Tennessee River - Revision history

imported>Polunbus: ce, white space

2025-12-30T06:09:58Z

ce, white space

← Previous revision		Revision as of 06:09, 30 December 2025
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	\| subdivision_type2 = State		\| subdivision_type2 = State
	\| subdivision_name2 = [[Tennessee]], [[Alabama]], [[Mississippi]], [[Kentucky]]		\| subdivision_name2 = [[Tennessee]], [[Alabama]], [[Mississippi]], [[Kentucky]]
	\| subdivision_type3 =~~Largest City~~		\| subdivision_type3 = Cities
	\| subdivision_name3 =~~Huntsville~~		\| subdivision_name3 = [[Lenoir City, Tennessee\|Lenoir City, TN]]; [[Chattanooga, Tennessee\|Chattanooga, TN]]; [[Scottsboro, Alabama\|Scottsboro, AL]]; [[Decatur, Alabama\|Decatur, AL]]; [[Florence, Alabama\|Florence, AL]]; [[Savannah, Tennessee\|Savannah, TN]]
	\| subdivision_type4 =		\| subdivision_type4 =
	\| subdivision_name4 =		\| subdivision_name4 =
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	\| source1_elevation = {{convert\|813\|ft\|abbr=on}}<ref name="Shooks Gap">U.S. Geological Survey. Shooks Gap quadrangle, Tennessee. 1:24,000.		\| source1_elevation = {{convert\|813\|ft\|abbr=on}}<ref name="Shooks Gap">U.S. Geological Survey. Shooks Gap quadrangle, Tennessee. 1:24,000.
	7.5 Minute Series. Washington D.C.: USGS, 1987.</ref>		7.5 Minute Series. Washington D.C.: USGS, 1987.</ref>
	\| mouth = [[Ohio River]] at [[Livingston County, Kentucky\|Livingston]] / [[McCracken County, Kentucky\|McCracken]] counties, near [[Paducah, Kentucky]]		\| mouth = [[Ohio River]] at [[Livingston County, Kentucky\|Livingston]] / [[McCracken County, Kentucky\|McCracken]] counties, near [[Paducah, Kentucky\|Paducah, KY]]
	\| mouth_location =		\| mouth_location =
	\| mouth_coordinates = {{coord\|37\|04\|02\|N\|88\|33\|53\|W\|display=inline,title}}<ref name="GNIS"/>		\| mouth_coordinates = {{coord\|37\|04\|02\|N\|88\|33\|53\|W\|display=inline,title}}<ref name="GNIS"/>
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	[[Image:Tn River Bridge Natchez Trace.jpg\|right\|thumb\|[[Natchez Trace Parkway]], crossing the Tennessee River in [[Cherokee, Alabama]]]]		[[Image:Tn River Bridge Natchez Trace.jpg\|right\|thumb\|[[Natchez Trace Parkway]], crossing the Tennessee River in [[Cherokee, Alabama]]]]

	The '''Tennessee River''' is a {{convert\|652\|mi\|km\|abbr=on}} long river located in the [[Southern United States\|southeastern United States]] in the [[Tennessee Valley]]~~. Flowing through~~ the states of [[Tennessee]], [[Alabama]], [[Mississippi]], and [[Kentucky]], it begins at the [[confluence]] of [[French Broad River\|French Broad]] and [[Holston River\|Holston]] rivers at [[Knoxville, Tennessee\|Knoxville]], and drains into the [[Ohio River]] near [[Paducah, Kentucky]]. It is the largest [[tributary]] of the Ohio,<ref name="TVA">{{Cite web \|url=https://www.tva.gov/Environment/Managing-the-River/Navigation-on-the-Tennessee-River \|title=TVA - Navigation on the Tennessee River \|access-date=December 12, 2017 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180712201311/https://www.tva.gov/Environment/Managing-the-River/Navigation-on-the-Tennessee-River \|archive-date=July 12, 2018 \|url-status=live }}</ref> and drains a basin of {{convert\|40876\|sqmi\|abbr=on}}.		The '''Tennessee River''' is a {{convert\|652\|mi\|km\|abbr=on}} long river located in the [[Southern United States\|southeastern United States]]. Flowing through the [[Tennessee Valley]] in the states of [[Tennessee]], [[Alabama]], [[Mississippi]], and [[Kentucky]], it begins at the [[confluence]] of [[French Broad River\|French Broad]] and [[Holston River\|Holston]] rivers at [[Knoxville, Tennessee\|Knoxville]], and drains into the [[Ohio River]] near [[Paducah, Kentucky]]. It is the largest [[tributary]] of the Ohio,<ref name="TVA">{{Cite web \|url=https://www.tva.gov/Environment/Managing-the-River/Navigation-on-the-Tennessee-River \|title=TVA - Navigation on the Tennessee River \|access-date=December 12, 2017 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180712201311/https://www.tva.gov/Environment/Managing-the-River/Navigation-on-the-Tennessee-River \|archive-date=July 12, 2018 \|url-status=live }}</ref> and drains a basin of {{convert\|40876\|sqmi\|abbr=on}}.

	Its tributary, the [[Little Tennessee River]], flows into it from Western North Carolina and northeastern Georgia.<ref name="GNIS"/>		Its tributary, the [[Little Tennessee River]], flows into it from Western North Carolina and northeastern Georgia.<ref name="GNIS"/>
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	==Course==		==Course==
	{{See also\|List of cities and towns along the Tennessee River}}		{{See also\|List of cities and towns along the Tennessee River}}
	The Tennessee River is formed at the confluence of the [[Holston River\|Holston]] and [[French Broad River\|French Broad]] rivers in present-day [[Knoxville, Tennessee]]. From Knoxville, it flows southwest through East Tennessee into [[Chattanooga, Tennessee\|Chattanooga]] ~~before crossing~~ into [[Alabama]]. It travels through the [[Huntsville, Alabama\|Huntsville]] and [[Decatur, Alabama\|Decatur]] area before reaching the [[Muscle Shoals, Alabama\|Muscle Shoals]] area, and eventually forms a small part of the state's border with [[Mississippi]], before returning to Tennessee~~. The river misses [[Georgia (U.S. state)\|Georgia]] by about {{convert\|250\|ft}}~~. The Tennessee River's route northerly through Tennessee defines the boundary between two of Tennessee's [[Grand Divisions of Tennessee\|Grand Divisions]]: [[Middle Tennessee\|Middle]] and [[West Tennessee]].		The Tennessee River is formed at the confluence of the [[Holston River\|Holston]] and [[French Broad River\|French Broad]] rivers in present-day [[Knoxville, Tennessee]]. From Knoxville, it flows southwest through East Tennessee into [[Chattanooga, Tennessee\|Chattanooga]], misses [[Georgia (U.S. state)\|Georgia]] by about {{convert\|250\|ft}}, then crosses into [[Alabama]]. It travels through the [[Huntsville, Alabama\|Huntsville]] and [[Decatur, Alabama\|Decatur]] area before reaching the [[Muscle Shoals, Alabama\|Muscle Shoals]] area, and eventually forms a small part of the state's border with [[Mississippi]], before returning to Tennessee. The Tennessee River's route northerly through Tennessee defines the boundary between two of Tennessee's [[Grand Divisions of Tennessee\|Grand Divisions]]: [[Middle Tennessee\|Middle]] and [[West Tennessee]].

