South Fork Catawba River

The South Fork Catawba River (better known as the South Fork River)^[5] begins south of Hickory, North Carolina just northwest of the intersection of US Highway 321 and North Carolina Highway 10, at the confluence of the Henry Fork and Jacob Fork located adjacent to the east side of the Jacob Fork Newton City Park. The South Fork Catawba River travels 48.5 miles, passing along the communities of Lincolnton, High Shoals, McAdenville, and Cramerton, to Lake Wylie where its now submerged confluence with the Catawba River lies near the North Carolina and South Carolina border.

South Fork Catawba River Tributary to Catawba River
Location of South Fork Catawba River mouth Show map of North Carolina South Fork Catawba River (the United States) Show map of the United States
Location
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
County	Catawba Gaston Lincoln
City	Lincolnton McAdenville Cramerton Belmont
Physical characteristics
Source	confluence of Henry Fork and Jacob Fork
• location	about 2 miles west of Startown, North Carolina
• coordinates	35°38′09″N 081°18′29″W[1]
• elevation	798 ft (243 m)[2]
Mouth	Catawba River
• location	Lake Wylie
• coordinates	35°08′59″N 081°01′58″W[1]
• elevation	569 ft (173 m)[2]
Length	54.96 mi (88.45 km)[3]
Basin size	660.78 square miles (1,711.4 km2)[4]
Discharge
• location	Catawba River (Lake Wylie)
• average	843.05 cu ft/s (23.873 m3/s) at mouth with Catawba River[4]
Basin features
Progression	southeast
River system	Catawba River
Tributaries
• left	Henry Fork Clark Creek Muddy Creek Lithia Branch Hoyle Creek
• right	Jacob Fork Pott Creek Howards Creek Indian Creek Beaverdam Creek Sulphur Branch Rattle Shoal Creek Coley Creek Long Creek DuHarts Creek
Waterbodies	Lake Wylie
Bridges	NC 10, Blackburn Bridge Road, Reepsville Road, S Grove Street, US 321, Laboratory Road, South Fork Road, Long Shoals Road, US 321, S Lincoln Street, Hardin Road, Philadelphia Church Road, Dallas Stanley Highway, Stanley-Spencer Mountain Road, I-85, Hickory Grove Road, US 74, North Main Street, Armstrong Ford Road, Armstrong Road

Signage on roadways crossing the river acknowledge it as the "South Fork River".

The river is part of the Santee River Watershed.

Variant names

According to the Geographic Names Information System, it has also been known historically as:^[1]

• Little Catawba River
• South Fork
• South Fork River
• South Fork of the Catawbaw River

See also

• List of North Carolina rivers