Green River (Kentucky)
Encyclopedia
The Green River is a 384 miles (618 km) tributary of the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...

 that rises in Lincoln County
Lincoln County, Kentucky
Lincoln County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The population was 24,742 in the 2010 Cesus. Its county seat is Stanford. Lincoln is a prohibition or "dry county" and is part of the Danville Micropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...

 in south-central Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...

. Tributaries of the Green River include the Barren River
Barren River
The Barren River is a river in western Kentucky, USA. It is the largest tributary of the Green River, which drains more of Kentucky than any other river. The Barren River rises in Monroe County and flows into the Green in northeast Warren County....

, the Nolin River
Nolin River
The Nolin River is a tributary of the Green River in central Kentucky in the United States. Via the Green and Ohio rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River...

, the Pond River
Pond River
The Pond River is a tributary of the Green River in western Kentucky in the United States. Via the Green and Ohio rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River....

 and the Rough River
Rough River
The Rough River is a tributary of the Green River in west-central Kentucky in the United States. Via the Green and Ohio rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River...

. The river takes its name from its green color, which is caused by algae.

History

Following the Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...

, many veterans staked claims along the Green River as payment for their military service. The river valley also attracted a number of ne'er-do-wells, earning it the dubious nickname Rogue's Harbor.

In 1842, the Green River was canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...

ized, with a series of locks and dams being built to create a navigable channel as far inland as Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green is the third-most populous city in the state of Kentucky after Louisville and Lexington, with a population of 58,067 as of the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Warren County and the principal city of the Bowling Green, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area with an estimated 2009...

. Four locks and dams were constructed on the Green River, and one lock and dam was built on the Barren River, a tributary that passed through Bowling Green.

During the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

, Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...

 General John Hunt Morgan
John Hunt Morgan
John Hunt Morgan was a Confederate general and cavalry officer in the American Civil War.Morgan is best known for Morgan's Raid when, in 1863, he and his men rode over 1,000 miles covering a region from Tennessee, up through Kentucky, into Indiana and on to southern Ohio...

 conducted daring raids through the Green River country, from which he reached into southern Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...

 and Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

.

In 1901, two additional locks and dams were opened on the Green River, which allowed river traffic to Mammoth Cave. In 1941, Mammoth Cave National Park
Mammoth Cave National Park
Mammoth Cave National Park is a U.S. National Park in central Kentucky, encompassing portions of Mammoth Cave, the longest cave system known in the world. The official name of the system is the Mammoth-Flint Ridge Cave System for the ridge under which the cave has formed. The park was established...

 was established, and the two upper locks and dams closed in 1950. In 1965, Lock and Dam #4 at Woodbury
Woodbury, Kentucky
Woodbury is a city in Butler County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 87 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Woodbury is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:...

 failed; this was the dam that locked both the Green and Barren rivers.

In 1969, the United States Army Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...

 impounded a section of the river, forming 8200 acres (33.2 km²) Green River Lake. The lake is now the primary feature of Green River Lake State Park
Green River Lake State Park
Green River Lake State Park is a park located near Campbellsville, Kentucky in Taylor County. The park itself encompasses , while Green River Lake, its major feature, covers approximately .-External links:**...

.

There is still one Indian tribe living on the Green River: the Southern Cherokee Nation of Kentucky
Southern Cherokee Nation of Kentucky
The Southern Cherokee Nation of Kentucky claim descent from the Cherokee forcibly removed to Indian Territory in 1838, and to have first emerged as a distinct political faction known as the Treaty Party before the Trail of Tears, circa 1835. They report having fled Indian territory, after the...

. In 1983 Governor John Y. Brown, Jr.
John Y. Brown, Jr.
This article is about one of four John Young Browns, from Kentucky, that have served political office. For others see: John Young Brown ...

 recognized the Southern Cherokee Nation as an Indian tribe.

Route

The Green River flows through Mammoth Cave National Park
Mammoth Cave National Park
Mammoth Cave National Park is a U.S. National Park in central Kentucky, encompassing portions of Mammoth Cave, the longest cave system known in the world. The official name of the system is the Mammoth-Flint Ridge Cave System for the ridge under which the cave has formed. The park was established...