	The [[Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway]], a [[U.S. Army Corps of Engineers]] project providing ~~navigation on the~~ [[Tombigbee River]] and a link to ~~the Port~~ of [[Mobile, Alabama\|Mobile]], enters the Tennessee River near the Tennessee-Alabama-Mississippi boundary. This waterway reduces the navigation distance from Tennessee, north Alabama, and northern Mississippi to the [[Gulf ~~of Mexico]]~~ by hundreds of miles. The final part of the Tennessee's run is north through western [[Kentucky]], where it separates the [[Jackson Purchase]] from the rest of the state. It flows into the [[Ohio River]] at [[Paducah, Kentucky]].		The [[Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway]], a [[U.S. Army Corps of Engineers]] project providing a route to Alabama's [[Tombigbee River]] and a link to that state's [[Gulf of Mexico]] port of [[Mobile, Alabama\|Mobile]], enters the Tennessee River near the Tennessee-Alabama-Mississippi boundary. This waterway reduces the navigation distance from Tennessee, north Alabama, and northern Mississippi to the Gulf by hundreds of miles. The final part of the Tennessee's run is north through western [[Kentucky]], where it separates the [[Jackson Purchase]] from the rest of the state. It flows into the [[Ohio River]] at [[Paducah, Kentucky]].

	==History==		==History==
	The river valley was once home to several Native American tribes. At [[Painted Bluff]], in northeast Alabama, painted glyphs dating to ca. 1400 A.D. have been discovered among cliffs overlooking the river.<ref>{{Cite web\|title=Tennessee Valley Authority - Preserving Places in Peril\|url=https://www.tva.com/environment/environmental-stewardship/land-management/cultural-resource-management/preserving-places-of-peril\|website=tva.com}}</ref>		The river valley was once home to several Native American tribes. At [[Painted Bluff]], in northeast Alabama, painted glyphs dating to ''ca.'' 1400 A.D. have been discovered among cliffs overlooking the river.<ref>{{Cite web\|title=Tennessee Valley Authority - Preserving Places in Peril\|url=https://www.tva.com/environment/environmental-stewardship/land-management/cultural-resource-management/preserving-places-of-peril\|website=tva.com}}</ref>

	The first major battles of the American Civil War occurred along the river in 1862. The commander in the western theater, General [[Henry Halleck]], considered the Tennessee River to be more significant than the Mississippi.<ref>ORA (Official records, armies): War of the Rebellion: a compilation of the official records of the Union and Confederate Armies. I, v. 10, p. 24.</ref>		The first major battles of the American Civil War occurred along the river in 1862. The commander in the western theater, General [[Henry Halleck]], considered the Tennessee River to be more significant than the Mississippi.<ref>ORA (Official records, armies): War of the Rebellion: a compilation of the official records of the Union and Confederate Armies. I, v. 10, p. 24.</ref>
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	At various points since the early 19th century, [[Georgia (U.S. state)\|Georgia]] has disputed its northern border with Tennessee. In 1796, when Tennessee was admitted to the Union, the border was originally defined by [[United States Congress]] as located on the 35th parallel, thereby ensuring that at least a portion of the river would be located within Georgia. As a result of an erroneously conducted survey in 1818 (ratified by the Tennessee legislature, but not Georgia), however, the actual border line was set on the ground approximately one mile south, thus placing the disputed portion of the river entirely in Tennessee.<ref>{{cite web \|title = Georgians thirst to move Tennessee state line \|website = [[NBC News]] \|date = February 8, 2008 \|url = https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna23076509 \|access-date = May 13, 2008 \|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150707220159/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/23076509 \|archive-date = July 7, 2015 \|url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news \|title = Desperate for water, Georgia revisits border dispute \|date = February 8, 2008 \|url = http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/02/08/drought.state.line.ap/ \|access-date = May 13, 2008}} {{Dead link\|date=September 2010\|bot=H3llBot}}</ref>		At various points since the early 19th century, [[Georgia (U.S. state)\|Georgia]] has disputed its northern border with Tennessee. In 1796, when Tennessee was admitted to the Union, the border was originally defined by [[United States Congress]] as located on the 35th parallel, thereby ensuring that at least a portion of the river would be located within Georgia. As a result of an erroneously conducted survey in 1818 (ratified by the Tennessee legislature, but not Georgia), however, the actual border line was set on the ground approximately one mile south, thus placing the disputed portion of the river entirely in Tennessee.<ref>{{cite web \|title = Georgians thirst to move Tennessee state line \|website = [[NBC News]] \|date = February 8, 2008 \|url = https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna23076509 \|access-date = May 13, 2008 \|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150707220159/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/23076509 \|archive-date = July 7, 2015 \|url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news \|title = Desperate for water, Georgia revisits border dispute \|date = February 8, 2008 \|url = http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/02/08/drought.state.line.ap/ \|access-date = May 13, 2008}} {{Dead link\|date=September 2010\|bot=H3llBot}}</ref>

