Green River

Green River
Green River Watershed
Origin	Lincoln and Casey counties in Kentucky
Basin countries	United States
Length	300 mi (480 km)
Basin area	25,400 km² (9,807 mi²)[1]

The Green River is a tributary of the Ohio River that rises in Lincoln County in south-central Kentucky. Tributaries of the Green River include the Barren River Lake, the Nolin River, the Pond River and the Rough River. The river takes its name from its green color, which is caused by the water's depth.^[2]

History

Following the Revolutionary War, many veterans staked claims along the Green River as payment for their military service. The river valley also attracted a number of ne'er-do-wells, earning it the dubious nickname Rogue's Harbor.^[1]

In 1842, Kentucky's Green River was canalized, with a series of locks and dams being built to create a navigable channel as far inland as Bowling Green, Kentucky. Four locks and dams were constructed on the Green River, and one lock and dam was built on the Barren River, a Green River tributary that passed through Bowling Green.

In 1901, two additional locks and dams were opened on the Green River, which allowed river traffic to Mammoth Cave. In 1941, the Mammoth Cave National Park was established, and the two upper locks and dams closed in 1950. In 1965, Lock and Dam #4 at Woodbury, Kentucky failed^[3]; this was the dam that locked both the Green and Barren rivers.

In 1969, the United States Army Corps of Engineers impounded the river, forming 8,200-acre Green River Lake. The lake is now the primary feature of Green River Lake State Park.^[4]

There is still one Indian tribe living on the Green River-The Southern Cherokee Nation. In 1983 Governor John Y. Brown recognized the Southern Cherokee Nation as an Indian tribe. The Southern Cherokee still live in Henderson County today.

Route

The Green River flows through Mammoth Cave National Park, located ca. miles 190-205. The river drains the cave and controls the master base level of the Mammoth Cave System: the construction of a 9 foot (2.7 m) dam at Brownsville, Kentucky in 1906 has raised the water level in some parts of the cave system by as much as six feet (1.8 m) above its natural value.

The 300-mile long Green River, an important transportation artery for the coal industry, is open to traffic up to the closed Lock and Dam #3 (known as the Rochester Dam) at mile 108.5. Muhlenberg County, once the largest coal-producing county in the nation, benefits greatly from access to the river as does the aluminum industry in Henderson County . In 2002, more than 10 million short tons were shipped on the river, primarily lignite coal, petroleum coke and aluminum ore.

Record fish

Several of Kentucky's record fish have been caught in the waters of the Green River^[5], including:

• Bowfin, 14 lb 8 oz (7.03 kg), caught by Norman Moran on May 31, 1999
• Bighead carp, 52 lb (23.6 kg), caught by Donny Lee Johnson on July 8, 2001
• Blue sucker, 4 lb 15 oz (2.24 kg), caught by Howard Hilliard on April 25, 2001
• Flathead catfish, 97 lb (44 kg), caught by Esker Carroll on June 6, 1956
• Freshwater drum, 38 lb (17.2 kg), caught by Larry Caldwell on June 5, 1980

See also

• Green River Lake State Park
• List of Kentucky rivers
• Mammoth Cave National Park
• The Ohio River -In American History and Voyaging on Today's River with a section on the Green River, Heron Island Guides, 2007, ISBN 978-09665866-33

References