About The New River
 The New River begins in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Watauga County, North Carolina, near Blowing Rock. It is a remaining tributary of the Teays River, a much larger prehistoric river than today’s Mississippi River. The New River flows north from North Carolina, into Virginia and then to West Virginia where it feeds into the Kanawha and Gauley rivers. These rivers find their way to the Ohio River and flow into the Mississippi River.
The New River flows through twenty-one counties. The river's meandering route is a result of its presence before the orogeny of the Appalachian Mountains. Geologists believe the River to be approximately 320 million years old, which makes it the oldest river in North America and possibly second oldest to the Nile River in Africa.
The New River benefits from predominantly subsistence farming along its banks and not as much industrial impact as seen on other American rivers. It is home to a diversity of animal life including the Kanawha minnow, the Kanawha darter, and a species of riffle beetle found only in the New River. An abundance of mammals also may be found along the New and within its watershed. In the headwaters region, scenic areas include Mount Jefferson, Mount Paddy, and Bull Head Mountain offering a pastoral panorama. Some of the region’s homesteads date to before the Civil War. Recreationally, residents and visitors alike may spend leisure time fly-fishing, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, tubing, bicycling, and bird watching. New River State Park provides a variety of recreational opportunities. The Blue Ridge Parkway meanders like the river through the North Carolina and Virginia portions of the watershed.
Within Virginia, the New River watershed has continued to retain its relatively pristine nature. The region encompasses sections of the Jefferson National Forest, the Appalachian Trail, New River Trail State Park, a stand of virgin forest, and one of only two natural lakes, in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Agriculture remains a livelihood for many residents. The land and resources necessary for agriculture also contribute to the pastoral setting and overall quality of life in the New River Valley. The area is also gaining prominence as an education and technology corridor with two nationally recognized universities, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) and Radford University, and the ongoing development of a "smart" road research center. The development, growth, and industrial use of the region have not yet exceeded the natural environment's ability to maintain and regenerate itself. Many areas have exceptional water and air quality. The spectacular ridges, valleys, streams, waterfalls, and long rolling vistas are some of the elements that attract people to the area and add to the overall quality of life.
 Moving downstream into West Virginia, the New River watershed continues to retain much of its natural splendor. However, here the New River encounters the higher mountain ranges of the Appalachians, as can be found in the Narrows, Virginia and on to Hinton, West Virginia. The rich natural resources of the New River/Greenbrier Valley have attracted whitewater rafters, canoeists and kayakers to the ancient New River gorge, which is widely regarded as the "Grand Canyon of the East." Rock climbers scale the walls of the ancient mountains in and around the gorge. Throughout the New River/ Greenbrier Valley, miles and miles of trail lead past history-rich abandoned mining towns, out to spectacular scenic overlooks and into charming villages. Also, in West Virginia, an engineering and transportation marvel can be found with the New River bridge that spans the New River gorge over nine hundred feet above the river below.
The West Virginia portion of the New River watershed also typifies decades of natural resources exploitation mining coal, which has left scars in the landscape and an extractive economy for the residents. Mining has ceased being the predominant driving factor for the watershed’s local economies. Mining operations have ended, leaving behind abandoned, unsafe facilities. Environmental problems plague the ecosystem. Acid mine drainage affects streams, some used for municipal water supplies. Unsafe conditions exist due to the remnants of mining facilities – piles of mining refuse, abandoned facilities, unstable slopes, and openings to unstable mine tunnel networks. Restoration of these abandoned mining areas, along with the related social, civic and economic restoration that is needed, has not received the attention it deserves.
Perhaps the most distinctive attributes of the New River area are the historic and cultural heritage of its people- the Southern Appalachians. Family is central. Kinship with religion and community activities provided the sense of community. There is still a certain level of distrust for outside ideas and influences, much of which is attributable to the exploitative and extractive model of economic development that has prevailed in the Southern Appalachians for close to 150 years. The construction of railroads and the timber industry started a "boom-and-bust" cycle of single-interest economies that affected communities' economic well-being. This also affected the comfort level with "outsiders." This same insular approach and "sense of place" has been critically important in preserving the culture, heritage and traditions found in these communities. Along with its many attributes, the communities in the New River watershed are also threatened by hazards, both natural and manmade. In the last three decades, the New River watershed has experienced rapid development, which has exacerbated flood, landslide and wildfire hazard conditions. Global and national economic trends in agriculture, manufacturing, and coal are literally changing the landscape as these traditional income sources take a back seat to retirement community and second home development, in turn creating new economies for which long-time residents might not be trained. The quickly evolving technology sector is another opportunity and challenge for rural communities, like the New River’s. The most pristine portions of the New River headwaters have experienced a 50% to 75% increase in population over the last two decades, with most of the increases resulting from riverfront development of "ideal" retirement or second homes with an unspoiled view of the rivers, streams, and forested mountainsides and valleys.
As the New River winds its way north, land use issues are inextricably linked with socioeconomic issues. Trailer parks, RV parks, and some housing line the banks of the New River in southwestern Virginia. Much of the riverbanks lining the New and its tributary, the Greenbrier River in West Virginia, are managed by federal and state conservation agencies, including the National Park Service and the USDA – Forest Service. While these agency-managed lands have helped mitigate the effects of certain hazards, there are also related economic issues in rural areas with federal landholdings.
The persistent quality that identifies and benefits these twenty-one counties in North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia is the New River- a tremendous natural, historic, cultural, and economic asset that must be enhanced and preserved not only for the watershed’s residents and visitors but for posterity and our American sense of character and identity. |