	Georgia made ~~several~~ unsuccessful attempts ~~to correct what Georgia felt was an erroneous survey line "~~in the 1890s, 1905, 1915, 1922, 1941, 1947 and 1971 to 'resolve~~' the dispute", according to~~ C. Crews ~~Townsend,~~ Joseph ~~McCoin,~~ Robert F. ~~Parsley,~~ Alison ~~Martin and~~ Zachary H. ~~Greene, in their~~ May 12, 2008~~, article for~~ the ~~''Tennessee Bar Journal'', a publication of the Tennessee Bar Association.<ref>{{cite web~~ \|url=http://www.tba.org/journal/crossing-the-line \|~~title~~=~~Crossing the Line &#~~124; Tennessee Bar Association \|~~publisher~~=~~Tba.org~~ \|access-date=July 10, 2013 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150708003139/http://www.tba.org/journal/crossing-the-line \|archive-date=July 8, 2015 }}</ref>		Georgia made unsuccessful attempts in the 1890s, 1905, 1915, 1922, 1941, 1947 and 1971 to resolve what it felt was an erroneous survey line.<ref>{{cite journal \|last1=Townsend \|first1=C. Crews \|last2= McCoin \|first2=Joseph \|last3=Parsley \|first3=Robert F. \|last4=Martin \|first4=Alison \|last5=Greene \|first5=Zachary H. \|date=May 12, 2008 \|title=Crossing the Line \|url=http://www.tba.org/journal/crossing-the-line \|journal=Tennessee Bar Journal \|volume=124 \|issue= \|publisher=Tennessee Bar Association \|pages= \|doi= \|access-date=July 10, 2013 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150708003139/http://www.tba.org/journal/crossing-the-line \|archive-date=July 8, 2015}}</ref>

	In 2008, as a result of a serious drought and resulting water shortage, the [[Georgia General Assembly]] passed a resolution directing the governor to pursue its claim in the [[United States Supreme Court]].<ref>{{cite news \|first= Andrea \|last= Jones \|title= Ga.'s quest to move Tenn. border advances \|url= http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2008/02/20/tennborder_0221.html \|work= The Atlanta Journal-Constitution \|date= February 20, 2008 \|access-date= May 14, 2008 \|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080515200952/http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2008/02/20/tennborder_0221.html \|archive-date= May 15, 2008 \|url-status= live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news \|first= Shaila \|last= Dewan \|title= Georgia Claims a Sliver of the Tennessee River \|url= https://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/22/us/22water.html?em&ex=1203829200&en=9fe2c2ffaf5be75a&ei=5087%0A \|work= The New York Times \|date= February 22, 2008 \|access-date= May 14, 2008 \|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20111109054711/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/22/us/22water.html?em&ex=1203829200&en=9fe2c2ffaf5be75a&ei=5087%0A \|archive-date= November 9, 2011 \|url-status= live }}</ref>		In 2008, as a result of a serious drought and resulting water shortage, the [[Georgia General Assembly]] passed a resolution directing the governor to pursue its claim in the [[United States Supreme Court]].<ref>{{cite news \|first= Andrea \|last= Jones \|title= Ga.'s quest to move Tenn. border advances \|url= http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2008/02/20/tennborder_0221.html \|work= The Atlanta Journal-Constitution \|date= February 20, 2008 \|access-date= May 14, 2008 \|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080515200952/http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2008/02/20/tennborder_0221.html \|archive-date= May 15, 2008 \|url-status= live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news \|first= Shaila \|last= Dewan \|title= Georgia Claims a Sliver of the Tennessee River \|url= https://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/22/us/22water.html?em&ex=1203829200&en=9fe2c2ffaf5be75a&ei=5087%0A \|work= The New York Times \|date= February 22, 2008 \|access-date= May 14, 2008 \|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20111109054711/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/22/us/22water.html?em&ex=1203829200&en=9fe2c2ffaf5be75a&ei=5087%0A \|archive-date= November 9, 2011 \|url-status= live }}</ref>
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	==Tennessee River tributaries==		==Tennessee River tributaries==
	[[Image:Tennessee-river-source-tn1.jpg\|thumb\|Forks-of-the-River in East Knoxville: the French Broad (left) joins the Holston (right) to form the Tennessee (center)]]		[[Image:Tennessee-river-source-tn1.jpg\|thumb\|Forks-of-the-River in East Knoxville: the French Broad (left) joins the Holston (right) to form the Tennessee (center)]]
	Tributaries and sub-tributaries are listed ~~hierarchically~~ in order ~~from the mouth of~~ the Tennessee River ~~upstream.~~
			Tributaries and sub-tributaries start with headwaters and are listed in descending order toward their confluence with the Tennessee River:
	{{div col}}		{{div col}}
	* [[Horse Creek (Tennessee River tributary)\|Horse Creek]] (Tennessee)		* [[Horse Creek (Tennessee River tributary)\|Horse Creek]] (Tennessee)

imported>StefenTower: Typo fixes + cleanups, typo(s) fixed: 52-49 → 52–49

2025-06-17T07:24:36Z

Typo fixes + cleanups, typo(s) fixed: 52-49 → 52–49

← Previous revision		Revision as of 07:24, 17 June 2025
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	== Etymology ==		== Etymology ==
	The river appears on [[France\|French]] maps from the late 17th century with the names "Caquinampo" or "Kasqui." Maps from the early 18th century call it "Cussate," "[[Mitchell Map\|Hogohegee]]," "Callamaco," and "Acanseapi." A 1755 British map showed the Tennessee River as the "River of the Cherakees."<ref name="Toplovich">Ann Toplovich, [http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entry.php?rec=1345 Tennessee River System] {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120503202112/http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entry.php?rec=1345\|date=May 3, 2012}}, ''[[Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture]]'', December 25, 2009; updated January 1, 2010; accessed July 14, 2011</ref> By the late 18th century, it had come to be called "Tennessee," a name derived from the Cherokee village named [[Tanasi]]. <ref name="Bright2004">{{cite book\|last=Bright\|first=William\|author-link=William Bright\|title=Native American placenames of the United States\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5XfxzCm1qa4C&pg=PA488\|access-date=April 11, 2011\|year=2004\|publisher=University of Oklahoma Press\|isbn=978-0-8061-3598-4\|page=488\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160105191604/https://books.google.com/books?id=5XfxzCm1qa4C&pg=PA488\|archive-date=January 5, 2016\|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Toplovich" />		The river appears on [[France\|French]] maps from the late 17th century with the names "Caquinampo" or "Kasqui." Maps from the early 18th century call it "Cussate," "[[Mitchell Map\|Hogohegee]]," "Callamaco," and "Acanseapi." A 1755 British map showed the Tennessee River as the "River of the Cherakees."<ref name="Toplovich">Ann Toplovich, [http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entry.php?rec=1345 Tennessee River System] {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120503202112/http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entry.php?rec=1345\|date=May 3, 2012}}, ''[[Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture]]'', December 25, 2009; updated January 1, 2010; accessed July 14, 2011</ref> By the late 18th century, it had come to be called "Tennessee," a name derived from the Cherokee village named [[Tanasi]].<ref name="Bright2004">{{cite book\|last=Bright\|first=William\|author-link=William Bright\|title=Native American placenames of the United States\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5XfxzCm1qa4C&pg=PA488\|access-date=April 11, 2011\|year=2004\|publisher=University of Oklahoma Press\|isbn=978-0-8061-3598-4\|page=488\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160105191604/https://books.google.com/books?id=5XfxzCm1qa4C&pg=PA488\|archive-date=January 5, 2016\|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Toplovich" />

