Roanoke River

Roanoke River Staunton River
Roanoke River in theWasenaneighborhood ofRoanoke,Virginia
Map of the Roanoke River watershed
Location
Country	United States
State	Virginia,North Carolina
Physical characteristics
Source	Confluence of North and South Forks
• location	Lafayette,Virginia
• coordinates	37°14′15″N80°12′49″W
• elevation	1,194 ft (364 m)
Mouth	Albemarle Sound
• location	Plymouth,North Carolina
• coordinates	35°56′33″N76°41′42″W
• elevation	0 ft (0 m)
Length	410 mi (660 km)
Basin size	9,680 sq mi (25,100 km2)
Discharge
• location	Roanoke Rapids,133.6 mi (215.0 km) from the mouth
• average	7,802 cu ft/s (220.9 m3/s)
• minimum	818 cu ft/s (23.2 m3/s)
• maximum	261,000 cu ft/s (7,400 m3/s)
Basin features
Progression	Albemarle Sound
Tributaries
• left	Big Otter River,Falling River
• right	Dan River

TheRoanoke River(/ˈroʊ.əˌnoʊk/ROH-ə-nohk) runs 410 miles (660 km) longthrough southernVirginiaand northeasternNorth Carolinain theUnited States.A major river of the southeastern United States, it drains a largely rural area of thecoastal plainfrom the eastern edge of theAppalachian Mountainssoutheast across thePiedmonttoAlbemarle Sound.An important river throughout the history of the United States, it was the site of early settlement in theVirginia Colonyand theCarolina Colony.An 81-mile (130 km) sectionof its lower course in Virginia between the Leesville Lake andKerr Lakeis known as theStaunton River,pronounced/ˈstæntən/,as is theShenandoah Valleycity ofthat name.It is impounded along much of its middle course to form a chain of reservoirs.

Staunton Riveris also the name of the northern political district ofPittsylvania County,Virginia, where a large section of the river serves as the boundary betweenCampbell County,Virginia(to the north) andPittsylvania County(to the south).

TheRoanoke River State Trailis apaddle trailwhich follows the lower portion of the river, fromRoanoke Rapidsto the Albemarle Sound.

Description

The river has its headwaters in theBlue Ridge MountainsinsouthwesternVirginia atLafayetteinMontgomery Countywhere the North Fork and South Fork of the river merge. The North Fork, approximately 30 miles (48 km) long, rises between two mountain ridges and flows initially southwest, then loops back to the northeast. The South Fork, approximately 20 miles (32 km) long, rises in several streams in the mountains on the border ofFloyd,Roanoke,and Montgomery counties and flows generally north, joining the North Fork from the south.

The combined stream flows northeast between mountain ridges through theRoanoke Valley,approximately 10 miles (16 km) toSalem,then east through the city ofRoanoke,emerging from agorgein the Blue Ridge Mountains southeast of Roanoke and forming the boundary betweenFranklinandBedfordcounties. The river flows generally east-southeast across the Piedmont of southern Virginia and enters northeastern North Carolina, passing north ofRoanoke Rapidsat thefall line.The river flows southeast in a zigzag course across the coastal plain through theRoanoke River National Wildlife Refugeand then briefly turns north as it entersBatchelor Bayon the western end ofAlbemarle Sound.The Roanoke River is also known as the Staunton River for 80 miles betweenSmith Mountain Lakeand convergence with theDan RiveratKerr Lake.

The river is impounded in six locations. The first is the Niagara Dam just south of the City of Roanoke in Roanoke County adjacent to the town of Vinton. It was constructed in 1906 to supply power for the Roanoke Electric Car streetcar system, and is currently owned and operated byAppalachian Power.It is then impounded twice in succession in the Piedmont of southwestern Virginia downstream from Roanoke to form theSmith Mountain LakeandLeesville Lakereservoirs. Farther downstream in southern along the North Carolina border, the river is impounded by theJohn H. Kerr Damto form the expansiveKerr Lake.In northeastern North Carolina, three miles (4.8 km) west of Roanoke Rapids, the river is impounded to form theLake Gastonreservoir, and is impounded a final time to form Roanoke Rapids Lake.

History

Replica of theRoanoke River Lighthouse,built atPlymouth, North Carolina

The Roanoke River valley was the homeland of variousNative Americans,mostlyVirginia Siouan,such as theOccaneechi(today part of theHaliwa-Saponi) and theTutelo.The name Roanoke is derived fromrawrenok,anAlgonquianword forwampum.The deadly spring floods earned it the name "River of Death".The river's lower course began to be settled by Virginians about the middle of the 17th century, in what was known as theAlbemarle Settlements.The upper reaches of the Roanoke River were explored by fur trading parties sent byAbraham Woodin the late 17th century, but these were not settled by English until the early 18th century.

In 1883, the small town of Big Lick on the river was selected as a major shops and terminal point for the newNorfolk and Western Railwayto meet theShenandoah Valley Railroad.Big Lick was renamedRoanokefor the river that bisected it, as the surroundingRoanoke Countyhad been in 1838.

The Roanoke River was prone to serious flooding prior to the completion of theJohn H. Kerr Damin 1953. Construction of the dam was precipitated by the1940 South Carolina hurricane,which caused record flooding in the Roanoke River basin and led to calls for better flood control mechanisms.

In 1997, thenon-profitRoanoke River Partners formed to create apaddle trailalong the river in North Carolina. The group established a system of river accesses and camping platforms betweenRoanoke Rapidsand the Albemarle Sound, known as the Roanoke River Paddle Trail.

On November 18, 2021, the North Carolina General Assembly passed a law adding the Roanoke River Paddle Trail as its twelfthState Trail.

See also

• List of North Carolina rivers
• List of Virginia rivers
• South Atlantic-Gulf Water Resource Region

External links

• Roanoke River Basin Association
• Roanoke River Partners