| Smith Fork Creek | |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Subdivision Name1: | United States |
| Subdivision Type2: | State |
| Subdivision Name2: | Tennessee |
| Subdivision Type3: | County |
| Subdivision Name3: | Wilson, DeKalb, Smith |
| Length: | 39miles[1] |
| Depth Max: | 27.5feet November 7, 2017 |
| Discharge1 Location: | Highway 264 bridge (USGS gauge 1991-present)[2] |
| Discharge1 Min: | 3.3cuft/s August/September 2007 |
| Discharge1 Avg: | 873cuft/s (average daily discharge; 1991-2020) |
| Discharge1 Max: | 38700cuft/s November 7, 2017 |
| Source1: | Confluence of Knight Creek and Sunset Creek |
| Source1 Location: | SW of Statesville in Wilson County |
| Source1 Coordinates: | 36.0101°N -86.1362°W[3] |
| Mouth: | Caney Fork River |
| Mouth Location: | Seabowisha in Smith County |
| Mouth Coordinates: | 36.1389°N -85.8696°W |
| River System: | Cumberland River |
The Smith Fork Creek is a large stream that flows through Middle Tennessee in the United States, draining much of the southwestern Upper Cumberland region.[1] It is a major tributary of the Caney Fork River, and is part of the Cumberland, Ohio and Mississippi basins. The creek is approximately 39miles40miles long, and its watershed covers parts of four counties as a subset of the Caney Fork watershed.[1] The small towns and communities of Statesville, Auburntown, Gassaway, Liberty, Dowelltown, Temperance Hall, and Lancaster are drained by the creek, which empties into the Caney Fork 4.1miles southeast of Gordonsville.[4]
The Smith Fork rises in Wilson County about 1miles southwest of Statesville at the confluence of the smaller Knight Creek and Sunset Creek along Greenvale Road.[3] The stream flows directly through the town of Statesville, following Highway 267 toward DeKalb County. Before crossing into DeKalb County, Smith Fork picks up Saunders Fork, a major tributary, which drains much of northwestern Cannon County, including Auburntown. The creek then slowly meanders northeast through western DeKalb County, picking up the Clear Fork Creek in Liberty and Dry Creek in Dowelltown. Both the Clear Fork and Dry Creek begin along the northern slope of Short Mountain, the westernmost point in Tennessee over 2,000 feet (610 meters) in elevation. After passing through Temperance Hall, the creek enters Smith County and passes on the west side of Lancaster. The Smith Fork then empties into the Caney Fork River under a railroad bridge along the Nashville and Eastern Railroad, a place known as Seabowisha.[1]
An urban legend exists that Smith Fork Creek is the longest creek in the world at 99miles and that a stream must be at least 100miles long to be called a river.[5] However, the creek is not nearly 99miles long; it is less than half that long. Furthermore, many streams shorter than 100miles are called rivers.