North Fork Kentucky River

Template:Use American English Template:Infobox river North Fork Kentucky River is a river in Kentucky in the United States.Template:Sfn It is a fork of the Kentucky River that it joins just upstream of Beattyville.Template:Sfn It is nearly Template:Convert long with an average slope of Template:Convert,Template:Sfn and an overall basin size (at Jackson) of Template:ConvertTemplate:Sfn

Basin and hydrology

The river rises at Payne Gap in Letcher County, in the Appalachian plateaus, flowing initially westward past Whitesburg in the Kanawha section (of the Cumberland Plateau) north of Pine Mountain.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn Several of its early tributaries flow off the north side of Pine Mountain into it, one of the principal ones being Cowan Creek.Template:Sfn The basin size within Letcher County is Template:Convert.Template:Sfn

The discharge rate at Hazard varies seasonally, being high in the winter and spring and low in the summer and autumn.Template:Sfn This is brought about by higher rainfall during the first half of the calendar year, and regularly causes floods in the spring.Template:Sfn

Water quality, and connections to mining

Half of one percent of the area of the North Fork Kentucky River basin has been disturbed by mining.Template:Sfn As a result of these land disturbances, the annual sediment yield for the North Fork basin is roughly 15 times the yield over the entire Kentucky River basin, at an estimated Template:Convert.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Three quarters of the sediment load is deposited between Jackson and Heidelberg, estimated by the USGS and KGS to be mostly just upstream of the latter.Template:Sfn

Because of the mining, the North Fork is also one of the three major sources of dissolved solids in the Kentucky River system.Template:Sfn It is the origin of one third of the dissolved sulphates found in the Kentucky River,Template:Sfn and the location of the highest concentrations of iron (more than 4 times the concentration over the whole Kentucky River basin),Template:Sfn and manganese.Template:Sfn The measured increases in dissolved solids over the years 1976–1986, between 3% and 10% per year, matched the increase in coal production during those same years.Template:Sfn

Calcium and magnesium cations, one of the causes of water hardness, are elevated in the North Fork because of surface mining disturbances of calcium and magnesium bearing rock,Template:Sfn the overall Kentucky River system being classified as hard to very hard, with exceptions in tributaries that are unaffected by Eastern Kentucky Coalfield mining.Template:Sfn The North Fork is responsible for one third of the Kentucky River's dissolved magnesium and one tenth of its dissolved calcium.Template:Sfn

Not enough data are available to explain the elevated aluminium concentrations in the North Fork, as few samples have been taken with highly fluctuating measurements,Template:Sfn but the elevated barium concentrations correlate with the suspended sediment measurements and are thus attributed to underclay disturbances caused by mining,Template:Sfn as do its elevated copper concentrations which are thus likewise attributed.Template:Sfn The elevated concentrations of manganese are considered to be of natural origin, because although they are high in the mined parts of the North Fork basin, they are also high in other parts of the Kentucky River basin where there is no mining and no correlation with suspended sediment measurements.Template:Sfn

Floods

Template:Further The Kentucky River basin, including North Fork and its tributaries such as Troublesome, suffered a major flood in January and February 1957, although that did not exceed the highest on record for Troublesome itself at that point, which had been the flood of February 1939.Template:Sfn The worst hit place was Hazard;Template:Sfn but most of the settlements along the various tributaries were damaged to some degree.Template:Sfn

Biota

The North Fork was the location of seven species of freshwater mussels as of 1975, and their habitat had suffered from significant reduction since the start of the 20th century.Template:Sfn The reservoir at Carr Fork has been classified as eutrophic because of the sedimentation.Template:Sfn

Contrastingly, whilst Buckhorn Creek has been affected by mining activity, its biota were found to be surviving fairly well, with 42 species of fish observed in the 1960s and 1970s and several species of algae and benthic invertebrates.Template:Sfn It is an important recolonization source for downstream Troublesome Creek.Template:Sfn

