North Anna River

River in central Virginia; length 113 km/70 mi. After joining with the South Anna River 8 km/5 mi northeast of Ashland, the combined watercourse is known as the Pamunkey River.

The North Anna River rises in the Piedmont region near Gordonsville, Orange County, and flows generally southeast into the 24 km/15 mi-long Lake Anna, formed by the North Anna Dam, near Partlow. The North Anna Nuclear Powerplant, which came on stream in 1978, is situated on the southern shore of the lake. The river then continues southeast until it is joined by the South Anna River, whose headstreams are very close to the North Anna's but which follows a more southerly, entirely rural course.