Poteau River

The Poteau River near Panama, Oklahoma
Wister Lake and Dam on the Poteau River in Le Flore County, Oklahoma

The Poteau River is a 141-mile-long (227 km)[1] river in the U.S. states of Arkansas and Oklahoma and is the only river in Oklahoma that flows north.[2] Poteau is the French word for "post" and it is believed the river was named because French explorers used a post or stake to mark the mouth of the river.[3] The city of Poteau, Oklahoma took its name from the river.[4] The Poteau River converges with the Arkansas River at Belle Point at Fort Smith, Arkansas, where it serves as a border between the two states for a short distance.

References

  1. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed June 3, 2011
  2. ↑ Corps Lakes Gateway: Oklahoma - Wister Lake
  3. ↑ Chronicles of Oklahoma
  4. ↑ "History". City of Poteau, Oklahoma. Retrieved 7 July 2014.

Coordinates: 35°23′15″N 94°26′03″W / 35.38750°N 94.43417°W