Twelvepole Creek is a
[U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data]
The National Map
accessed May 26, 2011 river located in
Wayne County, West Virginia
Wayne County is the westernmost county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 38,982. Its county seat is Wayne. The county was founded in 1842 and named for General "Mad" Anthony Wayne.
Wayne County ...
. It is part of the
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem), second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest Drainage system (geomorphology), drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson B ...
watershed, by way of the
Ohio River
The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of ...
. It is alternately known as Twelve Pole Creek.
Course
Twelvepole Creek rises in northern Mingo County before flowing north through Wayne County. The headwaters of the East Fork are dammed to form
East Lynn Lake. The East Fork of the river then flows north through
East Lynn,
Wayne, and
Lavalette. The West Fork flows north through
Dunlow, West Virginia
Dunlow is an unincorporated community in southern Wayne County, West Virginia, United States, on Twelvepole Creek. It was laid out as a railroad town along the Ohio Extension of the Norfolk and Western Railway in 1892. Dunlow was incorporated in ...
and joins the East Fork at the town of Wayne. The river then flows north again before draining into the Ohio River just east of
Ceredo.
Origin of name
Twelvepole Creek received its name from early explorers, the group supposedly included a young George Washington. Traveling the Ohio River, they measured the mouth of the creek where it joined the Ohio in terms of
poles
Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, who share a common history, culture, the Polish language and are identified with the country of Poland in ...
, also known as
rods. Being approximately 198 feet (12 poles) wide at its mouth, the creek was named Twelvepole Creek.
Recreation
East Lynn Lake and
Beech Fork Lake (formed from one of Twelvepole Creek's tributaries) provide popular destinations for boating, fishing, swimming, and camping.
See also
*
List of West Virginia rivers
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. Exc ...
References
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Rivers of West Virginia
Tributaries of the Ohio River
Rivers of Wayne County, West Virginia