Banklick Creek
Encyclopedia
Banklick Creek is a 19.1 miles (30.7 km) tributary of the Licking River
in northern Kentucky
in the United States
. By the Licking River and the Ohio River
, it is part of the Mississippi River
watershed.
Banklick Creek rises in rural areas near the Boone
-Kenton County
line near the city of Walton
then flows northeasterly through Kenton County and empties into the Licking River near Latonia
in a highly urbanized area, less than 5 miles (8 km) from the Licking’s confluence with the Ohio River. Covering more than 58 square miles (150.2 km²), the topography of the Banklick's watershed ranges from steep to gently sloping. Throughout most of its length, Banklick Creek is shallow and flows over a narrow, gravelly, and sometimes rocky streambed. However, approximately ¾ mi. upstream from its mouth, it becomes wider and 6 to 8 ft (1.8 to 2.4 ) deep.
The upper half of Banklick Creek is home to many species of fish including smallmouth bass, sunfish, suckers, carp, and catfish, as well as crayfish, turtles, snakes, and frogs. The lower half, beyond the inflow of Bullock Pen Creek from Doe Run Lake, the Banklick is seriously impaired and suffers from suburban lawn runoff, siltation due to overdevelopment, and fecal coliforms due to sewer overflows.
Pioneer Park, established by the Kenton County Parks Board in 1976, is situated along the banks of the creek, near the community of Taylor Mill
. In the 1970s, the creek, as it bordered the park, was unintentionally contaminated by a local manufacturing concern, with a number of toxic substances
that found their way into the streambed. This led to an extensive clean-up
effort by both private and public sources, including the United States Environmental Protection Agency
. No deaths were linked directly to the 1970s pollution.
Though Banklick Creek is home to numerous species of flora and fauna, it is seldom fished or used for recreation, save at its most western reaches. Banklick Creek was once slightly deeper and more navigable than is the case today, and human village sites which date to the archaic period (some 8000 BC in some cases) are numerous along its length. A log cabin
that was built by the region’s earliest white settlers still stands near the mid-point of Banklick Creek. The creek is popular with both fossil
and artifact seekers, and in 2001 a flint paleo spear point dating to c. 11,000 BC was discovered in a silty gravel outcropping, near Latonia.
Licking River (Kentucky)
The Licking River is a tributary of the Ohio River in northeastern Kentucky in the United States. The river and its tributaries drain much of the region of northeastern Kentucky between the watersheds of the Kentucky River to the west and the Big Sandy River to the east.-Origin of name:The Native...
in northern 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...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. By the Licking River and the Ohio River
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...
, it is part 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...
watershed.
Banklick Creek rises in rural areas near the Boone
Boone County, Kentucky
Boone County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1798. The population was 118,811 in the 2010 Census. Its county seat is Burlington. The county is named for frontiersman Daniel Boone...
-Kenton County
Kenton County, Kentucky
Kenton County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, United States. It was formed in 1840. In 2010, the population was 159,720. It is the third most populous county in Kentucky behind Jefferson County and Fayette County. Its county seats are Covington and Independence...
line near the city of Walton
Walton, Kentucky
Walton is a city in Boone and Kenton Counties in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The population was 3,635 in the 2010 Census.-Tourism:Nearby Florence offers thoroughbred racing at Turfway Park....
then flows northeasterly through Kenton County and empties into the Licking River near Latonia
Latonia, Kentucky
Latonia is a former city, now neighborhood of Covington in Kenton County, Kentucky, United States. It was annexed to Covington in 1909.Latonia's geographical coordinates are 39.048N, 84.508W, and its elevation above sea level is 531 feet. It is entirely within the eastern time zone of the United...
in a highly urbanized area, less than 5 miles (8 km) from the Licking’s confluence with the Ohio River. Covering more than 58 square miles (150.2 km²), the topography of the Banklick's watershed ranges from steep to gently sloping. Throughout most of its length, Banklick Creek is shallow and flows over a narrow, gravelly, and sometimes rocky streambed. However, approximately ¾ mi. upstream from its mouth, it becomes wider and 6 to 8 ft (1.8 to 2.4 ) deep.
The upper half of Banklick Creek is home to many species of fish including smallmouth bass, sunfish, suckers, carp, and catfish, as well as crayfish, turtles, snakes, and frogs. The lower half, beyond the inflow of Bullock Pen Creek from Doe Run Lake, the Banklick is seriously impaired and suffers from suburban lawn runoff, siltation due to overdevelopment, and fecal coliforms due to sewer overflows.
Pioneer Park, established by the Kenton County Parks Board in 1976, is situated along the banks of the creek, near the community of Taylor Mill
Taylor Mill, Kentucky
In the city the population was spread out with 26.4% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 32.3% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 96.0 males...
. In the 1970s, the creek, as it bordered the park, was unintentionally contaminated by a local manufacturing concern, with a number of toxic substances
Poison
In the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism....
that found their way into the streambed. This led to an extensive clean-up
Clean-up
Clean-up is a part of the workflow in the production of hand-drawn animation, in which "clean" versions of the "rough" animation drawings are produced....
effort by both private and public sources, including the United States Environmental Protection Agency
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
. No deaths were linked directly to the 1970s pollution.
Though Banklick Creek is home to numerous species of flora and fauna, it is seldom fished or used for recreation, save at its most western reaches. Banklick Creek was once slightly deeper and more navigable than is the case today, and human village sites which date to the archaic period (some 8000 BC in some cases) are numerous along its length. A log cabin
Log cabin
A log cabin is a house built from logs. It is a fairly simple type of log house. A distinction should be drawn between the traditional meanings of "log cabin" and "log house." Historically most "Log cabins" were a simple one- or 1½-story structures, somewhat impermanent, and less finished or less...
that was built by the region’s earliest white settlers still stands near the mid-point of Banklick Creek. The creek is popular with both fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
and artifact seekers, and in 2001 a flint paleo spear point dating to c. 11,000 BC was discovered in a silty gravel outcropping, near Latonia.