	==Course==		==Course==
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	In addition, locks along the Tennessee River waterway provide passage between reservoirs for more than 13,000 recreational craft each year. The [[Chickamauga Dam]], located just upstream from Chattanooga, was projected in 2014 to have a new lock built, but it has been delayed due to a lack of funding.<ref>{{cite web\|title=Chickamauga Lock Addition Project\|url=http://www.lrn.usace.army.mil/Missions/CurrentProjects/Construction/ChickamaugaLockReplacementProject.aspx\|website=lrn.usace.army.mil\|access-date=October 29, 2014\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141029044834/http://www.lrn.usace.army.mil/Missions/CurrentProjects/Construction/ChickamaugaLockReplacementProject.aspx\|archive-date=October 29, 2014\|url-status=dead}}</ref>		In addition, locks along the Tennessee River waterway provide passage between reservoirs for more than 13,000 recreational craft each year. The [[Chickamauga Dam]], located just upstream from Chattanooga, was projected in 2014 to have a new lock built, but it has been delayed due to a lack of funding.<ref>{{cite web\|title=Chickamauga Lock Addition Project\|url=http://www.lrn.usace.army.mil/Missions/CurrentProjects/Construction/ChickamaugaLockReplacementProject.aspx\|website=lrn.usace.army.mil\|access-date=October 29, 2014\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141029044834/http://www.lrn.usace.army.mil/Missions/CurrentProjects/Construction/ChickamaugaLockReplacementProject.aspx\|archive-date=October 29, 2014\|url-status=dead}}</ref>

	In 2022, the [[Tennessee Volunteers football team]] defeated [[Alabama Crimson Tide football\|Alabama]] ~~52-49~~, their first win in [[Third Saturday in October\|the series]] since 2006. Afterward, fans stormed the field and tore down the goalposts, throwing them in the Tennessee River after parading them through the city.<ref>{{Cite AV media \|url=https://www.cnn.com/videos/sports/2022/10/16/tennessee-volunteers-football-fans-throw-goalpost-in-river-alabama-crimson-tide-vols-orig-llr.cnn \|title=Tennessee football fans tear down goalpost, throw it into river {{!}} CNN \|date=2022-10-16 \|language=en \|access-date=2025-02-25 \|via=www.cnn.com}}</ref>		In 2022, the [[Tennessee Volunteers football team]] defeated [[Alabama Crimson Tide football\|Alabama]] 52–49, their first win in [[Third Saturday in October\|the series]] since 2006. Afterward, fans stormed the field and tore down the goalposts, throwing them in the Tennessee River after parading them through the city.<ref>{{Cite AV media \|url=https://www.cnn.com/videos/sports/2022/10/16/tennessee-volunteers-football-fans-throw-goalpost-in-river-alabama-crimson-tide-vols-orig-llr.cnn \|title=Tennessee football fans tear down goalpost, throw it into river {{!}} CNN \|date=2022-10-16 \|language=en \|access-date=2025-02-25 \|via=www.cnn.com}}</ref>

	==Dams==		==Dams==

imported>GreenC bot: Rescued 1 archive link; Move 1 url. Wayback Medic 2.5 per WP:URLREQ#army.mil

2025-04-13T17:26:52Z

Rescued 1 archive link; Move 1 url. Wayback Medic 2.5 per WP:URLREQ#army.mil

New page

{{Short description|River in the southeastern United States}}
{{about|the river|the song|Tennessee River (song)}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox river
| name = Tennessee River
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| name_other =
| name_etymology =

| image = Market Street Bridge 02.jpg
| image_size =
| image_caption = The Tennessee River in downtown [[Chattanooga, Tennessee|Chattanooga]]
| map = Tennessee watershed.png
| map_size =
| map_caption = Map of the Tennessee River watershed
| pushpin_map =
| pushpin_map_size =
| pushpin_map_caption =
| mapframe = yes
| mapframe-zoom = 6

| subdivision_type1 = Country
| subdivision_name1 = [[United States]]
| subdivision_type2 = State
| subdivision_name2 = [[Tennessee]], [[Alabama]], [[Mississippi]], [[Kentucky]]
| subdivision_type3 =Largest City
| subdivision_name3 =Huntsville
| subdivision_type4 =
| subdivision_name4 =
| subdivision_type5 =
| subdivision_name5 =

| length = {{convert|652|mi|km|abbr=on}}<ref name="GNIS">{{Cite GNIS|517033|Tennessee River}}</ref>
| width_min =
| width_avg =
| width_max =
| depth_min =
| depth_avg =
| depth_max =
| discharge1_location=
| discharge1_min =
| discharge1_avg = {{convert|70575|cuft/s|m3/s|abbr=on}}<ref name="Benke & Cushing">"Arthur Benke & Colbert Cushing, "Rivers of North America". Elsevier Academic Press, 2005 {{ISBN|0-12-088253-1}}</ref>
| discharge1_max = {{convert|500000|cuft/s|m3/s|abbr=on}}

