Chatham

Buckhorn Falls is a mile-long series of rapids on Cape Fear River downstream from

Buckhorn Dam. According to John Hairr, there used to be a distinct upper and lower section. The upper section is now a bunch of little islands just below the dam. After the dam was built, the riverbed remained dry enough for vegetation to take hold.

I haven’t seen any part of Buckhorn Falls. It looks like part of the falls is bordered by Chatham Game Lands on the river-left side, but I don’t know what the access situation is over land. I’ll check it out as soon as I can. Of course, if you’re determined to experience the falls, you could always launch a boat below Buckhorn Dam and paddle downstream to it.

For information about Cape Fear River in general, including a table listing all the waterfalls on the river, visit the 

 and click on the Cape Fear River Basin tab.

Buckhorn Falls is on Cape Fear River, about halfway between Sanford and Fuquay-Varina.

Get Your Bearings

Early names for Buckhorn Falls were Great Falls and Big Falls.

Naming

These falls constitute a most excellent power, very easily available, and with a location perfectly safe.

Papers on the Waterpower in North Carolina, 1899

Buckhorn Falls, along with Smileys Falls, downstream, are considered the two largest powers on Cape Fear River according to historical texts. (Early authors referred to elevation losses in waterways as “powers” if they could be utilized for hydroelectric or mechanical power generation.) While favorable for harnessing power, the falls presented a major obstacle for early commercial navigation efforts before railroads obviated the need.

If you’ve spent much time on this website, you know I’m gripped by the historic connections to waterfalls, but I must admit to having a bit of brain fog trying to dissect the minutia of the history of Cape Fear River. So, for now at least, I’m going to take a less foggy path and simply present a couple of excerpts that I find interesting about Buckhorn Falls and that pertain to both power generation and navigation.

The Story of the Cape Fear River and Navigation Company 1849-1873

, by Wade H. Hadley, Jr., published by The Chatham County Historical Society in 1980.

Located in the southeastern extremity of Chatham County and the eastern extremity of Lee County, where the line between them follows the bed of the Cape Fear River. The next dam below was three miles away (Battle's Falls). The main dam was first built with a height of seven feet. It created a pond which extended up-river for about eight miles to Pullen's Falls (Lockville) on Deep River.

The works here were the most complex of those created at any of the sites. They consisted of: 1) a main dam across the river at the head of the falls, 2) four sloo dams connecting a chain of islands to form an inner navigation on the east and shoreward side of them for nearly one mile, 3) a canal half a mile long to continue the navigation down to where it re-entered the bed of the river, 4) one guard lock, and 5) two lift locks.

Work started on December 14, 1849, and consisted of digging the canal. This was the first work done at any of the sites. High water that winter prevented work at any other place. Work was suspended in September of 1850 and resumed after July, 1851. Up to July 15, 1853, work on the main dam had not commenced. On April 17, 1856, the main and sloo dams had been repaired, the depth of the canal increased, and boats could pass through the works.

The floating force worked here for about a month in May and June of 1860 repairing the three locks.

A hydroelectric plant was built at Buckhorn Falls and went into service on January 1, 1908. It operated for around fifty years. This plant was a major source of power for Carolina Power and Light Company during its early years.

Papers on the Waterpower in North Carolina, A Preliminary Report

, by Geo. F. Swain, J. A. Holmes, and E. W. Myers, published by North Carolina Geological Survey, 1899.

This is the most important fall on the river next to Smileys, navigation through which was effected by means of a canal. At the head of the falls are the remnants of a dam, built of wood, like Battles dam, and about 1000 feet long and 3 or 4 feet high. It has the shape of a letter V, with the apex up-stream, one arm being nearly at right angles to the banks, and it is terminated on the east side by an island, behind which it turns a portion of the water, as into a natural race, which extends for a distance of a mile or so between the bank and a succession of islands, which have been connected by a series of slough-dams. At the end of the mile a slough-dam connected the last of the series of islands with the bank, and the navigation was continued by means of a canal about half a mile long, 40 feet wide at the surface, and 6 feet deep. At its head was a guard-lock, with a lift of about 4 feet, and at its foot two locks, made of crib-work filled with stone, like the guard -lock, with together 17 feet lift, one having 11 and the other 6 feet, making the total fall from the crest of the Buckhorn dam to that of Battles dam some 22 or 23 feet. A part of the fall was used by the North Carolina Iron and Steel Works to run machinery connected with their furnaces ( blast, etc. ), the canal having been extended some 300 yards from a point just above the outlet -locks, so as to utilize the power lower down, nearer the ore-bed . A fall of 12 feet was used, the water being discharged into a small creek having a fall of some 5 feet between the tail-race and the river. Although in freshets the backwater from the river came up to the wheel- pit, full capacity could be secured during the whole year, and no steam-power was used. These works have not been in operation since 1876, it being said that the ore-bed is exhausted, not being so extensive as was supposed, although it is not certain that this is the case. These falls constitute a most excellent power, very easily available, and with a location perfectly safe. The existing canal constitutes a race ready for use, and by utilizing the lift of the guard-lock and discharging the water directly into the river at the works a fall of 20 feet could be rendered available, except during very severe freshets, when the works might be obliged to stop, although this would be very rare. The canal is in tolerably good condition, and could be made perfect at a small cost; and, if necessary, it could be easily widened so as to increase its capacity. At its lower end, where the locks are, the land is low for several hundred yards back from the river, and subject to overflow at times; but further back is a hill, on which buildings could be erected with safety, and on which stands the old furnace of the iron company.

Buckhorn falls are fairly accessible, being only about 8 miles from Haywood, at the junction of Haw and Deep rivers, and from the Seaboard Air Line railroad, which crosses both rivers near their junction. With a dam at Buckhorn, shallow boats could be operated between this point and the railroad crossing, 8 miles above; and the construction of a branch track to the falls from the main Seaboard Air Line railroad just east of the Haw river [sic] crossing would entail but little expense for grading over the entire distance of 7 or 8 miles. As already mentioned, coal and building materials can be obtained in abundance in the vicinity. The locality is healthy, and the climate mild. The property, including land, canals, and dams, has all been owned by the Navigation Company, but it has recently (March, 1899) been sold to a newly organized electric power company, and is to be developed as a waterpower in connection with the power at Lockville. The width of the Cape Fear at Buckhorn dam is about 700 or 800 feet, and the dam ponds the water with this average width up to the forks, and beyond, or about 8 miles. Buckhorn falls is thus the highest power on the river.

The width of the Cape Fear at Buckhorn dam is about 700 or 800 feet, and the dam ponds the water with this average width up to the forks, and beyond, or about 8 miles. Buckhorn falls is thus the highest power on the river.

Accessibility:
County:	Chatham, Lee
River Basin:	Cape Fear
Watercourse:	Cape Fear River
Watershed:	Amazon
Type and Height:	Series of rapids
Landowner:	Duke EnergyPrivate

Beauty Rating:
Elevation:
USGS Map:	Cokesbury
Hike Difficulty:
Hike Distance:
Waterfall GPS:	35.53086, -78.9781
Parking GPS:

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Buckhorn Falls

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