Why do many Appalachian rivers southwest of the New River flow toward the Ohio River?

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Blue Ridge, Appalachian Mountains — Appalachian Mountains Blue Ridge, part of the Appalachian Mountains.

Many of the major rivers in the Appalachian Mountains are older than the mountains themselves. When the mountains were thrust upward during the Appalachian Revolution, they blocked the westward course of these ancient rivers toward the sea that once covered the American Midwest.

Southwest of the New River, these rivers maintained their westward paths by cutting through the rising terrain, creating spectacular canyons, gorges, and "narrows" as they flowed toward the Ohio River. In contrast, rivers northeast of the New River typically flow toward the Atlantic Ocean, often passing through dramatic water gaps.1