Fourteen Mile Creek
Encyclopedia
Fourteen Mile Creek, shown as Fourteenmile Creek on federal maps, is a 22.7 miles (36.5 km) creek in Clark County, Indiana
, close to Charlestown
. It is so named because its mouth on the Ohio River
is 14 miles (22.5 km) upstream from the Falls of the Ohio; similar to how Eighteen Mile Island, Twelve Mile Island, and Six Mile Island got their names. It is navigable for 2.9 miles (4.7 km) from the Ohio River. It is a State Heritage Program Site and a popular canoe trail.
The creek was formed when glaciated water flowed through the unglaciated stream valley that is now the creek. It is lined by limestone
cliffs, and the region is noted for its karst sinkholes, hidden waterfalls, and small caves. Due to the damming of the Ohio River, much of the creek is of the same elevation as the river. In fact, the creek sometimes appears to be flowing upstream when in fact rising waters from the Ohio push into the creek. Further upstream from the river, the creek is sometimes only a foot or two deep, which is why historically mills that used the creek had to use dams to keep a constant flow to run them. Bass
, bluegill
and catfish
are the most common fish on the creek.
The creek has seen much history. It is known that the Talligewi Indian tribe resided here. Many local mills used Fourteen Mile Creek for power, most especially Tunnel Mill
. The popular Rose Island
amusement park
was situated where the creek and the Ohio River meet.
During the time that the Indiana Army Ammunition Plant
was in operation, the discharge of the Black Power Plant went into the Creek. Since the plant's demise, this is no longer a concern.
Clark County, Indiana
Clark County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana, located directly across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky. At the 2010 Census, the population was 110,232. The county seat is Jeffersonville. Clarksville is also a major city in the county...
, close to Charlestown
Charlestown, Indiana
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 5,993 people, 2,341 households, and 1,615 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,570.0 people per square mile . There were 2,489 housing units at an average density of 1,067.4 per square mile...
. It is so named because its mouth on 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...
is 14 miles (22.5 km) upstream from the Falls of the Ohio; similar to how Eighteen Mile Island, Twelve Mile Island, and Six Mile Island got their names. It is navigable for 2.9 miles (4.7 km) from the Ohio River. It is a State Heritage Program Site and a popular canoe trail.
The creek was formed when glaciated water flowed through the unglaciated stream valley that is now the creek. It is lined by limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
cliffs, and the region is noted for its karst sinkholes, hidden waterfalls, and small caves. Due to the damming of the Ohio River, much of the creek is of the same elevation as the river. In fact, the creek sometimes appears to be flowing upstream when in fact rising waters from the Ohio push into the creek. Further upstream from the river, the creek is sometimes only a foot or two deep, which is why historically mills that used the creek had to use dams to keep a constant flow to run them. Bass
Bass (fish)
Bass is a name shared by many different species of popular gamefish. The term encompasses both freshwater and marine species. All belong to the large order Perciformes, or perch-like fishes, and in fact the word bass comes from Middle English bars, meaning "perch."-Types of basses:*The temperate...
, bluegill
Bluegill
The Bluegill is a species of freshwater fish sometimes referred to as bream, brim, or copper nose. It is a member of the sunfish family Centrarchidae of the order Perciformes.-Range and distribution:...
and 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...
are the most common fish on the creek.
The creek has seen much history. It is known that the Talligewi Indian tribe resided here. Many local mills used Fourteen Mile Creek for power, most especially Tunnel Mill
John Work House and Mill Site
John Work House and Mill Site is a Registered Historic Place just outside Charlestown, Indiana, owned by the Lincoln Heritage Council, , as part of the Tunnel Mill Scout Reservation. For a century, it was an active gristmill until technology made it obsolete, and arson destroyed much of it....
. The popular Rose Island
Rose Island (amusement park)
Rose Island was a popular amusement park near Charlestown, Indiana, situated on a peninsula created by Fourteen Mile Creek emptying into the Ohio River. It was a recreational area known as Fern Grove in the 1880s, mostly used as a church camp. It was so named due to the many ferns that grew there...
amusement park
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
was situated where the creek and the Ohio River meet.
During the time that the Indiana Army Ammunition Plant
Indiana Army Ammunition Plant
The Indiana Army Ammunition Plant was an Army manufacturing plant built in 1941 between Charlestown and Jeffersonville, Indiana. It consisted of three areas within two separate but attached manufacturing plants:...
was in operation, the discharge of the Black Power Plant went into the Creek. Since the plant's demise, this is no longer a concern.