Savannah River

Savannah River

The Savannah River is a major river in the southeastern United States, forming most of the border between the states of South Carolina and Georgia. Two tributaries of the Savannah, the Tugaloo River and the Chattooga River, form the northernmost part of the border. The Savannah River drainage basin extends into the southeastern side of the Appalachian Mountains just inside North Carolina, bounded by the Eastern Continental Divide. The river is around 350 miles (560 km) long. It is formed by the confluence of the Tugaloo River and the Seneca River. Today this confluence is submerged beneath Lake Hartwell. At the northwest branch of the river is located the Tallulah Gorge.

Two major cities are located along the Savannah River: Savannah, Georgia, and Augusta, Georgia. They were nuclei of early English settlements during the Colonial period of American history.

Through the building of several locks and dams, and upstream reservoirs like Lake Hartwell, also, the Savannah River is now navigable by freight barges between Augusta, Georgia, (on the Fall Line) and the Atlantic Ocean.

The Savannah River is tidal at Savannah, Georgia and downstream. From Savannah downstream, the river broadens into an estuary before flowing into the Atlantic Ocean. The area where the river’s estuary meets the ocean is known as “Tybee Roads”.