| source1 = [[Confluence]] of [[French Broad River|French Broad]] and [[Holston River|Holston]] rivers at [[Knoxville, Tennessee|Knoxville]]
| source1_location =
| source1_coordinates= {{coord|35|57|33|N|83|51|01|W|display=inline}}<ref name="GNIS"/>
| source1_elevation = {{convert|813|ft|abbr=on}}<ref name="Shooks Gap">U.S. Geological Survey. Shooks Gap quadrangle, Tennessee. 1:24,000.
7.5 Minute Series. Washington D.C.: USGS, 1987.</ref>
| mouth = [[Ohio River]] at [[Livingston County, Kentucky|Livingston]] / [[McCracken County, Kentucky|McCracken]] counties, near [[Paducah, Kentucky]]
| mouth_location =
| mouth_coordinates = {{coord|37|04|02|N|88|33|53|W|display=inline,title}}<ref name="GNIS"/>
| mouth_elevation = {{convert|302|ft|abbr=on}}<ref name="Paducah East">U.S. Geological Survey. Paducah East quadrangle, Kentucky. 1:24,000.
7.5 Minute Series. Washington D.C.: USGS, 1982.</ref>
| progression =
| river_system =
| basin_size = {{convert|40876|sqmi|abbr=on}}<ref name="Benke & Cushing"/>
| tributaries_left =
| tributaries_right =
| custom_label =
| custom_data =
| extra =
}}
[[File:Gallery-gorge-800.jpg|thumb|The Tennessee River flowing through the [[Tennessee River Gorge]]]]
[[Image:STMBTBLBridge.jpg|thumb|right|The [["Steamboat Bill" Hudson Memorial Bridge]] in [[Decatur, Alabama]]]]
[[Image:Tn River Bridge Natchez Trace.jpg|right|thumb|[[Natchez Trace Parkway]], crossing the Tennessee River in [[Cherokee, Alabama]]]]

The '''Tennessee River''' is a {{convert|652|mi|km|abbr=on}} long river located in the [[Southern United States|southeastern United States]] in the [[Tennessee Valley]]. Flowing through the states of [[Tennessee]], [[Alabama]], [[Mississippi]], and [[Kentucky]], it begins at the [[confluence]] of [[French Broad River|French Broad]] and [[Holston River|Holston]] rivers at [[Knoxville, Tennessee|Knoxville]], and drains into the [[Ohio River]] near [[Paducah, Kentucky]]. It is the largest [[tributary]] of the Ohio,<ref name="TVA">{{Cite web |url=https://www.tva.gov/Environment/Managing-the-River/Navigation-on-the-Tennessee-River |title=TVA - Navigation on the Tennessee River |access-date=December 12, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180712201311/https://www.tva.gov/Environment/Managing-the-River/Navigation-on-the-Tennessee-River |archive-date=July 12, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> and drains a basin of {{convert|40876|sqmi|abbr=on}}.

Its tributary, the [[Little Tennessee River]], flows into it from Western North Carolina and northeastern Georgia.<ref name="GNIS"/>

== Etymology ==
The river appears on [[France|French]] maps from the late 17th century with the names "Caquinampo" or "Kasqui." Maps from the early 18th century call it "Cussate," "[[Mitchell Map|Hogohegee]]," "Callamaco," and "Acanseapi." A 1755 British map showed the Tennessee River as the "River of the Cherakees."<ref name="Toplovich">Ann Toplovich, [http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entry.php?rec=1345 Tennessee River System] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120503202112/http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entry.php?rec=1345|date=May 3, 2012}}, ''[[Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture]]'', December 25, 2009; updated January 1, 2010; accessed July 14, 2011</ref> By the late 18th century, it had come to be called "Tennessee," a name derived from the Cherokee village named [[Tanasi]]. <ref name="Bright2004">{{cite book|last=Bright|first=William|author-link=William Bright|title=Native American placenames of the United States|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5XfxzCm1qa4C&pg=PA488|access-date=April 11, 2011|year=2004|publisher=University of Oklahoma Press|isbn=978-0-8061-3598-4|page=488|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160105191604/https://books.google.com/books?id=5XfxzCm1qa4C&pg=PA488|archive-date=January 5, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Toplovich" />

==Course==
{{See also|List of cities and towns along the Tennessee River}}
The Tennessee River is formed at the confluence of the [[Holston River|Holston]] and [[French Broad River|French Broad]] rivers in present-day [[Knoxville, Tennessee]]. From Knoxville, it flows southwest through East Tennessee into [[Chattanooga, Tennessee|Chattanooga]] before crossing into [[Alabama]]. It travels through the [[Huntsville, Alabama|Huntsville]] and [[Decatur, Alabama|Decatur]] area before reaching the [[Muscle Shoals, Alabama|Muscle Shoals]] area, and eventually forms a small part of the state's border with [[Mississippi]], before returning to Tennessee. The river misses [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] by about {{convert|250|ft}}. The Tennessee River's route northerly through Tennessee defines the boundary between two of Tennessee's [[Grand Divisions of Tennessee|Grand Divisions]]: [[Middle Tennessee|Middle]] and [[West Tennessee]].

The [[Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway]], a [[U.S. Army Corps of Engineers]] project providing navigation on the [[Tombigbee River]] and a link to the Port of [[Mobile, Alabama|Mobile]], enters the Tennessee River near the Tennessee-Alabama-Mississippi boundary. This waterway reduces the navigation distance from Tennessee, north Alabama, and northern Mississippi to the [[Gulf of Mexico]] by hundreds of miles. The final part of the Tennessee's run is north through western [[Kentucky]], where it separates the [[Jackson Purchase]] from the rest of the state. It flows into the [[Ohio River]] at [[Paducah, Kentucky]].

==History==
The river valley was once home to several Native American tribes. At [[Painted Bluff]], in northeast Alabama, painted glyphs dating to ca. 1400 A.D. have been discovered among cliffs overlooking the river.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tennessee Valley Authority - Preserving Places in Peril|url=https://www.tva.com/environment/environmental-stewardship/land-management/cultural-resource-management/preserving-places-of-peril|website=tva.com}}</ref>

The first major battles of the American Civil War occurred along the river in 1862. The commander in the western theater, General [[Henry Halleck]], considered the Tennessee River to be more significant than the Mississippi.<ref>ORA (Official records, armies): War of the Rebellion: a compilation of the official records of the Union and Confederate Armies. I, v. 10, p. 24.</ref>

===Starting point===
[[Image:Wilson Dam Fish Catch 1940 USGS.jpg|thumbnail|left|Fish catch near Wilson Dam on the Tennessee River around 1940.]] The Tennessee River begins at mile post 652, where the [[French Broad River]] meets the [[Holston River]], but historically there were several different definitions of its starting point. In the late 18th century, the mouth of the [[Little Tennessee River]] (at [[Lenoir City, Tennessee|Lenoir City]]) was considered to be the beginning of the Tennessee River. Through much of the 19th century, the Tennessee River was considered to start at the mouth of [[Clinch River]] (at [[Kingston, Tennessee|Kingston]]). An 1889 declaration by the [[Tennessee General Assembly]] designated [[Kingsport, Tennessee|Kingsport]] (on the [[Holston River]]) as the start of the Tennessee, but the following year a federal law was enacted that finally fixed the start of the river at its current location.<ref name="Toplovich" />

