List of rivers of Kentucky facts for kids
Kentucky is a state in the United States known for its beautiful landscapes, including many important rivers. These rivers are like natural highways, carrying water across the state and playing a big part in Kentucky's history, nature, and daily life. They provide homes for wildlife, places for people to have fun, and even help power our communities.
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Understanding River Basins
All the rivers in Kentucky eventually flow into the mighty Mississippi River. Most of them first join the Ohio River, which is a major tributary of the Mississippi. Think of a river basin as a giant bowl or a funnel. It's an area of land where all the rain and water from smaller streams and creeks eventually drain into one main river. This helps us understand how all the waterways are connected!
Major River Systems in Kentucky
Here's a look at the main rivers in Kentucky, grouped by which larger river they flow into. This helps us see how all the smaller streams and creeks connect to form bigger river systems.
- Mississippi River
- Obion Creek
- Mayfield Creek
- Ohio River
- Goose Creek
- Massac Creek
- Tennessee River
- Clarks River
- Blood River
- Cumberland River
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- Tradewater River
- Green River
- Panther Creek
- Pond River
- Rough River
- Mud River
- Barren River
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- Little Reedy Creek
- Big Reedy Creek
- Bear Creek
- Nolin River
- Little Barren River
- Russell Creek
- Salt River
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- Beargrass Creek
- Little Kentucky River
- Kentucky River
- Eagle Creek
- Elkhorn Creek
- Benson Creek
- Dix River
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*Cedar Creek
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- Hickman Creek
- Silver Creek
- Red River
- North Fork Kentucky River
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*Troublesome Creek **Lost Creek **Buckhorn Creek **Balls Fork **The Forks of Troublesome *Willard Creek *North Fork tributaries at Hazard, Kentucky **Lotts Creek ***Trace Fork **Big Creek *Carr Fork *Macies Creek *Leatherwood Creek
*Cutshin Creek *Greasy Creek *Beech Fork
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- South Fork Kentucky River
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*Sextons Creek *Goose Creek **Little Goose Creek **Horse Creek **Laurel Creek **Collins Creek **Martins Creek **Beech Creek *Red Bird River **Big Creek **Bear Creek
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- Taylors Creek
- Licking River
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*Townsend Creek
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- Kinniconick Creek
- Tygarts Creek
- Little Sandy River
- Big Sandy River
- Blaine Creek
- Levisa Fork
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*Blackberry Creek
Rivers in Alphabetical Order
Sometimes it's easier to find a river if they are listed in alphabetical order. Here is a list of many of Kentucky's rivers and larger creeks:
- Banklick Creek
- Barren River
- Beargrass Creek
- Beaver Creek (Kentucky)
- Beech Fork of the Salt River
- Big Sandy River
- Blackberry Creek
- Blood River
- Cassidy Creek
- Cedar Creek
- Chaplin River
- Clarks River
- Clear Creek (Kentucky)
- Clear Fork
- Cruises Creek
- Cumberland River
- Defeated Creek (Knott County, Kentucky)
- Defeated Creek (Letcher County, Kentucky)
- Dix River
- Dreaming Creek
- Dry Creek (Kentucky)
- Drennon Creek
- Eddy Creek
- Elkhorn Creek
- Floyds Fork of the Salt River
- Gasper River
- Green River
- Hickman Creek
- Kentucky River
- Laurel River
- Lawrence Creek (Kentucky)
- Levisa Fork of the Big Sandy River
- Licking River
- Little Barren River
- Little Kentucky River
- Little River
- Little Sandy River
- Lynn Camp Creek
- Massac Creek
- Middle Fork Kentucky River
- Mississippi River
- Mistaken Creek
- Mud River
- Nolin River
- North Fork Kentucky River
- Ohio River
- Paint Creek
- Pond River
- Red Bird River
- Red River (eastern Kentucky)
- Red River (western Kentucky)
- Rockcastle River
- Rolling Fork of the Salt River
- Rough River
- Russell Fork of the Big Sandy River
- Salt Lick Creek (Kentucky)
- Salt River
- Sap Branch
- Silver Creek
- Sinking Creek (Breckinridge County, Kentucky)
- Sinking Creek (Jessamine County, Kentucky)
- South Fork Kentucky River
- Squabble Creek
- Tearcoat Creek
- Tennessee River
- Tradewater River
- Tug Fork of the Big Sandy River
- Tygarts Creek
- Wolf River
See also
