Bald Eagle

Tributary Network The Tallapoosa River begins about 40 miles west One of the most surprising

characteristics of a river system is WATERVILLE of Atlanta near the Haralson/Paulding county line the intricate tributary network that BLUE SPRINGS MILL CR. and flows southwesterly through hilly terrain for about makes up the collecting system. This OLDFORT detail does not show the entire 45 miles in Georgia before entering Alabama. It merges network, only a tiny portion of it. RED CLAY CONASAUGA Even the smallest tributary has its TENNGA with the Coosa River 18 miles northeast of Montgomery own system of smaller and smaller JACKS R. COHUTTA CONASAUGA R. to form the Alabama River; the Alabama River merges tributaries until the total number COAHULLA CR. CISCO becomes astronomical. Most of BEAVERDALE VARNELL the earth’s surface is some type SUMAC CR. with the Tombigbee north of Mobile to form the Mobile SUMAC of drainage system. TUNNEL HILL CRANDALL River, which flows into the Gulf of Mexico at Mobile Bay. WARING MOUNTAINTOWN CR. ETON

CHERRYLOG NOBLE HOLLY CR. DALTON CHATSWORTH SPRING PLACE TAILS CR. MILL CREEK LAFAYETTE PHELPS RAMHURST ELLIJAY

A River System MOUNT CARMEL VILLANOW ROCK CR. A river system is a network of connecting TILTON CONASAUGA R. CARTECAY R. channels. Water from rain, snow, groundwater ETOWAH R. CENTERPOST WEST FK. CARTERS LAKE and other sources collects into the channels HILL CITY NICHOLSVILLE MENTONE CARTERS HAMMONDVILLE PINE CHAPEL TALKING ROCK CR. and flows to the ocean. A river system has EAST FK. VALLEY HEAD SUGAR VALLEY OAKMAN WHITESTONE three parts: a collecting system, a transporting TRION DAMASCUS system and a dispersing system. REDBUD CLOUDLAND COOSAWATTEESALACOA CR. CR. EVERETT RANGER BLAINE WEST FK. EAST FK. TALKING ROCK SPRINGS CASH AMICALOLA CR. FISHER MENLO SUMMERVILLE OOSTANAULA HINTON JUNO CROSSROADS LUDVILLE JASPER REEVES SONORAVILLE FORT PAYNE BERRYTON CURRYVILLE FARMVILLE LILLYPOND FAIRMOUNT Red-tailed Hawk ARMUCHEE CR. FLOYD SPRINGS MARBLEHILL DAWSONVILLE LYERLY PINE LOG CR. JAMESTOWN CRYSTAL SPRINGS PLAINVILLE TATE LANDRUM ADAMSBURG CAGLE FUNKHOUSER NELSON COLLBRAN LITTLE R. ARMUCHEE FOLSOM BLANCHE CHATTOOGA R. LEBANON DOG TOWN HOLLAND ADAIRSVILLE CHATTOOGAVILLE SHANNON PINE LOG RYDAL BALL GROUND BIG WILLS CR. SILVER CITY DAWSON PORTERSVILLE WALESKA SHOAL CR. LAVENDER OOSTANAULA R. HALLS MATT LITTLE RIVER MT BERRY WHITE Kingfisher COLLINSVILLE GAYLESVILLE KEITHSBURG COAL MOUNTAIN SAND ROCK COOSA DYKES CR. NORTH CANTON In Georgia and Alabama, CASSVILLE LATHEMTOWN CEDAR BLUFF KINGSTON FREE HOME COOSA RIVER ROME CASS OAKLAND SUTALLEE CANTON ETOWAH R. 13 dams – some with navigational ETOWAH R.

