Yadkin River
Encyclopedia
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, flowing 215 miles (346 km). It rises in the northwestern portion of the state near the Blue Ridge Parkway's
Blue Ridge Parkway
The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and All-American Road in the United States, noted for its scenic beauty. It runs for 469 miles , mostly along the famous Blue Ridge, a major mountain chain that is part of the Appalachian Mountains...
Thunder Hill Overlook. Several parts of the river are impounded by dams
DAMS
Driot-Arnoux Motorsport is a racing team from France, involved in many areas of motorsports. DAMS was founded in 1988 by Jean-Paul Driot and former Formula One driver René Arnoux. It is headquartered near Le Mans, only 2 km from the Bugatti Circuit.- History :The year after its foundation,...
for water, power, and flood control. The river becomes the Pee Dee River
Pee Dee River
The Pee Dee River, also known as the Great Pee Dee River, is a river in North Carolina and South Carolina. It originates in the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina, where its upper course above the mouth of the Uwharrie River is known as the Yadkin River. It is extensively dammed for flood...
at the confluence of the Uwharrie River
Uwharrie River
The Uwharrie River is a river, about 60 mi long, in the Piedmont region of central North Carolina in the United States. It is a tributary of the Pee Dee River, which flows to the Atlantic Ocean.- Course :...
. The river flows into South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
near Cheraw
Cheraw, South Carolina
Cheraw is a town on the Pee Dee River in Chesterfield County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 5,524 at the 2000 census and center of an urban cluster with a total population of 9,069. It has been nicknamed "The Prettiest Town in Dixie." The harbor tub USS Cheraw was named in the...
, which is at 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...
where it becomes the Great Pee Dee River. It is part of the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Basin.
Prior to the arrival of Europeans, the Yadkin basin was inhabited by Siouan-speaking tribes. The Saura
Saura
The Saura were a tribe of Native Americans who lived in the Piedmont area of North Carolina near the Sauratown Mountains, east of Pilot Mountain and north of the Yadkin River. They were believed to have spoken a Siouan language....
and Tutelo
Tutelo
The Tutelo were Native people living above the Fall Line in present-day Virginia and West Virginia, speaking a Siouan dialect of the Tutelo language thought to be similar to that of their neighbors, the Monacan and Manahoac nations...
tribes are mentioned in historic records of the area. Before the Revolutionary War
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...
, colonial settlers of primarily Scots-Irish
Scots-Irish American
Scotch-Irish Americans are an estimated 250,000 Presbyterian and other Protestant dissenters from the Irish province of Ulster who immigrated to North America primarily during the colonial era and their descendants. Some scholars also include the 150,000 Ulster Protestants who immigrated to...
, German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
extraction migrated into the Yadkin basin from Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
and Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
using the Great Wagon Road
Great Wagon Road
The Great Wagon Road was a colonial American improved trail transiting the Great Appalachian Valley from Pennsylvania to North Carolina, and from there to Georgia....
. Notably, these included Moravian colonists from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Bethlehem is a city in Lehigh and Northampton Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 74,982, making it the seventh largest city in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie,...
who occupied the 100,000-acre Wachovia
Wachovia, North Carolina
Wachovia was the area settled by Moravians in what is now Forsyth County, North Carolina, US. Of the six eighteenth-century Moravian "villages of the Lord" established in Wachovia, today, the town of Bethania, North Carolina and city of Winston-Salem exist within the historic Wachovia tract...
tract following its purchase in 1753 (See also Old Salem
Old Salem
Old Salem is a historic district of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It features a living history museum that interprets the restored Moravian community. The non-profit organization began its work in 1950, although some private residents had restored buildings earlier...
).
The river is extensively used for recreation. Fishing consists mostly of sunfish
Centrarchidae
The sunfishes are a family of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the order Perciformes. The type genus is Centrarchus . The family's 27 species includes many fishes familiar to North Americans, including the rock bass, largemouth bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed, and crappies...
, catfish
Catfish
Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
, largemouth bass
Largemouth bass
The largemouth bass is a species of black bass in the sunfish family native to North America . It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth...
and white bass
White bass
The white bass or sand bass The white bass or sand bass The white bass or sand bass (MoroneIt is the state fish of Oklahoma.- Range :White bass are distributed widely across the United States, particularly in the midwest. They are very abundant in Pennsylvania and the area around Lake Erie...
in the spring and early summer. Canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
ing and raft
Raft
A raft is any flat structure for support or transportation over water. It is the most basic of boat design, characterized by the absence of a hull...
ing are also possible. A portion of the river flows through Pilot Mountain State Park
Pilot Mountain State Park
Pilot Mountain State Park is a North Carolina state park in Surry and Yadkin Counties, North Carolina in the United States. Located near Pinnacle, North Carolina on highway US 52, it covers 3,703 acres and includes the distinctive 2,241 foot peak of Pilot Mountain.-History:The Saura, a...
