Tilhance 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 drai ...
stream of
Back Creek in
Berkeley County of
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 B ...
's
Eastern Panhandle
The Eastern Panhandle is the eastern of the two panhandles in the U.S. state of West Virginia; the other is the Northern Panhandle. It is a small stretch of territory in the northeast of the state, bordering Maryland and Virginia. Some sources ...
.
Headwaters and course
Tilhance Creek's source is a
spring
Spring(s) may refer to:
Common uses
* Spring (season)
Spring, also known as springtime, is one of the four temperate seasons, succeeding winter and preceding summer. There are various technical definitions of spring, but local usage of ...
on the eastern flank of
Third Hill Mountain (2172 feet/662 m) in western Berkeley County, West Virginia. From its headwaters, the stream trickles eastward down the mountain's forested slope where it is dammed to create a small farm lake. From the impoundment, Tilhance Creek meanders to the north and is joined by a series of other spring-fed streams flowing off Third Hill Mountain. Tilhance Creek then turns again to the east near the community of
Baxter. The stream meanders northward flowing along the western flank of Ferrell Ridge (715 feet/218 m). It is at this location that Tilhance Creek is joined by Whites Run and a small unnamed stream whose source lies near Hedgesville Church. Shortly before the stream reaches
West Virginia Route 9
West Virginia Route 9 (WV 9) is a major east–west state highway located in the eastern extents of West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle. The western terminus of the route is at the Maryland state line north of Paw Paw, where WV 9 becomes ...
, it is joined by Higgins Run and splits to form a small island. After passing under WV 9, Tilhance Creek flows by the community of
Johnsontown (also known as Soho). From Johnsontown, Tilhance Creek meanders through a series of rolling hills until its
confluence with Back Creek near
Allensville.
Fishing
Tilhance Creek is stocked with
trout
Trout are species of freshwater fish belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', '' Salmo'' and '' Salvelinus'', all of the subfamily Salmoninae of the family Salmonidae. The word ''trout'' is also used as part of the name of some non-salm ...
once in February and once every two weeks from March through May by the
West Virginia Division of Natural Resources
The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR) is an agency of the government of the U.S. state of West Virginia. While formerly known as the cabinet-level Department of Natural Resources, it is now part of the West Virginia Department of ...
from near Johnsontown at the WV 9 bridge.
Variant names
According to the
Geographic Names Information System
The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) is a database of name and locative information about more than two million physical and cultural features throughout the United States and its territories, Antarctica, and the associated states of ...
, Tilhance Creek has been known by a number of names throughout its history. The
Board on Geographic Names
The United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN) is a federal body operating under the United States Secretary of the Interior. The purpose of the board is to establish and maintain uniform usage of geographic names throughout the federal govern ...
officially decided upon Tilhance Creek as the stream's name in 1901.
*Tilahanchee Creek
*Tilchances Branch
*Tilchancos Creek
*Tilehance Creek
*Tilhance Branch
*Tillehances Creek
See also
*
List of rivers of West Virginia
This is a list of rivers in the U.S. state of West Virginia.
List of West Virginia rivers includes streams formally designated as rivers. There are also smaller streams (i.e., branches, creeks, drains, forks, licks, runs, etc.) in the state. Ex ...
References
Rivers of Berkeley County, West Virginia
Rivers of West Virginia
Tributaries of the Potomac River
{{WestVirginia-river-stub