View source for Chattahoochee River

{{pp|small=yes}}
{{short description|River in Georgia, United States}}
{{redirect|Chattahoochee}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox river
| name               = Chattahoochee River
| native_name        = 
| native_name_lang   = 
| name_other         = 
| name_etymology     = 
<!---------------------- IMAGE & MAP -->
| image              = Chattahoochee.jpg
| image_caption      = Chattahoochee River at Jones Bridge Park in [[Peachtree Corners, Georgia]]
| map                = Chattahoochee watershed.png
| map_size           = 300
| map_caption        = Map of the Apalachicola River system with the Chattahoochee highlighted in dark blue.
| pushpin_map        = 
| pushpin_map_size   = 300
| pushpin_map_caption = 
| mapframe           = yes
| mapframe-zoom      = 5
<!---------------------- LOCATION -->
| subdivision_type1  = Country
| subdivision_name1  = United States
| subdivision_type2  = States
| subdivision_name2  = [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], Alabama, Florida
| subdivision_type3  = 
| subdivision_name3  = 
| subdivision_type4  = 
| subdivision_name4  = 
| subdivision_type5  = 
| subdivision_name5  = 
<!---------------------- PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS -->
| length             = {{convert|430|mi|km|abbr=on}}<ref name=rivercenter/> 
| width_min          = 
| width_avg          = 
| width_max          = 
| depth_min          = 
| depth_avg          = 
| depth_max          = 
| discharge1_location= 
| discharge1_min     = {{convert|0|cuft/s|m3/s|abbr=on}}
| discharge1_avg     = {{convert|10090|cuft/s|m3/s|abbr=on}}<ref name=wdr>{{cite web |title= Water resources data for the United States, Water Year 2009; gage 02343801, Chattahoochee River near Columbia, GA |publisher= [[USGS]] |url= https://wdr.water.usgs.gov/wy2009/pdfs/02343801.2009.pdf |access-date= 4 August 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120305070814/http://wdr.water.usgs.gov/wy2009/pdfs/02343801.2009.pdf |archive-date= 5 March 2012 |url-status= live }}</ref>
| discharge1_max     = {{convert|195000|cuft/s|m3/s|abbr=on}}
<!---------------------- BASIN FEATURES -->
| source1            = near [[Jacks Knob]]
| source1_location   = [[Blue Ridge Mountains]], [[Chattahoochee National Forest]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]
| source1_coordinates= {{coord|34|49|26|N|83|47|28|W|display=inline}}<ref name=gnis>{{Cite GNIS|354236|Chattahoochee River}}</ref>
| source1_elevation  = {{convert|3550|ft|abbr=on}}<ref name=gmaps>Calculated in [[Google Maps]] and [[Google Earth]]</ref>
| mouth              = Apalachicola River
| mouth_location     = confluence with [[Flint River (Georgia)|Flint River]], near [[Jim Woodruff Dam]]
| mouth_coordinates  = {{coord|30|42|32|N|84|51|50|W|display=inline,title}}<ref name=gnis/>
| mouth_elevation    = {{convert|75|ft|abbr=on}}<ref name=gnis/>
| progression        = 
| river_system       = 
| basin_size         = {{convert|8770|sqmi|abbr=on}}<ref name=rivercenter/>
| tributaries_left   = 
| tributaries_right  = 
| custom_label       = 
| custom_data        = 
| extra              = 
}}

The '''Chattahoochee River''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|tʃ|æ|t|ə|ˈ|h|uː|tʃ|i}}) is a [[river]] in the [[Southeastern United States|Southeastern]] [[United States]]. It forms the southern half of the [[Alabama]] and [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] border, as well as a portion of the [[Florida]] and Georgia border. It is a tributary of the [[Apalachicola River]], a relatively short river formed by the confluence of the Chattahoochee and [[Flint River (Georgia)|Flint]] rivers and emptying from Florida into [[Apalachicola Bay]] in the [[Gulf of Mexico]]. The Chattahoochee River is about {{convert|430|mi|km}} long.<ref name=rivercenter>{{cite web|title=Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin |publisher=River Basin Center |url=http://www.rivercenter.uga.edu/education/k12resources/basinsofga2.htm |access-date=4 August 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100609220221/http://www.rivercenter.uga.edu/education/k12resources/basinsofga2.htm |archive-date=June 9, 2010 }}</ref> The Chattahoochee, Flint, and Apalachicola rivers together make up the Apalachicola–Chattahoochee–Flint River Basin ([[ACF River Basin]]).<ref name=rivercenter/> The Chattahoochee makes up the largest part of the ACF's [[drainage basin]].

