Leaf River (Mississippi)

The Leaf River rises in the Bienville National Forest in southwestern Scott County and flows initially southward through eastern Smith, northeastern Covington, western Jones and northern Forrest Counties to Hattiesburg, where it collects the Bouie River.

It is recorded that traders made regular trips to people living near the river bringing with them supplies from Pascagoula.

Legend says that one of these traders buried his profits, several thousand dollars in Spanish coins, near the banks of the Leaf River.

At that time, thousands of area residents filed suit against the Georgia-Pacific Corporation, claiming that its pulp mill released the dangerous chemicals, dioxins, into the river.

In 1996, these suits were dismissed when the courts decided that there was no scientific proof that dangerous dioxin levels were present in the river or that Georgia-Pacific was negligent.