Piscataway Creek (Virginia)
Encyclopedia
Piscataway Creek is a tributary of the Rappahannock River
in eastern Virginia
, in the United States
, approximately 17 miles (27.4 km) in length. It is fed by the Sturgeon Swamp and Mussel Swamp, lowlands near US Route 360 on the Middle Peninsula
, and empties into the Rappahannock River three miles (5 km) downstream from the town of Tappahannock. It is tidal for much of its course.
The creek drains an area of 57.4 square miles (148.7 km²). Its watershed is 63% forested. Agriculture encompasses 26.5 percent of the watershed, with 16.1 percent cropland and 10.4 pasture/hayland. The remainder consists of swampland and residential area.
. It is navigable for about four miles (6 km) upstream from the Rappahannock river. The navigable portion extends just beyond the US Route 17 bridge. There are no aids to navigation.
In 1883, the United States government considered improving the navigability of the creek to serve the agricultural and foresting interests of the area. The channel was found to be narrow, but deep enough to support commercial vessels. The major inhibitor to commercial navigation was the bar
extending across the northern portion of the mouth of the creek. It was ultimately decided that improved access was not worth the cost of dredging, and goods continued to be taken to Ware's Wharf via wagon.
The Tappahannock-Essex County Airport
, opened in 2007, sits in the southern portion of the Piscataway's watershed.
Rappahannock River
The Rappahannock River is a river in eastern Virginia, in the United States, approximately in length. It traverses the entire northern part of the state, from the Blue Ridge Mountains in the west, across the Piedmont, to the Chesapeake Bay, south of the Potomac River.An important river in American...
in eastern Virginia
Virginia
The 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" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, approximately 17 miles (27.4 km) in length. It is fed by the Sturgeon Swamp and Mussel Swamp, lowlands near US Route 360 on the Middle Peninsula
Middle Peninsula
The Middle Peninsula is the second of three large peninsulas on the western shore of Chesapeake Bay in Virginia, in the United States. It lies between the Northern Neck and the Virginia Peninsula. This peninsula is bounded by the Rappahannock River on the north and the York River on the south...
, and empties into the Rappahannock River three miles (5 km) downstream from the town of Tappahannock. It is tidal for much of its course.
The creek drains an area of 57.4 square miles (148.7 km²). Its watershed is 63% forested. Agriculture encompasses 26.5 percent of the watershed, with 16.1 percent cropland and 10.4 pasture/hayland. The remainder consists of swampland and residential area.
Description
Piscataway Creek follows a winding path through the central part of Essex countyEssex County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 9,989 people, 3,995 households, and 2,740 families residing in the county. The population density was 39 people per square mile . There were 4,926 housing units at an average density of 19 per square mile...
. It is navigable for about four miles (6 km) upstream from the Rappahannock river. The navigable portion extends just beyond the US Route 17 bridge. There are no aids to navigation.
In 1883, the United States government considered improving the navigability of the creek to serve the agricultural and foresting interests of the area. The channel was found to be narrow, but deep enough to support commercial vessels. The major inhibitor to commercial navigation was the bar
Bar (river morphology)
A bar in a river is an elevated region of sediment that has been deposited by the flow. Types of bars include mid-channel bars , point bars , and mouth bars...
extending across the northern portion of the mouth of the creek. It was ultimately decided that improved access was not worth the cost of dredging, and goods continued to be taken to Ware's Wharf via wagon.
The Tappahannock-Essex County Airport
Tappahannock-Essex County Airport
Tappahannock-Essex County Airport is a public-use airport located five nautical miles south of the central business district of Tappahannock, a town in Essex County, Virginia, United States. It is owned by the Tappahannock Essex County Airport Authority....
, opened in 2007, sits in the southern portion of the Piscataway's watershed.