Little Hunting Creek
Encyclopedia
Little Hunting Creek is a 3.6 miles (5.8 km) primarily tidal tributary
of the Potomac River
located in Fairfax County, Virginia
, USA, not to be confused with Hunting Creek
farther north. A stone-arch bridge, completed in 1931,
carries traffic from the George Washington Memorial Parkway
across the narrow mouth of the creek, located 83.9 nautical miles (155.4 km) upriver from the mouth of the Potomac.
The creek marks the location along the Potomac River where the Washington
family built their Mount Vernon
plantation during colonial times.
The creek is bordered by residential communities in addition to the Mount Vernon property. It is a popular location for recreational fishing
, and much of the wildlife characteristic of the tidal Potomac wetlands can be spotted there.
During the time of John Smith's explorations of Virginia
in the early 17th century, Little Hunting Creek was the site of a settlement of Indians
from the Doeg (Dogue) tribe.
By the latter part of that century, the land by Little Hunting Creek had come into the hands of John Washington
, great-grandfather of George Washington
. What was originally known as Little Hunting Creek Plantation eventually became known as George Washington's Mount Vernon estate. The creek separated the Mansion House Farm to the west from the River Farm to the east.
In 1765, when Fairfax Parish was carved out of the existing Truro Parish
, Little Hunting Creek marked the southeastern end of the dividing line.
In 1929, a bridge was designed as a part of the Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, and completed in 1931. The bridge was not part of the original plans for the highway - other creeks were successfully filled in with soil to cut costs; but the Little Hunting could not be filled in, because the soil in the creek bed was very unstable.
By the 1960s residential communities began to spring up on both sides of the creek.
The remnants of a sewage treatment plant are situated on the eastern shore of the creek downstream of the North Branch fork.
on the west side of U.S. Route 1
,
about 3 smi northwest of the Potomac River entrance to the creek. The creek is fed by three major tributaries. The South Branch (known during colonial times as Carney's Gut, after the tenant there) is located in the southeast portion of what is now the Stratford Landing neighborhood. It empties into the east side of the creek a few hundred yards northeast of the Potomac River entrance, and bifurcates southeast of Fort Hunt Elementary School into a fork heading north and a fork heading east toward Fort Hunt Park
. The North Branch breaks off from the main creek in a northeasterly direction about 1.5 smi up from the Potomac River entrance, near the northwestern end of Stratford Landing. The Paul Spring Branch breaks off about another 1.5 smi up the North Branch in the Hollin Hall area near Sherwood Hall Lane, and continues northward along Fort Hunt Road into the Hollin Hills community and beyond.
s, Canada geese, great blue herons
, and great egrets
are common sights along the creek. Osprey
s nest there, usually on top of a post in the creek. bald eagles
have been spotted in the area. Muskrat
s and the occasional beaver
have been seen in Little Hunting Creek, and groundhog
s and fox
es can be found in the woods near the water. Fish such as catfish
, carp
, perch
, and largemouth bass
are found in the creek.
In 2004 Little Hunting Creek became one of the first sites where invading northern snakehead
fish were caught off the Potomac.
The creek is an excellent site for largemouth bass fishing.
In 2004 a debate arose about whether the installation of duck blinds and duck hunting should be permitted on the creek.
Swimming is not advised, particularly in light of drownings that have occurred in the vicinity of the stone-arch bridge.
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...
located in Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County is a county in Virginia, in the United States. Per the 2010 Census, the population of the county is 1,081,726, making it the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with 13.5% of Virginia's population...
