Georgia Natural Wonder #206 - Etowah River - Etowah Falls. 778

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Georgia Natural Wonder #206 - Etowah River - Etowah Falls

Alright, these last few Wonders have been more about history than Natures Beauty. Indian towns, missions, and frontier forts. We return to Nature's Favorite State with an actual Natural Wonder, the upper Etowah River. There is a stretch of great whitewater which includes the treacherous Etowah Falls that we feature today. But first, some background from Wikipedia. The Etowah River is a 164-mile-long waterway that rises northwest of Dahlonega, Georgia, north of Atlanta. On Matthew Carey's 1795 map the river was labeled "High Town River".


Today's Wonder.

On later maps, such as the 1839 Cass County map (Cass being the original name for Bartow County), it was referred to as "Hightower River", a name that was used in most early Cherokee records. Hightower was the Cherokee village on top of the Myrtle Hill Cemetery in downtown Rome.The Battle of Hightower (also called Battle of Etowah Cliffs) was fought there in 1793.


Hightower Monument and looking up to top of Myrtle Hill.

The large Amicalola Creek (GNW #38) which flows over Amicalola Falls (GNW #9) is a primary tributary near the middle of the river.



Rock Face as you have to float the Etowah River a few miles to get to take out of Amicalola Creek adventure. The impressive rock bluff on river right provides a glimpse of the region’s geologic history. On its course from the mountains to Rome, the river cuts through three distinct geological areas - Eastern Blue Ridge, Western Blue Ridge and Ridge and Valley. The Eastern Blue Ridge represents a 500-550 million year old intraoceanic volcanic arc similar to the present-day Philippines. The Western Blue Ridge comprises North American sedimentary rocks that were deeply buried and metamorphosed during accretion of the Eastern Blue Ridge and formation of the Appalachian Mountain system. The Ridge & Valley is underlain by unmetamorphosed North American sedimentary rocks that were folded during Appalachian mountain building.



The Etowah then flows west-southwest through Canton, Georgia, and soon forms Lake Allatoona as detailed in (GNW #154) - Red Top Mountain. From the dam at the lake, it passes the Etowah Gorge (GNW #156) heading toward Cartersville.



Then it flows by the Etowah Indian Mounds archaeological site. (GNW #158)



The Euharlee Creek then enters. (GNW #159)



The Etowah River then flows to Rome, Georgia, where it meets the Oostanaula River and forms the Coosa River at their confluence as detailed in (GNW #54) 



The river is the northernmost portion of the Etowah-Coosa-Alabama-Mobile Waterway, stretching from the mountains of north Georgia to Mobile Bay in Alabama.


RSA Building in Mobile, looking over Mobile Bay.

The Little River is the largest tributary of the Etowah, their confluence now flooded by Lake Allatoona.  Allatoona Creek is another major tributary, flowing north from Cobb County and forming the other major arm of the lake.



The U.S. Board on Geographic Names officially named the river in 1897.


The Etowah played hell on Rome before the Allatoona Dam.

The river ends at 571 feet above mean sea level in Rome.


Point Park at head of Coosa River.

The river is home to the Cherokee darter and Etowah darter, which are listed on the Endangered Species List.



Country singer-songwriter Jerry Reed made the Etowah the home of the wild, misunderstood swamp dweller Ko-Ko Joe in the 1971 song "Ko-Ko Joe".



The fictional character, who is reviled by respectable people but apparently dies a hero while saving a child's life, is alternately known as the "Etowah River Swamp Rat" in the song. Reed, a native of Atlanta, took some liberties with Georgia geography in the song, including the non-existent "Appaloosa County" and "Ko-Ko Ridge" as part of the song narrative’s setting.


Flowers for Jerry Reed.

Now we explored the very far upper Etowah River in (GNW #107) Waterfalls of Camp Merrill and Camp Wahsega.


This is the upper of two waterfalls on the Etowah River. It's often referred to as Black Falls. The falls is on the grounds of Camp Merrill.



I found from "Waterfall Hikes of North Georgia" by Jim Parham that there is another falls below Black Falls, on the Etowah River. The directions are the same, but you have to follow the river downstream, along an old road, and when you get near the bottom of the hill - look back upstream for the lower of two waterfalls on the Etowah River. It's also often referred to as Black Falls.



These two falls are on the Etowah River. Here is a Facebook image of the lower falls.



Waterfall Location: 34.622817, -84.106017


One last image Lower Black Falls.

So now we are here at what I wanted to post about today, the main river float of the Upper Etowah River. My first post on the actual Etowah River is really my 9th post on the water of this river. This is several miles above where the Amicalola Creek comes in.


Castleberry Bridge.

This attractive run can be broken into two parts by putting in/taking out at Castleberry Bridge near the town of Auraria.

