Tallapoosa River
| Tallapoosa River | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| States | Alabama, Georgia |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Tallapoosa River |
| • location | Draketown, Georgia |
| • coordinates | 33°50′48″N 85°00′45″W / 33.84667°N 85.01250°W |
| • elevation | 1,155 ft (352 m) |
| Mouth | Alabama River |
• location | Wetumpka, Alabama |
• coordinates | 32°30′09″N 86°15′48″W / 32.50250°N 86.26333°W |
• elevation | 125 ft (38 m) |
| Length | 265 mi (426 km) |
| Basin size | 4,700 sq mi (12,000 km2) |
The Tallapoosa River runs 265 miles (426 km) from the southern end of the Appalachian Mountains in Georgia, United States, southward and westward into the Appalachian foothills in Alabama. It is formed by the confluence of McClendon Creek and Mud Creek in Paulding County, Georgia. Lake Martin at Dadeville, Alabama is a large and popular water recreation area formed by a dam on the river. The Tallapoosa joins the Coosa River about 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Montgomery near Wetumpka (in Elmore County) to form the Alabama River.
There are four hydroelectric dams on the Tallapoosa: Yates, Thurlow, Martin and Harris dams. They are important sources of electricity generation for Alabama Power (a unit of the Southern Company) and recreation for the public.