| Smithers Creek | |
 Smithers Creek in Smithers | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | West Virginia |
| County | Fayette |
| Source | |
| - location | Mount Olive |
| - elevation | 1,477 ft (450 m) [1] |
| - coordinates | 38°14′18″N81°14′09″W / 38.2384388°N 81.2359437°W [2] |
| Mouth | Kanawha River |
| - location | Smithers |
| - elevation | 640 ft (195 m) [2] |
| - coordinates | 38°10′51″N81°18′38″W / 38.1809390°N 81.3106669°W Coordinates: 38°10′51″N81°18′38″W / 38.1809390°N 81.3106669°W [2] |
| Length | 7 mi (11 km) |
| Basin | 18.1 sq mi (47 km2) |
| Hydrologic Unit Code | 050500060303 (USGS) |
 A map of Smithers Creek and its watershed | |
Smithers Creek is a tributary of the Kanawha River, 7 miles (11 km) long, [3] in southern West Virginia in the United States. Via the Kanawha and Ohio rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of 18.1 square miles (47 km2) [4] on the unglaciated portion of the Allegheny Plateau. The creek flows for its entire length in western Fayette County; its tributaries additionally drain a portion of eastern Kanawha County.
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage basin of its surface water and groundwater, leading the water out into an ocean.
The Kanawha River is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately 97 mi (156 km) long, in the U.S. state of West Virginia. The largest inland waterway in West Virginia, it has formed a significant industrial region of the state since early in the 19th century.
Southern West Virginia is a culturally and geographically distinct region in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Generally considered the heart of Appalachia, Southern West Virginia is known for its coal mining heritage and Southern affinity. The region is also closely identified with southwestern Virginia and southeastern Kentucky, with close proximity to northwestern North Carolina and East Tennessee. Today, Southern West Virginia continues to grapple with poverty and continuing population loss. Almost the entire region is located in West Virginia's 3rd congressional district, which was represented by Evan Jenkins until he resigned on September 30, 2018 to take a seat as a Justice on the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia.
Smithers Creek rises in the unincorporated community of Mount Olive and flows generally southwestward through the unincorporated communities of Marting and Cannelton, to the city of Smithers, where it flows into the Kanawha River. The creek is paralleled by a county road for most of its course. [5] [6]
Mount Olive is an unincorporated community in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States. Mount Olive is 5.5 miles (8.9 km) north-northwest of Gauley Bridge. The town itself has no ZIP code; however, Mount Olive Correctional Complex, West Virginia's maximum-security state prison, is located near the town and has a post office with ZIP code 25185.
Marting is an unincorporated community and coal town in Fayette County, West Virginia, along Smithers Creek.
Cannelton is an unincorporated community in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States. Cannelton is 1 mile (1.6 km) northeast of Smithers, along Smithers Creek. Cannelton has a post office with ZIP code 25036. The community was named for the deposits of cannel coal in the area.
The Geographic Names Information System lists "Smothers Creek," "Smuthers Creek," and "Smythers Creek" as historical variant names for the creek. [2]
The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) is a database that contains name and locative information about more than two million physical and cultural features located throughout the United States of America and its territories. It is a type of gazetteer. GNIS was developed by the United States Geological Survey in cooperation with the United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN) to promote the standardization of feature names.
