Knapps Creek
Encyclopedia
Knapp Creek is a tributary
stream
of the Greenbrier River
in Pocahontas County
, West Virginia
. Its source is east of the community of Frost
on Allegheny Mountain
. From its headwaters, Knapp Creek slowly flows down through farmland until its confluence
with Laurel Creek at Minnehaha Springs
. Downstream from the confluence of the two streams, Knapp Creek flows through Huntersville
. Six miles from Huntersville, Knapp Creek empties into the Greenbrier River
outside Marlinton
.
Knapp Creek is home to the Candy Darter, Etheostoma osburni (Finescale saddled darter
) a brilliantly colored, small member of the perch
family sensitive to sediment
.
The forest ecology of Knapp Creek at the turn of the century is described in W. E. Blackhurst
's book, Riders of the Flood, and in the theatrical version of the book for the town of Ronceverte's Outdoor Amphitheatre in September.Riders of the Flood In the book and the play, Mrs. Knapp, of the family who gave the creek its name, offers shelter to the young protagonist passing through the region.
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 Greenbrier River
Greenbrier River
The Greenbrier River is a tributary of the New River, long, in southeastern West Virginia, USA. Via the New, Kanawha and Ohio Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of...
in Pocahontas County
Pocahontas County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 9,131 people, 835 households, and 527 families residing in the county. The population density was 10 people per square mile . There were 7,594 housing units at an average density of 8 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...
. Its source is east of the community of Frost
Frost, West Virginia
Frost is an unincorporated community in eastern Pocahontas County, West Virginia, United States....
on Allegheny Mountain
Allegheny Mountain (West Virginia-Virginia)
Allegheny Mountain is a major mountain ridge in the southern range of the Allegheny Mountains, part of the Appalachian Mountains...
. From its headwaters, Knapp Creek slowly flows down through farmland until its confluence
Confluence (geography)
In geography, a confluence is the meeting of two or more bodies of water. It usually refers to the point where two streams flow together, merging into a single stream...
with Laurel Creek at Minnehaha Springs
Minnehaha Springs, West Virginia
Minnehaha Springs is an unincorporated community located in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, USA. It was named for the Native American princess, Minnehaha, and the mineral springs on the Lockridge farm. It is the only community with this name in the United States. On the site of what is now Camp...
. Downstream from the confluence of the two streams, Knapp Creek flows through Huntersville
Huntersville, West Virginia
Huntersville is an unincorporated census-designated place located in Pocahontas County, West Virginia in the Alleghany Mountains. As of the 2010 census, its population was 73. It is located six miles east of Marlinton and four miles west of Minnehaha Springs. Huntersville received its name because...
. Six miles from Huntersville, Knapp Creek empties into the Greenbrier River
Greenbrier River
The Greenbrier River is a tributary of the New River, long, in southeastern West Virginia, USA. Via the New, Kanawha and Ohio Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of...
outside Marlinton
Marlinton, West Virginia
Marlinton is a town in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 1,204 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Pocahontas County.-History:...
.
Knapp Creek is home to the Candy Darter, Etheostoma osburni (Finescale saddled darter
Finescale saddled darter
The finescale saddled darter is a species of fish in the Percidae family. It is endemic to the United States....
) a brilliantly colored, small member of the perch
Perch
Perch is a common name for fish of the genus Perca, freshwater gamefish belonging to the family Percidae. The perch, of which there are three species in different geographical areas, lend their name to a large order of vertebrates: the Perciformes, from the Greek perke meaning spotted, and the...
family sensitive to sediment
Sediment
Sediment is naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of fluids such as wind, water, or ice, and/or by the force of gravity acting on the particle itself....
.
The forest ecology of Knapp Creek at the turn of the century is described in W. E. Blackhurst
W. E. Blackhurst
Warren E. "Tweard" Blackhurst was an author and a lifelong resident of the Cass community who centered on the culture of eastern West Virginia where the higher elevations supported northern pine forests...
's book, Riders of the Flood, and in the theatrical version of the book for the town of Ronceverte's Outdoor Amphitheatre in September.Riders of the Flood In the book and the play, Mrs. Knapp, of the family who gave the creek its name, offers shelter to the young protagonist passing through the region.