# Coosawattee River

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River in Georgia, United States

Coosawattee River The Coosawattee River in Ellijay, Georgia, October 2013 Location Country United States State Georgia County Gilmer, Gordon, & Murray Physical characteristics Source Cartecay River • location White Path, Georgia • coordinates 34°43′44″N 84°20′49″W / 34.729°N 84.347°W / 34.729; -84.347 • elevation 3,079 ft (938 m) 2nd source Ellijay River • location Blue Ridge, Georgia • coordinates 34°51′36″N 84°19′52″W / 34.860°N 84.331°W / 34.860; -84.331 • elevation 1,699 ft (518 m) Mouth Oostanaula River • location at Carters Lake • coordinates 34°36′18″N 84°38′00″W / 34.6050863°N 84.6332661°W / 34.6050863; -84.6332661[2] • elevation 1,073 ft (327 m)[2] Length 49.3 mi (79.3 km)[1] Basin size 860 mi2 (2,200 km2) Basin features Tributaries • left Coley Creek, Harris Creek, Camp Branch, Lewis Branch, Camp Branch, Talking Rock Creek, Duke Creek, Dry Creek, Salacoa Creek, and Crane Eater Creek • right Mountaintown Creek, Tails Creek, Goble Branch, Woodring Branch, Fisher Creek, Willbanks Branch, Mineral Springs Branch, Rock Springs Branch, Sugar Branch, Noblet Creek, Dry Creek, and Vanns Creek

The **Coosawattee River** is a 49.3-mile-long (79.3 km)[1] [river](/source/River) located in northwestern [Georgia](/source/Georgia_(U.S._state)), United States.[2]

## Description

Map of the [Coosa River](/source/Coosa_River) headwaters, showing the Coosawattee River

The river is noted as beginning at the [confluence](/source/Confluence) of the [Ellijay](/source/Ellijay_River) and [Cartecay](/source/Cartecay_River) rivers in the city of [Ellijay](/source/Ellijay%2C_Georgia) in central [Gilmer County](/source/Gilmer_County%2C_Georgia). The river flows west through the foothills in the [North Georgia mountains](/source/North_Georgia_mountains) region and is a tributary of the [Oostanaula River](/source/Oostanaula_River) (It in turn is a tributary of the [Coosa River](/source/Coosa_River)). Primary tributaries of the Cooswattee River include [Mountaintown Creek](/source/Mountaintown_Creek), Tails Creek, Cole Creek, Goble Branch, Harris Creek, Camp Branch, Lewis Branch, Woodring Branch, Fisher Creek, [Talking Rock Creek](/source/Talking_Rock_Creek), Willbanks Branch, Mineral Springs Branch, Rock Springs Branch, Sugar Branch, Duke Creek, Noblet Creek, Dry Creek, [Salacoa Creek](/source/Salacoa_Creek), Vanns Creek, and [Crane Eater Creek](/source/Crane_Eater_Creek)

In [Murray County](/source/Murray_County%2C_Georgia), the river is impounded by [Carters Dam](/source/Carters_Dam), forming [Carters Lake](/source/Carters_Lake_(Blue_Ridge_Mountains)) behind the dam. (The lake is located mostly in Gilmer County). Completed in 1977, Carters Dam is the tallest earthen dam east of the [Mississippi River](/source/Mississippi_River).[3] The Coosawattee River leaves the dam flowing west (directly into the [Reregulation Reservoir](/source/Carters_Dam)). It serves as the Murray-[Gordon County](/source/Gordon_County%2C_Georgia) line before entering Gordon County.

Near [New Echota](/source/New_Echota), a late capital of the [Cherokee Nation (1794-1907)](/source/Cherokee_Nation_(1794-1907)) before [removal](/source/Indian_Removal) in 1838, the Coosawattee meets the Conasauga River. They form the [Oostanaula River](/source/Oostanaula_River), a tributary of the [Coosa River](/source/Coosa_River).[4]

This area was the center of [Cherokee Nation](/source/Cherokee_Nation_(1794%E2%80%931907)) territory in north Georgia and southeastern [Tennessee](/source/Tennessee). In the early 1820s, after having migrated from eastern Tennessee after being forced by the United States to cede their lands there, they made [New Echota](/source/New_Echota) their capital.

The Coosawattee Foundation was established in 1987 to protect and preserve Native American resources, primarily in the American Southeast. In addition to conducting excavations, it has initiated a variety of educational programs and lobbied for policy and programs to support this mission. It is based in Calhoun, Georgia.[5]

## In popular culture

- American writer [James Dickey](/source/James_Dickey) used the Coosawattee River as the basis of his fictional "Cahulawassee River" in his debut novel, *[Deliverance](/source/Deliverance_(novel))* (1970).[6][7][8] It was adapted as a [1972 feature film](/source/Deliverance) of the same name, directed by [John Boorman](/source/John_Boorman).

