South Branch Potomac River

South Branch Potomac River Tributary to Potomac River
The South Branch nearSouth Branch Depot,West Virginia
Location of mouth of South Branch Potomac River
Location
Country	United States
State	West Virginia,Maryland,Virginia
Physical characteristics
Source	Burners Run divide
• location	about 2 miles east ofHightown, Virginia
• coordinates	38°25′30.43″N079°36′30.13″W
• elevation	3,520 ft (1,070 m)
Mouth	Potomac River
• location	about 1 mile east ofGreen Spring, West Virginia
• coordinates	39°31′42.33″N078°35′15.05″W
• elevation	525 ft (160 m)
Length	113.51 mi (182.68 km)
Basin size	1,438.61 square miles (3,726.0 km2)
Discharge
• location	Potomac River
• average	1,535.65 cu ft/s (43.485 m3/s) at mouth withPotomac River
Basin features
Progression	Potomac River→Chesapeake Bay→Atlantic Ocean
River system	Potomac River
Tributaries
• left	Frank Run, Key Run, Elk Run, East Dry Run, Hammer Run, Moyer Run, Smith Creek, Peters Run, Buffalo Run, Kentuck Run, Reeds Creek, Briggs Run, Dry Hollow, Redman Run, North Fork South Branch Potomac River, Hoglan Run, Lunice Creek, Hutton Run, Anderson Run
• right	West Strait Creek, Big Run, Liberty Run, Thorn Creek, Propst Run, Conrad Gap Run, Hayes Gap Run, Deer Run, Mill Run, Landes Hollow, Mill Creek, Durgon Creek, South Fork South Branch Potomac River, Fort Run, Stony Run, Sawmill Run, Buffalo Run
Bridges	VA 640 (x2), Lonesome Trail, VA 25, Dickerson Mountain Road, Gambill Road, US 33, Hammer Homestead Drive, Potomac River Lane, Squire Lane, Schmucker Road, US 220, South Branch Trail, US 220 (x2), Fisher Road, US 48, US 220, US 50, WV 28, Springfield Pike

Oblique air photo of the confluence of the North and South Branches nearGreen Spring, West Virginia.Facing southwest. River Mountain is on the right, andTown Hillis on the left.

TheSouth Branch Potomac Riverhas itsheadwatersin northwesternHighland County, Virginia,nearHightownalong the eastern edge of theAllegheny Front.After a river distance of 139 miles (224 km),themouthlies east ofGreen Spring,Hampshire County, West Virginia,where it meets theNorth Branch Potomac Riverto form thePotomac.

Nomenclature

TheNative Americansof 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.

Places settled in the South Branch valley bearing variants of "Wappatomaka" includeWappocomo farmbuilt in 1774 and theunincorporatedhamlet ofWappocomo(sometimes spelled Wapocomo) atHanging Rocks.

Course

Thesourceis northwest ofHightownalongU.S. Route 250on the eastern side of Lantz Mountain (3,934 ft) inHighland County, Virginia.From Hightown, the South Branch is a smallmeanderingstream that flows northeast along Blue Grass Valley Road through the communities ofNew HampdenandBlue Grass.AtForks of Waters,the South Branch joins with Strait Creek and flows north across the Virginia/West Virginia border intoPendleton 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) alongU.S. Route 220.North of theconfluenceof the South Branch with Smith Creek, the river flows along Town Mountain (2,848 ft) aroundFranklinat the junction of U.S. Route 220 andU.S. Route 33.After Franklin, the South Branch continues north through theMonongahela National ForesttoUpper Tractwhere 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)outcropand continues its flow northward intoGrant County.Into Grant, the South Branch follows the western side of Cave Mountain through the 20-mile (32 km) longSmoke Hole Canyon,until its confluence with theNorth ForkatCabins,where it flows east toPetersburg.At Petersburg, theSouth Branch Valley Railroadbegins, which parallels the river until itsmouthatGreen Spring.

Canoers atHanging Rockson the South Branch in the 1890s

In its eastern course from Petersburg intoHardy County,the South Branch becomes more navigable allowing for canoes and smaller river vessels. The river splits and forms a series of large islands while it heads northeast toMoorefield.At Moorefield, the South Branch is joined by the South Fork South Branch Potomac River and runs north toOld Fieldswhere it is fed by Anderson Run and Stony Run.

AtMcNeill,the South Branch flows intothe Troughwhere it is bound to its west byMill Creek Mountain(2,119 ft) and to its east by Sawmill Ridge (1,644 ft). The Trough passes intoHampshire Countyand ends at its confluence with Sawmill Run south ofGlebeandSector.

The South Branch continues north parallel toSouth Branch River Road(County Route8) towardRomneywith a number of historic plantation farms adjoining it. En route to Romney, the river is fed by Buffalo Run,Mill Run,McDowell Run, andMill CreekatVanderlip.The South Branch is traversed by theNorthwestern Turnpike(U.S. Route 50) and joined by Sulphur Spring Run where it formsValley View Islandto 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 atWappocomo'sHanging Rocksaround the George W. Washington plantation,Ridgedale.To the west ofThree Churcheson the western side ofSouth Branch Mountain,3,028 feet (923 m), the South Branch creates a series of bends and flows to the northeast bySpringfieldthrough Blue's Ford. After two additional horseshoe bends (meanders), the South Branch flows under the oldBaltimore and Ohio Railroadmainline betweenGreen SpringandSouth Branch Depot,and joins the North Branch to form the Potomac.

Tributaries

• Big Run
• Buffalo Creek
• Lunice Creek
• Mill Creek
• Mill Run
• North Fork South Branch Potomac River
  • Mill Creek
  • Seneca Creek
• South Fork South Branch Potomac River
  • Kettle Creek

North Fork South Branch Potomac River

The North Fork South Branch belowSeneca Rocksin Pendleton County, West Virginia

TheNorth Fork South Branch Potomac River,43.6 miles (70.2 km) long,forms just north of the Virginia/West Virginia border inPendleton Countyat the confluence of theLaurel Forkand Straight Fork along Big Mountain 3,881 feet (1,183 m). FromCircleville,the North Fork flows northeast through Pendleton County between the Fore Knobs 2,949 feet (899 m) to its west and theRiver Knobs,2,490 feet (759 m) to its east. AtSeneca Rocks,the North Fork is met bySeneca Creek.From Seneca Rocks, the North Fork continues to flow northeast along the western edge of North Fork Mountain 3,389 feet (1033 m) intoGrant County.Flowing east through North Fork Gap, the North Fork joins the South Branch Potomac at the town ofCabins,west ofPetersburg.

South Fork South Branch Potomac River

TheSouth Fork South Branch Potomac River,sometimes called theSouth Fork River,forms just north ofU.S. Route 250inHighland County,Virginianear Monterey, and flows 68.4 miles (110.1 km)north-northeastward to the South Branch Potomac River atMoorefieldinHardy County,West Virginia.From 1896 to 1929, it was named the Moorefield River by theBoard on Geographic Namesto avoid confusion with the South Branch.

See also

• List of crossings of the Potomac River § South Branch Potomac River