Course
The Black Warrior River is formed about 22 mi (40 km) west of Birmingham by the confluence of the Mulberry Fork and the Locust Fork of the Warrior River, which join as arms of Bankhead Lake, a narrow reservoir on the upper river that is formed by the Bankhead Lock and Dam. Bankhead Lake drains directly onto Holt Lake, formed by the Holt Lock and Dam, which itself then drains onto Oliver Lake, formed by the Oliver Lock and Dam. These three reservoirs encompass the entire course of the river for its upper 60 miles (80 km) stretching southeast into central Tuscaloosa County and Tuscaloosa, Alabama, the largest city on the river. Past Oliver Dam, immediately west of downtown Tuscaloosa, the Black Warrior flows generally south in a highly meandering course, joining the Tombigbee River from the northeast at Demopolis. The lower 30 miles (48 km) of the river are part of the long, narrow Lake Demopolis.
The Black Warrior River receives its largest tributary, the North River, from the north about one mile (1.6 km) northwest of Tuscaloosa. North River was dammed in 1968 to form Lake Tuscaloosa, and is the main source for drinking water for the cities, towns, and unincorporated areas of Tuscaloosa County.
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