Paint Creek (Johnson County, Kentucky)
Encyclopedia
Paint Creek is a 20.1 miles (32.3 km) tributary
of the Levisa Fork in Johnson County
, Kentucky
. The stream is formed at the confluence of the Little Paint and Open Fork creeks. It is named for the colorful Adena Indian
ideographs that were painted on white birch trees and rocks that once lined the stream.
Paint Creek rises in extreme western Johnson County and begins to flow southeast. In 1983, part of Paint Creek was impounded, forming Paintsville Lake
. After passing through the Paintsville Lake dam, the stream passes through the city of Paintsville
, where it joins the Levisa Fork.
Paint Creek is the only designated trout stream in Johnson County. The water level of the creek is dependent upon rainfall, and can vary from very shallow to deep and rapid depending on recent weather conditions. Fishermen can except to catch brown trout
and rainbow trout
, as well as creek chubs
.
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 Levisa Fork in Johnson County
Johnson County, Kentucky
Johnson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1843. As of 2000, the population was 23,445. Its county seat is Paintsville...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. The stream is formed at the confluence of the Little Paint and Open Fork creeks. It is named for the colorful Adena Indian
Adena culture
The Adena culture was a Pre-Columbian Native American culture that existed from 1000 to 200 BC, in a time known as the early Woodland Period. The Adena culture refers to what were probably a number of related Native American societies sharing a burial complex and ceremonial system...
ideographs that were painted on white birch trees and rocks that once lined the stream.
Paint Creek rises in extreme western Johnson County and begins to flow southeast. In 1983, part of Paint Creek was impounded, forming Paintsville Lake
Paintsville Lake
Paintsville Lake is a reservoir in Johnson and Morgan counties in eastern Kentucky. It was impounded from Paint Creek in 1983 by the United States Army Corps of Engineers...
. After passing through the Paintsville Lake dam, the stream passes through the city of Paintsville
Paintsville, Kentucky
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 4,132 people, 1,681 households, and 1,079 families residing in the city. The population density was 786.1 people per square mile . There were 1,901 housing units at an average density of 361.7 per square mile...
, where it joins the Levisa Fork.
Paint Creek is the only designated trout stream in Johnson County. The water level of the creek is dependent upon rainfall, and can vary from very shallow to deep and rapid depending on recent weather conditions. Fishermen can except to catch brown trout
Brown trout
The brown trout and the sea trout are fish of the same species....
and rainbow trout
Rainbow 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....
, as well as creek chubs
Semotilus
Semotilus is the genus of creek chubs, ray-finned fish in the Cyprinidae family. The term "creek chub" is sometimes used for individual species, particularly the Common Creek Chub, S. atromaculatus. The Creek Chub are a species of minnows that can grow from 6 to 10 inches and resemble the...
.