Big Sandy Creek (Cheat River)
Encyclopedia
This article refers to the Cheat River tributary in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. For the similarly named river that forms the border between Kentucky and West Virginia, see Big Sandy River (Ohio River)
.
Big Sandy Creek is a 31.3 miles (50.4 km) mountain stream which begins in Fayette County, Pennsylvania
, and flows into Preston County, West Virginia
, in the United States
. The Big Sandy flows through Bruceton Mills
and Rockville, West Virginia, before crashing down the mountainside and reaching its confluence
with the Cheat River
at the abandoned town of Jenkinsburg.
The Big Sandy is a popular whitewater kayaking
run, a destination for paddlers from many states in the late winter and early spring. The most commonly run section is the Class-V
Lower Big Sandy, from Rockville to Jenkinsburg, which contains two runnable waterfall
s: Wonder Falls (Class IV) and Big Splat (Class 5.1).
Big Sandy River (Ohio River)
The Big Sandy River is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately long, in western West Virginia and northeastern Kentucky in the United States. The river forms part of the boundary between the two states along its entire course...
.
Big Sandy Creek is a 31.3 miles (50.4 km) mountain stream which begins in Fayette County, Pennsylvania
Fayette County, Pennsylvania
Fayette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the2010 census, the population was 136,606. The county is part of the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, and flows into Preston County, West Virginia
Preston County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 29,334 people, 11,544 households, and 8,357 families residing in the county. The population density was 45 people per square mile . There were 13,444 housing units at an average density of 21 per square mile...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The Big Sandy flows through Bruceton Mills
Bruceton Mills, West Virginia
Bruceton Mills is a town in Preston County, West Virginia, United States along Big Sandy Creek. The population was 74 at the 2000 census. An early settler, John M. Hoffman, named this community for his stepfather, George Bruce, who claimed direct descendance from Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland....
and Rockville, West Virginia, before crashing down the mountainside and reaching its confluence
Confluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
with the Cheat River
Cheat River
The Cheat River is a tributary of the Monongahela River in eastern West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Via the Monongahela and Ohio rivers, it is part of the Mississippi River watershed, ultimately draining into the Gulf of Mexico.-Geography:The Cheat is formed at...
at the abandoned town of Jenkinsburg.
The Big Sandy is a popular whitewater kayaking
Whitewater kayaking
Whitewater kayaking is the sport of paddling a kayak on a moving body of water, typically a whitewater river. Whitewater kayaking can range from simple, carefree gently moving water, to demanding, dangerous whitewater. River rapids are graded like ski runs according to the difficulty, danger or...
run, a destination for paddlers from many states in the late winter and early spring. The most commonly run section is the Class-V
Rapid
A rapid is a section of a river where the river bed has a relatively steep gradient causing an increase in water velocity and turbulence. A rapid is a hydrological feature between a run and a cascade. A rapid is characterised by the river becoming shallower and having some rocks exposed above the...
Lower Big Sandy, from Rockville to Jenkinsburg, which contains two runnable waterfall
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
s: Wonder Falls (Class IV) and Big Splat (Class 5.1).
External links
- National Whitewater River Inventory:
- Friends of the Cheat