Prehistoric Native Americans used the Broad River as a source of life sustaining food and water and for transportation from the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains all the way to the brackish tidewaters along the Atlantic coast. Later, Cherokees and Catawbas were drawn to the river's rich resources.
The moderate current and the light ripple on its surface only hint that the river is alive. Below its surface, the river gives life to thousands of species of animals, insects, and aquatic plants that depend upon the watery environment for their very existence. In turn, those organisms play a vital role in keeping the river and its ecosystem healthy.
The species range from predators such as largemouth bass, at the top of the food chain to microscopic organisms at the bottom. You will also find green fin shiners, bluehead chub, crayfish, turtles, and salamanders in the river.
This rich and vibrant ecosystem exists in a river that is seldom deeper than five feet along the entire Greenway.
