Blackwater river

A blackwater river is a river with a deep, slow-moving channel that flows through forested swamps and wetlands. Decaying vegetation in the water results in the leaching of tannins from the vegetation, resulting in transparent, acidic water that is darkly stained, resembling tea or coffee. Most major blackwater rivers are in the Amazon River system and the Southern United States.

When compared to whitewater rivers, blackwater rivers are relatively low in nutrients, and have ionic concentrations not much greater than that of rainwater. [Janzen. D. H. 1974. Tropical Blackwater Rivers, Animals, and Mast Fruiting by the Dipterocarpaceae. Biotropica, Vol. 6, N° 2 (Jul., 1974), pp. 69-103] [Sioli, Harald. 1975. Tropical rivers as expressions of their terrestrial environments. In: F.B. Golley & E. Medina (eds.) Tropical Ecological Systems/Trends in Terrestrial and Aquatic Research. pp 275-288] The unique water conditions lead to a composition of flora and fauna that differs significantly from what is found in whitewater sources. Areas where blackwater rivers and whitewater rivers combine are particularly attractive to a diverse group of organisms.

Comparison between white and black waters

Blackwater rivers of the world:

Amazonia

*Apaporis River: A tributary of the Yapura River.
*Arapiuns River: A tributary of the Tapajós River.
*Coari River
*Mirití-Paraná River
*Rio Negro: The largest blackwater river in the world; one of the largest Amazonian tributaries.
*Piorini River
*Tahuayo River
*Tefé River
*Uatamã River
*Urubu River
*Vaupés

Orinoco basin

* Atabapo: from the Guiana Highlands of Venezuela west into the Orinoco
* Caroní River: from the Guiana Highlands of Venezuela west into the Orinoco
* Inírida: from Colombia northeast into the Guaviare River which flows into the Orinoco
* Ventuari: from eastern Venezuela southwest into the Orinoco
* Vichada: from Colombia east into the Orinoco
* Tomo: from Colombia east into the Orinoco
* Tuparro: from Colombia east into the Orinoco

outhern United States

*Big Cypress, Black Cypress, and Little Cypress and the small rivers in the watershed of Caddo Lake in Texas and Louisiana.
*Blackwater River: a tributary of the Chowan River in Virginia.
*Blackwater River: a major river in the western Florida panhandle.
*Black River: a tributary of the Pee Dee River in North and South Carolina.
*Cape Fear River, North Carolina: flows into the Atlantic Ocean.
*Cashie River, North Carolina: flows into Albemarle Sound.
*Caloosahatchee River, Florida: flows west from Lake Okeechobee to the Gulf of Mexico.
*Chowan River, North Carolina: flows into Albemarle Sound.
*Edisto River, South Carolina: flows into the Atlantic Ocean; the longest undammed, unleveed blackwater river in North America.
*Econlockhatchee River, a tributary of the St. Johns River in Central Florida.
*Great Coharie Creek, North Carolina: flows into the Black River.
*Little Pee Dee River, South Carolina: flows into the Pee Dee River.
*Lumber/Drowning Creek: located in North and South Carolina. Part of Lumber River State Park
*Pithlachascotee River: A small river in central Florida.
*Scuppernong River: A small river in Washington and Tyrrell Counties in eastern North Carolina at Pettigrew State Park.
*St. Johns River: The largest river in Florida. Flows north through Jacksonville and into the Atlantic.
*Suwannee River: A large river in southern Georgia and northern Florida flowing into the Gulf of Mexico.
*Upper Little River, North Carolina: flows into the Cape Fear River.
*Blackwater River, West Virginia: Located in the Blackwater Canyon in Tucker County. Blackwater Falls a five-story waterfall is located along this river with rapids ranging from Class III-V+
*Waccamaw River, North and South Carolina: flows into the Atlantic Ocean.
*White Oak River, North Carolina: flows into the Atlantic Ocean.

Northern United States

*Black River, New York: A river starting in the western Adirondacks that flows into Lake Ontario.
*Tahquamenon River, Michigan: A river in the Upper Peninsula that flows into Lake Superior.
*Tuckahoe River, New Jersey: A short river in southern New Jersey that flows into Great Egg Harbor.

Images of blackwater rivers

Manaus, the largest city on the Amazon River, as seen from a NASA satellite image, surrounded by the muddy Amazon River and the blackwater Rio Negro.
Morava River (flowing from right to upper left) into the whitewater Danube (in upper left corner of photo).

ee also

*Bog

References