Cacapon River
The Cacapon River (locally /kəˈkeɪpən/ kə-KAY-pən; meaning Medicine Waters), located in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle region, is an 81.0-mile-long (130.4 km) shallow river known for its fishing, boating, wildlife, hunting, and wilderness scenery. As part of the Potomac River watershed, it is an American Heritage River.
| Cacapon River | |
|---|---|
The Cacapon River looking south from the Cacapon River Rt 127 Bridge Public Access Site | |
Location of the mouth of the Cacapon River in West Virginia Cacapon River (the United States) | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | West Virginia |
| Counties | Hampshire, Hardy, Morgan |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Lost River |
| • location | Wardensville, Hardy County |
| • coordinates | 39°04′52″N 78°38′10″W |
| Mouth | Potomac River |
• location | Great Cacapon, Morgan County |
• coordinates | 39°37′13″N 78°16′58″W |
| Length | 81.0 mi (130.4 km) |
| Basin size | 680 sq mi (1,800 km2) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Great Cacapon |
| • average | 592 cu ft/s (16.8 m3/s) |
| • minimum | 26 cu ft/s (0.74 m3/s) (September 12, 1966) |
| • maximum | 87,600 cu ft/s (2,480 m3/s) (March 18, 1936) |
The Cacapon River Watershed is made up of three major river segments and many smaller stream watersheds. The headwaters of the Cacapon River, known as the Lost River, is 31.1 miles (50.1 km) long and receives water from a watershed covering 178 square miles (460 km2). The largest tributary of the Cacapon is the North River, which drains 206 square miles (530 km2), an area comparable to that of the Lost River. Overall, the Cacapon River watershed includes the Lost and North River watersheds, and those of many smaller streams for a total of 680 square miles (1,800 km2). The Cacapon watershed is itself part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
In recent years the Cacapon River and its watershed have become threatened by development, and industrial and agricultural growth. Concern about these issues led to the establishment of the Cacapon Institute in 1985 (originally known as the Pine Cabin Run Ecological Laboratory).