| Holly River | |
| Map Size: | 300 |
| Pushpin Map: | USA West Virginia |
| Pushpin Map Size: | 300 |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of the mouth of the Holly River in Braxton County, West Virginia |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Subdivision Name1: | United States |
| Subdivision Type2: | State |
| Subdivision Name2: | West Virginia |
| Subdivision Type3: | Counties |
| Subdivision Name3: | Webster, Braxton |
| Length: | 3.9miles |
| Source1: | Left Fork Holly River |
| Source1 Location: | northeastern Webster County |
| Source1 Coordinates: | 38.629°N -80.2595°W[1] |
| Source1 Elevation: | 2920feet[2] |
| Source2: | Right Fork Holly River |
| Source2 Location: | north-central Webster County |
| Source2 Coordinates: | 38.5498°N -80.3409°W[3] |
| Source2 Elevation: | 2338feet |
| Source Confluence Location: | eastern Braxton County |
| Source Confluence Coordinates: | 38.6708°N -80.5433°W[4] |
| Source Confluence Elevation: | 935feet |
| Mouth: | Sutton Lake on the Elk River |
| Mouth Location: | eastern Braxton County |
| Mouth Coordinates: | 38.6534°N -80.5912°W |
| Mouth Elevation: | 915feet |
| Basin Size: | 148sqmi |
The Holly River is a tributary of the Elk River in central West Virginia in the United States. Via the Elk, Kanawha, and Ohio Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of 148sqmi[5] in a rural region of the Allegheny Mountains. It is approximately 3.9miles long, or 28miles including its Left Fork.[6] The river was named for the holly bushes along its course.[7]
The Holly River is formed by the confluence of its Left Fork and its Right Fork:
From the confluence of its left and right forks, the Holly River flows westward 3.9miles[6] as an arm of Sutton Lake, formed by a dam on the Elk River, to its mouth approximately 9miles east of Sutton. The Holly River’s course and the lower reaches of the left and right forks are part of the Elk River Wildlife Management Area.[8]
According to the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, approximately 97% of the Holly River watershed is forested, mostly deciduous. Approximately 2% is used for pasture and agriculture.[5]