| Simpson Creek | |
|---|---|
 Simpson Creek in Bridgeport in 2006
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | West Virginia |
| Watershed | 73 sq mi (189 km²) [1] |
| Source | |
| - location | northwestern Barbour County |
| - coordinates | [2] |
| - elevation | 1,522 ft (464 m) [3] |
| Mouth | West Fork River |
| - location | northeastern Harrison County |
| - coordinates | [2] |
| - elevation | 902 ft (275 m) [2] |
Simpson Creek is a tributary of the West Fork River in north-central West Virginia in the United States. Via the West Fork, Monongahela and Ohio Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of 73 square miles (189 km²) on the unglaciated portion of the Allegheny Plateau. The stream is believed to have been named by an 18th century hunter and trapper named John Simpson, who called it "Simpson's Creek."[4] Simpson Creek rises approximately five miles (8 km) northwest of Philippi in northwestern Barbour County and flows generally northwestwardly through southeastern Taylor County and northeastern Harrison County, passing through the communities of Flemington and Bridgeport; it flows into the West Fork River approximately four miles (7 km) south-southwest of Shinnston.[5] According to the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, approximately 69% of Simpson Creek's watershed is forested, mostly deciduous. Approximately 26% is used for pasture and agriculture, and approximately 3% is urban.[1]
Variant spellings
According to the Geographic Names Information System, Simpson Creek has also been known historically as:[2]
- Simpson's Creek
- Simpsons Creek
- Simpsons Crick
- Simsons Creek
- Simsons Crick
See also
References
- ^ a b West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. Watershed Atlas Project. West Fork River. Archived from the original on 2006-05-07. Retrieved on 2007-02-26.
- ^ a b c d Geographic Names Information System. Geographic Names Information System entry for Simpson Creek (Feature ID #1546817). Retrieved on 2007-02-12.
- ^ Google Earth elevation for GNIS source coordinates. Retrieved on 2007-02-12.
- ^ Kenny, Hamill (1945). West Virginia Place Names: Their Origin and Meaning, Including the Nomenclature of the Streams and Mountains. Piedmont, West Virginia: The Place Name Press, p.579.
- ^ DeLorme (1997). West Virginia Atlas & Gazetteer. Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. pp. 25, 36. ISBN 0-89933-246-3.
