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The Blackwater River of southeastern Virginia flows from its source near the city of Petersburg, Virginia for about 105 miles through the Inner Coastal Plain region of Virginia (part of the Atlantic Coastal Plain. The Blackwater joins the Nottoway River to form the Chowan River, which empties into Albemarle Sound. The Blackwater-Nottoway confluence lies exactly on the boundary between Virginia and North Carolina. Official language(s) English Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Area Ranked 35th - Total 42,793 sq mi (110,862 km²) - Width 200 miles (320 km) - Length 430 miles (690 km) - % water 7. ...
Location Location in the State of Virginia Coordinates , Government Country State County United States Virginia Independent city Founded December 17, 1748 Mayor Annie M. Mickens Geographical characteristics Area City 60. ...
The Atlantic Coastal Plain is the rather flat stretch of land that borders the Atlantic Ocean (including the Gulf of Mexico). ...
The Nottoway River is in Southern Virginia and North Carolina Cities and towns Cities and towns along the river include: Courtland, Virginia See Also List of rivers of the Americas List of Virginia rivers Cactus Hill Categories: | | | ...
The Chowan River is a blackwater river formed with the merging of Virginias Blackwater and Nottoway rivers near the stateline between Virginia and North Carolina. ...
Albemarle Sound with the northern Outer Banks. ...
Official language(s) English Capital Raleigh Largest city Charlotte Area Ranked 28th - Total 53,865 sq mi (139,509 km²) - Width 500 miles (805 km) - Length 150 miles (240 km) - % water 9. ...
The Blackwater River is a true blackwater river. Its water is clear, dark, slightly acidic, and tannin stained. Its drainage basin contains many swamps. The river's flood plain is mostly forested and swampy, including bald cypress and tupelo swamp forests. The upper Blackwater River is called Blackwater Swamp. In this region of Virginia, many streams are called "Swamps", but still function like streams in being long and linear, with water moving from one end to the other, and laid out in a normal stream tributary network. In contrast, some of the region's wetlands are not streams, such as the bog-like pocosins found on the higher land between swamp-stream drainages. This article is unconnected to the various rivers named Blackwater: see Blackwater River (note capitalization) Blackwater rivers are rivers with waters colored like clear tea to coffee. ...
A drainage basin is the area within the drainage basin divide (yellow outline), and drains the surface runoff and river discharge (blue lines) of a contiguous area. ...
A freshwater swamp This article is about the wetland type (a landform). ...
It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Floodplain. ...
Binomial name Taxodium distichum (L.) Rich. ...
For the city, see Tupelo, Mississippi. ...
The Blackwater River was a transportation route in the 17th and 18th centuries, connecting the Chesapeake Bay settlements with the Albemarle Settlements. It was one of the few rivers of colonial Virginia that did not empty into Chesapeake Bay, yet lay close to the colony's oldest settlements on the James River. Settlements in the Blackwater's drainage basin were founded very early in Virginia's history. As a result, the Blackwater River became one of the early migration routes southward from the James River into the region then called Southside Virginia, and beyond into the Albemarle District of Carolina (later North Carolina). Today's usual definition of Southside (Virginia) differs somewhat from that of colonial times. Chesapeake Bay - Landsat photo Chesapeake Bay where the Susquehanna River empties into it. ...
There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ...
The James River is the name of at least two rivers in the United States. ...
Official language(s) English Capital Raleigh Largest city Charlotte Area Ranked 28th - Total 53,865 sq mi (139,509 km²) - Width 500 miles (805 km) - Length 150 miles (240 km) - % water 9. ...
Southside is the colloquial name given to a broad swath of southeastern and/or south-central Virginia, USA. It is bounded on the north by the James River, and does not have any particular western boundary. ...
