N a t i o n a l P a r kG r e a t S m o k y M o u n t a i n s

Nantahal a

Mou n tai n

s

Ba l s a m

Mo u n t a i n s

S o u t h

M o u n t a i n s

B

L

U

E

R

I

D

G

E

B r u s h y

M o u n t a i ns

S a u r a t o w n M o u n t a i n s

U w h a r r i e

M o u n t a i n s

SA

ND

HI

L

LS

Cape Fear

Cape Lookout

Cape Hatteras

Ou

te

r

Ba

nk

s

Mt . Mitchel l6684'

Roan Mtn.6285 '

Grandfather Mtn.5964'

ClingmansDome6643'

Mt. Sterling5835' Mt . Hardison

6134'

Cold Mtn.6030'

RichlandBalsam

6540'

WaterrockKnob6292'

Mt . Pisgah5721'

Phoenix Mtn.4690'

StandingIndian Mtn.

5499'

WayahBald5342'

Murphy

Robbinsville

Hayesville

BrysonCity

Franklin

Sylva

Brevard

Waynesville

Marshall

Asheville

Hendersonville

Columbus

Marion

Rutherfordton

Burnsville

Bakersville

Newland

Boone

Jefferson

Wilkesboro

LenoirTaylorsville

Statesville

Hickory

Mooresville

Newton

Morganton

ShelbyGastonia

Charlotte Mint Hill

Matthews

Monroe

Rockingham

Albemarle

Salisbury

Kannapolis

Concord

Thomasville

Lexington

Reidsville

Winston-SalemGreensboro

HighPoint

Kernersville

Bur l ington

Graham

Asheboro

Sanford

Fayetteville

Laurinburg

Lumber ton

Henderson

Carrboro

Chapel Hill

Durham

CaryRaleigh

Garner

RoanokeRapids

Smithfield

RockyMount

Tarboro

Wilson

Goldsboro

Greenville

Kinston

New Bern

Jacksonville

Wilmington

City

Havelock

Sparta

Lincolnton

Mocksville

Dobson

Yadkinville

DanburyWentworth

Eden

Troy

WadesboroRaeford

CarthageLillington

Pittsboro

YanceyvilleRoxboro

Oxford

Louisburg

Elizabethtown

Whiteville

Clinton

Nashville

WarrentonHalifax

Snow Hill

Kenansville

Burgaw

Bolivia

Bayboro

Trenton

Washington

Williamston

Windsor

Plymouth

Edenton

Hertford

JacksonWinton

Gatesville

Currituck

Camden

Columbia Manteo

SwanQuarter

Beaufort

WakeForest

Elizabeth

Hiwassee

Lak e Chatuge

Lak e

Santee t lahLak e

Nantaha laLak e

Fontana Lake

Lak eJame s

Lak eLure

K ings Mounta inReser v o i r

Rhodh iss

Lak e H i ckor y

LookoutShoa ls

Lak e

Lak eNor man

M ounta inIs land

Lake

Lak eW yl ie

W. Ker r Sco t tReser v o i r

H ighRoc k

Lak e

Tu cke r t ow nReser v o i r Bad in

Lak e

LakeTi l le r y

B l ewet t F a l l sLake

BelewsLake

TownsendLake

LakeBur lington Quaker

CreekReservoir

HycoLake

B. EverettJordan

Lake

Harr isReservo ir

LakeWaccamaw

Singletar yLake

WhiteLake

Bay TreeLake

Ma yoReservoir

John H. KerrReservoir

Falls Lake

LakeGaston

Roanoke RapidsLake

CatfishLake

Long

Lake

Lake Ellis Simon

GreatLake

PhelpsLake

Pungo Lake

LakeMattamuskeet

LittleLake

Hi w a s s e e

R i v e r

L i t t l e

T e n ne

ss

ee

Riv

er

F r e n c h

Br o

ad

Riv

er B r o a d

R i v e r

N o r t hT o e

R i v e r

Lak e

C a t a w b a

R i v e r

N e w

Ri v

e r

Y a d k i n

R i v e r

Pe e

De

e

Ri v

er

D a nR i v e r

D e e p

R i v e r

Ha

w

Ri v e r

C a p eF e a r

Ri v e r

N e u s e

R i v e r

Ta

r

Ri v e r

R o a n o k e

R i v e r

C h o w a nR

i v e r

P asquotankR

iver

Wh i t e

Oa k

No

rthe

as

t

S o u t h

Ri v e r

B l a c k

Ri v e

r

Currituck

Sound

A l b e m a r l e S o u n d

In tracoasta l

Waterw

ay

Croa tan

Sound

P a m l i c o R i v e r

P a m l i co

S o u n d

B ogue S ound

Core

Sound

Alli

g ato

rR

ive r

N e u s e

R i ve r

R iver

Lum ber

T u c k a s e g e e

R i v e r

SwampGreen

HollyShelterSwamp

Wolf Swamp

Gum Swamp

HollowGroundSwamp

Pi g

eo

n

Wa t a u g a

R.

