river
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...
in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
.
It stretches from its headwaters at a spring near
Blowing Rock Blowing Rock may refer to:
* The town of Blowing Rock, North Carolina
** The rocky outcropping Blowing Rock (land feature), near the town of the same name
* Blowing Rock, Virginia, an unincorporated community
* Caribbean island belonging to Anguil ...
and the
Eastern Continental Divide
The Eastern Continental Divide, Eastern Divide or Appalachian Divide is a hydrographic divide in eastern North America that separates the easterly Atlantic Seaboard watershed from the westerly Gulf of Mexico watershed. The divide nearly span ...
and meanders northward along the northwestern face of the
Blue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States, and extends 550 miles southwest from southern Pennsylvania through Maryland, West Virgin ...
through the eastern and central portions of
Watauga County
Watauga County ( ) from the North Carolina Collection's website at the and then Ashe County in northwestern North Carolina, passing through the town of Boone. It joins the
North Fork New River
The North Fork New River is a river in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It rises in Northern Watauga County, and flows northeast to Ashe County where it joins with the South Fork New River to form the New River.
See also
* New River
*South For ...
in Ashe County to form the New River. Its waters ultimately reach the Gulf of Mexico through the
Kanawha River
The Kanawha River ( ) is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately 97 mi (156 km) long, in the U.S. state of West Virginia. The largest inland waterway in West Virginia, its valley has been a significant industrial region of the stat ...
, the
Ohio River
The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illino ...
, and the
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
The Middle Fork runs between the towns of Blowing Rock and Boone and is fed by tributaries including the Aho Branch Creek (). Due to industrial usage and highway widening projects in the 1970s, much of the Middle Fork was severely ecologically degraded. Since 2000, the Middle Fork Greenway project has been working to create a 6.5-mile recreational greenway between the two cities. Additionally, work is being done to restore native plants and damaged sections of the river.
North Fork New River
The North Fork New River is a river in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It rises in Northern Watauga County, and flows northeast to Ashe County where it joins with the South Fork New River to form the New River.
See also
* New River
*South For ...