The Lower Mississippi River Water Trail

bottom end you might have to cut through the adjacent flooded forests of Walnut Point to return to main channel.

 

Lee Lake Pass

The water here could be flowing either direction depending on rainfall and river levels.  In a rising river the water will be pushing eastward into the pass.  In a falling river it will be running westward out of the pass.  In a steady river there will be no motion.  Paddle quietly up the Lake Lee Pass for bird and wildlife sightings.  The water will clear out eventually and you will be able to see the turtles, gar, sturgeon, paddlefish, catfish, buffalo, and others that had been previously concealed by the muddy waters.

 

Lake Washington

 

The Mississippi has been engaged in the business of making oxbow lakes out of its old bends for several centuries. One of its oldest and most beautiful creations is Lake Washington. Geological evidence suggests that this lake may have been in existence for about 700 years.

 

The big lake covers several thousands of acres and was once widely known for its abundant fish and waterfowl population. Before the Civil War, several wealthy Delta planters built impressive mansions on the banks of the beautiful lake. Some of the houses still stand.

 

During the past half century, Lake Washington has been rapidly deteriorating. Some of its shoreline is spoiled by fishing camps, trailers, and cottages, and the lake waters have become heavily polluted with herbicides, pesticides, and commercial fertilizers used on the adjoining plantations. In 1973, the lake was closed to commercial fishing because of the dangerous level of contamination. Extensive land clearing in the Yazoo- Mississippi Delta has led to increased exposure to runoff from the farm fields, and aerial spraying of crops in the area may also have contributed to the problems at the lake.

 

(From Braggs: Historic Names)

 

RBD 523-520 Island 86

 

There is a thin sliver of Island that runs three miles long at low water and less at high water.  Possible back channel route above 25 GG, and good hidden campsites found along some of the sandy bluffs on the mainland side near RBD 520.

 

RBD 519-515 Kentucky Bend

 

After running mostly southward for ten miles below the Greenville Bridge, the river finally curves westward in an elegant swoop around the densely forested Kentucky Island (Kentucky Bend Bar on the maps).  This is the best remote camping in the area.