Mears Fork
| Mears Fork Tributary to Haw River | |
|---|---|
  Location of Mears Fork mouth  Mears Fork (the United States) | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | North Carolina |
| County | Guilford |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | divide between Mears Fork, Haw River, and Reedy Fork |
| • location | Summerfield, North Carolina |
| • coordinates | 36°12′32″N 079°53′57″W / 36.20889°N 79.89917°W[1] |
| • elevation | 878 ft (268 m)[2] |
| Mouth | Haw River |
• location | about 2 miles south of Midway, North Carolina |
• coordinates | 36°14′51″N 079°47′04″W / 36.24750°N 79.78444°W[1] |
• elevation | 699 ft (213 m)[2] |
| Length | 7.77 mi (12.50 km)[3] |
| Basin size | 12.59 square miles (32.6 km2)[4] |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Haw River |
| • average | 14.63 cu ft/s (0.414 m3/s) at mouth with Haw River[4] |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | Haw River → Cape Fear River → Atlantic Ocean |
| River system | Haw River |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | unnamed tributaries |
| • right | unnamed tributaries |
| Bridges | Strawberry Road, Lake Brandt Road, Cedar Ridge Farm Road |
Mears Fork is a 7.77 mi (12.50 km) long third order tributary to the Haw River, in Guilford County, North Carolina.
Variant names[edit]
According to the Geographic Names Information System, it has also been known historically as:[1]
- Mears Fork Creek
Course[edit]
Mears Fork rises on the divide between Mears Fork, Haw River, and Reedy Fork at Summerfield in Guilford County. Mears Fork then flows northeast to meet the Haw River about 2 miles south of Midway, North Carolina.[2]
Watershed[edit]
Mears Fork drains 12.59 square miles (32.6 km2) of area, receives about 45.7 in/year of precipitation, has a topographic wetness index of 409.05 and is about 50% forested.[4]
Natural History[edit]
The Natural Areas Inventory Guilford County, North Carolina and a later addition in 1995[5] recognized nine locations of natural significance in the Mears Fork watershed. These sites include:
- Witty Road Wetland (County General Significant)--the location of semi-impermanent impoundment and alluvial forest.
- Cummings Dairy Beaver Pond (County General Significant)--the location of a shrub swamp from an old beaver pond.
- Strader Road Beaver Pond (County General Significant)--the location of a beaver pond.
- Trailing Cedar Farm (County High Significant)--the location of wetland and forested communities with rare species.
- Burnt Oaks (County General Significant)--the location of beaver pond wetlands and forested slopes.
- Mears Fork at Lake Brandt Road (County High Significant)--the location of a mature Dry-Mesic Oak-Hickory Forest and Mesic Mixed Hardwood Forest.
- Cedar Hollow Alluvial Forest (County Low Significant)--the location of Piedmont Alluvial Forest.
- Mear Fork at Church Street (County General Significant)--the location of mature Dry-Mesic Oak-Hickory Forest.
- Church Street Ginseng Slope (County General Significant)--the location of a mature Mesic Mixed Hardwood Forest.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c "GNIS Detail - Mears Fork". geonames.usgs.gov. US Geological Survey. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
- ^ a b c "Mears Fork Topo Map, Guilford County NC (Lake Brandt Area)". TopoZone. Locality, LLC. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
- ^ "ArcGIS Web Application". epa.maps.arcgis.com. US EPA. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
- ^ a b c "Mears Fork Watershed Report". Waters Geoviewer. US EPA. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
- ^ "Natural areas inventory, Guilford County, North Carolina :: State Publications". digital.ncdcr.gov. Guilford County and North Carolina Natural Heritage Foundation. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
External links[edit]