The Smith Fork Creek is a large
stream
A stream is a continuous body of water, body of surface water Current (stream), flowing within the stream bed, bed and bank (geography), banks of a channel (geography), channel. Depending on its location or certain characteristics, a stream ...
that flows through
Middle 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 ...
in the United States, draining much of the southwestern Upper Cumberland region.
It is a major tributary of the
Caney Fork River
The Caney Fork River is a river that flows through central Tennessee in the United States, draining a substantial portion of the southwestern Cumberland Plateau and southeastern Highland Rim regions. It is a major tributary of the Cumberland River ...
, and is part of the Cumberland,
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
and
Mississippi
Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...
basins. The creek is approximately long, and its watershed covers parts of four counties as a subset of the Caney Fork watershed.
The small towns and communities of
Statesville,
Auburntown,
Gassaway,
Liberty
Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom.
In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...
,
Dowelltown,
Temperance Hall, and
Lancaster are drained by the creek, which empties into the Caney Fork southeast of
Gordonsville.
Geography
The Smith Fork rises in
Wilson County Wilson County is the name of four counties in the United States:
*Wilson County, Kansas
*Wilson County, North Carolina
*Wilson County, Tennessee
*Wilson County, Texas
Wilson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 202 ...
about southwest of Statesville at the confluence of the smaller Knight Creek and Sunset Creek along Greenvale Road.
The stream flows directly through the town of Statesville, following
Highway 267 toward
DeKalb County DeKalb County may refer to one of several counties in the United States, all of which were named for Baron Johan DeKalb:
* DeKalb County, Alabama
* DeKalb County, Georgia
* DeKalb County, Illinois
* DeKalb County, Indiana
* DeKalb County, Missouri
...
. Before crossing into DeKalb County, Smith Fork picks up Saunders Fork, a major tributary, which drains much of northwestern
Cannon County
Cannon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,506. Its county seat is Woodbury. Cannon County is part of the Nashville–Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN Metropolitan Stat ...
, including Auburntown. The creek then slowly meanders northeast through western DeKalb County, picking up the
Clear Fork Creek in Liberty and Dry Creek in Dowelltown. After passing through Temperance Hall, the creek enters
Smith County and passes on the west side of Lancaster. The Smith Fork then empties into the Caney Fork River under a railroad bridge along the
Nashville and Eastern Railroad
The Nashville and Eastern Railroad is a shortline railroad which administers of track between Nashville and Monterey, Tennessee, of which are currently operational. The company is based in Lebanon, Tennessee.
The Nashville and Eastern was f ...
, a place known as Seabowisha.
An urban legend exists that Smith Fork Creek is the longest creek in the world at and that a stream must be at least long to be called a river.
However, the creek is not nearly long; it is less than half that long. Furthermore, many streams shorter than are called rivers.
See also
*
Center Hill Lake
Center Hill Lake is a reservoir in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is located in Middle Tennessee near Smithville. Created by means of a dam constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1948, the lake has a dual purpose: electricity produc ...
*
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
Caney Fork River Water Quality Management PlanCaney Fork Watershed Association
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Rivers of DeKalb County, Tennessee
Rivers of Smith County, Tennessee
Rivers of Wilson County, Tennessee
Tributaries of the Cumberland River
Rivers of Tennessee