, USA, not to be confused with Hunting Creek
Hunting Creek
Hunting Creek is a cove and tributary stream of the Potomac River between the City of Alexandria and Fairfax County in Virginia. It is formed by the confluence of Cameron Run and Hooff Run. The community of Huntington takes its name from the creek. Jones Point forms the north side. Dyke Marsh is...
farther north. A stone-arch bridge, completed in 1931,
carries traffic from the George Washington Memorial Parkway
George Washington Memorial Parkway
The George Washington Memorial Parkway, known to local motorists simply as the "G.W. Parkway", is a parkway maintained by the U.S. National Park Service. It is located mostly in Northern Virginia, although a short section northwest of the Arlington Memorial Bridge passes over Columbia Island,...
across the narrow mouth of the creek, located 83.9 nautical miles (155.4 km) upriver from the mouth of the Potomac.
The creek marks the location along the Potomac River where the Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
family built their Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon
The name Mount Vernon is a dedication to the English Vice-Admiral Edward Vernon. It was first applied to Mount Vernon, the Virginia estate of George Washington, the first President of the United States...
plantation during colonial times.
The creek is bordered by residential communities in addition to the Mount Vernon property. It is a popular location for recreational fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, and much of the wildlife characteristic of the tidal Potomac wetlands can be spotted there.
History
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...
in the early 17th century, Little Hunting Creek was the site of a settlement of Indians
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
from the Doeg (Dogue) tribe.
By the latter part of that century, the land by Little Hunting Creek had come into the hands of John Washington
John Washington
John Washington was an English Virginia planter and politician. He was the immigrant ancestor and great-grandfather of George Washington, first president of the United States of America.-Early life and family:...
, great-grandfather of George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
. What was originally known as Little Hunting Creek Plantation eventually became known as George Washington's Mount Vernon estate. The creek separated the Mansion House Farm to the west from the River Farm to the east.
In 1765, when Fairfax Parish was carved out of the existing Truro Parish
Truro Parish
Truro Church is an Anglican church in Fairfax, Virginia, US.-History of Truro Church:The original Truro Parish was created by the General Assembly of Virginia on November 1, 1732 when Hamilton Parish was divided along the Occoquan River and Bull Run...
, Little Hunting Creek marked the southeastern end of the dividing line.
In 1929, a bridge was designed as a part of the Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, and completed in 1931. The bridge was not part of the original plans for the highway - other creeks were successfully filled in with soil to cut costs; but the Little Hunting could not be filled in, because the soil in the creek bed was very unstable.
By the 1960s residential communities began to spring up on both sides of the creek.
The remnants of a sewage treatment plant are situated on the eastern shore of the creek downstream of the North Branch fork.
Watershed
The headwaters of Little Hunting Creek begin in Huntley Meadows ParkHuntley Meadows Park
Huntley Meadows Park, the largest park operated by the Fairfax County Park Authority , is located in the Hybla Valley area of Fairfax County, Virginia, south of the city of Alexandria. The park features a visitor center, a beaver-created wetland with boardwalk, wildlife observation platforms, and...
on the west side of U.S. Route 1
U.S. Route 1 in Virginia
U.S. Route 1 in the U.S. state of Virginia runs north–south through South Hill, Petersburg, Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Alexandria on its way from North Carolina to the 14th Street Bridge into the District of Columbia...
,
about 3 smi northwest of the Potomac River entrance to the creek. The creek is fed by three major tributaries. The South Branch (known during colonial times as Carney's Gut, after the tenant there) is located in the southeast portion of what is now the Stratford Landing neighborhood. It empties into the east side of the creek a few hundred yards northeast of the Potomac River entrance, and bifurcates southeast of Fort Hunt Elementary School into a fork heading north and a fork heading east toward Fort Hunt Park
Fort Hunt Park
Fort Hunt Park is a public park located in Fort Hunt, Fairfax County, Virginia. It is administered by the National Park Service as part of the George Washington Memorial Parkway. The park preserves the remains of the eponymous Fort Hunt, portions of which date to the time of the Spanish-American War...
. The North Branch breaks off from the main creek in a northeasterly direction about 1.5 smi up from the Potomac River entrance, near the northwestern end of Stratford Landing. The Paul Spring Branch breaks off about another 1.5 smi up the North Branch in the Hollin Hall area near Sherwood Hall Lane, and continues northward along Fort Hunt Road into the Hollin Hills community and beyond.
