Broad River (Carolinas)


The Broad River is a principal tributary of the Congaree River, about 150 miles long, in western North Carolina and northern South Carolina in the United States. Via the Congaree, it is part of the watershed of the Santee River, which flows to the Atlantic Ocean. It is called the
Rocky Broad River in the Hickorynut Gorge in North Carolina near the communities of Bat Cave and Chimney Rock.

Course

The Broad River originates in the Blue Ridge Mountains of eastern Buncombe County, North Carolina and flows generally south-southeastwardly, through or along the boundaries of Rutherford, Polk and Cleveland Counties in North Carolina; and Cherokee, York, Union, Chester, Fairfield, Newberry and Richland Counties in South Carolina. In North Carolina, the river is dammed to form Lake Lure; in South Carolina it passes through the Sumter National Forest and the communities of Cherokee Falls and Lockhart before joining the Saluda River to form the Congaree River in the city of Columbia.
Principal tributaries of the Broad River include the Green, Second Broad and First Broad Rivers in North Carolina ; and the Bowens, Pacolet, Sandy, Tyger, Enoree and Little Rivers in South Carolina.

Dams

This is an incomplete list of dams starting at Lake Lure and moving downstream
North Carolina
South Carolina

Crossings

The Broad River is crossed several times by many highways
North Carolina
South Carolina

Variant names

According to the Geographic Names Information System, the Broad River has also been known as
  • Eswa Huppeday
  • Eswawpuddenah
  • Line River
  • Main Broad River
  • Eswan Happedaw
It was also known in colonial times as the English Broad River to distinguish it from the French Broad River which also originates in western North Carolina, but flows northwest.
The present name is descriptive of the river's width.
The portion of the river upstream of Lake Lure, near Chimney Rock, is commonly known as the Rocky Broad River by locals. In 2024, the river experienced severe flooding during Hurricane Helene, which caused major damage to surrounding communities.