Mill Run (South Branch Potomac River)
Encyclopedia
Mill Run is a 9.1 miles (14.6 km) tributary
stream
of the South Branch Potomac River, belonging to the Potomac River
and Chesapeake Bay
watershed
s. The stream is located in Hampshire County
in the Eastern Panhandle
of the U.S. state
of West Virginia
. Mill Run rises on Nathaniel Mountain and flows northeast, then northwest into the South Branch south of Romney
near Hampshire Park on South Branch River Road (West Virginia Secondary Route 8).
(3028 feet) and Nathaniel Mountain
(2739 feet) in the Nathaniel Mountain Wildlife Management Area
. The stream runs northeast, then northwest, where it is met with a number of trails and old lumbering roads used by fishermen and hunters that utilize the WMA. Two small unnamed streams also born from hollows in Nathaniel Mountain join Mill Run as it flows toward Peterkin Conference Center. After passing through Peterkin, Mill Run adjoins Hampshire Park and its 4-H
camp facilities such as its council circle and makes its way past the old Pancake Schoolhouse. Mill Run then flows under South Branch River Road and empties into the South Branch near Riverview Farm.
from its mouth on the South Branch to its falls upstream. The stream is stocked once in February and once every two weeks from March through May by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources
. Mill Run is also naturally stocked with native brook trout
.
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...
stream
Stream
A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...
of the South Branch Potomac River, belonging 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...
and Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
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...
s. The stream is located in Hampshire County
Hampshire County, West Virginia
Hampshire County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2010, the population was 23,964. Its county seat is Romney, West Virginia's oldest town . Hampshire County was created by the Virginia General Assembly on December 13, 1753, from parts of Frederick and Augusta counties ...
in the Eastern Panhandle
Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia
The Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia is a narrow stretch of territory in the northeast of the state, bordering Maryland and Virginia, United States. The Eastern Panhandle Board of Realtors and other local civic organizations consider only the three Easternmost counties, Jefferson, Berkeley and...
of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of 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...
. Mill Run rises on Nathaniel Mountain and flows northeast, then northwest into the South Branch south of Romney
Romney, West Virginia
Romney is a city in and the county seat of Hampshire County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 1,940 at the 2000 census, while the area covered by the city's ZIP code had a population of 5,873. It is a city with a very historic background dating back to the 18th century...
near Hampshire Park on South Branch River Road (West Virginia Secondary Route 8).
Headwaters and course
Mill Run's headwaters lie in a hollow between South Branch MountainSouth Branch Mountain
South Branch Mountain is a mountain ridge that runs southwest to northeast through Hampshire and Hardy counties in the Eastern Panhandle of the U.S. state of West Virginia, rising to its greatest elevation of 3,028 feet above sea-level in the Nathaniel Mountain Wildlife Management Area...
(3028 feet) and Nathaniel Mountain
Nathaniel Mountain
Nathaniel Mountain is a mountain ridge that runs southwest northeast through Hampshire County in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle, rising to its greatest elevation of above sea-level. The mountain is bound at its western flank by the South Branch Potomac River and to its eastern flank by South...
(2739 feet) in the Nathaniel Mountain Wildlife Management Area
Nathaniel Mountain Wildlife Management Area
Nathaniel Mountain Wildlife Management Area is located on south of Romney in Hampshire County, West Virginia. The wildlife management area's principle access road is off of Grassy Lick Road . Nathaniel Mountain is one of West Virginia's largest and most important wildlife management areas...
. The stream runs northeast, then northwest, where it is met with a number of trails and old lumbering roads used by fishermen and hunters that utilize the WMA. Two small unnamed streams also born from hollows in Nathaniel Mountain join Mill Run as it flows toward Peterkin Conference Center. After passing through Peterkin, Mill Run adjoins Hampshire Park and its 4-H
4-H
4-H in the United States is a youth organization administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture of the United States Department of Agriculture , with the mission of "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development." The name represents...
camp facilities such as its council circle and makes its way past the old Pancake Schoolhouse. Mill Run then flows under South Branch River Road and empties into the South Branch near Riverview Farm.
Bridges
| Bridge | Route | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Advent Lodge Wooden Bridge | Walkway at Peterkin Conference Center | Romney Romney, West Virginia Romney is a city in and the county seat of Hampshire County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 1,940 at the 2000 census, while the area covered by the city's ZIP code had a population of 5,873. It is a city with a very historic background dating back to the 18th century... |
| Mill Run Bridge | South Branch River Road (CR 8) | Romney Romney, West Virginia Romney is a city in and the county seat of Hampshire County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 1,940 at the 2000 census, while the area covered by the city's ZIP code had a population of 5,873. It is a city with a very historic background dating back to the 18th century... |
Trout fishing
Mill Run is stocked with rainbow troutRainbow trout
The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
from its mouth on the South Branch to its falls upstream. The stream is stocked once in February and once every two weeks from March through May by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources
West Virginia Division of Natural Resources
The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources is an agency of the government of the U.S. state of West Virginia. While formerly known as the cabinet-level Department of Natural Resources, it is now part of the West Virginia Department of Commerce...
. Mill Run is also naturally stocked with native brook trout
Brook trout
The brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, is a species of fish in the salmon family of order Salmoniformes. In many parts of its range, it is known as the speckled trout or squaretail. A potamodromous population in Lake Superior are known as coaster trout or, simply, as coasters...
.