The Buffalo River is the longest unimpounded river in Middle Tennessee in the United States. It flows through the southern and western portions of that region. The Buffalo is the largest tributary of the Duck River. Canoeing is popular, especially in its middle section. The river is named for the Buffalo fish which was abundant when the first European settlers arrived. Sources The Buffalo rises in northern Lawrence County. U.S. Highway 43 crosses both the North and South Forks. The highway crosses the North Fork several times as it parallels the river for about . The confluence of the North and South forks about a mile west of Highway 43 is the head of the Buffalo. Course Below the confluence, the Buffalo trends northwest for several miles. After entering Lewis County, it intersects the Natchez Trace Parkway. The confluence with the Little Buffalo River occurs in Lewis County followed by smaller tributaries. State Route 99 parallels the river for a distance and then crosses it in the broad Texas Bottoms. In Lewis County, the river continues to meander westward. Entering northern Wayne County, the stream has several more tributaries, notably the Green River. A few miles below the mouth of the Green River is the community of Flatwoods. Here State Route 13 bridges the Buffalo and then abruptly turns northerly for the balance of its flow. It crosses into Perry County near here. For most of its course through Perry County, the Buffalo roughly parallels State Route 13. Shortly after crossing into Humphreys County, it is bridged by Interstate 40 and then by Bakerville Road. About 8 miles north of this is the mouth of the Buffalo, its confluence with the Duck. Watershed The upper Buffalo River, in Lawrence County, is designated a "State Scenic River" under the Tennessee Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. The only incorporated towns along the Buffalo, Linden and Lobelville, are in Perry County. Two unincorporated communities, Flatwoods and Beardstown are adjacent to the river in Perry County. Hydrology The Buffalo River watershed is the total land area that drains into the Buffalo River. It is designated as Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) 06040004 by the USGS. It empties into watershed 06040003, the Lower Duck River watershed. The Buffalo River watershed is composed of three sub-watersheds; two sections of the Buffalo River and the Cane Creek sub-watershed. The southeastern part of the Buffalo River watershed is HUC