The Chauga River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data
The National Map
, accessed April 26, 2011 tributary of the

Tugaloo River The Tugaloo River (originally Tugalo River) is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 26, 2011 river that forms the border between the U.S. states of Georgia and South C ...

Oconee County, South Carolina Oconee County is the westernmost county in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 78,607. Its county seat is Walhalla and its largest city is Seneca. Oconee County is included in the Seneca, SC Micropolit ...

Course

The Chauga River's source is the confluence of Village Creek and East Village Creek about 1 mile (1.6 km) south of present-day

Mountain Rest, South Carolina Mountain Rest is an unincorporated community near the Chattooga River in northwestern Oconee County, South Carolina. The community is on South Carolina Highway 28 adjacent to a lake on Taylor Creek. The ZIP Code for Mountain Rest is 29664. The ...

, in the Andrew Pickens Ranger District of the

Sumter National Forest The Sumter National Forest is one of two forests in South Carolina that are managed together by the United States Forest Service, the other being the Francis Marion National Forest. The Sumter National Forest consists of which are divided into 3 ...

. A little more than 1 mile (1.6 km) downstream, it is joined by Jerry Creek, which flows from Lake Becky and

Oconee State Park Oconee State Park is a state park located in the Blue Ridge Mountain region of South Carolina. This 1165-acre (472 ha) park has several recreational opportunities to choose from. They include cabins, camping, fishing and boating in the two ...

. Cassidy Bridge crosses it at the Cassidy Bridge Primitive Camp, after which it is joined by Cedar Creek and Rocky Fork Creek. After it is crossed by US Highway 76, it is joined by Ramsey Creek at Chau Ram County Park. This was founded by owner and proprietor Michael Shead. There the river goes over a waterfall at the park and is crossed by a pedestrian suspension bridge. It flows south to

Lake Hartwell Lake Hartwell is a man-made reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be create ...

, which was formed by damming the

and the Seneca River.

Watershed

The 11-digit hydrologic unit code for the watershed is 03060102-120. The watershed covers . The average terrain slope is 22.3%. About 93% of the watershed is forested and 5% is agricultural land. A map of the watershed is available. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control has classified the Chauga River watershed upstream of about above US Highway 76, except for Jerry Creek, as an "Outstanding Water Resource (ORW)." The lower part of the river is classified as "freshwaters suitable for primary and secondary contact recreation and as a source for drinking water supply after conventional treatment (FW)." A small permitted wastewater discharge is located at Oconee State Park on Jerry Creek. The city of

Westminster Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Buck ...

has water supply intakes on the Chauga River and on Ramsey Creek.

Recreation

The Chauga River is a popular fishing area for

rainbow trout The rainbow trout (''Oncorhynchus mykiss'') is a species of trout native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead (sometimes called "steelhead trout") is an anadromous (sea-run) form of the coast ...

brown trout The brown trout (''Salmo trutta'') is a European species of salmonid fish that has been widely introduced into suitable environments globally. It includes purely freshwater populations, referred to as the riverine ecotype, ''Salmo trutta'' morp ...

, chubs, and

redeye bass The Redeye bass, Redeye, or Coosa Bass (''Micropterus coosae'') is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family (Centrarchidae) native to the Coosa River system of Georgia, Alabama. The waters it is normally found in are cool streams and r ...

. The Cassidy Bridge area offers parking and access. The warmer reaches of the river have

largemouth bass The largemouth bass (''Micropterus salmoides'') is a carnivorous freshwater gamefish in the Centrarchidae ( sunfish) family, a species of black bass native to the eastern and central United States, southeastern Canada and northern Mexico, b ...

, bluegill, and

catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the three largest species alive, ...

. Sections of the Chauga River are popular for

whitewater kayaking Whitewater kayaking is an adventure sport where a river is navigated in a decked kayak. Whitewater kayaking includes several styles. River running; where the paddler follows a river and paddles rapids as they travel. Creeking usually involving sm ...

. The most adventurous section starts at Cassidy Bridge, which is a section that is rated up to Class IV at high water.

References

{{authority control Rivers of South Carolina Rivers of Oconee County, South Carolina Sumter National Forest Tributaries of the Savannah River