| Sowashee Creek | |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Subdivision Name1: | United States |
| Subdivision Type2: | State |
| Source1 Coordinates: | 32.4746°N -88.6084°W |
| Mouth Coordinates: | 32.3043°N -88.7512°W |
| Length: | 20.5miles |
| Basin Size: | 52.1sqmi[1] |
Sowashee Creek is a stream in the U.S. state of Mississippi. Tributaries include Nanabe Creek. Sowashee Creek is a tributary of Okatibbee Creek.
Sowashee is a name derived from the Choctaw language meaning "raccoons are there".[2] Variant names are "Siwashee Creek", "Sowwasha Creek", and "Sowwashy Creek".
The city of Meridian was founded on the banks of Sowashee Creek and "Sowashee" was suggested as a possible name for the new community.[3]
The City of Meridian is constructing the Sowashee Creek Bike Trail, a multi-use recreational trail.[4]
Sowashee Creek has been subject to multiple instances of pollution and industrial runoff, including a violation of the Clean Water Act that included a $120 million fine from the Environmental Protection Agency against the City of Meridian and a 5,000 gallon diesel fuel spill from a Norfolk Southern railway yard.[5] [6]