As you can see in this picture, Pughs Run covers approximately 7.67 square miles. This small stream empties out into the Shenandoah River. The elevation at the starting point of the stream at the top of Little North Mountain is about 1775 feet. The stream follows drainages down the mountain, being fed by various springs along the way. By the time Pughs Run reaches the Shenandoah River, it has reached an elevation of about 640 feet.
In just a little over 6 miles, the stream elevation drops an estimated 1135 feet. Quite a steep drop for such a short distance. Pughs Run flows through forest land up on the mountain but flattens out once it reaches farm and pasture land at the base of the mountain. Pughs Run resides only in Shenandoah County and runs through the towns of Woodstock and Maurertown.
The Shenandoah Valley is known for its farming and livestock production throughout Virginia. Pughs Run extends through a number of farms on the western side of the Shenandoah Valley and is exposed to pastures and cropland along its way to the Shenandoah River. The Pughs Run riparian buffer has small variations from forest to farmland, but generally stays the same.
Great information - I didn't know that the limestone lithology promoted the occurrence of natural springs. Why do you think this may be?
ReplyDeleteErin