Lost River (Cacapon River tributary)
| Lost River | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | West Virginia |
| County | Hardy County |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Mathias |
| • coordinates | 38°48′56″N 78°52′41″W / 38.81556°N 78.87806°W |
| Mouth | Cacapon River |
• location | McCauley |
• coordinates | 39°03′49″N 78°39′16″W / 39.06361°N 78.65444°W |
| Length | 31.1 mi (50.1 km) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | McCauley (Oct. 1971 to Jan. 1980) |
| • average | 186 cu ft/s (5.3 m3/s) (Oct. 1971 to Jan. 1980) |
The Lost River is a 31.1-mile-long (50.1 km) river in the Appalachian Mountains of Hardy County in West Virginia's Potomac Highlands region. The Lost River is geologically the same river as the Cacapon River: it flows into an underground channel northeast of McCauley along West Virginia Route 259 at "the Sinks" and reappears near Wardensville as the Cacapon. The source of the Lost River lies south of Mathias near the West Virginia/Virginia border. Along with the Cacapon and North Rivers, the Lost River serves as one of the three main segments of the Cacapon River and its watershed.
The river is listed as impaired due to pathogens by the state of West Virginia; this is likely due to the livestock and poultry raising activities throughout the valley.
The river was named for the fact it is a losing stream.