706.754.9382
P.O. Box 1901
Clarkesville, Georgia 30523

 

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the Soque River - Sections & Tributaries

 Headwaters (area=17.3 mi2)
The headwaters of the Soque begin north of Batesville general store, draining the steep slopes of the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest and forming a network of small streams such as Baker's Branch and Wolfpen Branch which flow into the Left and Right Forks of the Soque.  Most streams here are swift flowing, rocky bottomed trout streams with excellent water quality.  Many aquatic insects that are intolerant of pollution live here, as to native brook trout

The headwaters include the area drained by Tray Mountain and Goshen Valley and are made up of Baker's Branch, Wolfpen Branch, and the Left and Right Forks of the Soque.  The official beginning of the Soque River is formed when the right and left forks converge just above Highway 197.

Baker's Branch
This first order tributary harbors native Brook Trout and begins within the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest. The stream flows into the Right Fork

Chastain Branch
"
Everyone who lives in Habersham County should at some point get a chance to see Chastain Branch, even if only for a moment.  It is a tucked away jewel of a stream that to its great fortune begins and ends completely on National Forest lands...."  Read Justin Ellis's commentary on Chastain Branch.

Left Fork Soque River
An Upper Soque tributary that drains the northeastern portion of the Soque Watershed. A portion of this tributary flows through the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest.

The headwaters of the Left Fork drain from the Tray Mountain Wilderness. There are three drainages named the North Prong, Middle Prong, and South Prong that come together to form the Left Fork at just below 2000 feet. From this confluence the headwaters rise to over 4000 feet in only a few miles. The peak of Tray Mountain which is actually in White County and just outside of the Soque basin stands at 4,430 feet. A slightly lower peak of Tray is the highest point in Habersham County and the Soque basin and stands at an elevation of approximately 4,400 feet.

About three quarters of a mile below where the three prongs converge to form the Left Fork of the Soque, Wolfpen Branch joins this fork from the north. A ridge, called Wolfpen Ridge separates Wolfpen Branch from the North Prong. These headwaters of the Left Fork occur entirely within National Forest Lands until the river reaches private land surrounding Otis Baron Road. The Left Fork has two additional no-name tributaries below Wolfpen Branch, one is a half mile below Wolfpen and joins the Left Fork on the north side. There is a small private pond on this tributary. Then a two pronged no-named tributary drains the area at the end of Otis Baron Road enters the Left Fork on the south side.

The Left Fork then passes under state highway 356. Chimney Mountain, which stands at 3,357 feet, is clearly visible on the north side of 356 and forms the divide between the upper Soque and the upper drainages of Chickamauga Creek.

Left and Right Fork Convergence
This is where the Soque River officially begins. The location is just north of Batesville General Store.

In 1998, just below the Left and Right Fork convergence, the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper conducted a restoration project of a 1,200 foot section of the Soque River.  It was one of the first projects in which the SRWA played a part.  For information about this important headwaters project, follow the Restoration Project links on the Projects page of this website.


Hiking the Headwaters
"It all started innocently enough with a simple query: “where does the Soque River begin?” Researching an article about the Soque River for the Hello Habersham magazine, I wondered if there was a photo of the source of the river that streams through Habersham County..."  Read Lane Gresham's experience of hiking to the headwaters in February, 2008. 









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Soque River Watershed Association
PO Box 1901 - Clarkesville, GA 30523
(706) 754-7872
srwa@soque.org