The South Branch Potomac River has its
headwaters
The headwaters of a river or stream is the farthest place in that river or stream from its estuary or downstream confluence with another river, as measured along the course of the river. It is also known as a river's source.
Definition
The ...
in northwestern
Highland County, Virginia near
Hightown along the eastern edge of the
Allegheny Front
The Allegheny Front is the major southeast- or east-facing escarpment in the Allegheny Mountains in southern Pennsylvania, western Maryland, eastern West Virginia, and western Virginia, USA. The Allegheny Front forms the boundary between the ...
. After a river distance of ,
[U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data]
The National Map
. Retrieved August 15, 2011 the mouth of the South Branch lies east of
Green Spring in
Hampshire County, West Virginia where it meets the
North Branch Potomac River to form the Potomac.
Nomenclature
The
Native Americans of the region, and thus the earliest white settlers, referred to the South Branch Potomac River as the Wappatomaka. Variants throughout the river's history included Wappatomica River, Wapacomo River, Wapocomo River, Wappacoma River, Wappatomaka River, South Branch of Potowmac River, and South Fork Potomac River.
[Morrison, Charles (1971), ''Wappatomaka: A Survey of the History and Geography of the South Branch Valley'', McClain Printing Co.: Parsons, W.Va.]
Places settled in the South Branch valley bearing variants of "Wappatomaka" include
Wappocomo farm built in 1774 and the
unincorporated hamlet of
Wappocomo (sometimes spelled Wapocomo) at
Hanging Rocks, both north of
Romney on
West Virginia Route 28.
Course
The exact location of the South Branch's source is northwest of Hightown along
U.S. Route 250 on the eastern side of Lantz Mountain (3,934 ft) in Highland County. From Hightown, the South Branch is a small meandering
stream
A stream is a continuous body of surface water flowing within the bed and banks of a channel. Depending on its location or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to by a variety of local or regional names. Long large streams ...
that flows northeast along Blue Grass Valley Road through the communities of
New Hampden and
Blue Grass. At
Forks of Waters, the South Branch joins with Strait Creek and flows north across the Virginia/West Virginia border into
Pendleton County.
The river then travels on a northeastern course along the western side of Jack Mountain (4,045 ft), followed by Sandy Ridge (2,297 ft) along
U.S. Route 220. North of the confluence of the South Branch with Smith Creek, the river flows along Town Mountain (2,848 ft) around
Franklin at the junction of U.S. Route 220 and
U.S. Route 33. After Franklin, the South Branch continues north through the
Monongahela National Forest to
Upper Tract where it joins with three sizeable streams: Reeds Creek, Mill Run, and Deer Run.
Between Big Mountain (2,582 ft) and Cave Mountain (2,821 ft), the South Branch bends around the Eagle Rock (1,483 ft) outcrop and continues its flow northward into
Grant County. Into Grant, the South Branch follows the western side of Cave Mountain through the long
Smoke Hole Canyon, until its confluence with the
North Fork at
Cabins, where it flows east to
Petersburg. At Petersburg, the
South Branch Valley Railroad begins, which parallelsthe river until its mouth at
Green Spring.
In its eastern course from Petersburg into
Hardy County, the South Branch becomes more navigable allowing for
canoes
A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle.
In British English, the ter ...
and smaller river vessels. The river splits and forms a series of large islands while it heads northeast to
Moorefield. At Moorefield, the South Branch is joined by the
South Fork South Branch Potomac River
The South Branch Potomac River has its headwaters in northwestern Highland County, Virginia near Hightown along the eastern edge of the Allegheny Front. After a river distance of ,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolu ...
and runs north to
Old Fields where it is fed by Anderson Run and Stony Run.
At
McNeill, the South Branch flows into
the Trough where it is bound to its west by
Mill Creek Mountain (2,119 ft) and to its east by Sawmill Ridge (1,644 ft). This area is the habitat to
bald eagles
The bald eagle (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'') is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), which occupies the same niche a ...
