Everything about Licking River Kentucky totally explained
The
Licking River is a tributary of the
Ohio River, approximately 320 mi (515 km) long in northeastern
Kentucky in the
United States. The river and its tributaries drain much of the region of northeastern Kentucky between the watersheds of the
Kentucky River to the west and the
Big Sandy River to the east.
Origin of name
The
Native Americans called the river Nepernine, but when Dr.
Thomas Walker discovered it in 1750, he called it Frederick's River. One earlier name, Great Salt Lick Creek, makes reference to the many
saline springs near the river that attracted animals to its
salt licks. The origin of the present name is unclear, though possibly related to this previous name.
History
Numerous aboriginal peoples inhabited the watershed for at least part of the year for several thousand years, but no tribal lands are recognized to have been displaced by European settlement. The
Melungeons— a mysterious, pale Native American group— occupied points on the southern end of the river, as well as Shawnee and Cherokee tribes. Other, older settlements of unnamed groups in
Bath County on Slate Creek can also be found in the region.
The river served as an important transportation route for Native Americans and early
European pioneers. In the
19th century, it was an important trade route.
In
1780, during the
American Revolutionary War, a group of American frontiersmen under
George Rogers Clark gathered at the river's mouth for their march up the valley of the
Little Miami River.
In
1782 the river was the site of the
Battle of Blue Licks. The
Newport Barracks in
Newport guarded its mouth from 1803 to 1894.
It is currently in use by the Cincinnati Junior Rowing Club, where they practice for their national championships. Their extensive collection of high school hardware spans 10 national titles from 1998-2005.
Course
It rises in the
Cumberland Plateau of eastern Kentucky, in southeastern
Magoffin County. It flows northwest in a highly
meandering course past
Salyersville and
West Liberty. In
Rowan County in the
Daniel Boone National Forest it's impounded to form the large
Cave Run Lake reservoir. Northwest of the reservoir it receives
Fleming Creek approximately 8 mi (13 km) northwest of
Carlisle and flows across the
Bluegrass region of northern Kentucky. It receives the
North Fork from the east approximately 10 mi (16 km) northwest of
Mount Olivet and the
South Fork from the south at
Falmouth. It joins the Ohio opposite
Cincinnati, Ohio, where it separates the cities of
Covington and
Newport. The river was used as the south-western border of the original
Mason County and is the southwest border of
Fleming and
Rowan counties today.
Flora and fauna
The river is considered by
ecologists to provide a unique
ecosystem in the region. The lower river is considered to be a rare example of a native
muskie stream. The river basin also supports several unique fish species including:
redside dace,
mimic shiner,
streamline chub,
slender madtom,
blue sucker,
paddlefish, and
eastern sand. There are also more than 50 species of
mussels, of which 11 are endangered. The watershed provides wetland stopover habitats for about 250 species of migratory birds, which is considered to be an unusually high number. Several state and federal agencies, as well as private organizations such as
The Nature Conservancy have sought to protect the diversity of habitat in the region.
The largest
common carp ever taken in the state of Kentucky (54 lbs., 14 oz.) was caught in the South Fork of Licking River.
Further Information
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