mississippi Sound. Major waterbodies include the Pearl, Yockanookany, Strong, and Bogue Chitto Rivers. The basin also includes the state’s largest surface source of drinking water, the Ross Barnett Reservoir.

The Big Black River Basin, located in west central Mississippi, is approximately 155 miles long and averages 22 miles in width. The Basin drainage area covers 3,400 square miles. The only major waterway in the basin is the Big Black River which begins in Webster County near the town of Eupora and flows southwesterly for approximately 300 miles to its outlet to the Mississippi River twenty-five miles south of Vicksburg.

The South Independent Streams Basin is located in southwest Mississippi and drains into the Mississippi River. The basin includes the Mississippi River cities of Vicksburg and Natchez. Major streams in the 4,418 square mile drainage area include the Homochitto, Tangipahoa, and East and West Forks of the Amite Rivers, as well as Bayou Pierre.