Twelvepole Creek
Twelvepole Creek is a 32.2-mile-long (51.8 km)[5] river located in Wayne County, West Virginia. It is part of the Mississippi River watershed, by way of the Ohio River. It is alternately known as Twelve Pole Creek.[6]
| Twelvepole Creek | |
|---|---|
 Twelvepole Creek near its mouth in Ceredo, flowing beneath Interstate 64 | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | West Virginia |
| County | Wayne |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | East Fork Twelvepole Creek |
| • location | Dingess Mountain, Mingo County, WV |
| • coordinates | 37°53′02″N 82°07′15″W |
| • elevation | 1,277 ft (389 m)[1] |
| 2nd source | West Fork Twelvepole Creek |
| • location | Dingess Mountain, Mingo County, WV |
| • coordinates | 37°51′33″N 82°06′48″W |
| • elevation | 1,676 ft (511 m)[2] |
| Source confluence | |
| • location | Wayne, WV |
| • coordinates | 38°12′41″N 82°26′44″W |
| • elevation | 594 ft (181 m) |
| Mouth | Ohio River[3] |
• location | Ceredo, WV |
• coordinates | 38°24′04″N 82°31′51″W |
• elevation | 515 ft (157 m) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | East Fork near Dunlow, WV[4] |
| • average | 8.3 cu ft/s (0.24 m3/s)[4] |
| • minimum | 0.13 cu ft/s (0.0037 m3/s)(1989) |
| • maximum | 99 cu ft/s (2.8 m3/s)(1980) |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • right | Beech Fork |
Course
Twelvepole Creek rises in northern Mingo County before flowing north through Wayne County. The headwaters of the East Fork are dammed to form East Lynn Lake. The East Fork of the river then flows north through East Lynn, Wayne, and Lavalette. The West Fork flows north though Dunlow, West Virginia and joins the East Fork at the town of Wayne. The river then flows north again before draining into the Ohio River just east of Ceredo.
Origin of name
Twelvepole Creek received its name from early explorers, the group supposedly included a young George Washington. Traveling the Ohio River, they measured the mouth of the creek where it joined the Ohio in terms of poles, also known as rods. Being approximately 198 feet (12 poles) wide at its mouth, the creek was named Twelvepole Creek.[7]
Recreation
East Lynn Lake and Beech Fork Lake (formed from one of Twelvepole Creek's tributaries) provide popular destinations for boating, fishing, swimming, and camping.
See also
- List of West Virginia rivers
References
- "East Fork Twelvepole Creek Source". Elevation Query. U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved 2008-10-15.
- "West Fork Twelvepole Creek Source". Elevation Query. U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved 2008-10-15.
- "Twelvepole Creek". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2008-10-15.
- "USGS 03206600 EAST FORK TWELVEPOLE CREEK NEAR DUNLOW, WV". National Water Information System. U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved 2008-10-15.
- U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed May 26, 2011
- "House Concurrent Resolution No. 23". West Virginia Legislature. February 14, 2002. Archived from the original on September 3, 2010. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
- Kenny, Hamill (1945). West Virginia Place Names: Their Origin and Meaning, Including the Nomenclature of the Streams and Mountains. Piedmont, WV: The Place Name Press. pp. 637–638.