Catoctin Creek is a
[U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data]
The National Map
, accessed August 15, 2011 tributary
A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage ...
of the
Potomac River
The Potomac River () drains the Mid-Atlantic United States, flowing from the Potomac Highlands into Chesapeake Bay. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map. Retrieved Augus ...
in
Loudoun County
Loudoun County () is in the northern part of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. In 2020, the census returned a population of 420,959, making it Virginia's third-most populous county. Loudoun County's seat is Leesburg. Loudoun C ...
,
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
, with a
watershed of . Agricultural lands make up 67 percent and forests 30 percent of Catoctin Creek's watershed. It is the main drainage system for the northern
Loudoun Valley
The Loudoun Valley is a small, but historically significant valley in the Blue Ridge Mountains located in Loudoun County in Northern Virginia in the United States.
Geography
The lush and fertile valley lies between Catoctin Mountain and the B ...
, including all of the
Catoctin Valley
The Catoctin Valley is a small valley, geographically and culturally associated with the larger Loudoun Valley in Loudoun County, Virginia.
Geography
The Catoctin Valley encompasses the northern part of the Loudoun Valley east of the Short Hill ...
.
Course
The main arteries consist of the Catoctin and its North and South Forks.
North Fork Catoctin Creek
The North Fork Catoctin Creek, long,
[ begins at ]Purcellville
Purcellville is a town in Loudoun County, Virginia. The population was 8,929 according to the 2020 Census. Purcellville is the major population center for Western Loudoun and the Loudoun Valley. Many of the older structures remaining in Purcellvil ...
Reservoir east of the Blue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States, and extends 550 miles southwest from southern Pennsylvania through Maryland, West Virgin ...
in the Between the Hills
Between the Hills is a small valley in northwest Loudoun County, Virginia, distinct from, but associated with, the greater Loudoun Valley.
Geography
The Between the Hills valley encompasses the area of Loudoun that lies west of Short Hill Mountai ...
valley, near the West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...
border. State Route 9 follows the north fork westward as it flows through Hillsboro Gap
Hillsboro Gap, also known as the Gap in the Short Hill is a water gap in the Short Hill Mountain formed by the North Fork of the Catoctin Creek in Loudoun County, Virginia. The gap derives its name from the town of Hillsboro, which is nestled i ...
in Short Hill Mountain
Short Hill Mountain is a mountain ridge of the Blue Ridge Mountains in northwest Loudoun County, Virginia.
Geography
Short Hill rises sharply from the Piedmont countryside of the Loudoun Valley, northwest of Purcellville. It is a low-lying ridg ...
at Hillsboro. From Wheatland the North Fork flows northeast.
South Fork Catoctin Creek
The source of the [ South Fork Catoctin Creek is just east of the Blue Ridge's Wilson Gap on the West Virginia border. From the source the South Fork flows southeast toward ]Purcellville
Purcellville is a town in Loudoun County, Virginia. The population was 8,929 according to the 2020 Census. Purcellville is the major population center for Western Loudoun and the Loudoun Valley. Many of the older structures remaining in Purcellvil ...
, where it turns north and east toward Waterford
"Waterford remains the untaken city"
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, where it flows north again to its confluence with the North Fork.
Main Branch
The main branch of Catoctin Creek is formed by the confluence of its forks along the western edges of Catoctin Mountain
Catoctin Mountain, along with the geologically associated Bull Run Mountains, forms the easternmost mountain ridge of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are in turn a part of the Appalachian Mountains range. The ridge runs northeast–southwest for ...
north of Waterford and southeast of Milltown. The creek flows north along Catoctin Mountain's western side through the village of Taylorstown. Catoctin Creek continues meandering along the northern edge of Furnace Mountain and empties into the Potomac River to the north of the U.S. Highway 15
U.S. Route 15 (US 15) is a -long United States Numbered Highways, United States highway, designated along South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York (state), New York. The route is signed north–south, from ...
bridge across from Point of Rocks, Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
.
See also
*List of rivers of Virginia
This is a list of rivers in the U.S. state of Virginia.
By drainage basin
This list is arranged by drainage basin, with respective tributaries, arranged in the order of their confluence from mouth to source, indented under each larger stream's nam ...
References
*DeLorme
DeLorme is the producer of personal satellite tracking, messaging, and navigation technology. The company’s main product, ''inReach'', integrates GPS and satellite technologies. ''inReach'' provides the ability to send and receive text messages ...
, Yarmouth, Maine, ''Virginia Atlas and Gazetteer'', Fourth Edition, 2000
*
External links
Catoctin Creek Water Quality Implementation Plan
{{authority control
Rivers of Loudoun County, Virginia
Rivers of Virginia
Tributaries of the Potomac River