Smith Fork Creek

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. It is a major tributary of the Caney Fork River, and is part of the Cumberland, Ohio and Mississippi basins. The creek is approximately 39 to 40 mi long, and its watershed covers parts of four counties as a subset of the Caney Fork watershed. 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 4.1 mi southeast of Gordonsville.

Geography
The Smith Fork rises in Wilson County about 1 mi southwest of Statesville at the confluence of the smaller Knight Creek and Sunset Creek along Greenvale Road. 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.

An urban legend exists that Smith Fork Creek is the longest creek in the world at 99 mi and that a stream must be at least 100 mi long to be called a river. However, the creek is not nearly 99 mi long; it is less than half that long. Furthermore, many streams shorter than 100 mi are called rivers.