The Saluda River is a principal

tributary A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage ...

of the

Congaree River The Congaree River is a short but wide river in South Carolina in the United States; It flows for approximately 53 miles (85 km). The river serves an important role as the final outlet channel for the entire Lower Saluda and Lower Broad wate ...

, about 200 mi (320 km) long, in northern and western

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. Via the Congaree River, it is part of the watershed of the

Santee River } The Santee River is a river in South Carolina in the United States, and is long. The Santee and its tributaries provide the principal drainage for the coastal areas of southeastern South Carolina and navigation for the central coastal plain of ...

, which flows to the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

Course

The Saluda River is formed about 10 mi (15 km) northwest of the city of Greenville, on the common boundary of Greenville and Pickens Counties, by the confluence of its north and south forks, each of which rises in the

Blue Ridge Mountains The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States, and extends 550 miles southwest from southern Pennsylvania through Maryland, West Virgin ...

very near the border of

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

Saluda, North Carolina Saluda is a city in Polk and Henderson counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 713 at the 2010 census. Saluda is famous for sitting at the top of the Norfolk Southern Railway's Saluda Grade, which was the steepest main li ...

: *The North Saluda River flows generally south-southwestwardly through northern Greenville County, past Marietta. *The South Saluda River flows generally southeastwardly on the Greenville-Pickens County border, receiving the Oolenoy River and the Middle Saluda River, which rises in

Jones Gap State Park Jones Gap State Park is a South Carolina state park in northern Greenville County, near Marietta. The park, which includes the headwaters of the Middle Saluda River, is, with Caesars Head State Park, administered by the state Department of Par ...

and flows generally southward through northwestern Greenville County. From this confluence the Saluda River flows generally southeastwardly through the

Piedmont it, Piemontese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

region, through or along the boundaries of Pickens, Greenville,

Anderson Anderson or Andersson may refer to: Companies * Anderson (Carriage), a company that manufactured automobiles from 1907 to 1910 * Anderson Electric, an early 20th-century electric car * Anderson Greenwood, an industrial manufacturer * Anderson ...

Abbeville Abbeville (, vls, Abbekerke, pcd, Advile) is a commune in the Somme department and in Hauts-de-France region in northern France. It is the chef-lieu of one of the arrondissements of Somme. Located on the river Somme, it was the capital of ...

, Laurens, Greenwood,

Newberry Newberry is a surname, a variant of Newbury. Notable people with the surname include: * Booker Newberry III (born 1956), American singer and keyboardist * Brennan Newberry (born, 1990), American professional stock car racing driver * Brian Newb ...

, Saluda, Lexington and Richland Counties, past the towns of

, West Pelzer, Pelzer, Ware Shoals and West Columbia. It joins the Broad River in Columbia to form the Congaree River.

Dams

Dams on the Saluda include: *The uppermost dam on the Saluda River, on the border of Greenville and Pickens Counties, forming

Saluda Lake Saluda Lake is a reservoir formed by a spillway from the uppermost dam on the Saluda River in South Carolina, United States. The lake was constructed in 1905 for the purpose of creating hydroelectric power. Duke Power Company formerly owned t ...

*Lake Saluda Reservoir Dam near Berea. *the old

textile mill Textile Manufacturing or Textile Engineering is a major industry. It is largely based on the conversion of fibre into yarn, then yarn into fabric. These are then dyed or printed, fabricated into cloth which is then converted into useful goods ...

dam in

*The

dam at Pelzer *The Pelzer Mills Dam, near Williamston *The Lee Steam Plant Dam near Williamston *The Holiday Dam near Belton *a still-operating dam built to power the

in Ware Shoals *Greenwood dam, creating Lake Greenwood *

Dreher Shoals Dam The Saluda DamFederal Writers Project. ''South Carolina: A Guide To The Palmetto State.'' Volume 5 of American Guide. Somerset Publishers, Inc., 1941. p. 377. or Saluda River Dam, officially the Dreher Shoals Dam, commonly referred to as the Lake ...

creating Lake Murray

Principal tributaries

*The

Reedy River The Reedy River is a tributary of the Saluda River, about long, in northwestern South Carolina in the United States. Via the Saluda and Congaree rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Santee River, which flows to the Atlantic Ocean. The ...

flows into Lake Greenwood from the north in Laurens County. *The

Little River Little River may refer to several places: Australia Streams New South Wales *Little River (Dubbo), source in the Dubbo region, a tributary of the Macquarie River * Little River (Oberon), source in the Oberon Shire, a tributary of Coxs River (Haw ...

flows into the Saluda from the north in Newberry County. *The Bush River flows into Lake Murray from the north in Newberry County. *The Little Saluda River flows into Lake Murray from the south in Saluda County; it is formed at the town of Saluda by the confluence of Mine Creek and Red Bank Creek.

Crossings

As it travels downstream, the Saluda river is crossed several times. (Note: this list may at times be incomplete) *Greenville County/Pickens County/Anderson County **Old Hunts Bridge Road **SC 183/Farrs Bridge Road **Saluda Dam Road **SC 124/Old Easley Highway **New Easley Highway ( U.S. 123) **Old Easley Bridge Road **Anderson Road (Old Dunham Bridge - SC 81) Powdersville/ Greenville **Frontage Road **

Interstate 85 Interstate 85 (I-85) is a major Interstate Highway in the Southeastern United States. Its southern terminus is at an interchange with I-65 in Montgomery, Alabama; its northern terminus is an interchange with I-95 in Petersburg, Virginia, ...

