The Forked Deer River system is the main drainage of the central portion of West Tennessee. Locals pronounce the first word of the river's name with two syllables, /ˈfɔːrkᵻd/. The Forked Deer consists of various streams designated "Forked Deer" and their tributaries. Much of the Forked Deer drainage basin was initially wetlands; however much of this area has been drained and most Forked Deer tributaries have been channelized for agricultural purposes. In the mid-20th century much of this was done under the auspices of the Obion-Forked Deer Basin Authority, a Tennessee state agency. Environmental concerns have led to the cessation of channelization on a widespread basis; the federal government's "no net loss" policy regarding wetlands means that further channelization must be offset by crea