Keowee River facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Keowee River |
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|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| State | South Carolina |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Oconee County, South Carolina 34°58′35″N 82°56′04″W / 34.97639°N 82.93444°W |
| River mouth | Oconee County, South Carolina 34°41′44″N 82°52′58″W / 34.69556°N 82.88278°W |
The Keowee River is a river in South Carolina, United States. It starts where the Toxaway River and the Whitewater River meet. This meeting point is in northern Oconee County, South Carolina. Today, this spot is underwater, hidden by Lake Jocassee.
The Keowee River is about 25.7 miles (41.4 kilometers) long. It plays an important role in the local water system.
Contents
Journey of the Keowee River
The Keowee River's journey involves several lakes and dams.
From Lake Jocassee to Lake Keowee
The river flows out of the Lake Jocassee Dam. After leaving the dam, it enters Lake Keowee. Lake Keowee is another large reservoir. It was created by two dams: the Keowee Dam and the Little River Dam.
Flowing into the Seneca River
The Keowee River then flows out of the Keowee Dam. It joins with Twelvemile Creek near Clemson, South Carolina. When these two waterways meet, they form the beginning of the Seneca River. The Seneca River is a branch of the larger Savannah River.
How the River's Name Changed
The name of the Keowee River has changed over time. This can be a bit confusing when looking at old maps.
Historical Names
During the time of the American Revolutionary War and the early 1700s, the upper part of what is now called the Seneca River was often known as the Keowee River. This area was part of the traditional homeland of the Cherokee people. They also had a town named Keowee along the river.
Modern Map Names
Today, many maps, including official county maps, call the section of the Keowee River between the Keowee Dam and Twelvemile Creek the Seneca River. This area is now flooded by Lake Hartwell. Lake Hartwell was formed by building dams on the Seneca and Tugaloo rivers. Because of this, it is common to call this flooded section the Seneca River, even though it was once known as the Keowee.
Cherokee Towns Along the Keowee
For a long time, the Keowee River was home to many indigenous peoples. By the early 1700s, the Cherokee people had several towns along the upper Keowee River. These were known as the Lower Towns.
Ancient Settlements
These towns had been lived in by native peoples for many years. The larger towns often had special earthwork platform mounds. These mounds were built by people from the South Appalachian Mississippian culture long ago.
Cherokee Townhouses
The Cherokee people often built their townhouses on top of these mounds. Townhouses were important public buildings for their communities. Keowee was the main town among the Lower Towns. Other Cherokee towns along the Keowee River included Etastoe (also spelled Estatoe) and Sugartown (which they called Kulsetsiyi).