American White Water

So now, we are finally at today's Wonder. The 7-mile section above Castelberry Bridge includes most of the significant whitewater to be found on the Etowah. This section has wooded banks (which are giving way to residences) and several rock bluffs. The river has several Class I-II rapids and two rapids worthy of particular attention, Class II Chuck Shoals and Class IV Etowah Falls.

Highway 9 Lumpkin County

Put in under the south (river right) end of the bridge.



Parking is available under the bridge.

Chuck Shoals

Chuck Shoals is a fairly straight forward 100 foot long slide that is normally run at an angle from left to the center chute.



Scout from the rocks on the right as the banks are private property.



Check for logs and debris that tend to accumulate at the top and bottom of the rapid.



No good portage due to private property on both banks.



Run from the left, angling towards the center chute.



The next two-tenths of a mile provides a steady diet of swift moving water over shallow shoals.

Warning Drop, a two-foot ledge located shortly downriver of a large waterside residence on river left.



This rapid serves as a warning for the upcoming Etowah Falls.



Warning Drop can be run using any of several chutes, but the chutes on the left are clearer when the water is low. A long pool below Warning Drop, also known as Look Back Lake, provides ample opportunity to move right in preparation for portaging the Falls.



This rapid is also known as Mooney Branch Rapid - This ledge marks the beginning of the shoals leading up to Etowah Falls. The best routes through the ledge are down the middle or on the far river left, with a sharp turn to the middle of the river. A long pool allows for recovery before the main shoals above Etowah Falls. Mooney Branch enters the river at the base of the rapid on river right.

Etowah Falls

A set of 3 ledges totalling about 12 feet, the Falls is easily picked out by the horizon line and the roar. Scout from the rocks on the right bank: check for boaters playing at the smaller ledge below. Runnable at higher water levels, usually by boofing just left of center. For the less experienced or at lower levels, the Falls can be portaged via a good path on river right.



Etowah Falls, consisting of a 10+ foot ledge between two smaller drops, is just beyond the left turn at the end of Look Back Lake and presents a clear horizon line and a pronounced roar.





The first small drop should not be run unless you also plan to run the main drop.



Portage along the path on river right, beginning at or above the large rock: the land is owned by the family that operates Appalachian Outfitters, which permits boaters to use the path.



The main drop of Etowah Falls can be scouted from the high rocks on river right, also reached by the path.



Check for others playing in at the Lower Ledge/Rocky Road.



In 1980, the main drop was considered a mandatory portage by Sehlinger and Otey and most Etowah boaters portage it.



But it has been run often, especially at higher water levels.



At normal levels, the usual procedure is to boof the chute just left of center into a narrow landing area: other options are available at higher levels.

Lower Drop of the Falls (a/k/a Rocky Road)

The end of the path presents an opportunity to scout the Lower Ledge of Etowah Falls, also known as Rocky Road, and options to run or portage it. Just before the end of the path is a steep drop where it is easier and safer to pass boats than to carry them.



The lower level of the Falls is much less challenging and is often used as a play spot. (Be alert for boaters coming over the Falls.) There are several paths down the lower ledge.


Still makes for good adventure photo even if you portage.

The last half mile before the take-out at Castleberry Bridge includes three technical Class II rapids, Island Shoals, Middle Shoals and Castleberry Rapid: the cleanest path through the first two is on river right and for Castleberry Rapid is on river left.



Island Shoals

A technical, read-and-run rock garden with many possible routes and a couple of small play spots. Rock Garden—Around the bend from Etowah Falls is a rock garden that provides a swift water obstacle course.


Not sure which rapids are which.



Cleanest route is to river right. The Rock Garden of Island Shoals is really Mining Ruins - After passing the large house on river left, the river descends into a dense rock garden with numerous shoals and rapids over the next tenth of a mile. On river right near the island are the remains of a gold mining operation. The intensity of mining operations along the Etowah from 1828 until after the turn of the century is hard to fathom. Within two years after the first discovery of gold, Auraria just to the east of this spot was a thriving town of 1,000 residents. The first prospectors used only shovel and pan, but the impacts on the local landscape were extreme. A traveler in the area during the 1850s noted: “The beds of the creeks and brooks have been dug up, and the water now runs among unsightly heaps of gravel or through irregular pits." As the gold became harder to find, more advanced techniques were employed, culminating in “hydraulic mining” in the late 1800s in which pressurized water was used to literally blast away the sides of hills and ridges, washing away vast amounts of soil to retrieve the gold.

Middle Shoals

Another technical rapid with a small play spot or two.



Cleanest route is on river right. This island marks the beginning of a quarter-mile-long series of shoals and ledges that creates a challenging run. The best route is river right around the island then angling back towards the middle of the river to ride the main flow over a series of ledges.

