North America is home to some of the world’s most diverse wilflife and geography, making it arguably one of the most beautiful places in the world to visit. From stunning mountain ranges to beautiful beaches, it often seems as though there is no shortage of beauty to explore in this area of the world! North America is also home to some of the oldest rivers in the world, and in this article, we’re going to examine them in closer detail.
Let’s get into it!
5 Oldest Rivers in North America
5. Columbia River
Age of the river: About 17 million years
Source: Columbia Lake
State or states: Washington, Oregon
The Columbia River is one of the largest rivers in North America, as well as one of its oldest! This river begins and forms in the Rocky Mountains. Its flow is quite interesting, as it first flows Northwest, and then towards the South into the American state of Washington. After flowing south, it then flows again towards the west, forming the border of between Washington and Oregon, and eventually emptying into the Pacific Ocean.
Although this river is millions of years old, the first documentation of its discovery was reported in 1775, when an explorer named Bruno de Heceta discovered its mouth. Some years later, an American ship called the Columbia Rediviva was reported to be the first non-indigenous boat to sail the waters of this river.
Did you know?
Over the past two centuries, this river has seen its fair share of development in both the private and the public sectors. Dams, locks, and dredging have been opened for shipping, irrigation, and power generation purposes.
4. Mississippi River
Age of the river: Over 80 million years
Source: Lake Itasca
State or states: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana
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Just like the other rivers on on our list, the Mississippi River has an interesting history! Its name comes from the words Misi zipi, which was a French rendition of the words Misi-ziibi, an Anishinaabe or Ojibwe word that translates to Great River. Although this river has several tributaries, its main stem is located entirely in the United States.
As its name indicates, Native Americans have lived in and around the Mississippi River for several centuries. They were mainly hunters and gatherers, but after the Europeans came to America and colonized it, the Native American people were forced out of their homes. This was because the colonizers arrived in America first as explorers, but remained in the country as settlers.
Did you know?
The Mississippi River has also faced a lot of environmental damage over the years.
3. New River
Age of the river: Over 200 million years
Source: South Fork, New River
State or states: North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia
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The New River is widely considered to be the oldest, or one of the oldest rivers in North America. It’s interesting to note that although some researchers and scientists believe that this river is millions of years old, others believe that it has existed for only a century or too. Regardless of what its true age is, this river has existed for several decades, and remains one of the largest rivers in North America as well.
It flows through a few different states, namely North Carolina, West Virginia, and Virginia. Although it is called the New River, historians haven’t been able to figure out the exact origins of this name. There was a time when it was called Wood’s River, because it was named after Colonel Abraham Wood, an explorer who traveled through Virginia in the middle of the 17th century.
Did you know?
The New River is one of the most scenic rivers in North America and offers outdoorsy folks the chance to go white water rafting and kayaking.
2. French Broad River
Age of the river: Over 265 million years
Source: North Fork French Broad River
State or states: North Carolina, Tennessee
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The French Broad River is one of the oldest rivers in both North America and the entire world. One of the most interesting features of this river is that it has existed for several million years and that it cuts through the Appalachian mountains. The source of the French Broad River begins near Rosman, a town in Transylvania County, in North Carolina, and it actually starts from a waterfall that feeds into a creek. The creek then turns into a steam near the southern region of Rosman, and later forms into the French Broad River.
Another interesting thing about the French Broad River is the fact that it predates the Alleghanian orogeny. It’s also worth noting that before the Europeans occupied the areas through which this river passes, they were occupied by the Cherokee people, who referred to the river by different names.
Did you know?
The French Broad River marked out the boundaries of the Cherokee homelands in both Tennessee and North Carolina.
Susquehanna River
Age of the river: Over 320 to 340 million years
Source: Otsego Lake
State or states: New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland
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The Susquehanna River is among the top 20 largest rivers in the United States. It’s interesting to note that this river forms two primary branches. They are the West Branch, which begins in Western Pennsylvania, and the North Branch, which begins in Cooperstown, New York. The North Branch is widely considered to be the main branch of this river. Since this river is one of the oldest in North America, it’s also interesting to note that the river itself is older than the mountain ridges that it flows through.
Still, although this river has a long and interesting history, it has started to undergo various environmental threats over the years. This river has become heavily polluted over the past two decades, with most of its pollution coming from inadequately treated sewage, animal manure from farming in nearby areas, and even stormwater runoff.
Did you know?
The Susquehanna River has a long history of rowing and paddling, with races taking place on it throughout the warmer months of the year. It is also the longest river in the eastern portion of North America.
Conclusion
In this article, we took a closer look at some of the oldest rivers in North America. While researching this article, we were fascinated to learn that all of these rivers have a long and interesting history in the country. They have existed for thousands of years all over America, and have sustained the lives of countless people that lived around the rivers. We were also interested to learn that it is quite difficult to say how old something like a river is, but it was still fascinating to read about their average ages nonetheless. We hope that this article was informative, and that it inspired you to continue your own reading.