South Fork Holston River
| South Fork Holston River | ||
 Location of the South Fork Holston River in the Holston River basin |
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| Data | ||
| Water code | US : 1327068 | |
| location | Virginia , Tennessee (USA) | |
| River system | Mississippi River | |
| Drain over | Holston River → Tennessee River → Ohio River → Mississippi River → Gulf of Mexico | |
| source | at Sugar Grove, Virginia, 36 ° 46 ′ 11 " N , 81 ° 22 ′ 4" W. |
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| Union | with North Fork Holston River to Holston River Coordinates: 36 ° 32 ′ 52 " N , 82 ° 36 ′ 45" W 36 ° 32 ′ 52 " N , 82 ° 36 ′ 45" W |
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| Mouth height |
353 m
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| length | 180 km | |
| Catchment area | 5304 km² | |
| Left tributaries | Watauga River | |
| Right tributaries | Middle Fork Holston River | |
| Reservoirs flowed through |
South Holston Lake , Boone Lake , Fort Patrick Henry Lake |
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The South Fork Holston River is a river in the eastern United States .
It is the southern and more important of the two headwaters of the Holston River . The South Fork Holston River is about 180 km shorter than the North Fork Holston River , but has a catchment area of 5304 km² - almost three times as large as that of the northern headstream. In addition to Northeast Tennessee , its catchment area also includes parts of Virginia and North Carolina .
The river has its source in the village of Sugar Grove in Smyth County , Virginia and flows west through Smyth and Washington Counties . From the confluence of the Middle Fork Holston River , the South Fork is dammed into South Holston Lake . At 31 km², this is the largest of three important reservoirs on the South Fork, the dam is located west of Bristol in Tennessee. The reservoir of Boone Lake begins around 15 miles below the South Holston Dam . In addition to the South Fork, this reservoir is also fed by the Watauga River , the most important tributary of the South Fork Holston River. Directly below the Boone Dam is the smaller Fort Patrick Henry Lake .
Just before the confluence with the North Fork, the South Fork Holston River flows through the town of Kingsport , where Long Island is also located. This island was owned by the Cherokee but became a strategically important place for European colonization in the 18th century.