Castleberry Rapid

A third technical rapid, this time with the cleanest line on river left.



Castleberry Rapid & Battle Branch Mine—In low to normal flows, the best course through this Class II rapid is middle and then left of the large boulder on river left at the base of the run.



On river right above Castleberry Rapid are the remains of the Battle Branch Mine. The mine earned its name when miners from Tennessee and Georgia in 1831 began arguing over possession of the claim. The fight that ensued left several of them seriously injured. Later, operations at the site were expanded by other gold seekers. At the height of excavation in 1878, the miners employed the hydraulic method, stripping the land bare with pressurized water and sending the ore to a stamp mill located on the river. Stamp mills were used to crush the ore into fine grains that could be sluiced and the gold separated. Remains of the operation can still be seen.


Nice big rock picnic spot by Castleberry rapids.

Move right after Castleberry Rapid for the take-out at Castleberry Bridge.

Castleberry Bridge

Take out on river right, at or shortly below the large rocks, for easiest walk to road.



Alternative is to run small rapid and take out under bridge.Take out at or just below the prominent rocks on river right or, if you prefer, run the last small rapid and take out under the bridge. The walk to Castleberry Bridge Road is short and easy.



Andrew
Mar 19, 2012

This stretch of river is a real gem. A buddy of mine and I ran this yesterday from Hwy 9 to Castleberry bridge. The river was at 5.17 feet on the Dawsonville Guage and 275 cfs. It was a great run! One of the easiest put-ins and take-outs around. Very little scraping in our inflatable kayaks, and we opted to walk around the falls. We will be bringing our pre-teen children back for this section of river. Other than the falls, the rapids are large enough that they will have a blast without being too dangerous for them. There was one tree fully across the right side of the river a ways downstream of the falls. We pulled the boats across the log and kept going with no problem. This was a sweet spot for river flow and height, I dont' know that I'd want to go any lower than 5 feet and 250 cfs.



Richard Allen Pogue
Apr 14, 2006

Two kayakers in our group ran the falls well below 300 cfs on 04/09/06. Good boof technique will prevent contact with rock but the line is not more than the width of a boat.



The lip of the drop is just left of  center

DIRECTIONS:

To reach the put-in, take Highway 9 about 4.5 miles southwest from Dahlonega or north from the intersection with with Highway 136 (about 7.2 miles) or Castleberry Bridge Road (about 5.1 miles). The put-in is under the south (river right) end of the bridge: look for a dirt road on the west side of Highway 9. Parking is available under the bridge.


Rapids and Side falls. On river right is an un-named tributary that spills into the river over a short shoal. The splash of the falls is amplified by the grotto-like bowl formed by the creek’s high banks and the wide pool beneath the falls.

To reach the access at Castleberry Bridge, take Castleberry Bridge Road west about a mile from Auraria Road (the turn is at the largely abandoned town of Auraria, 6.7 miles north of Highway 136: look for a 'historical site' marker on the left or an old, brown, abandoned hotel building on right) or east about 3.1 miles from Highway 9 (the turn from Highway 9 is 5.1 miles southwest of the put-in or 2.1 miles north of Highway 136 (turn just past the tall water tank on the right)).



Roadside parking is available and the access is down the path at the northwest corner of the bridge.



Before we leave today's post, we present the tangent on Auraria we did with (GNW #98) Cane Creek Falls & Lumpkin County. We added 13 images.

Tangent on Auraria

Auraria is a ghost town in Lumpkin County, Georgia, United States, southwest of Dahlonega. Its name derives from aurum, the Latin word for gold.  In its early days, it was also known variously as Dean, Deans, Nuckollsville, and Scuffle Town. In 1828, a hunter by the name of Benjamin Parks was hunting the territory west of the Chattahoochee River when he tripped over a rock only to discover that it was full of gold. At the time, the area was part of the Cherokee Indian Reservation. Parks told a few people about the gold and in 10 months there were over 1,000 miners living illegally on Cherokee Land.


1950's Auraria.

The miners called themselves the 29's after the year 1829. The Miners and Merchants quickly threw up towns to support the vibrant population. The first two towns they built were Auraria and Dahlonega. Auraria means "City of Gold” in Latin, and Dahlonega, in Cherokee, means "Yellow."  By 1830 the region had produced over 300 ounces of gold. Auraria was the county seat from 1828-1832 with a population of over 1,000.



Thousands of settlers came to these former Cherokee lands in search of gold during the Georgia Gold Rush, and following the Gold Lottery of 1832. One of the first gold rush boom towns started here in June 1832, when William Dean built a cabin between the Chestatee River and Etowah River. Auraria was the county seat from 1828-1832 with a population of over 1,000 by May 1833, and 10,000 were in the county.



