Misplaced Pages

#175824

51-664: The headwaters of the Chattooga River are located southwest of Cashiers, North Carolina , and it stretches 57 miles (92 km) to its confluence with the Tallulah River within Lake Tugalo , which was created by the Tugalo Dam . The Chattooga begins in southern Jackson County, North Carolina , and flows southwestward between northwestern Oconee County, South Carolina , and eastern Rabun County, Georgia . The "Chattooga" spelling

102-450: A river or stream is the point on each of its tributaries upstream from its mouth / estuary into a lake / sea or its confluence with another river. Each headwater is considered one of the river's sources , as it is the place where surface runoffs from rainwater , meltwater and/or spring water begin accumulating into a more substantial and consistent flow that becomes a first-order tributary of that river. The tributary with

153-571: A $ 5,000 find to survey the forest. Between that time, the Forest Reserve Act was passed by Congress in 1891. Today, it may be known as the U.S. Forest Service, its name originating from President Benjamin Harrison. This act went on to protect national forests in the southeast by having the government purchase land to make them into national forests. Following the Forest Reserve Act, the Weeks Act

204-587: A child, welcomed his nephew to manage the trading post. Shortly after, John Bartram was appointed by King George III to be the royal botanist of the New World in 1765. Both John and William journeyed together to collect plants in South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. Following this expedition, Bartram was sponsored by John Fothergill to make a 2,400 miles journey across southeastern America, this being his most memorialized trip. Bartram's work promoted an interest in

255-533: A drop-pool style river, rapids are followed by calm pools for swimming. The Chattooga headwaters are located in the Whiteside Mountain area on the Blue Ridge escarpment near Cashiers, NC. Flowing through Cashiers as a small stream, the upper stretches (Sections 00, 0, and 1) are excellent trout waters and, depending on water level, are either not boatable or restricted. Section 1, beginning at Burrell's Ford,

306-587: A number of restrictions based on season, section of river, property ownership, time of day, and water level. The decision has proved controversial due to the excessive number of deaths that have occurred on the river in this area. Boating remains illegal above Greens Creek and below Licklog Creek. This section is difficult, commonly contains flood debris, flows infrequently, and will likely see limited whitewater use. 35°04′06″N 83°06′56″W  /  35.0681968°N 83.115585°W  / 35.0681968; -83.115585 Headwater The headwater of

357-459: A top priority. The Stekoa Creek Basin is approximately 45 square miles (120 km) in size. In the late spring, the river is lined with blooming pink and white mountain laurel . Early spring is also a great time to go rafting , kayaking , or canoeing because of the higher flows and cooler temperatures. The Chattooga is a free-flowing river (no upstream dam to control the flow) which quickly responds to rainfall or drought conditions. As

408-737: A total of about 57 miles (92 km). On the commercially rafted sections (III and IV) there is a 1/4 mile protected corridor of National Forest on both sides of the river, allowing no roads to the river or development of any kind. There are a few areas on the river where access has been made more accessible on Section III, but much of Section IV is fairly remote. The Chattooga also bisects the Ellicott Rock Wilderness which straddles three states (Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina) and three National Forests (the Chattahoochee , Nantahala and Sumter National Forests). The Georgia portion of

459-489: Is Bull Sluice . Section 4 includes Class II-V rapids, including the famous Five Falls (five class III-V rapids in roughly a 1/4 mile stretch). The minimum age requirement to raft Section 3 is eight, and Section 4 is twelve. A number of signature rapids on this river were featured in the motion picture Deliverance . The Forest Plan , issued in 1976 and revised in January 2004, restricted motorized craft, closed many roads to

510-438: Is marshland . The furthest stream is also often called the head stream. Headwaters are often small streams with cool waters because of shade and recently melted ice or snow. They may also be glacial headwaters, waters formed by the melting of glacial ice . Headwater areas are the upstream areas of a watershed , as opposed to the outflow or discharge of a watershed. The river source is often but not always on or quite near

