Mill Creek (South Branch Potomac River)

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Mill Creek is a tributary stream of the South Branch Potomac River, belonging to the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay watersheds. The stream is located in Hampshire County in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle. Mill Creek flows into the South Branch west of Romney Bridge near Vanderlip along the Northwestern Turnpike (US 50).

Contents

[edit] Headwaters and Course

Mill Creek's source lies in a hollow along Patterson Creek Mountain (2641 feet) in the extreme southwestern corner of Hampshire County near the "four corners" (where Mineral, Hampshire, Hardy, and Grant Counties touch). At a confluence with Elmlick Run north of Purgitsville, Mill Creek flows northward parallel to US 220/WV 28 through the community of Rada. Continuing to follow US 220/WV 28 north, Mill Creek curves eastward at Junction after flowing under US 50. East of Junction, the creek runs by the Sloan-Parker House and continues northeastward with Mill Creek Mountain (2119 feet) bounding it to its east and Patterson Creek Mountain to its west. At Mechanicsburg, Mill Creek increases in size as it is joined by Titus Run, Sugar Run, and Dumpling Run. The wider stream makes a ninety degree turn in front of The Burg and enters Mechanicsburg Gap through Mill Creek Mountain. Mill Creek Gap is notable because of its many springs and the natural gateway it created for pioneers and settlers heading further west during the mid-1700s. Nearby overlooking Mill Creek and the South Branch are the Fort Mill Ridge Civil War Trenches on Mill Creek Mountain, south of the gap. At the hanging rocks at Phoenix Curve on US 50, Mill Creek winds northward towards Vanderlip where it passes under a South Branch Valley Railroad wooden train trussel and joins the South Branch.

[edit] Trout Fishing

Mill Creek is stocked with rainbow trout from its mouth on the South Branch to Junction. The stream is stocked once in February and once every two weeks from March through May by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources.

[edit] Bridges

Bridge Route Location
Bridge at Purgitsville US 220/WV 28 Purgitsville
Trinity Road Bridge Trinity Road (CR 220/11) Junction
Bridge at Junction Northwestern Turnpike (US 50/WV 28) Junction
Mechanicsburg Straight-Away Bridge Northwestern Turnpike (US 50/WV 28) Mechanicsburg
Phoenix Curve Wooden Bridge Phoenix Orchard Road Mechanicsburg
Mill Meadow Wooden Tressel South Branch Valley Railroad Vanderlip

[edit] Tributaries

Tributary streams are listed in order from south to north.

  • Elmlick Run
  • Camp Run
  • Horselick Run
  • Titus Run
  • Sugar Run
  • Dumpling Run
    • Mayhew Run
    • Long Meadow Run
  • Core Run

[edit] See also



Potomac River system
Cities and towns | Bridges | Islands | Variant names

Regions
Allegheny Front | Allegheny Mountains | Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area | Blue Ridge Mountains | Cumberland Valley | Eastern Panhandle | Northern Neck | Northern Virginia | Potomac Highlands | Ridge-and-valley Appalachians | Shenandoah Valley | Southern Maryland | Western Maryland
Tributaries
North Branch | Stony River | Abram Creek | Savage River | Georges Creek | Wills Creek | Evitts Creek | Patterson Creek | South Branch | North Fork South Branch | South Fork South Branch | Town Creek | Little Cacapon River | Fifteenmile Creek | Sideling Hill Creek | Cacapon River | Lost River | North River (West Virginia) | Tonoloway Creek | Sleepy Creek | Licking Creek | Back Creek | Little Conococheague Creek | Conococheague Creek | Opequon Creek | Antietam Creek | Shenandoah River | North Fork Shenandoah River | South Fork Shenandoah River | North River (Virginia) | South River | Catoctin Creek (Maryland) | Catoctin Creek (Virginia) | Monocacy River | Little Monocacy River | Goose Creek | Little River | Seneca Creek | Cabin John Creek | Rock Creek | Anacostia River | Sligo Creek | Four Mile Run | Oxon Creek | Hunting Creek | Piscataway Creek | Dogue Creek | Accotink Creek | Pohick Creek | Occoquan River | Bull Run | Neabsco Creek | Mattawoman Creek | Quantico Creek | Chopawamsic Creek | Aquia Creek | Potomac Creek | Nanjemoy Creek | Port Tobacco River | Wicomico River | Coan River | St. Marys River | Yeocomico River | Hull Creek
Lakes and reservoirs
Lake Accotink | Lake Anne | Lake Artemesia | Lake Bernard Frank | Lake Braddock | Breckenridge Reservoir | Brushy Fork Lake | Burke Lake | Dalecarlia Reservoir | Georgetown Reservoir | Jennings Randolph Lake | Kingman Lake | McMillan Reservoir | Mount Storm Lake | Lake Needwood | Sleepy Creek Lake | Stony River Reservoir | Trout Pond | Warden Lake
Dependent states
District of Columbia | Maryland | Pennsylvania | Virginia | West Virginia