Williams River (West Virginia)

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


image_size = 275px
image_caption = Williams River in Monongahela National Forest
country = United States
country_

state = West Virginia
state_

region_type = Counties
region = Pocahontas
region1 = Webster
city =
city1 =
city2 =
length_imperial = 33
length_note =
watershed_imperial = 132
watershed_note =
discharge_location = Dyer, WV
discharge_imperial = 30
discharge_max_imperial = 1840
discharge_max_note = (1971)
discharge_min_imperial = 0.62
discharge_min_note = (1995)
discharge_note = cite USGS discharge|03186500|Williams River|Dyer, WV|2008-09-13]
discharge1_location =
discharge1_imperial =
discharge1_note =
source_name = Beaverdam Run
source_location = Day Mountain
source_district =
source_region = Pocahontas County
source_state = WV
source_country =
source_lat_d = 38
source_lat_m = 14
source_lat_s = 47
source_lat_NS = N
source_long_d = 80
source_long_m = 09
source_long_s = 54
source_long_EW = W
source_elevation_imperial = 3892
source_elevation_note = [cite web|url=http://gisdata.usgs.gov/xmlwebservices2/elevation_service.asmx/getElevation?X_Value=-80.165&Y_Value=38.246389&Elevation_Units=FEET&Source_Layer=-1&Elevation_Only=FALSE|title=USGS Elevation Web Service for -80.165, -38.246389|publisher=U.S. Geological Survey|accessdate=2008-09-13]
source_length_imperial =
source_note = cite gnis|1550230|Beaverdam Run|1980-06-27|2008-09-13]
source1_name = Downy Run
source1_location = Day Mountain
source1_district =
source1_region = Pocahontas County
source1_state = WV
source1_country =
source1_lat_d = 38
source1_lat_m = 14
source1_lat_s = 03
source1_lat_NS = N
source1_long_d = 80
source1_long_m = 09
source1_long_s = 32
source1_long_EW = W
source1_elevation_imperial = 3975
source1_elevation_note = [cite web|url=http://gisdata.usgs.gov/xmlwebservices2/elevation_service.asmx/getElevation?X_Value=-80.1589&Y_Value=38.23409&Elevation_Units=FEET&Source_Layer=-1&Elevation_Only=FALSE|title=USGS Elevation Web Service for -80.1589, -38.23409|publisher=U.S. Geological Survey|accessdate=2008-09-13]
source1_length_imperial =
source1_note = cite map
publisher = U.S. Geological Survey
title = Hillsboro, West Virginia quadrangle
year = 1995
scale = 1:24,000
series = 7.5-Minute Series (Topographic)
isbn = 978-0-607-90769-8]

source_confluence =
source_confluence_location = Pocahontas County
source_confluence_district =
source_confluence_region =
source_confluence_state = WV
source_confluence_country =
source_confluence_lat_d = 38
source_confluence_lat_m = 13
source_confluence_lat_s = 43
source_confluence_lat_NS = N
source_confluence_long_d = 80
source_confluence_long_m = 01
source_confluence_long_s = 10
source_confluence_long_EW = W
source_confluence_note =
source_confluence_elevation_imperial = 3448
source_confluence_elevation_note =
mouth_name = Gauley River
mouth_location = Donaldson
mouth_district =
mouth_region =
mouth_state = WV
mouth_country =
mouth_lat_d = 38
mouth_lat_m = 23
mouth_lat_s = 06
mouth_lat_NS = N
mouth_long_d = 80
mouth_long_m = 30
mouth_long_s = 48
mouth_long_EW = W
mouth_elevation_imperial = 2169
mouth_note = cite gnis|1553463|Williams River|1980-06-27|2008-09-13]
tributary_left =
tributary_left1 =
tributary_left2 =
tributary_right =
tributary_right1 =
free_name =
free_value =


map_size =
map_caption =

The Williams River is a tributary of the Gauley River, 33 miles (53 km) long,McNeel, William P. "Williams River." "The West Virginia Encyclopedia". Ken Sullivan, editor. Charleston, WV: West Virginia Humanities Council. 2006. ISBN 0-9778498-0-5.] in east-central West Virginia, USA. Via the Gauley, Kanawha and Ohio Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of 132 square miles (342 km²) in a sparsely populated region of the southern Allegheny Mountains and the unglaciated portion of the Allegheny Plateau.DeLorme (1997). "West Virginia Atlas & Gazetteer". Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. ISBN 0-89933-246-3.]

Name

The river has also been known historically as the South Fork of the Gauley River In Webster County, it collects a short tributary known as the Middle Fork Williams River, [Gnis|1552065|Middle Fork Williams River] which itself collects the North Branch Middle Fork Williams River. [Gnis|1552316|North Branch Middle Fork Williams River]

Geography

The Williams River rises in southern Pocahontas County, approximately 5 miles (8 km) west of Marlinton, and flows initially northwardly, then westwardly into southern Webster County, where it joins the Gauley River approximately 2 miles (3 km) southeast of Cowen. It flows for much of its length in the Monongahela National Forest, including the Cranberry Wilderness, in an area that was heavily logged in the early 20th century and has since been reforested. Coal mining activity took place along the river's lower course into the 1970s.

Fishing

The Williams River is regarded as one of the five best trout fishing streams in West Virginia, due to its cold water temperature, low turbidity, and frequent stockings of trout (amounting to 27,000 pounds annually) by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. [ [http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/mnf/sp/williams_rvr.html Monongahela National Forest: Williams River] Retrieved on December 15, 2006.]

ee also

*List of West Virginia rivers

References