| Cumberland River | |
|---|---|
Canoers on the Cumberland River upstream from Cumberland Falls |
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| Origin | Small stream in Letcher County, KY near Flat Gap, VA |
| Mouth | Ohio River at Livingston County, near Smithland, Kentucky |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Length | 688 miles (1,107 km) |
| Source elevation | 1,155 ft (352 m) |
| Avg. discharge | 30,441 ft³/s (862 m3/s |
| Basin area | 18,081 mi² (46,830 km²) |
The Cumberland River is a waterway in the Southern United States. It is 688 miles (1,107 km) long.[1] It starts in Harlan County in far southeastern Kentucky between Pine and Cumberland mountains, flows through southern Kentucky, crosses into northern Tennessee, and then curves back up into western Kentucky before draining into the Ohio River at Smithland, Kentucky. The city of Nashville, Tennessee sits along the banks of the Cumberland River.
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The Cumberland River is a wild river above the headwaters of Lake Cumberland. Cumberland Falls, 68 feet (21 m) high, is one of the largest waterfalls in the eastern United States and is one of the few places in the Western Hemisphere where a moonbow can be seen.[2]
During the early colonial period, the river was known as "Warioto" to the local Native Americans and as "Shauvanon" by French traders. It was also known as the "Shawnee" or "Shawonoe" before being known by its current name.[3]
Important first as a passage for hunters and settlers, the Cumberland River also supported later riverboat trade which reached to the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. Villages, towns and cities were located at landing points along its banks. Through the middle of the 19th century, settlers depended on rivers for trading and travel.
In 1750, Dr. Thomas Walker led a party of hunters across the Appalachian Mountains from Virginia, mapped and named the river.[4]
Previous to Walker's trip, the Cumberland River had been called Wasioto by Native Americans and Rivere des Chaouanons, or "river of the Shawnee," by French traders. The river was also known as the Shawnee River (or Shawanoe River) for years after Walker's trip.[5]
In late April and early May 2010, due to extensive rains, the Cumberland River overflowed its banks and flooded Nashville and Clarksville. The downtown area was ordered to evacuate.[6]