Pocatalico River facts for kids
The Pocatalico River is a river in west-central West Virginia, United States. It is about 75 miles (120 km) long. The Pocatalico River is a tributary, which means it is a smaller river that flows into a larger one. It flows into the Kanawha River.
Through the Kanawha and Ohio Rivers, the Pocatalico River is part of the huge Mississippi River watershed. A watershed is an area of land where all the water drains into a single river or body of water.
Where Does It Flow?
The Pocatalico River starts in Roane County, near a community called Walton. From there, it flows generally southwest.
It travels through the southern part of Roane County. Then it goes through northern Kanawha County. Finally, it flows through southeastern Putnam County. Along its journey, it passes by the community of Sissonville. The river eventually meets the Kanawha River at the town of Poca.
Past Floods
The Pocatalico River and the land around it have experienced serious floods. These floods happened in March 1997, June 1998, and February 2001.
The floods in 1997 and 1998 were so big that they were declared National Disasters. This means the government provided special help to the affected areas. The communities that were most impacted by these floods included Walton, Cicerone, Sissonville, and Millertown.
What's in a Name?
The name "Pocatalico" comes from a Native American language. It means "river of fat doe." A doe is a female deer.
The United States Board on Geographic Names officially decided on "Pocatalico River" as the name for this stream in 1907. Over time, the river has been known by several other names. Some of these older names include:
- Poca River
- Pocatalco River
- Pocotalico River
- Pokatalico Creek
