Tugaloo River

BW

Template: Infobox River / Obsolete

The Tugaloo River ( originally Tugalo River ) is a 73.9 km long river along the border of Georgia and South Carolina.

The river is formed by the two source rivers Tallulah River and the Chattooga River, which each open into an arm of the reservoir Lake Tugalo. The Tugaloo flows below the Tugaloo Dam to Lake Yonah, which is dammed from the Yonah Dam. The river ultimately flows into an arm of Lake Hartwell. This is also fed from the Seneca River. The outflow of the reservoir then forms the Savannah River.

Border disputes between Georgia and South Carolina with respect to river islands in the Tugaloo River were settled in 1787 by the Treaty of Beaufort. In two court cases in the years 1922 and 1989, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld this provision.

In the catchment area of the river are some of the most challenging stretches of white water in the southeastern United States. These form an attraction for kayakers and canoeists in the country.

The river's name comes from Tugaloo, a Cherokee town, lying on the river bank near the mouth of Toccoa Creek.