French Broad River

French Broad River
French Broad River in Henderson County, North Carolina
French Broad River watershed
Location
Country	United States
State	North Carolina, Tennessee
Physical characteristics
Source	North Fork French Broad River
• location	Transylvania County, North Carolina
• coordinates	35°15′57″N 82°53′20″W / 35.26583°N 82.88889°W / 35.26583; -82.88889[1][2]
• elevation	3,189 ft (972 m)
2nd source	West Fork French Broad River
• location	Transylvania County, North Carolina
• coordinates	35°11′09″N 82°59′01″W / 35.18583°N 82.98361°W / 35.18583; -82.98361[3]
• elevation	3,440 ft (1,050 m)
Source confluence
• location	Rosman, North Carolina
• coordinates	35°08′33″N 82°50′19″W / 35.14250°N 82.83861°W / 35.14250; -82.83861[4][5]
• elevation	2,195 ft (669 m)
Mouth	Tennessee River
• location	Knoxville, Tennessee
• coordinates	35°57′33″N 83°51′0″W / 35.95917°N 83.85000°W / 35.95917; -83.85000[5]
• elevation	814 ft (248 m)[5]
Length	219 mi (352 km)[4]
Basin size	5,124 sq mi (13,270 km2)[6]
Discharge
• location	Riverdale, Tennessee, 7.5 miles (12.1 km) above the mouth(mean for water years 1945–1983)[7]
• average	7,878 cu ft/s (223.1 m3/s)(mean for water years 1945–1983)[7]
• minimum	67 cu ft/s (1.9 m3/s)October 1953[7]
• maximum	160,000 cu ft/s (4,500 m3/s)July 1867[7]
Basin features
Progression	French Broad → Tennessee → Ohio → Mississippi
Tributaries
• left	Pigeon River, Little Pigeon River
• right	Swannanoa River, Nolichucky River

The French Broad River is a river in the U.S. states of North Carolina and Tennessee. It flows 218 miles (351 km)^[4] from near the town of Rosman in Transylvania County, North Carolina, into Tennessee, where its confluence with the Holston River at Knoxville forms the beginning of the Tennessee River. The river flows through the counties of Transylvania, Buncombe, Henderson, and Madison in North Carolina, and Cocke, Jefferson, Sevier, and Knox in Tennessee. It drains large portions of the Pisgah National Forest and the Cherokee National Forest.