Savannah River

For the Department of Energy facility, see Savannah River Site

It has been suggested that Westobou River be merged into this article or section. (Discuss)

Savannah River
River
Savannah River at Augusta (Augusta Canal running alongside)
Country	United States
States	South Carolina, Georgia
Tributaries
- left	Seneca River
- right	Tugaloo River
Cities	Savannah, Augusta
Source	Lake Hartwell
- elevation	655 ft (200 m) [1]
- coordinates	34°26′37″N 82°51′22″W / 34.44361°N 82.85611°W / 34.44361; -82.85611 [2]
Mouth	Atlantic Ocean
- location	Tybee Roads
- elevation	0 ft (0 m) [1]
- coordinates	32°2′16″N 80°51′0″W / 32.03778°N 80.85°W / 32.03778; -80.85 [2]
Length	350 mi (563 km)
Basin	9,850 sq mi (25,511 km2) [3]
Discharge	for near Clyo, GA
- average	11,720 cu ft/s (332 m3/s) [3]
Map of the Savannah River watershed

A cargo ship navigates the narrow Savannah River channel at Savannah

Savannah River at Riverwalk Augusta

The Savannah River is a major river in the southeastern United States, forming most of the border between the states of South Carolina and Georgia. Two tributaries of the Savannah, the Tugaloo River and the Chattooga River, form the northernmost part of the border. The Savannah River drainage basin extends into the southeastern side of the Appalachian Mountains just inside North Carolina, bounded by the Eastern Continental Divide. The river is around 350 miles (560 km) long. It is formed by the confluence of the Tugaloo River and the Seneca River. Today this confluence is submerged beneath Lake Hartwell. At the northwest branch of the river is located the Tallulah Gorge.

Two major cities are located along the Savannah River: Savannah, Georgia, and Augusta, Georgia. They were nuclei of early English settlements during the Colonial period of American history.

Through the building of several locks and dams, and upstream reservoirs like Lake Hartwell, also, the Savannah River is now navigable by freight barges between Augusta, Georgia, (on the Fall Line) and the Atlantic Ocean.

The Savannah River is tidal at Savannah, Georgia and downstream. From Savannah downstream, the river broadens into an estuary before flowing into the Atlantic Ocean. The area where the river's estuary meets the ocean is known as "Tybee Roads". The Intracoastal Waterway flows through a section of the Savannah River near the city of Savannah.

History

The Savannah River was very influential in the economic development of Georgia, and two major cities were founded on the river in the 18th century. Savannah, Georgia was established as a seaport on the Atlantic Ocean, and Augusta, Georgia is positioned where the river meets the fall line. Many decades ago, the sandy river bottom changed frequently, and that was the cause of numerous steamboat accidents in the nineteenth century. The two large cities on the Savannah served as Georgia's first two state capitals. The Savannah River also became significant in the 1950s when development commenced on the Savannah River Plant for making nuclear-weapons materials.

Historical and variant names of the Savannah River, as listed by the USGS, include May River, Westobou River (for the Westo tribe), Kosalu River, Isundiga River, and Girande River, among others.^[2]

Natural history

The Savannah River flows through a variety of climates and ecosystems throughout its course. It is considered an alluvial river, draining a 10,577 square-mile drainage basin and carrying large amounts of sediment to the ocean. At its headwaters in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the climate is quite temperate. The river's tributaries receive a small amount of snow-melt runoff in the winter. The majority of the river's flow through the Piedmont region is dominated by large reservoirs. Below the Fall Line, the river slows, and is surrounded by large blackwater bald cypress swamps. Numerous oxbow lakes mark the locations of old river channels, which have been moved by earthquakes and silting. Another prominent feature is the numerous large bluffs that line the river in some locations, most notably Yamacraw Bluff, the location selected to build the city of Savannah, Georgia. The river becomes a large estuary at the coast, where fresh- and saltwater mix. River dredging operations to maintain the Port of Savannah have caused the estuary zone to move further upstream than its historical home. This is causing the transition of rare freshwater marshland into saltwater spartina marsh.

The river supports a large variety of native and introduced aquatic species:

• Upper Section- yellow perch, brook trout, brown trout, rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, crappie, striped bass, hybrid bass, white bass, bluegill, river otters, mink, beaver, catfish

• Middle Section- largemouth bass, crappie, striped bass, spotted bass, bluegill, redbreast, catfish, american eel, river otters, mink, beaver, shortnose sturgeon, chain pickerel, bowfin, longnose gar, snapping turtles, alligators, cottonmouth

• Lower Section, estuary- largemouth bass, crappie, striped bass, spotted bass, bluegill, redbreast, catfish, american eel, river otters, mink, beaver, shortnose sturgeon, Atlantic sturgeon, chain pickerel, bowfin, longnose gar, snapping turtles, alligators, snake, red drum, flounder, spotted seatrout, bull shark, tarpon, bottlenosed dolphin, manatee, diamondback terrapin

Notable Tributaries

• Black Creek
• Brier Creek (sometimes misspelled 'Briar,' it is river-sized in length and breadth)
• Broad River
• Chattooga River
• Ebenezer Creek
• Knoxboro Creek
• Rocky River
• Little River (two by that name, one in Georgia and one in South Carolina)
• McBean Creek
• Steven's Creek
• Tugaloo River
• Seneca River (Savannah River)

Crossings

This is a list of crossings of the Savannah River.

See also

• List of Georgia rivers
• List of South Carolina rivers

References

• Stokes, Thomas, L, The Savannah (Rivers of America Series), Rinehart, 1951

Notes