HEIGHTS CR. STAMP LEESBURG BIG CEDAR CR. LINDALE HOLLY locks that allow the passage of SILVER CREEK KEENER WEISS CARTERSVILLE SPRINGS BIRMINGHAM river barges – control the flow of CENTRE MILL CR. RESERVOIR EUHARLEE VICTORIA LEBANON the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa EMERSON River system. CAVE SPRING STILESBORO ALLATOONA WILSONIA WOODSTOCK ROCKLEDGE LAKE CR. TAYLORSVILLE RESERVOIR CRABAPPLE The Tallapoosa River TERRAPIN CR. FORNEY LAKE REECE CITY COLOMA ACWORTH MOUNTAIN PARK corridor is home to HOWELTSON PORTLAND GADSDEN ARAGON NOONDAY CR. ROCK RUN BLACKWELLS a wide variety of ATTALLA KENNESAW HOKES BLUFF BLUFFTON PRIOR CEDARTOWN ROCKMART birds, mammals, GALLANT PUMPKINVINE CR. Monarch Butterfly L CANOE CR. TECUMSEH RACCOON CR. SPRING GARDEN reptiles and fish. PLEASANT GAP RAINBOW CITY ESOM HILL NEW HOPE LOST MOUNTAIN STEELE PIEDMONT SOUTHSIDE PALESTINE DALLAS PIEDMONT SPRINGS BORDEN SPRINGS YORKVILLE PRICES COLWELL FELTON WHITNEY TALLAPOOSA R. DUKE ASHVILLE WEST WELLINGTON JACKSONVILLE DRAKETOWN WELLINGTON MUSCADINE CR. BIG CANOE CR. COOSA RIVER TALLASSEEHATCHEE CR. BUCHANAN The Tallapoosa is a SPRINGVILLE BEAVER CR. OHATCHEE ST CLAIR SPRINGS ALEXANDRIA popular location for SHOAL CR.RAGLAND MIDDLETON WEAVER WHITE PLAINS fishing for catfish. FRUITHURST TALLAPOOSA TEMPLE MUSCADINE VILLA RICA CANE CR. EDWARDSVILLE BREMEN BLUE MOUNTAIN WACO ODENVILLE ANNISTON WATTSVILLE CHOCCOLOCCO BOWDON JUNCTION BRANCHVILLE EULATON IRON CITY JAKE DE ARMANVILLE HEFLIN MT ZION COOKS RIVERSIDE LINCOLN KANSAS OXFORD MOODY SPRINGS EASTABOGA TURKEY CR. PELL CITY BROMPTON SILVER RUN BIRMINGHAM JONESVILLE CROPWELL CHOCCOLOCCO CR.JENIFER CARROLLTON L. TALLAPOOSA R. KELLEYWOLF CR. CR.EASONVILLE CHEAHAMUNFORD CR. BOWDON SHOAL CR. COHOBADIAHRANBURNE CR. VICTORY DUNAVANT HOPEFUL INDIAN CR. VANDIVER NEW LONDON CURRY McELDERRY TALLAPOOSA R. STERRETT CHINNEBY GRAHAM TYUS TALLADEGA DELTA CALCIS RENFROE IRONATON VEAL TALLADEGA CR. NEWELL Cooper’s Hawk BEAR CR. The Watershed VINCENT LANIERS EPHESUS A ridge of high ground borders every river system. PYRITON PLANTERSVILLENOTTINGHAM WOODLAND This ridge encloses what is called a watershed. Beyond WESTOVER BARFIELD HARPERSVILLE ALPINE ERIN WINTERBORO CLAIRMONT SPRINGS the ridge, all water flows into another river system. Just RENDALIA LINEVILLE WEDOWEE WEDOWEE CR. as water in a bowl flows downward to a common ENITACHOPCO CR. destination, all rivers, creeks, streams, ponds, lakes, CHILDERSBURG POTASH BON AIR SYCAMORE ASHLAND CRAGFORD TENANT wetlands and other types of water bodies in a watershed WILSONVILLE TALLASEEHATCHEE CR.WEST FK EAST FK drain into the river system. A watershed creates a natural community where every living thing has something in MELLOW VALLEY MALONE common – the source and final disposition of their water. COLUMBIANA SYLACAUGA SHADY MILLERVILLE LEVEL ROAD GROVE HILLABEE CR. FAYETTEVILLE FORESTER CHAPEL CAHABA R. GANTTS QUARRY ALMOND Tennessee HOLLINS DICKERT TALLADEGA SPRINGS OVERBROOK WADLEY SHELBY SKEGGS CROSSROADS MOTLEY ROANOKE PECKERWOOD CR. PARKDALE STEWARTVILLE ABANDA MT OLIVE DOUBLEHEAD Watersheds Within GOODWATER HACKNEYVILLE DAVISTON MILLTOWNSTROUD the Tallapoosa NEW SITE CHIKASANOXEE CR. Coosa WEOGUFKA FIVE POINTS Watershed PAINT CR. PENTON Savannah LAY LAKE BRADFORD 1. Tallapoosa WHITE PLAINS 1 Andrew Jackson, who would KELLYTON ALLEN CR. th CHATAHOSPEE CR. Oconee become the 7 U.S. President, BUFFALO WEOGUFKA CR. ALEXANDER CITY Chattahoochee fought a historic battle with Creek COOSA RIVER HATCHET CR. Indians at Horseshoe Bend on the ROCKFORD HISSOP DUDLEYVILLE LAFAYETTE WALNUT CR. JACKSONS GAP Tallapoosa River in 1814. LOMAX Tallapoosa Ocmulgee Ogeechee SWAMPCOTTAGE CR. GROVE CLANTON LAKE MITCHELL N. FK.SANDY CR. NIXBURG DADEVILLE Altamaha Flint COOPER CAMP HILL MARTIN LAKE CHESTNUT CR. WEOKA CR. EQUALITY S. FK.SANDY CR. VERBENA Satilla MOUNTAIN CREEK TITUS SEMAN JORDAN GOLD HILL MOUNT Suwannee WIND CR. SHOAL CR. JEFFERSON CENTRAL RED HILL JORDAN LAKE CHANNAHATCHEE CR. SOUGAHATCHEE CR. DEXTER SANTUCK ECLECTIC OPELIKA Ochlockonee St. Marys KENT AUBURN REELTOWN LOACHAPOKA TUMKEHATCHEE CR. Georgia’s 14 Georgia’s 52 CHUBBEHATCHEE CR.

