Powell River (Virginia)
Encyclopedia
The Powell River in the United States
rises in southwest
Virginia
and flows into East Tennessee
.
The river rises in rural Wise County, Virginia
near the Laurel Grove community northwest of Norton
and flows for several miles before the confluence with Roaring Fork in the Kent Junction community. (This point is where USGS maps cease counting the mileage from the river mouth although the stream is listed on said maps as the Powell River from the point where it rises.) From Kent Junction the river flows 187 miles (301 km) and drains approximately 938 square miles (2,429 km2) in both Virginia and Tennessee
before reaching its confluence with the Clinch River
in the Norris Lake
reservoir at the site of the now-submerged town of Grantsboro.
Along with the Clinch River, the Powell contains the only undammed and free flowing headwater basins of the major Upper Tennessee River system
.
Powell River was named for a man called Powell who apparently carved his name into many of the trees of the area while accompanying the exploration party of Dr. Thomas Walker
in the mid-18th century. His name appeared so frequently on trees in the valley of this river that later explorers and early pioneers came to call the stream "Powell's River" and the valley "Powell's Valley".
The Powell River was designated by the EPA as the “second most biologically diverse aquatic system in the nation.” The Powell is under pressure from the effects of mining (including strip mining), logging and associated road-building.
Lincoln Memorial University
operates the Powell River Aquatic Research Station, which is located where Tennessee State Route 63 crosses the river at the Brooks Bridge in Claiborne County, Tennessee. The center, which opened in April 2008, allows for on-site research of water quality, flora, fauna and related habitat.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rises in southwest
Southwest Virginia
Southwest Virginia, often abbreviated as SWVA, is a mountainous region of Virginia in the westernmost part of the commonwealth. Southwest Virginia has been defined alternatively as all Virginia counties on the Appalachian Plateau, all Virginia counties west of the Eastern Continental Divide, or...
Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
and flows into East Tennessee
East Tennessee
East Tennessee is a name given to approximately the eastern third of the U.S. state of Tennessee, one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee defined in state law. East Tennessee consists of 33 counties, 30 located within the Eastern Time Zone and three counties in the Central Time Zone, namely...
.
The river rises in rural Wise County, Virginia
Wise County, Virginia
Wise County is a county located in the U.S. state of Virginia. In 1856, the county was formed from land taken from Lee, Scott, and Russell Counties. It was named after Henry A. Wise, who was the Governor of Virginia at the time. As of 2010, the population was 41,452, making it the largest...
near the Laurel Grove community northwest of Norton
Norton, Virginia
Norton is an independent city within the confines of Wise County in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2010 Census, the city population was 3,958, making it the smallest city in the state by population...
and flows for several miles before the confluence with Roaring Fork in the Kent Junction community. (This point is where USGS maps cease counting the mileage from the river mouth although the stream is listed on said maps as the Powell River from the point where it rises.) From Kent Junction the river flows 187 miles (301 km) and drains approximately 938 square miles (2,429 km2) in both Virginia and Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
before reaching its confluence with the Clinch River
Clinch River
The Clinch River rises in Southwest Virginia near Tazewell, Virginia and flows southwest through the Great Appalachian Valley, gathering various tributaries including the Powell River before joining the Tennessee River in East Tennessee.-Course:...
in the Norris Lake
Norris Dam
Norris Dam is a hydroelectric and flood control structure located on the Clinch River in Anderson County and Campbell County, Tennessee, USA. Its construction in the mid-1930s was the first major project for the Tennessee Valley Authority, which had been created in 1933 to bring economic...
reservoir at the site of the now-submerged town of Grantsboro.
Along with the Clinch River, the Powell contains the only undammed and free flowing headwater basins of the major Upper Tennessee River system
Tennessee River
The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names...
.
Powell River was named for a man called Powell who apparently carved his name into many of the trees of the area while accompanying the exploration party of Dr. Thomas Walker
Thomas Walker (explorer)
Dr. Thomas Walker was a physician and explorer from Virginia who led an expedition to what is now the region beyond the Allegheny Mountains area of British North America in the mid-18th century...
in the mid-18th century. His name appeared so frequently on trees in the valley of this river that later explorers and early pioneers came to call the stream "Powell's River" and the valley "Powell's Valley".
The Powell River was designated by the EPA as the “second most biologically diverse aquatic system in the nation.” The Powell is under pressure from the effects of mining (including strip mining), logging and associated road-building.
Lincoln Memorial University
Lincoln Memorial University
Lincoln Memorial University is a private four-year co-educational liberal arts college located in Harrogate, Tennessee.LMU's campus borders on Cumberland Gap National Historical Park....
operates the Powell River Aquatic Research Station, which is located where Tennessee State Route 63 crosses the river at the Brooks Bridge in Claiborne County, Tennessee. The center, which opened in April 2008, allows for on-site research of water quality, flora, fauna and related habitat.