Deep River (North Carolina)

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Deep River
Tributary to Cape Fear River
Deep River in Franklinville.jpg
Capefearrivermap.png
Map of the Cape Fear drainage basin showing Deep River
Location
CountryUnited States
StateNorth Carolina
CountiesChatham
Guilford
Lee
Moore
Randolph
CitiesRamseur
Franklinville
Randleman
Physical characteristics
Sourceconfluence of West and East Fork of Deep River
 • locationHigh Point, North Carolina[1]
 • coordinates35°59′44″N 079°56′44″W / 35.99556°N 79.94556°W / 35.99556; -79.94556[2]
 • elevation757 ft (231 m)
MouthCape Fear River
 • location
Moncure, North Carolina[1]
 • coordinates
35°35′48″N 079°03′11″W / 35.59667°N 79.05306°W / 35.59667; -79.05306Coordinates: 35°35′48″N 079°03′11″W / 35.59667°N 79.05306°W / 35.59667; -79.05306[2]
 • elevation
160 ft (49 m)
Length112.97 mi (181.81 km)[3]
Basin size1,450.17 square miles (3,755.9 km2)
Discharge 
 • locationCape Fear River
 • average1,525.72 cu ft/s (43.204 m3/s) at mouth with Cape Fear River[4]
Basin features
ProgressionCape Fear RiverAtlantic Ocean
River systemCape Fear River
Tributaries 
 • leftEast Fork of Deep River
Bull Run
Hickory Creek
Polecat Creek
Bush Creek
Sandy Creek
Reed Creek
Millstone Creek
Broad Mouth Branch
Back Branch
Brush Creek
Flat Creek
Cedar Creek
Falls Creek
Tysons Creek
Line Creek
Indian Creek
Cedar Creek
Georges Creek
Rocky River
Rocky Branch
 • rightWest Fork Deep River
Copper Branch
Richland Creek
Muddy Creek
Hasketts Creek
Gabriels Creek
Mill Creek
Richland Creek
Fork Creek
Grassy Creek
Bear Creek
Buffalo Creek
Scotchman Creek
Lick Creek
McLendons Creek
Big Governors Creek
Smiths Creek
Pocket Creek
Patterson Creek
Big Buffalo Creek
Little Buffalo Creek
WaterbodiesHigh Point Lake

Deep River is a tributary of the Cape Fear River, approximately 125 miles (200 km) long, in north central North Carolina in the United States. Deep River is a translation of the Indian name sapponah, "deep river".[5]

Paddling is popular on the river. Deep River is flanked by the planned Deep River State Trail and several other parks and preservation areas including Carbonton Dam Park, House in the Horseshoe Historic Site, Deep River Park and Deep River Camelback Truss Bridge, Endor Iron Furnace, White Pines Nature Preserve, Lockville Dam, Canal and Powerhouse, and Mermaid Point.[6]

The Cape Fear shiner, a critically endangered minnow, inhabits the river.

Course[]

Deep River rises in the Piedmont country in western Guilford County, east of Kernersville. It flows southeast past High Point and Randleman, forming the Randleman Lake. It passes northeast of Asheboro, then flows east to Franklinville then to Ramseur, then passing north of Sanford. The Rocky River enters the Deep River at the White Pines Nature Preserve.[7] Deep River joins Haw River at Mermaid Point near Haywood, just below the Haw's emergence from Jordan Lake, to form the Cape Fear River.

Dams[]

Deep River has 12 dams or relict dam structures and is the source river of the Randleman lake project that covers 3000 acres (12 km²) of property on the river near U.S. Route 220. The river crosses the Fall Line of North Carolina, an area where rivers are quite rocky and have a moderately high gradient. This gradient was used to power mills along the river to support the early textile industry in North Carolina. The river, popular with canoeists, was a center of a great deal of activity during the American Revolution at places such as Franklinville and the House In The Horseshoe.

The Lockville Dam, built of stone, is the only portion of the 19th-century Deep River lock and dam system that remains today.[6]

Until recently, the Deep River was host to the Carbonton Dam, the largest dam on the river at 17 feet (5.2 m) high and 270 feet (82 m) wide. In the fall of 2005, the dam was removed for the purpose of creating environmental mitigation credit by Restoration Systems, LLC, a leading environmental mitigation company in North Carolina. The project restored 10 miles (16 km) of the former impoundment around the House in the Horseshoe to free-flowing river.

Tributaries[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b "Deep River Topo Map, Chatham County NC (Moncure Area)". TopoZone. Locality, LLC. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  2. ^ a b "GNIS Detail - Deep River". geonames.usgs.gov. US Geological Survey. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  3. ^ "ArcGIS Web Application". epa.maps.arcgis.com. US EPA. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  4. ^ "Deep River Watershed Report". Waters Geoviewer. US EPA. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  5. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 102.
  6. ^ a b "Deep River Paddling Guide" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-10-12. Retrieved 2013-04-07.
  7. ^ Welcome to the Rocky River:The River Chatham County Can Call Its Own!
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "ArcGIS Web Application". epa.maps.arcgis.com. US EPA. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "GNIS Feature Search". geonames.usgs.gov. US Geological Survey. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  10. ^ a b c d "Deep River Topo Map, Chatham County NC (Moncure Area)". TopoZone. Locality, LLC. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
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