Bluestone River
Bluestone River | |
---|---|
Location | |
Country | United States |
State | Virginia, West Virginia |
Counties | Tazewell VA, Mercer WV, Summers WV |
Physical characteristics | |
Source | East River Mountain |
• location | Tazewell County, Virginia |
• coordinates | 37°10′19″N 81°24′58″W / 37.17194°N 81.41611°W[1] |
• elevation | 3,589 ft (1,094 m)[2] |
New River in Bluestone Lake | |
• location | Summers County, West Virginia |
• coordinates | 37°36′44″N 80°54′52″W / 37.61222°N 80.91444°W[1] |
• elevation | 1,424 ft (434 m)[1] |
Length | 77 mi (124 km)[3] |
Discharge | |
• location | Pipestem, West Virginia[4] |
• minimum | 7 cu ft/s (0.20 m3/s)daily mean (September 22, 1955) |
• maximum | 19,300 cu ft/s (550 m3/s)peak (April 5, 1977) |
Basin features | |
Progression | Bluestone River → |
Tributaries | |
• left | Little Bluestone River |
• right | Blacklick Creek (West Virginia), Brush Creek (West Virginia), Pipestem Creek |
Type | Scenic |
Designated | October 26, 1988 |
The Bluestone River is a
New River, 77 mi (124 km) long, in southwestern Virginia and southern West Virginia in the United States.[3] Via the New, Kanawha and Ohio rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River. An 11 mi (18 km) portion of its lower course in West Virginia is designated as the Bluestone National Scenic River.[5]
Course
The Bluestone rises on East River Mountain in
National Scenic River segment is located mostly in Summers County, as is Pipestem Resort State Park, which lies along a gorge formed by the river.[7][8]
Pollution
The Bluestone has been compromised by PCB contamination, largely left over from former coal mining activities. As a result of this contamination, Virginia does not recommend eating any carp in the upstream vicinity of Bluefield, Virginia.[9] West Virginia recommends eating no more than one meal of carp per month.[10]
In Virginia, the state
fecal coliform bacteria.[11]
Little Bluestone River
The Little Bluestone Riverconfluence of two streams, White Oak Branch and Jumping Branch.[7]
Variant names
According to the Geographic Names Information System, the Bluestone River has also been known as:[13]
- Big Bluestone River
- Blue Stone Creek
- Blue Stone River
- Bluestone Creek
Native American names have included the following:
- Mec-ce-ne-ke-ke-ce-pe-we
- Mec-cen-ne-ke-ke
- Mo-mom-ga-sen-eka-ce-pe
See also
- List of Virginia rivers
- List of West Virginia rivers
- List of National Wild and Scenic Rivers
References
- ^ a b c "Bluestone River". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2004-04-24.
- U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved 2008-04-24.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b c Columbia Gazetteer of North America entry Archived March 25, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
- U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved 2010-03-16.
- ^ Bluestone National Scenic River website
- ISBN 0-89933-326-5
- ^ ISBN 0-89933-246-3
- ^ Pipestem Resort State Park website
- ^ "PCBs in the Bluestone River" (PDF). Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2011-04-09. Retrieved April 13, 2010.
- ^ "West Virginia Fish Consumption Advisories". West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources. Archived from the original on March 7, 2010. Retrieved April 13, 2010.
- ^ "Fecal Bacteria and General Standard Total Maximum Daily Load Development for the Bluestone River" (PDF). Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. September 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-04. Retrieved April 13, 2010.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Little Bluestone River
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Bluestone River