The topography within the mountainous streams of North Carolina is highly dependent upon wether or not they lie on or above the Blue Ridge Escarpment. Streams that lie on top of the Blue Ridge Escarpment tend to have lower relief, as the topography is generally more flat. Streams that run through the BRE, tend to have high relief as water travels from the high elevation of the appalaichan mountains, down to the piedmont over a short distance.
Tuckaseegee River
The Tuckasegee River, which is located about an hour west of Asheville, is a classic example of a North Carolina tailwater located on top of the escarpment. The “Tuck” is not a stream of high relief and “begins its course in Jackson County above Cullowhee at the confluence of Panthertown and Greenland creeks. It flows in a northwesterly direction into Swain County, where it joins the Oconaluftee before heading northwest.”
Looking Glass Creek
Looking Glass Creek
Looking Glass Creek is located in Translylvania County, North Carolina and is a great example of a high-relief stream flowing through the Blue Ridge Escarpment. The headwaters of Looking Glass Creek begin within the high altitude of the Blue Ridge Mountains and flow all the way to it’s confluence with the Davidson River, just outside of Brevard, NC .