New Hope Creek

New Hope Creek is a watercourse that rises in rural Orange County, North Carolina, in the United States. It drains the western portion of Orange County and the southern half of Durham County and flows into the northern end of Jordan Lake reservoir. The drainage area encompasses urban, suburban and rural lands. Formerly the New Hope River, it was a tributary of the Cape Fear River until it was dammed to create Jordan Lake. Construction of the lake began in 1973, after a comprehensive study of regional water management by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, motivated by major flooding in a 1945 hurricane. Several communities draw drinking water from Jordan Lake, increasing interest in protection of the New Hope Creek watershed.

New Hope Creek
Tributary to New Hope River
New Hope Creek from the southwest terminus of Duke Forest's Laurel Hill foot trail.
Location of New Hope Creek mouth
New Hope Creek (the United States)
Location
CountryUnited States
StateNorth Carolina
CountyChatham
Durham
Orange
CityChapel Hill
Physical characteristics
Sourcepond on the divide between New Hope Creek and Cane Creek
 • locationabout 3 miles northeast of Orange Grove, North Carolina
 • coordinates36°01′26″N 079°09′37″W[1]
 • elevation718 ft (219 m)[2]
MouthNew Hope River
 • location
B. Everett Jordan Lake
 • coordinates
35°48′37″N 078°59′48″W[1]
 • elevation
216 ft (66 m)[2]
Length33.10 mi (53.27 km)[3]
Basin size168.80 square miles (437.2 km2)[4]
Discharge 
 • locationNew Hope River
 • average205.53 cu ft/s (5.820 m3/s) at mouth with New Hope River[4]
Basin features
Progressionsoutheast then south
River systemHaw River
Tributaries 
 • leftSteep Bottom Branch
Pine Mountain Creek
Mud Creek
Sandy Creek
Third Fork Creek
Crooked Creek
Northeast Creek
 • rightLong Branch
Garrett Branch
Mountain Creek
Old Field Creek
Church Branch
Little Creek
BridgesKimbro Road, Silver Apple Road, Boulder Run Road, Borland Road, Arthur Minnis Road (x2), Old Chapel Hill-Hillsborough Road, Walnut Cove Road, Foxlair Road, New Hope Church Road, I-40, NC 86, Mt. Sinai Road, Turkey Farm Road, Erwin Road, US 15, Old Chapel Hill Road, Nelson Chapel Hill Road (NC 54), I-40, Stagecoach Road

Since the late 1980s, local environmentalists have tried to protect a 20-mile corridor along New Hope Creek for conservation and recreational use. A comprehensive plan for the corridor was approved in 1992 by the City of Durham, Durham County, Orange County and the town of Chapel Hill. Since that time, approximately $3 million has been spent on land acquisition in the corridor and several miles of public trails have been constructed.

Ecology

The creek is home to many species of fish, including but not limited to: Largemouth bass, bluegill, green sunfish, golden shiner, black crappie, white perch, bowfin, white catfish, brown bullhead, flat bullhead, channel catfish, threadfin shad and notchlip redhorse.

References
  1. "GNIS Detail - New Hope Creek". geonames.usgs.gov. US Geological Survey. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  2. "New Hope Creek Topo Map, Chatham County NC (Green Level Area)". TopoZone. Locality, LLC. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  3. "ArcGIS Web Application". epa.maps.arcgis.com. US EPA. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  4. "New Hope Creek Watershed Report". Waters Geoviewer. US EPA. Retrieved 9 October 2019.



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