The Pacolet River is a

tributary A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they ...

of the Broad River, about 50 miles (80 km) long, in northwestern

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

in the United States.Columbia Gazetteer of North America entry
One of its principal

headwater The headwater of a river or stream is the geographical point of its beginning, specifically where surface runoff water begins to accumulate into a flowing channel of water. A river or stream into which one or many tributary rivers or streams flo ...

s tributaries also drains a small portion of western

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

. Via the Broad and Congaree rivers, it is part of the watershed of the

Santee River } The Santee River is a river in South Carolina in the United States, and is long. The Santee and its tributaries provide the principal drainage for the coastal areas of southeastern South Carolina and navigation for the central coastal plain of ...

, which flows to the Atlantic Ocean.

DeLorme DeLorme Publishing Company is a producer of personal satellite tracking, messaging, and navigation technology. The company's main product, ''inReach'', integrates GPS and satellite technologies. ''inReach'' provides the ability to send and rec ...

(1998). ''South Carolina Atlas & Gazetteer''. Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. The stream's name has also been spelled historically as "Pacolate River".

Course

The Pacolet is formed by the confluence of its short north and south forks: *The North Pacolet River rises in the

Blue Ridge Mountains The Blue Ridge Mountains are a Physiographic regions of the United States, physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Highlands range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States and extends 550 miles southwest from southern ...

in southeastern

Henderson County, North Carolina Henderson County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 116,281. Its county seat is Hendersonville. Henderson County is part of the Asheville, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area. Hi ...

and flows eastwardly into Polk County. It then passes near the town of Tryon and turns southeastwardly into northern

Spartanburg County, South Carolina Spartanburg County is a county located on the northwestern border of the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 327,997, making it the fifth-most populous county in South Carolina. Its county seat is Spartan ...

. *The South Pacolet River rises in northeastern

Greenville County, South Carolina Greenville County ( ; locally ) is located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 525,534, making it the most populous county in the state. Its county seat is Greenville. The county is also home to ...

, and flows eastwardly into northern Spartanburg County, where it passes the town of Campobello and is dammed to form Lake William C. Bowen. The two forks join 10 miles (16 km) north-northeast of

Spartanburg Spartanburg is a city in and the county seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. The city had a population of 38,732 as of the 2020 census, making it the 11th-most populous city in the state. The Office of Management and Budg ...

, and the Pacolet then flows generally southeastwardly, through or along the boundaries of Spartanburg,

Cherokee The Cherokee (; , or ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, they were concentrated in their homelands, in towns along river valleys of what is now southwestern ...

and Union counties, through Lake Blalock and past the town of Pacolet. It joins the Broad River on the common boundary of Cherokee and Union Counties, 4 miles (6 km) north of the town of Lockhart. In Spartanburg County the Pacolet collects Lawsons Fork Creek, which historically has also been known as "Lawsons Fork of the Pacolet River". The creek flows for its entire length in Spartanburg County, passing through the city of Spartanburg.

References

{{authority control Rivers of North Carolina Rivers of South Carolina Rivers of Cherokee County, South Carolina Rivers of Greenville County, South Carolina Rivers of Henderson County, North Carolina Rivers of Polk County, North Carolina Rivers of Spartanburg County, South Carolina Rivers of Union County, South Carolina Tributaries of the Broad River (Carolinas)

Course

See also

References