Little River (northern Georgia)
Encyclopedia
The Little River is a 29.3 miles (47.2 km) tributary
of the Etowah River
in the U.S. state
of Georgia
in the United States
.
The Little River is located mostly in Cherokee County
, and forms the jagged part of the Cherokee/Fulton
(formerly Cherokee/Milton
) county line, and part of the more recent Milton
city limit.
The river flows generally from east to west, and divides the Woodstock
area to the south and Holly Springs
area to the north. Its largest tributary is Noonday Creek
, a stream which flows north out of Cobb
and through Cherokee County, and now also empties directly into the lake. The confluence
with the Etowah River is now submerged beneath Lake Allatoona
.
The river begins as a small stream between Free Home
and Holbrook, just west of the Cherokee/Forsyth
county line and just south of Georgia State Route 20
, along Free Home Road. It flows south-southwest, crossing Free Home Highway (Georgia State Route 372), then roughly paralleling Birmingham Road (also 372) to the road's west. After passing through Almond Lake (where it receives a tributary from the north), and picking-up another tributary from the east-northeast, it becomes part of the county line, except for a small section entirely on Fulton/Milton side between Clarity Road and Hickory Flat
Highway (Georgia 140), which may have been a former route for the river. There are also other places where the line diverges slightly to the west side of the river. Just before the Ansley Golf Club at Settindown Creek, the county line diverges due south, and the river continues west.
After Trickum Road, it meanders generally northwest, meeting Rubes Creek and Mill Creek at the same point, just before Canton Highway (Main Street in Woodstock) at the north end of J.J. Biello Park. Continuing northwest, it passes Rope Mill Park just before crossing Interstate 575
, and begins to widen into the lake just before meeting Toonigh Creek. Soon after, it meets the Noonday Creek arm of the lake, then widens and again narrows before meeting the Blankets Creek arm. It jogs southwest and the north again to meet Rose Creek, widening and narrowing again at Little River Landing. Just after this, it ends into the Etowah River, the largest arm of the lake.
Bell's Ferry was located on Bells Ferry Road, and took traffic going between Marietta
and Canton
(the Cobb and Cherokee county seats) over the river between Oak Grove
and Sixes
. This is now the point that informally divides the river from main part of the lake, and now has a small marina named for the river at the Little River Landing. There is also a boat ramp and parking lot maintained by the United States Army Corps of Engineers
.
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 Etowah River
Etowah River
The Etowah River is a waterway that rises northwest of Dahlonega, Georgia, north of Atlanta. Its name is the Cherokee version of the original Muskogee word Etalwa, which means a "trail crossing". On Matthew Carey's 1795 map the river was labeled "High Town River"...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of 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...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The Little River is located mostly in Cherokee County
Cherokee County, Georgia
As of the census of 2000, there were 141,903 people, 49,495 households, and 39,200 families residing in the county. The population density was 335 people per square mile . There were 51,937 housing units at an average density of 123 per square mile...
, and forms the jagged part of the Cherokee/Fulton
Fulton County, Georgia
Fulton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Its county seat is Atlanta, the state capital since 1868 and the principal county of the Atlanta metropolitan area...
(formerly Cherokee/Milton
Milton County, Georgia
Milton County was a county of the U.S. state of Georgia from 1857 to 1931. It was created on December 18, 1857 from parts of northeastern Cobb, southeastern Cherokee, and southwestern Forsyth counties. The county was named for John Milton, Secretary of State of Georgia from 1777 to 1799...
) county line, and part of the more recent Milton
Milton, Georgia
Milton is a city in Fulton County, Georgia, United States. Incorporated on December 1, 2006, it was created out of the entire unincorporated northwestern part of northern Fulton County. It is a highly affluent community with an average household income within the zip code 30004 of $99,412...
city limit.
The river flows generally from east to west, and divides the Woodstock
Woodstock, Georgia
Woodstock is a city in Cherokee County, Georgia, United States. The population was 23,896 at the 2010 census.Originally a stop on the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, Woodstock is now considered part of the Atlanta metropolitan area...
area to the south and Holly Springs
Holly Springs, Georgia
Holly Springs is a city in Cherokee County, Georgia, United States. The population was 4,195 at the 2000 census. Census Estimates for 2005 show a population of 4,328...
area to the north. Its largest tributary is Noonday Creek
Noonday Creek
Noonday Creek is a stream in Cobb and Cherokee counties in the U.S. state of Georgia. The stream begins near Kennesaw Mountain and ends at Lake Allatoona.-Geography:...