==Course==
[[File:Busy-Landing-Chattahoochee-NPS.jpg|thumb|Visitors putting their rafts, canoes and kayaks in the Chattahoochee River]]

The [[River source|source]] of the Chattahoochee River is located in Jacks Gap at the southeastern foot of [[Jacks Knob]], in the very southeastern corner of [[Union County, Georgia|Union County]],<ref name=EPA>{{cite web |url=https://watersgeo.epa.gov/mwm/?layer=LEGACY_WBD&feature=03130001&extraLayers=null?layer=LEGACY_WBD&feature=03130001&extraLayers=null |title=EPA MyWaters Mapper |publisher=Environmental Protection Agency |access-date=2015-12-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170927112226/https://watersgeo.epa.gov/mwm/?layer=LEGACY_WBD&feature=03130001&extraLayers=null%3Flayer%3DLEGACY_WBD&feature=03130001&extraLayers=null |archive-date=2017-09-27 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=GNIS>{{cite web |url=https://geonames.usgs.gov/apex/f?p=gnispq:3:0::NO::P3_FID:354236 |title=Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) |publisher=USGS |access-date=2015-12-03}}</ref> in the southern [[Blue Ridge Mountains]], a subrange of the [[Appalachian Mountains]]. The headwaters of the river flow south from ridges that form the [[Tennessee Valley Divide]]. The [[Appalachian Trail]] crosses the river's uppermost headwaters. The Chattahoochee's source and upper course lie within [[Chattahoochee National Forest]].

From its source in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Chattahoochee River flows southwesterly to [[Atlanta]] and through its [[suburb]]s. It eventually turns due-south to form the southern half of the Georgia/Alabama state line. Flowing through a series of [[reservoir]]s and artificial lakes, it flows by [[Columbus, Georgia|Columbus]], the second-largest city in Georgia, and the [[Fort Benning]] Army base. At Columbus, it crosses the [[Atlantic Seaboard fall line|Fall Line]] of the eastern United States.

From [[Lake Oliver]] to Fort Benning, the [[Chattahoochee Riverwalk]] provides cycling, rollerblading, and walking along {{convert|15|mi|km}} of the river's banks. Farther south, it merges with the [[Flint River (Georgia)|Flint River]] and other tributaries at [[Lake Seminole]] near [[Bainbridge, GA|Bainbridge]], to form the [[Apalachicola River]] that flows into the [[Florida Panhandle]]. The Chattahoochee River ends in the city of [[Chattahoochee, FL]].  From there, the same river is then named Apalachicola River, which ends (106 miles away) in the city of [[Apalachicola, FL]] (meaning both rivers end in the city named after them).  Although the same river, this portion was given a different name by separated settlers in different regions during the [[Colonial history of the United States|colonial]] times.

==Etymology==
The name ''Chattahoochee'' is thought to come from a [[Muskogee language|Muskogee]] word meaning "rocks-marked" (or "painted"), from ''chato'' ("rock") plus ''huchi'' ("marked").<ref name=gnis/> This possibly refers to the many colorful [[granite]] outcroppings along the northeast-to-southwest segment of the river. Much of that segment of the river runs through the [[Brevard Fault|Brevard fault zone]].

==History==

=== Geologic history ===
The current course of the Chattahoochee River has a geologic history that extends back in time at least 100 million years. A Late Cretaceous system of paleovalleys incised into the Coastal Plain unconformity in the vicinity of Columbus, Georgia is infilled with fluvial sands and gravels of the lower [[Tuscaloosa Formation]]. Younger rocks of the overlying [[Eutaw Formation]] record an estuarine environment in approximately the same location, suggesting a persistent paleodrainage system in the vicinity of the modern Chattahoochee for at least 10-20 million years during the Late Cretaceous.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Barineau |first=Clinton |last2=Ortega-Ariza |first2=Diana |year=2021 |title=An Upper Cretaceous paleodrainage system on the Coastal Plain unconformity of Alabama-Georgia |url=https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/books/book/2334/chapter-abstract/131862708/An-Upper-Cretaceous-paleodrainage-system-on-the?redirectedFrom=fulltext |journal=Field Excursions from the 2021 GSA Section Meetings |publisher=Geological Society of America |volume=61 |pages=35 |doi=10.1130/2021.0061(03) |via=GeoScience World|url-access=subscription }}</ref> North of the Fall Line, in the Piedmont of Georgia and Alabama, the course of the Chattahoochee River cuts across prominent, resistant rock layers, including the Hollis [[Quartzite]] of the Pine Mountain belt, and must have established its current course prior to uplift of those units. At the mouth of the Chattahoochee-Flint-Apalachicola River system, in the Apalachicola River delta, the geologic history of the delta can be traced at least as far back as the [[Miocene]].

