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The Green River is a dam-release river that flows through the mountains of North Carolina, south of Asheville. The Green has numerous tributaries, but much of its water flows from a confluence with Big Hungry Creek. The Green River is itself a tributary of the Broad River. The river is dammed to form Lake Summit, in Tuxedo, North Carolina, and Lake Adger near Mill Spring, NC. The Green River is named for its deep green color but runs brown after heavy rains.


Landscape

The Green River begins in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina and flows through the Blue Ridge Escarpment into the Piedmont. The river basin itself is not mainly sediment, but rather consists of metamorphic rock. The humid subtropical climate provides for moderate temperatures and relatively mild winters. The precipitation for the areas around the Green River typically ranges from 100 to 140 centimeters annually.


Ecology

The area surrounding the river is all deciduous forest and is known for having some of the "highest floral and faunal biodiversity in the eastern United States." The Green River basin is typical of most southeastern mountain creeks as it is home to many animals, including deer and black bears. A few prominent deciduous trees in and around the Green River Basin are the Maple, Birch, and Oak Trees. The Green river serves as both a source of fresh water to a specific ecosystem, as well as a source of food to many consumers.


Angling

The population of freshwater trout draws many anglers to the slower-moving lower Green. The world record V-lip redhorse was taken from the Green River in 2018. The world record notchlip redhorse was also taken from the Green in 2018, but by a different angler. The current North Carolina State Muskellunge record of 41 Lbs 8 Oz was caught in Lake Adger in 2001


Whitewater Sports

The Green River is well known for its different types of
whitewater Whitewater forms in a rapid context, in particular, when a river's gradient changes enough to generate so much turbulence that air is trapped within the water. This forms an unstable current that froths, making the water appear opaque and ...
sports including
whitewater kayaking Whitewater kayaking is an adventure sport where a river is navigated in a decked kayak. Whitewater kayaking includes several styles. River running; where the paddler follows a river and paddles rapids as they travel. Creeking usually involving s ...
, canoeing, and tubing. Because the flow of water is controlled by dam-release, the river has sufficient water to support whitewater sports approximately 300 days a year. This makes the Green River available for whitewater enthusiasts to use even when other popular rivers such as the
Chattooga River The Chattooga River (also spelled Chatooga, Chatuga, and Chautaga, variant name Guinekelokee River) is the main tributary of the Tugaloo River. Water course The headwaters of the Chattooga River are located southwest of Cashiers, North Carol ...
and the
Nantahala River The Nantahala River ()
, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the

Upper Green

This section of the Green River is frequently run by kayakers, as well as persons paddling whitewater
canoe A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle. In British English, the ter ...
s, and other types of solo boaters. It is approximately 3.7 miles in length and has an average gradient of 49 feet per mile. This top section of the Green River begins below the Tuxedo Hydro Station, which controls the water flow, and ends at the beginning of the "Narrows" section. Because it is directly above the "Narrows" section, the Upper Green is often used by whitewater paddlers to access the Narrows. With only two significant rapids (Class III), it is considered a moderately difficult section by most whitewater paddlers. This section of the Green is narrow and resembles what would be considered a creek, rather than an actual river. The hydrology and nature of the water on this particular section of water makes it a popular spot for
playboating Canoe freestyle (also known as playboating) is a discipline of whitewater kayaking or canoeing where people perform various technical moves in one place (a playspot), as opposed to downriver whitewater canoeing or kayaking where the objective is ...
, a style of whitewater kayaking.


The Narrows

The "Narrows" section of the Green river has many qualities of a steep creek that drops between pools, and doesn't resemble many broad, slow-moving rivers in the southeast. John Pilson describes the Narrows as "boulder congested" with a "pool-drop character." This length of the river is considered an extremely difficult portion of whitewater, as it contains nine class IV rapids, and eight class V rapids (these being the most difficult runnable rapids). The first official descent of the Narrows was made in 1988, and it is still frequently paddled today. However, the Narrows are typically only paddled by seasoned whitewater boaters with an extensive knowledge of boating technique. Many whitewater enthusiasts have been injured here, and three qualified Class V boaters have died on the Green River. Three of the biggest and most notorious class V rapids on this section are known as the "Big Three." These are "Go Left and Die" (Class 5.1), "Gorilla" (Class 5.2), and "Sunshine" (Class 5.2). An incident on "Sunshine" rapid left one whitewater kayaker paralyzed. This technical section of water is home to the Green River Race that is held every year on the first Saturday of November. The race typically involves many different classes of boats, and contains a section judged by time trial, as well as a head-to-head section of the race. Many paddlers consider the Green River Narrows race to be the pinnacle of
whitewater racing Wildwater canoeing is a competitive discipline of canoeing in which kayaks or canoes are used to negotiate a stretch of river speedily. It is also called "Whitewater racing" or "Downriver racing" to distinguish it from whitewater slalom racing ...
in the southeast. Part of the reason that the Narrows are so notable is because they have a downward gradient of over 100 feet per mile. The entire section of river is about 3 miles in length.


Lower Green

This run is frequented by both kayakers and tubers. Many local companies promote tubing as a type of "safe" whitewater tourism on the Green. The entire run is considered a class II section of water, appropriate for introductory level whitewater enthusiasts. This section of the Green River is very mild compared to its counterparts and is approximately six miles in length.


Bridges

Peter Guice Memorial Bridge ( I-26)


See also

*
List of North Carolina rivers This is a list of rivers in the U.S. state of North Carolina. By drainage basin This list is arranged by drainage basin, with respective tributaries alphabetically indented under each larger stream's name. Atlantic Ocean * North Landing Riv ...
* Narrows of the Green


External links


Peter Guice Memorial Bridge

Detailed whitewater description of the Narrows section

Green River Narrows Race webpage


References

{{authority control Rivers of Polk County, North Carolina Rivers of North Carolina Rivers of Henderson County, North Carolina Tributaries of the Broad River (Carolinas)