Little Obed River
Encyclopedia
The Little Obed River is a ten mile long stream
in the Cumberland Plateau
in Cumberland County, Tennessee
.
The Little Obed rises east of Crossville
and from near its source flows in a deep gorge that it has cut into the rocks capping the plateau, primarily sandstone
s of the Pennsylvanian
Period. The depth of the gorge seems disproportionate to the size of the stream, as is typical of many of the streams of the plateau. The erosive power of plateau streams is considerable because of the frequent and often intense rainfall in the area. The Little Obed and its gorge are bridged by U.S. Highway 127 just north of Crossville; the Little Obed's confluence with the Obed River
is slightly northwest of Crossville near the remains of a former bridge on an abandoned railroad that once linked Nashville
and Knoxville
.
Stream
A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...
in the Cumberland Plateau
Cumberland Plateau
The Cumberland Plateau is the southern part of the Appalachian Plateau. It includes much of eastern Kentucky and western West Virginia, part of Tennessee, and a small portion of northern Alabama and northwest Georgia . The terms "Allegheny Plateau" and the "Cumberland Plateau" both refer to the...
in Cumberland County, 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...
.
The Little Obed rises east of Crossville
Crossville, Tennessee
Crossville is a city in and the county seat of Cumberland County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 10,795 at the 2010 Census.-Geography:Crossville is located at...
and from near its source flows in a deep gorge that it has cut into the rocks capping the plateau, primarily sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
s of the Pennsylvanian
Pennsylvanian
The Pennsylvanian is, in the ICS geologic timescale, the younger of two subperiods of the Carboniferous Period. It lasted from roughly . As with most other geochronologic units, the rock beds that define the Pennsylvanian are well identified, but the exact date of the start and end are uncertain...
Period. The depth of the gorge seems disproportionate to the size of the stream, as is typical of many of the streams of the plateau. The erosive power of plateau streams is considerable because of the frequent and often intense rainfall in the area. The Little Obed and its gorge are bridged by U.S. Highway 127 just north of Crossville; the Little Obed's confluence with the Obed River
Obed River
Obed River is a stream draining a part of the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee. It, and particularly its tributaries, are important streams for whitewater enthusiasts....
is slightly northwest of Crossville near the remains of a former bridge on an abandoned railroad that once linked Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
and Knoxville
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
.