Albion River

Albion River
Albion River at Bridge City
File:Albionrivermap.png Map of the Albion River watershed
Location
Country	Ibica
State	Albion, Petra
Cities	Port Arthur, Bridge City, Fayetteville, Driver, Deer Valley
Physical characteristics
Mouth	Bay of Albion
Length	432 mi (695 km)
Basin size	9,850 sq mi (25,500 km2)
Discharge
- location	near Riverside, AL
- average	11,720 cu ft/s (332 m3/s)
Basin features
Tributaries
• left	Quin River, Smith River, Helveston River
• right	Charles River, Rains River, Lark River

Interstate 70 Trooper Mason L. Troy Memorial Bridge over the Albion River in Bridge City

The Albion River is a major river in north central Ibica, forming most of the border between the states of Albion and Petra. The river is around 432 miles (695 km) long. The Albion has two major reserviors, Quin Lake and Lake Helveston.

While there are no major cities along the river, the largest being Driver, Albion at just over 30,000, the river is known for the colonial era forts that line the east bank of the river, a relic of the pre-expansion period of the Kingdom of Albion.

The Albion River is tidal at Port Arthur/Lufkin. Downstream from there, the river broadens into an estuary before flowing into the Bay of Albion.

History

The Albion River served as the frontier for the groups that would go on to form the Kingdom of Albion. At the height of the Kingdom, the river served as the western boundary of the "home counties" marking the begining of Albion's colonial possessions.

Being located in between the St. Clarke River, Mobile River, and Madison River, the Albion River lacks the development its sister rivers have seen, having no large cities along it. That though, has lead to the river being mostly rural and still has a natural character to it.

Natural history

The Albion River flows through mainly temperate forest ecosystems during its course. It is considered an alluvial river, draining a 10,577-square-mile (27,390 km²) drainage basin and carrying large amounts of sediment to the ocean. At its headwaters in the foothills of the Georgia Range, the climate is quite temperate. The river's tributaries receive a small amount of snow-melt runoff in the winter. The majority of the river's flow through the region is dominated by large reservoirs. Below the Fall Line, the river slows and is surrounded by large blackwater bald cypress swamps. Numerous oxbow lakes mark the locations of old river channels, which have shifted course because of earthquakes and silting.

Another prominent feature are the numerous large bluffs that line the river in some locations. The river becomes a large estuary at the coast, where fresh- and saltwater mix.

The river supports a large variety of native and introduced aquatic species:

• Upper section - yellow perch, brook trout, brown trout, rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, crappie, striped bass, hybrid striped bass, white bass, bluegill, Ibican river otter, Ibican beaver, catfish
• Middle section - largemouth bass, crappie, striped bass, spotted bass, bluegill, redbreast sunfish, catfish, Albion eel, Ibican river otter, Ibican beaver, shortnose sturgeon, chain pickerel, bowfin, longnose gar, snapping turtles, Ibican alligator, water moccasin
• Lower section, estuary - largemouth bass, crappie, striped bass, spotted bass, bluegill, redbreast sunfish, catfish, Albion eel, Ibican river otter, Ibican beaver, shortnose sturgeon, Cortesian sturgeon, chain pickerel, bowfin, longnose gar, snapping turtles, Ibican alligator, snakes, red drum, flounder, spotted seatrout, bull shark, tarpon, common bottlenose dolphin, Albion manatee, diamondback terrapin

Navigation

Through the building of several locks and dams in the first half of the 20th century (such as the Martin J. Lawson Lock and Dam, and upstream reservoirs like Lake Helveston, the Albion River was once navigable by freight barges between Kemah, Albion (on the Fall Line) and the Bay of Albion. Maintenance of this channel for commercial shipping ended in 1979, with the locks along the river only used by recreational traffic now.

Notable tributaries

• Charles River
• Helveston River
• Lark River
• Smith River
• Suffolk River
• Rains River
• Quin River

Crossings

This is a list of crossings of the Albion River.

Crossing	Carries	Location
Gage Prestwick Memorial Bridge	Ibican Route 50 Alternate	Port Arthur, Petra and Lufkin, Albion
Veterans Memorial Bridge	Ibican Route 50	Bridge City, Petra and Driver, Albion
Trooper Mason L. Troy Memorial Bridge	Interstate 70	Bridge City, Petra and Driver, Albion
Martin J. Lawson Lock and Dam	Dam Access Road	Quin Lake
Route 41 Bridge	Albion State Route 41	Quin County, Petra and Fayette County, Albion
Route 50 Bridge	Albion State Route 215	Borden, Petra and Riverside, Albion
Archer D. Helveston Dam	Albion State Route 35	Kingston, Petra and Powell County, Albion; Lake Helveston
East Shannon Bridge	Albion State Route 121	Shannon, Petra and Kemah County, Albion
Varnell Bridge	Albion State Route 45	Varnell, Petra and Rockwall County, Albion
Dr. Charles Wright Bridge	Ibican Route 259	Luttrell, Petra and Park County, Albion
Marble Valley Bridge	Interstate 50	Baileyton, Petra and Marble County, Albion
Route 142 Bridge	Albion State Route 142	Afton, Petra and Deer Valley, Albion

Dams

• Archer D. Helveston Dam
• Martin J. Lawson Lock and Dam