 From the dam, Jackson River flows south and then east through Alleghany County, through the city of Covington and the town of Clifton Forge, before joining with the Cowpasture River to create the James River.The river is named for the first white settler on its banks, William Jackson, who received a grant of from King George II in 1750.Jackson was possibly an acquaintance of Alexander Dunlap, the first white settler on the Calfpasture River.