Everything in the northwest corner drains toward Rome, where two rivers meet to form the Coosa and head into Alabama.

• Coosa RiverTrunk

  Formed at Rome where the Etowah and Oostanaula meet, then runs west out of the state toward Weiss Lake and the Alabama River.

  Floyd County · Rome to the Alabama line

• Etowah River

  Rises in the Blue Ridge above Dahlonega, runs through Dawson and Cherokee counties, fills Lake Allatoona, and passes Cartersville on its way to Rome.

  Lumpkin · Dawson · Cherokee · Bartow · Floyd

• Oostanaula River

  Begins at Resaca where the Conasauga and Coosawattee join, then runs southwest through Calhoun's farm country to Rome.

  Gordon · Floyd · Resaca to Rome

• Conasauga River

  Drops out of the Cohutta Wilderness, dips into Tennessee and back, and is one of the most biologically diverse rivers in North America.

  Fannin · Murray · Whitfield · Gordon

• Coosawattee River

  Formed near Ellijay by the Cartecay and Ellijay rivers, impounded at Carters Lake, then tailwater down to Resaca.

  Gilmer · Murray · Gordon

• Cartecay & Ellijay Rivers

  Two mountain streams that meet in downtown Ellijay — the Cartecay is the popular summer float.

  Gilmer County · Ellijay

• Chattooga River (West)

  Not the Wild & Scenic one — this Chattooga runs through Summerville and Trion in the ridge-and-valley country and joins the Coosa system in Alabama.

  Walker · Chattooga counties

A small slice of Georgia drains north across the state line — cold, steep, trout water.

• Toccoa RiverTrunk

  Flows north through Fannin County into Blue Ridge Lake and crosses into Tennessee, where it becomes the Ocoee.

  Union · Fannin · Blue Ridge to the Tennessee line

• Hiwassee River

  Rises in Towns County near Young Harris and runs north into North Carolina and on into Tennessee.

  Towns County · Hiawassee

• Nottely River

  Drains the Blairsville valley, backs up behind Nottely Dam, and heads north to meet the Hiwassee.

  Union County · Blairsville

The longest river wholly identified with Georgia — headwater trout stream, metro Atlanta's drinking water, and then the state line.

• Chattahoochee RiverTrunk

  Starts at Chattahoochee Gap in the Blue Ridge, fills Lake Lanier, runs the length of metro Atlanta below Buford Dam, then forms the Georgia–Alabama border past Columbus to Lake Seminole.

  Union · Hall · Fulton · Cobb · Muscogee · Decatur

• Chestatee River

  Comes off the mountains above Dahlonega and enters the Chattahoochee arm of Lake Lanier.

  Lumpkin · Hall counties

• Soque River

  A short, spring-fed Habersham County river famous for trophy trout on private water; joins the Chattahoochee near Clarkesville.

  Habersham County · Clarkesville

• Chattahoochee headwater creeks

  Smith, Dukes, and Amicalola creeks and the Little Amicalola drain the Blue Ridge front between Helen and Dawsonville.

  White · Dawson counties

One of the few rivers in the lower 48 that runs more than 200 miles unimpounded — and it starts under an airport runway.

• Flint RiverTrunk

  Begins in culverts beneath Hartsfield-Jackson, cuts the Pine Mountain gorge, then widens through Albany and Bainbridge to meet the Chattahoochee at Lake Seminole.

  Clayton · Meriwether · Upson · Dougherty · Decatur

• Ichawaynochaway Creek

  A big spring-fed limestone creek in the southwest counties, clear enough to see bottom in low water.

  Calhoun · Baker counties

• Kinchafoonee & Muckalee Creeks

  Twin cypress-lined creeks that reach the Flint at Albany.

  Webster · Lee · Dougherty counties

• Spring Creek

  Runs the far southwest corner past Colquitt into Lake Seminole.

  Miller · Seminole counties

A small west-Georgia basin that leaves the state almost as soon as it forms.

• Tallapoosa RiverTrunk

  Rises in Paulding County, passes the town of Tallapoosa, and crosses into Alabama toward Lake Wedowee.

  Paulding · Haralson counties

• Little Tallapoosa River

  Drains Carrollton and the Carroll County countryside before joining the main stem in Alabama.

  Carroll · Haralson counties

Georgia's smallest major basin, tucked into the plantation country along the Florida line.

• Ochlockonee RiverTrunk

  Forms near Moultrie, runs past Thomasville, and crosses into Florida toward Lake Talquin and Apalachee Bay.

  Worth · Colquitt · Thomas · Grady counties

Blackwater rivers stained the color of sweet tea, draining the Okefenokee and the wiregrass counties.

• Suwannee RiverTrunk

  Leaves the Okefenokee Swamp at its southwest rim and runs into Florida toward the Gulf.

  Ware · Clinch · Echols counties

• Alapaha River

  A classic blackwater run through Irwin, Berrien, and Lanier counties that disappears into sinkholes near the Florida line.

  Irwin · Berrien · Lanier · Echols

• Withlacoochee River

  Runs south past Valdosta with limestone shoals and springs, meeting the Suwannee just inside Florida.

