Va The settlers were more literal in their naming of the
river. They had already encountered wide streams,
or “ broads,” that flowed away from the ocean that
they or their parents had crossed. But this river ran
northwest, into what was then French territory, and
eventually joined the mighty Mississippi. To the newcomers, it was plainly the French Broad.
The headwaters of the French Broad River spill from a 50- foot waterfall in Transylvania County.
Known as Court House Falls, the waterfall rushes into a creek that feeds the North Fork, which
joins the West Fork near Rosman and eventually the Middle and East forks to form the French
Broad. About half of the land surrounding these headwater streams is forested, with much
of the basin within the Pisgah National Forest or Pisgah Game Lands. Steep slopes limit the
land area suitable for building and farming. In fact, the tallest mountain east of the Mississippi
River rises from this basin— Mount Mitchell stretches 6,684 feet skyward. Cold Mountain,
immor talized by the novel and film of the same name, rises 6,030 feet above the Shining
Rock Wilderness area.
The French Broad River Basin drains land in both North Carolina and Tennessee. Besides the
French Broad River, the basin includes two other major watersheds in North Carolina: the Pigeon
and Nolichucky rivers— tributaries that join the French Broad in Tennessee. The Mills, David son
and Swannanoa rivers are major tribu taries of the French Broad River in North Carolina.
T he Cherokee Indians already had countless names for the French Broad River by
the time white huntsmen first approached this mountain region. Their river was
“ Long Man” and its tributaries “ Chattering Children.”
Total miles of
streams:
3,985
Total acres of lakes:
1,736
Municipalities
within basin: 24
Counties
within basin: 8
Size: 2,830
square miles
Population:
393,795
( 2000 U. S. Census)
profile:
RIVER
FRENCH BROADBASIN
The French Broad originates
from a tiny waterfall ( left);
the basin’s Mount Mitchell
is the tallest peak in the
East ( below).
BEN T. WALTERS BILL LEA