Conasauga River
{{Short description|River in Tennessee and Georgia}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox river
| name = Conasauga River
| image = Conasauga River, Whitfield County, Georgia.JPG
| image_caption = View of the Conasauga River
| map =Coosaheadwatersmap.png
| source1 = Cohutta Mountains
| source1_location =
| source1_coordinates = {{Coord|34.8657|-84.5921|format=dms|region:US-GA|display=i}}
| source1_elevation = ~ {{convert|2400|ft}}U.S. Geological Survey. Dyer Gap quadrangle, GA. 1:24,000. 7.5 Minute Series. Washington D.C.: USGS, 1988.
| mouth = Oostanaula River
| mouth_location = Calhoun, GA
| mouth_coordinates = {{Coord|34.5435|-84.9027|format=dms|region:US-GA|display=it}}
| mouth_elevation = ~ {{convert|620|ft}}U.S. Geological Survey. Calhoun North quadrangle, GA. 1:24,000. 7.5 Minute Series. Washington D.C.: USGS, 1982.
| length = {{convert|93|mi}}
| discharge1_avg =
| basin_size = {{convert|772|sqmi|abbr=on}}
}}The Conasauga River is a river that runs through southeast Tennessee and northwest Georgia. The Conasauga River is {{convert|93|mi}} longU.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. [http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/ The National Map] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160630110913/http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/ |date=2016-06-30 }}, accessed April 27, 2011 and drains into the Oostanaula River, a tributary of the Coosa River and part of the watershed of the Gulf of Mexico. The river is home to over 90 species of fish and 25 surviving species of freshwater mussels.{{cite web|url=http://www.fs.fed.us/conf/resources/water/conasauga.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070205103853/http://www.fs.fed.us/conf/resources/water/conasauga.htm|title=Conasauga River Watershed Ecosystem Restoration Project|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 February 2007|website=Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests|publisher=USDA Forest Service}} Its watershed encompasses over {{convert|500000|acre|km2}} in two states, multiple counties, and two ecologically different regions.
==Location==
The Conasauga River is the most westerly trout water on public land in Georgia.(2011) [http://www.gorp.com/weekend-guide/travel-ta-paddling-georgia-sidwcmdev_056245.html The Conasauga River] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100516022908/http://www.gorp.com/weekend-guide/travel-ta-paddling-georgia-sidwcmdev_056245.html |date=2010-05-16 }} Gorp.com, Great Outdoor Recreation Pages. It is the only river in Tennessee that is not a part of the Mississippi River watershed.{{citation needed|date=May 2016}}
The only road access to the Conasauga is found via Old GA 2, GA 2, and Carlton Petty Road. Access via foot trail is located on Forest Service road (FS) 64 in Betty Gap.{{citation needed|date=May 2016}} Three other trails descend from the west off FS 17 to intersect the river trail.{{citation needed|date=May 2016}} From south to north they are the Chestnut Lead, {{convert|2.0|mi}}, Tearbritches Trail, {{convert|4.0|mi}}, and Hickory Creek Trail, {{convert|3.0|mi}}.{{citation needed|date=May 2016}} Primitive camping is allowed all along the river.{{citation needed|date=May 2016}}
Natural information
At the core of the Conasauga watershed is the {{convert|35268|acre|km2|adj=on}} Cohutta Wilderness, located in Fannin, Gilmer, and Murray counties in Georgia and Polk County in Tennessee. The United States Forest Service manages the area as part of the Chattahoochee National Forest and Cherokee National Forest. The preserve covers over {{convert|95000|acre|km2}} and contains approximately {{convert|15|mi|km}} of the Conasauga.
