Chestatee River
Encyclopedia
The Chestatee River is a 50.8 miles (81.8 km) river
in the Appalachian Mountains
of northern Georgia
, USA. It begins at the confluence
of Dicks Creek and Frogtown Creek (near the junction of U.S. 19 and U.S. 129) in northeastern Lumpkin County
, flowing down by the county seat
and former Georgia Gold Rush
town of Dahlonega
, and then under the northern terminus of the Georgia 400 expressway
from Atlanta. It originally continued past the southern corner of the county, forming the entire eastern border of southern Dawson County
with northwestern Hall County
, and the far northern part of Forsyth
's border with Hall.
It is a major tributary
of the Chattahoochee River
, into which it ended at a point now under the waters of Lake Lanier
, since Buford Dam was built in the 1940s. The northwestern arm of the lake
, which flooded the lower 18 miles (29 km) of the river, is called Chestatee Bay, which destroyed the town of Chestatee
(called Atsunsta Ti Yi by the native
Cherokee
people) when it was submerged. The county boundaries still follow the original thalweg
s of the river, with the lake coming as far up the river as Lumpkin's southernmost tip. At this point, the river forms an extremely small portion of the Lumpkin/Hall county line for about 1 miles (1.6 km).
There is one stream gauge
(NWS location identifier
DGAG) along the river, installed in 1907 at State Route 52 near Dahlonega. It is at latitude
34°31'41"N, longitude
83°56'23"W, at 1128.6 feet (344 m) above mean sea level
. The watershed
area above this point is 153 square miles (396.3 km²). The National Weather Service
has set a flood stage
for this gauge of 19 feet (5.8 m). The highest level ever recorded was in 1967, at 25.17 feet (7.7 m) on August 23. This is about ten times its average height or depth.
The word "Chestatee" is a Cherokee word meaning roughly "pine torch place" or "place of lights", because they would use bonfire
s along the riverbank
s to light their torch
es. They would then use these torches for hunting
deer
and other wild game in the forest
. The Chestatee Regional Library System takes its name from the river, as do Chestatee High School
and Middle School in Gainesville
. In a nod to the origins of the name, CHS strives to be "a place of light" to their students.
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
in the Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
of northern Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, USA. It begins at the confluence
Confluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
of Dicks Creek and Frogtown Creek (near the junction of U.S. 19 and U.S. 129) in northeastern Lumpkin County
Lumpkin County, Georgia
Lumpkin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 29,966. Its county seat is Dahlonega.- History :...
, flowing down by the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
and former Georgia Gold Rush
Georgia Gold Rush
The Georgia Gold Rush was the second significant gold rush in the United States. It started in 1828 in the present day Lumpkin County near county seat Dahlonega, and soon spread through the North Georgia mountains, following the Georgia Gold Belt. By the early 1840s, gold became harder to find...
town of Dahlonega
Dahlonega, Georgia
Dahlonega is a city in Lumpkin County, Georgia, United States, and is its county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 5,242....
, and then under the northern terminus of the Georgia 400 expressway
Controlled-access highway
A controlled-access highway is a highway designed exclusively for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow and ingress/egress regulated...
from Atlanta. It originally continued past the southern corner of the county, forming the entire eastern border of southern Dawson County
Dawson County, Georgia
Dawson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on December 3, 1857 from Gilmer and Lumpkin counties. As of 2000, the population is 15,999. The 2007 Census Estimate showed a population of 21,484...
with northwestern Hall County
Hall County, Georgia
Hall County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. In 2000, the population was 139,277. It is included in the Gainesville, Georgia, Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, and the far northern part of Forsyth
Forsyth County, Georgia
Forsyth County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. The county seat is Cumming, Georgia. Forsyth County is a part of the Atlanta metropolitan area...
's border with Hall.
It is a major tributary
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 Chattahoochee River
Chattahoochee River
The Chattahoochee River flows through or along the borders of the U.S. states of Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. It is a tributary of the Apalachicola River, a relatively short river formed by the confluence of the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers and emptying into Apalachicola Bay in the Gulf of...
