The North Anna River is a principal

tributary A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they ...

of the Pamunkey River, about long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data
The National Map
accessed April 1, 2011 in central

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. Via the Pamunkey and

York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...

rivers, it is part of the watershed of

Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula, including parts of the Ea ...

. The river was the site of the

Battle of North Anna The Battle of North Anna was fought May 23–26, 1864, as part of Union Army, Union Lieutenant General (United States), Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign against Confederate States Army, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of North ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. According to the

Geographic Names Information System The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) is a database of name and location information about more than two million physical and cultural features, encompassing the United States and its territories; the Compact of Free Association, asso ...

, the river has also been known as "Northa-Anna" and as the main stem of the Pamunkey River.

Course

The North Anna River is formed by a confluence of smaller streams in western Orange County and flows generally southeastwardly. The river's course is used to define all or portions of the southern boundaries of Orange, Spotsylvania and Caroline counties; and the northern boundaries of Louisa and

Hanover Hanover ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Lower Saxony. Its population of 535,932 (2021) makes it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-l ...

counties. It joins the South Anna River to form the Pamunkey River on the common boundary of Caroline and Hanover counties, about northeast of the town of Ashland. The North Anna Dam on the common boundary of Louisa and Spotsylvania counties causes the river to form Lake Anna, which was created to provide water for the adjacent North Anna Nuclear Generating Station. Near its mouth, the North Anna River collects the Little River. Other tributaries of the North Anna include Pamunkey Creek and Contrary Creek.

References

Columbia Gazetter of North America entry
*

DeLorme DeLorme Publishing Company is a producer of personal satellite tracking, messaging, and navigation technology. The company's main product, ''inReach'', integrates GPS and satellite technologies. ''inReach'' provides the ability to send and rec ...

(2005). ''Virginia Atlas & Gazetteer''. Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. . {{authority control Rivers of Virginia Tributaries of the York River (Virginia) Rivers of Caroline County, Virginia Rivers of Hanover County, Virginia Rivers of Louisa County, Virginia Rivers of Orange County, Virginia Rivers of Spotsylvania County, Virginia Greater Richmond Region

Course

See also

References