Great Alamance Creek
Tributary to Haw River
Convergence of Great Alamance Creek and the Haw River in Swepsonville, North Carolina
Map of Great Alamance Creek mouth location
Map of Great Alamance Creek mouth location
Location of Great Alamance Creek mouth
Map of Great Alamance Creek mouth location
Map of Great Alamance Creek mouth location
Great Alamance Creek (the United States)
Location
CountryUnited States
StateNorth Carolina
CountiesAlamance
Guilford
Physical characteristics
Sourcedivide between Great Alamance Creek and Deep River
  locationabout 1 mile north of Pleasant Garden, North Carolina
  coordinates35°58′40.49″N 079°44′57.10″W / 35.9779139°N 79.7491944°W / 35.9779139; -79.7491944[1]
  elevation780 ft (240 m)[1]
MouthHaw River
  location
Swepsonville, North Carolina[1]
  coordinates
36°01′2.50″N 079°21′57.07″W / 36.0173611°N 79.3658528°W / 36.0173611; -79.3658528[1]
  elevation
458 ft (140 m)[1]
Length37.12 mi (59.74 km)[2]
Basin size262.23 square miles (679.2 km2)[3]
Discharge 
  locationHaw River
  average268.41 cu ft/s (7.601 m3/s) at mouth with Haw River[3]
Basin features
ProgressionHaw RiverCape Fear RiverAtlantic Ocean
River systemHaw River
Tributaries 
  leftLittle Alamance Creek (Pleasant Garden Creek)
Back Creek
Little Alamance Creek
  rightClimax Creek
Stinking Quarter Creek

Great Alamance Creek, also called Big Alamance Creek, is a 37-mile long[4] creek that is a tributary of the Haw River. The creek's headwaters are in Guilford County, but it flows primarily through Alamance County, North Carolina. It is a major source of water for the cities of Burlington and Greensboro through the Lake Mackintosh Reservoir. It was called "Alamance" after an old local Native American word used to describe the blue-colored mud in the bottom of the creek.[5]

The creek was a part of the site of the Battle of Alamance, fought in 1771 between the colonial militia under the command of Governor William Tryon. When Alamance County was formed from Orange County in 1849, it was named for this battle and creek.

Great Alamance Creek has a tributary that is also called "Alamance Creek" - Little Alamance Creek, which is actually a little longer than Great Alamance Creek at over 12 miles,[4] much of it in Burlington. However, it has less water flow than Great Alamance Creek. Little Alamance Creek flows through City Park[6] in Burlington.

Variant names

According to the Geographic Names Information System, it has also been known historically as:[1]

  • Alamance Creek
  • Aramanchy River (In the 1751 Fry-Jefferson map, the "m" is obscured at the fold.[7])
  • Aramancy River
  • Big Alamance Creek

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Geographic Names Information System". edits.nationalmap.gov. US Geological Survey. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  2. "ArcGIS Web Application". epa.maps.arcgis.com. US EPA. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
  3. 1 2 "Big Alamance Creek Report". Waters Geoviewer. US EPA. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  4. 1 2 Measurement Tool on Alamance County GIS found on the Alamance County Website
  5. "The Colonial Period – Alamance County, North Carolina". Alamance County, NC Website. Alamance County, North Carolina. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  6. "Burlington, NC - Official Website - City Park". burlingtonnc.gov.
  7. Fry, Joshua; Jefferson, Peter. "A map of the most inhabited part of Virginia containing the whole province of Maryland with part of Pensilvania, New Jersey and North Carolina, 1751". LOC. U.S. Library of Congress. Retrieved 1 October 2021.


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