Nolichucky River
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Nolickucky River | |
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| Origin | Mitchell County, North Carolina. |
| Mouth | French Broad River at Douglas Lake |
| Basin countries | USA |
The Nolichucky River is a major stream draining the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina and East Tennessee.
The Nolichucky River rises as the confluence of the North Toe River and the Cane River near the community of Huntdale. The stream succeeds the North Toe as the boundary between Yancey County and Mitchell County, North Carolina. Trending roughly westward, it flows along the north flank of Flattop Mountain. The gorge is especially steep on its north side. Geologically, the area is underlain by predominantly by metamorphic rock of Precambrian time.
The river then enters Unicoi County, Tennessee, flowing through ranges known locally as the Bald Mountains and the Unaka Mountains. Turning northwest, the stream is bridged by the Appalachian Trail, and then, just beyond this, by U.S. Highway 19W southwest of the Unicoi County seat of Erwin. Near Erwin, two tributary streams, South Indian Creek and North Indian Creek, join the Nolichucky River. Turning more to the north, the stream is paralleled for several miles by State Route 81 (known locally as Nolichucky River Road), crossing into Washington County. The river cuts between several mountains at this point, including Rich Mountain to the south and Buffalo Mountain to the north.
Shortly after entering Washington County, the river makes a horseshoe bend near the small community of Embreeville, where it is bridged by Tennessee 81 for the first time. At the northeastern end of Embreeville Mountain, the stream emerges from a large gap, and, turning west-southwest, is bridged by Tennessee 81 again. This region is known as the Ridge and Valley province, underlain primarily by sedimentary rock of the Lower Paleozoic Era. The river then continues west-southwest for several miles, paralleled by State Route 107. The river leaves the roadside near the settlement of Mt. Carmel. From there it flows northwest over a curving course to Davy Crockett Birthplace State Park. (Contrary to the well-known, Disney-manufactured "folk song" about Davy Crockett, he was not "born on a mountaintop in Tennessee", but rather in the Nolichucky River valley, which did not sound as endearing.) This park is located near the Washington County–Greene County line. Many tributary creeks join the river in Washington and Greene Counties. At the county line one of the larger tributaries, Big Limestone Creek, joins the river.
From Crockett's birthplace the river flows southwestward, following the trends of the Ridge and Valley province's underlying geology. Bridged by Tennessee 107 just east of Tusculum College, the stream continues southwestward, later bridged by State Route 350 just above an impoundment caused by Nolichucky Dam. This dam was constructed as a hydroelectric project by the former Tennessee Electric Power Company in 1912. The dam was sold to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in 1939. The TVA continued to operate the dam for electrical power purposes until the 1970s. The degree of siltation of the reservoir, called Davy Crockett Lake, had made continued efforts to operate the facility for hydroelectric purposes impracticable. The agency retired the dam as a power source but continues to maintain it and to use it for flood control and recreational purposes. A small museum about the site's history and the utilization of electric power in general has been operated here intermittently since that time.
Just below Nolichucky Dam the river is bridged by State Route 70. Shortly afterward, it is also crossed by Meadow Creek Road, a Greene County road. From here the stream flows almost due west and is then bridged by U.S. Highway 321. Just before the Greene County–Cocke County line the river is bridged by State Route 340. Shortly below this point, the river becomes the Greene County–Cocke County line. A few miles below this point it is bridged by Knob Creek Road, a Cocke County road. Slightly south of Interstate 81, Greene County, Cocke County, and Hamblen County come to a point at a bend in river, where the larger tributary Lick Creek joins the river. From this point on, the meandering stream forms the Hamblen County–Cocke County line. The next bridge over the Nolichucky is on State Route 160. The final bridge over the Nolichucky River is Hale's Bridge on Spencer Hale Road. The confluence of the Nolichucky with the French Broad River occurs in the upstream portion of the Douglas Lake impoundment, caused by Douglas Dam, a World War II-era TVA project. Near the mouth is the Rankin Wildlife Management Area, a reserve opeated by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
The Nolichucky is considered to be a fairly famous and historic stream in Tennessee, largely because it is in and associated with the part of the state that was the subject of the first extensive white settlement. The state's first governor, John Sevier, was known by the nickname "Nolichucky Jack", a reference to this stream.
The stream is a popular white water rafting and canoeing destination since it has stretches of both white water areas and calm water. Between Poplar, North Carolina and Unaka Springs, Tennessee, the river provides one of the most scenic whitewater trips in the South.
River flow data: http://pubs.usgs.gov/wri/wri934076/stations/03465500.html
