Pigeon River (Tennessee–North Carolina)
| Pigeon River | |
|---|---|
The confluence of the Pigeon River and Big Creek in Waterville, North Carolina. The power plant is in the background. | |
Pigeon River watershed (Interactive map) | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | North Carolina, Tennessee |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | West Fork Pigeon River |
| • location | below Mount Hardy in Haywood County, North Carolina |
| • coordinates | 35°18′11″N 82°55′05″W / 35.30306°N 82.91806°W |
| • elevation | 5,320 ft (1,620 m) |
| 2nd source | East Fork Pigeon River |
| • location | below South Spring Top in Haywood County, North Carolina |
| • coordinates | 35°19′37″N 82°49′47″W / 35.32694°N 82.82972°W |
| • elevation | 4,190 ft (1,280 m) |
| Source confluence | |
| • location | south of Canton, North Carolina |
| • coordinates | 35°28′43″N 82°52′55″W / 35.47861°N 82.88194°W |
| • elevation | 2,644 ft (806 m) |
| Mouth | French Broad River |
• location | Irish Bottoms in Cocke County, Tennessee |
• coordinates | 36°01′28″N 83°11′47″W / 36.02444°N 83.19639°W |
• elevation | 1,001 ft (305 m) |
| Length | 70 mi (110 km) |
| Basin size | 704 sq mi (1,820 km2) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Newport, Tennessee, 6.8 miles (10.9 km) above the mouth(mean for water years 1945–1983) |
| • average | 1,256 cu ft/s (35.6 m3/s)(mean for water years 1945–1983) |
| • minimum | 38 cu ft/s (1.1 m3/s)October 1952 |
| • maximum | 50,000 cu ft/s (1,400 m3/s)February 1902 |
The Pigeon River of Western North Carolina and East Tennessee rises above Canton, North Carolina, is impounded by Walters Dam, enters Tennessee, and flows into the French Broad River, just past Newport, Tennessee. The river traverses the Pisgah National Forest and the Cherokee National Forest, and drains much of the northeastern Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The river takes its name from the passenger pigeon, an extinct bird whose migration route once included the river valley in North Carolina.