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Coordinates: 36°11′30″N 86°39′45″W / 36.19167°N 86.66250°W / 36.19167; -86.66250
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{{about|the major stream in [[Middle Tennessee]]|the battle of the same name during the [[American Civil War]]|Battle of Stones River}}
{{Infobox River | river_name = Stones River
{{Infobox river
| image_name = Stones River Watershed Map.png
| name = Stones River
⚫
| image = Stones River Watershed Map.png
| image_size = 250px
| image_size = 250px
⚫
| caption = Map of the Stones River Watershed
| image_caption = Map of the Stones River Watershed
| origin = '''East Fork''' - Short Mountain, [[Cannon County, Tennessee|Cannon County, TN]]
| source1_location = East Fork – Short Mountain ([[Cannon County, Tennessee|Cannon County]])<br>Middle Fork – Hoovers Gap ([[Rutherford County, Tennessee|Rutherford County]])<br>West Fork – [[Tennessee Valley Divide]] ([[Rutherford County, Tennessee|Rutherford County]])
----
⚫
| mouth_location = [[Cumberland River]] near [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]]
'''Middle Fork''' - Hoovers Gap, [[Rutherford County, Tennessee|Rutherford County, TN]]
| subdivision_type1 = Country
----
⚫
| subdivision_name1 = [[United States]]
'''West Fork''' - [[Tennessee Valley Divide]] in [[Rutherford County, Tennessee|Rutherford County, TN]]
⚫
| length = Main River - {{convert|32.4|mi}}<br />East Fork - {{convert|54.0|mi}}<br />Middle Fork - {{convert|19.8|mi}}<br />West Fork - {{convert|39.1|mi}}
⚫
| mouth = [[Cumberland River]] near [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville, TN]]
⚫
| source1_elevation = East Fork - {{convert|1120|ft|m|1}}<br />Middle Fork - {{convert|923|ft|m|1}}<br />West Fork - {{convert|792|ft|m|1}}
⚫
| basin_countries = [[United States]]
⚫
| mouth_elevation = {{convert|413|ft|m|1}}<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|1271506}}</ref>
⚫
| length = '''Main River''' - {{convert|32.4|mi}}<br />'''East Fork''' - {{convert|54.0|mi}}<br />'''Middle Fork''' - {{convert|19.8|mi}}<br />'''West Fork''' - {{convert|39.1|mi}}
| mouth_coordinates = {{coord|36|11|30|N|86|39|45|W|type:river|display=inline,title}}<ref name=gnis/>
⚫
| elevation = '''East Fork''' - {{convert|1120|ft|m|1}}<br />'''Middle Fork''' - {{convert|923|ft|m|1}}<br />'''West Fork''' - {{convert|792|ft|m|1}}<ref>[http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic USGS GNIS]</ref>
| discharge1_avg =
⚫
| mouth_elevation = {{convert|385|ft|m|1}}
⚫
| basin_size = {{convert|921|sqmi|km2|1}}
| discharge =
⚫
| watershed = {{convert|921|sqmi|km2|1}}
}}
}}
The '''Stones River''' (properly spelled '''Stone's River''')<ref>[http://rutherfordtnhistory.org/PeoplePlacesandStories/MurfreesboroPost/20110306StonesRiverHistoryChannel/20110306StonesRiverHistoryChannel.htm Stones River History]</ref> is a major stream of the eastern portion of [[Tennessee]]'s [[Nashville Basin]] region<ref name=gnis/> and a tributary of the [[Cumberland River]]. It is named after explorer and [[longhunter]] Uriah Stone, who navigated the river in 1767.<ref>{{cite book|last=Collins|first=Lewis|title=History of Kentucky|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F5FQAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA417|year=1877|page=417}}</ref><ref>[http://www.murfreesboropost.com/does-the-name-uriah-stone-mean-anything-to-you-cms-18212 Name: Uriah Stone?]</ref>
The '''Stones River''' is a major stream of the eastern portion of [[Tennessee]]'s [[Nashville Basin]] region.


