The Flint River, long and draining an area of , is a tributary to the
Tennessee River
The Tennessee River is a long river located in the Southern United States, southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. Flowing through the states of Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky, it begins at the confluence of Fren ...
. The river rises in
Lincoln County, Tennessee, and flows south into
Madison County, Alabama
Madison County is a County (United States), county located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 Census, the population was 388,153, and according to a 2023 population estimate the ...
, where most of the river's
watershed (342 sq. mi.) is located. The land within this watershed is predominantly agricultural and has experienced significant recent residential growth from the city of
Huntsville. The
U.S. Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), founded as the Geological Survey, is an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior whose work spans the disciplines of biology, geography, geology, and hydrology. The agency was founded on March ...
National Water-Quality Assessment Program is currently investigating water quality in the lower Tennessee River basin with several monitoring activities targeted in the Flint River Basin.
Geology
The Flint River rises on the southwestern fringe of the
Cumberland Escarpment and primarily drains the plains that have been created by the erosion of this fringe of the
Appalachians. Due to the sedimentary nature of this escarpment, which consists primarily of
sandstone
Sandstone is a Clastic rock#Sedimentary clastic rocks, clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of grain size, sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate mineral, silicate grains, Cementation (geology), cemented together by another mineral. Sand ...
,
star blue quartz can be found in small quantities in the stream bed because it easily survives weathering of its encasing stone.
Recreation
The Hays Nature Preserve offers trails and greenways along the portion of the river running through Huntsville. Much of the river's course is suitable for canoeing and kayaking, and it is included as a route of the
Alabama Scenic River Trail.
See also
*
List of rivers of Alabama
This is a list of rivers of the U.S. state, US state of Alabama. Alabama has over 132,000 miles of rivers and streams with more freshwater biodiversity than any other US state. Alabama's rivers are among the most biologically diverse waterways in t ...
*
List of rivers of Tennessee
References
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Rivers of Alabama
Rivers of Tennessee
Rivers of Madison County, Alabama
Huntsville-Decatur, AL Combined Statistical Area
Rivers of Lincoln County, Tennessee