Streams of Tennessee

Longest Stream Segments Between Confluences

All of the longest stream segments between confluences occur in areas of karst topography, interestingly enough. The implication is that there are actually other streams and confluences, but are underground as cave streams and springs, neither of which would appear in the National Hydrographic Dataset. Part of this

1) Calfkiller River†, White County, 12.12 miles
2) Collins River, Warren County, 10.69 miles
3) Falling Water River, Putnam & White County, 10.59 miles
4) Blackwater Creek, Hancock County, 10.23 miles
5) Duck River, Maury & Marshall County, 10.12 miles
6) Big Sycamore Creek, Claiborne & Hancock County, 10.03 miles
7) Hurricane Creek, Rutherford & Wilson County, 10.02 miles
8) Happy Creek, Sevier County, 9.53 miles
9) East Rock Creek, Marshall County, 8.82 miles
10) War Creek, Hawkins County, 8.56 miles

†Calfkiller River is more likely 13.23 miles since the "confluence" measured is actually an "island" where the flow is shown to branch around either side. The Calfkiller River is pictured above.

Longest Named Rivers in Tennessee

Who decides what water course is named what for what stretch? Early geographers? Modern geographers? The people? Some combination of all of the above. Whatever the reason, here's the data. The length is the clipped length within the state of Tennessee and may not reflect the full length of the river.

1) Tennessee River, 374.14 miles
2) Cumberland River, 310.01 miles
3) Duck River, 276.94 miles
4) Hatchie River, 196.58 miles
5) Clinch River, 176.81 miles
6) Elk River, 167.50 miles
7) Caney Fork, 143.05 miles
8) Holston River, 136.08 miles
9) Buffalo River, 129.00 miles
10) Harpeth River, 117.15 miles

Shortest Named Rivers in Tennessee

Someone somewhere thought it was a good idea to name these short streams. I provide this list as a curiosity.

1) Barley Creek, Campbell County, 373'
2) Sal Branch, Jackson County, 449.37'
3) Middle Fork Gulf Fork Big Creek, Cocke County, 802'
4) Bible Creek, Blount County, 976'
5) Carringer Branch, Monroe County, 1185'
6) Walnut Log Ditch, Obion County, 1696'
7) Lyles Creek, Trousdale County, 1945'
8) Arcadia Mills Bayou, Shelby County, 2347'
9) Cemetery Bayou, Shelby County, 2595'
10) Green Island Cutoff, Lake County, 2786'