==Geography and hydrography==
==Geography and hydrography==
[[File:Stones River (195 365).jpg|thumb|left|Stones River along the Murfreesboro Greenway]]
The Stones River is composed of three major forks: the West, Middle, and East forks. The '''West Fork''', {{convert|39.1|mi}} long,<ref name=NHD>U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. [http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/ The National Map], accessed June 8, 2011</ref> rises in southernmost [[Rutherford County, Tennessee|Rutherford County]] near the [[Bedford County, Tennessee|Bedford County]] line. The upstream portion of its course runs roughly parallel to [[U.S. Highway 231]]. The '''Middle Fork''', {{convert|19.8|mi}} long,<ref name=NHD/> rises in an area of low hills, or knobs, also near the line with Bedford County, near Hoovers Gap, an important troop movement route during the [[American Civil War]]. It flows roughly parallel to, but west of, [[Interstate 24]] and [[U.S. Highway 41]], and is met by the West Fork near [[State Route 99 (Tennessee)|State Route 99]]. The '''East Fork''' is the longest, at {{convert|54.0|mi}};<ref name=NHD/> it rises in [[Cannon County, Tennessee|Cannon County]] on Short Mountain, an outlier of the [[Cumberland Plateau]], and flows through [[Woodbury, Tennessee|Woodbury]], the county seat. This stream is roughly paralleled by [[U.S. Route 70S]].
The Stones River is composed of three major forks: the West, Middle, and East forks. The West Fork, {{convert|39.1|mi}} long,<ref name=NHD>U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. [http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/ The National Map], accessed June 8, 2011</ref> rises in southernmost [[Rutherford County, Tennessee|Rutherford County]] near the [[Bedford County, Tennessee|Bedford County]] line. The upstream portion of its course runs roughly parallel to [[U.S. Highway 231]]. The Middle Fork, {{convert|19.8|mi}} long,<ref name=NHD/> rises in an area of low hills, or knobs, also near the line with Bedford County, near Hoovers Gap, an important troop movement route during the [[American Civil War]]. It flows roughly parallel to, but west of, [[Interstate 24]] and [[U.S. Route 41 in Tennessee|U.S. Highway 41]], and is met by the West Fork near [[State Route 99 (Tennessee)|State Route 99]]. The East Fork is the longest, at {{convert|54.0|mi}};<ref name=NHD/> it rises in [[Cannon County, Tennessee|Cannon County]] on Short Mountain, an outlier of the [[Cumberland Plateau]], and flows through [[Woodbury, Tennessee|Woodbury]], the county seat. This stream is roughly paralleled by [[U.S. Route 70S]].


The West Fork runs just west of downtown [[Murfreesboro, Tennessee|Murfreesboro]]. Just northwest of Murfreesboro along the West Fork is the [[Stones River National Battlefield]], site of the [[Battle of Stones River]], a major Civil War battle that was fought from December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863. The East Fork runs well to the north of Murfreesboro, adjacent to the grounds of the [[Alvin C. York]] [[U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs|Veterans Affairs]] [[hospital]], and is crossed by [[U.S. Highway 231]] near the community of [[Walterhill, Tennessee|Walterhill]], site of a former [[hydroelectric]] [[dam]] used for a power supply for the surrounding area prior to the advent of the [[Tennessee Valley Authority]]. Near this site is a gigantic [[landfill]] operated by [[Browning-Ferris Industries]].
The West Fork runs just west of downtown [[Murfreesboro, Tennessee|Murfreesboro]]. Just northwest of Murfreesboro along the West Fork is the [[Stones River National Battlefield]], site of the [[Battle of Stones River]], a major Civil War battle that was fought from December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863. The East Fork runs well to the north of Murfreesboro, adjacent to the grounds of the [[Alvin C. York]] [[U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs|Veterans Affairs]] [[hospital]], and is crossed by [[U.S. Highway 231]] near the community of [[Walterhill, Tennessee|Walterhill]], site of a former [[hydroelectric]] [[dam]] used for a power supply for the surrounding area prior to the advent of the [[Tennessee Valley Authority]]. Near this site is a gigantic [[landfill]] operated by [[Browning-Ferris Industries]].