. Morrow Mountain State Park
Morrow Mountain State Park
Morrow Mountain State Park is a North Carolina state park in Stanly County, North Carolina, in the United States. Located near Albemarle, North Carolina Morrow Mountain State Park is a North Carolina state park in Stanly County, North Carolina, in the United States. Located near Albemarle, North...
and the Uwharrie National Forest
Uwharrie National Forest
Uwharrie National Forest is a federally-designated national forest region located primarily in Montgomery County, but also extending into Randolph and Davidson counties in south central North Carolina. It is the smallest of the four National Forests in North Carolina, with a total area of 50,369...
are along the banks of the river where the river's name changes to the Pee Dee River
Pee Dee River
The Pee Dee River, also known as the Great Pee Dee River, is a river in North Carolina and South Carolina. It originates in the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina, where its upper course above the mouth of the Uwharrie River is known as the Yadkin River. It is extensively dammed for flood...
.
In 1987, the NC General Assembly established the Yadkin River State Trail as a blueway
Blueway
A blueway or water trail is a water path or trail that is developed with launch points, camping locations and points of interest for canoeists and kayakers...
which follows the river for 130 miles. The paddle trail is a part of North Carolina State Trails Program, which is a section of the NC Division of Parks and Recreation. A system of launch points and camping
Camping
Camping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no...
locations were created along the river for the trail.
Principal tributaries
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Yadkin include the Reddies
Reddies River
The Reddies River is a tributary of the Yadkin River in northwestern North Carolina in the United States. Via the Yadkin it is part of the watershed of the Pee Dee River, which flows to the Atlantic Ocean...
, Roaring
Roaring River (North Carolina)
The Roaring River is a tributary of the Yadkin River in northwestern North Carolina in the United States. Via the Yadkin it is part of the watershed of the Pee Dee River, which flows to the Atlantic Ocean...
, Mitchell
Mitchell River (North Carolina)
The Mitchell River is a tributary of the Yadkin River in northwestern North Carolina in the United States. Via the Yadkin it is part of the watershed of the Pee Dee River, which flows to the Atlantic Ocean...
, Fisher
Fisher River (North Carolina)
The Fisher River is a tributary of the Yadkin River in northwestern North Carolina in the United States, also draining a very small portion of southwestern Virginia. Via the Yadkin it is part of the watershed of the Pee Dee River, which flows to the Atlantic Ocean...
, Ararat
Ararat River
The Ararat River is a tributary of the Yadkin River in southwestern Virginia and northwestern North Carolina in the United States. Via the Yadkin it is part of the watershed of the Pee Dee River, which flows to the Atlantic Ocean....
and South Yadkin Rivers.
Water supplies for many communities in North and South Carolina are taken from the Yadkin-Pee Dee and during drought years the division of the water is a contentious issue.
Yadkin County, North Carolina
Yadkin County, North Carolina
- Cities and towns :*Boonville*East Bend*Jonesville*Yadkinville-Towns of the past:These towns were incorporated at one time:*Arlington, merged with Jonesville in 2001.*Hamptonville, chartered in 1818.*Huntsville, incorporated in 1792....
, and its county seat, the town of Yadkinville, are named after the river.
Colloquially, the river's name is pronounced something like "Yagkn".
Lakes created by the Yadkin/Pee Dee River
- W. Kerr Scott Reservoir
- High Rock LakeHigh Rock LakeHigh Rock Lake is the northernmost of the Uwharrie Lakes and the second largest lake in North Carolina behind Lake Norman. Its water surface covers and there are of shoreline. It begins at the confluence of the Yadkin River and the South Yadkin River. The lake's name is derived from neighboring...
- Tuckertown ReservoirTuckertown ReservoirThe Tuckertown Reservoir is the reservoir formed by the Tuckertown Dam at the North end of Badin Lake and the High Rock Dam at the bottom of High Rock Lake in the Uwharrie Lakes Region in the U.S...
- Badin LakeBadin LakeBadin Lake is one of a series of lakes created by the damming of the Yadkin-Pee Dee River in the Uwharrie Lakes Region of the United States. It was created in 1917 by the Aluminum Company of America. It is contained by Narrows Dam at the town of Badin, North Carolina. Sitting within a valley, the...
- Falls ReservoirFalls ReservoirFalls Reservoir is part of the Yadkin River Project in North Carolina and managed by Alcoa as part of their hydroelectric business. It is the last of four reservoirs along a stretch of the Yadkin River. Falls Reservoir is the smallest of the four reservoirs and covers and has a shoreline length...
All but W. Kerr Scott generate hydroelectric power, which are managed by Alcoa under contract with the US Government, under FERC oversight. The contract with FERC expired in April 2008 and as of February 2011, is currently under review after the N.C. Division of Water Quality revoked their water-quality certificate that the company needs to continue operating its power-generating dams along the river. The governor of North Carolina, Bev Perdue
Bev Perdue
Beverly Eaves "Bev" Perdue is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party currently serving as the 73rd Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina. She is the first female governor of North Carolina....
