Leading Creek (Tygart Valley River tributary)

Leading Creek is a tributary of the Tygart Valley River, 17.4 miles (28.0 km) long,^[3] in eastern West Virginia in the United States. Via the Tygart Valley, Monongahela and Ohio rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of 61 square miles (160 km²)^[4] in the Allegheny Mountains. The stream's entire course and drainage basin are in northern Randolph County.

Leading Creek
Location of the mouth of Leading Creek in Elkins, West Virginia
Location
Country	United States
State	West Virginia
County	Randolph County
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	north of Montrose
• coordinates	39.1164923°N 79.8197921°W / 39.1164923; -79.8197921[1]
• elevation	2,431 ft (741 m)[2]
Mouth	Tygart Valley River
• location	Elkins
• coordinates	38.9356612°N 79.8817369°W / 38.9356612; -79.8817369[1]
• elevation	1,896 ft (578 m)[1]
Length	17.4 mi (28.0 km)
Basin size	61 sq mi (160 km2)
Basin features
Tributaries
• right	Springstone Run

Leading Creek rises north of Montrose and flows southward in a valley between Laurel Mountain and Cheat Mountain, through Montrose and the unincorporated community of Kerens, to Elkins, where it flows into the Tygart Valley River from the north. The creek is paralleled by U.S. Route 219 for most of its course.^[5]

According to the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, approximately 80 percent of the Leading Creek watershed is forested, mostly deciduous. Approximately 18 percent is used for pasture and agriculture.^[4]

See also

• List of rivers of West Virginia

References

1. Geographic Names Information System. "Geographic Names Information System entry for Leading Creek (Feature ID #1551754)". Retrieved 2011-10-12.
2. Google Earth elevation for GNIS source coordinates. Retrieved on 2010-07-05.
3. United States Environmental Protection Agency. "Watershed Assessment, Tracking & Environmental Results: Assessment Summary for Reporting Year 2008, West Virginia, Tygart Valley Watershed". Archived from the original on 2012-12-11. Retrieved 2011-10-13.
4. West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. "Tygart Valley River". Watershed Atlas Project. Archived from the original on 2005-04-04. Retrieved 2011-10-12. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help)
5. West Virginia Atlas & Gazetteer. Yarmouth, Me.: DeLorme. 1997. p. 37. ISBN 0-89933-246-3.