===Early history===
The vicinity of the Chattahoochee River was inhabited in prehistoric times by [[indigenous peoples]] since at least 1000 BC. The [[Kolomoki Mounds]], now protected in the Kolomoki Mounds Historic Park near present-day [[Blakely, Georgia|Blakely]] in [[Early County, Georgia|Early County]], southwest Georgia, were built between 350 AD and 650 AD and constitute the largest mound complex in the state.<ref>{{cite web |title= Chattahoochee River |publisher= New Georgia Encyclopedia |url= http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?path=/LandResources/Geography/MajorRiverSystems-1&id=h-950 |access-date= 27 November 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110726100912/http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?path=%2FLandResources%2FGeography%2FMajorRiverSystems-1&id=h-950 |archive-date= 26 July 2011 |url-status= live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title= Kolomoki Mounds |publisher= New Georgia Encyclopedia |url= http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-574 |access-date= 27 November 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110605235829/http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-574 |archive-date= 5 June 2011 |url-status= live }}</ref>

===American Civil War===
The Chattahoochee River was of considerable strategic importance during the [[Atlanta campaign]] by Union General [[William Tecumseh Sherman]] of the [[American Civil War]].

Between the tributaries of Proctor Creek and Nickajack Creek on the Cobb and Fulton county lines in metropolitan Atlanta, are nine remaining fortifications nicknamed "Shoupades" that were part of a defensive line occupied by the [[Confederate Army]] in early July 1864.  Designed by Confederate Brigadier General [[Francis A. Shoup]], the line became known as [[Johnston's River Line]] after Confederate General [[Joseph E. Johnston]] and is listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].

A month prior to the [[Battle of Atlanta]], Shoup talked with Johnston on June 18, 1864, about building fortifications. Johnston agreed, and Shoup supervised the building of 36 small elevated earth and wooden triangular fortifications, arranged in a sawtooth pattern to maximize the crossfire of defenders. Sherman tried to avoid the Shoupade defenses by crossing the river to the northeast. The nine remaining Shoupades consist of the earthworks portion of the original earth and wooden structures; they are endangered by land development in the area.<ref>{{cite web|title=Endangered Sites |publisher=Georgia Battlefields Association |url=http://www.georgiabattlefields.org/endangered04.htm |access-date=27 November 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100921224558/http://www.georgiabattlefields.org/endangered04.htm |archive-date=September 21, 2010 }}</ref>

Two of the last battles of the war, [[Battle of West Point|West Point]] and [[Battle of Columbus (1865)|Columbus]] took place at strategically important crossings of the Chattahoochee.

===Recent history===
Since the nineteenth century, early improvements and alterations to the river were for the purposes of navigation. The river was important for carrying trade and passengers and was a major transportation route.

In the twentieth century, the [[United States Congress]] passed legislation in 1944 and 1945 to improve navigation for commercial traffic on the river, as well as to establish hydroelectric power and recreational facilities on a series of lakes to be created by building dams and establishing reservoirs. Creating the manmade, 46,000-acre [[Walter F. George Lake]] also known as Lake Eufaula, in Eufaula, Alabama, required evacuating numerous communities, including the historically majority-Native American settlement of [[Oketeyeconne, Georgia]].<ref name="HMDB">[http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=47227 "Oketeyeconne/Chattahoochee Theater"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120513023253/http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=47227 |date=2012-05-13 }}, Historical Marker Database, accessed 23 June 2012</ref> The lakes were complete in 1963, covering over numerous historic and prehistoric sites of settlement.<ref name="USCOE">[http://www.sam.usace.army.mil/op/rec/acf/history.htm#wfg "Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River System History"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120430204218/http://www.sam.usace.army.mil/op/rec/acf/history.htm#wfg |date=April 30, 2012 }}, US Army Corps of Engineers, accessed 23 June 2012</ref>

Beginning in the late twentieth century, the nonprofit organization called "[[Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper]]" has advocated for the preservation of the environment and ecology of the northern part of the river, especially the part traversing [[Metropolitan Atlanta]].

