Poquoson River
| Poquoson River | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Basin features | |
| Main source | Virginia |
Coordinates: 37°10′1″N 76°23′1″W / 37.16694°N 76.38361°W
The Poquoson River is an 11.7-mile-long (18.8 km), mostly tidal river in the state of Virginia. The river is an estuarine inlet of the Chesapeake Bay, entering just south of the mouth of the York River.
The river flows primarily through York County, rising south of Yorktown to the west of U.S. Route 17 and flowing south to Harwoods Mill Reservoir, a 265-acre impoundment that is the terminal reservoir for the City of Newport News water supply system that was created by damming its upper reaches, where it turns east, flows under Route 17, and becomes tidal. The river flows northeast and becomes the boundary between York County and the city of Poquoson, reaching Chesapeake Bay just north of the Plum Tree Island National Wildlife Refuge. It has several tributaries including Bennett Creek, Roberts Creek, Chisman Creek, Lamb's Creek, Patrick's Creek, Hunter's Creek, and Moore's Creek. The creeks are named for families who settled along their banks during the colonial period.
The river's name is probably related to pocosin. The first reference to Poquoson is believed to be in Colonial records of a land grant of 500 acres (200 ha) in New Poquoson to Christopher Calthorpe in 1631 by a court in what became the former Elizabeth City County. This area still known in the 21st century as Calthrop Neck is bounded by the Poquoson River, Lambs Creek, Moore's Creek and Yorktown Road.
...
Wikipedia