## See also

- [Georgia (U.S. state) portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Georgia_(U.S._state))
- [Rivers portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Rivers)

- [List of rivers in Georgia (U.S. state)](/source/List_of_rivers_in_Georgia_(U.S._state))

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-NHD_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-NHD_1-1) U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. [The National Map](https://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20160630110913/http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/) 2016-06-30 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine), accessed April 27, 2011

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-gnis_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-gnis_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-gnis_2-2) [U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Coosawattee River](https://edits.nationalmap.gov/apps/gaz-domestic/public/search/names/355303)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Carters Lake"](https://www.sam.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Recreation/Carters-Lake/). *US Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District*. [United States Army Corps of Engineers](/source/United_States_Army_Corps_of_Engineers). Retrieved 15 December 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). [*Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins*](http://www.kenkrakow.com/gpn/c.pdf) (PDF). Macon, Georgia: Winship Press. p. 51. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-915430-00-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-915430-00-2).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** [Coosawattee Foundation](http://www.coosawattee.org/contact.html)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Gatling, William (2010-06-30). ["Deliverance and the Coosawattee"](https://www.gapaddle.com/deliverance-and-the-coosawattee/). *Georgia Canoeing Association*. Retrieved 2020-09-29.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Filming Locations for Deliverance (1972), in Georgia"](http://www.movie-locations.com/movies/d/Deliverance.php). *The Worldwide Guide to Movie Locations*. Retrieved 2020-09-29.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Brown's Guide to Georgia"](https://web.archive.org/web/20101222063750/http://www.brownsguides.com/blog/coosawattee-river-gorge/). 2010-12-22. Archived from [the original](http://www.brownsguides.com/blog/coosawattee-river-gorge/) on 2010-12-22. Retrieved 2020-09-29.

## External links

Media related to [Coosawattee River](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Coosawattee_River) at Wikimedia Commons

v t e Significant waterways of Georgia Larger rivers Alapaha Alcovy Altamaha Apalachee Aucilla Broad Chattahoochee Chattooga (Coosa River) Chattooga (Tugaloo River) Canoochee Conasauga Coosa Etowah Flint Hiwassee Little (Oconee River) Little (Savannah River) Little (Withlacoochee River) Little Tallapoosa Little Tennessee Nottely Ochlockonee Ocmulgee Oconee Ogeechee River Ohoopee Satilla Savannah South (Ocmulgee River) St. Marys Suwannee Tallapoosa Toccoa/Ocoee Towaliga Withlacoochee Yellow Lakes Allatoona Banks Lake Blackshear Burton Carters Chatuge Chehaw George W. Andrews Goat Rock Harding Hartwell Jackson Lanier Nottely Oconee Oliver Rabun Richard B. Russell Seminole Sinclair Strom Thurmond Tugalo Walter F. George West Point Smaller rivers Alabaha Alapahoochee Black (Okefenokee Swamp) Cartecay Coleman Coosawattee Dog Ellijay Hudson Jacks Jerico Little (Etowah River) Little Ochlockonee Little Ogeechee (Hancock County) Little Satilla (Satilla River) Mulberry River New (Chattahoochee River) New (Withlacoochee River) Oostanaula Soque South Newport Tallulah Tugaloo Willacoochee Tidal rivers Bear Belfast Broro Brunswick Buffalo Bull Chestatee Crescent Crooked Cumberland Darien Duplin Frederica Halfmoon Hampton Herb Laurel View Little Ogechee (Chatham County) Little Satilla (Atlantic Ocean) Mackay Medway Mud North River (Darien River) North (St. Marys River) North Newport Odingsell Sapelo Shad Skidaway Sope Tivoli Turtle Vernon Wilmington Creeks and streams Alligator (Little Ocmulgee River) Big Satilla Brasstown Ebenezer Euchee Ichawaynochaway Kettle Kinchafoonee Little Satilla Muckalee Noonday Okapilco Peachtree Rocky Comfort Spring (Flint River) Suwannoochee Sweetwater (Chattahoochee River) Tobesofkee Toccoa Walnut (South River) Walnut (Ocmulgee River) Williamson Swamp Canals Augusta Canal Brunswick–Altamaha Canal Savannah–Ogeechee Canal Suwannee Canal See also Grand Bay Intracoastal Waterway Okefenokee Swamp List of Georgia rivers

Authority control databases International VIAF National United States Israel

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Coosawattee River](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coosawattee_River) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coosawattee_River?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.