561-415: Is "in a location that is the farthest, along water miles, from where that river ends." Under this definition, neither a lake (excepting lakes with no inflows) nor a confluence of tributaries can be a true river source, though both often provide the starting point for the portion of a river carrying a single name. For example, National Geographic and virtually every other geographic authority and atlas define

SECTION 10

#1732847538176

612-635: Is 7.4 miles (11.9 km) long. The West Fork Chattooga River (variant name Gumekoloke Creek ) runs 6.0 miles (9.7 km) in from Rabun County, Georgia, and is also a variant name for that county's Holcomb Creek, one of its own tributaries. One of the largest tributaries in the Chattooga basin that flows mainly through private lands is Stekoa Creek , which flows primarily southeast for approximately 18 miles (29 km) from its headwaters in Mountain City, Georgia , through Clayton, Georgia , to its mouth at

663-684: Is located in the far southwestern tip of North Carolina, within Cherokee and Clay Counties. Tusquitee is Cherokee for "where the waterdogs laughed," and the district is headquartered in Murphy, North Carolina . The district's features include the Hiwassee River , Jackrabbit Mountain as well as Lake Chatuge , Hiwassee Lake , Lake Appalachia . All the lakes on or bordering the Tusquitee Ranger District are managed by TVA . The highest point in

714-618: Is mostly granite . Geologists believe that the Chattooga may have made one direction change during its life. Originally, it probably flowed southwesterly into the Chattahoochee River and on to the Gulf of Mexico. At some point, the Savannah River eroded its northern headland until it captured the Chattooga and diverted its waters to the Atlantic. The rocks in the riverbed probably fell from

765-850: Is the Cherokee word for "otter" because the lands adjoin four large mountain reservoirs and contain numerous streams. The Appalachian Trail winds through the Cheoah Ranger District after leaving the Nantahala Ranger District on its way to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park . The district also contains the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest and part of the Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness . The Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest within

816-525: Is very hazardous and restricted to certain months and water levels. The West Fork, sometimes incorrectly referred to as Section 1, is ideal for tubing and class II float trips. It begins at the Overflow Road Bridge and terminates at the Section 2 put-in. Section 2, starting at Highway 28, is a class II float. Section 3 has Class II-IV rapids which rafters and kayakers frequent. The final rapid in Section 3

867-655: The Blue Ridge Parkway , that it acquired in 1981. The rugged and scenic Tuckasegee Gorge is within the Roy Taylor Forest. During the consolidation, all the lands of the former Highlands Ranger District within Transylvania County , were transferred to the Pisgah Ranger District . The 158,348-acre (247.4 sq. mi.; 640.8 km ) Tusquitee Ranger District is the forest's second-largest district, and it

918-636: The Hiwassee River below the Appalachia Dam . It is the home of many western NC waterfalls. The last part of the Mountain Waters Scenic Byway travels through this forest. The total area under management is 531,270 acres (830.11 sq. mi.; 2,149.97 km ). In descending order of land area it is located in parts of Macon , Graham , Cherokee , Jackson , Clay , Swain and Transylvania counties. The forest had initially spanned over Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. However, in 1936,

969-696: The United States Department of Agriculture . The forest is managed together with the other three North Carolina National Forests ( Croatan , Pisgah , and Uwharrie ) from common headquarters in Asheville, North Carolina . The Cheoah Ranger District has 120,110 acres (187.7 sq. mi.; 486.1 km ) in Graham and Swain Counties, and it is headquartered in Robbinsville, North Carolina . The district's name, Cheoah,

1020-683: The 18th century. The Nantahala River flows through the Nantahala National Forest. William Bartram , son to John Bartram , is considered to be "America's first native-born naturalist-illustrator". He journeyed through eight colonies to document the botanical, geographical, and cultural discoveries he made throughout the four years of exploration. At the age of 21, Bartram left home in Philadelphia to live with his uncle at Cape Fear River in North Carolina. His uncle, after being kidnapped as