Geography
The Blackwater River originates just south of the city of Petersburg, Virginia in several swamps. It flows southeast through Prince George County, where it is called Blackwater Swamp. It then forms part of the border between Surry County and Sussex County, where its name becomes Blackwater River. It collects tributaries called Warwick Swamp, Otterdam Swamp, Coppahaunk Swamp, and Cypress Swamp. In southern Surry County, the Blackwater River turns south and forms the border between Isle of Wight County and Southampton County. It collects tributaries called Terrapin Swamp, Antioch Swamp Seacock Swamp, Corrowaugh Swamp, and Kingsale Swamp. Location Location in the State of Virginia Coordinates , Government Country State County United States Virginia Independent city Founded December 17, 1748 Mayor Annie M. Mickens Geographical characteristics Area City 60. ...
Location in the state of Virginia Formed Seat Prince George Area - Total - Water 730 km² (282 mi²) 42 km² (16 mi²) 5. ...
Surry County is a county located in the south-eastern part of the state of Virginia. ...
Sussex County is a county located in the state of Virginia. ...
A tributary (or affluent or confluent) is a contributory stream, a river that does not reach the sea, but joins another major river (a parent river), to which it contributes its waters, swelling its discharge. ...
Location in the state of Virginia Formed 1634 Seat Isle of Wight Area - Total - Water 940 km² (363 mi²) 121 km² (47 mi²) 12. ...
Southampton County is a county located in the state of Virginia. ...
The city of Franklin, Virginia lies on its west bank at the river's head of navigation. While canoes and other small boats plied the Blackwater upstream of Franklin in colonial times (and still do today), in the steamboat era, navigation was restricted to the river downstream of Franklin. Motto: Nickname: Map Political Statistics Founded Incorporated Independent city Mayor James P. Councill Geographic Statistics Area - Total - Land - Water 21. ...
Head of navigation is a term used to describe the farthest point above the mouth of a river that can be navigated by ships. ...
South of Franklin, the Blackwater River forms the border between Southampton County and Suffolk, Virginia. Motto: Nickname: Map Political Statistics Founded 1742 Incorporated Independent city Mayor Bobby L. Ralph Geographic Statistics Area - Total - Land - Water 1,111. ...
About nine miles south of Franklin, on the border between Virginia and North Carolina, the Blackwater River is joined by the Nottoway River, forming the Chowan River, which continues south to Albemarle Sound. The boundary between Virginia and North Carolina runs west from the Atlantic Ocean, striking the Blackwater River about a half mile north of the confluence with the Nottoway River. From there the state line follows the Blackwater River south to the confluence, then continues west. The Nottoway River is in Southern Virginia and North Carolina Cities and towns Cities and towns along the river include: Courtland, Virginia See Also List of rivers of the Americas List of Virginia rivers Cactus Hill Categories: | | | ...
The Chowan River is a blackwater river formed with the merging of Virginias Blackwater and Nottoway rivers near the stateline between Virginia and North Carolina. ...
Albemarle Sound with the northern Outer Banks. ...
The watershed of the Blackwater River contains a portion of eight counties of Virginia: Franklin (City) County, Isle of Wight County, Petersburg (City) County, Prince George County, Southampton County, Suffolk (City) County, Surry County, and Sussex County. Watershed has more than one meaning: Look up watershed in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...
Natural History The Blackwater River is, as its name implies, a Blackwater river -- its waters are clear, dark, acidic, low in nutrients, and tannin stained. Several environmental factors cause the blackwater condition. The many forested wetlands along the river include Streamhead Pocosins and Bald Cypress & Tupelo Swamps. This article is unconnected to the various rivers named Blackwater: see Blackwater River (note capitalization) Blackwater rivers are rivers with waters colored like clear tea to coffee. ...
The Blackwater is known for its pocosins, including the rare type called Streamhead Pocosin. The only two Streamhead Pocosins known in Virginia are on the Blackwater River.
