The
Maury River is a
tributaryA tributary is a stream or river which flows into a main stem river. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea. Tributaries and the mainstem river serve to drain the surrounding drainage basin of its surface water and groundwater by leading the water out into an ocean or some other large body...
of the
James RiverThe James River in the U.S. state of Virginia is a long river, including its Jackson River source. It drains a catchment comprising . The watershed includes about 4% open water and an area with a population of 2.5 million people...
, 40 mi (64 km) long, in southwestern
VirginiaThe 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" because it is the birthplace of eight U.S. presidents. The geography and climate of the state are shaped by the Blue...
in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Via the James River, it is part of the
watershedA drainage basin is an extent of land where water from rain or snow melt drains downhill into a body of water, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea or ocean...
of
Chesapeake BayThe Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's watershed covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia...
.
The Maury flows for its entire length in
Rockbridge CountyRockbridge County is a county located in the U.S. state — officially, "Commonwealth" — of Virginia. As of the 2000 census, the population was 20,808. Its county seat is Lexington...
. It is formed near
GoshenGoshen is a town in Rockbridge County, Virginia, United States. The population was 406 at the 2000 census. The town is known amongst the Boy Scouts of America for hosting Goshen Scout Reservation, one of the largest Boy Scout camps in America....
by the confluence of the
CalfpastureThe Calfpasture River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia. It flows about from its source, Gordons Peak in the Appalachian Mountains, to join the Little Calfpasture River, forming the Maury River...
and
Little CalfpastureThe Little Calfpasture River is a river in the United States state of Virginia.-References:**USGS Hydrologic Unit Map - State of Virginia...
Rivers, and flows south past
LexingtonLexington is an independent city within the confines of Rockbridge County in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 6,867 at the 2000 census. Lexington is about 55 minutes east of the West Virginia border and is about 50 miles north of Roanoke, Virginia. It was first settled in 1777.It...
and
Buena VistaBuena Vista is an independent city located within the confines of Rockbridge County in the state of Virginia. The population was 6,349 at the 2000 census. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Buena Vista with Rockbridge county for statistical purposes.-Geography:Buena Vista is...
; between the cities it collects the
South RiverThe South River is a river in the United States state of Virginia.-References:**USGS Hydrologic Unit Map - State of Virginia...
and is paralleled by a 7 mi (11 km)
rail trailA rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway easement into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding. The characteristics of former tracks—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various development. The term sometimes also...
. The Maury flows into the James River at
GlasgowGlasgow is a town in Rockbridge County, Virginia, United States, at the confluence of the James and Maury Rivers. The population was 1,046 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Glasgow is located at ....
.
The
Maury River is a
tributaryA tributary is a stream or river which flows into a main stem river. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea. Tributaries and the mainstem river serve to drain the surrounding drainage basin of its surface water and groundwater by leading the water out into an ocean or some other large body...
of the
James RiverThe James River in the U.S. state of Virginia is a long river, including its Jackson River source. It drains a catchment comprising . The watershed includes about 4% open water and an area with a population of 2.5 million people...
, 40 mi (64 km) long, in southwestern
VirginiaThe 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" because it is the birthplace of eight U.S. presidents. The geography and climate of the state are shaped by the Blue...
in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Via the James River, it is part of the
watershedA drainage basin is an extent of land where water from rain or snow melt drains downhill into a body of water, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea or ocean...
of
Chesapeake BayThe Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's watershed covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia...
.
The Maury flows for its entire length in
Rockbridge CountyRockbridge County is a county located in the U.S. state — officially, "Commonwealth" — of Virginia. As of the 2000 census, the population was 20,808. Its county seat is Lexington...
. It is formed near
GoshenGoshen is a town in Rockbridge County, Virginia, United States. The population was 406 at the 2000 census. The town is known amongst the Boy Scouts of America for hosting Goshen Scout Reservation, one of the largest Boy Scout camps in America....
by the confluence of the
CalfpastureThe Calfpasture River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia. It flows about from its source, Gordons Peak in the Appalachian Mountains, to join the Little Calfpasture River, forming the Maury River...
and
Little CalfpastureThe Little Calfpasture River is a river in the United States state of Virginia.-References:**USGS Hydrologic Unit Map - State of Virginia...
Rivers, and flows south past
LexingtonLexington is an independent city within the confines of Rockbridge County in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 6,867 at the 2000 census. Lexington is about 55 minutes east of the West Virginia border and is about 50 miles north of Roanoke, Virginia. It was first settled in 1777.It...
and
Buena VistaBuena Vista is an independent city located within the confines of Rockbridge County in the state of Virginia. The population was 6,349 at the 2000 census. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Buena Vista with Rockbridge county for statistical purposes.-Geography:Buena Vista is...
