- 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, the Tugaloo River and the Chattooga River, form the northernmost part of the border. The Savannah River watershed 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 Tallulah Gorge. The river is tidal at Savannah. Downstream, it 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. The river is navigable to Augusta, although the sandy river bottom changes frequently and was the cause of various steamboat accidents in the nineteenth century. The two cities 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 nuclear 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.[2]
Tributaries
See also
References
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