The Cheat River is a tributary of the Monongahela River in eastern West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Via the Monongahela and Ohio Rivers, it is part of the Mississippi River watershed. 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. ... The Monongahela River is a river on the Allegheny Plateau in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. ... State nickname: Mountain State Official languages English Capital Charleston Largest city Charleston Governor Joe Manchin (D) Senators Robert Byrd (D) Jay Rockefeller (D) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 41st 62,809 km² 0. ... State nickname: The Keystone State Official languages None Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Governor Ed Rendell (D) Senators Arlen Specter (R) Rick Santorum (R) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 33rd 119,283 km² 2. ... The Ohio River is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River, 1,579 km (981 mi) long in the eastern United States. ... This page is about the river in the United States; there is also a Canadian Mississippi River (Ontario). ... A watershed is a region of land where water drains downhill into a specified body of water, such as a river, lake, sea, ocean or wetland. ...

Headwaters and course

The Cheat is formed at Parsons, West Virginia by the confluence of its Shavers and Black Forks; the Black Fork is fed by the Blackwater River and the Dry, Glady and Laurel Forks, all of which are considered primary forks of the Cheat. From Parsons the river flows generally northward through Tucker and Preston Counties, past the towns of Rowlesburg and Albright. The Cheat flows northeastwardly from Albright, collecting Big Sandy Creek before entering Monongalia County, where a hydro-electric dam just south of the Pennsylvania border causes it to widen as the Cheat Lake reservoir. It then flows for a short distance through southwestern Fayette County, Pennsylvania before joining the Monongahela River at Point Marion, Pennsylvania. Upstream of its dam, the Cheat is one of the largest undammed watersheds in the eastern United States. Parsons is a city located in Tucker County, West Virginia. ... A confluence is the merger or meeting of two or more objects (or subjects) that seem to inseparably bind their respective forces or attributes into a point of junction. ... The Shavers Fork River, also known as Shavers Fork or the Shavers Fork of the Cheat River is a chief tributary of the Cheat River in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia in the United States. ... The Black Fork River, also known as the Black Fork or the Black Fork of the Cheat River is a chief tributary of the Cheat River in eastern West Virginia in the United States. ... The Blackwater River is a tributary of the Black Fork of the Cheat River in the Allegheny Mountains in eastern West Virginia. ... The Dry Fork River, also known as Dry Fork or the Dry Fork of the Cheat River, is a tributary of the Black Fork of the Cheat River in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia in the United States. ... Tucker County is a county located in the state of West Virginia. ... Preston County is a county located in the state of West Virginia. ... Rowlesburg is a town located in Preston County, West Virginia. ... Albright is a town located in Preston County, West Virginia. ... Big Sandy Creek (not to be confused with the Big Sandy River, a much larger stream which forms part of the boundary between West Virginia and Kentucky) is a small mountain stream which begins in Fayette County, Pennsylvania and flows into Preston County, West Virginia in the United States. ... Monongalia County is a county located in the state of West Virginia. ... Scrivener Dam, in Canberra, Australia, was engineered to withstand a once-in-5000-years flood event A dam is a barrier across flowing water that obstructs, directs or retards the flow, often creating a reservoir, lake or impoundment. ... Location in the state of Pennsylvania Formed September 26, 1783 Seat Uniontown Area  - Total  - Water 2,067 km² (798 mi²) 20 km² (8 mi²) 0. ... Point Marion is a borough located in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. ...

1985 flood

In November, 1985, heavy rains caused a massive flood on the Cheat, essentially wiping out the small town of Albright. The river flow was estimated at 100,000 cfs, much larger than normal flows ranging from 1000-5000 cfs. The massive flood also cause the Cheat River to leave it's banks and flood the small town of Rowlesburg, West Virginia too. The town of Rowlesburg lost alot of business then and the families left there homes or the land that they owner. It also wiped out the school in Rowlesburg which caused the consolidation of a high school for the county. For other uses, see November (disambiguation). ... This article is about the year. ... Albright is the surname of Madeleine Albright. ...

Pollution

In the vicinity of Albright, the Cheat has been plagued by pollution, notably acid mine drainage. Although the rocks downstream of Albright have been stained a rust brown, and the river has a very low fish population below Albright, water quality has been making slow improvements since the 1990's. Friends of the Cheat, the local river advocacy organization, has been instrumental in promoting remediation, cleanup, river stewardship, and education. Acid Rock drainage (ARD) (formerly called acid mine drainage) refers to the outflow of acidic water from (usually) abandoned metal mines. ...

Whitewater recreation

The Cheat watershed is a favorite destination for whitewater kayaking and rafting. On the first weekend in May of every year, paddlers gather from many states to attend the Cheat Festival. A very popular whitewater race takes place on the Friday of that weekend. Unlike the overwhelming majority of whitewater races, which employ a staggered start, this race uses a mass start--in which all participants start at the same time. For the first mile or so, paddlers have to avoid one another, in addition to the rocks and waves that the river presents. Whitewater is formed in a rapid, when a rivers gradient drops enough to form a bubbly, or aerated and unstable current; the frothy water appears white. ... Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving across water. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Whitewater. ... Whitewater is formed in a rapid, when a rivers gradient drops enough to form a bubbly, or aerated and unstable current; the frothy water appears white. ...

Historical names

According to the Geographic Names Information System, the Cheat River has also been known as: GNIS (The Geographic Names Information System) contains name and locative information about almost two million physical and cultural features located throughout the United States of America and its Territories. ...

• Ach-sin-ha-nac
• Achsinhanac
• Cheal River
• Chealt River
• Eleat River
• Wilmoths River

See also

• List of Pennsylvania rivers
• List of West Virginia rivers

This is a list of rivers in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania Allegheny River Clarion River Conemaugh River Delaware River Juniata River Lehigh River Monongahela River Ohio River Schuylkill River Susquehanna River West Branch Susquehanna River Youghiogheny River See also List of rivers in the United States This list... This is a list of rivers in the U.S. state of West Virginia. ...

External links

• National whitewater River Inventory: Cheat Narrows
• National whitewater River Inventory: Cheat Canyon
• Friends of the Cheat
• Maps and aerial photos
  • Street map from Google Local or Yahoo! Maps
  • Topographic map from TopoZone
  • Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
  • Satellite image from Google Local or Microsoft Virtual Earth