ALABAMA RIVER

river in southern Alabama, U.S. It is formed by the Coosa and Tallapoosa rivers, 7 miles (11 km) northeast of Montgomery, winds westward to Selma, and then flows southward. Its length is 318 miles (512 km). The river drains 22,600 square miles (58,500 square km) and is navigable most of the year. It receives its chief tributary, the Cahaba, 17 miles (27 km) below Selma. The Alabama is joined 44 miles (71 km) above Mobile by the Tombigbee to form the Mobile and Tensaw rivers, which flow into the Gulf of Mexico. Mobile and Montgomery became major cities largely because they were on this important traffic artery. The CoosaAlabama river system, with various locks and dams, exerts a dominant influence on economic developments in the state.