Blackwater River (West Virginia)
| Blackwater River | |
| River | |
 The Blackwater River in Blackwater Falls State Park
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| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | West Virginia |
| County | Tucker |
| Tributaries | |
| - right | North Branch Blackwater River, Little Blackwater River |
| Source | Canaan Mountain |
| - location | Tucker County, WV |
| - elevation | 3,594 ft (1,095 m) |
| - coordinates | 39°03′39″N 79°29′04″W / 39.06083°N 79.48444°W |
| Mouth | Black Fork |
| - location | Hendricks, WV |
| - elevation | 1,690 ft (515 m) |
| - coordinates | 39°04′20″N 79°37′45″W / 39.07222°N 79.62917°WCoordinates: 39°04′20″N 79°37′45″W / 39.07222°N 79.62917°W |
| Length | 34 mi (55 km) |
| Basin | 142 sq mi (368 km2) |
| Discharge | for Davis, WV |
| - average | 189 cu ft/s (5 m3/s) |
| - max | 12,500 cu ft/s (354 m3/s) (1929) |
| - min | 22 cu ft/s (1 m3/s) (1930) |
 Map of the Monongahela River basin, with the Blackwater River highlighted.
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The Blackwater River is a 34.3-mile-long (55.2 km) river in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia, USA. Via the Black Fork, it is a principal tributary of the Cheat River. Via the Cheat, the Monongahela and the Ohio rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River and drains an area of 142 square miles (370 km2). It is a true blackwater stream, owing to spruce and hemlock trees in its watershed, the tannins of which impart a tea or amber color to its water.
The entire course and drainage area of the Blackwater lie within Tucker County. It rises on Canaan Mountain at an elevation of 3,594 feet (1,095 m) and initially meanders north-northeastwardly through the wetlands of Canaan Valley, passing through the Canaan Valley Resort State Park and the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge, and collecting two short tributaries known as the North Branch Blackwater River and the Little Blackwater River. Below the mouth of the latter, the Blackwater turns west-southwestwardly for the remainder of its course. After passing the town of Davis, it falls 62 feet (19 m) over Blackwater Falls and enters the eight-mile (13 km) long Blackwater Canyon in Blackwater Falls State Park. Here it forms whitewater rapids of Class IV-V+ and collects the eight-mile (13 km) long North Fork Blackwater River, which flows past the town of Thomas. Finally, the Blackwater joins the Dry Fork to form the Black Fork at the town of Hendricks, at an elevation of 1,690 feet (520 m).
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Wikipedia