Beech Fork Lake
Encyclopedia
Beech Fork Lake is a 720 acre (2.9 km²) reservoir
located near Lavalette
in Wayne County
, West Virginia
. Beech Fork Lake is also partly located in neighboring Cabell County
. Millers Fork and Stowers Branch join Beech Fork with their own river valleys contributing to the majority of the lakesurface of Beech Fork Lake. These streams are tributaries
of Twelvepole Creek
.
Beech Fork Lake as a flood control impoundment was authorized by the Flood Control Act
of October 23, 1962 and was constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the mid-1970s. The lake was completed and dedicated in May 1978.
Some tombstones in the Park's Bowen Cemetery date to the 18th century; and family names adorning Civil War graves can be seen on roadside mailboxes even today. Government appropriation of private land for the lake caused rancor among locals with historic land holdings. The Beech Fork strain of Adkins
family (appropriately known as "Beech Fork Adkinses") was largely driven out to the Huntington
metropolitan area. So numerous were these displaced persons that townsfolk joked about an "Adkins factory" at Beech Fork which mass-produced persons of the surname. It has also been said that in the last days, "the Jews will go back to Palistine and the Adkinses will go back to Beech Fork."
, vireo
s, thrushes
, chats
, cuckoo
s, ovenbird
s, and many other forest dwelling birds. Due to a lack of extensive wetlands attractive to waterfowl, such species are comparatively less common.
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
located near Lavalette
Lavalette, West Virginia
right|thumb|300px|Road sign indicating the northern boundary of Lavalette along [[West Virginia Route 152]].Lavalette is an unincorporated census-designated place in Wayne County, West Virginia, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 1,073...
in Wayne County
Wayne County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 42,903 people, 17,239 households, and 12,653 families residing in the county. The population density was 85 people per square mile . There were 19,107 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile...
, 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...
. Beech Fork Lake is also partly located in neighboring Cabell County
Cabell County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 96,784 people, 41,180 households, and 25,490 families residing in the county. The population density was 344 people per square mile . There were 45,615 housing units at an average density of 162 per square mile...
. Millers Fork and Stowers Branch join Beech Fork with their own river valleys contributing to the majority of the lakesurface of Beech Fork Lake. These streams are tributaries
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 Twelvepole Creek
Twelvepole Creek
Twelvepole Creek is a river located in Wayne County, West Virginia. It is part of the Mississippi River watershed, by way of the Ohio River.-Course:...
.
Beech Fork Lake as a flood control impoundment was authorized by the Flood Control Act
Flood Control Act
There are multiple laws known as the Flood Control Act. Typically, they are administered by the United States Army Corps of Engineers:-List of Flood Control Acts:*Flood Control Act of 1917...
of October 23, 1962 and was constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the mid-1970s. The lake was completed and dedicated in May 1978.
History of Beech Fork
Known in agrarian times as "Bean Capital Of The World" because of its abundant harvests, remote Beech Fork and its fertile farms had by the mid-20th century devolved into a "Tobacco Road" cut off from the opportunities of modern development.Some tombstones in the Park's Bowen Cemetery date to the 18th century; and family names adorning Civil War graves can be seen on roadside mailboxes even today. Government appropriation of private land for the lake caused rancor among locals with historic land holdings. The Beech Fork strain of Adkins
Adkins
Adkins is a surname of English origin, and may refer to:* Adele Adkins , British singer* Brad Adkins , American artist* Claudia Adkins, pornographic actress.* Damien Adkins , Australian footballer...
family (appropriately known as "Beech Fork Adkinses") was largely driven out to the Huntington
Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington is a city in Cabell and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia, along the Ohio River. Most of the city is in Cabell County, for which it is the county seat. A small portion of the city, mainly the neighborhood of Westmoreland, is in Wayne County. Its population was 49,138 at...
metropolitan area. So numerous were these displaced persons that townsfolk joked about an "Adkins factory" at Beech Fork which mass-produced persons of the surname. It has also been said that in the last days, "the Jews will go back to Palistine and the Adkinses will go back to Beech Fork."
Recreation
Boating, fishing, hiking, camping, and picnicking opportunities are available on site. Biking or walking along the roadways around the Park, however inviting, is not generally recommended due to automobile traffic along the narrow rural routes.Birding
The park is an excellent site for birdwatching. Thousands of square miles of Appalachian hardwood trees surround the Beech Fork Lake area, providing a habitat for wood warblersWood Warbler
The Wood Warbler is a common and widespread leaf warbler which breeds throughout northern and temperate Europe, and just into the extreme west of Asia in the southern Ural Mountains...
, vireo
Vireo
The vireos are a group of small to medium-sized passerine birds restricted to the New World. They are typically dull-plumaged and greenish in color, the smaller species resembling wood warblers apart from their heavier bills...
s, thrushes
Thrush (bird)
The thrushes, family Turdidae, are a group of passerine birds that occur worldwide.-Characteristics:Thrushes are plump, soft-plumaged, small to medium-sized birds, inhabiting wooded areas, and often feed on the ground or eat small fruit. The smallest thrush may be the Forest Rock-thrush, at and...
, chats
Chat (bird)
Chats are a group of small Old World insectivorous birds formerly classed as members of the thrush family Turdidae, but now considered Old World flycatchers....
, cuckoo
Cuckoo
The cuckoos are a family, Cuculidae, of near passerine birds. The order Cuculiformes, in addition to the cuckoos, also includes the turacos . Some zoologists and taxonomists have also included the unique Hoatzin in the Cuculiformes, but its taxonomy remains in dispute...
s, ovenbird
Ovenbird
The Ovenbird is a small songbird of the New World warbler family . This migratory bird breeds in eastern North America and moves south in winter.-Taxonomy:...
s, and many other forest dwelling birds. Due to a lack of extensive wetlands attractive to waterfowl, such species are comparatively less common.