===Reservoir===
===Reservoir===
The confluence of the two major forks occurs in northeastern Rutherford County near [[Smyrna, Tennessee|Smyrna]]. At the confluence, both are already somewhat slack because of the impoundment of [[J. Percy Priest Dam]], a [[United States Army]] [[United States Army Corps of Engineers|Corps of Engineers]] development constructed during the 1960s and named for a former Nashville [[United States House of Representatives|Congressman]]. The impoundment of the [[reservoir (water)|reservoir]] led to major change in residential growth patterns in Nashville during the late 1960s and 1970s because people desired to live near the lake, which is highly developed with boat ramps, marinas, parks and other recreational areas, campgrounds, and even an artificial beach area. The dam has a hydroelectric turbine and was once the subject of a poorly-planned plot to blow it up and use the resultant flooding of downtown Nashville to cover a crime spree; the conspirators succeeded in doing nothing more than blowing the doors off of an access area near the dam's base and were subsequently sentenced to substantial prison terms.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
The confluence of the two major forks occurs in northeastern Rutherford County near [[Smyrna, Tennessee|Smyrna]]. At the confluence, both are already somewhat slack because of the impoundment of [[J. Percy Priest Dam]], a [[United States Army Corps of Engineers]] development constructed during the 1960s and named for a former Nashville [[United States House of Representatives|Congressman]]. The impoundment of the [[reservoir (water)|reservoir]] led to major change in residential growth patterns in Nashville during the late 1960s and 1970s because people desired to live near the lake, which is highly developed with boat ramps, marinas, parks and other recreational areas, campgrounds, and even an artificial beach area.

In [[1979 in the United States|1979]] the dam was bombed with [[dynamite]] as ruse to cover a crime spree supposed to have taken place in the resultant massive flooding. The conspirators succeeded only in destroying some iron doors at the dam's base. The suspects were later convicted and sentenced to substantial prison terms.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1955&dat=19790107&id=TvUhAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JqEFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6388,3661734 ''Reading Eagle'', January 7, 1979]</ref>

[[File:Stones River Pedestrian Greenway Bridge, Nashville.jpg|thumb|right|The Stone Rivers Pedestrian Greenway Bridge in Nashville]]
[[File:Stones River Pedestrian Greenway Bridge, Nashville.jpg|thumb|right|The Stone Rivers Pedestrian Greenway Bridge in Nashville]]
The dam is visible from the bridge just below it on [[Interstate 40]]; just below the dam is a very desirable fishing area under certain discharge conditions, but in recent years access has at times been limited because of security concerns. Also just below the dam is the trail-head of the Stones River Greenway, an important part of the Nashville Greenways Project.<ref>[http://nashville.gov/greenways/ Nashville-Davidson County government's Nashville Greenways Project website]</ref>
The dam is visible from the bridge just below it on [[Interstate 40]]; just below the dam is a desirable fishing area under certain discharge conditions, but in recent years access has at times been limited because of security concerns. Also just below the dam is the trail-head of the Stones River Greenway, an important part of the Nashville Greenways Project.<ref>[http://nashville.gov/greenways/ Nashville-Davidson County government's Nashville Greenways Project website]</ref>


