What is unique about the Cape Fear River basin?
What is unique about the Cape Fear River basin?
Over two million people, more than one third of North Carolina’s population, live within the basin. The Cape Fear basin is the only major river basin in North Carolina to empty directly into the Atlantic Ocean.
What is the Cape Fear River basin?
Cape Fear Basin The Cape Fear is one of four river basins entirely contained within North Carolina’s borders. The river is formed by the Deep, Rocky and Haw rivers, which converge in Chatham County just below the B. The basin covers more than 9,300 square miles, making it the state’s largest.
Where does the Cape Fear River basin originate?
North Carolina
Cape Fear River is formed in central North Carolina at the Chatham-Lee County line by the convergence of the Deep and Haw Rivers, flowing southeast and touching parts of Harnett, Cumberland, Bladen, Columbus, Pender, Brunswick, and New Hanover Counties before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean at Cape Fear (part of Bald …
What river basin is north of Cape Fear?
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The Cape Fear River is a 191.08-mile (307.51 km) long blackwater river in east central North Carolina. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Cape Fear, from which it takes its name….Cape Fear River.
| Cape Fear River Tributary to Atlantic Ocean | |
|---|---|
| Basin size | 9,120.61 square miles (23,622.3 km2) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Atlantic Ocean |
What is the difference between a watershed and a river basin?
Both river basins and watersheds are areas of land that drain to a particular water body, such as a lake, stream, river or estuary. In a river basin, all the water drains to a large river. The term watershed is used to describe a smaller area of land that drains to a smaller stream, lake or wetland.
Why was the Cape Fear River so important to both the Confederacy and the Union?
Along the Atlantic seashore, Wilmington’s defenses were so sturdy that they were only surpassed by Charleston’s fortifications in South Carolina. Wilmington resisted Federal occupation for a long time, mainly due to Fort Fisher. Blockade running became an organized industry.
Why is it called Cape Fear River?
The river is named for Cape Fear, at the southern tip of Smith Island, the site of dangerous shoals. The river and its region are the setting for the popular Hollywood film noir Cape Fear (originally made in 1962 and remade in 1991), which is based on the novel The Executioner (1958) by John MacDonald.
Why is the Cape Fear River called Cape Fear?
The name comes from the 1585 expedition of Sir Richard Grenville. Sailing to Roanoke Island, his ship became embayed behind the cape. Some of the crew were afraid they would wreck, giving rise to the name Cape Fear.
Who lives in a river basin?
Everyone
Everyone lives in a river basin, even if you don’t live near the water. The land that we live on eventually drains to a river or estuary or lake, and our actions on that land affect water quality and quantity far downstream.
What does river basin mean?
A river basin is the portion of land drained by a river and its tributaries. It encompasses all of the land surface dissected and drained by many streams and creeks that flow downhill into one another, and eventually into the Milwaukee River.
What resources does Cape Fear River provide?
The Cape Fear River provides drinking water, irrigation and recreational opportunities to millions of people in eastern North Carolina.
Why is Cape Fear called Cape Fear?
The name comes from the 1585 expedition of Sir Richard Grenville. Sailing to Roanoke Island, his ship became embayed behind the cape. Some of the crew were afraid they would wreck, giving rise to the name Cape Fear. It is the fifth-oldest surviving English place name in the U.S.
What is the basin of the Cape Fear River?
Basin Description. The Cape Fear River basin drains the middle portion of North Carolina and includes portions of 26 counties and 115 municipalities. It is also one of four river basins completely within North Carolina.
What are the major drainages in the South Carolina River basin?
Major drainages in the basin include the Haw River, Deep River, Northeast Cape Fear River, Black River, and the Cape Fear River.
What is the largest river basin in North Carolina?
The Cape Fear River Basin is the largest river basin in North Carolina and is contained entirely within the state. The Cape Fear River flows southeast through the Piedmont ecoregion into the Coastal Plain before reaching the city of Wilmington and draining into the Atlantic Ocean.
