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The Bluestone National Scenic River protects a section of the Bluestone River in Summers and Mercer counties of southern West Virginia. It was created in 1988 under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act and is protected by the National Park Service. Our nation’s Wild and Scenic Rivers System was established for the purpose of protecting for the present, and preserving for the future, undeveloped, free-flowing rivers that possess “Outstandingly Remarkable” scenic, natural, cultural, geological and recreational values. Currently one hundred fifty six entire rivers or sections of rivers are protected under this system of publicly owned water resources. A section of Bluestone NSR is also protected by the West Virginia State Park System within Pipestem Resort State Park, and the remaining portion is also utilized as a West Virginia Wildlife Management Area. ==Geology== The Bluestone River and the rugged gorge it has carved is a richly diverse and scenic area of the southern Appalachian Mountains. Time spent in thoughtful solitude along this little mountain river offers the visitor a vestige of primitive America. There are over a thousand species of plants growing in several diverse Appalachian forest habitat types. Two hundred species of birds have been spotted in the park. The Bluestone also provides excellent areas for watching many mammal, amphibian, reptile and insect species. The riverbed habitat is alive with a carpet of macro-invertebrate aquatic species, and supports healthy populations of many warm water game and non-game fishes. The Bluestone River is classified as a High Quality Warm Water Stream by the state of West Virginia. The headwaters of the Bluestone River begin at an elevation of 3500 feet on East River Mountain near Bluefield, Virginia and flow for 77 miles to Bluestone Lake near Hinton, West Virginia at 1409 feet. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Bluestone National Scenic River」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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