Rockfish River
Location
CountryUnited States
Physical characteristics
Source 
  locationVirginia
  elevation560 feet (170 m)
Mouth 
  location
James River
  coordinates
37°43′58″N 78°38′43″W / 37.7329°N 78.6452°W / 37.7329; -78.6452 (Rockfish River)
  elevation
295 feet (90 m)
Length28.7 miles (46 km)
Kayaking the Rockfish river in Nelson County.

The Rockfish River is a 28.7-mile-long (46.2 km)[1] tributary of the James River in central Virginia in the United States. Via the James River, it is part of the watershed of the Chesapeake Bay.

Course

The Rockfish River is formed in Nelson County, Virginia, by the confluence of its North and South Forks (37°54′13″N 78°49′58″W / 37.9036°N 78.8327°W / 37.9036; -78.8327 (Rockfish River source)), both of which rise in the Blue Ridge Mountains near the Blue Ridge Parkway. It flows generally southeastwardly through northern Nelson County; in its lower course the river is used to define the boundary between Nelson and Albemarle counties. It enters the James River from the northwest on the common boundary of the two counties, about 8 miles (13 km) southwest of Scottsville.

Etymology

Rockfish Valley is named for the fact that before the dams on the James River were constructed, rockfish ran from the bays as far west as the valley.[2]

See also

The Rockfish River from the Laurel road bridge.

Sources

  1. U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed April 1, 2011
  2. Saunders, Paul M (2007). Heartbeats of Nelson. Piney River VA: Nelson Historical Society. Retrieved 27 February 2016.



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