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Chattooga River

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This article is about the river forming the boundary between Georgia and South Carolina; for the river with the same name in western Georgia and eastern Alabama, see Chattooga River (Alabama-Georgia).
Chattooga River near Dick's Creek Falls

The Chattooga River (also spelled Chatooga, Chatuga, and Chautaga, variant name Guinekelokee River) is the main tributary of the Tugaloo River. Its headwaters are located southwest of Cashiers, North Carolina, and it stretches 57 miles (92 km) or 92 km to where it has its confluence with the Tallulah River within Lake Tugalo, held back by the Tugalo Dam. Both Rivers combine to make the Tugaloo River starting in Lake Yonah. It begins in southern Jackson County, North Carolina, and then it flows southwestward between northwestern Oconee County, South Carolina and eastern Rabun County, Georgia. The "Chattooga" spelling was approved by the USBGN in 1897.

The river was used as a setting for the fictional "Cahulawassee River" in the film Deliverance.

The Chattooga River flows into Tugalo Lake where it joins the Tallulah River. After flowing through Tugalo Dam the combined rivers become the Tugaloo River which, along with the Seneca River, becomes the Savannah River below Lake Hartwell. Downsteam from that point, the water flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Savannah, Georgia.

Geographic Significance

The Chattooga River serves as part of the boundary between Georgia and South Carolina after leaving North Carolina near latitude 35°N.

The Chattooga River was not the original boundary line between SC and GA. A treaty of 1816 extended the South Carolina boundary to its current location. Prior to 1816, the Chattooga was on the lands of the Cherokee Indian Nation.

Wild and Scenic River

Since May 10 1974, the Chattooga River has been protected along a 15,432-acre (62.45 km2) corridor as a national Wild and Scenic River. 39.8 miles (64.1 km) of the river have been designated “wild”, about 2.5 miles (4.0 km) “scenic,” and 14.6 miles (23.5 km) “recreational” for a total of about 57 miles (92 km). On the commercially rafted sections (III and IV) there is a 1/4 to 1/2 mile buffer zone of National Forest on both sides of the river, allowing no roads or development of any kind within that distance. The Chattooga also bisects the Ellicott Rock Wilderness which straddles three states (Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina) and three National Forests (the Chattahoochee, Nantahala and Sumter National Forests). Much of the Georgia portion of the river is within the Chattooga River Ranger District of the Chattahoochee National Forest. One of the many factors that contribute to this virtually unchanged river is it's inaccessibility. In the 50-60 miles that is the Chattooga, only 4 bridges exist to drive across. The most heavily used being the HWY 76 bridge, which had to be reconstructed after the flood-stage water level that was brought on by Hurricane Ivan in '04.

Tributaries

East Fork of the Chatooga River

The river is split into three forks. The Chattooga River is the main fork, running along the state line. The East Fork Chattooga River (sometimes East Prong Chattooga River) runs in from Jackson County, North Carolina and then Oconee County, South Carolina, and is 7 miles (11 km) or 11 km long. The West Fork Chattooga River (variant name Gumekoloke Creek) runs in from Rabun County, Georgia, and is also a variant name for that county's Holcombe Creek, one of its own tributaries.

One of the largest tributaries in the Chattooga basin that flows mainly through private lands is Stekoa Creek. Stekoa Creek flows primarily southeast for approximately 16 miles (26 km) from its headwaters in Mountain City, Georgia, through Clayton, Georgia, to its mouth at the Chattooga River. The Stekoa Creek Basin is approximately 45 square miles (120 km2) in size.

There are also other small tributaries.

Rafting and Boating

Whitewater rafting on the Chattooga River

The Chattooga is one of the very few commercially-rafted class V rivers in the Southeast. In the late spring, the river is lined with blooming pink and white mountain laurel. Early Spring is also a great time to go rafting, kayaking, or canoeing because of the higher flows and cooler temperatures. The Chattooga is a free-flowing river (no upstream dam to control the flow) which quickly responds to rainfall or drought conditions. As a drop-pool style river, rapids are followed by calm pools for swimming.

The Chattooga Headwaters start near Cashiers as a small stream but Highway 28 is the start of the boatable section. Section #1 is the West Fork and is ideal for tubing and class II float trips. Section II -starting at highway 28-; is a class II float. Section III has Class II-IV rapids which rafters and kayakers frequent. Lush rhododendron line the banks. The minimum age requirement to raft this section is 8 years old. Section IV has long been regarded as one of the most challenging rivers to raft or kayak. This section includes Class III-V+ rapids, including the famous Five Falls (five class IV+ and V rapids in a 1/4 mile stretch). The minimum age requirement to raft Section IV is 13. A number of signature rapids on this river Raven Chute, Screaming Left Turn, are featured in the film Deliverance.

The Forest Plan, issued in 1976 and revised in January 2004, restricted motorized craft, closed many roads to the river and prohibited floating on the upper 21 miles of river. This plan was challenged by several boating advocacy groups, resulting in the United States Forest Service remanding the 2004 plan and ordering a Visitor Use Capacity Analysis. [1] In August 2009, the forest supervisors of the Sumter, Chattahoochee and Nantahala National Forests announced a decision to allow floating opportunities above Highway 28. The selection of Alternative 4 of the Upper Chattooga Environmental Assessment would allow limited boating from the confluence of Norton Mill Creek in North Carolina to Burrells Ford bridge from December 1 to March 1 when predicted flows are above 450cfs. In October 2009, the USFS granted a stay request submitted by the Georgia Forest Watch organization, preserving the status quo until a final decision is reached on all appeals. The USFS anticipates its' decision in the spring of 2010.[2]

References

  1. ^ 'http://www.cs.unca.edu/nfsnc/press/chattooga_news_release_10_27_06.pdf
  2. ^ 'http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/fms/sumter/resources/Chattooga.php

Geology of the river

Geological forces over millions of years carved out the Chattooga River. The Blue Ridge Mountains where the Chattooga starts are considered old, or ancient, even by geological standards. The rock is mostly sandstones and shales that were laid down approximately 600-750 million years ago. The mountains, a result of continental collision, are over 350 million years old and were probably higher than the Rockies when they were first formed. The erosion power of water and weather at work over millennia wore away the jagged peaks and carved deep narrow valleys in the terrain.

Geologists believe the Chattooga may have made one direction change during its life. Originally, it probably flowed southwesterly into the Chattahoochee riverbed and on to the Gulf of Mexico, but at some point, the Savannah River eroded its northern headland until it intersected the Chattooga and diverted it to the Atlantic.

Today the forces of nature are still at work changing and shaping the Chattooga. Many of the rocks in the riverbed probably fell from the ridge through erosion and those rocks do not necessarily remain where they fall. In times of great downpours, high water and fast currents, rocks can become dislodged and move downstream taking other rocks and debris with them.

Going down the river there are big rocky sides to the mountain; during Hurricane Ivan in 2004 the wind force and waters knocked down big boulders off the sides. The hurricane released enough water in the Chattooga watershed to bring the river to its highest ever recorded water level, around 26,000-28,000cfs; rivaling the typical flow of the Grand Canyon.

Sources

"A Guide to the Chattooga River", Butch Clay, 1995, Chattooga River Publishing

[1] "Chattooga River History Project Literature Review and Interview Summary", Tetra Tech EC, Inc for USDA Forest Service, August 25, 2006.

The elite group of raft guides of Nantahala Outdoor Center, Wildwater LTD, and Southeastern Expeditions that live, breathe, respect and love this river everyday.

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