The river runs through it (the Valley)
July 9th, 2008
I mentioned the North Fork of the
Shenandoah River in an earlier column, but I spent most of the time writing about how amazing the Valley looks from the air.
The river is just as beautiful up close and personal.
The North Fork runs through Shenandoah County and there are many opportunities to stop and enjoy the natural beauty of the quiet waters. Low water bridges take drivers from bank to bank providing the opportunity to take a look at the river from midstream without stepping into a boat.
When I worked at the newspaper, I had the opportunity to ride the river in a canoe operated by a local fishing guide. Just as the sky gave me a unique view of the area where I live, I got an entirely different view of the river from the middle of it.
There are a few places where the North Fork is quite wide, but the area of my trip between Woodstock and Edinburg was more intimate. I could see wildlife and livestock along the banks almost as easily as I could see the fishing slipping by under the glassy surface.
Shenandoah County is a very karst region with very interesting rock formations along the river as well as many bedrock ledges that cross the floor of the North Fork perpendicular to the flow of the river.
My trip was in late spring and the water level was high so we encountered no problems on our trips. I have been told that there are several spots where canoeists, kayakers and those tubing have to walk their transportation through the shallow areas. When the water is low and the agricultural runoff is high, algae and other water plants can choke the river and make boating very difficult.
The low water bridges can present a problem too. As can the six dams found between Timberville in northern Rockingham County and Strasburg in northern Shenandoah County.
On our trip, we spotted many wild ducks and even a heron in the early morning hours. I felt as if I had stumbled upon a magical spot when the heron took its long-legged walk.
There are several boat landings and many opportunities to just sit by the river and listen to the laughing waters. Which reminds me, did you know that the song “O, Shenandoah” is not about the Shenandoah River? The Shenandoah in the well-known folk song is actually an Indian maiden.
For more information, you can check out the Friends of the North Fork of the Shenandoah River at www.fnfsr.org for detailed environmental reports and efforts to clean and monitor the river. This group has spent more than 20 years very effectively protecting this lovely natural resource.