Altamaha River
Encyclopedia
The Altamaha River icon is a major river
of the American state of Georgia
. It flows generally eastward for 137 miles (220 km) from its origin
at the confluence
of the Oconee River
and Ocmulgee River
towards the Atlantic Ocean
, where it empties into the ocean near Brunswick, Georgia
. There are no dams directly on the Altamaha, though there are some on the Oconee and the Ocmulgee. Including its tributaries, the Altamaha River's drainage basin
is about 14000 square miles (36,259.8 km²) in size, qualifying it among the larger river basins of the US Atlantic coast. It is reportedly the third largest contributor of fresh water to the Atlantic Ocean from North America. Including its longest tributary (the Ocmulgee River
) in length calculations as is standard USGS practice, its length of 470 miles places it seventh on the list of U.S. rivers entirely within one state, behind only four Alaska
n rivers, the Sacramento
-Pit River
in California, and the Trinity River
in Texas. The beginning of the Colorado River of Texas
is just a few miles within New Mexico
. The long Mobile
-Alabama
-Coosa River
system, mostly in Alabama
, originates a short distance within Georgia
.
The Altamaha River traverses a broad area of low population density with few significant towns or cities along its course. There are some along its upper tributaries, such as the fall line
cities of Milledgeville
on the Oconee
and Macon
on the Ocmulgee. Centuries ago, riverboats used the Altamaha to reach those towns and the plantations founded along the rivers, which were the main transportation routes.
According to the USGS, variant and historical names of the Altamaha River include A-lot-amaha, Alatahama, Alatamaha, Allamah, Frederica River, Rio Al Tama, Rio de Talaje, and Talaxe River.
and Ocmulgee River
, near Lumber City
. At its source, the Altamaha River forms the border between Jeff Davis County
to the south and Montgomery County
to the north.
Bullard Creek Wildlife Management Area occupies the southern floodplain of the river's first few miles, after which the river marks the boundary between Toombs County
to the north and Appling County
to the south.
On the north side, Toombs County gives way to Tattnall County
, in which the Ohoopee River
joins the Altamaha. The Big Hammock Wildlife Management Area and Big Hammock Natural Area are located along the Altamaha at the Ohoopee confluence. Big Hammock Natural Area is a National Natural Landmark
site, noted for its ecological biodiversity and many rare plant species, including Georgia plume.
Below Big Hammock, the tributary Beards Creek joins the Altamaha River from the north, after which the river marks the border between Long County
to the north and Wayne County
to the south. The Altamaha passes through Griffin Ridge Wildlife Management Area before flowing by Doctortown, near Jesup
. A wide and swampy floodplain surrounds the river in this area.
Several miles below Doctortown Long County gives way to McIntosh County
on the north side of the river. From this point to the river's mouth there are numerous wildlife management areas. The Sansaville Wildlife Management Area lies on the south side of the river, while the Altamaha Wildlife Management Area lies on the north and extends down to the river's mouth at Altmaha Sound. Wolf Island National Wildlife Refuge occupies Wolf Island on the Atlantic coast, north of Altamaha Sound. In its last several miles, the Altamaha River marks the boundary between McIntosh County
on the north and Glynn County
on the south. It is large.
The town of Darien
lies just north of the Altamaha River's mouth. Several miles to the south lies the larger city of Brunswick
. St. Simons Island
lies on the south side of the Altamaha estuary.
The estuary of the Altamaha River, where fresh and salt water mix, is about 26 square miles (67.3 km²) in size, one of the largest intact, relatively non-degraded estuary on the Atlantic coast. The Altamaha River Delta has been designated as a site of regional importance to shorebirds by the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN).
in 1991. Over one hundred rare or endangered species may be found in the river basin, and the delta is a major stopover for many species of migratory birds.