; between the cities it collects the
South RiverThe South River is a river in the United States state of Virginia.-References:**USGS Hydrologic Unit Map - State of Virginia...
and is paralleled by a 7 mi (11 km)
rail trailA rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway easement into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding. The characteristics of former tracks—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various development. The term sometimes also...
. The Maury flows into the James River at
GlasgowGlasgow is a town in Rockbridge County, Virginia, United States, at the confluence of the James and Maury Rivers. The population was 1,046 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Glasgow is located at ....
. The Maury river is named in honor of Commodore
Matthew Fontaine MauryMatthew Fontaine Maury , United States Navy was an American astronomer, historian, oceanographer, meteorologist, cartographer, author, geologist, and educator....
and it travels past
Washington and Lee UniversityWashington and Lee University is a private liberal arts college in Lexington, Virginia, United States.The classical school from which Washington and Lee descended was established in 1749 as Augusta Academy, about north of its present location. In 1776 it was renamed Liberty Hall in a burst of...
and
Virginia Military InstituteThe Virginia Military Institute , located in Lexington, Virginia, is the oldest state-supported military college and one of six senior military colleges in the United States. Unlike any other state military college in the United States, all VMI students are military cadets. VMI offers cadets a...
where Commodore Maury worked in his last years and died in Lexington, Virginia. There is a Memorial tablet in stone to the commodore at
Goshen PassGoshen Pass is a water gap, or gorge, in the Little North Mountain, formed by the passage of the Maury River, approximately northwest of Lexington in Rockbridge County, Virginia. State Route 39 traverses the pass along the banks of the Maury River....
.
The
United States Board on Geographic NamesThe United States Board on Geographic Names is a United States federal body whose purpose is to establish and maintain uniform usage of geographic names throughout the U.S. government.-Overview:...
settled on "Maury River" as the stream's name in 1968. According to the
Geographic Names Information SystemThe Geographic Names Information System is a database that contains name and locative information about more than two million physical and cultural features located throughout the United States of America and its territories. It is a type of gazetteer...
, the stream (or sections thereof) has also been known historically as "North River" and "Calfpasture River".
History
The Maury River was called "a branch of the North River" before the name was changed within the past few decades. It formed a portion of an all-water route from the Atlantic ports of Virginia to
Lexington, VirginiaLexington is an independent city within the confines of Rockbridge County in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 6,867 at the 2000 census. Lexington is about 55 minutes east of the West Virginia border and is about 50 miles north of Roanoke, Virginia. It was first settled in 1777.It...
from the late 1700’s to the late 1800’s, primarily carrying passengers, pig iron, and agricultural products. Connected to the
James River and Kanawha CanalThe James River and Kanawha Canal was a canal in Virginia, which was built to facilitate shipments of passengers and freight by water between the western counties of Virginia and the coast....
at
Glasgow, VirginiaGlasgow is a town in Rockbridge County, Virginia, United States, at the confluence of the James and Maury Rivers. The population was 1,046 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Glasgow is located at ....
, a series of canals, locks and dams allowed merchant and passenger
James River BateauThe James River Bateau was a shallow draft river craft used during the period from 1775 to 1840 to transport tobacco and other cargo on the James river and its tributaries in the state of Virginia. It was flat bottomed and pointed at both ends. The length of the bateau varied greatly, 58 feet ...
to travel the shallow, rocky river. The first canal boat reached Lexington in 1860. The era of the canal ended fairly quickly (around 1880) along the river as the
Richmond and Allegheny RailroadThe Richmond and Alleghany Railroad was built along the James River along the route of the James River and Kanawha Canal from Richmond on the fall line at the head of navigation to a point west of Lynchburg near Buchanan, Virginia, and combined with the Buchanan and Clifton Forge Railway Company to...
and later
Shenandoah Valley Railroad (N&W)Shenandoah Valley Railroad was a line completed on June 19, 1882 extending up the Shenandoah Valley from Hagerstown, Maryland USA through the West Virginia panhandle into Virginia to reach Roanoke, Virginia and a connection with the Norfolk and Western Railway . The development of this railroad had...
both built rail lines along major portions of the river which offered faster and easier transportation. Numerous artifacts remain from the canal days including several lock and dam ruins. The lock at Ben Salem Wayside between
Buena Vista, VirginiaBuena Vista is an independent city located within the confines of Rockbridge County in the state of Virginia. The population was 6,349 at the 2000 census. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Buena Vista with Rockbridge county for statistical purposes.-Geography:Buena Vista is...
and I-81 on US 60 is well preserved in a park setting. At least two dams from the canal era remain and impound water, Moomaw’s Lock and Dam below the US 60 bridge in Buena Vista, and the Lexington Mills Dam at Jordan’s Point in Lexington which formed the end of canal boat navigation. Several other lock and dam ruins, some almost complete dams, are visible along the river from the Chessie Nature Trail. The Gooseneck Dam downstream of Buena Vista is notable for being featured in a photograph by acclaimed 1950s railroad photographer O. Winston Link .
