REELFOOT LAKE

shallow lake on the boundary between Lake and Obion counties in northwestern Tennessee, U.S., near Tiptonville. It was formed by earthquakes that occurred in 181112. In the upheaval, land on the east side of the Mississippi River sank, creating a depression that the Mississippi rushed in to fill. It is about 20 mi (32 km) long, 5 mi wide, and 2 to 9 ft (0.5 to 3 m) deep. The lake and the surrounding wooded area have been set aside as a state park and wildlife refuge area supporting numerous species of fish and fowl. Reelfoot River flows through the lake, joining the Obion River in Dyer County, which, in turn, joins the Mississippi. The lake's name comes from a 19th-century Chickasaw Indian chief who was supposedly clubfooted.