Rivanna River

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The Rivanna River is about 50 miles long and a tributary of the James River at Columbia.

Long designated as the North Branch of the James, the North Branch takes its name from "River Anne", to honor Queen Anne (1665-1714), then monarch of England, and so of the Virginia Colony as well. [1]

A ten-mile stretch of the river from the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir to the Woolen Mills area was designated by the General Assembly as part of Virginia's Scenic Rivers System[2].

History

The Rivanna River was originally known as the River Anna.[3] Thomas Jefferson ordered a study of the Rivanna River in 1763.[3] Jefferson ordered that the river be cleared of rocks and debris. This made the river navigable for canoes and bateaux as far up as Milton[3]. This caused the Rivanna River to become an important transportation route during the Revolutionary War.[3] In the 1820s, the City of Charlottesville renamed the ports along the river "Pireus" after the port city of Athens.[3]

Crossings

The river is an impediment to east-west travel, crossed in limited places. From north to south, these are:

The river as economic engine

Former Planning Commissioner Bill Emory has called for the Rivanna to play a significant role in the future of the city. Others such as Mayor Satyendra Huja have agreed. [4]


References

  1. Web. pdf. Rivanna River History, Lindsay Nolting and J. Stephen Pence, Rivanna Conservation Society, retrieved 12 Jun 2009.
  2. Web. Rivanna Scenic River; expands to include length of waterway from South Fork Rivanna River reservoir. (SB957), Richmond Sunlight, retrieved 08 Sept. 2009..
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Web. Rivanna Greenbelt Trail, City of Charlottesville, retrieved 30 July 2012.
  4. Web. Can Charlottesville become a city by the river?, Chiara Canzi, C-VILLE Weekly, Portico Publications, January 10, 2012, retrieved January 12, 2011. Print. January 10, 2012 , 24.02, .

External links