, and other North Carolina politicians have made it a priority to recapture the Yadkin River water rights, an action that will require a vote in the United States Congress.
List of crossings
This is a partial list of crossings of the Yadkin River.- Caldwell CountyCaldwell County, North Carolina-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 77,415 people, 30,768 households, and 22,399 families residing in the county. The population density was 164 people per square mile . There were 33,430 housing units at an average density of 71 per square mile...
and Wilkes CountyWilkes County, North CarolinaWilkes County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The 2000 U.S. Census listed the county's population at 65,632; the 2010 U.S. Census listed the population at 69,340...
- Multiple Crossings of NC 268 (Yadkin River Road)
- Grandin Road
- Browns Ford Road below the W. Kerr Scott Dam
- US 421 in WilkesboroWilkesboro, North CarolinaWilkesboro is a town in and the county seat of Wilkes County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,159 at the 2000 census, and it is the second largest municipality in the county. The 2010 Census listed the town's population at 3,044. The town is located along the south bank of the...
- Curtis Bridge Road in Wilkesboro
- Wilkesboro Avenue (NC 18) in Wilkesboro
- US 421
- Red White and Blue Road
- Clingman Road in RondaRonda, North CarolinaRonda is a town in Wilkes County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 560 at the 2000 census. Ronda was named after a nearby estate called "Roundabout", which was the residence of Benjamin Cleveland, a locally prominent planter and a colonel in the North Carolina militia during the...
- Elkin to Salisbury
- South Bridge Street and South Gwyn Avenue in ElkinElkin, North CarolinaElkin is a town in Surry and Wilkes counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina, along the Yadkin River. Elkin shares its name with the surrounding township of Elkin Township...
- Elkin Bridges of Interstate 77Interstate 77Interstate 77 is an Interstate Highway in the eastern United States. It traverses diverse terrain, from the mountainous state of West Virginia to the rolling farmlands of North Carolina and Ohio. It largely supplants the old U.S...
- US 601 in CrutchfieldCrutchfield, North CarolinaCrutchfield is a small community along the Yadkin River in the Marsh Township of Surry County, North Carolina . The community, situated across the Yadkin River just north of Boonville was a stop on the former Southern Railway, now used by the Yadkin Valley Railroad.The community is named for...
- Richmond Hill Church Road
- Crossing in SiloamSiloam, North CarolinaSiloam is an unincorporated community in southeastern Surry County, North Carolina, United States. The Yadkin River makes up the community's southern border, and the Ararat River flows between it and the community of Shoals to the east...
- NC 67
- US 421
- Interstate 40Interstate 40Interstate 40 is the third-longest major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90 and I-80. Its western end is at Interstate 15 in Barstow, California; its eastern end is at a concurrency of U.S. Route 117 and North Carolina Highway 132 in Wilmington, North Carolina...
in Bermuda RunBermuda Run, North CarolinaBermuda Run is a town in Davie County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,431 at the 2000 census. It was incorporated in 1999 as a fully gated residential community near country clubs and golf courses like the Bermuda Run Country Club, Oak Valley Golf Club, and Tanglewood Park. In... - US 158 in Bermuda Run
- US 64
- US 70/US 29/Interstate 85Interstate 85Interstate 85 is a major interstate highway in the Southeastern United States. Its current southern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 65 in Montgomery, Alabama; its northern terminus interchanges with Interstate 95 in Petersburg, Virginia, near Richmond...
at the Yadkin River BridgesYadkin River BridgesThe Yadkin River Bridges are five bridges crossing the Yadkin River between Rowan and Davidson Counties near Spencer, North Carolina, USA. Separated by less than 1000 feet , the crossings consist of a bridge carrying Interstate 85 / U.S. Highway 52, two bridges carrying the Norfolk Southern...
in SpencerSpencer, North CarolinaSpencer is a town in Rowan County, North Carolina, United States, incorporated in 1905. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 3,355.-History:...
- South Bridge Street and South Gwyn Avenue in Elkin
- Salisbury to the Pee Dee RiverPee Dee RiverThe Pee Dee River, also known as the Great Pee Dee River, is a river in North Carolina and South Carolina. It originates in the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina, where its upper course above the mouth of the Uwharrie River is known as the Yadkin River. It is extensively dammed for flood...
- Bringle Ferry BridgeBringle Ferry BridgeThe Bringle Ferry Bridge is a crossing of the Yadkin River Channel and the Tuckertown Reservoir in Rowan County, North Carolina and Davidson County, North Carolina. The bridge is on Bringle Ferry Road between Salisbury, North Carolina and Denton, North Carolina...
- NC 8/NC 49
- Bringle Ferry Bridge