West Fork River

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title: "West Fork River" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["rivers-of-west-virginia", "tributaries-of-the-monongahela-river", "rivers-of-harrison-county,-west-virginia", "rivers-of-lewis-county,-west-virginia", "rivers-of-marion-county,-west-virginia", "allegheny-plateau", "west-fork-river"] topic_path: "general/rivers-of-west-virginia" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Fork_River" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox river"]

FieldValue
nameWest Fork River
imageWest_Fk_River.jpg
image_size275
image_captionThe West Fork River in Enterprise, July 1996
mapMonon WestForkRiver.png
map_size290
map_captionMap of the Monongahela River basin, with the West Fork River highlighted
pushpin_map_size290
subdivision_type1Country
subdivision_name1United States
subdivision_type2State
subdivision_name2West Virginia
subdivision_type3Counties
subdivision_name3Upshur, Lewis, Harrison, Marion
length103 mi
discharge1_locationmouth
discharge1_avg1373.37 cuft/s (estimate)
source1Confluence of Straight Fork and Whites Camp Fork
source1_locationnear Rock Cave, Upshur County
source1_coordinates
source1_elevation1309 ft
mouthMonongahela River
mouth_locationFairmont
mouth_coordinates
mouth_elevation863 ft
basin_size881 sqmi
::

| name = West Fork River | native_name = | native_name_lang = | name_other = | name_etymology = | image = West_Fk_River.jpg | image_size = 275 | image_caption = The West Fork River in Enterprise, July 1996 | map = Monon WestForkRiver.png | map_size = 290 | map_caption = Map of the Monongahela River basin, with the West Fork River highlighted | pushpin_map = | pushpin_map_size = 290 | pushpin_map_caption= | subdivision_type1 = Country | subdivision_name1 = United States | subdivision_type2 = State | subdivision_name2 = West Virginia | subdivision_type3 = Counties | subdivision_name3 = Upshur, Lewis, Harrison, Marion | subdivision_type4 = | subdivision_name4 = | subdivision_type5 = | subdivision_name5 = | length = 103 mi | width_min = | width_avg = | width_max = | depth_min = | depth_avg = | depth_max = | discharge1_location= mouth | discharge1_avg = 1373.37 cuft/s (estimate) | source1 = Confluence of Straight Fork and Whites Camp Fork | source1_location = near Rock Cave, Upshur County | source1_coordinates= | source1_elevation = 1309 ft | mouth = Monongahela River | mouth_location = Fairmont | mouth_coordinates = | mouth_elevation = 863 ft | progression = | river_system = | basin_size = 881 sqmi | tributaries_left = | tributaries_right = | custom_label = | custom_data = | extra =

The West Fork River is a principal tributary of the Monongahela River, 103 mi long, in north-central West Virginia, United States. Via the Monongahela and Ohio Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of 881 square miles (2,284 km²) on the unglaciated portion of the Allegheny Plateau.

Geography

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/West_Fork_River_Clarksburg.jpg" caption="Clarksburg]], December 2006"] ::

The river is formed near the community of Rock Cave in southwestern Upshur County by the confluence of small headwaters tributaries known as Straight Fork From this confluence the West Fork River flows north through Lewis, Harrison and Marion counties, through the communities of Weston, West Milford, Clarksburg, Lumberport, Shinnston, Enterprise, Worthington, and Monongah to Fairmont, where it joins the Tygart Valley River from the west to form the Monongahela River. (The Tygart is thus the "East Fork" of the Monongahela.) Among other tributaries, it collects Stonecoal Creek in Weston; Hackers Creek in southern Harrison County; Elk Creek in Clarksburg; and Simpson Creek and Tenmile Creek in northern Harrison County.

The West Fork has a low gradient and is slow-moving throughout its course. It is locally popular for fishing, and is stocked with muskellunge by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. Other fish species in the river include carp; channel and flathead catfish; golden and rainbow trout; largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass; sauger; and walleye.

Jackson's Mill was established along the river north of Weston around the year 1800 by Edward Jackson; his grandson and future confederate general Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson lived there during much of his youth. The site has been operated as a 4-H facility since the 1920s.