In 2010, a campaign to create a [[whitewater]] river course was launched in the portion of the Chattahoochee River that runs through Columbus, Georgia. Between 2010 and 2013, construction took place on the river, the Eagle and Phenix and City Mills Dams were breached and a 2.5 mile Whitewater Course was formed in Uptown Columbus. The project returned the river to its natural path across the [[Atlantic Seaboard fall line|Fall Line]], as well as creating the longest urban whitewater course in the world.<ref>{{cite web|last=Morrison|first=Casey|title=River Rising: Breaking the Dam|url=http://www.chattahoocheeheritage.org/2013/04/river-rising-columbus-whitewater/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220308110558/http://www.chattahoocheeheritage.org/2013/04/river-rising-columbus-whitewater/|url-status=unfit|work=Chattahoochee Heritage Project|publisher=[[Auburn University]]|date=April 11, 2013|archive-date=March 8, 2022|accessdate=September 12, 2025}}</ref>

==Modifications==
{{See also|List of crossings of the Chattahoochee River}}
Several large manmade [[reservoir]]s, including [[Lake Lanier|Lanier]], [[Walter F. George Lake|Lake Eufaula]], [[West Point Lake|West Point]], and [[George W. Andrews Lake|George W. Andrews]], lakes are controlled by the [[United States Army Corps of Engineers]]. The dams and reservoirs were developed following legislation by Congress of the mid-1940s for [[flood control]], domestic and industrial water, [[hydroelectricity]], recreation, and improved navigation for river barges. Most of the lakes were completed by 1963.<ref name="USCOE"/> Numerous historic and prehistoric sites were covered over by the lakes during the flooding of the reservoirs, including Oketeyconne, Georgia.<ref name="HMDB"/>

The [[Georgia Power|Georgia Power Company]] also owns a small series of dams along the middle portion of the river (the Columbus area) between West Point Lake and Lake Walter F. George. Several smaller and older lakes and dams also provide these services on a much smaller and more localized scale, including [[Bull Sluice Lake]], which is held by the [[Morgan Falls Dam]]. This dam was built by the [[Georgia Railway and Power Company]] in 1902 to provide electric power for the Atlanta [[Tram|trolley]] system, which has long since been replaced by other forms of transportation.

==River borders==
[[File:Fall-View-West-Chattahoochee-NPS.jpg|thumb|The Chattahoochee River in Autumn]]
At various points, the Chattahoochee serves as the boundary between several counties and cities, as well as forming the lower half of the boundary between Alabama and Georgia.

Within Georgia, it divides:

* [[Habersham County, Georgia|Habersham County]] and [[White County, Georgia|White County]]
* [[Forsyth County, Georgia|Forsyth County]] and [[Hall County, Georgia|Hall County]]
* [[Forsyth County, Georgia|Forsyth County]] and [[Gwinnett County, Georgia|Gwinnett County]]
* [[Fulton County, Georgia|Fulton County]] and Gwinnett County
* [[Sandy Springs, Georgia|Sandy Springs]] and [[Roswell, Georgia|Roswell]]
* [[Cobb County, Georgia|Cobb County]] and Fulton County
* [[Douglas County, Georgia|Douglas County]] and Fulton County
* [[Carroll County, Georgia|Carroll County]] and Fulton County
* Carroll County and [[Coweta County, Georgia|Coweta County]]
* [[Columbus, Georgia]] and [[Phenix City, Alabama]]
* [[Georgetown, Quitman County, Georgia|Georgetown, Georgia]] and [[Eufaula, Alabama]]

==Atlanta==
[[File:BOATING ON THE CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER - NARA - 545944.tif|thumb|upright|The [[Ramblin' Raft Race]], an annual event in Atlanta, was cancelled in 1980 due to environmental concerns.]]
Atlanta is built upon the crest of a large ridge, rather than in the floodplain of the river. This has contributed to the preservation of much of the natural scenic beauty of the section that runs through metropolitan Atlanta. North of the metropolis, the [[Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area]] protects other portions of the riverbanks in a region that is spread across several disconnected areas.<ref>[http://www.nps.gov/chat/planyourvisit/upload/CHATParkMap.pdf "Chattahoocheee River National Recreation Area] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091007190407/http://www.nps.gov/chat/planyourvisit/upload/CHATParkMap.pdf |date=2009-10-07 }}, National Park Service</ref>

The river traverses much of Atlanta's hilly topography of the northern suburbs. Wealthy suburban communities in northern metro Atlanta that abut the river include: [[Vinings, Georgia|Vinings]], [[Buckhead (Atlanta)|Buckhead]], [[Sandy Springs, Georgia|Sandy Springs]], [[East Cobb, Georgia|East Cobb]], [[Roswell, Georgia|Roswell]], [[Sandy Springs, Georgia#Dunwoody Panhandle|Dunwoody]], [[Peachtree Corners, Georgia|Peachtree Corners]], [[Duluth, Georgia|Duluth]], [[Johns Creek, Georgia|Johns Creek]], and [[Berkeley Lake, Georgia|Berkeley Lake]].

