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 drainag ...
estuary
An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environm ...
in eastern
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the East Coast of the United States, Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography an ...
in the United States.
History
Historically, the Mattaponi River has been known by a variety of names and alternate spellings, including ''Mat-ta-pa-ment'', Matapanient River, Matapany River, Matapeneugh River, Mattapanient River, Mattaponie River, Mattapony River, and ''Riviere de Mattapony''. The current name and spelling of "Mattaponi" was set by official decisions of the United States Board on Geographic Names in 1897 and 1936.
Residents of the counties surrounding Mattaponi River have debated a proposed reservoir on the Mattaponi River, with environmental groups such as the
Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is an environmental organization with chapters in all 50 United States, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. The club was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by Scottish-American preservationist John Muir, w ...
, members of the Mattaponi Indian tribe, and residents of King William County opposing Newport News Waterworks in their efforts to build the King William Reservoir.
Course
The Mattaponi River ultimately rises as four streams in Spotsylvania County, each of which is given a shorter piece of the Mattaponi's name:
* The Mat River and the Ta River join in Spotsylvania County to form the Matta River;
* The Po River and the Ni River join in Caroline County to form the Poni River;
* The Matta River and the Poni River join in Caroline County to form the Mattaponi River.
From the
confluence
In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river ( main stem); ...
of its tributaries, the Mattaponi flows generally southeast through Caroline County, where it collects the South River at the southern edge of the
Mattaponi Wildlife Management Area
Mattaponi Wildlife Management Area is a Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Caroline County, Virginia. Located west of Bowling Green, the area protects a mixture of wetlands and upland forests at the confluence of the Mattaponi and South rivers.
...
West Point
The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...