, located along river miles 190 to 205. The river drains the cave and controls the master base level of the Mammoth Cave system: the construction of a 9 feet (2.7 m) dam at Brownsville
Brownsville, Kentucky
Brownsville is a city in and the county seat of Edmonson County, Kentucky, United States. The population is 1,000 at the 2000 census. It is included in the Bowling Green, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area...

 in 1906 has raised the water level in some parts of the cave system by as much as 6 feet (1.8 m) above its natural value.

The 384 miles (618 km) Green River, an important transportation artery for the coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...

 industry, is open to traffic up to the closed Lock and Dam #3 (known as the Rochester Dam) at mile 108.5. Muhlenberg County
Muhlenberg County, Kentucky
Muhlenberg County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 31,499. The county is named for Peter Muhlenberg. Its county seat is Greenville....

, once the largest coal-producing county in the nation, benefits greatly from access to the river, as does the aluminum industry in Henderson County
Henderson County, Kentucky
Henderson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1799. As the latest census data update of 2010, the population was counted 46,250. The county seat is the City of Henderson. The county was named for Colonel Richard Henderson who originally purchased of land...

. In 2002, more than 10 million short tons were shipped on the river, primarily sub-bituminous coal
Sub-bituminous coal
Sub-bituminous coal is a type of coal whose properties range from those of lignite to those of bituminous coal and are used primarily as fuel for steam-electric power generation.- Properties:...

, petroleum coke
Petroleum coke
Petroleum coke is a carbonaceous solid derived from oil refinery coker units or other cracking processes. Other coke has traditionally been derived from coal....

 and aluminum ore.

Biology

The Green River is home to more than 150 fish species and more than 70 mussel
Mussel
The common name mussel is used for members of several families of clams or bivalvia mollusca, from saltwater and freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other edible clams, which are often more or less rounded or oval.The...

 species. This includes some of Kentucky's largest fish, and some of the world's rarest species of mussels.

Mussels

Endangered species:
  • Ring Pink Obovaria retusa
  • Rough Pigtoe Pleurobema plenum
  • Northern riffleshell Epioblasma torulosa rangiana 


Threatened species:
  • Long solid Mussel Fusconaia subrotunda
  • Pink Mucket Lampsilis abrupta
  • Pyramid Pigtoe Pleurobema rubrum

In popular culture

In 1971, the Green River was mentioned in the song "Paradise (John Prine song)
Paradise (John Prine song)
"Paradise" is a song written by John Prine for his father, and recorded for his 1971 debut album, John Prine. Prine also re-recorded the song for his 1986 album, German Afternoons. The song is about the impact of coal mining both while in activity and what happens to the area around the Green River...

" by John Prine
John Prine
John Prine is an American country/folk singer-songwriter. He has been active as a recording artist and live performer since the early 1970s.-Biography:...

.

See also

  • Green River Lake State Park
    Green River Lake State Park
    Green River Lake State Park is a park located near Campbellsville, Kentucky in Taylor County. The park itself encompasses , while Green River Lake, its major feature, covers approximately .-External links:**...

  • List of Kentucky rivers
  • Mammoth Cave National Park
    Mammoth Cave National Park
    Mammoth Cave National Park is a U.S. National Park in central Kentucky, encompassing portions of Mammoth Cave, the longest cave system known in the world. The official name of the system is the Mammoth-Flint Ridge Cave System for the ridge under which the cave has formed. The park was established...

  • Southern Cherokee Nation of Kentucky
    Southern Cherokee Nation of Kentucky
    The Southern Cherokee Nation of Kentucky claim descent from the Cherokee forcibly removed to Indian Territory in 1838, and to have first emerged as a distinct political faction known as the Treaty Party before the Trail of Tears, circa 1835. They report having fled Indian territory, after the...


Further reading

  • The Ohio River - In American History and Voyaging on Today's River, with a section on the Green River; Heron Island Guides, 2007, ISBN 978-09665866-33
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