Tributaries and other locations

• Its major tributaries are:
  • Troublesome Creek,Template:Sfn whose further tributaries and locations are in its article
  • Campbell Creek at altitude Template:Convert and the location of the Krypton railway stationTemplate:Sfn
    • Left Fork Template:Convert upstream at altitude Template:ConvertTemplate:Sfn
    • Right Branch Template:Convert upstream at altitude Template:ConvertTemplate:Sfn
    • Right Fork Template:Convert upstream at altitude Template:ConvertTemplate:Sfn
    • Left Fork Template:Convert upstream at altitude Template:ConvertTemplate:Sfn
  • Big Meadow Branch (a.k.a. Oliver Branch) Template:Convert upstream of Krypton at altitude Template:ConvertTemplate:Sfn
  • Little Meadow Branch Template:Convert upstream of Krypton at altitude Template:ConvertTemplate:Sfn
  • Cary Branch Template:Convert downstream of Yerkes at altitude Template:ConvertTemplate:Sfn
  • Forked Mouth Creek, the location of the Yerkes railway station at altitude Template:ConvertTemplate:Sfn
    • Laurel Fork Template:Convert upstreamTemplate:Sfn
    • Colwell Fork Template:Convert upstream at altitude Template:ConvertTemplate:Sfn
    • Ivy Gap Fork Template:Convert upstream at altitude Template:ConvertTemplate:Sfn
  • Willard Creek at altitude Template:Convert,Template:Sfn whose further tributaries and locations are in its article
  • Ben Couch Branch Template:Convert downstream of TypoTemplate:Sfn
  • the North Fork tributaries at Hazard, Kentucky, whose article includes further locations and:
    • Lower Second Creek
    • First Creek and the location of the Typo railway stationTemplate:Sfn
    • Lotts Creek,Template:Sfn whose further tributaries and locations are in its own article
    • Upper Second CreekTemplate:Sfn
    • Walker BranchTemplate:Sfn
    • Gregory BranchTemplate:Sfn
    • Big Creek at altitude Template:Convert,Template:Sfn whose further tributaries and locations are in its own article
  • Bear Branch Template:Convert upstream of Hazard at altitude Template:ConvertTemplate:Sfn
  • Buckeye Creek Template:Convert upstream of Hazard at altitude Template:ConvertTemplate:Sfn
  • Carr Fork Template:Convert upstream of Hazard at altitude Template:Convert,Template:Sfn whose further tributaries and locations are in its article
  • Macies Creek,Template:Sfn whose further tributaries and locations are in its article
  • Big Branch Template:Convert upstream of Hazard at altitude Template:Convert and the location of the Hombre (now Fusonia) railway stationTemplate:Sfn
  • Ford Branch Template:Convert upstream of Hombre/Fusonia at altitude Template:ConvertTemplate:Sfn
  • Dike Branch Template:Convert upstream of MaciesTemplate:Sfn
  • Campbell Branch Template:Convert upstream of Macies at altitude Template:ConvertTemplate:Sfn
  • Brier Branch Template:Convert upstream of Macies at altitude Template:ConvertTemplate:Sfn
  • Leatherwood Creek Template:Convert upstream of Brier at altitude Template:Convert ,Template:Sfn whose further tributaries and locations are in its article
  • Bull Creek Template:Convert upstream of Hombre/Fusonia at altitude Template:ConvertTemplate:Sfn
    • Lick Branch at altitude Template:ConvertTemplate:Sfn
    • Meadow BranchTemplate:Sfn
      • Little Meadow BranchTemplate:Sfn
  • Line Fork at altitude Template:ConvertTemplate:Sfn
    • Bear Branch Template:Convert upstreamTemplate:Sfn
    • Campbell BranchTemplate:Sfn
    • Long BranchTemplate:Sfn
    • Saltlick BranchTemplate:Sfn
    • Turkey CreekTemplate:Sfn
      • Bates ForkTemplate:Sfn
        • Left ForkTemplate:Sfn
      • Bark Camp BranchTemplate:Sfn
    • Tolby BranchTemplate:Sfn
    • Whitaker BranchTemplate:Sfn
    • Big BranchTemplate:Sfn
    • Defeated CreekTemplate:Sfn
      • Big Looney BranchTemplate:Sfn
      • Oldhouse BranchTemplate:Sfn
      • Wilson Fork (a.k.a. Right Fork)Template:Sfn
      • Wolfpen BranchTemplate:Sfn
      • Grassy Spring BranchTemplate:Sfn
    • Ingram CreekTemplate:Sfn
      • Flintfield BranchTemplate:Sfn
    • Cornetts BranchTemplate:Sfn
    • Picture BranchTemplate:Sfn
    • Trace BranchTemplate:Sfn
      • Shipley ForkTemplate:Sfn
    • Long BranchTemplate:Sfn
    • Coyle BranchTemplate:Sfn
    • Jakes BranchTemplate:Sfn
    • Bear BranchTemplate:Sfn
  • Elk CreekTemplate:Sfn
  • Rockhouse CreekTemplate:Sfn just upstream of BlackeyTemplate:Sfn
    • Crases Branch Template:Convert upstream Template:Sfn
    • Caudill BranchTemplate:Sfn
    • Spring BranchTemplate:Sfn
    • Doty BranchTemplate:Sfn
    • Blair BranchTemplate:Sfn
    • Garner BranchTemplate:Sfn
    • Little Colly CreekTemplate:Sfn the location of TillieTemplate:Sfn
      • Cow BranchTemplate:Sfn
    • Elkhorn BranchTemplate:Sfn
    • Daniels BranchTemplate:Sfn
    • Camp BranchTemplate:Sfn
      • Sugar BranchTemplate:Sfn
      • Little Sandlick BranchTemplate:Sfn
    • Trace ForkTemplate:Sfn
    • Buck CreekTemplate:Sfn
    • Beaverdam BranchTemplate:Sfn
    • Indian CreekTemplate:Sfn
    • Love BranchTemplate:Sfn
    • Big BranchTemplate:Sfn
    • Mill CreekTemplate:Sfn
    • Stephens ForkTemplate:Sfn
  • Tolson BranchTemplate:Sfn
  • Mill BranchTemplate:Sfn
  • Kings CreekTemplate:Sfn
    • Big Bottom BranchTemplate:Sfn
    • Muddy BranchTemplate:Sfn
    • Lynn BranchTemplate:Sfn
    • Carrion BranchTemplate:Sfn
    • Fugate BranchTemplate:Sfn
  • Smoot CreekTemplate:Sfn
    • Johnson BranchTemplate:Sfn
    • Bee-tree BranchTemplate:Sfn
    • Trace ForkTemplate:Sfn
  • Kingdom-come CreekTemplate:Sfn
    • Frazier BranchTemplate:Sfn
    • Alfred BranchTemplate:Sfn
    • Cotton Patch BranchTemplate:Sfn
    • Stillhouse BranchTemplate:Sfn
    • Day ForkTemplate:Sfn
    • Right ForkTemplate:Sfn
  • Dry ForkTemplate:Sfn
    • Stevens BranchTemplate:Sfn
    • Loggy HollowTemplate:Sfn
  • Cowan CreekTemplate:Sfn whose course is followed by Kentucky Highway 931Template:Sfn
    • Little Cowan CreekTemplate:Sfn whose course is followed by Kentucky Highway 2035Template:Sfn
  • Sandlick CreekTemplate:Sfn just upstream of which is WhitesburgTemplate:Sfn
  • Crafts Colly CreekTemplate:Sfn
    • Allen BranchTemplate:Sfn
    • Licking Rock BranchTemplate:Sfn
    • Right ForkTemplate:Sfn
    • Stallards ForkTemplate:Sfn
  • Cram CreekTemplate:Sfn
  • Pine CreekTemplate:Sfn
  • Bottom ForkTemplate:Sfn
  • Thornton CreekTemplate:Sfn
    • Wolf Pen BranchTemplate:Sfn
  • Millstone CreekTemplate:Sfn
    • Left ForkTemplate:Sfn
      • Cane ForkTemplate:Sfn
    • Right ForkTemplate:Sfn
      • Meadow ForkTemplate:Sfn
      • Barn BranchTemplate:Sfn
  • Boone Fork the location of KonaTemplate:Sfn
    • Little CreekTemplate:Sfn
    • Yonts ForkTemplate:Sfn
      • Quillen ForkTemplate:Sfn the location of HemphillTemplate:Sfn
    • Wrights ForkTemplate:Sfn the location of Fleming-NeonTemplate:Sfn
      • Bottom ForkTemplate:Sfn
      • She ForkTemplate:Sfn
      • Chopping BranchTemplate:Sfn
      • Tom Biggs BranchTemplate:Sfn
      • Bark Camp BranchTemplate:Sfn
    • Potter ForkTemplate:Sfn
    • Wolf-pen BranchTemplate:Sfn
  • Ritter BranchTemplate:Sfn
  • Laurel ForkTemplate:Sfn
  • Holbrook BranchTemplate:Sfn
  • Fishpond BranchTemplate:Sfn
  • Buck BranchTemplate:Sfn

