Ogeechee River

The Ogeechee River is a scenic blackwater river in the U.S. state of Georgia. It stretches approximately 294 miles (473 km) from its headwaters, where the North and South Forks converge near Crawfordville, flowing southeast through the Piedmont and Coastal Plain regions before emptying into Ossabaw Sound on the Atlantic Ocean, south of Savannah. With a watershed of about 5,540 square miles, it is one of Georgia’s few remaining free-flowing rivers and is fed by the Canoochee River as its largest tributary. Its tea-colored waters, tinted by tannins from surrounding wetlands and forests, support a rich ecosystem of fish, birds, and other wildlife. The river has a long human history, with evidence of Paleo-Indian habitation dating back around 11,500 years, followed by Mississippian and Yuchi peoples. Its name may derive from a Muskogee term referring to the Yuchi ("river of the Uchees"). Today, the Ogeechee offers opportunities for recreation such as boating, fishing, kayaking, and wildlife viewing while flowing through predominantly rural landscapes.