Post 10 — Chesapeake Bay Watershed

This creek is connected to one of America’s great estuaries

Fun Fact:

A watershed is all the land that drains toward a shared outlet. Water near this trail moves through Reids Creek and the Rockfish system, then on to the James River and eventually the Chesapeake Bay.

Spot It:

Look at the slopes around you and imagine rain falling on them. Ridges divide watersheds, valleys collect flow, and even a small trickle on a hillside can be part of a much larger journey downstream.

Why It Matters Here:

Thinking in watersheds helps hikers see that local care matters far beyond this trail. What happens in the Rockfish Valley can influence water quality and habitat many miles away, all the way to the Bay.

WATERSHED: an area of land that drains all the streams and rainfall to a common outlet such as the outflow of a reservoir, mouth of a bay, or a stream channel. The word “watershed” is sometimes used interchangeably with drainage basin or catchment. Ridges and hills that separate two watersheds are called the drainage divide. The watershed consists of both surface water–lakes, streams, reservoirs, and wetlands–and all the underlying groundwater. Larger watersheds contain many smaller watersheds.

In front of you is Reids Creek. The primary watershed for Reids Creek is Rhue Hollow – located to your right as you head south on Rt 151 and ascend Brent’s Gap. Just to your left, down the trail about 75 yards, the terminus of Reids Creek joins the South Fork of the Rockfish River. Can you see how topographic maps can be used to identify a watershed?

The South Fork Rockfish River watershed drains most of the area you see around you, including the near slopes of Three Ridges, Devils Knob, and Reids Gap at the Blue Ridge Parkway. The South Fork Rockfish River and the North Fork Rockfish River watersheds join (alongside Route 6/River Road about 1.5 miles SE of Rt 151) to form the Rockfish River watershed, which eventually enters the James River watershed at Howardsville, southeast of Woods Mill.

Factoid: The Rockfish Valley is named for the fact that before the dams on the James River were constructed, rockfish (aka striped bass (Morone saxatilis), ran from the bays as far west as the valley. These anadromous fish spawn in freshwater but spend their adult lives in saltwater. However, landlocked freshwater rockfish occur in many inland locations.

Reids Creek Watershed is a sub-watershed (SFR-9 in the figure below) of the South Fork Rockfish River watershed.

After entering the James River in Howardsville, water from the Rockfish River watershed continues down the James until entering the Chesapeake Bay in Hampton Roads, VA.

Thanks to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation for the use of video materials.

The Rockfish Valley Foundation works to protect and educate on the land, air, waters, and living history of the Rockfish Valley. We are volunteer-led and donor-funded. For information on donating or volunteering please visit us at rockfishvalley.org