Little Tennessee River

Upper catchment area of the Tennessee River

The Tellico Reservoir, Reservoir on the Little Tennessee River

The Little Tennessee River is a 217 km long tributary of the Tennessee River in the Appalachian Mountains. It flows through the three U.S. states of Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee.

Course

The source of the Little Tennessee River is the confluence of several mountain streams in the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Chattahoochee National Forest in north-eastern Rabun County. The river first flows to the east, but then turns north to 441 words to flow along the U.S. Highway at Dillard and add other streams. After flowing through the North Carolina border is on the river in the Nantahala National Forest. After some time, the highway leaves the river, which is now the location of Franklin reached where the Cullasaja River joins from the right. After flowing through the Little Tennessee River to Lake Emory and flows for some time near the North Carolina State Highway 28, wherein he turns more and more to the northwest. After being flown further north, has the U.S. Highway 19, the Great Smoky Mountains Expressway passes under, he runs into the Fontana Lake, a westward -expanding large lake with many bays, headlands and islands. He reached the area of ​​the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. After the flow has passed the Fontana Dam, now the North Carolina State Highway 28 runs right along the river. Back in the Nantahala National Forest, the river reaches the Cheoah Lake, located at the northern shore of the leading U.S. Highway 129 along which represents the western end of the North Carolina State Highway 28.

The Little Tennessee River forms the border of the Nantahala National Forest and eventually reaches Tennessee. There, it forms the northern boundary of the Cherokee National Forest and flows in some meanders in the Calderwood Lake. Now leads the U.S. Highway 129, the Calderwood Highway, along the river, which then reaches the Chilhowee Lake. Soon after the huge Tellico reservoir determined the whole course of the river, in the well of the Tellico River flows. It extends to just before the confluence with the Tennessee River at Lenoir City. On the shore of the reservoir are the two recreation areas Fort Loudon State Historic Park and McGee Carson Peninsula State Historic Park. In addition, the reservoir from U.S. Highway 411 spans.

Reservoirs

As mentioned in the previous section, several reservoirs in the valley of the Little Tennessee River in North Carolina and Tennessee were built by the Tennessee Valley Authority. They are used to prevent flooding, and hydroelectric power generation. Three of these reservoirs date back to the company Alcoa, the operation with the hydropower their aluminum plants in Alcoa (Tennessee).

History

Prehistoric settlement

In the valley of the Little Tennessee River, there are many archaeological sites that date back to the year 7500 BC. From the time of the Archaic period, the Icehouse Bottom site and the Rose Iceland - site originates near the confluence with the Tellico River. Perhaps the inhabitants used the chert from the cliffs to make tools. There are also some sites of the Woodland Period along the river, such as Calloway Iceland, Thirty Acre Iceland and Bacon Bend and the two sites mentioned above. Their inhabitants apparently had connections to the Hopewell culture. From the Mississippian culture following localities come: Toqua, Tomotley, Citico Bussell and Iceland. In the 15th century the settlement was already Toqua delimited by a palisade with Lehmbedeckung.

Cities of Cherokee

In the area of the river in North Carolina were several towns of the Cherokee, including Nikwasi, Jore and Cowee. The Overhill Cherokee settlements were the Cherokee in what is now Tennessee, to them were Chota, Tanasai, Mialoquo, Toqua, Tomotley, Tallassee and Tuskegee.

European colonization

The first Europeans arrived in the late 17th century in the area of the Little Tennessee River, 1540 and 1567 explored Hernando de Soto and Juan Pardo the area. In 1756, the Fort Loudoun was built at the confluence of the Little Tennessee River with the Tellico River from the British. This fort was reconstructed and can be visited today. Other buildings build the Europeans with the Tellico Blockhouse at the mouth of Nine Mile Creeks as well as the settlement of Morganton, which was near the present-day village greenback and served as a port on the Little Tennessee River.

Weblink

  • Little Tennessee Watershed Association
  • River Tennessee River system
  • River in North America
  • River in Georgia
  • River in Tennessee
  • River in North Carolina
Georgia (U.S. state) Rabun County, Georgia U.S. Route 441 Great-Smoky-Mountains-Nationalpark Aluminium Archaic period in North America Hopewell tradition
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