1071-588: The Chattooga River. It is said that the most scenic portion of the trail is along Trimont Ridge in the Nantahala Mountains, where it crosses Fishhawk Mountains. During this time, Dr. Chase P. Ambler made a vow to protect the western mountains of North Carolina. He created the Appalachian National Park Association and fought to protect the land. His work lead him to write to Congress about land preservation in 1901. Congress responded with

SECTION 20

#1732847538176

1122-624: The Chattooga River. Stekoa Creek has been identified as the single greatest threat to the Chattooga's water quality. This is due primarily to raw sewage leaking from the City of Clayton's old sewage collection system, overflowing storm drains, runoff laden with sediment, poor agricultural practices, failing septic systems, and illegal dumping. Non-profit organizations, such as the Chattooga Conservancy , have made improving water quality in Stekoa Creek

1173-541: The Cherokee to give up their lands in present-day South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, and North Carolina, occurring between 1721 and 1777. After the establishment of the new American government, the Cherokee were forced to give up further territory in other parts of North Carolina and lands in Kentucky and Tennessee with the Treaty of Hopewell in 1785. Despite their 30-year efforts, their land was offered to Revolutionary War veterans of

1224-828: The Nantahala National Forest, which was much of the original territories of the Cherokee. This purchase, though, had initially excluded Cherokee, Graham, and Swain countries that President Warren Harding's formed into the Pisgah National Forest in 1921. Later in 1929, President Herbert Hoover "transferred" lands to expand its boundaries by combining both the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests. The forest then faced major remapping in 1936. The terrain varies in elevation from 5,800 feet (1,767.8 m) at Lone Bald in Jackson County , to 1,200 feet (365.8 m) in Cherokee County along

1275-575: The USGS at times considers the Missouri River as a tributary of the Mississippi River . But it also follows the first definition above (along with virtually all other geographic authorities and publications) in using the combined Missouri—lower Mississippi length figure in lists of lengths of rivers around the world. Most rivers have numerous tributaries and change names often; it is customary to regard

1326-581: The United States and the Cherokee extended the South Carolina boundary to its current location. Prior to 1816, the Chattooga flowed through the ancient homeland of the Cherokee Indian Nation . A Cherokee town known as Chattooga was located along the upper river. The people were forced to cede this territory to the United States. The Blue Ridge Mountains , where the Chattooga starts, are considered to be ancient, even by geological standards. The rock

1377-546: The colonists. The Cherokee were forced westward, which brings up the historical events of the Trail of Tears. This removal route was used between 1830 and 1850 and headed from Fort Butler in Murphy, North Carolina, to Oklahoma. However, present North Carolina still has a strong, pronounced population of Cherokee. The Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto explored the area in 1540, as did English colonist William Bartram (1739-1823) in

1428-562: The confluence of the Madison and Jefferson rivers, rather than the source of its longest tributary (the Jefferson). This contradicts the most common definition, which is, according to a US Army Corps of Engineers official on a USGS site, that "[geographers] generally follow the longest tributary to identify the source of rivers and streams." In the case of the Missouri River, this would have

1479-529: The district is Tusquitee Bald (5,280 feet (1,609 m)) located in Clay County. Three wilderness areas are located within the Nantahala National Forest: These wilderness areas provide an opportunity for solitude in a rugged, natural setting. The Forest manages two Off-Highway Vehicle areas. The most famous being Tellico OHV area located in the Tusquitee Ranger District an additional OHV area

1530-705: The district is adjacent to the Cherokee Indian Reservation . This district's features include the 5,499-foot (1,676.10 m) Standing Indian Mountain , the Nantahala Gorge and Wayah Bald . Four long distance trails pass through the district: the Appalachian , Bartram , Foothills , and Mountains-to-Sea Trails. The district contains the 40,000-acre (62.5 sq. mi.; 161.9 km ) Roy Taylor Forest located in Jackson County, southwest of and adjacent to