CAHABA R. CARRVILLE NOTASULGA Primary Watersheds Secondary Watersheds WETUMPKA TALLASSEE Georgia has 14 primary watersheds: Altamaha, The state’s 14 primary watersheds are divided Chattahoochee, Coosa, Flint, Ochlockonee, into 52 secondary watersheds, shown here. UPHAPEE CR. Ocmulgee, Oconee, Ogeechee, Satilla, Those 52 watersheds are further divided into

CHEWACLA CR. Savannah, St. Marys, Suwannee, Tallapoosa 395 even smaller watersheds and those into MILSTEAD TUSKEGEE SELMA SOCIETY HILL and Tennessee. 1,960 watersheds. Theoretically, you can MONTGOMERY SHORTER continue dividing watersheds until each CUBAHATCHEE CR. ALABAMA RIVER MOUNT MEIGS CALEBEE CR. OPINTLOCCO CR. one is the size of the “Tributary Network” OLD TOWN CR. Mountains illustrated above. CECIL Rugged Appalachian CHESSON HARDAWAY and Cumberland Mountains MATHEWS DOWNING Short-eared Owl MITCHELL ARMSTRONG BUGBALL CR.FORT DAVIS FITZPATRICK Piedmont LINE CR. Rolling red clay hills

The Fall Line • Rome UNION SPRINGS SHOPTON 50 million Coosa R. HECTOR years ago the ocean came HIGH RIDGE Tallapoosa R. to here

Alabama R. Coastal Plain

Fertile farm lands, Mobile R. environmentally rich wetlands and swamps

ALABAMA RIVER

Nature’s Organization Mother Nature gave Georgia two natural The Tallapoosa River System organizing principles that determine the The Tallapoosa begins about 40 miles west of Atlanta near the courses and characteristics of its rivers. Haralson/Paulding county line and flows southwesterly through hilly Bobcats One is its watersheds. The other is the terrain for about 45 miles in Georgia before entering Alabama. It state’s 3 distinct regions: the Mountains, the drains about 720 square miles in Georgia. From the Georgia state Piedmont and the Coastal Plain. Rivers that line, the Tallapoosa flows about 213 miles in Alabama to merge with originate in the Mountains or Piedmont are the Coosa River about 18 miles northeast of Montgomery and “alluvial” rivers that carry heavy loads of silt. become the Alabama River. The Alabama River flows 314 miles Rivers that begin in the Coastal Plain are southwest to join the Tombigbee River and become the Mobile River. dark, clear streams, often referred to as American explorer and naturalist William Bartram visited the Tallapoosa The Mobile River flows 45 miles south to enter the Gulf of Mexico at “blackwater” rivers. Sometimes alluvial basin during his exploration of the American Southeast in 1775 and 1776. rivers merge with Coastal Plain rivers. Mobile Bay. Total distance from the headwaters of the Tallapoosa to The Tallapoosa River, with its headwaters Mobile Bay is about 617 miles. in the Georgia Piedmont, is an alluvial river.

TOMBIGBEE RIVER

Fishermen catch a variety of freshwater species in the Tallapoosa and its tributaries.

MOBILE RIVER

TENSAW RIVER Native Americans built villages and ceremonial mounds along the Tallapoosa and its tributaries.

Steam-powered paddleboats transported agricultural products and passengers on the Tallapoosa River.

MOBILE

MOBILE BAY

FISH RIVER

DAUPHIN ISLAND Raftsmen guided giant timbers down the Tallapoosa to sawmills where the logs were cut into boards.

River barges utilize a system of locks Water-skiing is a and dams on the Alabama River to popular recreational transport cargo Alligator activity on Tallapoosa 244 river miles from River Reservoirs. Mobile Bay to the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto confluence of the crossed the Tallapoosa River in Tallapoosa and Coosa October of 1540. Rivers.

The 14 posters in the Georgia Rivers Poster Project were made possible by a public/private partnership between the Pollution Prevention Assistance Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources and . The rivers in the series are the Altamaha, Chattahoochee, Coosa, Flint, Ochlockonee, Ocmulgee, Oconee, Ogeechee, Satilla, Savannah, St. Marys, Suwannee, Tallapoosa and Tennessee. Ordering information for all posters may be found at www.cipublishing.com/posters or 404.525.2285.