The Conasauga River is home to more than 90 fish species, including 10 federally listed species of fish and mussels.{{cite web|url=https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/working-lands-for-wildlife/conasauga-river-aquatic-species|title=Conasauga River Aquatic Species|website=Natural Resources Conservation Service|publisher=U.S. Department of Agriculture|access-date=22 February 2023}} Among these is the endemic, endangered Conasauga logperch (Percina jenkinsi).{{cite web|url=https://www.fws.gov/species/conasauga-logperch-percina-jenkinsi|access-date=22 February 2023|title=Conasauga logperch|publisher=U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service}} Historically there were 42 species of freshwater mussels, however only 25 species still exist. It is estimated that only 1% of original population remains.{{cite web|url=http://www.fws.gov/athens/rivers/FactSheetConasaugaRiver.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181214114418/http://www.fws.gov/athens/rivers/FactSheetConasaugaRiver.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=14 December 2018| title=Conasauga River Watershed Planning |publisher=Georgia Ecological Services, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service|location=Athens|date=December 2009}}
The waters yield established populations of rainbow trout and brown trout, with rainbows up to {{convert|20|in}} and browns to {{convert|9|lb}}.{{citation needed|date=May 2016}} The managed land is populated by white-tailed deer, wild hogs, black bears, and smaller animals.{{citation needed|date=May 2016}}
Environmental problems
The Conasauga River is a Category 1 priority watershed in Georgia's Unified Watershed Assessment {{when|date=May 2016}} and {{convert|18|mi}} of the river and {{convert|54|mi}} of the tributaries have been on Georgia's List of Impaired Waters for fecal, metal, toxic chemical, sediment, and nutrients.
Up to one-third of the summer flow taken in the vicinity of Dalton, Georgia is used for carpet production.
The river has been contaminated with perfluorinated compounds used to make carpets stain-resistant.Fuchs, Erin and Pam Sohn: [http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2008/feb/10/epa-finds-high-levels-stain-resistance-ingredient "Study finds high levels of stain-resistance ingredient in Conasauga River"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081006075739/http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2008/feb/10/epa-finds-high-levels-stain-resistance-ingredient |date=2008-10-06 }} Chattanooga Times Free Press. (February 10, 2008). Accessed October 26, 2008.{{cite news |title=The Chemical in The Conasauga |newspaper=Georgia Public Broadcasting |url=http://www.gpb.org/georgiagazette/conasauga/chemical |accessdate=4 December 2009 |date=n.d. |archive-date=6 November 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091106152636/http://www.gpb.org/georgiagazette/conasauga/chemical |url-status=dead }}{{cite journal |vauthors=Konwick BJ, Tomy GT, Ismail N, Peterson JT, Fauver RJ, Higginbotham D, Fisk AT |title=Concentrations and patterns of perfluoroalkyl acids in Georgia, USA surface waters near and distant to a major use source |journal=Environ. Toxicol. Chem. |volume=27 |issue=10 |pages=2011–8 |date=October 2008 |pmid=18419175 |doi=10.1897/07-659.1 }}
Name
"Conasauga" is a name derived from the Cherokee language meaning "grass".{{cite book|last=Bright|first=William|title=Native American Placenames of the United States|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5XfxzCm1qa4C&pg=PA117|year=2004|publisher=University of Oklahoma Press|isbn=978-0-8061-3598-4|page=117}}{{cite book | url=http://www.kenkrakow.com/gpn/c.pdf | title=Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins | publisher=Winship Press | author=Krakow, Kenneth K. | year=1975 | location=Macon, GA | pages=49 | isbn=0-915430-00-2}} According to the Geographic Names Information System, Conasauga River has also been known historically as:{{Gnis|327507}}
- Connasauga River
- Connesauga River
- Conne-san-ga River
- Slave River
- Jacks River now is the name of a tributary of the Conasauga.
Tributaries
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commons category}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20060111074357/http://nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/georgia/preserves/art7310.html The Conasauga River - The Nature Conservancy] no reference to Conasauga May 2016
{{Rivers of Georgia (U.S. state)}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Rivers of Georgia (U.S. state)
Category:Rivers of Fannin County, Georgia
Category:Rivers of Gilmer County, Georgia
Category:Rivers of Murray County, Georgia
Category:Bodies of water of Polk County, Tennessee