1581-619: The edge of the watershed, or watershed divide. For example, the source of the Colorado River is at the Continental Divide separating the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean watersheds of North America . A river is considered a linear geographic feature, with only one mouth and one source. For an example, the Mississippi River and Missouri River sources are officially defined as follows: The verb "rise" can be used to express

Chattooga River - Misplaced Pages Continue

1632-499: The forest was reorganized to follow the state boundaries of North Carolina. Several areas of old-growth forest have been identified in the Nantahala National Forest, totaling some 30,800 acres (125 km ). The Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness in particular contains nearly 6,000 acres (24 km ) of old-growth forest. The Nantahala National Forest is administered by the United States Forest Service , part of

1683-467: The general region of a river's source, and is often qualified with an adverbial expression of place. For example: The word "source", when applied to lakes rather than rivers or streams, refers to the lake's inflow . Nantahala National Forest The Nantahala National Forest ( / ˌ n æ n t ə ˈ h eɪ l ə / ) is the largest of the four national forests in North Carolina , lying in

1734-459: The land of its resources before selling to maximize profits and evade taxation. To the government's surprise, they were able to purchase over 850 acres from 359 private owners. However, with many unwilling to sell, private land remains scattered throughout the Nantahala. January 29, 1920, President Woodrow Wilson made the purchase of combined lands in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina to form

1785-413: The longest course downstream of the headwaters is regarded as the main stem . The United States Geological Survey (USGS) states that a river's "length may be considered to be the distance from the mouth to the most distant headwater source (irrespective of stream name), or from the mouth to the headwaters of the stream commonly known as the source stream". As an example of the second definition above,

1836-551: The longest tributary or stem as the source, regardless of what name that watercourse may carry on local maps and in local usage. This most commonly identified definition of a river source specifically uses the most distant point (along watercourses from the river mouth ) in the drainage basin from which water runs year-around ( perennially ), or, alternatively, as the furthest point from which water could possibly flow ephemerally . The latter definition includes sometimes-dry channels and removes any possible definitions that would have

1887-525: The mountains and valleys of western North Carolina. The Nantahala is the second wettest region in the country, after the Pacific Northwest . Due to its environmental importance and historical ties with the Cherokee, the forest was officially established on January 29, 1920, by President Woodrow Wilson . The word "Nantahala" is a Cherokee derived word, meaning "Land of the Noonday Sun." In some spots,

1938-632: The national forest was dedicated on July 30, 1936, to the American poet Joyce Kilmer with trees that are over 450 years old. The Nantahala Ranger District is the largest of the forest's districts, covering an area of about 250,000 acres (390.6 sq. mi.; 1,011.7 km ) in Macon , Jackson and Swain counties. It was formed in 2007 by consolidating the former Highlands Ranger District and Wayah Ranger District. The headquarters are in Franklin, North Carolina . Part of

1989-477: The region's greenery and significantly contributed to natural history literature. Within the most recent century, Bartram's work has contributed to increased public awareness of environmental preservation. Bartram Trail was created in his memory in the Nantahala Ranger District, where most of his travels occurred. The trail is not true to his exact path as a result of human development, but the trail spans from North Carolina's Cheoah River to Georgia's Russel Bridge at

2040-399: The ridge above, but such rocks do not necessarily remain where they fall. In times of great downpours, high water, and fast currents, rocks can become dislodged and move downstream, taking other rocks and debris with them. During Hurricane Ivan in 2004, the wind force and waters knocked big boulders off the banks of the river. The hurricane dropped so much water in the Chattooga watershed that

2091-628: The river changes names numerous times along its course. However, the source of the Thames in England is traditionally reckoned according to the named river Thames rather than its longer tributary, the Churn — although not without contention. When not listing river lengths, however, alternative definitions may be used. The Missouri River's source is named by some USGS and other federal and state agency sources, following Lewis and Clark 's naming convention, as

