Steer Creek (West Virginia)
Encyclopedia
Steer Creek is a tributary
of the Little Kanawha River
in central West Virginia
in the United States
. Via the Little Kanawha and Ohio
rivers, it is part of the watershed
of the Mississippi River
, draining an area of 184 square miles (476.6 km²) in a rural region on the unglaciated
portion of the Allegheny Plateau
. It is 6.3 miles (10.1 km) long, or 31.7 miles (51 km) long including its Right Fork.
Steer Creek is formed by the confluence
of its Right Fork and its Left Fork:
The left and right forks converge at Stumptown
and the main stem of Steer Creek flows west-northwestward into eastern Calhoun County
, where it joins the Little Kanawha River approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) southeast of Grantsville
.
According to the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, approximately 91.1% of the Steer Creek watershed is forest
ed, mostly deciduous
. Approximately 8.7% is used for pasture and agriculture.
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 Little Kanawha River
Little Kanawha River
The Little Kanawha River is a tributary of the Ohio River, 169 mi long, in western West Virginia in the United States. Via the Ohio, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of 2,320 mi² on the unglaciated portion of the Allegheny Plateau...
in central 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...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Via the Little Kanawha and Ohio
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...
rivers, it is part of the watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
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...
, draining an area of 184 square miles (476.6 km²) in a rural region on the unglaciated
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
portion of the Allegheny Plateau
Allegheny Plateau
The Allegheny Plateau is a large dissected plateau area in western and central New York, northern and western Pennsylvania, northern and western West Virginia, and eastern Ohio...
. It is 6.3 miles (10.1 km) long, or 31.7 miles (51 km) long including its Right Fork.
Steer Creek is formed by the confluence
Confluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
of its Right Fork and its Left Fork:
- The Right Fork Steer Creek, 25.4 miles (40.9 km) long, rises approximately 5 miles (8 km) northwest of FrametownFrametown, West VirginiaFrametown is an unincorporated community in Braxton County, West Virginia, United States. While the heart of Frametown itself is rather small, there is a large sprawling area that considers itself to be part of the Frametown community...
in western Braxton County and flows generally north-northwestward into southern Gilmer CountyGilmer County, West VirginiaAs of the census of 2000, there were 7,160 people, 2,768 households, and 1,862 families residing in the county. The population density was 21 people per square mile . There were 3,621 housing units at an average density of 11 per square mile...
, through the communities of TagueTague, West VirginiaTague is an unincorporated community in Braxton County, West Virginia, United States, along the Right Fork Steer Creek. It was named for the small creek called Tague Fork. A post office was established in Tague in 1911, but was downgraded as an independent rural station of Frametown. It is...
, RosedaleRosedale, West VirginiaRosedale is an unincorporated community in Braxton and Gilmer counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia. It lies along the Right Fork Steer Creek, at an elevation of 778 feet . The town throughout the 1950s and 1960s was very large due to a boom in natural gas and was heavily populated....
, and ShockShock, West VirginiaShock is an unincorporated community in Gilmer County, West Virginia, United States. Shock is southwest of Glenville, along the Right Fork Steer Creek. Shock has a post office with ZIP code 26638....
. - The Left Fork Steer Creek, 24.5 miles (39.4 km) long, rises approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) north of GassawayGassaway, West VirginiaGassaway is a town in Braxton County, West Virginia, in the United States. The population was 901 at the 2000 census. Gassaway was incorporated in 1905 and named for Henry Gassaway Davis...
in central Braxton County and flows generally northwestward into southern Gilmer County, through the communities of ChapelChapel, West VirginiaChapel is an unincorporated community in Braxton County, West Virginia, United States. Chapel is north-northwest of Gassaway, along the Left Fork Steer Creek....
, NormantownNormantown, West VirginiaNormantown is an unincorporated community in Gilmer County, West Virginia, United States, along the Left Fork Steer Creek. It lies at an elevation of 741 feet .-References:...
, and LockneyLockney, West VirginiaLockney is an unincorporated community in Gilmer County, West Virginia, United States. Lockney is located along U.S. Routes 33 and 119 and the Left Fork Steer Creek southwest of Glenville. Lockney had a post office, which opened on May 17, 1898, and closed on November 9, 2002....
.
The left and right forks converge at Stumptown
Stumptown, West Virginia
Stumptown is an unincorporated community in Gilmer County, West Virginia, United States, at the confluence of the left and right forks of Steer Creek. It lies at an elevation of 725 feet .-References:...
and the main stem of Steer Creek flows west-northwestward into eastern Calhoun County
Calhoun County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,582 people, 3,071 households, and 2,201 families residing in the county. The population density was 27 people per square mile . There were 3,848 housing units at an average density of 14 per square mile...
, where it joins the Little Kanawha River approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) southeast of Grantsville
Grantsville, West Virginia
Grantsville is a town in Calhoun County, West Virginia, in the United States. The population was 565 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Calhoun County. The town was established along the Little Kanawha River in 1865 and named for Ulysses S. Grant...
.
According to the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, approximately 91.1% of the Steer Creek watershed is forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
ed, mostly deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
. Approximately 8.7% is used for pasture and agriculture.