The Altamaha River flows through a flood plain up to five miles (8 km) wide and consisting of some of the last remaining hardwood bottomlands and cypress swamps in the American South
. As the river approaches the Atlantic Ocean it becomes a broad estuary
. At least 120 species of rare or endangered plants and animals live in the Altamaha River watershed, including eleven species of pearly mussel
s, seven of which are endemic to the Altamaha. The river basin also supports the only known example of old growth
Longleaf Pine
and Black oak forest in the United States. Other notable species include Shortnose sturgeon
, Atlantic sturgeon
, West Indian manatee
, Eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon
couperi), Greenfly orchid, and Georgia plume. The unusual Franklin tree
(Franklinia alatamaha), now extinct in the wild, was found by John Bartram
along the Altamaha River in 1765. Bartram sent seeds from the trees to England and planted some in his garden
in Philadelphia, where some presumably still live. It is said to have mystical powers, and to whom ever drinks this mystical water will have eturnal youth. But to gain this power you must drink 7 gallons of the water from this river in the dead middle of it in one day.
people occupied northern Florida and a portion of Georgia reaching as far north as the Altamaha River. The Utinahica
tribe lived along the river and the Spanish mission of Santa Isabel de Utinahica
was established around 1610 near the source of the Altamaha. Along the coast of Spanish Florida
the Altamaha River marked the boundary between the Guale
and Mocama
missionary provinces.
In the later 17th century a group of Yamasee
Indians under Chief Altamaha took up residence near the mouth of the Altamaha.
The Altamaha River marked the western border of the Colony of Georgia
until the American Revolution
and therefore the western border of the English
settlement in North America. It also marked the boundary between the Spanish missionary provinces of Guale
and Mocama
. The name comes from a Yamasee chief named Altamaha.
In 1770, Oliver Goldsmith
referred to the river in The Deserted Village (ll. 343 - 358):
In 2004, filmmaker Les Stroud
taped an episode of his show Survivorman
in the swamps of the Altamaha basin.
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
of the American state of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. It flows generally eastward for 137 miles (220 km) from its origin
Source (river or stream)
The source or headwaters of a river or stream is the place from which the water in the river or stream originates.-Definition:There is no universally agreed upon definition for determining a stream's source...
at the confluence
Confluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
of the Oconee River
Oconee River
The Oconee River is a river which has its origin in Hall County, Georgia, and terminates where it joins the Ocmulgee River to form the Altamaha River near Lumber City at the borders of Montgomery County, Wheeler County, and Jeff Davis County. South of Athens, two forks, known as the North Oconee...
and Ocmulgee River
Ocmulgee River
The Ocmulgee River is a tributary of the Altamaha River, approximately 255 mi long, in the U.S. state of Georgia...
towards the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, where it empties into the ocean near Brunswick, Georgia
Brunswick, Georgia
Brunswick is the major urban and economic center in southeastern Georgia in the United States. The municipality is located on a harbor near the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 30 miles north of Florida and 70 miles south of South Carolina. Brunswick is bordered on the east by the Atlantic...
. There are no dams directly on the Altamaha, though there are some on the Oconee and the Ocmulgee. Including its tributaries, the Altamaha River's drainage basin
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
is about 14000 square miles (36,259.8 km²) in size, qualifying it among the larger river basins of the US Atlantic coast. It is reportedly the third largest contributor of fresh water to the Atlantic Ocean from North America. Including its longest tributary (the Ocmulgee River
Ocmulgee River
The Ocmulgee River is a tributary of the Altamaha River, approximately 255 mi long, in the U.S. state of Georgia...
) in length calculations as is standard USGS practice, its length of 470 miles places it seventh on the list of U.S. rivers entirely within one state, behind only four Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
n rivers, the Sacramento
Sacramento River
The Sacramento River is an important watercourse of Northern and Central California in the United States. The largest river in California, it rises on the eastern slopes of the Klamath Mountains, and after a journey south of over , empties into Suisun Bay, an arm of the San Francisco Bay, and...
