Reed Island Creek facts for kids
Big Reed Island Creek is a really important stream that flows into the New River. It's located in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, which are part of the bigger Appalachian Mountains in Virginia.
This creek is one of the largest streams that feeds into the New River. It starts way up high at a place called Hurricane Knob in Meadows of Dan, Virginia. From there, it flows for about 96 kilometers (that's almost 60 miles!). It finally joins the New River near Hiwassee, Virginia.
Many smaller streams and creeks flow into Big Reed Island Creek, adding over a hundred more miles to its total length! Some of the main streams that join it are Bear Creek, Big Branch, Bobbitt Creek, Buckhorn Creek, Burks Fork, Grassy Creek, Greasy Creek, Little Snake Creek, Pine Creek, Snake Creek, Stone Mountain Creek, and Sulphur Spring Branch.
The area that Big Reed Island Creek and its smaller streams cover is huge, about 110.5 square kilometers (or 27,318 acres). It flows through three different counties in southwestern Virginia: Pulaski, Floyd, and Carroll County, Virginia.
How Land is Used Around the Creek
The land around Big Reed Island Creek is mostly rural, meaning it's not full of big cities. It has gentle, rolling hills and lots of open spaces. People use this land for different things, like growing crops (agriculture), forests, and just open areas.
More than half (54.4%) of the land in Carroll County is used for farming. Another 16% is open space or not currently used. Forests cover about 11.5% of the land, providing homes for animals and helping the environment.
About 11.4% of the land is used for homes and businesses. Even though Carroll County isn't expected to grow very fast, more homes will likely be built in the future.
Wetlands: Nature's Filters
Wetlands are special areas where the land is covered by water, like swamps or marshes. They make up about 1.5% of the land in Carroll County, Virginia. These amazing places do a lot of good things for the environment:
- They help clean and refill underground water supplies.
- They act like sponges, soaking up extra water and helping to prevent floods.
- They provide important homes for many different plants and animals.
- They help stop the soil from washing away (erosion).
Some types of wetlands found here include freshwater marshes, forested wetlands (with trees and shrubs), freshwater ponds, and areas along rivers.
