The Little River is a tributary

Tributary

A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...

 of the Canadian River

Canadian River

The Canadian River is the longest tributary of the Arkansas River. It is about long, starting in Colorado and traveling through New Mexico, the Texas Panhandle, and most of Oklahoma....

, 90 miles (144.8 km) long, in central Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...

 in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Via the Canadian and Arkansas

Arkansas River

The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. The Arkansas generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's initial basin starts in the Western United States in Colorado, specifically the Arkansas...

 rivers, it is part of the watershed

Drainage basin

A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...

 of the Mississippi River

Mississippi River

The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...

.

It rises in Moore

Moore, Oklahoma

Moore is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma and is part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area. The population was 55,081 at the 2010 census, making it the seventh largest city in the state of Oklahoma....

 in northwestern Cleveland County

Cleveland County, Oklahoma

Cleveland County is a county in the central part of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 255,755 at the 2010 census. Its county seat is Norman. Cleveland County is part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...

 and flows generally southeastwardly through Pottawatomie

Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma

Pottawatomie County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 65,521 as of the 2000 census. Its county seat is Shawnee...

, Seminole

Seminole County, Oklahoma

Seminole County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 24,894 at the 2000 census. Its county seat is Wewoka. Before Oklahoma's admission as a state, the county was the entire small portion of Indian Territory allocated to the Seminoles. Seminole County has been an...

 and Hughes

Hughes County, Oklahoma

Hughes County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2000, the population was 14,154. Its county seat is Holdenville.-Geography:...

 counties. It joins the Canadian River about 5 miles (8 km) south of Holdenville

Holdenville, Oklahoma

Holdenville is a city in Hughes County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 4,732 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Hughes County....

. In Cleveland County the river is dam

Dam

A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...

med to form Lake Thunderbird

Lake Thunderbird

Lake Thunderbird is a reservoir within the city limits of Norman, in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The lake was constructed between 1962 and 1965 for the purpose of providing municipal water to nearby communities. It is formed by an earthfill embankment 7,300 feet long and up to high on the...

. Downstream of the lake, several sections of the river have been straightened and channelized.