-Pit River
Pit River
The Pit River is a major river draining from northeastern California into the state's Central Valley. The Pit, the Klamath and the Columbia are the only three rivers in the U.S...
in California, and the Trinity River
Trinity River (Texas)
The Trinity River is a long river that flows entirely within the U.S. state of Texas. It rises in extreme north Texas, a few miles south of the Red River. The headwaters are separated by the high bluffs on the south side of the Red River....
in Texas. The beginning of the Colorado River of Texas
Colorado River (Texas)
The Colorado River is a river that runs through the U.S. state of Texas; it should not be confused with the much longer Colorado River which flows from Colorado into the Gulf of California....
is just a few miles within New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
. The long Mobile
Mobile River
The Mobile River is located in southern Alabama in the United States. Formed out of the confluence of the Tombigbee and Alabama rivers, the approximately river drains an area of of Alabama, with a watershed extending into Mississippi, Georgia, and Tennessee. Its drainage basin is the...
-Alabama
Alabama River
The Alabama River, in the U.S. state of Alabama, is formed by the Tallapoosa and Coosa rivers, which unite about north of Montgomery.The river flows west to Selma, then southwest until, about from Mobile, it unites with the Tombigbee, forming the Mobile and Tensaw rivers, which discharge into...
-Coosa River
Coosa River
The Coosa River is a tributary of the Alabama River in the U.S. states of Alabama and Georgia. The river is about long altogether.The Coosa River is one of Alabama's most developed rivers...
system, mostly in Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, originates a short distance within Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
.
The Altamaha River traverses a broad area of low population density with few significant towns or cities along its course. There are some along its upper tributaries, such as the fall line
Fall line
A fall line is a geomorphologic unconformity between an upland region of relatively hard crystalline basement rock and a coastal plain of softer sedimentary rock. A fall line is typically prominent when crossed by a river, for there will often be rapids or waterfalls...
cities of Milledgeville
Milledgeville, Georgia
Milledgeville is a city in and the county seat of Baldwin County in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is northeast of Macon, located just before Eatonton on the way to Athens along U.S. Highway 441, and it is located on the Oconee River. The relatively rapid current of the Oconee here made this an...
on the Oconee
Oconee River
The Oconee River is a river which has its origin in Hall County, Georgia, and terminates where it joins the Ocmulgee River to form the Altamaha River near Lumber City at the borders of Montgomery County, Wheeler County, and Jeff Davis County. South of Athens, two forks, known as the North Oconee...
and Macon
Macon, Georgia
Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...
on the Ocmulgee. Centuries ago, riverboats used the Altamaha to reach those towns and the plantations founded along the rivers, which were the main transportation routes.
According to the USGS, variant and historical names of the Altamaha River include A-lot-amaha, Alatahama, Alatamaha, Allamah, Frederica River, Rio Al Tama, Rio de Talaje, and Talaxe River.
Course
The Altamaha River originates at the confluence of the Oconee RiverOconee River
The Oconee River is a river which has its origin in Hall County, Georgia, and terminates where it joins the Ocmulgee River to form the Altamaha River near Lumber City at the borders of Montgomery County, Wheeler County, and Jeff Davis County. South of Athens, two forks, known as the North Oconee...
and Ocmulgee River
Ocmulgee River
The Ocmulgee River is a tributary of the Altamaha River, approximately 255 mi long, in the U.S. state of Georgia...
, near Lumber City
Lumber City, Georgia
Lumber City is a city located in Telfair County, Georgia. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 1,247.- Geography :Lumber City is located at 31°55'48" North, 82°41'1" West ....
. At its source, the Altamaha River forms the border between Jeff Davis County
Jeff Davis County, Georgia
Jeff Davis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on August 18, 1905. As of 2000, the population was 12,684. It was named for the only President of the Confederate States of America, Jefferson Davis. The 2007 Census Estimate showed a population of 13,291...
to the south and Montgomery County
Montgomery County, Georgia
Montgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 8,270. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 9,060...
to the north.
Bullard Creek Wildlife Management Area occupies the southern floodplain of the river's first few miles, after which the river marks the boundary between Toombs County
Toombs County, Georgia
Toombs County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on August 18, 1905. As of 2000, the population was 26,067. The 2007 Census Estimate showed a population of 27,820. The county seat is Lyons....
to the north and Appling County
Appling County, Georgia
Appling County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population is 17,419. The 2007 Census Estimate placed the population at 17,946...
to the south.