===Water rights and border dispute between Georgia and Tennessee===
{{main|Tennessee–Georgia water dispute}}

At various points since the early 19th century, [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] has disputed its northern border with Tennessee. In 1796, when Tennessee was admitted to the Union, the border was originally defined by [[United States Congress]] as located on the 35th parallel, thereby ensuring that at least a portion of the river would be located within Georgia. As a result of an erroneously conducted survey in 1818 (ratified by the Tennessee legislature, but not Georgia), however, the actual border line was set on the ground approximately one mile south, thus placing the disputed portion of the river entirely in Tennessee.<ref>{{cite web |title = Georgians thirst to move Tennessee state line |website = [[NBC News]] |date = February 8, 2008 |url = https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna23076509 |access-date = May 13, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150707220159/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/23076509 |archive-date = July 7, 2015 |url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title = Desperate for water, Georgia revisits border dispute |date = February 8, 2008 |url = http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/02/08/drought.state.line.ap/ |access-date = May 13, 2008}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref>

Georgia made several unsuccessful attempts to correct what Georgia felt was an erroneous survey line "in the 1890s, 1905, 1915, 1922, 1941, 1947 and 1971 to 'resolve' the dispute", according to C. Crews Townsend, Joseph McCoin, Robert F. Parsley, Alison Martin and Zachary H. Greene, in their May 12, 2008, article for the ''Tennessee Bar Journal'', a publication of the Tennessee Bar Association.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tba.org/journal/crossing-the-line |title=Crossing the Line | Tennessee Bar Association |publisher=Tba.org |access-date=July 10, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150708003139/http://www.tba.org/journal/crossing-the-line |archive-date=July 8, 2015 }}</ref>

In 2008, as a result of a serious drought and resulting water shortage, the [[Georgia General Assembly]] passed a resolution directing the governor to pursue its claim in the [[United States Supreme Court]].<ref>{{cite news |first= Andrea |last= Jones |title= Ga.'s quest to move Tenn. border advances |url= http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2008/02/20/tennborder_0221.html |work= The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |date= February 20, 2008 |access-date= May 14, 2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080515200952/http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2008/02/20/tennborder_0221.html |archive-date= May 15, 2008 |url-status= live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first= Shaila |last= Dewan |title= Georgia Claims a Sliver of the Tennessee River |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/22/us/22water.html?em&ex=1203829200&en=9fe2c2ffaf5be75a&ei=5087%0A |work= The New York Times |date= February 22, 2008 |access-date= May 14, 2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20111109054711/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/22/us/22water.html?em&ex=1203829200&en=9fe2c2ffaf5be75a&ei=5087%0A |archive-date= November 9, 2011 |url-status= live }}</ref>

According to a story aired on [[WTVC-TV]] in Chattanooga on March 14, 2008, a local attorney familiar with case law on border disputes, said the U.S. Supreme Court generally will maintain the original borders between states and avoid stepping into border disputes, preferring the parties work out their differences.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newschannel9.com/articles/georgia-967199-tennessee-border.html|title=CHATTANOOGA News, Weather, Sports, Breaking News – WTVC|first=Sinclair Broadcast|last=Group|access-date=December 8, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090722083552/http://www.newschannel9.com/articles/georgia-967199-tennessee-border.html|archive-date=July 22, 2009|url-status=live}}</ref>

The ''[[Chattanooga Times Free Press]]'' reported on March 25, 2013, that Georgia senators approved House Resolution 4 stating that if Tennessee declines to settle with them, the dispute will be given to the state attorney general, to take Tennessee before the Supreme Court to settle the issue once and for all.<ref>{{cite web |title = Tennessee, Georgia at war over state line; battle could go to Supreme Court |date = March 25, 2013 |url = http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2013/mar/26/3-26-a1-georgia-presses-case-on-border/ |access-date = March 25, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130329023348/http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2013/mar/26/3-26-a1-georgia-presses-case-on-border/ |archive-date = March 29, 2013 |url-status = live }}</ref> ''[[The Atlantic Wire]],'' in commenting on Georgia's actions, stated:<ref>{{cite web |title = The Great Georgia-Tennessee Border War of 2013 Is Upon Us |date = March 25, 2013 |url = http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2013/03/georgia-tennessee-border/63508/ |access-date = 2013-03-25 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130327062822/http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2013/03/georgia-tennessee-border/63508/ |archive-date = March 27, 2013 |url-status = live }}</ref>

{{blockquote|The Great Georgia–Tennessee Border War of 2013 Is Upon Us. Historians, take note: On this day, which is not a day in 1732, a boundary dispute between two Southern states took a turn for the wet. In a two-page resolution passed overwhelmingly by the state senate, Georgia declared that it, not its neighbor to the north, controls part of the Tennessee River at [[Nickajack]]. Georgia doesn't want Nickajack. It wants that water.}}

==Modern use==
The Tennessee River is an important part of the [[Great Loop]], the recreational circumnavigation of Eastern North America by water. The main channel is accessible to recreational watercraft at over 200 public access points along the river's course.<ref>{{Cite web|date=February 2018|title=U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Tennessee River and Tributaries Small Boat Harbors, Ramps, and Landings|url=https://usace.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/api/collection/p16021coll10/id/132/download|website=USACE Digital Library}}</ref>

The Tennessee River has historically been a major highway for [[riverboats]] through the South, and today they are frequently used along the river. Major ports include Guntersville, [[Chattanooga]], [[Decatur, Alabama|Decatur]], Yellow Creek, and [[Muscle Shoals]]. This river has contributed greatly to the economic and industrial development of the Tennessee Valley as a whole. The economies of cities such as Decatur and Chattanooga would not be as dynamic as they are today, were it not for the Tennessee River. Many companies still rely on the river as a means of [[Transportation in the United States|transportation]] for their materials. In Chattanooga, for example, [[steel]] is exported on boats, as it is much more efficient than moving it on land.<ref>{{cite web|title=Navigation on the Tennessee River|url=http://www.tva.com/river/navigation/|website=tva.com|publisher=TVA|access-date=October 29, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141029041447/http://www.tva.com/river/navigation/|archive-date=October 29, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>