. The Trough passes into
Hampshire County and ends at its confluence with Sawmill Run south of
Glebe
Glebe (; also known as church furlong, rectory manor or parson's close(s))McGurk 1970, p. 17 is an area of land within an ecclesiastical parish used to support a parish priest. The land may be owned by the church, or its profits may be reserved ...
and
Sector
Sector may refer to:
Places
* Sector, West Virginia, U.S.
Geometry
* Circular sector, the portion of a disc enclosed by two radii and a circular arc
* Hyperbolic sector, a region enclosed by two radii and a hyperbolic arc
* Spherical sector, a po ...
.
The South Branch continues north parallel to
South Branch River Road (
County Route
A county highway (also county road or county route; usually abbreviated CH or CR) is a road in the United States and in the Canadian province of Ontario that is designated and/or maintained by the county highway department. Route numbering can ...
8) toward
Romney with a number of historic plantation farms adjoining it. En route to Romney, the river is fed by Buffalo Run,
Mill Run, McDowell Run, and
Mill Creek at
Vanderlip. The South Branch is traversed by the
Northwestern Turnpike
The Northwestern Turnpike is a historic road in West Virginia ( Virginia at the time the road was created), important for being historically one of the major roads crossing the Appalachians, financed by the Virginia Board of Public Works in the 1 ...
(
U.S. Route 50) and joined by Sulphur Spring Run where it forms
Valley View Island to the west of town.
Flowing north of Romney, the river still follows the eastern side of Mill Creek Mountain until it creates a horseshoe bend at
Wappocomo's
Hanging Rocks around the George W. Washington plantation,
Ridgedale. To the west of
Three Churches on the western side of
South Branch Mountain, 3,028 feet (923 m), the South Branch creates a series of bends and flows to the northeast by
Springfield through Blue's Ford. After two additional horseshoe bends (meanders), the South Branch flows under the old
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the first common carrier railroad and the oldest railroad in the United States, with its first section opening in 1830. Merchants from Baltimore, which had benefited to some extent from the construction of ...
mainline between
Green Spring and
South Branch Depot, and joins the North Branch to form the Potomac.
Tributaries
*
Big Run (West Virginia)
*
Buffalo Creek (West Virginia)
*
Lunice Creek Lunice Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed August 15, 2011 tributary of the South Branch Potomac River, belonging to the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay
The Che ...
(West Virginia)
*
Mill Creek (West Virginia)
*
Mill Run (West Virginia)
*
North Fork South Branch Potomac River (West Virginia)
**
Mill Creek (West Virginia)
**
Seneca Creek (West Virginia)
*
South Fork South Branch Potomac River
The South Branch Potomac River has its headwaters in northwestern Highland County, Virginia near Hightown along the eastern edge of the Allegheny Front. After a river distance of ,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolu ...
(West Virginia/Virginia)
**
Kettle Creek (West Virginia)
North Fork South Branch Potomac River
The North Fork South Branch Potomac River, long,
[ forms just north of the Virginia/West Virginia border in Pendleton County at the confluence of the Laurel Fork and Straight Fork along Big Mountain . From Circleville, the North Fork flows northeast through Pendleton County between the Fore Knobs to its west and the River Knobs, 2,490 feet (759 m) to its east. At Seneca Rocks, the North Fork is met by Seneca Creek. From Seneca Rocks, the North Fork continues to flow northeast along the western edge of North Fork Mountain 3,389 feet (1033 m) into Grant County. Flowing east through North Fork Gap, the North Fork joins the South Branch Potomac at the town of Cabins, west of Petersburg.
]
South Fork South Branch Potomac River
The South Fork South Branch Potomac River, sometimes called the South Fork River, forms just north of U.S. Route 250 in Highland County, Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...
near Monterey, and flows north-northeastward to the South Branch Potomac River at Moorefield in Hardy County, West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the ...
. From 1896 to 1929, it was named the Moorefield River by the Board on Geographic Names to avoid confusion with the South Branch.
See also
* List of crossings of the Potomac River ยง South Branch Potomac River
References
{{Authority control
Rivers of Virginia
Rivers of West Virginia
Monongahela National Forest
History of West Virginia
Tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay