The
Licking River is a tributary of the
Ohio RiverThe Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. It is approximately 981 miles long and is located in the eastern United States....
, approximately 320 mi (515 km) long in northeastern
KentuckyThe Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. Kentucky is a Southern state situated in the Upland South, although the state is infrequently placed, geographically and culturally, in the Midwest. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a...
in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The river and its tributaries drain much of the region of northeastern Kentucky between the watersheds of the
Kentucky RiverThe Kentucky River is a tributary of the Ohio River, 259 mi long, in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The river and its tributaries drain much of the central region of the state, with its upper course passing through the coal-mining regions of the Cumberland Mountains, and its lower course passing...
to the west and the Big Sandy River to the east.
The
Native AmericansThe indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Americas, their descendants, and many ethnic groups who identify with those peoples...
called the river Nepernine, but when Dr.
Thomas WalkerDr. Thomas Walker was a physician and explorer from Virginia who led an expedition to what is now the region beyond the Allegheny Mountains area of British North America in the mid-18th century...
discovered it in 1750, he called it Frederick's River.
The
Licking River is a tributary of the
Ohio RiverThe Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. It is approximately 981 miles long and is located in the eastern United States....
, approximately 320 mi (515 km) long in northeastern
KentuckyThe Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. Kentucky is a Southern state situated in the Upland South, although the state is infrequently placed, geographically and culturally, in the Midwest. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a...
in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The river and its tributaries drain much of the region of northeastern Kentucky between the watersheds of the
Kentucky RiverThe Kentucky River is a tributary of the Ohio River, 259 mi long, in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The river and its tributaries drain much of the central region of the state, with its upper course passing through the coal-mining regions of the Cumberland Mountains, and its lower course passing...
to the west and the Big Sandy River to the east.
Origin of name
The
Native AmericansThe indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Americas, their descendants, and many ethnic groups who identify with those peoples...
called the river Nepernine, but when Dr.
Thomas WalkerDr. Thomas Walker was a physician and explorer from Virginia who led an expedition to what is now the region beyond the Allegheny Mountains area of British North America in the mid-18th century...
discovered it in 1750, he called it Frederick's River. One earlier name, Great Salt Lick Creek, makes reference to the many
salineA salt, in chemistry, is an ionic compound, and can result from the neutralization reaction of acids and bases. Salts are ionic compounds composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
springs near the river that attracted animals to its
salt lickA salt lick is a salt deposit that animals regularly lick. In an ecosystem, salt/mineral licks often occur naturally, providing the sodium, calcium, iron, phosphorus and zinc required in the springtime for bone, muscle and other growth in deer and other wildlife, such as moose, elephants, cattle,...
s. 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 CountyBath County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1811. As of 2000, the population is 11,085. Its county seat is Owingsville, Kentucky. Bath is a prohibition or dry county.....
on Slate Creek can also be found in the region.
The river served as an important transportation route for Native Americans and early
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
an pioneers. In the 19th century, it was an important trade route.
In 1780, during the
American Revolutionary WarThe American Revolutionary War , also sometimes known as the American War of Independence, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen united former British colonies in North America, and concluded in a global war between several European great powers...
, a group of American frontiersmen under
George Rogers ClarkGeorge Rogers Clark was a soldier from Virginia and the highest ranking American military officer on the northwestern frontier during the American Revolutionary War...
gathered at the river's mouth for their march up the valley of the
Little Miami RiverThe Little Miami River is a Class I tributary of the Ohio River that flows through five counties in southwestern Ohio in the United States. The Little Miami joins the Ohio River east of Cincinnati. It forms parts of the borders between Hamilton and Clermont Counties and between Hamilton and Warren...
.
In 1782 the river was the site of the
Battle of Blue LicksThe Battle of Blue Licks, fought in Kentucky on August 19, 1782, was one of the last battles of the American Revolutionary War. The battle occurred ten months after Lord Cornwallis's famous surrender at Yorktown, which had effectively ended the war in the east...
. The
Newport BarracksNewport Barracks was a military barracks in Newport, Kentucky, operational between 1803 and 1894.-History:In 1803, James Taylor Jr. solicited the help of his cousin, James Madison, who was then U.S. secretary of state, to persuade the federal government to move the Ft. Washington military post from...
in
NewportNewport is a city in Campbell County, Kentucky, United States, at the confluence of the Ohio and Licking Rivers. The population was 17,048 at the 2000 census. Historically, it was one of four county seats of Campbell County. Newport is part of the Greater Cincinnati, Ohio Metro Area which...
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 11 national titles from 1998-2008.
Course
The Licking River rises in the
Cumberland PlateauThe Cumberland Plateau is the southern part of the Appalachian Plateau. It includes much of eastern Kentucky and western West Virginia, part of Tennessee, and a small portion of northern Alabama and northwest Georgia
. The terms "Allegheny Plateau" and the "Cumberland Plateau" both refer...
of eastern Kentucky, in southeastern
Magoffin CountyMagoffin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky which was formed from parts of Floyd, Johnson, and Morgan Counties and officially created on 22 Feb 1860. As of 2000, the population was 13,332. Its county seat is Salyersville. The county is named for Beriah Magoffin who was...
. It flows northwest in a highly
meanderA meander in general is a bend in a sinuous watercourse. A meander is formed when the moving water in a river erodes the outer banks and widens its valley. A stream of any volume may assume a meandering course, alternatively eroding sediments from the outside of a bend and depositing them on the...
ing course past
SalyersvilleSalyersville is a city in and the county seat of Magoffin County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 1,604 at the 2000 census.- History :...
and
West LibertyWest Liberty is a city in Morgan County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 3,277 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Morgan County. It is on the banks of the Licking River at the junction of Kentucky Route 7 and US 460....
. In
Rowan CountyRowan is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 22,094. Its county seat is Morehead. The county was created in 1856 from adjacent counties originally part of Mason county, and named for John Rowan, who represented Kentucky in the U.S...
in the
Daniel Boone National ForestDaniel Boone National Forest is the only national forest completely within the boundary of Kentucky. Established in 1937, it was originally named the Cumberland National Forest, after the core region called the Cumberland Purchase Unit...
it is impounded to form the large
Cave Run LakeCave Run Lake, located south of Morehead, Kentucky, USA along Kentucky Route 801, is an , reservoir built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The 148 ft , half-mile dam construction began in 1965 and was completed in 1973. Cave Run Lake is in...
reservoir. Northwest of the reservoir it receives Fleming Creek approximately 8 mi (13 km) northwest of
CarlisleCarlisle is a city in Nicholas County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 1,917 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Nicholas County...
and flows across the
Bluegrass regionThe Bluegrass Region is a region in the United States, mostly in northern Kentucky, containing a majority of the state's population. The region is centered on , and includes and , as it extends into southwestern Ohio and southeastern Indiana...
of northern Kentucky. It receives the North Fork from the east approximately 10 mi (16 km) northwest of
Mount OlivetMount Olivet is a city in and the county seat of Robertson County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 289 at the 2000 census. The population has declined from 442 in 1970, 346 in 1980, and 384 in 1990....
and the South Fork from the south at
FalmouthFalmouth is a small city in Pendleton County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,058 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Pendleton County and is the meeting point of the South and Main forks of the Licking River.-Geography:...
. It joins the Ohio opposite
Cincinnati, OhioCincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. The municipality is located north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border. The population within city limits was estimated to be 333,336 in 2008, making it the state's third largest city...
, where it separates the cities of
CovingtonCovington is a city in Kenton County, Kentucky, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 43,370; it is the fifth-most-populous city in Kentucky. It is one of two county seats of Kenton County. Covington is located at the confluence of the Ohio and Licking Rivers...
and
NewportNewport is a city in Campbell County, Kentucky, United States, at the confluence of the Ohio and Licking Rivers. The population was 17,048 at the 2000 census. Historically, it was one of four county seats of Campbell County. Newport is part of the Greater Cincinnati, Ohio Metro Area which...
. The river was used as the south-western border of the original
Mason CountyMason County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 16,800. Its county seat is Maysville. The county is named for George Mason, a Virginia delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention, known as the "Father of the Bill of Rights"...
and is the southwest border of
FlemingFleming County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1798. As of 2000, the population was 13,792. Its county seat is Flemingsburg. The county is named for Colonel John Fleming. It's a prohibition or dry county. In 1998, the Kentucky General Assembly designated Fleming...
and
RowanRowan is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 22,094. Its county seat is Morehead. The county was created in 1856 from adjacent counties originally part of Mason county, and named for John Rowan, who represented Kentucky in the U.S...
counties today.
Flora and fauna
The river is considered by ecologists to provide a unique
ecosystemAn ecosystem is a system of interdependent organisms which share the same habitat, in an area functioning together with all of the physical factors of the environment. Ecosystems can be permanent or temporary. Ecosystems usually form a number of food webs...
in the region. The lower river is considered to be a rare example of a native
muskieA muskellunge , also known as a muskelunge, muscallonge, milliganong, or maskinonge , is a large, relatively uncommon freshwater fish of North America. Muskellunge are the largest member of the pike family, Esocidae...
stream. The river basin also supports several unique fish species including:
redside daceThe redside dace is a species of ray-finned fish in the Cyprinidae family, found in the United States and Canada. It is unique among minnows, being the only species to routinely feed on flying insects by leaping from water. Thus, it acts as a conduit for energy transfers between terrestrial and...
, mimic shiner, streamline chub, slender madtom,
blue suckerThe blue sucker, Cycleptus elongatus, is a freshwater species of fish in the sucker family. Color is variable, from light steel-gray to almost black. The fish is streamlined, with a pointed head and a subterminal mouth...
,
paddlefishPaddlefish are primitive Chondrostean ray-finned fishes. The paddlefish can be distinguished by its large mouth and its elongated snout called a rostrum . These spatula-like snouts comprise half the length of their entire body. There are only two extant species of these fish: the Chinese and the...
, and eastern sand. There are also more than 50 species of
musselThe common name mussel is used for members of several families of clams or bivalve molluscs, from saltwater and freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other edible clams, which are often more or less rounded or oval.The...
s, 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 ConservancyThe Nature Conservancy is a US charitable environmental organization working to preserve the plants, animals, and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive....
have sought to protect the diversity of habitat in the region.
The largest
common carpThe Common carp or European carp is a widespread freshwater fish most closely related to the common goldfish , with which it is capable of interbreeding. It gives its name to the carp family Cyprinidae. Common carp are native to Asia and Eastern Europe...
ever taken in the state of Kentucky (54 lbs., 14 oz.) was caught in the South Fork of Licking River.
In 1984 Pat and Brian Mulloy of Butler, Kentucky caught a 79 and a half pound flathead catfish in a deep hole of the Licking River near Boston. The fish was caught legally on a trot line baited with small bluegill. The mainstem of the Licking River boasts three sport species of catfish including the channel, blue, and flathead in some areas closer to the Ohio. The flathead catfish caught by the Mulloy's is still one of the largest caught legally out of the river.
External links