Since three states have needs related to the river, there has been increasing controversy since the late twentieth century related to competing development among the regions and the implications for the river. The enormous growth of metropolitan Atlanta has increased its water withdrawals from the river. This has effects downstream. For example, the [[oysters]] in the [[Apalachicola Bay]] of Florida depend on the brackish water mixture of river and ocean water, and the alternating freshwater and saltwater flows that the river and the tides provide. The amount of flow in the Chattahoochee has also been decreased by interbasin water transfers, where water is withdrawn from the Chattahoochee, but discharged as treated [[sewage]] water into another river, such as the [[Oconee River]], which flow to the Atlantic Seaboard via the [[Altamaha River]].

Interest groups and the state of Florida have asked the [[U.S. Congress]] to intervene to reduce the priority given to put navigation of the lower Chattahoochee, south of Columbus, by river barge. This requirement causes large water withdrawals, which environmental supporters consider a waste of water needed to support habitats, especially during droughts. The navigation issue has aggravated the fight between Georgia, Florida, and Alabama over rights to the river water. A lawsuit has been filed in the case to reduce priorities given to navigation. The lawsuit is now in court, and may take years to resolve.{{When|date=August 2010}}

==Flooding==
The most recent major flooding of the Chattahoochee River took place in November 2009. This was caused by torrential rains from [[Hurricane Ida (2009)|Tropical Storm Ida]] as it tore through the Georgia Piedmont. Downstream from Roswell, the Chattahoochee River remained in moderate flood stage. Streams affected by the September 2009 floods included the following:
* Chattahoochee River
* [[Vickery Creek]]
* [[Johns Creek (Chattahoochee River)|Johns Creek]]
* [[Sweetwater Creek (Chattahoochee River)|Sweetwater Creek]]
* [[Nancy Creek (Atlanta)|Nancy Creek]]
* [[Peachtree Creek]]
* [[Oconee River]]
* [[James Creek]]

The second most recent major flood along the river occurred during the [[2009 Georgia (U.S. state) floods|2009 Georgia floods]], with {{convert|28.10|ft|m}} of water recorded at [[Vinings, Georgia|Vinings]] at the northwestern Atlanta city limit. The flood was over {{convert|5|ft|m}} higher than the previous flood recorded in September 2004, as a result of [[Hurricane Fred (2009)|Hurricane Fred]]. Numerous tributaries also swelled far over and beyond their banks. These were the highest water levels seen since 1990, and the second-highest ever since the large [[Buford Dam]] was built upstream. The [[National Weather Service]] in [[Peachtree City]] estimated that this was a [[500-year flood]] event.

==Gauges==
The main [[stream gauge]]s are located:

* at [[Helen, Georgia|Helen]] (near downtown)<ref>[http://ahps.srh.noaa.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=ffc&gage=helg1 HELG1]{{Dead link|date=November 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
* near [[Cornelia, Georgia|Cornelia]] (6 miles or 10&nbsp;km northwest of)<ref>[http://ahps.srh.noaa.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=ffc&gage=dcng1 DCNG1]{{Dead link|date=November 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
* near [[Buford, Georgia|Buford]] (4 miles or 6&nbsp;km northwest of) immediately down from Buford Dam<ref>[http://ahps.srh.noaa.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=ffc&gage=bufg1 BUFG1]{{Dead link|date=November 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
* near [[Norcross, Georgia|Norcross]] (5 miles or 8&nbsp;km north of) on [[Medlock Bridge]] Road<ref>[https://archive.today/20070613042153/http://ahps.srh.noaa.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=ffc&gage=ncrg1 NCRG1]</ref>
* near [[Roswell, Georgia|Roswell]] (4 miles or 6&nbsp;km southeast of) just off old Riverside Road<ref>[http://ahps.srh.noaa.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=ffc&gage=rwlg1 RWLG1]{{Dead link|date=November 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
* below [[Morgan Falls Dam]] TW<ref>[http://ahps.srh.noaa.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=ffc&gage=mgfg1 MGFG1]{{Dead link|date=November 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
* at [[Vinings, Georgia|Vinings]] (3 miles or 5&nbsp;km southwest of) and Atlanta on [[Pace's Ferry]] Road bridge<ref>[http://ahps.srh.noaa.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=ffc&gage=ving1 VING1]{{Dead link|date=November 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
* near [[Campbellton, Georgia|Campbellton]] (1 mile or 2&nbsp;km northwest of) and Fairburn on [[Georgia State Route 92|Georgia 92]] bridge<ref>[http://ahps.srh.noaa.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=ffc&gage=fbng1 FBNG1]{{Dead link|date=November 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
* at [[Whitesburg, Georgia|Whitesburg]] (2 miles or 3&nbsp;km southeast of) at Main Street ([[Georgia State Route 16|Georgia 16]]) bridge<ref>[http://ahps.srh.noaa.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=ffc&gage=whtg1 WHTG1]{{Dead link|date=November 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
* at Franklin at Main Street ([[U.S. 27]]) bridge in downtown<ref>[http://ahps.srh.noaa.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=ffc&gage=frng1 FRNG1]{{Dead link|date=November 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
* at [[West Point, Georgia|West Point]] (1 mile or 2&nbsp;km "northeast", actually north, of the center of town)<ref>[http://ahps.srh.noaa.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=ffc&gage=wtpg1 WTPG1]{{Dead link|date=November 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
* at [[Columbus, Georgia|Columbus]] on 14th Street N ([[U.S. 280]]) bridge to [[Phenix City, Alabama]]<ref>[https://archive.today/20070613042153/http://ahps.srh.noaa.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=ffc&gage=cmug1 CMUG1]</ref>
* at [[Walter F. George Lake|Walter F. George Dam]] (USACE) in [[Fort Gaines, Georgia|Fort Gaines]]<ref>[http://ahps.srh.noaa.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=ffc&gage=fogg1 FOGG1]{{Dead link|date=November 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
* at [[George W. Andrews Lake]] & dam (USACE) south of [[Columbia, Alabama]] then in November 2009 it flooded [[Vinings, Georgia|Vinings]] again.<ref>[https://archive.today/20070613042153/http://ahps.srh.noaa.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=ffc&gage=cola1 COLA1]</ref>

