| Hocking River | |
|---|---|
The Hocking River near Logan |
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| Origin | Fairfield County |
| Mouth | Ohio River in Athens County near Hockingport |
| Source elevation | ~ 1050 ft (320 m) [1] |
| Mouth elevation | 582 ft (177 m) [2] |
| Basin area | 1,197 mi² (3,100 km²) [3] |
The Hocking River is a tributary of the Ohio River in southeastern Ohio in the United States.
The Hocking flows mostly on the unglaciated Allegheny Plateau, but its headwaters are in a glaciated region. It rises in Bloom Township in Fairfield County and flows generally southeastwardly through Fairfield, Hocking, and Athens Counties, through the Hocking Hills region and past the cities of Lancaster, Logan, Nelsonville, Athens and Coolville. It joins the Ohio River at Hockingport. The Hocking's tributaries also drain parts of Perry, Morgan, and Washington Counties.
Its name originally derives from a Native American name, roughly "Hokhokken" or "Hokhochen", which meant "bottle-shaped" or "gourd-shaped" and referred to the configuration of the river at the present-day town of Logan, Ohio. The river was known as the Hockhocking River until the late 19th century.
The Hocking Canal once linked Athens to Lancaster and the Ohio and Erie Canal, but was destroyed by flooding and never rebuilt. Due to frequent flooding of Ohio University's campus, the Army Corps of Engineers re-channelized a section of the Hocking River in Athens during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Between Nelsonville and Athens, the Hocking today is roughly paralleled by a rail trail, the Hockhocking Adena Bikeway. The path serves as a major source of recreation for the residents of the area especially, the students of Ohio University.
Major tributaries to the Hocking include (downriver to upriver) Federal Creek, Margaret Creek, Sunday Creek, Monday Creek, Scott Creek, Oldtown Creek, Clear Creek, Rush Creek, Pleasant Run, Baldwin Run, and Hunters Run. Many of these tributaries are affected by acid mine drainage.
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Canoeing, kayaking, rafting, and tubing is very popular on the Hocking River. Hocking Valley Canoe Livery has several trips that operate on the mid and upper sections of the river. The scenic Hocking River is perfect for families and seasoned canoeist alike. The mid and upper portions of the Hocking River serve as an above average smallmouth bass fishery. Typical species of midwestern warmwater streams are generally found throughout the river.
The Hocking River Water Trail is now under development. There are currently river access points for fishing and for canoes and kayaks at Logan, Ohio, at Hocking College at Nelsonville, Ohio, on Hamley Run Road northwest of The Plains, Ohio, at West State Street Park in Athens, Ohio, at County Road 24A near Canaanville, Ohio, and at the Army Corps of Engineers' Belleville Locks and Dam recreational access point on Frost Road near Coolville, Ohio.
There are two organizations particularly concerned with preserving the environment of the river and its adjacent lands, and with providing recreational access to the river: the [1] Hocking River Commission, based in Athens County, Ohio, and the [2] Friends of the Hocking River, based in Hocking County, Ohio. Friends of the Hocking River in conjunction with Hocking Valley Canoe Livery sponsor an annual river clean up. The event is usually held during the second Saturday in June and it concludes with a BBQ and music.
According to the Geographic Names Information System, the Hocking River has also been known as:[4]
The form "Hockhocking" was generally used for the first century of Ohio's statehood, as reflected on old maps, while the shorter "Hocking" River form has been used for about the past century.
The Hocking Valley Railway was formed in 1870. Today, the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway still runs as a tourist attraction.
Hocking County, Ohio is named after the river, as are the Hocking Hills, which include Hocking State Forest and Hocking Hills State Park.
The Hocking Canal existed from 1838-1890.
Hocking College is a technical college located at Nelsonville, Ohio.
General Hocking Brick Company, Hocking Iron Company, Hocking Valley Products Company and Hocking Valley Clay Company were all former manufacturers in the area.
The Hocking River's name is the inspiration for the call letters of Lancaster's Country music radio station WHOK-FM.
