Elk River (Tennessee)
Encyclopedia
The Elk River is a tributary of the Tennessee River
in the U.S. state
s of Tennessee
and Alabama
. The river is about 195 miles (313.8 km) long altogther.
and Interstate 24
. Shortly below this point, it forms the Coffee County
- Franklin County
line. It is first impounded by Elk River Dam, forming Woods Reservoir, the empoundment of which extends upstream to about the same port where the stream ceases to serve as the Coffee-Franklin County line and is entirely in Franklin County. This reservoir was built under the auspices of the United States Army Corps of Engineers
, primarily to provide a large source of cooling water for the U.S. Air Force
's Arnold Engineering Development Center
, which has large wind tunnel
s and other military and scientific research equipment. This area is also used as a wildlife refuge. The reservoir is bridged by State Route 127.
Only a few miles below Elk River Dam is the beginning of slack water (Tims Ford Lake
) caused by the Tims Ford Dam of the Tennessee Valley Authority
. The slack water extends upstream to the vicinity of Estill Springs
. It is then bridged by U.S. Highway 41 Alternate. Backwaters of the Tims Ford project also extend into the nearby town of Winchester
, county seat of Franklin County, even though the main channel of the Elk runs to its west, bridged by State Route 130. A considerable amount of leakage from the reservoir is observed along State Route 50 in the form of what appear to be large springs along the north side of that road but are in fact leaking of the reservoir waters through the porous limestone
rock of the area. This phenomenon has resulted in a locally-popular source of water for livestock and other uses for which filtration and treatment of the water to be used is unnecessary. State Route 50 again crosses the Elk just below Tims Ford Dam.
Shortly below the dam, the stream becomes the boundary between Franklin County and Moore County, and then subsequently between Moore County and Lincoln County
. The stream begins to meander
severely. It is bridged near the small community of Kelso, site of a cave
used as a saltpeter
mine by Confederates
during the Civil War
, by U.S. Highway 64. The Elk flows just south of Fayetteville
, where it is bridged by U.S. Route 231
/U.S. Route 431
. Until the late 1960s there was a "dry" stone masonry bridge
(one in which the stones are held in place by the power of gravity forcing them against each other, not mortar) over the Elk; it was destroyed in a flood
. Several miles west of Fayetteville, it is crossed by State Route 274, a highway built on an old railroad bed. It then crosses into Giles County, where it is bridged by CSX Transportation
and Interstate 65
before flowing just south of Elkton, Tennessee
, where it is bridged by U.S. Highway 31. Slightly southeast of Elkton is the mouth of Richland Creek
, a fairly sizeable tributary. A few miles below this point it crosses into Limestone County, Alabama
, where it meets the Tennessee River
.
there is a 21.9 miles (35.2 km) Canoe and Kayak Trail. The trail begins at the Alabama-Tennessee state line and goes to Elk River Mills.
Tennessee River
The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
s of Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
and 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...
. The river is about 195 miles (313.8 km) long altogther.
Hydrography
The Elk River rises in Grundy County, Tennessee, in Burroughs Cove near the community of Elkhead. It is bridged for the first time by State Route 50 near Pelham, Tennessee. At first it flows southwestward, and turns to flow more generally westward. It is then bridged by both U.S. Highway 41U.S. Route 41
U.S. Route 41 is a north–south United States Highway that runs from Miami, Florida to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Until 1949, the part in southern Florida, from Naples to Miami, was U.S...
and Interstate 24
Interstate 24
Interstate 24 is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. It runs diagonally from Interstate 57 to Chattanooga, Tennessee, at Interstate 75....
. Shortly below this point, it forms the Coffee County
Coffee County, Tennessee
Coffee County is a county located in south-central portion of the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is one of the counties of Middle Tennessee. As of 2010, the population was 52,796. Its county seat is Manchester....
- Franklin County
Franklin County, Tennessee
Franklin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010, the population was 41,052. Its county seat is Winchester.Franklin County is part of the Tullahoma, Tennessee, Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
line. It is first impounded by Elk River Dam, forming Woods Reservoir, the empoundment of which extends upstream to about the same port where the stream ceases to serve as the Coffee-Franklin County line and is entirely in Franklin County. This reservoir was built under the auspices of the United States Army Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
, primarily to provide a large source of cooling water for the U.S. Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
's Arnold Engineering Development Center
Arnold Engineering Development Center
Arnold Engineering Development Center is a ground-based flight test facility operated by the US Air Force Materiel Command.-Mission statement:The AEDC mission is to:...
, which has large wind tunnel
Wind tunnel
A wind tunnel is a research tool used in aerodynamic research to study the effects of air moving past solid objects.-Theory of operation:Wind tunnels were first proposed as a means of studying vehicles in free flight...
s and other military and scientific research equipment. This area is also used as a wildlife refuge. The reservoir is bridged by State Route 127.
Only a few miles below Elk River Dam is the beginning of slack water (Tims Ford Lake
Tims Ford Lake
Tims Ford Lake is a reservoir run by the Tennessee Valley Authority in southern middle Tennessee....
