What exactly is a watershed? A Watershed is land that drains rain or stormwater to a stream, lake, wetland, bay, gulf, or ocean.

T he Chunky-Okatibbee Watershed is a unique and critical component of Mississippi’s natural environment. The Chunky-Okatibbee watershed serves as the headwaters of the Pascagoula River Basin, which ultimately drains into the Gulf of Mexico.

The objective of the watershed management project is to identify sources of pollution and water quality impairment in the Chunky-Okatibbee Watershed; to identify best management practices to address the sources of pollution and water quality impairment; to develop a watershed education and public involvement campaign; and to encourage acquisition, conservation, and preservation within the watershed.
It is the East Mississippi Foothills Land Trust’s belief that the water quality and ecological health of the Chunky-Okatibbee Watershed is important to our culture, our heritage and our way of life. We anticipate the watershed management project to be a wonderful opportunity to raise the level of awareness in the area and actively address water quality issues of concern.

  Interesting facts about the Chunky-Okatibbee Watershed are as follows:

• Contains approximately 912 square miles or approximately 586,240 acres.

• Includes ecologically important waterbodies such as the Chunky Creek, the Chunky River, Sowashee Creek, Okatibbee Creek, and Okatibbee Lake.

• Features a 65-foot waterfall near Dunn’s Falls on the Chunky River.

• The name “Chunky” is derived from a Choctaw Indian game called “Chanki” that was played with a round disk and sticks on the flat, sandy banks of the Chunky River.

• Features the Okatibbee Reservoir, which is a 3,800 lake with swimming, waterskiing, water slides, fishing, boating, picnicking, and camping.

• Contains a wide variety of wildlife including bald eagles, deer, rabbit, and alligators and
documented sightings of 85 individual bird species.

• Includes over 25 individual species of fish.

• Reaches into five counties in East-Central Mississippi.

• A 26-mile segment of the Chunky River is designated as a “scenic stream.”

Watershed: The region draining into a river, river system, or other body of water. All of us
live in a watershed. Each of us is responsible for a portion of the pollution entering our
waterways. Common tasks like washing our cars and fertilizing our lawns end up impacting our
water quality. We are committed to improving our water quality through a series of outreach
programs. If you are interested in joining, please contact: Tommy Vincent at (601) 484-2564 or
trvincen@southernco.com for more information on how you can help keep our waters clean and
safe.

Winter 07-08 Newsletter