STS091-707-024 White, Arkansas, and Mississippi Rivers, Mississippi June 1998 Near the center of the image is the confluence of the White, Arkansas, and Mississippi Rivers. The sediment-laden Mississippi River traverses the scene from the upper left (north) to the right center (south) of the image. The Arkansas River, 1450 miles (2335 km) long, enters the scene just to the left of the center bottom (west) of the image. The Arkansas River navigation system begins here making the river navigable northwestward 500 miles (805 km) upstream past Little Rock, Arkansas to Tulsa, Oklahoma. The 690 mile (1110 km) long White River enters the scene at the left center of the image. Forest cover (darker areas) abounds on either side of the river. Along the Mississippi River numerous oxbow patterns are visible. These patterns represent the changes in the course the river has taken over thousands of years.