They power generators that provide electricity for much of the state and transport barges that move our goods. We use rivers for drinking water, irrigation, recreation, fishing and swimming. Tennesseans use rivers for spiritual renewal and consider them some of the country's most scenic areas. It's no coincidence that both Native American and pioneer settlements were located along rivers. Even today, a casual look at a map would show that the major towns and cities are located along river corridors.
Rivers are a part of our heritage.
Rivers and streams can be described in many ways. Whether the river is straight, sinuous, meandering or an oxbow is determined by the landscape. Natural physical processes common to all rivers cause water to flow in a meandering fashion rather than a straight line. A stream that flows in a very straight line for a considerable distance has probably been altered artificially. Some streams flow all year long and are called perrenial.