Water-level forecasts are regularly issued only at Vinings and Atlanta. Forecasts are issued only during high water at Norcross, Whitesburg, West Point, and the Lake Walter F. George and Andrews Dams. All other locations have observations only.

==Tributaries==
[[Image:Chattahoochee River.jpg|thumb|right|The Upper Chattahoochee River Campground north of Helen, White County, Georgia]]
[[Image:River park, fulton county, georgia.jpg|thumb|right|Chattahoochee River at River Park on Willeo Road, Fulton County, Georgia]]
[[Image:Devil's Shoals.JPG|thumb|right|The Chattahoochee River at the Devil's Shoals, East Palisades Park, Fulton County, Georgia]]
[[Image:16 23 036 sweetwater.jpg|thumb|right|[[Sweetwater Creek (Chattahoochee River)|Sweetwater Creek]]]]

[[Tributary]] [[creek (stream)|creek]]s, [[stream]]s, and [[river]]s, as well as lakes, along with the county they are in:

*[[Dukes Creek]] (White)
*[[Smith Creek (Chattahoochee River)|Smith Creek]] (White)
*[[Chickamauga Creek (Chattahoochee River)|Chickamauga Creek]] (White)
*[[Blue Creek (Chattahoochee River)|Blue Creek]] (White)
*[[White Creek (Chattahoochee River)|White Creek]] (White)
*[[Mossy Creek (Chattahoochee River)|Mossy Creek]] (White)
*[[Amys Creek (Chattahoochee River)|Amys Creek]] (Habersham)
*[[Soque River]] (Habersham)
*[[Mud Creek (Chattahoochee River)|Mud Creek]] (Habersham and Hall)
* Hagen Creek (Hall)
*[[Flat Creek (Chattahoochee River)|Flat Creek]] (White and Hall)
*''[[Helen, Georgia|Helen]] gauge (HDCG1)''
*Big Creek (Hall)
*[[Lake Lanier]] and [[Buford Dam]] ([[Dawson County, Georgia|Dawson]], Forsyth, Gwinnett, [[Hall County, Georgia|Hall]], and [[Lumpkin County, Georgia|Lumpkin]])
**[[Chestatee River]] (Dawson/Hall border, Forsyth/Hall border, and Lumpkin)
*[[Six Mile Creek (Georgia)|Six Mile Creek]] (Forsyth)
*[[James Creek (Chattahoochee River)|James Creek]] (Forsyth)
*[[Johns Creek (Chattahoochee River)|Johns Creek]] (Forsyth and north Fulton, city of [[Johns Creek, Georgia]])
*[[Baldridge Creek|Bald Ridge Creek]] (Forsyth)
*[[Audry Mill Creek]] (North Fulton)
*[[Crooked Creek (Chattahoochee River)|Crooked Creek]] (DeKalb)
*[[Young Deer Creek]] (Forsyth)
*[[Four Mile Creek (Georgia)|Four Mile Creek]] (Forsyth)
*[[Dick Creek]] (Forsyth)
*[[Level Creek]] (Gwinnett)
*[[Haw Creek (Georgia)|Haw Creek]] (Forsyth)
*[[Two Mile Creek (Chattahoochee River)|Two Mile Creek]] (Forsyth)
*[[Shoal Creek (Georgia)|Shoal Creek]] (Gwinnett and Hall)
*[[Suwanee Creek]] (Gwinnett)
*[[Brushy Creek (Chattahoochee River)|Brushy Creek]] (Gwinnett)
*[[Richland Creek (Chattahoochee River)|Richland Creek]] (Gwinnett)
*[[Rogers Creek (Chattahoochee River)|Rogers Creek]] (Gwinnett)
*''[[Norcross, Georgia|Norcross]] gauge (NCRG1)''
*[[Mavern Creek]] (north Fulton)
*[[Old Mill Creek (Georgia)|Old Mill Creek]] (north Fulton)
*[[Vickery Creek]] (Forsyth, north Fulton)
*''[[Roswell, Georgia|Roswell]] gauge (RWLG1)''
*[[Willeo Creek]] (Cobb/Fulton border)
*[[Bull Sluice Lake]] and [[Morgan Falls Dam]]
*[[Ball Mill Creek]] ([[DeKalb County, Georgia|DeKalb]] and Fulton)
