Located in
Lancaster County, Virginia, the Corrotoman River is a
tributary
A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drai ...
of the
Rappahannock River
The Rappahannock River is a river in eastern Virginia, in the United States, approximately in length.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 It traverses the entir ...
, flowing into the
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The Bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula (including the parts: the Eastern Shore of Maryland / ...
. Along with its sister
waterways
A waterway is any navigable body of water. Broad distinctions are useful to avoid ambiguity, and disambiguation will be of varying importance depending on the nuance of the equivalent word in other languages. A first distinction is necessary ...
, the Corrotoman River has important cultural and
historical significance in the region due to pre-colonization indigenous communities, notably the
Powhatan
The Powhatan people (; also spelled Powatan) may refer to any of the indigenous Algonquian people that are traditionally from eastern Virginia. All of the Powhatan groups descend from the Powhatan Confederacy. In some instances, The Powhatan ...
peoples. The Corrotoman River used to be a popular place to get seed oysters, but a disease has cut oyster production in this area by a lot.
Description
Main Body
The mouth of the Corrotoman River is between
Towle Point and Orchard Point. Whitehouse Creek, as well as Ewells Prong and Millenbeck Prong, are located on the western side of the river. Farther north and inland, Corrotoman Point sits on the eastern shore of the river, and Ball Point is located on the western shore of the river. The river narrows significantly at this point.
On the western side of the river, after Ball Point, Yankee Point marks the beginning of Myers Creek. Myers Creek is home to the only marina on the river, the Yankee Point Marina. North of Yankee Point is Bar Point, where the Western Branch starts.
On the eastern side of the river, after Corrotoman Point, is Taylor Creek and Moran Creek. North of those is Moran Wharf, which signifies the start of the Eastern Branch.
Western Branch
The Western Branch starts between
Bar Point and West Point, which point northwest. The
Merry Point cable ferry
A cable ferry (including the terms chain ferry, swing ferry, floating bridge, or punt) is a ferry that is guided (and in many cases propelled) across a river or large body of water by cables connected to both shores. Early cable ferries often ...
is located near the start of the branch that runs between Ottoman Wharf and Merry Point.
In the order they are encountered heading up the branch, the creeks are John Creek, Lowrey Creek, Senior Creek, and Davis Creek. From there, the branch forks into two, the eastern fork ending at Belwood Swamp, approximately one mile west of Lancaster Courthouse, and the western fork, Little Branch, ending at Griffins Landing.
Eastern Branch
The Eastern Branch starts between West Point and Moran Wharf, and points in a northeast direction. The branch splits off into Camps Prong and Norris Prong, which lead to Camps Millpond and Norris Pond, respectively.
See also
*
List of rivers of Virginia
*
Powhatan
The Powhatan people (; also spelled Powatan) may refer to any of the indigenous Algonquian people that are traditionally from eastern Virginia. All of the Powhatan groups descend from the Powhatan Confederacy. In some instances, The Powhatan ...
*
Pocahontas
Pocahontas (, ; born Amonute, known as Matoaka, 1596 – March 1617) was a Native American woman, belonging to the Powhatan people, notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. She was the daughter of ...
*
Algonquian peoples
References
Rivers of Virginia
Tributaries of the Rappahannock River
{{Virginia-river-stub