Catoctin Creek (Virginia)
Encyclopedia
Catoctin Creek is a 14.1 miles (22.7 km) tributary
of the Potomac River
in Loudoun County
, Virginia
, with a watershed
of 59000 acre. Agricultural lands make up 67 percent and forests 30 percent of Catoctin Creek's watershed. It is the main drainage system for the northern Loudoun Valley
, including all of the Catoctin Valley
.
Reservoir east of the Blue Ridge Mountains
in the Between the Hills
valley, near the West Virginia
border. State Route 9 follows the north fork westward as it flows through Hillsboro Gap
in Short Hill Mountain
at Hillsboro. From Wheatland
the North Fork flows northeast.
on the West Virginia border. From the source the South Fork flows southeast toward Purcellville
, where it turns north and east toward Waterford
, where it flows north again to its confluence with the North Fork.
north of Waterford and southeast of southeast of Milltown
. The creek flows north along Catoctin Mountain's western side through the village of Taylorstown
. Catoctin Creek continues meandering along the northern edge of Furnace Mountain
and empties into the Potomac River to the north of the U.S. Highway 15 bridge across from Point of Rocks
, Maryland
.
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
in Loudoun County
Loudoun County, Virginia
Loudoun County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and is part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the county is estimated to be home to 312,311 people, an 84 percent increase over the 2000 figure of 169,599. That increase makes the county the fourth...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, with a watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
of 59000 acre. Agricultural lands make up 67 percent and forests 30 percent of Catoctin Creek's watershed. It is the main drainage system for the northern Loudoun Valley
Loudoun Valley
The Loudoun Valley is a small, but historically significant valley in the Blue Ridge Mountains located in Loudoun County in northwestern Virginia in the United States.-Geography:...
, including all of the Catoctin Valley
Catoctin Valley
The Catoctin Valley is a small valley, geographically and culturally associated with the larger Loudoun Valley in Loudoun County, Virginia.-Geography:...
.
North Fork Catoctin Creek
The North Fork Catoctin Creek, 14.5 miles (23.3 km) long, begins at PurcellvillePurcellville, Virginia
Purcellville is a town in the Loudoun Valley of Loudoun County, Virginia, United States. The population was 3,584 at the 2000 census, but has undergone considerable growth since then. Purcellville is the major population center for western Loudoun and the Loudoun Valley...
Reservoir east of the Blue Ridge Mountains
Blue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. This province consists of northern and southern physiographic regions, which divide near the Roanoke River gap. The mountain range is located in the eastern United States, starting at its southern-most...
in the Between the Hills
Between the Hills
Between the Hills is a small valley in northwest Loudoun County, Virginia, distinct from, but associated with the greater Loudoun Valley.-Geography:...
valley, near the West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
border. State Route 9 follows the north fork westward as it flows through Hillsboro Gap
Hillsboro Gap
Hillsboro Gap, also known as the Gap in the Short Hill is a water gap in the Short Hill Mountain formed by the North Fork of the Catoctin Creek in Loudoun County, Virginia. The gap derives its name from the town of Hillsboro, which is nestled in the gap...
in Short Hill Mountain
Short Hill Mountain
Short Hill Mountain is a mountain ridge of the Blue Ridge Mountains in northwest Loudoun County, Virginia.- Geography :Short Hill rises sharply from the Piedmont countryside of the Loudoun Valley, northwest of Purcellville, as a low-lying ridge barely over above the surrounding area...
at Hillsboro. From Wheatland
Wheatland, Virginia
Wheatland is an unincorporated community in Loudoun County, Virginia located north of Purcellville and south of Lovettsville on Berlin Turnpike...
the North Fork flows northeast.
South Fork Catoctin Creek
The source of the 18.5 miles (29.8 km) South Fork Catoctin Creek is just east of the Blue Ridge's Wilson GapWilson Gap
Wilson Gap, originally known as Gregory's Gap, is a wind gap in the Blue Ridge Mountain, located on the border of Loudoun County, Virginia and Jefferson County, West Virginia. The gap once served as a thoroughfare between western Loudoun and the resort communities of Shannondale and Mountain...
on the West Virginia border. From the source the South Fork flows southeast toward Purcellville
Purcellville, Virginia
Purcellville is a town in the Loudoun Valley of Loudoun County, Virginia, United States. The population was 3,584 at the 2000 census, but has undergone considerable growth since then. Purcellville is the major population center for western Loudoun and the Loudoun Valley...
, where it turns north and east toward Waterford
Waterford, Virginia
Waterford is an unincorporated village in the Catoctin Valley of Loudoun County, Virginia, located along Catoctin Creek. Waterford is northwest of Washington, D.C., and northwest of Leesburg...
, where it flows north again to its confluence with the North Fork.
Main Branch
The main branch of Catoctin Creek is formed by the confluence of its forks along the western edges of Catoctin MountainCatoctin Mountain
Catoctin Mountain, along with the geologically associated Bull Run Mountains, comprises the easternmost mountain ridge of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are in turn a part of the Appalachian Mountains range...
north of Waterford and southeast of southeast of Milltown
Milltown, Virginia
Milltown is an unincorporated community in Loudoun County, Virginia. It lies at an elevation of 400 feet ....
. The creek flows north along Catoctin Mountain's western side through the village of Taylorstown
Taylorstown, Virginia
Taylorstown is a small community in Loudoun County, Virginia, built on the banks of Catoctin Creek and the surrounding hillside, about two miles south of the Potomac River...
. Catoctin Creek continues meandering along the northern edge of Furnace Mountain
Furnace Mountain (Virginia)
Furnace Mountain is the tallest peak of Catoctin Mountain in Loudoun County, Virginia. It rises steeply from the southern banks of the Potomac River across from Point of Rocks, Maryland and continues southward for , reaching an elevation of before falling to a gap between it and an unnamed peak of...
and empties into the Potomac River to the north of the U.S. Highway 15 bridge across from Point of Rocks
Point of Rocks, Maryland
Point of Rocks is a community in Frederick County, Maryland. It is named for the striking rock formation on the adjacent Catoctin Mountain, which were formed by the Potomac River cutting through the ridge in a water gap, a typical formation in the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
.