Popular Features Of Harpeth River Nashville

By Scott Nelson


Tennessee is one of the scenic States around the country. This is due to the Harpeth River Nashville. It has a rich history and is useful for recreation and economic purposes. It is a major river in Tennessee.

Harpeth itself originates in Rutherford County with Eagleville as the headwaters. It is about one hundred and fifteen miles long. It passes through different counties with its focal point being in Nashville. Here it is recognized as a scenic river under the Tennessee Scenic River Acts. It passes through Franklin in Williamson County before getting into Davidson County. It feeds the Cumberland River and has its own tributaries such as the Little Harpeth and West Harpeth River.

The portion of river in Nashville is a major archaeological and historical site. The Mound Bottom archaeological site provides a glimpse of the culture and artifacts of the Native American Mississippian communities. The mounds are a complex construction done during the fifteenth century. The Montgomery Bell Tunnel is considered a historic civil engineering landmark. The tunnel which is seven miles long was created to divert water to the iron mill of Montgomery. The river also played a major part during the Battle of Franklin and was vital in the outcome of the Nashville campaign and the western civil war.

Generally, the water moves slow and it is classified as a Class one river. This makes it suitable for a number of recreation activities such as swimming, canoeing, kayaking, camping and fishing. A person can use their own or rent canoes or kayaks from local companies.

The water borders both private property and the state park. As such, there are specific access points that people use. These areas are listed in the map of Tennessee State Parks on their website. Water provides a great scene combined with the grassy fields, exotic trees and cliffs. There are picnic facilities along the stream and the Harpeth River State Park is an ideal place for hiking.

The fresh water is depended by a great number of local wildlife and aquatic life. Fishing is a great sport as there are over fifty species of fish that can be caught such as the crappie, perch, catfish, bluegill and smallmouth bass. This water is also home to over thirty species of mussels two of which are considered endangered species. It makes it possible to interact or see turtles, blue heron, deer, beaver, ducks and otters.

The Harpeth has been identified as the ninth most endangered river in the country. This is due to waste disposal and withdrawal. These two activities pose a great danger to the aquatic and wildlife that depend on this stream. They also pollute the water and make it unfit for recreation activities. Sewage disposal occurs on the upper parts and this can be dangerous during summer time when the water flow is low.

The river has been frequently listed as one among the waters that fail to meet the standards for recreation use and aquatic life during the summer time when the flow is low. This problem is made worse by the water plant withdrawing water. Luckily, the new withdrawal permit issued last year has put restrictions on the amount of withdrawals which favor the aquatic life.




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