Island Creek is a tributary

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 Guyandotte River

Guyandotte River

The Guyandotte River is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately 166 mi long, in southwestern West Virginia in the United States. It was named after the French term for the Wendat Native Americans...

, 18.1 miles (29.1 km) long, in southern 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...

 in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Via the Guyandotte and Ohio

Ohio River

The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...

 rivers, it is part of 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...

 of the Mississippi River

Mississippi River

The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...

, draining an area of 105 square miles (271.9 km²) in a rural area on the unglaciated

Glacier

A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...

 portion of the Allegheny Plateau

Allegheny Plateau

The Allegheny Plateau is a large dissected plateau area in western and central New York, northern and western Pennsylvania, northern and western West Virginia, and eastern Ohio...

, in the Logan Coalfield

Logan Coalfield

The Logan Coalfield is a coalfield located in Logan County and Wyoming County, West Virginia, in the United States. It has been a large source of high-quality, high-volatile bituminous coal since the field was opened by the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway in 1905. The railroad C&O maintained a rail...

. Island Creek's entire course and drainage area are in Logan County

Logan County, West Virginia

As of the census of 2000, there were 37,710 people, 14,880 households, and 10,936 families residing in the county. The population density was 83 people per square mile . There were 16,807 housing units at an average density of 37 per square mile...

.

Island Creek rises on Horsepen Mountain

Horsepen Mountain

Horsepen Mountain is a mountain of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians on the border of Logan and Mingo Counties, West Virginia, United States. It is the highest point in Mingo County. The Mingo Lookout Tower is located on the mountain....

 in the southern extremity of Logan County, near the community of Mountain View

Mountain View, Logan County, West Virginia

Mountain View is an unincorporated community in Logan County, West Virginia, United States. Mountain View is located near Island Creek and the junction of U.S. Route 52 and West Virginia Route 44, west-northwest of Gilbert....

, and flows generally northward through the unincorporated communities of Crystal Block

Crystal Block, West Virginia

Crystal Block is an unincorporated community in Logan County, West Virginia, United States. Crystal Block is located along Island Creek and West Virginia Route 44 south of Logan....

, Sarah Ann

Sarah Ann, West Virginia

Sarah Ann is an unincorporated census-designated place in Logan County, West Virginia, United States. Sarah Ann is located along West Virginia Route 44 and Island Creek, west-southwest of Man. Sarah Ann has a post office with ZIP code 25644. As of the 2010 census, its population was 345....

, Stirrat

Stirrat, West Virginia

Stirrat is an unincorporated community in Logan County, West Virginia, United States. Stirrat is located along Island Creek and West Virginia Route 44 south of Logan....

, Barnabus

Barnabus, West Virginia

Barnabus is an unincorporated community in Logan County, West Virginia, United States, along West Virginia Route 44 and Island Creek. Barnabus is south of Logan....

, Superior Bottom

Superior Bottom, West Virginia

Superior Bottom is an unincorporated community in Logan County, West Virginia, United States. Superior Bottom is located along West Virginia Route 44 and Island Creek, south of Logan....

, Omar

Omar, West Virginia

Omar is an unincorporated census-designated place in Logan County, West Virginia, United States. Omar is located along West Virginia Route 44 and Island Creek, south of Logan. Omar has a post office with ZIP code 25638. As of the 2010 census, its population was 522....

, Chauncey

Chauncey, West Virginia

Chauncey is an unincorporated census-designated place in Logan County, West Virginia, United States. Chauncey is located along West Virginia Route 44 and Island Creek, south of Logan. Chauncey has a post office, which opened on August 23, 1913, and closed on June 27, 2009. As of the 2010 census,...

, Micco

Micco, West Virginia

Micco is an unincorporated community in Logan County, West Virginia, United States. Micco is located along Island Creek and West Virginia Route 44 south of Logan....

, Switzer

Switzer, West Virginia

Switzer is a census-designated place in Logan County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 595 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Switzer is located at , along Island Creek and West Virginia Route 44....

, Rossmore

Rossmore, West Virginia

Rossmore is a census-designated place in Logan County, West Virginia, United States, along West Virginia Route 44 and Island Creek. Its population was 301 as of the 2010 census....

, Monaville

Monaville, West Virginia

Monaville is an unincorporated census-designated place in Logan County, West Virginia, United States, located at an altitude of 712 feet . As of the 2010 census, its population was 309. It lies in the valley of Island Creek, a tributary of the Guyandotte River near the city of Logan...

, Wilkinson

Wilkinson, West Virginia

Wilkinson is an unincorporated community in Logan County, West Virginia, United States. Wilkinson is located along West Virginia Route 44 and Island Creek, south of Logan. Wilkinson has a post office with ZIP code 25653....

, Monitor

Monitor, Logan County, West Virginia

Monitor is an unincorporated community in Logan County, West Virginia, United States. Monitor is located along Island Creek and West Virginia Route 44 south-southwest of Logan....

, and Mount Gay

Mount Gay-Shamrock, West Virginia

Mount Gay-Shamrock is a census-designated place in Logan County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 1,779 at the 2010 census.-Geography:...

, to the city of Logan

Logan, West Virginia

Logan is a city in Logan County, West Virginia, United States, along the Guyandotte River. The population was 1,779 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Logan County.-History:...

, where it flows into the Guyandotte River opposite Hatfield Island

Hatfield Island

Hatfield Island is a bar on the Guyandotte River at its confluence with Island Creek in Logan, West Virginia. Hatfield Island is home to Logan High School, and has been home to all schools preceding it in Logan since the late nineteenth century. Because of its location at the center of Logan, the...

. The creek is paralleled by West Virginia Route 44 for most of its course.

According to the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, approximately 94% of the Island Creek watershed is forest

Forest

A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...

ed, mostly deciduous

Deciduous

Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...

. Its largest tributary is the Copperas Mine Fork

Copperas Mine Fork

Copperas Mine Fork is a tributary of Island Creek, long, in southern West Virginia in the United States. Via Island Creek and the Guyandotte and Ohio rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of in a rural area on the unglaciated portion of the Allegheny...

, which drains 43% of Island Creek's watershed; Copperas Mine Fork flows into Island Creek at Mount Gay.