The Potomac River is often referred to as the "Nation's River," because it flows through the nation's capital, where the magnificent monuments of the Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln memorials are reflected in its waters. It is one of the most beautiful and bountiful rivers on the East Coast and is known for its historic, scenic and recreational significance. It begins as a small spring at the Fairfax Stone in West Virginia, and winds its way through the mountains and valleys of Appalachia, past battlefields and old manufacturing towns. The river flows more than 380 miles and grows to more than 11 miles wide as it reaches the Chesapeake Bay at Point Lookout, Maryland. <br> The Potomac River watershed's 14,670 square miles cradle farmland, forests, parks, and cities. Its major tributaries include the Monocacy, Savage, and St. Mary's Rivers in Maryland; the Shenandoah and Occoquan Rivers in Virginia; the South Branch and Cacapon Rivers in West Virginia; Conococheague and Antietam Creeks in Pennsylvania; and the Anacostia River in the District of Columbia. Many of the tributary watersheds are shared by basin states. The Potomac watershed can be divided into fourteen unique subwatersheds. <br> The Potomac River has nurtured trade, cultures, migration, and living resources for more than 10,000 years. Captain John Smith visited the Potomac in 1608. He found fish "lying so thicke with their heads above water, (that) for want of nets, we attempted to catch them with a frying pan." The earliest Tidewater settlers in Maryland and Virginia existed primarily on huge supplies of Potomac crabs, oysters, and fish. The estuary was the lifeblood of many Native American and colonial cultures, and the Potomac was the major route for trade and commerce. Today, the Potomac watershed is home to more than 5 million people, and continues to support commercial fisheries and a variety of fish and wildlife in its estuary. The history of the Potomac River is linked to the historical events and growth that has taken place in its basin.