The Lower Mississippi River Water Trail

Depending on the river’s rise or fall the water will either be flowing in (rising river) flowing out (falling river) or holding steady (river cresting or bottoming out).  In a falling river the Chotard Lake outflow is sometimes clear and sparkling green – having been cleansed of the nitrates and phosphates, and other compounds) that abound in the rich waters of the Lower Mississippi.  In the natural cycle of plankton and algae blooms the overabundant nitrates and phosphates get used up by the ferocious phytoplankton population explosions in backwater lakes and swamps like Chotard.  When the river falls this clean water is sucked back into the mother river and in small ways helps dilute its overloaded nutrient load.  This process lessens the extent of the Gulf’s “Dead Zone” which is crippling shrimpers from Florida, Louisiana and Texas.

 

Laney’s Landing

4 miles from Main Channel through Terrapin Neck Cutoff

 

Well-designed concrete ramp at the edge of Chotard Lake north of Eagle Lake.  Ample parking, and safe place to leave vehicle for overnights.  Check in at store.  Formerly private ramp now made public through 2011 acquisition by the Miss Dept of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.

 

From April 13, 2011 Mississippi Sportsman: The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks has purchased Laney’s Landing on Lake Chotard to guarantee public access to this popular Issaquena County water body, the agency reported.  The move is part of continuing efforts to acquire land to afford permanent access to public waters.  “Loss of access to public waters is an issue of concern for the MDWFP,” MDWFP Fisheries Bureau Director Ron Garavelli said. “We have lost access to many lakes, especially oxbow lakes of the Mississippi River.”  Improvements to Laney Landing are planned, and operation of the landing will continue under manager Micki Laney.  MDWFP, in conjunction with Warren County, also recently completed construction of a new ramp on the Yazoo River at Redwood.  New restrooms at Eagle Lake also were built with grant funds from the Sport Fish Restoration Program, administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

 

LBD 459 2010 F-4 Tallulah – Yazoo Tornado

 

As you paddle along past the bottom of Willow Island you will notice a large swath of forest on the Mississippi shore left bank descending that has been subjected to the worst haircut you have ever seen.  It might at first appear to be a thinned forest.  Or maybe a sloppy clear-cutting.  But as you look closer you will realize that many of the trees have been split open and splintered wrathfully.  Some have been twisted round and round and round.  And others have been ripped in half.  The swath of trashed forest is about a half-mile long.   This is where the April 27, 2010 F-4 tornado crossed the river from Tallulah on its way to Yazoo City and points northeastward.  This tornado was probably less than F-3 when it crossed the Mississippi.  It was maybe a half mile wide.  I sure would have liked to have been there on Willow Island watching its crossing!  It 

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SECTION MILE ACCESS CITY
Middle Mississippi & Bluegrass Hills / Bootheel 195-0, 954-850 ST. LOUIS TO CARUTHERSVILLE
Chickasaw Bluffs 850 – 737 CARUTHERSVILLE TO MEMPHIS
Upper Delta 737 – 663 MEMPHIS TO HELENA
Middle Delta 663 – 537 HELENA TO GREENVILLE
Lower Delta 537 – 437 GREENVILLE TO VICKSBURG
Introduction  
Greenville to Lake Providence
Greenville, Mississippi  
Greenville Accomodations and Restaurants  
Greenville Blues Festivals  
Greenville Boat Ramp  
Greenville Harbor  
537 LBD Warfield Point Park
537 LBD Old Warfield Point Boat Ramp
537 LBD New Warfield Point Boat Ramp
537 LBD New Warfield Point Boat Ramp
534 LBD Vaucluse Landing
531.5 RBD Sunny Side Landing
530.7 LBD Greenville Bridge
529 – 525.5 LBD Lakeport Towhead / American Bar
525 LBD American Cut-Off / Lake Lee
Lake Lee Public Boat Ramp  
Options for Paddlers Below Greenville Bridge Near American Bar and Lake Lee  
Lake Washington  
523 – 520 RBD Island 68
519 – 515 RBD Kentucky Bend
515 – 512 LBD Leota Bar / Cracraft Chute
514 – 512 RBD Worthington Cutoff, Matthews Bend, Grand Lake, Island 88
512 RBD (And Up Back Channel) Grand Lake Landing Boat Ramp
510 – 506 RBD Cracraft Bar
Paddler’s Choices Through Cracraft Chute & Sarah’s Cutoff  
Entering Louisiana  
503.5 RBD Bunch’s Cutoff
503 RBD Chute of Old River Lake
505 – 502 LBD Corregidor Bar
500 – 495 RBD Wilson Point Bar
496 LBD Tennis Court Landing
Vicksburg Gage  
Water Levels and Dikes  
494 – 487 LBD Baleshead / Stack Island / Ben Lamond
Two Stack Islands?  
Lake Providence  
Lake Providence Landings  
Paddler’s Choices in the Mayersville – Lake Providence Area  
487 – 481 LBD Shipland Wildlife Management Area
Lake Providence to Vicksburg
Vicksburg Gage  
Water Levels and Dikes  
Water Levels and Dikes  
Lake Providence  
Lake Providence Landing  
Paddler’s Choices in the Mayersville – Lake Providence Area  
487 – 481 LBD Shipland Wildlife Management Area
480 – 474 Fitler Bend
471 – 465 Arcadia Point Bar / Cottonwood Bar
Paddler’s Routes Arcadia Point Bar / Cottonwood Bar  
462 – 459 RBD Willow Island
461 LBD Chotard Lake Terrapin Neck Cutoff
Laney’s Landing  
459 LBD 2010 F-4 Tallulah – Yazoo Tornado
458.8 LBD Eagle Lake Pass
458 LBD Tara Landing
457 RBD Madison Parish Port and Public Boat Launch
Bluz Cruz Kayak and Canoe Race  
Willow Island, Chotard Lake, and Eagle Lake: Paddler’s Routes  
458 – 449 Milliken Bend
449 – 445 RBD Sparta Island
449 – 445 RBD Marshall Cutoff
446.5 LBD Paw Paw Chute
The “Heart of the Darkness” Tour  
Around Paw Paw to Forest Home Chute  
Paw Paw to Vicksburg Via the Yazoo  
Steele Bayou Control Structure  
What Are the Paw Paws  
Paw Paw Chute / Sparta / Brown’s Point: Paddler’s Routes  
445 – 442 Brown’s Point
444 Brown’s Point Fault Line
441 – 438.5 RBD Delta Point Bar
Habitat Restoration on the Lower Miss  
438 RBD King’s Point / Secret Entrance Into Lake Centennia
437.7 LBD Mouth of the Yazoo River
Vicksburg  
Vicksburg Services and Accommodations  
Vicksburg Services, Accommodations, and Restaurants  
Looking Downstream  
Loess Bluffs 437 – 225 VICKSBURG TO BATON ROUGE
Atchafalaya River 159 – 0 SIMMESPORT TO MORGAN CITY
Louisiana Delta 229 – 10 BATON ROUGE TO VENICE
Birdsfoot Delta 10 – 0 VENICE TO GULF OF MEXICO