On the north side, Toombs County gives way to Tattnall County
Tattnall County, Georgia
Tattnall County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 22,305. The 2007 Census Estimate showed a population of 23,179...
, in which the Ohoopee River
Ohoopee River
The Ohoopee River is a river in east-central Georgia in the United States. It is a tributary of the Altamaha River, which flows to the Atlantic Ocean.-Course:...
joins the Altamaha. The Big Hammock Wildlife Management Area and Big Hammock Natural Area are located along the Altamaha at the Ohoopee confluence. Big Hammock Natural Area is a National Natural Landmark
National Natural Landmark
The National Natural Landmark program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only natural areas program of national scope that identifies and recognizes the best examples of biological and geological features in...
site, noted for its ecological biodiversity and many rare plant species, including Georgia plume.
Below Big Hammock, the tributary Beards Creek joins the Altamaha River from the north, after which the river marks the border between Long County
Long County, Georgia
Long County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. The constitutional amendment to create the county was proposed August 14, 1920, and ratified November 2, 1920. As of 2000, the population is 10,304. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 11,300...
to the north and Wayne County
Wayne County, Georgia
Wayne County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 26,565. The 2007 Census Estimate showed a population of 29,046. The county seat is Jesup.-History:...
to the south. The Altamaha passes through Griffin Ridge Wildlife Management Area before flowing by Doctortown, near Jesup
Jesup, Georgia
Jesup is a city in Wayne County, Georgia, United States. The population was 9,279 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Wayne County.-Geography:Jesup is located at ....
. A wide and swampy floodplain surrounds the river in this area.
Several miles below Doctortown Long County gives way to McIntosh County
McIntosh County, Georgia
McIntosh County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is part of the Brunswick, Georgia, Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of McIntosh, Glynn, and Brantley counties. As of 2010, the population is 14,333. The county seat is Darien.-History:McIntosh County was split...
on the north side of the river. From this point to the river's mouth there are numerous wildlife management areas. The Sansaville Wildlife Management Area lies on the south side of the river, while the Altamaha Wildlife Management Area lies on the north and extends down to the river's mouth at Altmaha Sound. Wolf Island National Wildlife Refuge occupies Wolf Island on the Atlantic coast, north of Altamaha Sound. In its last several miles, the Altamaha River marks the boundary between McIntosh County
McIntosh County, Georgia
McIntosh County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is part of the Brunswick, Georgia, Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of McIntosh, Glynn, and Brantley counties. As of 2010, the population is 14,333. The county seat is Darien.-History:McIntosh County was split...
on the north and Glynn County
Glynn County, Georgia
Glynn County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 67,568. The 2008 Census Estimate showed a population of 75,884...
on the south. It is large.
The town of Darien
Darien, Georgia
Darien is a city in McIntosh County, Georgia, United States. It lies on Georgia's coast at the mouth of the Altamaha River about 50 miles south of Savannah, and is part of the Brunswick, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population of Darien was 1,719 at the 2000 census. The city is the...
lies just north of the Altamaha River's mouth. Several miles to the south lies the larger city of Brunswick
Brunswick, Georgia
Brunswick is the major urban and economic center in southeastern Georgia in the United States. The municipality is located on a harbor near the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 30 miles north of Florida and 70 miles south of South Carolina. Brunswick is bordered on the east by the Atlantic...
. St. Simons Island
St. Simons, Georgia
St. Simons is a census-designated place located on St. Simons Island in Glynn County, Georgia, United States. Both the community and the island are commonly considered to be one location, known simply as "St. Simons Island", or locally as "The Island". St...
lies on the south side of the Altamaha estuary.
The estuary of the Altamaha River, where fresh and salt water mix, is about 26 square miles (67.3 km²) in size, one of the largest intact, relatively non-degraded estuary on the Atlantic coast. The Altamaha River Delta has been designated as a site of regional importance to shorebirds by the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN).
Natural history
Although used in the 19th century as a route for commerce between central Georgia and the coast, the river is nearly entirely still in its natural state, and was designated a bioreserve by The Nature ConservancyThe Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy is a US charitable environmental organization that works to preserve the plants, animals, and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive....
in 1991. Over one hundred rare or endangered species may be found in the river basin, and the delta is a major stopover for many species of migratory birds.
