Little River (Kentucky) facts for kids
Little River is a river in Kentucky, United States. It is about 57.8-mile-long (93.0 km), which is like driving for almost an hour at highway speeds! This river flows through Trigg County and Christian County.
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Where Little River Starts and Flows
Little River begins in Christian County, southwest of a town called Hopkinsville. It starts when two smaller streams, the North Fork and the South Fork, join together. This meeting point is called a confluence.
From there, the river winds its way, or meanders, towards the northwest. It flows past the town of Cadiz before finally emptying into Lake Barkley.
Part of a Bigger River System
Little River is a tributary of the Cumberland River. A tributary is like a smaller river or stream that flows into a larger river. So, Little River feeds its water into the Cumberland River.
The Cumberland River then flows into the Ohio River, and the Ohio River eventually joins the mighty Mississippi River. This means that Little River is part of the huge Mississippi River watershed. A watershed is an area of land where all the water drains into a single river system. Think of it like a giant bowl where all the rain and streams eventually flow to one main river.
The Land Around the River
The area around Little River has gentle, rolling hills and lots of farmland.
What's Under the Ground?
The main type of rock under the ground, called bedrock, is limestone. Because of this limestone, you can find many cool natural features along the river's edges:
- Springs: Places where water flows naturally out of the ground.
- Caves: Underground spaces formed by water dissolving the limestone.
- Bluffs: Steep cliffs or hillsides that overlook the river.
What's on the River Bottom?
If you were to look at the bottom of Little River, you would mostly see clay and mud. But in some spots, you would also find bedrock, gravel, and even large pieces of limestone called boulders.
How Much Water Flows?
On average, a lot of water flows through Little River! The mean rate of flow is about 765 cu ft/s (21.7 m3/s). This number tells us how much water passes a certain point in the river every second. It's like saying that every second, enough water to fill about 765 big boxes (each one foot by one foot by one foot) rushes by!
