Bluestone River
title: "Bluestone River" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["rivers-of-virginia", "rivers-of-west-virginia", "rivers-of-mercer-county,-west-virginia", "rivers-of-summers-county,-west-virginia", "rivers-of-tazewell-county,-virginia", "tributaries-of-the-new-river-(kanawha-river-tributary)", "wild-and-scenic-rivers-of-the-united-states", "bluestone-river"] topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluestone_River" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox river"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Bluestone River |
| image | Bluestone River Pipestem.jpg |
| image_caption | Bluestone River in Pipestem Resort State Park |
| map_size | 300 |
| pushpin_map_size | 300 |
| subdivision_type1 | Country |
| subdivision_name1 | United States |
| subdivision_type2 | State |
| subdivision_name2 | Virginia, West Virginia |
| subdivision_type3 | Counties |
| subdivision_name3 | Tazewell VA, Mercer WV, Summers WV |
| length_mi | 77 |
| discharge1_location | Pipestem, West Virginia |
| discharge1_min | 7 cuft/sdaily mean (September 22, 1955) |
| discharge1_max | 19300 cuft/speak (April 5, 1977) |
| source1 | East River Mountain |
| source1_location | Tazewell County, Virginia |
| source1_coordinates | |
| source1_elevation | 3589 ft |
| mouth | New River in Bluestone Lake |
| mouth_location | Summers County, West Virginia |
| mouth_coordinates | |
| mouth_elevation | 1424 ft |
| progression | Bluestone River → New River → Kanawha River → Ohio River → Mississippi River → Gulf of Mexico |
| tributaries_left | Little Bluestone River, Surveyor Branch |
| tributaries_right | Blacklick Creek (West Virginia), Brush Creek (West Virginia), Pipestem Creek |
| extra | {{Designation list |
| embed | yes |
| designation1 | nwsr |
| designation1_type | Scenic |
| designation1_date | October 26, 1988 |
| :: |
| name = Bluestone River | native_name = | native_name_lang = | name_other = | name_etymology = | image = Bluestone River Pipestem.jpg | image_caption = Bluestone River in Pipestem Resort State Park | map = | map_size = 300 | map_caption = | pushpin_map = | pushpin_map_size = 300 | pushpin_map_caption= | subdivision_type1 = Country | subdivision_name1 = United States | subdivision_type2 = State | subdivision_name2 = Virginia, West Virginia | subdivision_type3 = Counties | subdivision_name3 = Tazewell VA, Mercer WV, Summers WV | subdivision_type4 = | subdivision_name4 = | subdivision_type5 = | subdivision_name5 = | length_mi = 77|length_ref= | width_min = | width_avg = | width_max = | depth_min = | depth_avg = | depth_max = | discharge1_location= Pipestem, West Virginia | discharge1_min = 7 cuft/sdaily mean (September 22, 1955) | discharge1_avg = | discharge1_max = 19300 cuft/speak (April 5, 1977) | source1 = East River Mountain | source1_location = Tazewell County, Virginia | source1_coordinates= | source1_elevation = 3589 ft | mouth = New River in Bluestone Lake | mouth_location = Summers County, West Virginia | mouth_coordinates = | mouth_elevation = 1424 ft | progression = Bluestone River → New River → Kanawha River → Ohio River → Mississippi River → Gulf of Mexico | river_system = | basin_size = | tributaries_left = Little Bluestone River, Surveyor Branch | tributaries_right = Blacklick Creek (West Virginia), Brush Creek (West Virginia), Pipestem Creek | custom_label = | custom_data = | extra = {{Designation list | embed = yes | designation1 = nwsr | designation1_type = Scenic | designation1_date = October 26, 1988 | designation1_number =
The Bluestone River is a tributary of the New River, 77 mi (124 km) long, in southwestern Virginia and southern West Virginia in the United States. Via the New, Kanawha and Ohio rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River. An 11 mi (18 km) portion of its lower course in West Virginia is designated as the Bluestone National Scenic River.
Course
The Bluestone rises on East River Mountain in Tazewell County, Virginia and flows generally northeastwardly through Mercer and Summers counties in West Virginia, passing the towns of Bluefield in Virginia and Bramwell and Montcalm in West Virginia. It joins the New River about 4 mi (6.4 km) south of Hinton as part of Bluestone Lake,
Pollution
The Bluestone has been compromised by PCB contamination, largely left over from former coal mining activities. As a result of this contamination, Virginia does not recommend eating any carp in the upstream vicinity of Bluefield, Virginia. West Virginia recommends eating no more than one meal of carp per month.
In Virginia, the state Department of Environmental Quality does not recommend any contact recreation (such as swimming or wading) in the Bluestone due to high levels of fecal coliform bacteria.
Little Bluestone River
The Little Bluestone River is a minor tributary of the Bluestone in Summers County, fewer than 10 mi (15 km) in length from its formation by the confluence of two streams, White Oak Branch and Jumping Branch.
Variant names
According to the Geographic Names Information System, the Bluestone River has also been known as:
- Big Bluestone River
- Blue Stone Creek
- Blue Stone River
- Bluestone Creek Native American names have included the following:
- Mec-ce-ne-ke-ke-ce-pe-we
- Mec-cen-ne-ke-ke
- Mo-mom-ga-sen-eka-ce-pe
References
tags--
References
- "USGS 03179000 BLUESTONE RIVER NEAR PIPESTEM, WV". [[U.S. Geological Survey]].
- {{cite gnis
- (July 2017). "Bluestone River Source". [[U.S. Geological Survey]]}}{{dead link.
- [http://www.bartleby.com/69/2/B07602.html Columbia Gazetteer of North America entry] {{webarchive. link. (March 25, 2005)
- [https://www.nps.gov/blue/index.htm Bluestone National Scenic River website]
- [[DeLorme]] (2005). ''Virginia Atlas & Gazetteer''. Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. {{ISBN. 0-89933-326-5
- [[DeLorme]] (1997). ''West Virginia Atlas & Gazetteer''. Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. {{ISBN. 0-89933-246-3
- which is formed by a [[U.S. Army Corps of Engineers]] [[dam]] on the New. The Bluestone's [[National Wild and Scenic River. National Scenic River]] segment is located mostly in Summers County, as is [[Pipestem Resort State Park]], which lies along a [[Canyon
- "PCBs in the Bluestone River". [[Virginia Department of Environmental Quality]].
- "West Virginia Fish Consumption Advisories". [[West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources]].
- (September 2004). "Fecal Bacteria and General Standard Total Maximum Daily Load Development for the Bluestone River". [[Virginia Department of Environmental Quality]].
- {{Gnis. 1542035. Little Bluestone River
- {{Gnis. 1550405. Bluestone River
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