, a stream which flows north out of Cobb
Cobb County, Georgia
Cobb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Its county seat and largest city is Marietta, which is located in the center of the county. The county was named for Thomas Willis Cobb, who in the early 19th century was a United States representative and senator from Georgia...
and through Cherokee County, and now also empties directly into the lake. 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...
with the Etowah River is now submerged beneath Lake Allatoona
Lake Allatoona
Lake Allatoona is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir in Georgia, located in northwestern metro Atlanta. The lake is mostly in southwestern Cherokee County, but a significant part is in southeastern Bartow County, and a small part in Cobb County near Acworth. Cartersville is the nearest...
.
The river begins as a small stream between Free Home
Free Home, Georgia
Free Home is an unincorporated community in the eastern part of Cherokee County, Georgia, United States. Centered at the intersection of state highways 20 and 372, the rural community has seen moderate suburbanization of the area since the late 1990's. It is home to Free Home Elementary School.The...
and Holbrook, just west of the Cherokee/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...
county line and just south of Georgia State Route 20
Georgia State Route 20
State Route 20 is an abnormally-oriented route in roughly the shape of a capital J rotated ninety degrees to the left. Its counterclockwise terminus is at the Alabama state line in Floyd County, and its clockwise terminus occurs in the middle of an overpass over US 19/US 41 and SR 3 in Hampton in...
, along Free Home Road. It flows south-southwest, crossing Free Home Highway (Georgia State Route 372), then roughly paralleling Birmingham Road (also 372) to the road's west. After passing through Almond Lake (where it receives a tributary from the north), and picking-up another tributary from the east-northeast, it becomes part of the county line, except for a small section entirely on Fulton/Milton side between Clarity Road and Hickory Flat
Hickory Flat, Georgia
Hickory Flat is an unincorporated community in southeastern Cherokee County, Georgia, United States. The center of the community is marked by a four-way stoplight at the intersection of Georgia State Highway 140 and East Cherokee Drive. Once a sparse town with more land per acre than people per...
Highway (Georgia 140), which may have been a former route for the river. There are also other places where the line diverges slightly to the west side of the river. Just before the Ansley Golf Club at Settindown Creek, the county line diverges due south, and the river continues west.
After Trickum Road, it meanders generally northwest, meeting Rubes Creek and Mill Creek at the same point, just before Canton Highway (Main Street in Woodstock) at the north end of J.J. Biello Park. Continuing northwest, it passes Rope Mill Park just before crossing Interstate 575
Interstate 575
Interstate 575 is an Interstate Highway spur route in the United States, which branches off Interstate 75 in Kennesaw and connects the metro Atlanta area with the north Georgia mountains. I-575 is also the unsigned State Route 417 and is cosigned as SR 5...
, and begins to widen into the lake just before meeting Toonigh Creek. Soon after, it meets the Noonday Creek arm of the lake, then widens and again narrows before meeting the Blankets Creek arm. It jogs southwest and the north again to meet Rose Creek, widening and narrowing again at Little River Landing. Just after this, it ends into the Etowah River, the largest arm of the lake.
Bell's Ferry was located on Bells Ferry Road, and took traffic going between Marietta
Marietta, Georgia
Marietta is a city located in central Cobb County, Georgia, United States, and is its county seat.As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 56,579, making it one of metro Atlanta's largest suburbs...
and Canton
Canton, Georgia
Canton is a city in and the county seat of Cherokee County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 22,958.-Geography:Canton is located at ....
(the Cobb and Cherokee county seats) over the river between Oak Grove
Oak Grove, Georgia
Oak Grove is the unincorporated community surrounding the area of southern Cherokee County, Georgia, United States, near the intersection of Bells Ferry Road and Georgia 92. Some maps instead center it at 92 and Wade Green Road, just to the west.The name is no longer commonly used to refer to the...
and Sixes
Sixes, Georgia
Sixes is an unincorporated community in western Cherokee County, Georgia, United States, located about three miles west of Holly Springs and near the eastern shore of current-day Lake Allatoona. The community is located in the Georgia Gold Belt, which runs southwest to northeast along the southern...
. This is now the point that informally divides the river from main part of the lake, and now has a small marina named for the river at the Little River Landing. There is also a boat ramp and parking lot maintained by the United States Army Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
.