Savannah River

Location and Geographical Features
The Savannah River forms most of the border between the states of Georgia and South Carolina. The northern part of the border is created by two tributaries, the Tugaloo River and the Chattooga River. The Savannah River is approximately 301 miles long and its' drainage basis reaches into the southeastern side of the Appalachian Mountains slightly inside the state of North Carolina.It was originally formed by the confluence of the Seneca River and the Tugaloo River but in modern times this confluence is submerged beneath Lake Hartwell.

Early History
Two of Georgia's major cities are located alongside the Savannah River; Augusta and Savannah, an important sea port on the Atlantic. (established in 1733). These two cities were the at the heart of the early English Settlement during Americas' colonial period and both have served the state of Georgia as the capitol. The earliest colonialists constructed locks and dams making the river navigable by freight barges traveling between the cities located on the river and all the way to the Atlantic Ocean.

Important Tributaries

 * Black Creek
 * Brier Creek
 * Broad River
 * Chattooga River
 * Ebenezer Creek
 * Knoxboro Creek
 * Little River
 * McBean creek
 * Rocky River
 * Seneca River
 * Stevens Creek
 * Tugaloo River

Migration Routes
As the early colonialists settled those areas, they were able to move up river by barges and later steam boats and reach new lands along the tributaries. The construction of dams along the River made it possible for people to live well away from the river and still have access to its' fresh water.

Dams along the River

 * Hartwell Dam
 * Richard B Russell Dam
 * J. Strom Thurmond Dam (Clarks Hill Dam0
 * Stevens Creek Dam
 * Augusta City Dam
 * New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam

Resources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savannah_River http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolina_Colony http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_of_Savannah