Savannah River

The Beginning of the Savannah River at Hartwell Dam

For the Department of Energy facility, see Savannah River Site

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 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. The were nuclei of early English settlements during the Colonial American period.

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".

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.

A cargo ship navigates the narrow Savannah River channel, Savannah, GA.

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
• 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)

See also

• List of Georgia rivers
• List of South Carolina rivers
• List of crossings of the Savannah River