The temporary seat of Lumpkin County in 1832, Nathaniel Nuckolls built a tavern, hotel, and several buildings to house the miners.



Within six months of the lottery, "one hundred family dwellings, eighteen or twenty stores, twelve or fifteen law offices, and four or five taverns" were to be found in the town.



It had 20 saloons, 5 hotels, even its own newspaper.



The land east of Auraria was purchased by Vice President John C. Calhoun, and there he established the Calhoun Mine. Even though he is South Carolina and his home is on the Campus of Clemson, we offer a tangent on Johnny.


Gold changes a man, Wooly Bully.

His home at Clemson.



The Calhoun Mine is perhaps the oldest and best-known mine in Lumpkin County, Georgia. When gold was discovered in Lumpkin County in 1828, which led to the Georgia Gold Rush in 1829, it was discovered on 239 acres owned by Robert Obar. After at least two intermediary sales, the land was purchased by Senator John C. Calhoun of South Carolina, who was also the 7th Vice President of the United States. Calhoun started a mining company to mine the land and later allowed his son-in-law Thomas Green Clemson, the founder of Clemson University, to manage it. The ore deposit was a very rich deposit and, according to an 1856 letter from Clemson to his brother-in-law, was still producing significant quantities of gold nearly 30 years after its initial discovery on the land. This mine - along with the Consolidated Mine and the Loud Mine - were some of the most productive mines in the Georgia Gold Belt.



In 1879, the Calhoun Mine passed from the Calhoun family. In 1939, after the deposits at the Calhoun Mine were long thought to be depleted, a small pocket was discovered and mined. After that excitement, things became quiet once again at the mine. The Calhoun Mine was added to the National Register of Historical Places and named a National Historic Landmark in 1973. Calhoun Mine is located about 3 miles south of Dahlonega off State Route 60 and on the eastern side of the Chestatee River. It lies on a hill on the west side of the road - about 0.6 miles off the road - on the opposite side of the ridge, on private property.

 

A traveling companion of Calhoun, Dr. Croft, suggested the town be renamed Aureola, in Nov. 1832. The town citizens picked Auraria.The banks of the Etowah River, Camp Creek, and Cane Creek had many mines (Barlow Mine, Battle Branch Mine, Ralston Mine, Whim Hill Mine, Hedwig-Chicago Mine, Gold Hill Mine Etowah Mine, and others).



The 40-acre gold lot on which most of Auraria stood was won by John R. Plummer, but his right to participate in the lottery was questioned. Faced with this legal challenge, the Inferior Court judges picked the site north of Auraria near the Cane Creek minining area. Auraria experienced a sharp decline as businesses and county offices relocated. The first session of the Superior Court of Lumpkin County met in what became known as Dahlonega, Georgia on Aug. 22, 1833.



Due to its location and political influence, Dahlonega received a Federal Mint for gold coins.



In 1848, gold was discovered in California. Former Auraria resident Jennie Wimmer, a cook in rural California, was the first person to prove the gold's authenticity, because she was the only person on the scene who knew how to perform the proper tests. This discovery led to the California gold rush of 1849. Discoveries of gold in California and soon after in Colorado caused Auraria to eventually fade into history. Gold mining in Georgia decreased and eventually all but ceased as miners went west looking for uncharted prospecting. Auraria's population quickly dwindled, and the community deteriorated.



Though people still mine gold in Dahlonega, they no longer mine in Auraria. Over time it died out due to no railroad, mines playing out, and poor soil which made farming rather difficult. Today Dahlonega is a tourist town where you can pan for gold or take tours of an old gold mine circa 1906. Not much is left of Auraria, though it set the standard for all the other ghost towns to follow.



It was the first town born in a gold rush and it was the first to die.



It should be noted however that the suburb of Denver, Colo. called Auraria was named after Auraria, Ga. In 1858 the "Russell Boy's," led by William Greeneberry Russell left for Kansas Territory. They went west and established another Auraria near the mouth of Cherry Creek that later became Denver, Colorado. Green Russell uncovered a fabulous lobe called Russell Gulch near which the Central City of Colorado was built "richest square mile on earth."



It's Ironic that Auraria's sister town is the only one that exists today.


Pepsi Center is in Auraria, Colorado.

There are still a few old buildings standing: the collapsing Graham Hotel (in ruins; very unsafe to enter).



Woody's store at Castleberry Bridge Road, that remained open till the early 1980s;



A red house that was once a bank;



Another house across the street; and a couple of foundations. They stand in lone testament to the 19th century gold rush.



We continue downstream on the Etowah River with our next post, some underground rafting, combination white water and caving. Today's GNW Gals, searching for theme, I present Eight TOE wah (8 Women All Hot showing their toes) Like the Blue Oyster Cult song .......


Oh man we get Jerry Reed and BOC in same GNW post!