Chattooga River


The Chattooga River is the main tributary of the Tugaloo River. Its headwaters are located southwest of Cashiers, North Carolina, and it stretches to where it has its confluence with the Tallulah River within Lake Tugalo, held back by the Tugalo Dam. The Chattooga and the Tallulah combine to make the Tugaloo River starting at the outlet of Lake Tugalo. The Chattooga begins in southern Jackson County, North Carolina, then flows southwestward between northwestern Oconee County, South Carolina, and eastern Rabun County, Georgia. The "Chattooga" spelling was approved by the US Board on Geographic Names in 1897.
The Chattooga River flows into Tugalo Lake where it joins the Tallulah River. After flowing through Tugalo Dam the combined rivers become the Tugaloo River which, along with the Seneca River, becomes the Savannah River below Lake Hartwell. Downstream from that point, the water flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Savannah, Georgia. The Chattooga was used as a setting for the fictional Cahulawassee River in the book and film Deliverance.

Geology

The Chattooga River serves as part of the boundary between Georgia and South Carolina near latitude 35°N. The Chattooga River was not the original boundary line between South Carolina and Georgia. A treaty of 1816 extended the South Carolina boundary to its current location. Prior to 1816, the Chattooga was on the lands of the Cherokee Indian Nation.
The Blue Ridge Mountains, where the Chattooga starts, are considered to be ancient, even by geological standards. The rock is mostly granite. Geologists believe that the Chattooga may have made one direction change during its life. Originally, it probably flowed southwesterly into the Chattahoochee riverbed and on to the Gulf of Mexico, but at some point, the Savannah River eroded its northern headland until it intersected the Chattooga and diverted it to the Atlantic.
The rocks in the riverbed probably fell from the ridge above, but those rocks do not necessarily remain where they fall. In times of great downpours, high water, and fast currents, rocks can become dislodged and move downstream, taking other rocks and debris with them. During Hurricane Ivan in 2004, the wind force and waters knocked down big boulders off the sides. The hurricane released enough water in the Chattooga watershed to bring the river to its highest recorded flow rate, around to, rivaling the typical flow of the Grand Canyon.

Wild and Scenic River

Since May 10, 1974, the Chattooga River has been protected along a corridor as a national Wild and Scenic River. of the river have been designated “wild”, about “scenic”, and “recreational” for a total of about. On the commercially rafted sections there is a 1/4 mile protected corridor of National Forest on both sides of the river, allowing no roads to the river or development of any kind. There are a few areas on the river where access has been made more accessible on Section III, but much of Section IV is fairly remote. The Chattooga also bisects the Ellicott Rock Wilderness which straddles three states and three National Forests. Much of the Georgia portion of the river is within the Chattooga River Ranger District of the Chattahoochee National Forest.
Known as the "Crown Jewel" of the southeast, the Chattooga was the first river east of the Mississippi to be granted the Wild & Scenic designation, and is still the only one that is commercially rafted.

Tributaries

The river is split into three forks. The Chattooga River is the main fork, running along the state line. The East Fork Chattooga River runs in from Jackson County, North Carolina and then Oconee County, South Carolina, and is long. The West Fork Chattooga River runs in from Rabun County, Georgia, and is also a variant name for that county's Holcomb Creek, one of its own tributaries.
One of the largest tributaries in the Chattooga basin that flows mainly through private lands is Stekoa Creek, which flows primarily southeast for approximately from its headwaters in Mountain City, Georgia, through Clayton, Georgia, to its mouth at the Chattooga River. Stekoa Creek has been the single greatest threat to the Chattooga's water quality, due primarily to raw sewage leaking from the City of Clayton, GA's old sewage collection system, storm drains overflowing, sediment-laden runoff, poor agricultural practices, failing septic systems, and dumping from apathetic individuals. Non-profit organizations such as the , a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection, promotion, and restoration of the Chattooga River watershed, has made the neglected issue of improving water quality in Stekoa Creek a top priority. The Stekoa Creek Basin is approximately in size.

Rafting and boating

In the late spring, the river is lined with blooming pink and white mountain laurel. Early spring is also a great time to go rafting, kayaking, or canoeing because of the higher flows and cooler temperatures. The Chattooga is a free-flowing river which quickly responds to rainfall or drought conditions. As a drop-pool style river, rapids are followed by calm pools for swimming.
The Chattooga headwaters are located in the Whiteside Mountain area on the Blue Ridge escarpment near Cashiers, NC. Flowing through Cashiers as a small stream, the upper stretches are excellent trout waters and, depending on water level, are either not boatable or restricted. Section 1, beginning at Burrell's Ford, is very hazardous and restricted to certain months and water levels. The West Fork, sometimes incorrectly referred to as Section 1, is ideal for tubing and class II float trips. It begins at the Overflow Road Bridge and terminates at the Section 2 put-in. Section 2, starting at Highway 28, is a class II float. Section 3 has Class II-IV rapids which rafters and kayakers frequent. The final rapid in Section 3 is Bull Sluice. Section 4 includes Class II-V rapids, including the famous Five Falls. The minimum age requirement to raft Section 3 is eight, and Section 4 is twelve. A number of signature rapids on this river were featured in the motion picture Deliverance.
The Forest Plan, issued in 1976 and revised in January 2004, restricted motorized craft, closed many roads to the river and prohibited floating on the upper of river. This plan was challenged by several boating advocacy groups, causing the United States Forest Service to withdraw the plan of 2004 and ordering a Visitor Use Capacity Analysis. The USFS issued its final decision in January 2012. The decision expanded boating onto some sections of the upper Chattooga, including Section 1, with a number of restrictions based on season, section of river, property ownership, time of day, and water level. The decision has proved controversial due to the extensive number of deaths on the river. Boating remains illegal above Greens Creek and Below Licklog creek. This section is difficult, commonly contains flood debris, flows infrequently, and will likely see limited whitewater use.