The Yadkin River of North Carolina begins near Brushy Mountain in the northwestern portion of the state. Yadkin County, North Carolina is named after it. Much of the river is impounded by several dams today, which are important for water power and flood control. Below the last North Carolina dam at Lilesville the river is renamed the Pee Dee River and soon flows into South Carolina near Cheraw, which is at the fall line.
In the upper regions of the river, Moravian settlers from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania began the Wachovia colony in 1753. Between then and the Revolutionary War thousands of settlers came from Pennsylvania. They were of mostly German and Scotch-Irish background.
The river is extensively used for recreation. Fishing consists mostly of sunfish, catfish, largemouth bass and white bass in the spring and early summer. Canoeing and rafting are also possible. A portion of the river is part of the Pilot Mountain State Park.
Water supplies for many communities in North and South Carolina are taken from the Yadkin/Pee Dee and during drought years the division of the water is a contentious issue.
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