South River (South Fork Shenandoah River)
Encyclopedia
The South River is one of the two main tributaries of the South Fork of the Shenandoah River. It begins south of Staunton, Virginia
, and flows northward to Port Republic
, where it merges with the North River
to form the South Fork. The river is 52.6 miles (84.7 km) long.
, Waynesboro
, and Grottoes
.
(now Invista
) plant, and others, heavily polluted the river with mercury
. It is unsafe to eat fish caught from the river, and fishing most of the way down the South Fork of the Shenandoah is catch and release
only.
Staunton, Virginia
Staunton is an independent city within the confines of Augusta County in the commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 23,746 as of 2010. It is the county seat of Augusta County....
, and flows northward to Port Republic
Port Republic, Virginia
Port Republic is an unincorporated community in Rockingham County, Virginia, United States. The Battle of Port Republic occurred there in the American Civil War.-History:...
, where it merges with the North River
North River (South Fork Shenandoah River)
The North River is a river in the mountains and Shenandoah Valley of northern Virginia, the United States. It joins the South River at Port Republic to form the South Fork Shenandoah River....
to form the South Fork. The river is 52.6 miles (84.7 km) long.
Communities along the route
The South River flows through Stuarts DraftStuarts Draft, Virginia
Stuarts Draft is a census-designated place in Augusta County, Virginia, United States. The population was 8,367 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Staunton–Waynesboro Micropolitan Statistical Area....
, Waynesboro
Waynesboro, Virginia
Waynesboro, deriving its name from General Anthony Wayne, is an independent city surrounded by Augusta County in the U.S. state of Virginia. The population was 21,006 in 2010.....
, and Grottoes
Grottoes, Virginia
Grottoes is an incorporated town in Augusta and Rockingham counties in the U.S. state of Virginia. The population was 2,114 at the 2000 census....
.
Ecology
In Waynesboro, the DuPontDuPont
E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company , commonly referred to as DuPont, is an American chemical company that was founded in July 1802 as a gunpowder mill by Eleuthère Irénée du Pont. DuPont was the world's third largest chemical company based on market capitalization and ninth based on revenue in 2009...
(now Invista
INVISTA
Invista, headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, is the world's largest integrated fiber, resin and intermediates company. DuPont originally formed the company as a subsidiary in 2003 from its textile fibers division and named it DuPont Textiles and Interiors while a permanent identity was established...
) plant, and others, heavily polluted the river with mercury
Mercury (element)
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
. It is unsafe to eat fish caught from the river, and fishing most of the way down the South Fork of the Shenandoah is catch and release
Catch and release
Catch and release is a practice within recreational fishing intended as a technique of conservation. After capture, the fish are unhooked and returned to the water before experiencing serious exhaustion or injury...
only.