**SC 153 **Anderson Street in

Piedmont, South Carolina Piedmont is a census-designated place (CDP) along the Saluda River in Anderson and Greenville counties in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 5,411 at the 2020 census. Piedmont is a part of the Greenville-Anderson metropolita ...

(SC 86) **Piedmont Highway (SC 20) in

Pelzer, South Carolina Pelzer is a town in Anderson County in South Carolina, United States, along the Saluda River. The population was 89 at the 2010 census. Government As of 2010 the town was governed by a mayor and four council members. The current Mayor is William ...

** SC 8 in Pelzer **Lee Steam Plant Road **Cooley Bridge Road in Belton, South Carolina **Holiday Dam Road **

US 76 U.S. Route 76 (US 76) is an east–west U.S. highway that travels for approximately from Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. Route description , - , TN , 8.9 , 14.3 , - , GA , 150.7 , 242.5 , - , SC , 297.9 , 479.4 ...

Honea Path, South Carolina Honea Path is a town primarily in Anderson County, South Carolina and extending into Abbeville County in the northwest part of the state. The population was 3,597 at the 2010 census. Geography Honea Path is located at (34.447400, -82.393044). A ...

*Laurens County/Abbeville County/Greenwood County **Erwin Mill Road **Maddox Bridge Road ** SC 252 (Old Bridge) in

Ware Shoals, South Carolina Ware Shoals is a town in Abbeville, Greenwood, and Laurens counties in the U.S. state of South Carolina, along the Saluda River . Ware Shoals has a 2020 population of 1,607. Ware Shoals is currently declining at a rate of -2.84% annually a ...

**East Main Street in Ware Shoals **

US 25 U.S. Route 25 (US 25) is a north–south United States Highway that runs for in the southern and midwestern US. Its southern terminus is in Brunswick, Georgia, from where it proceeds mostly due north, passing through the cities of Augusta, Georg ...

in Ware Shoals * Lake Greenwood **Old Laurens-Greenwood Highway **Greenwood Highway ( SC 72/

US 221 U.S. Route 221 (US 221) is a spur of U.S. Route 21. It travels from Perry, Florida, at US 19/ US 98/ US 27 Alternate to Lynchburg, Virginia, at US 29 Business ( Lynchburg Expressway). It travels through the stat ...

) in Lake Shores, South Carolina *Newberry County/Saluda County ** Ninety-Six Highway ( SC 34) ** SC 39 in

Chappells, South Carolina Chappells (also Chappell, Chappells Bridge) is an unincorporated community, in Newberry and Saluda Counties, South Carolina, United States. The community was named after the local Chappell family of pioneer citizens. The Moon-Dominick House and ...

**Newberry Highway ( SC 121) *Lake Murray **Kempson Bridge Road ( SC 395) ** SC 391 near

Prosperity, South Carolina Prosperity is a town in Newberry County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 1,180 at the 2010 census. History Before being named Prosperity, the area was called Frog Level due to its low-lying location and large numbers of frogs li ...

(also crosses the

Little Saluda River The Saluda River is a principal tributary of the Congaree River, about 200 mi (320 km) long, in northern and western South Carolina in the United States. Via the Congaree River, it is part of the watershed of the Santee River, which f ...

) **

( SC 6) *Columbia/West Columbia ** Interstate 20 **

Interstate 26 Interstate 26 (I-26) is a main route of the Interstate Highway System in the Southeastern United States. Nominally east–west, as indicated by its even number, I-26 runs from the junction of U.S. Route 11W (US 11W) and US 23 in K ...

Riverbanks Zoo The Riverbanks Zoo and Garden is a zoo, aquarium, and botanical garden located along the Saluda River in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. A small portion of the zoo extends into the nearby city of West Columbia. It is operated by the ...

(footbridge)

Variant names

According to the

Geographic Names Information System The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) is a database of name and locative information about more than two million physical and cultural features throughout the United States and its territories, Antarctica, and the associated states of ...

, the Saluda River has also been known as: *Chickawa *Corn River *Saludy River *Saluta River *Salutah River *

*Seleuda River The river is named after an Indian tribe that once lived along its banks near the community of Chappells,

Save Our Saluda

In 2008, a collective of local citizens (or Citizens Action Group) based in Marietta,

Greenville County, South Carolina Greenville County is located in the state of South Carolina, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 525,534, making it the most populous county in the state. Its county seat is Greenville. The county is also home to the ...

initiated a campaign to "Save Our Saluda" following what they perceived to be aggressive property development. Their mission is to "(protect) and (preserve) the

headwaters The headwaters of a river or stream is the farthest place in that river or stream from its estuary or downstream confluence with another river, as measured along the course of the river. It is also known as a river's source. Definition The ...

of the Saluda watershed through concerned citizens action".

Endangered Status

In April 2009, the Saluda River was named by American Rivers, a leading river conservation group to a list of rivers in the

that are under imminent threat by dams, industry or development. The article, posted on

CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...

on April 7, 2009 stated "Excess levels of sewage waste threaten the drinking water of more than 500,000 South Carolina residents, conservationists say. Sewage in the river increases phosphorus and algae levels, depletes oxygen, and kills fish and other aquatic life. American Rivers is asking the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control to improve sewage-treatment standards and ensure the river reduces its phosphorus levels by 25 to 50 percent."

Sources

Columbia Gazetteer of North America entry
*

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