Big Muddy River the sides of hills, exposing coal deposits. The first coal mine in Illinois is believed to have been opened in 1810 on the banks of the Big Muddy in Jackson County. The Big Muddy cuts through the Shawnee Hills south of Murphysboro near the confluence with its smaller tributary, Kinkaid Creek. From there, it runs southward roughly twenty miles and meets the Mississippi directly south of Grand Tower. Near its mouth, a small portion of the Big Muddy acts as the dividing line between Jackson and Union counties. Major tributaries of the Big Muddy include Beaucoup Creek, the Little Muddy
Big Sandy Creek (Illinois) two streams combine shortly before discharging into the Illinois River opposite the hamlet of Montezuma, Illinois. Sand discharged by the alluvial creeks may have helped form McEvers Island, a silt island in the Illinois River just below the mouth of the creek. Big Sandy Creek (Illinois) Big Sandy Creek, often called the "Big Branch", is a tributary of the Illinois River in central Illinois. It drains a large portion of southwestern Morgan County and southern Scott County. The drainage of Big Sandy Creek includes Lake Jacksonville and the county seat of Scott County, Winchester, Illinois. Most of the Big Sandy