The Rocky River is a river in the Piedmont region of North Carolina. It begins in Iredell County near Mooresville and flows south into Cabarrus County, where it is the principal waterway in the county. The river continues southeastward to form the line between Stanly, Union, and Anson counties. It empties into the Pee Dee River just below Norwood, North Carolina at the junction of Stanly, Montgomery, Anson, and Richmond counties, at the foot of the Uwharrie Mountains.
Tourism Efforts are being made to boost tourism, including canoe and kayak recreation, along Rocky River "Blueway" as part of the Carolina Thread Trail. Private, non-profit organizations have developed park lands for improved river access, but some controversy ensued.
Natural history and ecology The Rocky River watershed has been the source of many ecological and environmental studies in recent history.
Certain hydrological research has found that urbanization, particularly in metro-Charlotte communities, altered the runoff patterns and streamflow dynamics of the river. The study also predicts a high likelihood of increased streamflow through 2030. Some hydroelectrical planners in Union County plan to use the Rocky River to supply the county with both fresh water and electricity, something the county has been missing due to the lack of a true water source.
Rocky River is also a victim of historical gold mining runoff in Gold Hill. Such the case that some recent tests of channel and floodplain deposits suggest that there is remaining and longstanding mercury contamination from the 19th-century.
Ecological surveys of the watershed and its surrounding bases have identified new historical and entomological information. Pteridinium fossils were found in Stanly County in 2025 and examined to determine different and unique morphologies that would reflect on the historical, biological form of the species. A separate survey was done of the river to fill missing records in the North Carolina State University entomological collection. Seven new black bug species (Thyreocoridae) were identified, one of which was found next to Rocky River.
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