Big Muddy River Wisconsinan-era lake. This is why the Big Muddy tends to be so muddy. The Big Muddy joins the Mississippi River in Jackson County near the La Rue-Pine Hills Ecological Area and less than south of Grand Tower Island. The Pine Hills are bluffs overlooking the Big Muddy as it flows through La Rue swamp. During the melting of the Wisconsinan glacier, the Mississippi River flood plain was filled with rushing meltwater in summer. During the winter the flow of meltwater was cut off, and the floodplain was a wide stretch of exposed mud. Winter winds created dust storms that covered
Southern Illinois River-to-River Conference approached by Benton, Herrin, Harrisburg, and West Frankfort for membership; these four schools were concerned over their small size relative to the other members of the South Seven Conference (where all four were then located) and sought out a conference more in line with their size. Massac County (then an independent school) was approached about becoming a member, and in 1993 the Southern Illinois River-to-River Conference was formed. At the start of the 2010-2011 school year Carterville left the Black Diamond Conference to join the Southern Illinois River-to-River Conference. Chester High School has taken their place in the Black Diamond