Floods
The Maury River has a history of destructive floods damaging nearby communities. Particularly notable were floods in Oct 12, 1870 on the death of
Robert E. LeeRobert Edward Lee was a career United States Army officer, an engineer, and among the most celebrated generals in American history. Lee was the son of Major General Henry Lee III "Light Horse Harry" , Governor of Virginia, and his second wife, Anne Hill Carter...
when the Maury River provided Lee a temporary coffin due to a dock washed away up river {source: Library Virginia Military Institute), and in 1936, 1969, 1985 and 1995. The Flood of ’69 was the result of rainfall from the inland movement of
Hurricane CamilleHurricane Camille was the third and strongest tropical cyclone and second hurricane during the 1969 Atlantic hurricane season. The second of three catastrophic Category 5 hurricanes to make landfall in the United States during the 20th century, which it did near the mouth of the Mississippi River...
. The Flood of ’85 resulted from the convergence of three systems including Hurricane Juan which dumped tremendous amounts of rain on western Virginia. The flood of record for the lower Maury River (downstream of confluence with South River) including Buena Vista and Glasgow occurred on August 20, 1969 during the Flood of 1969 at a stage of 31.23 feet on the Buena Vista gage, flooding begins at 17.0 feet and major flooding at 21.0 feet. The downtowns of Buena Vista and Glasgow were submerged in over five feet of water. The upper Maury River including Lexington saw its flood of record during the Flood of 1985 when the gaging station at Rockbridge Baths recorded a value of 19.19 feet from flood marks. The difference in flooding results from differing contributions of the South River depending on rainfall in the respective watersheds.
The damage caused by the 1969 flood permanently ended railroad service to Lexington. The tracks of Richmond & Allegany Railroad successor Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad which ran along the bank of the river from its junction with the Norfolk & Western Railroad at Loch Laird (Buena Vista) to Lexington were destroyed along much of the route. Instead of rebuilding the line to Lexington, the C&O Railroad restored the tracks from Loch Laird through Buena Vista to serve several industrial customers. On September 1, 1970, the Interstate Commerce Commission granted C&O permission to abandon the remainder of the Lexington branch. The C&O (now
CSX TransportationCSX Transportation is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the CSX Corporation and headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. It is one of the three Class I railroads serving most of the East Coast, the other two being the Norfolk Southern Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway...
) tracks end at Georgia Bonded Fibers below the US 60 bridge over the Maury River. The remaining rail bed was converted to public use as an early example of rails to trails, becoming the
Chessie Nature TrailThe Chessie Nature Trail is a rail trail linking Buena Vista, Virginia with Lexington, Virginia along the Maury River.The trail follows the roadbed of a former Chesapeake and Ohio Railway branch line which extended from Glasgow, Virginia, to Lexington, primarily following the Maury...
. Due to the creation of the Chessie Nature Trail, this stretch of the Maury River is unusually accessible to pedestrians.
The James C. Olin Flood Control Project was completed in 1997 to reduce the potential for damage from flooding of the Maury River and inland streams in Buena Vista.
Recreation
The Chessie Nature Trail forms a linear park which provides pedestrian access from Buena Vista to Jordan’s Point Park Lexington. The trail winds through scenic mixed hardwood forests and open pastures along the river. Notable parks along the river include Goshen Pass, Jordan’s Point in Lexington, Ben Salem Wayside between Buena Vista and Lexington on US 60, and Glenn Maury Park in Buena Vista. The river is enjoyed by residents and visitors through swimming, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and floating downstream in inner tubes. The river is largely a wide shallow (typically less than 3 feet deep with occasional deep holes) river. The upper portion of the river includes class II, III and IV rapids. Below Jordan’s Point in Lexington, the river is mainly a float trip with Class I and II rapids to the James River at Glasgow. Electric or gasoline powered boats are rarely if ever used beyond a few areas of slack water upstream of dams.
External links