Hughes River (West Virginia) Explained

Hughes River
Subdivision Type1:	Country
Subdivision Name1:	United States
Subdivision Type2:	State
Subdivision Name2:	West Virginia
Subdivision Type3:	Counties
Subdivision Name3:	Ritchie, Wirt
Length:	18miles
Source1:	South Fork Hughes River
Source1 Location:	Doddridge County
Source1 Coordinates:	39.1628°N -80.7456°W
Source1 Elevation:	1074feet^[1]
Source2:	North Fork Hughes River
Source2 Location:	Ritchie County
Source2 Coordinates:	39.3872°N -80.9331°W
Source2 Elevation:	1098feet^[2]
Source Confluence Location:	near Cisco
Source Confluence Coordinates:	39.1181°N -81.2772°W
Source Confluence Elevation:	614feet^[3]
Mouth:	Little Kanawha River^[4]
Mouth Location:	near Newark
Mouth Coordinates:	39.14°N -81.3953°W
Mouth Elevation:	584feet

The Hughes River is a tributary of the Little Kanawha River in western West Virginia in the United States. Via the Little Kanawha and Ohio Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River. As measured from the confluence of its north and south forks, the Hughes is 18 mi (29 km) long,^[5] and drains a rural area of the unglaciated portion of the Allegheny Plateau.^[6]

The river is believed to have been discovered and named by the 18th-century settler Jesse Hughes,^[7] but it may also have been named for others of the same surname residing in the area during roughly the same time period.^[8] According to the Geographic Names Information System, it has also been known historically as the Junius River.

Course

The Hughes flows for most of its length through Ritchie County as two streams:

• The North Fork Hughes River,^[9] 57 mi (92 km) long,^[7] rises in northern Ritchie County near the community of Mountain, and flows generally southwestwardly, passing through North Bend State Park,^[6] and through the town of Cairo. It is crossed six times by the North Bend Rail Trail,^[6] which was a former line of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad built between 1853 and 1857.^[10]
• The South Fork Hughes River,^[11] 54 mi (87 km) long,^[7] rises in western Doddridge County, and flows generally westwardly through southern Ritchie County, past the communities of Berea, Smithville, and Macfarlan. West Virginia Route 47 roughly parallels the south fork's lower course.^[6]

The Hughes' north and south forks join near the community of Cisco and the Hughes River then flows for 18 mi (29 km) through northern Wirt County and meets the Little Kanawha River near the community of Newark,^[6] 12 mi (19 km) southeast of Parkersburg.^[12]

Varieties of fish in the Hughes River include muskellunge; rock, smallmouth and spotted bass; flathead and channel catfish; and several species of sunfish.^[7]

See also

• List of West Virginia rivers

External links

• North Bend State Park website

Notes and References

1. Web site: USGS Elevation Query: South Fork Hughes River Source . 2008-04-23 . U.S. Geological Survey.
2. Web site: USGS Elevation Query: North Fork Hughes River Source . 2008-04-23 . U.S. Geological Survey.
3. Web site: USGS Elevation Query: Hughes River Source Confluence . 2008-04-23 . U.S. Geological Survey.
4. 1540572. Hughes River. 2008-04-23.
5. Web site: Columbia Gazetteer of North America entry for Hughes River . 2006-08-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20060319181640/http://www.bartleby.com/69/23/H05723.html . 2006-03-19 . dead .
6. [DeLorme]
7. Bartlett, Larry. 2006. "Hughes River." The West Virginia Encyclopedia. Ken Sullivan, editor. Charleston, WV: West Virginia Humanities Council. .
8. Dean, William H. 2006. "Jesse Hughes." The West Virginia Encyclopedia. Ken Sullivan, editor. Charleston, WV: West Virginia Humanities Council. .
9. 1544210. North Fork Hughes River. 2008-04-23.
10. http://www.northbendrailtrailstatepark.com/ North Bend Rail Trail official website, from West Virginia State Parks
11. 1547073. South Fork Hughes River. 2008-04-23.
12. Web site: Columbia Gazetteer of North America entry for Little Kanawha River . 2006-08-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070310142856/http://www.bartleby.com/69/2/L05002.html . 2007-03-10 . dead .