The Savage River is a 29.5-mile-long (47.5 km) river in Garrett County, Maryland, and is the first major tributary of the North Branch Potomac River from its source. The river was named for 18th century surveyor John Savage. The last 4.5 miles (7.2 km) of the river, from the Savage River Dam to its confluence with the Potomac at Bloomington, Maryland, is a destination for whitewater paddling and slalom racing, on the infrequent occasion when sufficient water is released from the dam. There were three one-day recreational releases in 2011, two in June and one in September.