| Captina Creek | |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Subdivision Name1: | United States |
| Subdivision Type2: | State |
| Subdivision Name2: | Ohio |
| Subdivision Type3: | Region |
| Subdivision Name3: | Midwest |
| Subdivision Type4: | District |
| Subdivision Name4: | Southern Belmont County, Northern Monroe County |
| Length Mi: | 35 |
| Discharge1 Location: | Armstrongs Mill |
| Discharge1 Avg: | 163cuft/s, USGS water years 1927-1935 and 1959-2002[1] |
| Discharge2 Location: | mouth |
| Discharge2 Avg: | 226.72cuft/s (estimate) [2] |
| Source1: | North Fork Captina Creek |
| Source1 Location: | Near Barnesville, Belmont County, Ohio |
| Mouth: | Ohio River |
| Mouth Location: | Powhatan Point, Belmont County, Ohio |
| Mouth Coordinates: | 39.8599°N -80.8009°W |
| Basin Size Mi2: | 227 |
Captina Creek is a 35miles long creek located in southeastern Ohio, and a tributary of the Ohio River. Captina Creek is an important creek to the region and home to about 56 species of fish.
In April 1774, the frontiersman Michael Cresap was accused of killing two Indians at the mouth of Captina Creek in revenge for the murder of a white trader earlier that month. He was later exonerated, but this and the subsequent Yellow Creek Massacre were the flashpoint incidents that set off Lord Dunmore's War.[3] There is a plaque located inside a gazebo on the Powhatan Point village fair grounds dedicated to George Washington at the mouth of the creek. The plaque states that Washington had set camp for a night at the mouth of Captina creek while exploring the Ohio Valley.
The gas industry has a heavy presence in Belmont County, and has caused several spills that may have damaged the ecosystem around Captina Creek.[4]
Captina Creek is home to some 56 known species of fish. The surrounding area is also home to many diverse plant life and rare and endangered species such as the bobcat and the Eastern Hellbender.[5]
Captina Creek is located in the southeastern part of Ohio. The creek is paralleled by State Route 148, which runs from the mouth at the Ohio river, past the source near Barnesville. Chestnut Creek and Barnesville Reservoir Number Two are the main sources for the creek, which flows southeast towards the Ohio River.