Connections

A gap connects Whitaker Branch to a minor branch of Tolson Branch.Template:Sfn

A trail leads from the Jakes Branch of Line Fork to the Stony Fork of Leatherwood Creek.Template:Sfn A gap leads from Little Colly Creek to Camp Branch.Template:Sfn Over a ridge from Daniels Branch in one direction is Little Carr Creek and in the other is the Trace Fork of Rockhouse Creek.Template:Sfn Over a ridge from Sandlick Creek is the Camp Branch of Rockhouse Creek.Template:Sfn

A road leads from the Little Sandlick Branch past Polly and over a gap to Sandlick Branch.Template:Sfn A gap from Indian Creek leads to Millstone.Template:Sfn A gap from Trace Fork of Smoot Creek leads to Little Colly Creek.Template:Sfn

Mines

In 1916, Caudill Branch was the location of Nancy Caudill's and Ison Caudill's mines.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

The Swift Coal and Timber Company had mines on Turkey Creek;Template:Sfn Line Fork just downstream of Defeated Creek (on land owned by Mose Ison);Template:Sfn Defeated Creek itself,Template:Sfn and its Wilson Fork and Wolfpen Branch;Template:Sfn and many other locations on Line Fork from Cornetts Branch all of the way to Line's headwatersTemplate:Sfn including on Picture Branch,Template:Sfn Shipley Fork,Template:Sfn Long Branch,Template:Sfn Coyle Branch,Template:Sfn and Jakes Branch.Template:Sfn

See also

• List of rivers of Kentucky

Sources

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• Template:Cite book (Template:Internet Archive)
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• Template:Cite book (Template:Internet Archive)

Further reading

• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite magazine — entered as evidence into the Congressional Record on 1968-03-08 in support of Senate Bill 3123 ("The Mined Lands Conservation Act of 1968")