A walking trail parallels the river for 1.2 miles (2 km) in Veteran's Park in Clarksburg.

Dams and navigation

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/West_Fork_River_Weston.jpg" caption="Weston]], December 2006"] ::

The West Fork River is not navigable by commercial barge traffic; it is classified by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources as "recreationally navigable" for canoes and similar craft. During the early history of the United States, the government of Virginia attempted to maintain commercial navigability on the river, chartering a company for that purpose in 1793 and requiring that dams for milling operations provide a chute for boats to pass downstream. Construction of a system of locks, dams, and chutes was begun by the Monongahela Navigation Company in 1817; the project was abandoned following damage by floods in 1824.

3 mi south of Weston, the river is dammed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to form Stonewall Jackson Lake. The project was authorized by the federal Flood Control Act of 1966 for flood control, improvement of water quality and water supply, improvement of habitat for fish and wildlife, hydropower, and recreation. Construction of the dam was delayed by the opposition of local residents The dam is 95 ft tall and forms a 2,650 acre lake, with a larger capacity during periods of flood. and Stonewall Jackson Lake State Park.

Between the years of 1905 and 1931, four small dams were constructed by the Clarksburg Water Board on a sixteen-mile (26 km) stretch of the river upstream (south) of Clarksburg, for the provision of local drinking water. While the dams in later years have come to be regarded as good fishing areas, In 2016 removal of three of the dams was completed in an effort led by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the removed dams being: West Milford, Two Lick, and Highland Dams. Removal of the dams is claimed to have improved public safety, recreation access, water quality, and ecological connectivity.

Variant names

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/21/USACE_Stonewall_Jackson_Lake_and_Dam.jpg" caption="Weston]], August 1993"] ::

The United States Board on Geographic Names settled on "West Fork River" as the stream's name in 1902. According to the Geographic Names Information System, the West Fork River has also been known historically as:

  • Muddy River
  • West Branch
  • West Fork
  • West Fork Monongahela River
  • West Fork of Monongahela River
  • West River

References

References

  1. Venable, Wallace. (2006). "The West Virginia Encyclopedia". West Virginia Humanities Council.
  2. [[United States Environmental Protection Agency]]. "Watershed Report: West Fork River".
  3. Geographic Names Information System. "Geographic Names Information System entry for West Fork River (Feature ID #1548931)".
  4. Geographic Names Information System. "Geographic Names Information System entry for Straight Fork (Feature ID #1547564)".
  5. West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. "Watershed Atlas Project.".
  6. Geographic Names Information System. "Geographic Names Information System entry for Whites Camp Fork (Feature ID #1549092)".
  7. [[DeLorme]] (1997). ''West Virginia Atlas & Gazetteer''. Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. pp. 25, 36. {{ISBN. 0-89933-246-3.
  8. Jernejcic, Frank. (March 1995). "Best of the West Fork". West Virginia Division of Natural Resources.
  9. Meador, Michael M.. (2006). "The West Virginia Encyclopedia". West Virginia Humanities Council.
  10. Marion County Parks And Recreation Commission. (2006). "Ralph S. LaRue / West Fork River Trail".
  11. West Virginia Rails-to-Trails Council. (2002). "Harrison County Trail".
  12. United States Army Corps of Engineers. "Stonewall Jackson Lake".
  13. Johnson, Skip. (2006). "The West Virginia Encyclopedia". West Virginia Humanities Council.
  14. West Virginia Department of Natural Resources. (2003). "West Virginia Wildlife Management Areas".
  15. "Stonewall Resort/Stonewall Jackson Lake State Park".
  16. (2016-03-23). "West Fork River Dam Removal Project Underway".
  17. Lawrence, Chris. (2019-05-04). "Dam removal changes West Fork fishing prospects".
  18. "West Fork River Restoration, West Virginia {{!}} U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service".

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rivers-of-west-virginiatributaries-of-the-monongahela-riverrivers-of-harrison-county,-west-virginiarivers-of-lewis-county,-west-virginiarivers-of-marion-county,-west-virginiaallegheny-plateauwest-fork-river