===Tailwaters===
===Tailwaters===
{{unreferenced section|date=July 2018}}
Between Percy Priest Dam and the mouth of the Stones River, it flows through Clover Bottom, a large flood plain and site of a former [[plantation]] whose mansion house, after many years of disuse, neglect, and [[vandalism]], is now the headquarters for the Tennessee Historical Commission. "Clover Bottom" was once the name of a nearby custodial school for mentally disabled children and adults. The immediate area is also the site of a state mental hospital and the Tennessee School for the Blind. Clover Bottom also is the separation of the Nashville neighborhoods of Donelson and Hermitage.
Between Percy Priest Dam and the mouth of the Stones River, the river flows through Clover Bottom, a large flood plain and site of a former [[plantations in the American South|plantation]] whose [[Clover Bottom Mansion]] house, after many years of disuse, neglect, and [[vandalism]], is now the headquarters for the [[Tennessee Historical Commission]]. "Clover Bottom" was once the name of a nearby custodial school for mentally disabled children and adults. The immediate area is also the site of a state mental hospital and the [[Tennessee School for the Blind]]. Clover Bottom also is the separation of the Nashville neighborhoods of [[Donelson, Tennessee|Donelson]] and [[Hermitage, Tennessee|Hermitage]].


Near the mouth of the Stones River into the [[Cumberland River|Cumberland]], below the bridge on [[U.S. Route 70|U.S. Highway 70]], is a private [[golf]] club. The Stones River is now thought of primarily in terms of its major impoundment, Percy Priest Lake, and is very important to the Nashville area. The flood control provided by the dam has been very important to the reduction of flooding downstream in the downtown Nashville area.
Near the mouth of the Stones River into the [[Cumberland River]], below the bridge on [[U.S. Route 70 in Tennessee|U.S. Highway 70]], is a private [[golf]] club. The Stones River is now thought of primarily in terms of its major impoundment, [[Percy Priest Lake]], and is important to the Nashville area. The flood control provided by the dam has been important to the reduction of flooding downstream in the downtown Nashville area, as well as in the entire Cumberland Valley.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nashville District > Locations > Dams > J. Percy Priest Dam |url=https://www.lrn.usace.army.mil/Locations/Dams/J-Percy-Priest-Dam/ |access-date=2024-04-02 |website=www.lrn.usace.army.mil}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of rivers of Tennessee]]


==References==
==References==
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{{Commons}}
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}
⚫
{{Commons}}


{{authority control}}
{{coord missing|Tennessee}}


[[Category:Rivers of Tennessee]]
[[Category:Rivers of Tennessee]]
[[Category:Rivers of Rutherford County, Tennessee]]
[[Category:Rivers of Cannon County, Tennessee]]
[[Category:Rivers of Davidson County, Tennessee]]
[[Category:Tributaries of the Cumberland River]]

Latest revision as of 18:15, 2 April 2024

For other uses, see Stones River (disambiguation).
Stones River
Map of the Stones River Watershed
Location
CountryUnited States
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationEast Fork – Short Mountain (Cannon County)
Middle Fork – Hoovers Gap (Rutherford County)
West Fork – Tennessee Valley Divide (Rutherford County)
 • elevationEast Fork - 1,120 feet (341.4 m)
Middle Fork - 923 feet (281.3 m)
West Fork - 792 feet (241.4 m)
Mouth 
 • location
Cumberland River near Nashville
 • coordinates
36°11′30″N 86°39′45″W / 36.19167°N 86.66250°W / 36.19167; -86.66250[1]
 • elevation
413 feet (125.9 m)[1]
LengthMain River - 32.4 miles (52.1 km)
East Fork - 54.0 miles (86.9 km)
Middle Fork - 19.8 miles (31.9 km)
West Fork - 39.1 miles (62.9 km)
Basin size921 square miles (2,385.4 km2)

The Stones River (properly spelled Stone's River)[2] is a major stream of the eastern portion of Tennessee's Nashville Basin region[1] and a tributary of the Cumberland River. It is named after explorer and longhunter Uriah Stone, who navigated the river in 1767.[3][4]

Geography and hydrography[edit]

