Little Tennessee River Basin - Page 1 |
Previous | 1 of 8 | Next |
|
small (250x250 max)
medium (500x500 max)
Large
Extra Large
large ( > 500x500)
Full Resolution
All (PDF)
|
This page
All
|
The basin is named for the Little Tennes see River, which flows north into North Carolina from Georgia. Its major tributaries include the Cullasaja, Nantahala, Tuckasegee and Cheoah rivers. Major lakes in the basin are Fontana, Santeetlah, Nantahala and Glenville. The concrete dam that impounds Fontana Lake is the highest in the eastern United States at 480 feet. The Little Tennessee River flows into the Tennessee River once it crosses the North Carolina- Tennessee border, and it eventually flows to the Gulf of Mexico. Water quality in the basin is generally excellent. Over half the land in the basin is publicly owned, and 89 percent of the land is forested. Most of the basin’s population lives in and around Franklin, Sylva and Cherokee, a reservation that is home to the entire Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, which numbers 12,500. Macon County, which includes the towns of Franklin and Highlands, is the basin’s fastest- growing county. The upper Little Tennessee River meanders through pastures and farmland before reaching Emory Dam below Franklin. In the 25 miles downstream of Lake Emory, the river bends from north to west, becoming rocky, swift and wild as it rushes between the Cowee and Nantahala mountains through the Little Tennessee River Gorge. The gorge contains a rich, expansive and undis turbed mountain forest with such rare plant species as mountain camellia and wild petunia. T he Little Tennessee River Basin contains famed trout streams, the world- renowned Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a staggering diversity of aquatic wildlife and sparkling, clear rivers that squeeze through forested picture- perfect gorges. Total miles of streams and rivers: 2,565 Municipalities within basin: 9 Counties within basin: 6 Size: 1,797 square miles Population: 79,493 ( 2000 U. S. Census) profile: LITTLE TENNESSEE RIVER BASIN The river otter was reintro-duced into the basin in 1992 ( above); Little Tennessee River ( left) BILL LEA BILL LEA Va Tenn
Object Description
Description
Title | Little Tennessee River Basin - Page 1 |
Full Text | The basin is named for the Little Tennes see River, which flows north into North Carolina from Georgia. Its major tributaries include the Cullasaja, Nantahala, Tuckasegee and Cheoah rivers. Major lakes in the basin are Fontana, Santeetlah, Nantahala and Glenville. The concrete dam that impounds Fontana Lake is the highest in the eastern United States at 480 feet. The Little Tennessee River flows into the Tennessee River once it crosses the North Carolina- Tennessee border, and it eventually flows to the Gulf of Mexico. Water quality in the basin is generally excellent. Over half the land in the basin is publicly owned, and 89 percent of the land is forested. Most of the basin’s population lives in and around Franklin, Sylva and Cherokee, a reservation that is home to the entire Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, which numbers 12,500. Macon County, which includes the towns of Franklin and Highlands, is the basin’s fastest- growing county. The upper Little Tennessee River meanders through pastures and farmland before reaching Emory Dam below Franklin. In the 25 miles downstream of Lake Emory, the river bends from north to west, becoming rocky, swift and wild as it rushes between the Cowee and Nantahala mountains through the Little Tennessee River Gorge. The gorge contains a rich, expansive and undis turbed mountain forest with such rare plant species as mountain camellia and wild petunia. T he Little Tennessee River Basin contains famed trout streams, the world- renowned Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a staggering diversity of aquatic wildlife and sparkling, clear rivers that squeeze through forested picture- perfect gorges. Total miles of streams and rivers: 2,565 Municipalities within basin: 9 Counties within basin: 6 Size: 1,797 square miles Population: 79,493 ( 2000 U. S. Census) profile: LITTLE TENNESSEE RIVER BASIN The river otter was reintro-duced into the basin in 1992 ( above); Little Tennessee River ( left) BILL LEA BILL LEA Va Tenn |