Catawba River Basin drains 3,297 square miles. Catawba does flow much more water. Dan Patterson -----Original Message----- From: Amy Crump [mailto:acrump@shentel.net] Sent: Tuesday, November 09, 1999 1:30 AM To: ROWANROOTS-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: Yadkin River Valley & River basin Given that your 7213 Sq. Mile drainage for the Yadkin is correct by including that little trickle up at Boone; what is the drainage area of the Catawba River if you include those little trickles up the Johns River through the Mountains, up Silver Creek and the other tributaries past Old Fort, etc. and then add in the South Fork of the Catawba including all its tributaries? I know more water flows in the Catawba so I'd be surprised if the drainage area was any smaller. Maybe it all goes back to what Dan is saying about definitions. The information is interesting, pardon my scepticism. G. Norman Crump at acrump@shentel.net ----- Original Message ----- From: Dan Michael Patterson <dmp@dantana.com> To: <ROWANROOTS-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, November 07, 1999 1:53 PM Subject: Yadkin River Valley & River basin > Hi Catherine Leinbach & history buffs > > > The mighty Yadkin River begins in the mountains of NC close to Boone, NC. > For the most part it travels due east from there down a fairly wide valley, > through Watauga & Wilkes & Yadkin Counties. It then turns south between > Davidson & Davie Counties. The first few counties are mountainous thus > traveling through valleys. As it turns south, the lay of the land evens > out. At the southern end of Davie county, the N.Yadkin & the S. Yadkin run > together. Davie county is in the crux of this "Y". I have a photo online > that you can see this "Y" www.dantana.com/RootsofRowan.html From this > junction to High Rock Lake is about 3 miles downstream & dam about 12 miles. > Rowan County on your right and Davidson County on your left. Both of these > areas were part of the "old Rowan". The area that this river and High Rock > Lake begins is the famous Trading Ford area. By the time the river enters > the lake it is not much called Yadkin River but High Rock Lake. At the > Trading Ford river crossing which is now about 300 yards wide, the river is > at its most 2 to 4 feet deep. I have for 35 years duck hunted this area of > the river and during the winter have had to get out of my hunting boat and > in 3 to 6 inches of water had to push my boat for 100 yards. This shallow > crossing is why the indians camped on both sides of the river and done their > trading. I am sure that 90% of all traffic that entered Rowan County from > the north and northwest crossed this river at Trading Ford. It is said that > at the height of the indian occupation of this area, you could see 10,000 > campfires. Grasp this statement: within 3 to 5 miles of this point is old > german settlements in eastern Rowan, upper and lower Davidson counties. If > you had kinfolk in this area in 1700 & 1800s they knew where Trading Ford > was. From the influence of the river to High Rock Lake starting at the I-85 > highway river bridge to the dam at Lake Tillery, the Yadkin River is not > really a river but a series of man made lakes and dams. As stated in an > earlier email but with some errors, the series of lakes is: > 1) High Rock Lake > 2) Tuckertown Lake > 3) Badin Lake Narrows Dam > 4) Falls Lake > 5) Lake Tillery > and then the dam that holds back Lake Tillery. > > The flow of water we knew as Yadkin River then is called the PeeDee River. > Just down river from here is the last lake on the Yadkin River/PeeDee River > Basin is the Blewett Falls Lake. A few miles below this dam is the SC state > line. By the way, there is a mountain lake upstream of High Rock called the > Wilksboro Resevoir /W. Kerr Scott Dam. > > The correct term and location of the Yadkin River Valley should really stop > at the influence to the High Rock Lake. At that point the correct term is > Yadkin River Basin. The basin covers 7,213 square miles.(total drainage > area) It drains part or all of the following counties: > Watauga, Caldwell, Alexander, Surry, Iredell, Yadkin, Stokes, Forsyth, > Davie, Davidson, Guilford, Randolph, Rowan, Cabarrus, Mecklenburg, Stanly, > Montgomery, Union, Anson and Richmond counties, North Carolina. The river > basin directly west is the Catawba River basin. The Yadkin River Basin is > bordered on the east by the Roanoke River, Neuse River, Cape Fear River, and > the Lumber River basins. > > > Dan Michael Patterson > Rowan County Information Website > www.DanTana.com > www.RowanCounty.com > Spencer, NC > > > ==== ROWANROOTS Mailing List ==== > The purpose of this list is the discussion of "Old Rowan" genealogy and history. Please ensure that your message is on topic. > ==== ROWANROOTS Mailing List ==== Please consider joining the Rootsweb Genealogical Data Cooperative?        http://www.rootsweb.com/