Loop Creek, also known by the spelling Loup Creek,[1] is a tributary of the Kanawha River, 20 miles (32 km) long,[3] in southern West Virginia in the United States. Via the Kanawha and Ohio rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of 49.6 square miles (128 km2)[4] in a coal mining region on the unglaciated portion of the Allegheny Plateau.
| Loop Creek | |
|---|---|
 Loop Creek near Robson | |
 A map of Loop Creek and its watershed | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | West Virginia |
| County | Fayette |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Oak Hill |
| • coordinates | 37°58′28″N 81°09′45″W / 37.9745558°N 81.162603°W[1] |
| • elevation | 1,946 ft (593 m)[2] |
| Mouth | Kanawha River |
• location | Deep Water |
• coordinates | 38°07′40″N 81°15′27″W / 38.1278852°N 81.2576092°W[1] |
• elevation | 617 ft (188 m)[1] |
| Length | 20 mi (32 km) |
| Basin size | 49.6 sq mi (128 km2) |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Johnson Fork |
| Hydrologic Unit Code | 050500060301 (USGS) |
Loop Creek flows for its entire length in western Fayette County. It rises in the city of Oak Hill and flows initially west-northwestward through the unincorporated communities of Lick Fork, Wriston, Ingram Branch, and Hamilton; then northward through the unincorporated communities of Kincaid, Page, North Page, and Robson, to Deep Water, where it flows into the Kanawha River.[5][6]
In addition to Loup Creek, the Geographic Names Information System lists "Loops Creek" as a historical variant name for the creek.[1] Loop Creek was so named on account of its irregular, looping course, according to local history.[7]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b c d e Geographic Names Information System. "Geographic Names Information System entry for Loop Creek (Feature ID #1542453)". Retrieved 2013-11-23.
- ^ The National Map elevation for GNIS source coordinates. Retrieved 2013-11-22.
- ^ United States Environmental Protection Agency. "West Virginia, Upper Kanawha Watershed". Archived from the original on 2013-12-02. Retrieved 2013-11-23.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset, area data for Loop Creek watershed, 12-digit Hydrologic Unit Code 050500060301. The National Map Archived 2012-03-29 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 2013-11-23
- ^ The National Map Archived 2012-03-29 at the Wayback Machine, accessed 2013-11-23
- ^ West Virginia Atlas & Gazetteer. Yarmouth, Me.: DeLorme. 1997. p. 53. ISBN 0-89933-246-3.
- ^ 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. p. 385.