Wildlife
Little Hunting Creek is home to wildlife. Migratory birds such as mallardMallard
The Mallard , or Wild Duck , is a dabbling duck which breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand and Australia....
s, Canada geese, great blue herons
Great Blue Heron
The Great Blue Heron is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North and Central America as well as the West Indies and the Galápagos Islands. It is a rare vagrant to Europe, with records from Spain, the Azores and England...
, and great egrets
Great Egret
The Great Egret , also known as the Great White Egret or Common Egret, White Heron, or Great White Heron, is a large, widely-distributed egret. Distributed across most of the tropical and warmer temperate regions of the world, in southern Europe it is rather localized...
are common sights along the creek. Osprey
Osprey
The Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings...
s nest there, usually on top of a post in the creek. bald eagles
Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
have been spotted in the area. Muskrat
Muskrat
The muskrat , the only species in genus Ondatra, is a medium-sized semi-aquatic rodent native to North America, and introduced in parts of Europe, Asia, and South America. The muskrat is found in wetlands and is a very successful animal over a wide range of climates and habitats...
s and the occasional beaver
Beaver
The beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver and Eurasian Beaver . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...
have been seen in Little Hunting Creek, and groundhog
Groundhog
The groundhog , also known as a woodchuck, whistle-pig, or in some areas as a land-beaver, is a rodent of the family Sciuridae, belonging to the group of large ground squirrels known as marmots. Other marmots, such as the yellow-bellied and hoary marmots, live in rocky and mountainous areas, but...
s and fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
es can be found in the woods near the water. Fish such as catfish
Catfish
Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
, carp
Carp
Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain...
, perch
Perch
Perch is a common name for fish of the genus Perca, freshwater gamefish belonging to the family Percidae. The perch, of which there are three species in different geographical areas, lend their name to a large order of vertebrates: the Perciformes, from the Greek perke meaning spotted, and the...
, and largemouth bass
Largemouth bass
The largemouth bass is a species of black bass in the sunfish family native to North America . It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth...
are found in the creek.
In 2004 Little Hunting Creek became one of the first sites where invading northern snakehead
Northern snakehead
The Northern snakehead is a type of snakehead fish native to China, Russia, North Korea and South Korea. In the United States, the fish is considered to be a highly invasive species...
fish were caught off the Potomac.
Recreation
Little Hunting Creek remains navigable by canoe or kayak at least until the North Branch fork, depending on the tides. Both sides of the navigable creek border residential communities, and many homeowners maintain private boat docks for launching canoes, sailboats, watercraft, and other vessels into the creek and from there to the Potomac River. There is a road, located in the neighborhood of Stratford Landing, called Thomas J. Stockton Parkway, that goes along the edge of the creek. It is easy to spot any ospreys that may be nesting there.The creek is an excellent site for largemouth bass fishing.
In 2004 a debate arose about whether the installation of duck blinds and duck hunting should be permitted on the creek.
Swimming is not advised, particularly in light of drownings that have occurred in the vicinity of the stone-arch bridge.
External links
- Little Hunting Creek, Inc.
- Little Hunting Creek Watershed
- Maps drawn by George Washington of his lands surrounding Little Hunting Creek, from the Library of CongressLibrary of CongressThe Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
- Maps drawn by George Washington in The Papers of George Washington Archive at the University of VirginiaUniversity of VirginiaThe University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
, some of which include the Little Hunting Creek area - Little Hunting Creek satellite view, from SatelliteViews.net
- Mount Vernon Tide and Current Predictor (near Little Hunting Creek), from the Wethey Lab at the University of South CarolinaUniversity of South CarolinaThe University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
- Real-time water data for Piscataway Creek, Maryland (near Little Hunting Creek), from USGS Water Data for the Nation
- Historical Potomac River water temperature near Piscataway Creek (near Little Hunting Creek), from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources ColdFusion Application Server