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The New River is arguably the oldest river in North America and the second oldest in the world (The Nile is believed to be the oldest). Geologists estimate the New’s age at approximately 300 million years. The New flows on a meandering path north through the Appalachian Mountains as it crosses the Appalachian Plateau, Ridge and Valley, and Blue Ridge physiographic regions.
The New River begins as two streams on the western side of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Watauga County, NC, at an elevation of 4,850 feet. The North and South Forks converge in Ashe County as the New River proper; it then flows northward into Virginia and loops back to tag North Carolina before continuing north into Virginia and West Virginia, where it descends to 680 feet. The New River is 337 miles long; its 8,970 miles of tributaries drain a 6,920 square mile basin.
The New River was designated an American Heritage River, one of only fourteen in the United States, in 1998. The designation brings with it federally funded but community-driven initiatives for protecting the river and for guiding sustainable growth in the watershed. While high peaks and steep mountainsides surrounding the New have traditionally protected the watershed from sprawl and development, as available flat land diminishes in other areas, and second-home owners continue to discover the region, difficult terrain has become less of a deterrent.
And, significant water quality concerns within the New River watershed include increased erosion and runoff due to both the quantity and quality of development. Fish and other aquatic species in many of the New River’s tributaries have been harmed.
The New River is significant and valuable for many reasons, including its historic, recreational, and biological habitat purposes. Historians believe the New River transported runaway slaves on their journey north; it has traditionally been a hot spot for grassroots stewardship, including the founding of NCNR as the result of a dam fight in the 1970s (read more here, “About NCNR”). The New offers world-class small mouth bass fishing, and paddling water for kayakers and canoers. Hikers also come to enjoy the scenery of the river basin and its neighboring mountains, along many miles of designated trails.
Several rare aquatic animals make their home in the basin, including the bog turtle, and the region also has a large number of endemic species, meaning they have been found only in this place, such as the Kanawha minnow, sharpnose and Kanawha darters. Old Field and Call creeks in NC are home to naturally reproducing populations of brook trout, the state’s only native trout species. Federal Endangered species in the New’s basin include the Rock Gnome Lichen (Gymnoderma lineare), Spreading Avens (Geum radiatum), Roan Mountain Bluet (Houstonia Montana) and the Carolina Northern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus coloratus).
Along the New River and its tributaries you'll find:
- One National Park Unit: the New River Gorge National River in WV.
- Two designated National Scenic Sections: The South Fork National Scenic Section in NC and the Bluestone National Scenic Section in WV.
- Three Rail Trails: New River Trail in VA, Greenbrier River Trail and West Fork Trail in WV.
- Eight State Parks: New River State Park in NC; New River Trail State Park and Claytor Lake State Park in VA; Pipestem State Park, Bluestone State Park, Babcock State Park, Watoga State Park, and Cass Scenic Railroad State Park in WV; and a Wildlife Management Area (Bluestone).
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