Pigeon River (Tennessee – North Carolina)

Pigeon River
River
The confluence of the Pigeon River and Big Creek in Waterville, North Carolina. The power plant is in the background.
Country	United States
States	North Carolina, Tennessee
Primary source	West Fork Pigeon River
- location	below Mount Hardy in Haywood County, North Carolina
- elevation	5,320 ft (1,622 m)
- coordinates	35°18′11″N 82°55′05″W / 35.30306°N 82.91806°W / 35.30306; -82.91806
Secondary source	East Fork Pigeon River
- location	below South Spring Top in Haywood County, North Carolina
- elevation	4,190 ft (1,277 m)
- coordinates	35°19′37″N 82°49′47″W / 35.32694°N 82.82972°W / 35.32694; -82.82972
Source confluence
- location	south of Canton, North Carolina
- elevation	2,644 ft (806 m)
- coordinates	35°28′43″N 82°52′55″W / 35.47861°N 82.88194°W / 35.47861; -82.88194
Mouth	French Broad River
- location	Irish Bottoms in Cocke County, Tennessee
- elevation	1,001 ft (305 m)
- coordinates	36°01′28″N 83°11′47″W / 36.02444°N 83.19639°W / 36.02444; -83.19639Coordinates: 36°01′28″N 83°11′47″W / 36.02444°N 83.19639°W / 36.02444; -83.19639
Length	70 mi (113 km)
Basin	704 sq mi (1,823 km2)
Discharge	for Newport, Tennessee, 6.8 miles (10.9 km) above the mouth
- average	1,256 cu ft/s (36 m3/s) (mean for water years 1945–1983)
- max	50,000 cu ft/s (1,416 m3/s) February 1902
- min	38 cu ft/s (1.1 m3/s) October 1952
Pigeon River watershed

The Pigeon River of western North Carolina and east Tennessee rises above Canton, North Carolina, is impounded by Walters Dam, enters Tennessee, and flows into the French Broad River, just past Newport, Tennessee. The river traverses the Pisgah National Forest and the Cherokee National Forest, and drains much of the northeastern Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The river takes its name from the passenger pigeon, an extinct bird whose migration route once included the river valley in North Carolina.

The Pigeon River arises in southeastern Haywood County, North Carolina, and flows basically northwest for most of its length. However, near Pressley Mountain it turns northeast for about four miles and in town of Canton, where it is utilized by the local paper mill, it turns north. After Canton it turns almost due west for about five miles, before resuming its northwest trend at about Clyde. From Canton, the Pigeon River flows roughly parallel to Interstate 40 for many miles. It is impounded by the Walters Dam of Progress Energy creating the long, narrow Waterville Lake. It enters Tennessee just after the village of Waterville, and continues with I-40 in the same valley northwestward through Hartford to Newport, where I-40 heads west, and the Pigeon River flows north into the French Broad River.