Island Creek (West Virginia) Explained

Island Creek
Map:Island Creek WV map.png
Map Size:300
Pushpin Map Size:300
Pushpin Map Caption:Location of the river mouth in West Virginia
Subdivision Type1:Country
Subdivision Name1:United States
Subdivision Type2:State
Subdivision Name2:West Virginia
Subdivision Type3:County
Subdivision Name3:Logan
Length:18.1miles
Source1 Location:Horsepen Mountain, near Mountain View
Source1 Coordinates:37.6457°N -81.9935°W[1]
Source1 Elevation:1837feet[2]
Mouth:Guyandotte River
Mouth Location:Logan
Mouth Coordinates:37.8487°N -81.9971°W
Mouth Elevation:663feet
Basin Size:105sqmi
Tributaries Left:Copperas Mine Fork

Island Creek is a tributary of the Guyandotte River, 18.1miles long,[3] in southern West Virginia in the United States. Via the Guyandotte and Ohio rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of 105sqmi[4] in a rural area on the unglaciated portion of the Allegheny Plateau, in the Logan Coalfield. Island Creek's entire course and drainage area are in Logan County.[5]

Island Creek rises on Horsepen Mountain in the southern extremity of Logan County, near the community of Mountain View, and flows generally northward through the unincorporated communities of Crystal Block, Sarah Ann, Stirrat, Barnabus, Superior Bottom, Omar, Chauncey, Micco, Switzer, Rossmore, Monaville, Wilkinson, Monitor, and Mount Gay, to the city of Logan, where it flows into the Guyandotte River opposite Hatfield Island. The creek is paralleled by West Virginia Route 44 for most of its course.[5]

According to the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, approximately 94% of the Island Creek watershed is forested, mostly deciduous.[4] Its largest tributary is the Copperas Mine Fork, which drains 43% of Island Creek's watershed;[6] Copperas Mine Fork flows into Island Creek at Mount Gay.[5]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: [{{Gnis3|1540737}} Geographic Names Information System entry for Island Creek (Feature ID #1540737) ]. Geographic Names Information System . Geographic Names Information System. 2011-10-25.
  2. [Google Earth]
  3. Web site: Watershed Assessment, Tracking & Environmental Results: Assessment Summary for Reporting Year 2008, West Virginia, Upper Guyandotte Watershed . United States Environmental Protection Agency . United States Environmental Protection Agency . https://archive.today/20121212011132/http://iaspub.epa.gov/waters10/attains_watershed.control?p_state=WV&p_huc=05070101&p_cycle=2008&p_report_type= . 2012-12-12 . 2011-10-25 . live .
  4. Web site: Upper Guyandotte River . West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection . 2011-10-25 . Watershed Atlas Project . https://web.archive.org/web/20050405023313/http://www.dep.state.wv.us/watershed/w5070101.html . 2005-04-05 .
  5. Book: West Virginia Atlas & Gazetteer . 1997 . . Yarmouth, Me. . 0-89933-246-3 . 51, 57.
  6. Web site: HUC 8-12 Watersheds . West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection . https://web.archive.org/web/20111012054846/http://www.dep.wv.gov/WWE/Programs/nonptsource/Documents/WBPs/HUC_8-12Watersheds.pdf . 2011-10-12 . 2011-10-25 . dead. HUC 12 watershed 050701010401, totaling 29075.17 acres.