Bald Cypress and Tupelo Swamps occur along many streams of the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Most were logged, thus old-growth examples are rare. The Blackwater River Preserve protects one of the oldest bald cypress and tupelo swamp forests in the Southeast, with trees up to 800 years old. Another stand of old-growth bald cypress and tupelo forest, known as Dendron Swamp, was recently designated a Natural Area Preserve by the Virginia Department of Conservation of Recreation. The Atlantic Coastal Plain is the rather flat stretch of land that borders the Atlantic Ocean (including the Gulf of Mexico). ...
Another rare type of forest found along the Blackwater River is a type called Longleaf Pine and Mixed Pine Flatwoods. These forests were once common, but today are restricted to a few small sites on the east side of the Blackwater River. Near the town of Zuni, Virginia, one stand is protected by the Blackwater Ecological Preserve.
The many old forests and wetlands along the Blackwater River have made it popular for recreational canoeing.
History In 1646, after two years of war between the Virginia colony and the Powhatan confederation, a peace treaty was agreed to by the leaders of the two sides (Governor William Berkeley and Chief Necotowance). The treaty set the southern boundary between Virginia and Indian lands at the Blackwater River (or Blackwater Swamp). John Smiths Map of Virginia (1612) The Colony of Virginia was the English colony in North America that existed briefly during the 16th century, and then continuously from 1607 until the American Revolution. ...
Chief Powhatan in a longhouse at Werowocomoco (detail of John Smith map, 1612) The Powhatan (also spelled Powatan and Powhaten) were a very powerful confederacy of Native American tribes, speaking an Algonquian language, who lived in what is now Virginia at the time of the first English-Native encounters. ...
Sir William Berkeley (1605-July 9, 1677) was a governor of Virginia, appointed by King Charles I, of whom he was a favorite. ...
By the late 1600s some settlers from Virginia were crossing the Blackwater boundary and settling in territory of Indian tribes such as the Nottoway. The government of Virginia repeatedly ordered such people to return north of the river, and would not allow land south of the river to be surveyed for land grants. In 1685 the House of Burgesses asked Governor Howard for permission to grant some land south of the Blackwater River. The governor denied the request. In 1690 another order was given, demanding all settlers south of the river to return north. Patrick Henry before the House of Burgesses in an 1851 painting by Peter F. Rothermel The House of Burgesses was the lower house of the Colony of Virginia. ...
The Indians, however, asked in 1688 for settlers to move south of the Blackwater. The reason for the request is unclear, but may have been due to "precarious economic conditions" and fear of attack and invasion by other tribes. By 1705, the Blackwater boundary law was revoked and settlements south of the river became legal.
Transportation in early colonial Virginia was usually done by water. The many wide estuaries and wetlands made land transport difficult, especially when moving goods. Migration and settlement patterns thus tended to follow the rivers, most of which flowed from the west and emptied into [[Chesapeake Bay[[. The Blackwater River was an exception. It flowed south to Albemarle Sound. The Blackwater's headwaters were close to the main settlements along the James River (some within three miles). By the early 1700s, Virginians were living along the upper Blackwater River and using the river for travel and transportation. The political authority of Virginia was centered on Chesapeake Bay. Most of the other rivers used for travel in Virginia at the time emptied into the bay, which helped Virginia's government control the colony's affairs. The settlers using the Blackwater River, however, were drawn away from Chesapeake Bay to the relatively lawless settlements of Albemarle Bay. This played a role in the emerging "southside" society, as the region "south of the James River" became known. An estuary is a semi-enclosed coastal body of water which has a free connection with the open sea and within which sea water mixes with fresh water. ...
A subtropical wetland in Florida, USA, with an endangered American Crocodile. ...
Albemarle Sound with the northern Outer Banks. ...
During the American Civil War, the Blackwater River was for a time the dividing line between Union-occupied territory and Confederate Virginia. The boundary was not well defended, allowing thousands of "contrabands" (as the slaves were called during the war) the chance to flee east out of Southampton County, across the Blackwater River and into freedom. The Civil War is by far the most common term for this conflict; see Naming the American Civil War. ...
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