The Chowan River has played an important role in North Carolina’s history and economy. Part of the Albemarle-Pamlico Estuarine System, the second largest estuarine system in the United States, it is one of the smaller basins in North Carolina, with only 1,378 square miles. All of the waters in the Chowan River Basin are free flowing or tidal freshwaters, and most of the surface water in this basin is derived from groundwater. Like the Roanoke River, the Chowan is a major contributor of fresh water to the Albemarle Sound. As it skirts Holiday Island, the river widens to more than two miles before spilling into the Albemarle Sound near Edenton. The 50-mile-long river begins far to the north in Virginia, where the Blackwater and Nottoway Rivers merge at the state line to form the Chowan. In North Carolina, Northampton, Hertford, Gates, Bertie, and Chowan Counties surround the river. Important natural resources in the basin include wetlands, anadromous fish spawning areas, and Merchant’s Millpond State Park. Large swamps of tupelo-gum and cypress trees fringe much of the shore and may extend far inland. Rich in wildlife, these swamps regulate and purify water flowing from land, while wetland habitats in the basin provide flood control and safeguard wildlife habitat and water quality. For centuries, the Chowan River provided food and a source of travel for native Algonquin tribes and the earliest settlers. By 1831, the first steamships in America plied the river, carrying passengers and freight for almost a hundred years. Today, the river continues to be a source of food, economy, and recreation.