*[[Beech Creek (Chattahoochee River)|Beech Creek]] (Fulton)
*[[Summerbrook Creek]] (Fulton)
*[[Mountain Health Creek]] (Fulton)
*[[Arrowhead Creek]] (Cobb)
*[[Mulberry Creek (Cobb County, Georgia)|Mulberry Creek]] (Cobb)
*[[Nancy Creek (Atlanta)|Nancy Creek]] (DeKalb and Fulton)
*[[Nannyberry Creek]] (Cobb)
*[[Nickajack Creek]] (Cobb)
*[[Owl Creek (Chattahoochee River)|Owl Creek]] (Cobb)
*[[Rottenwood Creek]] (Cobb)
*[[Sope Creek]] (Cobb)
*[[Trout Lily Creek]] (Cobb)
*''[[Vinings, Georgia|Vinings]] gauge at [[Pace's Ferry]] (VING1)''
*[[Peachtree Creek]] (Fulton)
*[[Proctor Creek (Chattahoochee River tributary)|Proctor Creek]] (Fulton)
*[[Cabin Creek (Chattahoochee River)|Cabin Creek]] (Fulton)
*[[Camp Creek (Fulton County, Georgia)|Camp Creek]] (Fulton)
*[[Charlie's Trapping Creek]] (Fulton)
*[[Crooked Creek (Georgia)|Crooked Creek]] (Fulton and Gwinnett)
*[[Dog River (Georgia)|Dog River]] (Douglas)
*[[Hewlett Creek]] (Fulton)
*[[Long Island Creek]] (Fulton)
*[[Marsh Creek (Chattahoochee River)|Marsh Creek]] (Fulton)
*[[Whitewater Creek (Chattahoochee River tributary)|Whitewater Creek]] (Troup)
*[[Sandy Creek (Atlanta)|Sandy Creek]] (Fulton)
*[[Sweetwater Creek (Chattahoochee River)|Sweetwater Creek]] (Cobb, Douglas, and [[Paulding County, Georgia|Paulding]])
*[[Pea Creek]] (south Fulton)
*[[Pine Creek, Georgia|Pine Creek]] (south Fulton)
*[[Deep Creek, Georgia|Deep Creek]] (south Fulton)
*Mill Branch (south Fulton)
*[[Brock Branch]] (south Fulton)
*[[Browns Lake, Georgia|Browns Lake]] (south Fulton)
*[[Anneewakee Creek]] (Douglas)
*[[Basket Creek]] (Douglas)
*[[Bear Creek (Douglas County, Georgia)|Bear Creek]] (Douglas)
*[[Bear Creek (Fulton County, Georgia)|Bear Creek]] (south Fulton)
*[[Tuggle Creek]] (south Fulton)
*White Oak Creek (south Fulton)
*[[Turkey Creek (Chattahoochee River)|Turkey Creek]] (south Fulton)
*[[Gilberts Branch]] (Douglas)
*[[Hurricane Creek (Chattahoochee River)|Hurricane Creek]] (Carroll and Douglas)
*[[Wolf Creek (Chattahoochee River)|Wolf Creek]] (Carroll)
*[[Acorn Creek]] (Carroll)
*[[Snake Creek (Chattahoochee River)|Snake Creek]] (Carroll)
*[[Wahoo Creek]] (Coweta)
*''[[Whitesburg, Georgia|Whitesburg]] gauge (WHTG1)''
*[[Mulberry Creek (Harris County, Georgia)|Mulberry Creek]] ([[Harris County, Georgia|Harris]] and [[Talbot County, Georgia|Talbot]])
*[[Pataula Creek]] (Clay, Quitman, Randolph, and Stewart)
*[[Bull Creek (Chattahoochee River)|Bull Creek]] (Muscogee)
*[[Upatoi Creek]] (Chattahoochee/Muscogee border and Marion/Talbot border)
*[[Moores Creek (Chattahoochee River)|Moores Creek]] (Langdale, AL)
*''[[West Point, Georgia|West Point]] gauge (WTPG1)''
*[[West Point Lake]] (Chambers, AL, Heard, GA, and Troup, GA)
*[[Lake Harding]] (Harris, GA and Lee, AL)
*[[Goat Rock Lake]] (Harris, GA and Lee, AL)
*[[Lake Oliver]] (Lee, AL, Russell, AL, and Muscogee, GA)
*''[[Columbus, Georgia|Columbus]] gauge (CMUG1)''
*[[Walter F. George Lake]] (Barbour, Henry, Houston, and Russell, AL and Clay, Quitman, and Stewart, GA)
*[[Omussee Creek]] (Houston, AL)
*[[Lake Seminole]] (Jackson, FL, Decatur, GA, and Seminole, GA)

