The Corrotoman River, located in
Lancaster County, Virginia
Lancaster County is a county located on the Northern Neck in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population sits at 10,919. Its county seat is Lancaster.
Located on the Northern Neck near the mouth of the Rappahanno ...
, is a
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
Rappahannock River
The Rappahannock River is a river in eastern Virginia, in the United States, approximately in length.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 It traverses the enti ...
. Along with its sister
waterways
A waterway is any navigable body of water. Broad distinctions are useful to avoid ambiguity, and disambiguation will be of varying importance depending on the nuance of the equivalent word in other ways. A first distinction is necessary betw ...
, the Corrotoman River has important cultural and
historical
History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some theorists categ ...
significance in the region due to the pre-colonization of indigenous communities, notably the
Powhatan
Powhatan people () are Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands who belong to member tribes of the Powhatan Confederacy, or Tsenacommacah. They are Algonquian peoples whose historic territories were in eastern Virginia.
Their Powh ...
peoples. The Corrotoman River was a former site of seed oysters, and was closed down for a certain disease infecting the oyster population.
Description
Main Body
The mouth of the Corrotoman River is between ''
Towle Point
The Kyle Hills () are a prominent group of volcanic cones, hills, ridges, and peaks that occupy the eastern part of Ross Island, Antarctica, between Mount Terror (Antarctica), Mount Terror and Cape Crozier.
The hills extend east–west for , ris ...
'' and ''Orchard Point''. Whitehouse Creek, as well as Ewells Prong and Millenbeck Prong, are located on the western side of the river. Farther north and inland, Corrotoman Point sits on the eastern shore of the river, and Ball Point is located on the western shore of the river. The river narrows significantly at this point.
On the western side of the river, after Ball Point, Yankee Point marks the beginning of Myers Creek. Myers Creek is home to the only marina on the river, the Yankee Point Marina. North of Yankee Point is Bar Point, where the Western Branch starts.
On the eastern side of the river, after Corrotoman Point, are Taylor Creek and Moran Creek. To the north is Moran Wharf, which signifies the start of the Eastern Branch.
Western Branch
The Western Branch starts between Bar Point and West Point, which point northwest. The Merry Point
cable ferry
A cable ferry (including the types chain ferry, swing ferry, floating bridge, or punt) is a ferry that is guided (and in many cases propelled) across a river or large body of water by cables connected to both shores. Early cable ferries often ...
is located near the start of the branch that runs between Ottoman Wharf and Merry Point.
In the order they are encountered heading up the branch, the creeks are John Creek, Lowrey Creek, Senior Creek, and Davis Creek. From there, the branch forks into two. The eastern fork ends at Bellwood Swamp, approximately one mile west of Lancaster Courthouse, and the western fork, Little Branch, ends at Griffins Landing.
Eastern Branch
The Eastern Branch starts between West Point and Moran Wharf, and points in a northeast direction. The branch splits off into Camps Prong and Norris Prong, which lead to Camps Millpond and Norris Pond respectively.
See also
*
List of rivers of Virginia
This is a list of rivers in the U.S. state of Virginia.
By drainage basin
This list is arranged by drainage basin, with respective tributaries, arranged in the order of their confluence from mouth to source, indented under each larger stream's nam ...
*
Powhatan
Powhatan people () are Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands who belong to member tribes of the Powhatan Confederacy, or Tsenacommacah. They are Algonquian peoples whose historic territories were in eastern Virginia.
Their Powh ...
*
Pocahontas
Pocahontas (, ; born Amonute, also known as Matoaka and Rebecca Rolfe; 1596 – March 1617) was a Native American woman belonging to the Powhatan people, notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. S ...
*
Algonquian peoples
The Algonquians are one of the most populous and widespread North American indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous American groups, consisting of the peoples who speak Algonquian languages. They historically were prominent along the East ...
References
Rivers of Virginia
Tributaries of the Rappahannock River
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