Waxahatchee Creek is a
tributary of the lower
Coosa River
The Coosa River is a tributary of the Alabama River in the U.S. states of Alabama and Georgia. The river is about long.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 27, 2011
...
near
Shelby, Alabama
Shelby is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Shelby County, Alabama, United States. Its population was 1,044 as of the 2010 census. The area is near Lay Lake and Waxahatchee Creek. Shelby Iron Park is located at the heart o ...
. It forms the southeastern border between Shelby County and
Chilton County, where it is crossed by
Alabama State Route 145
State Route 145 (SR 145) is a state highway in the central part of the U.S. state of Alabama. The southern terminus of the highway is at an intersection with U.S. Route 31 (US 31) and SR 22 in Clanton. The northern t ...
. The lower reaches of Waxahatchee Creek are broad and popular with water skiers and recreational boaters. Several resort camps and marinas are located on the creek, and anglers have found the submerged forests of the middle to upper creek are favorite spots for
largemouth bass
The largemouth bass (''Micropterus salmoides'') is a carnivorous freshwater gamefish in the Centrarchidae ( sunfish) family, a species of black bass native to the eastern and central United States, southeastern Canada and northern Mexico, but ...
. The channel is known for
crappie
Crappies () are two species of North American freshwater fish of the genus ''Pomoxis'' in the family Centrarchidae (sunfishes). Both species of crappies are popular game fish among recreational anglers.
Etymology
The genus name ''Pomoxis'' ...
. In the upper creek, the water grows very shallow, but there are "holes" of deep water where
bluegill
The bluegill (''Lepomis macrochirus''), sometimes referred to as "bream", "brim", "sunny", or "copper nose" as is common in Texas, is a species of North American freshwater fish, native to and commonly found in streams, rivers, lakes, ponds and ...
and
bream
Bream ( ) are species of freshwater and marine fish belonging to a variety of genera including ''Abramis'' (e.g., ''A. brama'', the common bream), ''Acanthopagrus'', '' Argyrops'', ''Blicca'', '' Brama'', ''Chilotilapia'', '' Etelis'', ''Lepo ...
are plentiful.
Waxahatchee Creek is part of the habitat of the threatened
round rocksnail
''Leptoxis ampla'', common name the round rocksnail, is a species of freshwater snail with a gill and an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusc in the family Pleuroceridae.
This species is endemic to the United States, specifically the state ...
, which is included on the
.
Etymologically, Waxahatchee may be derived from the
Muscogee
The Muscogee, also known as the Mvskoke, Muscogee Creek, and the Muscogee Creek Confederacy ( in the Muscogee language), are a group of related indigenous (Native American) peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands[clan
A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship
and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clans may claim descent from founding member or apical ancestor. Clans, in indigenous societies, tend to be endogamous, meaning ...]
name) and or (stream).
References in popular culture
*
Waxahatchee
Waxahatchee is an American indie music project, formed in 2010 by American singer-songwriter Katie Crutchfield (born 4 January 1989), previously a member of P.S. Eliot. The band is named after Waxahatchee Creek, in Alabama, where Crutchfield gr ...
, name of American
indie rock
Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...
music project of singer-songwriter Katie Crutchfield
See also
*
List of place names of Native American origin in Alabama
Many places throughout Alabama take their names from the languages of the indigenous Native American/American Indian tribes. The following list includes settlements, geographic features, and political subdivisions whose names are derived from th ...
*
Waxahachie
Waxahachie ( ) is the county seat, seat of government of Ellis County, Texas, Ellis County, Texas, United States. Its population was 41,140 in 2020.
Etymology
Some sources state that the name means "cow" or "buffalo" in an unspecified Native ...
, a city in Texas with a name possibly derived from Waxahatchee Creek
References
External links
Big bass hopes for one of Alabama's best
Rivers of Alabama
Rivers of Shelby County, Alabama
Rivers of Chilton County, Alabama
Alabama placenames of Native American origin
{{Alabama-river-stub