| Yadkin River | |
|---|---|
 The Yadkin River atElkin, North Carolina, in 2011. | |
 The Yadkin River is the northernmost part of the Pee Dee Drainage Basin. | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | North Carolina |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Watauga County nearBlowing Rock |
| • coordinates | 36°06′56″N81°38′17″W / 36.115418°N 81.637941°W /36.115418; -81.637941 |
| Mouth | Confluence with theUwharrie River, forming thePee Dee River |
• location | 4 miles (6.4 km) southeast of Badin |
• coordinates | 35°22′51″N80°03′35″W / 35.380697°N 80.059775°W /35.380697; -80.059775 |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | Yadkin River →Pee Dee River →Atlantic Ocean |
| River system | Yadkin–Pee Dee River Basin |
| Waterbodies | W. Kerr Scott Reservoir,High Rock Lake,Tuckertown Reservoir,Badin Lake,Falls Reservoir |
| GNIS | 1024415[1] |
TheYadkin River is one of the longest rivers in the US state ofNorth Carolina, flowing 215 miles (346 km).[2] It rises in the northwestern portion of the state near theBlue Ridge Parkway's Thunder Hill Overlook. Several parts of the river are impounded bydams for water, power, andflood control. The river becomes thePee Dee River at the confluence of theUwharrie River south of the community ofBadin and east of the town ofAlbemarle. The river then flows intoSouth Carolina nearCheraw, which is at theFall Line. The entirety of the Yadkin River and the Great Pee Dee River is part of theYadkin-Pee Dee River Basin.
The meaning of the word Yadkin, derived fromYattken, orYattkin, aSiouan Indian word, is unknown. In Siouan terminology it may mean "big tree" or "place of big trees."[3]
Alternate names include:[1]
Yadkin County, North Carolina, and its county seat, the town ofYadkinville, are named after the river.
Prior to the arrival of Europeans, the Yadkin basin was inhabited by Siouan-speaking tribes. TheSaura andTutelo tribes are mentioned in historic records of the area. Before theRevolutionary War, colonial settlers of primarilyScots-Irish,German, andEnglish extraction migrated into the Yadkin basin fromVirginia andPennsylvania using theGreat Wagon Road and theCarolina Road. Notably, these includedMoravian colonists fromBethlehem, Pennsylvania who occupied the 100,000-acreWachovia tract following its purchase in 1753 (See alsoOld Salem).
On May 9, 1771, when marching to join GovernorWilliam Tryon's army at theBattle of Alamance, a colonial force was intercepted along the Yadkin inRowan County by a larger force ofRegulators formed under CaptainBenjamin Merrill. Realizing their forces were outnumbered, Tryon's men fell back toSalisbury, and were unable to join the governor until after the battle atAlamance was fought.[4]
In 1859 the NC Supreme court noted "it is certain that the Yadkin river is capable of private ownership and that some parts of the riverbed have been granted to private individuals."[5] The court determined that the owners of the dam across the Yadkin could not have his property taken without just compensation.
The river is extensively used for recreation. Fishing consists mostly ofsunfish,catfish,largemouth bass andwhite bass in the spring and early summer.Canoeing andrafting are also possible. A portion of the river flows throughPilot Mountain State Park.Morrow Mountain State Park and theUwharrie National Forest are along the banks of the river where the river's name changes to thePee Dee River.[citation needed]
In 1985, theNC General Assembly established theYadkin River State Trail as apaddle trail which follows the river for 163 miles (262 km).[6] The paddle trail is a part of the North Carolina State Trails System, which is a section of theNC Division of Parks and Recreation.[7] A system of launch points andcamping locations were created along the river for the trail.[8]
Principaltributaries of the Yadkin include theReddies,Roaring,Mitchell,Fisher,Ararat andSouth Yadkin Rivers.[9][page needed]
Water supplies for many communities in North and South Carolina are taken from the Yadkin-Pee Dee and during drought years the division of the water is a contentious issue.[citation needed] The Mitchell River was impacted in the 1980s by massive runoff of sediment from land clearing at the Olde Beau development. Numerous citations from the NC EPA were issued against developer Earl Slick but the development proceeded.
Cones Lake is a reservoir located immediately upstream of where the Yadkin River begins, marking it one of the initial sources of the Yadkin River.
There are many reservoirs created by damming the Yadkin and Pee Dee rivers within the bounds of North Carolina, and are listed from upstream to downstream:
All but W. Kerr Scott generate hydroelectric power, and High Rock, Tuckertown, Badin, and Falls were managed byAlcoa under contract with the US Government, under oversight by theFederal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The contract with FERC expired in April 2008,[10] and was under review after the N.C. Division of Water Quality revoked their water-quality certificate that the company needs to continue operating its power-generating dams along the river.[11] The former governor of North Carolina,Bev Perdue, and other North Carolina politicians[12] made it a priority to recapture the Yadkin River water rights, but this has been denied.[13] On September 22, 2016, Alcoa received a license to operate until March 31, 2055, a period 12 years shorter than desired. The license requires a minimum water level and a swimming beach for High Rock Lake. The terms of the license will now apply to Cube Hydro Carolinas, which bought the hydroelectric power operations.[14]
NC 268 (Yadkin River Road)NC 268 inFerguson
US 421 inWilkesboro
NC 18) in Wilkesboro
I-77
US 601 inCrutchfield
I-40 betweenBermuda Run andClemmons
US 158 between Bermuda Run and Clemmons
US 70/
US 29/
NC 150
I-85
NC 8/
NC 49
35°22′51″N80°3′35″W / 35.38083°N 80.05972°W /35.38083; -80.05972
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