Double Pipe Creek
Encyclopedia
Double Pipe Creek is a major tributary
of the Monocacy River
in Carroll County
and Frederick County
in Maryland
, located several miles north and west of Westminster
. The creek is only 1.6 miles (2.6 km) long, but is formed by the confluence of two much longer streams, Big Pipe Creek and Little Pipe Creek.
, and includes the towns of Union Bridge
, Taneytown
, New Windsor
and Westminster. The main stem of the creek is formed from the confluence
of Big Pipe Creek, 31.6 miles (50.9 km) long, with headwaters near Manchester; and Little Pipe Creek, 24.9 miles (40.1 km) long, with headwaters in Westminster. From the confluence, near Detour, Maryland
(39.6012°N 77.2703°W), Double Pipe flows west for 1.6 miles (2.6 km) to its mouth at the Monocacy, which drains to the Potomac River
. The watershed
area of Double Pipe Creek is 192.6 square miles (498.8 km²).
Tributaries include Bear Branch, Big Pipe Creek, Little Pipe Creek, Meadow Branch and Sam’s Creek. Double Pipe Creek, the portion of Little Pipe Creek west of Union Bridge, and the western section of Sam's Creek form part of the legal boundary between Frederick County and Carroll County.
violations for Double Pipe Creek and tributaries, specifically for sediment
, nutrients (nitrogen
and phosphorus
), and bacteria
. The principal sources of bacteria appear to be failing septic tank
s from residences and/or businesses, pet waste and waste from farm animals (livestock
). The pollution sources for sediment include agricultural runoff and urban runoff
. (Although agriculture is the predominant land use in the watershed, tributaries of Double Pipe Creek flow through portions of Westminster, Taneytown, New Windsor and Union Bridge.)
, General Meade
had planned a defensive position for the Army of the Potomac
at Pipe Creek, making use of its broad slopes and open fields of fire. In the alternate history Gettysburg
, by Gingrich and Forstchen, General Lee
seizes Pipe Creek as his defensive line.
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 Monocacy River
Monocacy River
The Monocacy River is a free-flowing tributary of the Potomac River, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean via the Chesapeake Bay. The river is long, with a drainage area of about...
in Carroll County
Carroll County, Maryland
Carroll County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. In 2010, its population was 167,134. It was named for Charles Carroll of Carrollton , signer of the American Declaration of Independence. Its county seat is Westminster....
and Frederick County
Frederick County, Maryland
Frederick County is a county located in the western part of the U.S. state of Maryland, bordering the southern border of Pennsylvania and the northeastern border of Virginia. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 233,385....
in 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...
, located several miles north and west of Westminster
Westminster, Maryland
Westminster is a city in northern Maryland, United States. It is the seat of Carroll County. The city's population was 18,590 at the 2010 census. Westminster is an outlying community within the Baltimore-Towson, MD MSA, which is part of a greater Washington-Baltimore-Northern Virginia, DC-MD-VA-WV...
. The creek is only 1.6 miles (2.6 km) long, but is formed by the confluence of two much longer streams, Big Pipe Creek and Little Pipe Creek.
Course
The creek's watershed extends as far east as Manchester, MarylandManchester, Maryland
Manchester, Maryland, is a small incorporated town in Northeastern Carroll County, Maryland located on the Eastern coast of the United States of America just South of the Pennsylvania State line and North of Baltimore, Maryland...
, and includes the towns of Union Bridge
Union Bridge, Maryland
Union Bridge is a town in Carroll County, Maryland, United States. The population was 989 at the 2000 census.Much of the town was added to the National Register of Historic Places as the Union Bridge Historic District in 1994.-Geography:...
, Taneytown
Taneytown, Maryland
Taneytown is a city in Carroll County, Maryland, United States. The population was 5,128 at the 2000 census. was founded in 1754. Of the town George Washington once wrote "Tan-nee town is but a small place with only the Street through wch. the road passes, built on...
, New Windsor
New Windsor, Maryland
New Windsor is a town in Carroll County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,303 at the 2000 census. It is a suburb of Westminster, which is about 6 miles east of New Windsor on Maryland Route 31. It contains many neighborhoods, the most known being the 100-acre Atlee Ridge, or "The...
and Westminster. The main stem of the creek is formed from the confluence
Confluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
of Big Pipe Creek, 31.6 miles (50.9 km) long, with headwaters near Manchester; and Little Pipe Creek, 24.9 miles (40.1 km) long, with headwaters in Westminster. From the confluence, near Detour, Maryland
Detour, Maryland
Detour is an unincorporated community in Carroll County, Maryland, United States. William and Catherine Biggs Farm was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.-References:...
(39.6012°N 77.2703°W), Double Pipe flows west for 1.6 miles (2.6 km) to its mouth at the Monocacy, which drains to 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...
. The 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...
area of Double Pipe Creek is 192.6 square miles (498.8 km²).
Tributaries include Bear Branch, Big Pipe Creek, Little Pipe Creek, Meadow Branch and Sam’s Creek. Double Pipe Creek, the portion of Little Pipe Creek west of Union Bridge, and the western section of Sam's Creek form part of the legal boundary between Frederick County and Carroll County.
Pollution
The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) has identified water qualityWater quality
Water quality is the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of water. It is a measure of the condition of water relative to the requirements of one or more biotic species and or to any human need or purpose. It is most frequently used by reference to a set of standards against which...
violations for Double Pipe Creek and tributaries, specifically for sediment
Sediment
Sediment is naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of fluids such as wind, water, or ice, and/or by the force of gravity acting on the particle itself....
, nutrients (nitrogen
Nitrogen
Nitrogen is a chemical element that has the symbol N, atomic number of 7 and atomic mass 14.00674 u. Elemental nitrogen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, and mostly inert diatomic gas at standard conditions, constituting 78.08% by volume of Earth's atmosphere...
and phosphorus
Phosphorus
Phosphorus is the chemical element that has the symbol P and atomic number 15. A multivalent nonmetal of the nitrogen group, phosphorus as a mineral is almost always present in its maximally oxidized state, as inorganic phosphate rocks...
), and bacteria
Bacteria
Bacteria are a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals...
. The principal sources of bacteria appear to be failing septic tank
Septic tank
A septic tank is a key component of the septic system, a small-scale sewage treatment system common in areas with no connection to main sewage pipes provided by local governments or private corporations...
s from residences and/or businesses, pet waste and waste from farm animals (livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
). The pollution sources for sediment include agricultural runoff and urban runoff
Urban runoff
Urban runoff is surface runoff of rainwater created by urbanization. This runoff is a major source of water pollution in many parts of the United States and other urban communities worldwide.-Overview:...
. (Although agriculture is the predominant land use in the watershed, tributaries of Double Pipe Creek flow through portions of Westminster, Taneytown, New Windsor and Union Bridge.)
Cultural references
Before the battle broke out at GettysburgBattle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
, General Meade
George Meade
George Gordon Meade was a career United States Army officer and civil engineer involved in coastal construction, including several lighthouses. He fought with distinction in the Second Seminole War and Mexican-American War. During the American Civil War he served as a Union general, rising from...
had planned a defensive position for the Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
at Pipe Creek, making use of its broad slopes and open fields of fire. In the alternate history Gettysburg
Gettysburg: A Novel of the Civil War
Gettysburg: A Novel of the Civil War is an alternate history novel written by Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen. It was published in 2003 and became a New York Times bestseller. It is the first part in a trilogy in which the next books are respectively Grant Comes East and Never Call...
, by Gingrich and Forstchen, General Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
seizes Pipe Creek as his defensive line.