Stones River along the Murfreesboro Greenway

The Stones River is composed of three major forks: the West, Middle, and East forks. The West Fork, 39.1 miles (62.9 km) long,[5] rises in southernmost Rutherford County near the Bedford County line. The upstream portion of its course runs roughly parallel to U.S. Highway 231. The Middle Fork, 19.8 miles (31.9 km) long,[5] rises in an area of low hills, or knobs, also near the line with Bedford County, near Hoovers Gap, an important troop movement route during the American Civil War. It flows roughly parallel to, but west of, Interstate 24 and U.S. Highway 41, and is met by the West Fork near State Route 99. The East Fork is the longest, at 54.0 miles (86.9 km);[5] it rises in Cannon County on Short Mountain, an outlier of the Cumberland Plateau, and flows through Woodbury, the county seat. This stream is roughly paralleled by U.S. Route 70S.

The West Fork runs just west of downtown Murfreesboro. Just northwest of Murfreesboro along the West Fork is the Stones River National Battlefield, site of the Battle of Stones River, a major Civil War battle that was fought from December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863. The East Fork runs well to the north of Murfreesboro, adjacent to the grounds of the Alvin C. York Veterans Affairs hospital, and is crossed by U.S. Highway 231 near the community of Walterhill, site of a former hydroelectric dam used for a power supply for the surrounding area prior to the advent of the Tennessee Valley Authority. Near this site is a gigantic landfill operated by Browning-Ferris Industries.

Reservoir[edit]

The confluence of the two major forks occurs in northeastern Rutherford County near Smyrna. At the confluence, both are already somewhat slack because of the impoundment of J. Percy Priest Dam, a United States Army Corps of Engineers development constructed during the 1960s and named for a former Nashville Congressman. The impoundment of the reservoir led to major change in residential growth patterns in Nashville during the late 1960s and 1970s because people desired to live near the lake, which is highly developed with boat ramps, marinas, parks and other recreational areas, campgrounds, and even an artificial beach area.

In 1979 the dam was bombed with dynamite as ruse to cover a crime spree supposed to have taken place in the resultant massive flooding. The conspirators succeeded only in destroying some iron doors at the dam's base. The suspects were later convicted and sentenced to substantial prison terms.[6]

The Stone Rivers Pedestrian Greenway Bridge in Nashville

The dam is visible from the bridge just below it on Interstate 40; just below the dam is a desirable fishing area under certain discharge conditions, but in recent years access has at times been limited because of security concerns. Also just below the dam is the trail-head of the Stones River Greenway, an important part of the Nashville Greenways Project.[7]

Tailwaters[edit]

Between Percy Priest Dam and the mouth of the Stones River, the river flows through Clover Bottom, a large flood plain and site of a former plantation whose Clover Bottom Mansion house, after many years of disuse, neglect, and vandalism, is now the headquarters for the Tennessee Historical Commission. "Clover Bottom" was once the name of a nearby custodial school for mentally disabled children and adults. The immediate area is also the site of a state mental hospital and the Tennessee School for the Blind. Clover Bottom also is the separation of the Nashville neighborhoods of Donelson and Hermitage.

Near the mouth of the Stones River into the Cumberland River, below the bridge on U.S. Highway 70, is a private golf club. The Stones River is now thought of primarily in terms of its major impoundment, Percy Priest Lake, and is important to the Nashville area. The flood control provided by the dam has been important to the reduction of flooding downstream in the downtown Nashville area, as well as in the entire Cumberland Valley.[8]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Stones River
  2. ^ Stones River History
  3. ^ Collins, Lewis (1877). History of Kentucky. p. 417.
  4. ^ Name: Uriah Stone?
  5. ^ a b c U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed June 8, 2011
  6. ^ Reading Eagle, January 7, 1979
  7. ^ Nashville-Davidson County government's Nashville Greenways Project website
  8. ^ "Nashville District > Locations > Dams > J. Percy Priest Dam". www.lrn.usace.army.mil. Retrieved 2024-04-02.
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