, into which it ended at a point now under the waters of Lake Lanier
Lake Lanier
Lake Lanier is a reservoir in the northern portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created by the completion of Buford Dam on the Chattahoochee River in 1956, and is also fed by the waters of the Chestatee River. The lake encompasses of water, and of shoreline at normal level, a "full...
, since Buford Dam was built in the 1940s. The northwestern arm of the lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
, which flooded the lower 18 miles (29 km) of the river, is called Chestatee Bay, which destroyed the town of Chestatee
Chestatee, Georgia
Chestatee is a small town in northeastern Forsyth County, Georgia, United States, due west of the confluence of the Chestatee River into the Chattahoochee River...
(called Atsunsta Ti Yi by the native
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
people) when it was submerged. The county boundaries still follow the original thalweg
Thalweg
Thalweg in geography and fluvial geomorphology signifies the deepest continuous inline within a valley or watercourse system.-Hydrology:In hydrological and fluvial landforms, the thalweg is a line drawn to join the lowest points along the entire length of a stream bed or valley in its downward...
s of the river, with the lake coming as far up the river as Lumpkin's southernmost tip. At this point, the river forms an extremely small portion of the Lumpkin/Hall county line for about 1 miles (1.6 km).
There is one stream gauge
Stream gauge
A stream gauge, stream gage or gauging station is a location used by hydrologists or environmental scientists to monitor and test terrestrial bodies of water. Hydrometric measurements of water surface elevation and/or volumetric discharge are generally taken and observations of biota may also be...
(NWS location identifier
Location identifier
A location identifier is a symbolic representation for the name and the location of an airport, navigation aid, or weather station, and is used for manned air traffic control facilities in air traffic control, telecommunications, computer programming, weather reports, and related services.-ICAO...
DGAG) along the river, installed in 1907 at State Route 52 near Dahlonega. It is at latitude
Latitude
In geography, the latitude of a location on the Earth is the angular distance of that location south or north of the Equator. The latitude is an angle, and is usually measured in degrees . The equator has a latitude of 0°, the North pole has a latitude of 90° north , and the South pole has a...
34°31'41"N, longitude
Longitude
Longitude is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east-west position of a point on the Earth's surface. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees, minutes and seconds, and denoted by the Greek letter lambda ....
83°56'23"W, at 1128.6 feet (344 m) above mean sea level
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
. The watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
area above this point is 153 square miles (396.3 km²). The National Weather Service
National Weather Service
The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
has set a flood stage
Flood stage
Flood stage is the level at which the surface of a river, creek, or other body of water has risen to a sufficient level to cause damage or affects use of man-made structures...
for this gauge of 19 feet (5.8 m). The highest level ever recorded was in 1967, at 25.17 feet (7.7 m) on August 23. This is about ten times its average height or depth.
The word "Chestatee" is a Cherokee word meaning roughly "pine torch place" or "place of lights", because they would use bonfire
Bonfire
A bonfire is a controlled outdoor fire used for informal disposal of burnable waste material or as part of a celebration. Celebratory bonfires are typically designed to burn quickly and may be very large...
s along the riverbank
Riverbank
Riverbank may refer to:*Riverbank, California*Riverbank, former name of Bryte, California*The RiverBank, a bank offering banking, insurance and investment services*Bank , the bank of a river...
s to light their torch
Torch
A torch is a fire source, usually a rod-shaped piece of wood with a rag soaked in pitch and/or some other flammable material wrapped around one end. Torches were often supported in sconces by brackets high up on walls, to throw light over corridors in stone structures such as castles or crypts...
es. They would then use these torches for hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
and other wild game in the forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
. The Chestatee Regional Library System takes its name from the river, as do Chestatee High School
Chestatee High School
Chestatee High School is a public high school located in Gainesville, Georgia, USA, operated by Hall County Schools. The school was established in 2002 when the enrollment at North Hall High School grew too large...
and Middle School in Gainesville
Gainesville, Georgia
-Severe Weather:Gainesville sits on the very fringe of Tornado Alley, a region of the United States where severe weather is common. Supercell thunderstorms can sweep through any time between March and November, but are concentrated most in the spring...
. In a nod to the origins of the name, CHS strives to be "a place of light" to their students.