Obed River is a
stream draining a part of the
Cumberland Plateau in
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
. It, and particularly its tributaries, are important streams for
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 ...
enthusiasts.
The Obed River rises in
Cumberland County, Tennessee, just south of
Crossville. It is bridged by
U.S. Highway 70 between downtown Crossville and the municipal
airport
An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surfa ...
, and meets its confluence with the
Little Obed River
The Little Obed River is a ten mile long stream in the Cumberland Plateau in Cumberland County, Tennessee.
The Little Obed rises east of Crossville and from near its source flows in a deep gorge that it has cut into the rocks capping the plateau, ...
near a bridge on
U.S. Highway 70N and an abandoned
railroad
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
bridge which was formerly part of the rail system linking
Nashville and
Knoxville
Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division and the state' ...
. Shortly thereafter, it is bridged by
U.S. Highway 127 and
Interstate 40
Interstate 40 (I-40) is a major east–west Interstate Highway running through the south-central portion of the United States. At a length of , it is the third-longest Interstate Highway in the country, after I-90 and I-80. From west to ea ...
. Except during periods of very high flow, the stream is scarcely visible from these bridges because of the depth of its gorge.
Obed Wild and Scenic River
From there the stream enters a rather remote area. After several miles it is bridged by
State Route 298 (Genesis Road). From this point to its mouth it is designated as a
National Wild and Scenic River
The National Wild and Scenic Rivers System was created by the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (Public Law 90-542), enacted by the U.S. Congress to preserve certain rivers with outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values in a free- ...
along with
Clear Creek and Daddys Creek.
The area is maintained by the
National Park Service
The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propert ...
.
The direction of flow changes gradually from largely south to north to largely west to east. Shortly after crossing into
Morgan County it receives the flow of Daddys Creek, which is a good whitewater rafting stream. Downstream from this is the mouth of Clear Creek. This stream is also part of the Obed River "Wild and Scenic" designation; like Daddys Creek, it too is a premiere whitewater stream during periods of high flow.
Amenities
The National Park Service maintains a visitor center located at 208 North Maiden Street in
Wartburg
The Wartburg () is a castle originally built in the Middle Ages. It is situated on a precipice of to the southwest of and overlooking the town of Eisenach, in the state of Thuringia, Germany. It was the home of St. Elisabeth of Hungary, the ...
. They also maintain the Rock Creek Campground and the Nemo Picnic Area.
Emory River confluence
Several miles below the mouth of Clear Creek is the confluence with the
Emory River. Although the Obed River is the larger of the two, the river takes the name of the Emory River below the confluence.
See also
*
List of rivers of Tennessee
This is a list of rivers of the U.S. state of Tennessee:
By drainage basin
This list is arranged by drainage basin, with respective tributaries indented under each larger stream's name. All rivers in Tennessee ultimately flow to the Gulf of Mex ...
References
External links
Obed Wild and Scenic RiverObed Watershed Community AssociationTennessee Scenic Rivers Association (TSRA)
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Rivers of Tennessee
Wild and Scenic Rivers of the United States
Protected areas of Cumberland County, Tennessee
Protected areas of Morgan County, Tennessee
National Park Service areas in Tennessee
Rivers of Cumberland County, Tennessee
Rivers of Morgan County, Tennessee