TMDL Studies

Lick Creek

Lick Creek is located just north of Saint Paul, Virginia. It covers portions of Russell, Dickenson, and Wise Counties. TMDL development for this project is currently underway. Lick Creek has both an aquatic life (cause unknown) and a bacterial impairment. See the Lick Creek Forum for updates and current information.

The Lick Creek watershed occupies portions of Dickenson, Russell, and Wise Counties (Figure 1). The Lick Creek watershed encompasses the town of Dante, and is north of Saint Paul and south of Trammel. It is a tributary to the Clinch River. State Route 63 and the Clinchfield Railroad run through the middle of the watershed.

Figure 1. Lick Creek Location

Lick Creek and its tributaries Right Fork, Laurel Branch, and Cigarette Hollow have bacteria and aquatic life impairments (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Lick Creek Impaired Segments

Land use in Lick Creek is dominated by forested areas (85% of total area). Residential land uses make up the next largest component (8%), followed by agriculture (6%), and finally mining (1%). These were determined through automated analysis of satellite photography; if you feel these numbers may be in error, please head to the forums and post a comment to that effect! The total watershed area is approximately 17,400 acres. Land uses are shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3. Land uses in Lick Creek