The Altamaha River flows through a flood plain up to five miles (8 km) wide and consisting of some of the last remaining hardwood bottomlands and cypress swamps in the American South
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
. As the river approaches the Atlantic Ocean it becomes a broad estuary
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
. At least 120 species of rare or endangered plants and animals live in the Altamaha River watershed, including eleven species of pearly mussel
Mussel
The common name mussel is used for members of several families of clams or bivalvia mollusca, from saltwater and freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other edible clams, which are often more or less rounded or oval.The...
s, seven of which are endemic to the Altamaha. The river basin also supports the only known example of old growth
Old growth forest
An old-growth forest is a forest that has attained great age , and thereby exhibits unique ecological features. An old growth forest has also usually reached a climax community...
Longleaf Pine
Longleaf Pine
Pinus palustris, commonly known as the Longleaf Pine, is a pine native to the southeastern United States, found along the coastal plain from eastern Texas to southeast Virginia extending into northern and central Florida....
and Black oak forest in the United States. Other notable species include Shortnose sturgeon
Shortnose sturgeon
The shortnose sturgeon is a small North American sturgeon which can be found in 16 to 19 large river and estuary systems along the Atlantic seaboard from the Saint John River in New Brunswick, Canada, to the St. Johns River in Florida, United States.National Marine Fisheries Service. 1998...
, Atlantic sturgeon
Atlantic sturgeon
The Atlantic sturgeon is a member of the Acipenseridae family and is among one of the oldest fish species in the world. Its range extends from New Brunswick, Canada to the eastern coast of Florida. It was in great abundance when the first settlers came to America, but has since declined due to...
, West Indian manatee
West Indian Manatee
The West Indian Manatee is a manatee, and the largest surviving member of the aquatic mammal order Sirenia . The West Indian Manatee, Trichechus manatus, is a species distinct from the Amazonian Manatee, T. inunguis, and the West African Manatee, T. senegalensis...
, Eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon
Drymarchon
Indigo snakes are a genus of large non-venomous colubrid snakes found in Southeastern United States, Central America, and South America. Three to four species are currently recognized.-Description:...
couperi), Greenfly orchid, and Georgia plume. The unusual Franklin tree
Franklinia
Franklinia is a monotypic genus in the tea plant family, Theaceae. The sole species in this genus is a flowering tree, Franklinia alatamaha, commonly called the Franklin tree, and native to the Altamaha River valley in Georgia in the southeastern United States...
(Franklinia alatamaha), now extinct in the wild, was found by John Bartram
John Bartram
*Hoffmann, Nancy E. and John C. Van Horne, eds., America’s Curious Botanist: A Tercentennial Reappraisal of John Bartram 1699-1777. Memoirs of the American Philosophical Society, vol. 243. ....
along the Altamaha River in 1765. Bartram sent seeds from the trees to England and planted some in his garden
Bartram's Garden
Bartram's Garden which covers is the oldest surviving botanic garden in North America, including an historic botanical garden and arboretum , located on the west bank of the Schuylkill River in Fairmount Park, near the intersection of 54th Street and Lindbergh Boulevard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
in Philadelphia, where some presumably still live. It is said to have mystical powers, and to whom ever drinks this mystical water will have eturnal youth. But to gain this power you must drink 7 gallons of the water from this river in the dead middle of it in one day.
History
In prehistoric times the TimucuaTimucua
The Timucua were a Native American people who lived in Northeast and North Central Florida and southeast Georgia. They were the largest indigenous group in that area and consisted of about 35 chiefdoms, many leading thousands of people. The various groups of Timucua spoke several dialects of the...
people occupied northern Florida and a portion of Georgia reaching as far north as the Altamaha River. The Utinahica
Utinahica
The Utinahica were a Timucua tribe and chiefdom in the 17th century. They lived in what is now the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia...
tribe lived along the river and the Spanish mission of Santa Isabel de Utinahica
Santa Isabel de Utinahica
Santa Isabel de Utinahica was a 17th-century Spanish mission believed by the Fernbank Museum of Natural History to be located in modern-day Telfair County, Georgia, near Jacksonville. It served the Utinahica tribe, who lived in the area...
