Bluestone River
| Bluestone River | |
|---|---|
 Bluestone River inPipestem Resort State Park | |
| 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″N81°24′58″W/ 37.17194°N 81.41611°W[1] |
| • elevation | 3,589 ft (1,094 m)[2] |
| Mouth | New RiverinBluestone Lake |
• location | Summers County,West Virginia |
• coordinates | 37°36′44″N80°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 →New River→Kanawha River→Ohio River→Mississippi River→Gulf of Mexico |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Little Bluestone River |
| • right | Blacklick Creek (West Virginia),Brush Creek(West Virginia),Pipestem Creek |
| Type | Scenic |
| Designated | October 26, 1988 |
TheBluestone Riveris atributaryof theNew River,77 mi (124 km) long, insouthwesternVirginiaandsouthern West Virginiain theUnited States.[3]Via the New,KanawhaandOhiorivers, it is part of thewatershedof theMississippi River.An 11 mi (18 km) portion of its lower course in West Virginia is designated as theBluestone National Scenic River.[5]
Course[edit]
The Bluestone rises on East River Mountain inTazewell County, Virginiaand flows generally northeastwardly throughMercerandSummerscounties in West Virginia, passing the towns ofBluefieldin Virginia andBramwellandMontcalmin West Virginia.[6][7]It joins the New River about 4 mi (6.4 km) south ofHintonas part ofBluestone Lake,[3]which is formed by aU.S. Army Corps of Engineersdamon the New. The Bluestone'sNational Scenic Riversegment is located mostly in Summers County, as isPipestem Resort State Park,which lies along agorgeformed by the river.[7][8]
Pollution[edit]
The Bluestone has been compromised byPCBcontamination, largely left over from formercoal miningactivities. As a result of this contamination, Virginia does not recommend eating anycarpin the upstream vicinity ofBluefield, Virginia.[9]West Virginia recommends eating no more than one meal of carp per month.[10]
In Virginia, the stateDepartment of Environmental Qualitydoes not recommend any contact recreation (such as swimming or wading) in the Bluestone due to high levels offecal coliform bacteria.[11]
Little Bluestone River[edit]
TheLittle Bluestone River[12]is a minor tributary of the Bluestone in Summers County, fewer than 10 mi (15 km) in length from its formation by theconfluenceof two streams, White Oak Branch and Jumping Branch.[7]
Variant names[edit]
According to theGeographic 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[edit]
References[edit]
- ^abc"Bluestone River".Geographic Names Information System.United States Geological Survey,United States Department of the Interior.Retrieved2004-04-24.
- ^"Bluestone River Source".Elevation Query.U.S. Geological Survey.Retrieved2008-04-24.[permanent dead link]
- ^abcColumbia Gazetteer of North America entryArchivedMarch 25, 2005, at theWayback Machine
- ^"USGS 03179000 BLUESTONE RIVER NEAR PIPESTEM, WV".National Water Information System.U.S. Geological Survey.Retrieved2010-03-16.
- ^Bluestone National Scenic River website
- ^DeLorme(2005).Virginia Atlas & Gazetteer.Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme.ISBN0-89933-326-5
- ^abcDeLorme(1997).West Virginia Atlas & Gazetteer.Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme.ISBN0-89933-246-3
- ^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.RetrievedApril 13,2010.
- ^"West Virginia Fish Consumption Advisories".West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources.Archived fromthe originalon March 7, 2010.RetrievedApril 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 fromthe original(PDF)on 2012-03-04.RetrievedApril 13,2010.
- ^U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Little Bluestone River
- ^U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Bluestone River
