Rockfish River

Rockfish River
Basin
Main source Virginia
Source elevation 560 feet (170 m)
River mouth James River
37°43′58″N 78°38′43″W / 37.7329°N 78.6452°W / 37.7329; -78.6452 (Rockfish River)Coordinates: 37°43′58″N 78°38′43″W / 37.7329°N 78.6452°W / 37.7329; -78.6452 (Rockfish River)
295 feet (90 m)
Countries United States
Physiognomy
Length 28.7 miles (46 km)

The Rockfish River is a 28.7-mile-long (46.2 km)[1] tributary of the James River in central Virginia in the United States. Via the James River, it is part of the watershed of the Chesapeake Bay.

Course

The Rockfish River is formed in Nelson County, Virginia, by the confluence of its North and South Forks (37°54′13″N 78°49′58″W / 37.9036°N 78.8327°W / 37.9036; -78.8327 (Rockfish River source)), both of which rise in the Blue Ridge Mountains near the Blue Ridge Parkway. It flows generally southeastwardly through northern Nelson County; in its lower course the river is used to define the boundary between Nelson and Albemarle counties. It enters the James River from the northwest on the common boundary of the two counties, about 8 miles (13 km) southwest of Scottsville.

Etymology

Rockfish Valley is named for the fact that before the dams on the James River were constructed, rockfish ran from the bays as far west as the valley.[2]

See also

Sources

  1. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed April 1, 2011
  2. ↑ Saunders, Paul M (2007). Heartbeats of Nelson. Piney River VA: Nelson Historical Society. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
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