Oconee River
 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(November 2022) |
TheOconee Riveris a 220-mile-long (350 km)[1]river in theU.S. stateofGeorgia.Its origin is inHall Countyand it terminates where it joins theOcmulgee Riverto form theAltamaha RivernearLumber Cityat the borders ofMontgomery County,Wheeler County,andJeff Davis County.South ofAthens,two forks, known as the Middle Oconee River and North Oconee River, which flow for 55–65 miles (89–105 km) upstream, converge to form the Oconee River.[2]Milledgeville,the former capital city of Georgia, lies on the Oconee River.
TheOconee River Greenwayalong the Oconee River in Milledgeville opened in 2008;[3]the North Oconee River Greenway is inAthens, Georgia.J.W. McMillan's brick factory was located along the river.
Course
[edit]The Oconee River passes through theOconee National ForestintoLake Oconee,a man made lake, near the towns ofMadisonandGreensborooffInterstate 20.From Lake Oconee, the river travels toLake Sinclair,another manmade lake nearMilledgeville,the town founded on Georgia'sFall Lineand former state capital. South of Milledgeville, the river flows unobstructed until merging with the Ocmulgee River to form the Altamaha River. Along the river there are manysandbarsandoxbow lakeswhile the forest bottomlandswampsurrounding the Oconee extends for miles, creating a very remote setting. Swamps along the Oconee river includeCow Hell SwampinLaurens County.
Name origin
[edit]The river's name derives from theOconee,aMuskogeanpeople of central Georgia. The Oconee lived in present-dayBaldwin County, Georgiaat a settlement known as Oconee Old Town, later moving to theChattahoochee Riverin the early 18th century. The name exists in several variations, including Ocone, Oconi, Ocony, and Ekwoni.[4]
River pollution
[edit]One of the main sources of pollution comes fromfecal coliform bacteria,several species of bacteria found in human and animal feces. Fecal coliform bacteria enter the river through a number of sources; storm-water runoff leaving farmlands, storm-water runoff carrying pet waste, leaking septic and sewer lines contaminating surface or groundwater, and sewer spills throughout the watershed. Fecal coliform bacteria can be deadly to humans if ingested or acquired through an open wound. Fish caught in the Oconee Basin may be eaten if cooked thoroughly.[5]
The second biggest form of pollution in the river isfertilizer.Nitrogenin fertilizer in the form of nitrates or ammonia, measured inparts per million,is found in regularly collected samples. These forms of nitrogen stimulate abundant growth of algae in the water.[citation needed]
The third largest source of pollution issedimentation,typically caused by construction and urbanization.[citation needed]
Crossings
[edit]Crossings of the Oconee River include:
- Oconee River Bridge, east of Downtown Milledgeville, site ofAmerican Civil Warresistance of theFourth Kentucky Regiment,plus a unit of convicts from theMilledgeville penitentiaryand a battalion ofGeorgia Military Institutecadets vs. a Union army corps (part ofSherman's March to the Sea).[citation needed]
- TheHerschel Lovett Bridgeis asteel girder bridgeover the Oconee River along theDublin–East Dublincity line. It carriesUS 80/US 319/SR 26/SR 29/SR 31.The bridge was named for Herschel Lovett, a Dublin businessman and politician.[6]
References
[edit]- ^U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data.The National Map.Accessed April 21, 2011
- ^"Ocenee River".Georgia River Network.RetrievedOctober 28,2019.
- ^Oconee River Greenway, oconeerivergreenway.org. Accessed November 8, 2022.
- ^Krakow, Kenneth K. (1999).Georgia Place-names(PDF).Macon, GA.: Winship Press. pp. 163–164.ISBN0-915430-00-2.
- ^Georgia Environmental Protective Division; Georgia Department of Natural Resources.Fish Consumption Guidelineshttp://gaepd.org/Documents/fish_guide.html
- ^Thompson, ScottLaurens County,p. 120, atGoogle Books
External links
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