In addition, locks along the Tennessee River waterway provide passage between reservoirs for more than 13,000 recreational craft each year. The [[Chickamauga Dam]], located just upstream from Chattanooga, was projected in 2014 to have a new lock built, but it has been delayed due to a lack of funding.<ref>{{cite web|title=Chickamauga Lock Addition Project|url=http://www.lrn.usace.army.mil/Missions/CurrentProjects/Construction/ChickamaugaLockReplacementProject.aspx|website=lrn.usace.army.mil|access-date=October 29, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141029044834/http://www.lrn.usace.army.mil/Missions/CurrentProjects/Construction/ChickamaugaLockReplacementProject.aspx|archive-date=October 29, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2022, the [[Tennessee Volunteers football team]] defeated [[Alabama Crimson Tide football|Alabama]] 52-49, their first win in [[Third Saturday in October|the series]] since 2006. Afterward, fans stormed the field and tore down the goalposts, throwing them in the Tennessee River after parading them through the city.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.cnn.com/videos/sports/2022/10/16/tennessee-volunteers-football-fans-throw-goalpost-in-river-alabama-crimson-tide-vols-orig-llr.cnn |title=Tennessee football fans tear down goalpost, throw it into river {{!}} CNN |date=2022-10-16 |language=en |access-date=2025-02-25 |via=www.cnn.com}}</ref>

==Dams==
The river has been [[Dams and Reservoirs of the Tennessee River|dammed nine times]] since the 1930s by [[Tennessee Valley Authority]] (TVA) projects. The construction of TVA's [[Kentucky Dam]] on the Tennessee River and the Corps of Engineers' [[Barkley Dam]] on the [[Cumberland River]] led to the development of associated lakes, and the creation of an area called the [[Land Between the Lakes]]. A navigation canal located at [[Grand Rivers, Kentucky]], links [[Kentucky Lake]] and [[Lake Barkley]]. The canal allows for a shorter trip for river traffic going from the Tennessee to most of the Ohio River, and for traffic going down the Cumberland River toward Tennessee.

==Ecology==
The Tennessee River and its tributaries host some 102 species of [[mussel]].<ref name="DGIF">[http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/freshwater-mussels.asp Freshwater Mussels] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201124353/http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/freshwater-mussels.asp |date=February 1, 2016 }}, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries website, accessed July 14, 2011</ref> It also is home to the rare freshwater snail ''[[Athearnia anthonyi]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-06-27 |title=Anthony’s Riversnail (Athearnia anthonyi) 5-Year Status Review 2023 {{!}} U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service |url=https://www.fws.gov/node/5079156 |access-date=2025-03-12 |website=www.fws.gov |language=en}}</ref> [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native Americans]] ate freshwater mussels. Potters of the [[Mississippian culture]] used crushed mussel shell mixed into [[clay]] to make their [[pottery]] stronger.

A "pearl" [[button (clothing)|button]] industry was established in the Tennessee Valley beginning in 1887, producing buttons from the abundant mussel shells. Button production ceased after [[World War II]] when [[plastic]]s replaced [[mother-of-pearl]] as a button material.<ref>[http://mcclungmuseum.utk.edu/permanent/mussels/index.shtml Tennessee Freshwater Mussels] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130323152554/http://mcclungmuseum.utk.edu/permanent/mussels/index.shtml |date=March 23, 2013 }}, Frank H. McClung Museum website, accessed July 14, 2011</ref> Mussel populations have declined drastically due to dam construction, water pollution, and [[invasive species]].<ref name="DGIF" />