Chattooga River - Misplaced Pages Continue

2142-815: The river is in the Chattooga River Ranger District of the Chattahoochee National Forest. Known as the "Crown Jewel" of the southeast, the Chattooga was the first river east of the Mississippi to be granted the Wild & Scenic designation, and is still the only one that is commercially rafted. The river is split into three forks. The Chattooga River is the main fork, running along the state line. The East Fork Chattooga River (sometimes East Prong Chattooga River ) runs in from Jackson County, North Carolina and then Oconee County, South Carolina, and

2193-595: The river source "move around" from month to month depending on precipitation or ground water levels. This definition, from geographer Andrew Johnston of the Smithsonian Institution , is also used by the National Geographic Society when pinpointing the source of rivers such as the Amazon or Nile . A definition given by the state of Montana agrees, stating that a river source is never a confluence but

2244-568: The river was recorded at its highest flow rate, around 26,000 cu ft/s (740 m/s) to 28,000 cu ft/s (790 m/s), rivaling the typical flow of the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon . Since May 10, 1974, the Chattooga River has been protected along a 15,432-acre (6,245 ha) corridor as a national Wild and Scenic River . 39.8 miles (64.1 km) of the river have been designated “wild”, about 2.5 miles (4.0 km) “scenic”, and 14.6 miles (23.5 km) “recreational” for

2295-411: The river, and prohibited floating on the upper 21 miles (34 km) of river. This plan was challenged by several boating advocacy groups, causing the United States Forest Service to withdraw the plan of 2004 and ordering a Visitor Use Capacity Analysis. The USFS issued its final decision in January 2012. The decision expanded boating onto some sections of the upper Chattooga, including Section 1, with

2346-582: The source be well upstream from Lewis and Clark's confluence, "following the Jefferson River to the Beaverhead River to Red Rock River , then Red Rock Creek to Hell Roaring Creek ." Sometimes the source of the most remote tributary may be in an area that is more marsh -like, in which the "uppermost" or most remote section of the marsh would be the true source. For example, the source of the River Tees

2397-617: The source of the Nile River not as Lake Victoria 's outlet where the name "Nile" first appears, which would reduce the Nile's length by over 900 km (560 mi) (dropping it to fourth or fifth on the list of world's rivers), but instead use the source of the largest river flowing into the lake, the Kagera River . Likewise, the source of the Amazon River has been determined this way, even though

2448-462: The sun reaches the floors of the deep gorges of the forest only when it is high overhead at midday. This was part of the homeland of the historic Cherokee and their indigenous ancestors, who have occupied the region for thousands of years. The Nantahala River runs through it. Colonists from South Carolina established a trade of deer hides with Cherokees from the Nantahala region, their homeland. This eventually lead to several signed treaties that left

2499-429: Was approved by the US Board on Geographic Names in 1897. The Chattooga and the Tallulah rivers combine to make the Tugaloo River , which is considered to start at the outlet of Lake Tugalo. Downriver from the Tugaloo's confluence with the Seneca River , it is known as the Savannah River below Lake Hartwell . Downstream from that point, the water flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Savannah, Georgia . The Chattooga

2550-477: Was presented to Congress in hopes to continue preserving forests with government funds being used to purchase both public and private lands. The Weeks Act, named after John Weeks, was signed by President William Taft to protect forests and has been named to be the most successful piece of conservation legislation by protecting over 20 million acres of land. In previous years, the lands were occupied and abandoned by logging companies. These companies had often stripped

2601-410: Was the model for the fictional 'Cahulawassee River' in James Dickey 's novel, Deliverance (1970). Scenes for the 1972 film of the same name were shot along the Chattooga River. The Chattooga River serves as part of the boundary between Georgia and South Carolina near latitude 35°N . The Chattooga was not the original boundary line between South Carolina and Georgia. A treaty of 1816 between

SECTION 50

#1732847538176
#175824