was established around 1610 near the source of the Altamaha. Along the coast of Spanish Florida
Spanish Florida
Spanish Florida refers to the Spanish territory of Florida, which formed part of the Captaincy General of Cuba, the Viceroyalty of New Spain, and the Spanish Empire. Originally extending over what is now the southeastern United States, but with no defined boundaries, la Florida was a component of...
the Altamaha River marked the boundary between the Guale
Guale
Guale was an historic Native American chiefdom along the coast of present-day Georgia and the Sea Islands. Spanish Florida established its Roman Catholic missionary system in the chiefdom in the late 16th century. During the late 17th century and early 18th century, Guale society was shattered...
and Mocama
Mocama
The Mocama were a Native American people who lived in the coastal areas of what are now northern Florida and southeastern Georgia. A Timucua group, they spoke the dialect known as Mocama, the best-attested dialect of the Timucua language. Their territory extended from about the Altamaha River in...
missionary provinces.
In the later 17th century a group of Yamasee
Yamasee
The Yamasee were a multiethnic confederation of Native Americans that lived in the coastal region of present-day northern coastal Georgia near the Savannah River and later in northeastern Florida.-History:...
Indians under Chief Altamaha took up residence near the mouth of the Altamaha.
The Altamaha River marked the western border of the Colony of Georgia
Province of Georgia
The Province of Georgia was one of the Southern colonies in British America. It was the last of the thirteen original colonies established by Great Britain in what later became the United States...
until the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
and therefore the western border of the English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
settlement in North America. It also marked the boundary between the Spanish missionary provinces of Guale
Guale
Guale was an historic Native American chiefdom along the coast of present-day Georgia and the Sea Islands. Spanish Florida established its Roman Catholic missionary system in the chiefdom in the late 16th century. During the late 17th century and early 18th century, Guale society was shattered...
and Mocama
Mocama
The Mocama were a Native American people who lived in the coastal areas of what are now northern Florida and southeastern Georgia. A Timucua group, they spoke the dialect known as Mocama, the best-attested dialect of the Timucua language. Their territory extended from about the Altamaha River in...
. The name comes from a Yamasee chief named Altamaha.
In 1770, Oliver Goldsmith
Oliver Goldsmith
Oliver Goldsmith was an Irish writer, poet and physician known for his novel The Vicar of Wakefield , his pastoral poem The Deserted Village , and his plays The Good-Natur'd Man and She Stoops to Conquer...
referred to the river in The Deserted Village (ll. 343 - 358):
- "Through torrid tracts with fainting steps they go,
- Where wild Altamaha murmurs to their woe.
- Far different there from all that charm'd before,
- The various terrors of that horrid shore;
- Those blazing suns that dart a downward ray,
- And fiercely shed intolerable day;
- Those matted woods where birds forget to sing,
- But silent bats in drowsy clusters cling;
- Those poisonous fields, with rank luxuriance crown'd,
- Where the dark scorpion gathers death around;
- Where at each step the stranger fears to wake
- The rattling terrors of the vengeful snake;
- Where crouching tigers wait their hapless prey,
- And savage men more murderous still than they:
- While oft in whirls the mad tornado flies,
- Mingling the ravag'd landscape with the skies."
In 2004, filmmaker Les Stroud
Les Stroud
Les Stroud is a Canadian musician, filmmaker, and survival expert best known as the creator, writer, producer, director, cameraman and host of the television series Survivorman...
taped an episode of his show Survivorman
Survivorman
Survivorman is a Canadian-produced television program, broadcast in Canada on the Outdoor Life Network , and internationally on Discovery Channel and Science Channel...
in the swamps of the Altamaha basin.
External links
- Altamaha Riverkeeper
- Altamaha River Partnership
- www.altamahariver.net
- Watershed land use map
- Janisse Ray and Nancy Marshall, "James Holland, Riverkeeper: Environmental Protection Along the Altamaha", Southern Spaces, 11 August 2011.