==Tennessee River tributaries==
[[Image:Tennessee-river-source-tn1.jpg|thumb|Forks-of-the-River in East Knoxville: the French Broad (left) joins the Holston (right) to form the Tennessee (center)]]
Tributaries and sub-tributaries are listed hierarchically in order from the mouth of the Tennessee River upstream.
{{div col}}
* [[Horse Creek (Tennessee River tributary)|Horse Creek]] (Tennessee)
* [[Big Sandy River (Tennessee)|Big Sandy River]] (Tennessee)
*[[White Oak Creek (Tennessee)|White Oak Creek]]
* [[Duck River (Tennessee)|Duck River]] (Tennessee)
** [[Buffalo River (Tennessee)|Buffalo River]] (Tennessee)
***[[Green River (Tennessee)|Green River]]
***[[Little Buffalo River (Tennessee)|Little Buffalo River]]
** [[Piney River (Middle Tennessee)|Piney River]] (Tennessee)
**[[Little Duck River]]
* [[Beech River]] (Tennessee)
* [[Bear Creek (Tennessee River tributary)|Bear Creek]] (Alabama, Mississippi)<ref name="CCMap">{{cite web |url=http://cartweb.geography.ua.edu:9001/StyleServer/calcrgn?cat=North%20America%20and%20United%20States&item=States/Alabama/Counties/colbert/hy_colbert97.sid&wid=500&hei=400&props=item(Name,Description),cat(Name,Description)&style=simple/view.xsl&plugin=true |title=County Highway Maps |access-date=June 25, 2007 |author=Alabama Department of Transportation |author-link=Alabama Department of Transportation |year=1997 |format=Lizardtech Plugin |publisher=[[University of Alabama]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090130062531/http://cartweb.geography.ua.edu:9001/StyleServer/calcrgn?cat=North%20America%20and%20United%20States&item=States%2FAlabama%2FCounties%2Fcolbert%2Fhy_colbert97.sid&wid=500&hei=400&props=item%28Name%2CDescription%29%2Ccat%28Name%2CDescription%29&style=simple%2Fview.xsl&plugin=true |archive-date=January 30, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*[[Buzzard Roost Creek (Alabama)|Buzzard Roost Creek]] (Alabama)<ref name="CCMap" />
* Colbert Creek (Alabama)<ref name="CCMap" />
* Cotaco Creek (Alabama)
* Malone Creek (Alabama)<ref name="CCMap" />
* [[Mulberry Creek (Tennessee River)|Mulberry Creek]] (Alabama)<ref name="CCMap" />
* Cane Creek (Alabama)<ref name="CCMap" />
* Dry Creek (Alabama)<ref name="CCMap" />
* Little Bear Creek (Alabama)<ref name="CCMap" />
* Spring Creek (Alabama)<ref name="TRNav">{{cite web|url=http://www.lrn.usace.army.mil/opn/TNRiver/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030605042646/http://www.lrn.usace.army.mil/opn/TNRiver/|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 5, 2003|title=Tennessee River Navigation Charts|access-date=July 4, 2007|author=Army Corps of Engineers|year=1997|publisher=Army Corps of Engineers}}</ref>
* Cypress Creek (Alabama)<ref name="TRNav" />
* [[Shoal Creek (Tennessee River)|Shoal Creek]] (Alabama)<ref name="TRNav" />
* First Creek (Alabama)<ref name="TRNav" />
* [[Elk River (Tennessee)|Elk River]] (Tennessee, Alabama)
* [[Flint Creek (Alabama)|Flint Creek]] (Alabama)
* [[Limestone Creek]] (Alabama, Tennessee)
** [[Beaverdam Creek (Limestone Creek)|Beaverdam Creek]] (Alabama)
* [[Indian Creek (Alabama)|Indian Creek]] (Alabama)
* [[Barren Fork Creek]] (Alabama)
**[[Bradford Creek]] ,Briefly merged with Barren Fork Creek (Alabama)
* [[Flint River (Alabama)|Flint River]] (Alabama, Tennessee)
* [[Paint Rock River]] (Alabama, Tennessee)
* [[Sequatchie River]] (Tennessee)
**[[Little Sequatchie River]]
* Mountain Creek (Tennessee)
* [[Lookout Creek]] (Tennessee, Georgia)
* [[Chattanooga Creek]] (Tennessee, Georgia)
* [[Citico Creek]] (Tennessee)
* South [[Chickamauga Creek]] (Tennessee, Georgia)
* North [[Chickamauga Creek]] (Tennessee)
* [[Hiwassee River]] (Tennessee, North Carolina)
** [[Conasauga Creek]] (Tennessee)
** [[Toccoa/Ocoee River|Ocoee River]] (Tennessee, Georgia)
** [[Nottely River]] (North Carolina, Georgia)
* [[Piney River (East Tennessee)|Piney River]] (Tennessee)
* [[Clinch River]] (Tennessee, Virginia)
** [[Emory River]] (Tennessee)
***[[Little Emory River]]
*** [[Obed River]] (Tennessee)
****[[Little Obed River]]
**[[Poplar Creek (Tennessee)|Poplar Creek]]
***East Fork Poplar Creek
**[[Beaver Creek (Tennessee)|Beaver Creek]]
** [[Powell River (Tennessee River)|Powell River]] (Tennessee, Virginia)
* [[Little Tennessee River]] (Tennessee, North Carolina)
** [[Tellico River]] (Tennessee)
** [[Tuckasegee River]] (North Carolina)
** [[Nantahala River]] (North Carolina)
** [[Cullasaja River]] (North Carolina)
* [[Little River (Tennessee)|Little River]] (Tennessee)
* [[French Broad River]]
** [[Little Pigeon River (Tennessee)|Little Pigeon River]] (Tennessee)
** [[Nolichucky River]] (Tennessee, North Carolina)
** [[Pigeon River (Tennessee - North Carolina)|Pigeon River]] (Tennessee, North Carolina)
** [[Swannanoa River]] (North Carolina)
* [[Holston River]] (Tennessee)
** [[North Fork Holston River]] (Tennessee, Virginia)
** [[South Fork Holston River]] (Tennessee, Virginia)
*** [[Watauga River]] (Tennessee, North Carolina)
**** [[Doe River]] (Tennessee)
** [[Middle Fork Holston River]] (Virginia)
{{div col end}}

== See also ==
{{div col}}
*[[List of Alabama rivers]]
*[[List of crossings of the Tennessee River]]
*[[List of dams and reservoirs of the Tennessee River]]
*[[List of Kentucky rivers]]
*[[List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem)]]
*[[List of Mississippi rivers]]
*[[List of Tennessee rivers]]
*[[Tennessee River 600]]
*[[Tennessee River Valley]]
*[[Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway]]
{{div col end}}

==Notes==
{{Reflist|colwidth=35em}}

==Further reading==
*Woodside, M.D. et al. (2004). ''Water quality in the lower Tennessee River Basin, Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Georgia, 1999–2001'' [U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1233]. Reston, VA: U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey.
*Myers, Fred (2004). ''Tennessee River CruiseGuide, 5th Edition''
*Hay, Jerry (2010). ''Tennessee River Guidebook, 1st Edition''
*Rumsey, W.J. (2007). ''A Cruising Guide to the Tennessee River, Tenn-Tom Waterway, and Lower Tombigbee River''

== External links ==
{{commons category}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20081202230827/http://reference.allrefer.com/gazetteer/us-categories/tennessee-river.html Tennessee Rivers]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20160203072818/http://riversofalabama.org/Tennessee/TENNESSEE.htm Map of Tennessee River in Alabama]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070625210722/http://www.lrn.usace.army.mil/opn/TNRiver/ Tennessee River Navigation Charts]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20140227165327/http://www.lrn.usace.army.mil/Missions/CurrentProjects/Construction/ChickamaugaLockReplacementProject.aspx Chickamauga dam progress]
*{{Wikisource-inline}}

{{Chattanooga, Tennessee landmarks}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Tennessee River| ]]
[[Category:Borders of Alabama]]
[[Category:Borders of Mississippi]]
[[Category:Borders of Tennessee]]
[[Category:Borders of Kentucky]]
[[Category:Internal territorial disputes of the United States]]
[[Category:Rivers of Alabama]]
[[Category:Rivers of Kentucky]]
[[Category:Rivers of Mississippi]]
[[Category:Rivers of Tennessee]]
[[Category:Tributaries of the Ohio River]]
[[Category:Rivers of Livingston County, Kentucky]]
[[Category:Rivers of McCracken County, Kentucky]]
[[Category:Rivers of Jackson County, Alabama]]
[[Category:Rivers of Hamilton County, Tennessee]]
[[Category:Rivers of Colbert County, Alabama]]
[[Category:Rivers of Wayne County, Tennessee]]
[[Category:Rivers of Limestone County, Alabama]]
[[Category:Rivers of Morgan County, Alabama]]
[[Category:Rivers of Lauderdale County, Alabama]]
[[Category:Rivers of Marshall County, Alabama]]
[[Category:Rivers of Madison County, Alabama]]
[[Category:Rivers of Roane County, Tennessee]]
[[Category:Rivers of Knox County, Tennessee]]
[[Category:Rivers of Loudon County, Tennessee]]
[[Category:Rivers of Humphreys County, Tennessee]]
[[Category:Rivers of Hardin County, Tennessee]]
[[Category:Rivers of Marion County, Tennessee]]
[[Category:Mississippi River watershed]]