Where is the Blackwater River?
The Blackwater River is located in Tucker County, West Virginia. Its headwaters are in Canaan Valley, and from there it makes its way past the towns of Thomas and Davis. The Blackwater passes through some amazing public lands on its journey, including Canaan Valley State Park, Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge, Little Canaan Wildlife Management Area, Blackwater Falls State Park, and the Monongahela National Forest.
Why is it called the Blackwater River?
The name “Blackwater” originated from the reddish-brown hue of the river, which is caused by tannic acid from evergreens growing along the river banks and iron oxide from the Mauch Chunk shales underlying a large part of Canaan Valley, where the river’s main stem originates.
How big is the Blackwater?
The Blackwater River is 31 miles long and drains an area of 142 square miles. The upper part of the river is slow-moving and peaceful, but within the Blackwater Canyon the river drops over 1,500 feet in the course of 10 miles, which makes for some crazy rapids and breathtaking waterfalls.
Where does the Blackwater flow to?
The Blackwater joins with the Dry Fork at the town of Hendricks to form the Black Fork, which in turn flows into the Cheat River. The Cheat River eventually flows into the Monongahela River, which in turns flows into the Ohio River and onward to the Mississippi.
Learn more about the Blackwater River with our state of the watershed report here.