  Tift · Cook · Brooks · Lowndes counties

• Little River

  Feeds Reed Bingham State Park and joins the Withlacoochee below Valdosta.

  Tift · Colquitt · Cook · Brooks counties

The entire eastern boundary of the state, from whitewater in the Blue Ridge to shipping channel at the coast.

• Savannah RiverTrunk

  Begins where the Tugaloo and Seneca meet under Lake Hartwell, forms the Georgia–South Carolina line past Augusta, and reaches the Atlantic below the city of Savannah.

  Hart · Elbert · Richmond · Chatham counties

• Chattooga River (Wild & Scenic)

  The northeast Georgia whitewater river on the South Carolina line — federally designated Wild and Scenic, and the state's best-known rapids.

  Rabun County · Clayton to Tugaloo Lake

• Tallulah River

  Comes down from the North Carolina line through Tallulah Gorge, then joins the Chattooga to form the Tugaloo.

  Rabun · Towns counties

• Tugaloo River

  The short border stretch between Tugaloo Lake and Lake Hartwell where the Savannah officially begins.

  Rabun · Habersham · Stephens · Franklin

• Broad River

  Drains the northeast Piedmont — Hudson, North, Middle, and South forks converge and run to the Savannah arm of Clarks Hill Lake.

  Madison · Elbert · Oglethorpe · Wilkes

• Little River (Savannah)

  Feeds the Georgia side of Clarks Hill Lake through Lincoln and Wilkes counties.

  Wilkes · Lincoln · Columbia counties

• Brier Creek

  A long coastal-plain creek running from the Augusta area southeast to the Savannah near Sylvania.

  Burke · Screven counties

The largest river basin contained entirely within Georgia — two Piedmont rivers that combine into one broad run for the coast.

• Altamaha RiverTrunk

  Formed near Hazlehurst and Lumber City where the Oconee and Ocmulgee meet, then runs undammed for 137 miles to Altamaha Sound below Darien.

  Jeff Davis · Wayne · Long · McIntosh counties

• Ocmulgee River

  Formed at Lake Jackson by the Yellow, South, and Alcovy rivers, then south through Macon, Hawkinsville, and Abbeville.

  Butts · Bibb · Pulaski · Telfair counties

• Oconee River

  The North and Middle Oconee join at Athens; the river then runs through Lake Oconee and Lake Sinclair past Milledgeville and Dublin.

  Clarke · Baldwin · Laurens · Montgomery counties

• Yellow, South & Alcovy Rivers

  The three metro-Atlanta headwaters east of the city that converge in the Lake Jackson pool.

  Gwinnett · DeKalb · Rockdale · Newton · Walton

• Apalachee River

  Forms the county line east of Athens and enters the upper end of Lake Oconee.

  Gwinnett · Walton · Oconee · Morgan counties

• Ohoopee River

  A dark, sand-bottomed river through the Ohoopee Dunes that joins the Altamaha near Glennville.

  Emanuel · Toombs · Tattnall counties

• Little Ocmulgee River

  Runs through McRae and the state park named for it before reaching the Ocmulgee.

  Wheeler · Telfair counties

A free-flowing blackwater river with no dams on its main stem from the Piedmont to the sea.

• Ogeechee RiverTrunk

  Rises in Greene and Taliaferro counties, runs southeast past Louisville, Millen, and Statesboro, and empties into Ossabaw Sound south of Savannah.

  Greene · Jefferson · Bulloch · Bryan · Chatham

• Canoochee River

  Drains Emanuel and Evans counties and the Fort Stewart reservation before joining the Ogeechee near Richmond Hill.

  Emanuel · Candler · Evans · Bryan counties

White sandbars and tannin-black water, entirely within the coastal plain.

• Satilla RiverTrunk

  Forms in the Fitzgerald and Douglas area, winds past Waycross and Woodbine, and reaches St. Andrew Sound south of Brunswick.

  Ben Hill · Coffee · Ware · Brantley · Camden

• Little Satilla River

  Parallels the main stem through Jeff Davis and Pierce counties before joining it near Atkinson.

  Jeff Davis · Appling · Pierce counties

The southeastern corner: swamp water that becomes a state boundary.

• St. Marys RiverTrunk

  Drains the east side of the Okefenokee, loops south into Florida and back, and forms the Georgia–Florida line to Cumberland Sound.

  Charlton · Camden counties · Folkston to St. Marys

• North Prong & Middle Prong

  The swamp-fed forks that come together near the Charlton County line to start the river.

  Charlton County · Okefenokee edge

Short tidal rivers between the sounds — they never reach the Piedmont, but they carry the traffic between the barrier islands.

• Medway & North Newport RiversTidal

  Liberty County tidal rivers draining to St. Catherines and Sapelo sounds.

  Liberty · McIntosh counties

• South Newport & Sapelo Rivers

  Marsh rivers behind Sapelo Island, fed by coastal creeks rather than inland drainage.

  McIntosh County

• Turtle & Brunswick Rivers

  The tidal system around Brunswick that opens into St. Simons Sound.

  Glynn County · Brunswick

• Crooked River

  A short Camden County tidal river with its own state park, running to Cumberland Sound.

  Camden County · Kingsland