Topography of North Alabama

The Tennessee River traverses nearly the entire width of North Alabama, flowing southwest into the state near Bridgeport, and flowing northwest out of the state near Waterloo. All of the region’s metropolitan areas are located in the Tennessee River valley. TVA hydroelectric dams create the reservoirs of Guntersville Lake, Wheeler Lake, and Wilson Lake along the river’s course through Alabama. Alabama Power also manages two reservoirs in the region, maintaining Weiss Lake on the Coosa River and Lewis Smith Lake on the Black Warrior River.

Little River Canyon is a distinct feature of North Alabama’s Cumberland Plateau region.

Geologically, the Cumberland Plateau, marked by wooded steep-sided plateaus separated by deep valleys, dominates the eastern portion of the region. The Highland Rim, covered mostly by the Tennessee River delta, includes the north-central and northwestern portions of the region. The Valley and Ridge section, defined by narrow ridges separated by steep valleys, covers parts of the southeastern portion of the region. The far western areas of the region are covered by a northern stretch of the East Gulf Coastal Plain.