Note that the above list is incomplete, and that each item is not in the exact order in which it joins the Chattahoochee. (For confluences now inundated by lakes, it may be impossible to determine from current maps exactly where they were.)

==Popular culture==
The beauty of the Chattahoochee River is commemorated in the poem "The Song of the Chattahoochee" (1877),<ref>{{cite web |title=The Song of the Chattahoochee |url=http://ngeorgia.com/poetry/songofthechattahoochee.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101219143016/http://ngeorgia.com/poetry/songofthechattahoochee.html |archive-date=19 December 2010 |url-status=live |publisher=About North Georgia |access-date= 27 November 2010}}</ref> by the noted Georgian poet [[Sidney Lanier]]. [[Lake Lanier]] on the Chattahoochee is named for him.

[[Country music]] artist [[Alan Jackson]] released his song "[[Chattahoochee (song)|Chattahoochee]]" in 1993 as a single off his album ''[[A Lot About Livin' (And a Little 'bout Love)]]'' (the name of the album being the last line of the aforementioned song's chorus). "Chattahoochee" received [[Country Music Association]] awards for Single of the Year and Song of the Year.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://countrymusic.about.com/cs/alanjackson/p/blprajackson.htm |title=Alan Jackson Biography |access-date=2007-08-07 |work=About.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090407015726/http://countrymusic.about.com/cs/alanjackson/p/blprajackson.htm |archive-date=2009-04-07 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Composer [[Juan María Solare]] wrote a piano piece called ''Chattahoochee River'', technically a slow blues with a central faster section.

==See also==
* [[List of crossings of the Chattahoochee River]]
* [[List of Alabama rivers]]
* [[List of Florida rivers]]
* [[List of Georgia rivers (U.S. state)|List of Georgia rivers]]
* [[Metropolitan River Protection Act]]
* [[Proctor Creek (Etowah River tributary)]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Chattahoochee River}}
*{{Cite web |url=http://www.ngeorgia.com/ang/Chattahoochee_River |title=Chattahoochee River |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130323224423/http://ngeorgia.com/ang/Chattahoochee_River |archive-date=2013-03-23}}
*[http://www.nancycreekfishing.wix.com/fish Fishing in Nancy Creek]

{{Chattahoochee River}}
{{Chattahoochee River Reservoirs}}
{{Atlanta landmarks}}
{{Rivers of Florida}}
{{Rivers of Georgia (U.S. state)}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Chattahoochee River| ]]
[[Category:ACF River Basin|1Chattahoochee]]
[[Category:Borders of Alabama]]
[[Category:Borders of Florida]]
[[Category:Borders of Georgia (U.S. state)]]
[[Category:Rivers of Carroll County, Georgia]]
[[Category:Rivers of Chambers County, Alabama]]
[[Category:Rivers of Chattahoochee County, Georgia]]
[[Category:Rivers of Cobb County, Georgia]]
[[Category:Geography of Columbus, Georgia]]
[[Category:Rivers of Coweta County, Georgia]]
[[Category:Rivers of Douglas County, Georgia]]
[[Category:Rivers of Early County, Georgia]]
[[Category:Rivers of Forsyth County, Georgia]]
[[Category:Rivers of Fulton County, Georgia]]
[[Category:Rivers of Gwinnett County, Georgia]]
[[Category:Rivers of Habersham County, Georgia]]
[[Category:Rivers of Lee County, Alabama]]
[[Category:Rivers of Muscogee County, Georgia]]
[[Category:Rivers of White County, Georgia]]
[[Category:Rivers of Alabama]]
[[Category:Rivers of Florida]]
[[Category:Rivers of Georgia (U.S. state)]]
[[Category:Roswell, Georgia]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Roswell, Georgia]]
[[Category:Alabama placenames of Native American origin]]
[[Category:Georgia (U.S. state) placenames of Native American origin]]