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TheBroad River is a 60.0-mile-long (96.6 km)[1]tributary of theSavannah River in northeasternGeorgia. The North Fork of the Broad River begins in the foothills of theAppalachian Mountains inStephens County, then joins the Middle Fork west ofRoyston inFranklin County to form the main stem. The Broad River continues south, being joined by theHudson River flowing from the west out of Franklin County. The Broad was used for reference as the county line betweenMadison andElbert counties as it turns southeast.
BelowCarlton, the South Fork Broad River joins the Broad River from the west at what is now the junction ofOglethorpe, Madison and Elbert counties. The South Fork originates at Minish's Lake nearDanielsville and passes throughWatson Mill Bridge State Park, which borders Oglethorpe and Madison counties.
The Broad River continues its flow uninterrupted toward theSavannah River between Elbert County to the north, and Oglethorpe, Wilkes and Lincoln counties to the south. Most of the Broad River's course runs across thePiedmont Plateau. It flows into the Savannah River in Elbert County, where the confluence is inundated byLake Strom Thurmond, formed by a dam downriver. The watershed of the Broad River is one of the least developed watersheds in the Georgia Piedmont.[2]
Efforts to protect the Broad River as one of Georgia's last free-flowing rivers include a local group, the Broad River Watershed Association,[3] as well as legislative protection at the federal, state, and county levels. The Broad is known for its relatively unspoiled nature, with numerous shoals and mild rapids snaking through farmlands and bounded by bluffs of up to 200 feet (60 m) in height.
Prior to the 19th century, the Broad River in Georgia was used as a border between the territories of theCherokee bands to the north, and theCreek people to the south.
Meriwether Lewis, later known for theLewis and Clark Expedition, grew up in this area in the 1780s, where he honed his skills of exploration and wilderness survival. He also gained first-hand knowledge about some Native American peoples while living beside the Broad River in Wilkes (nowOglethorpe) County.
34°1′41.8″N82°56′37.9″W / 34.028278°N 82.943861°W /34.028278; -82.943861