Uw

ha

r ri e

DismalSwamp

Ca

pe

Fe

ar

Wa

ccamaw

River

CHEROKEE

GRAHAM

SWAIN

MACONCLAY

JACKSON

HAYWOOD

TRANSYLVANIA

MADISON YANCEY

BUNCOMBE

HENDERSONPOLK

MITCHELLAVERY

McDOWELL

RUTHERFORD

WATAUGA

ASHE

CALDWELL

BURKE

CLEVELAND

ALLEGHANY

WILKES

ALEXANDER

CATAWBA

LINCOLN

GASTON

SURRY

YADKIN

IREDELL

DAVIE

ROWAN

CABARRUS

MECKLENBURG

STANLY

UNION ANSON

STOKES

FORSYTH

DAVIDSON

ROCKINGHAM

GUILFORD

RANDOLPH

MONTGOMERY

RICHMOND

CASWELL

PERSON

ALAMANCE

ORANGE

DURHAM

CHATHAM

LEE

MOORE

SCOTLAND

HOKE

HARNETT

WAKE

CUMBERLAND

ROBESON

GRANVILLE

VANCE

FRANKLIN

JOHNSTON

WILSON

WAYNE

GREENE

SAMPSON

LENOIR

DUPLIN

JONES

CRAVEN

BLADEN

COLUMBUS

BRUNSWICK

PENDER

NEW

HANOVER

ONSLOW

PITT

EDGECOMBE

NASH

WARREN

HALIFAX

NORTHAMPTON

HERTFORD

BERTIE

MARTIN

BEAUFORT

PAMLICO

GATES

PERQUIMANS

CHOWAN

WASHINGTON

TYRRELLDARE

HYDE

CURRITUCK

CAM

DEN

PASQUO

TANK

CARTERET

LakeNew

Nor th Carol ina’s R iver Bas ins

This map is provided by the Office of EnvironmentalEducation and Public Affairs in the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

MAP BY LEE RATCLIFFE, FROM THE NOV. 1999 SPECIALISSUE OF WILDLIFE IN NORTH CAROLINA MAGAZINE,“RIVERS OF NORTH CAROLINA.” PUBLISHED BY THEN.C. WILDLIFE RESOURCES COMMISSION. BASE MAPCOPYRIGHT JOHN FELS, 1997

SOURCES: NCDENR DIVISION OF WATER QUALITY;NCDENR OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATIONAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS; N.C. DEPARTMENT OFTRANSPORTATION.

Ariver basin encompasses all the land surface drained by many finger-like streams and creeks flowing downhill into one anotherand eventually into one river, which forms its artery and backbone. As a bathtub catches all the water that falls within its sidesand directs the water out its drain, a river basin sends all the water falling within its surrounding ridges into its system of creeks

and streams to gurgle and splash downhill into its river and out to an estuary or the ocean.The shape of a river basin comes from the collective and opposing forces of mountain-building and weathering. Geological forces

push mountains up into the sky, and weathering from rain and wind wears mountainsides into hillsides and valleys and plains. Ajigsaw puzzle of river basins reflects in three dimensions the outcome of these combined forces molding the landscape.

As an artery connects the parts of a body to one another, so a river threads together the creeks and streams, valleys and hills, springsand lakes that share a common assembly of water. What happens to the surface or underground water in one part of the river basinwill find its way to other parts. If water is diverted out of its usual course in one part of a river basin, other parts will know its absence.A river basin comes closer than any other defined area of land, with the exception of an isolated island, to meeting the definition ofan ecosystem in which all things are connected and interdependent.

What Is a River Basin?

Areasof North Carolina’s River BasinsI N S Q U A R E M I L E S

*for comparison

Stream Watch will provideinformation about how toadopt or keep an eye on astream near you.(919) 715-5435

Funded through a Walmart Stormwater Compliance Grant. 2010. 7000 copies of this public document were printed at a cost of $2,481.46 or $0.35 per copy.Printed on recycled paper.

9/2010

Cape Fear 9,164Yadkin-PeeDee 7,221Tar-Pamlico 6,148Neuse 6,062Roanoke 3,493Pasquotank 3,366Lumber 3,329Catawba 3,285French Broad 2,829Little Tennesse 1,797Broad 1,514White Oak 1,382Chowan 1,298New 754Hiwassee 644Watauga 205Savannah 171 Amazon* 2,300,000Mississippi* 1,240,000

Discover Your Ecological Address!Your river basin is one part of your ecological address. To learn moreabout your ecological address, contact the Office of EnvironmentalEducation and Public Affairs at (919) 733-0711 or check out theWeb site at http://www.eenorthcarolina.org