Hughes River (West Virginia)

Geobox|River
name = Hughes River
native_name =
other_name =
other_name1 =


image_size =
image_caption = Hughes River at Freeport
country = United States
country_

state = West Virginia
state_

region_type = Counties
region = Ritchie
region1 = Wirt
city =
city1 =
city2 =
length_imperial = 18
length_note =
watershed_imperial =
watershed_note =
discharge_location =
discharge_imperial =
discharge_max_imperial =
discharge_max_note =
discharge_min_imperial =
discharge_min_note =
discharge_note =
discharge1_location =
discharge1_imperial =
discharge1_note =
source_name = South Fork Hughes River
source_location = Doddridge County
source_district =
source_region =
source_state = WV
source_country =
source_lat_d = 39
source_lat_m = 09
source_lat_s = 46
source_lat_NS = N
source_long_d = 80
source_long_m = 44
source_long_s = 44
source_long_EW = W
source_elevation_imperial = 1074
source_elevation_note = cite web
url = http://gisdata.usgs.gov/XMLWebServices/TNM_Elevation_Service.asmx/getElevation?X_Value=-80.745556&Y_Value=39.162778&Elevation_Units=FEET&Source_Layer=-1&Elevation_Only=FALSE
title = USGS Elevation Query: South Fork Hughes River Source
accessdate = 2008-04-23
publisher = U.S. Geological Survey]
source_length_imperial = 54
source_length_note =
source_note = cite gnis|1547073|South Fork Hughes River|2008-04-23]
source1_name = North Fork Hughes River
source1_location = Ritchie County
source1_district =
source1_region =
source1_state = WV
source1_country =
source1_lat_d = 39
source1_lat_m = 23
source1_lat_s = 14
source1_lat_NS = N
source1_long_d = 80
source1_long_m = 55
source1_long_s = 59
source1_long_EW = W
source1_elevation_imperial = 1098
source1_elevation_note = cite web
url = http://gisdata.usgs.gov/XMLWebServices/TNM_Elevation_Service.asmx/getElevation?X_Value=-80.933056&Y_Value=39.387222&Elevation_Units=FEET&Source_Layer=-1&Elevation_Only=FALSE
title = USGS Elevation Query: North Fork Hughes River Source
accessdate = 2008-04-23
publisher = U.S. Geological Survey]
source1_length_imperial =
source1_note = cite gnis|1544210|North Fork Hughes River|2008-04-23]
source_confluence_location = Cairo
source_confluence_district =
source_confluence_region =
source_confluence_state = WV
source_confluence_country =
source_confluence_lat_d = 39
source_confluence_lat_m = 07
source_confluence_lat_s = 05
source_confluence_lat_NS = N
source_confluence_long_d = 81
source_confluence_long_m = 16
source_confluence_long_s = 38
source_confluence_long_EW = W
source_confluence_elevation_imperial = 614
source_confluence_elevation_note = cite web
url = http://gisdata.usgs.gov/XMLWebServices/TNM_Elevation_Service.asmx/getElevation?X_Value=-81.277222&Y_Value=39.118056&Elevation_Units=FEET&Source_Layer=-1&Elevation_Only=FALSE
title = USGS Elevation Query: Hughes River Source Confluence
accessdate = 2008-04-23
publisher = U.S. Geological Survey]
mouth_name = Little Kanawha River
mouth_location = Newark
mouth_district =
mouth_region =
mouth_state = WV
mouth_country =
mouth_lat_d = 39
mouth_lat_m = 08
mouth_lat_s = 24
mouth_lat_NS = N
mouth_long_d = 81
mouth_long_m = 23
mouth_long_s = 43
mouth_long_EW = W
mouth_elevation_imperial = 584
mouth_note = cite gnis|1540572|Hughes River|2008-04-23]
tributary_left =
tributary_left1 =
tributary_left2 =
tributary_right =
tributary_right1 =
free_name =
free_value =


map_size =
map_caption =

The Hughes River is a tributary of the Little Kanawha River in western West Virginia in the United States. Via the Little Kanawha and Ohio Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River. As measured from the confluence of its north and south forks, the Hughes is 18 mi (29 km) long, [http://www.bartleby.com/69/23/H05723.html Columbia Gazetteer of North America entry for Hughes River] ] and drains a rural area of the unglaciated portion of the Allegheny Plateau.DeLorme (1997). "West Virginia Atlas & Gazetteer". Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. ISBN 0-89933-246-3.]

The river is believed to have been "discovered" and named by the 18th Century explorer Jesse Hughes,Bartlett, Larry. 2006. "Hughes River." "The West Virginia Encyclopedia". Ken Sullivan, editor. Charleston, WV: West Virginia Humanities Council. ISBN 0-9778498-0-5.] but it may also have been named for others of the same surname residing in the area during roughly the same time period. [Dean, William H. 2006. "Jesse Hughes." "The West Virginia Encyclopedia". Ken Sullivan, editor. Charleston, WV: West Virginia Humanities Council. ISBN 0-9778498-0-5.] According to the Geographic Names Information System, it has also been known historically as the Junius River.

Course

The Hughes flows for most of its length through Ritchie County as two streams:

*The North Fork Hughes River, 57 mi (92 km) long, rises in northern Ritchie County near the community of Mountain, and flows generally southwestwardly, passing through North Bend State Park, where in 2003 it was dammed to form North Bend Lake,Fact|date=February 2007 and through the town of Cairo. It is crossed six times by the North Bend Rail Trail, which was a former line of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad built between 1853 and 1857. [ [http://www.northbendrailtrailstatepark.com/ North Bend Rail Trail official website, from West Virginia State Parks] ]

*The South Fork Hughes River, 54 mi (87 km) long, rises in western Doddridge County, and flows generally westwardly through southern Ritchie County, past the communities of Berea, Smithville, and Macfarlan. West Virginia Route 47 roughly parallels the south fork's lower course.

The Hughes' north and south forks join near the community of Cisco, and the Hughes River then flows for 18 mi (29 km) through northern Wirt County and meets the Little Kanawha River near the community of Newark, 12 mi (19 km) southeast of Parkersburg. [ [http://www.bartleby.com/69/2/L05002.html Columbia Gazetteer of North America entry for Little Kanawha River] ]

Varieties of fish in the Hughes River include muskellunge; rock, smallmouth and spotted bass; flathead and channel catfish; and several species of sunfish.

ee also

*List of West Virginia rivers

External links

* [http://www.northbendsp.com/ North Bend State Park website]

References