) caused by the Tims Ford Dam of the Tennessee Valley Authority
Tennessee Valley Authority
The Tennessee Valley Authority is a federally owned corporation in the United States created by congressional charter in May 1933 to provide navigation, flood control, electricity generation, fertilizer manufacturing, and economic development in the Tennessee Valley, a region particularly affected...
. The slack water extends upstream to the vicinity of Estill Springs
Estill Springs, Tennessee
Estill Springs is a town in Franklin County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 2,152 at the 2000 census. It is the fourth largest in the county, and is usually referred to as simply "Estill" by its inhabitants....
. It is then bridged by U.S. Highway 41 Alternate. Backwaters of the Tims Ford project also extend into the nearby town of Winchester
Winchester, Tennessee
Winchester is a city in and the county seat of Franklin County, Tennessee, United States. It is part of the Tullahoma, Tennessee Micropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
, county seat of Franklin County, even though the main channel of the Elk runs to its west, bridged by State Route 130. A considerable amount of leakage from the reservoir is observed along State Route 50 in the form of what appear to be large springs along the north side of that road but are in fact leaking of the reservoir waters through the porous limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
rock of the area. This phenomenon has resulted in a locally-popular source of water for livestock and other uses for which filtration and treatment of the water to be used is unnecessary. State Route 50 again crosses the Elk just below Tims Ford Dam.
Shortly below the dam, the stream becomes the boundary between Franklin County and Moore County, and then subsequently between Moore County and Lincoln County
Lincoln County, Tennessee
Lincoln County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. , the population was 31,340. Its county seat is Fayetteville. It is named for Major General Benjamin Lincoln, an officer in the American Revolutionary War.-History:...
. The stream begins to meander
Meander
A meander in general is a bend in a sinuous watercourse. A meander is formed when the moving water in a stream erodes the outer banks and widens its valley. A stream of any volume may assume a meandering course, alternately eroding sediments from the outside of a bend and depositing them on the...
severely. It is bridged near the small community of Kelso, site of a cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
used as a saltpeter
Potassium nitrate
Potassium nitrate is a chemical compound with the formula KNO3. It is an ionic salt of potassium ions K+ and nitrate ions NO3−.It occurs as a mineral niter and is a natural solid source of nitrogen. Its common names include saltpetre , from medieval Latin sal petræ: "stone salt" or possibly "Salt...
mine by Confederates
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
during the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, by U.S. Highway 64. The Elk flows just south of Fayetteville
Fayetteville, Tennessee
Fayetteville is a city in Lincoln County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 6,994 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Lincoln County.-History:...
, where it is bridged by U.S. Route 231
U.S. Route 231
U.S. Route 231 is a parallel route of U.S. Route 31. It currently runs for 912 miles from St. John, Indiana, at U.S. Route 41 to south of U.S. Route 98 in Downtown Panama City, Florida.One of its most notable landmarks is the William H...
/U.S. Route 431
U.S. Route 431
U.S. Route 431 is a spur of U.S. Route 31. It currently runs for 556 miles from Owensboro, Kentucky at U.S. Route 60 to Dothan, Alabama, at U.S. Route 231 and U.S. Route 84. Through many parts of US 431 it is a two lane with not many places of it being a four lane highway.-Alabama:U.S. 431 is...
. Until the late 1960s there was a "dry" stone masonry bridge
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
(one in which the stones are held in place by the power of gravity forcing them against each other, not mortar) over the Elk; it was destroyed in a flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
. Several miles west of Fayetteville, it is crossed by State Route 274, a highway built on an old railroad bed. It then crosses into Giles County, where it is bridged by CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
and Interstate 65
Interstate 65
Interstate 65 is a major Interstate Highway in the United States. The southern terminus is located at an intersection with Interstate 10 in Mobile, Alabama, and its northern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 90 , U.S. Route 12, and U.S...
before flowing just south of Elkton, Tennessee
Elkton, Tennessee
Elkton is a city in Giles County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 578 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Elkton is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:...
, where it is bridged by U.S. Highway 31. Slightly southeast of Elkton is the mouth of Richland Creek
Richland Creek
Richland Creek is a river in Texas.Richland Creek is also the name of the main creek flowing through Belleville, Illinois, and is a tributary to the Kaskaskia River.-References:**USGS Hydrologic Unit Map - State of Texas...
, a fairly sizeable tributary. A few miles below this point it crosses into Limestone County, Alabama
Limestone County, Alabama
Limestone County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is included in the Huntsville Metropolitan Area.It is also included in the merged Huntsville-Decatur Metro Area. Its name comes from Limestone Creek, a local stream. In 2000, the population was 65,676. As of 2010 the county's...
, where it meets the Tennessee River
Tennessee River
The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names...
.
Recreation
In Limestone County, AlabamaLimestone County, Alabama
Limestone County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is included in the Huntsville Metropolitan Area.It is also included in the merged Huntsville-Decatur Metro Area. Its name comes from Limestone Creek, a local stream. In 2000, the population was 65,676. As of 2010 the county's...
there is a 21.9 miles (35.2 km) Canoe and Kayak Trail. The trail begins at the Alabama-Tennessee state line and goes to Elk River Mills.