CONFLUENCE - Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers - River Origins, Destinations and Confluences on Waymarking.com

Approximately 360 million years ago, when the continent of Africa collided with North America, land comprising the park began to take its current shape. At this time the Appalachian Mountains rose and the Potomac River began cutting through them, forming the water gap we see today between Maryland and LoudounHeights. Today this gap marks the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers and is considered by many to be the area's most prominent geological feature.

Located in the Blue Ridge Mountain section of the extensive Appalachian Mountain Range that extends from Quebec south to Alabama. The mountains we see today rose 10 million years ago when the continent of Africa collided with the continent of North America. This collision caused the Appalachian Mountains to rise taller than the Rocky Mountains are today. At that time the Potomac began cutting its way through the Appalachian Mountains, forming the water gap that lies between Maryland and Loudoun Heights. After the Appalachians were worn down, run-off water collected at their base, forming the Shenandoah River. Worn down by rock, wind, rain, and ice, only the roots of these once great mountains remain. The beauty of these rolling mountains and the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers coming together is a sight everyone should see!

According to the United States Geological Survey, Harpers Ferry may experience a flood over 20 feet every 5 to 10 years . The 1936 flood, which reached a record height of 36.5 feet, is estimated to only occur every 125 years. Floods in the park tend to be fairly deep, since there is not much room for water to spread out once it overflows its banks here. During the early months of the year, heavy precipitation that produces rapid runoff is a major flood-causing factor.

"The passage of the Patowmac through the Blue Ridge is perhaps one of the most stupendous scenes in Nature."
- Thomas Jefferson, 1783

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