Mears Fork Explained

Mears Fork
Name Other:	Tributary to Haw River
Map Size:	300
Pushpin Map:	USA North Carolina#USA
Pushpin Map Size:	300
Pushpin Map Caption:	Location of Mears Fork mouth
Pushpin Map Alt:	Map of Mears Fork mouth location
Subdivision Type1:	Country
Subdivision Name1:	United States
Subdivision Type2:	State
Subdivision Name2:	North Carolina
Subdivision Type3:	County
Subdivision Name3:	Guilford
Length:	7.77miles^[1]
Discharge1 Location:	Haw River
Discharge1 Avg:	14.63cuft/s at mouth with Haw River^[2]
Source1:	divide between Mears Fork, Haw River, and Reedy Fork
Source1 Location:	Summerfield, North Carolina
Source1 Coordinates:	36.2089°N -79.8992°W^[3]
Source1 Elevation:	878feet^[4]
Mouth:	Haw River
Mouth Location:	about 2 miles south of Midway, North Carolina
Mouth Coordinates:	36.2475°N -79.7844°W
Mouth Elevation:	699feet
Progression:	Haw River → Cape Fear River → Atlantic Ocean
River System:	Haw River
Tributaries Left:	unnamed tributaries
Tributaries Right:	unnamed tributaries
Bridges:	Strawberry Road, Lake Brandt Road, Cedar Ridge Farm Road

Mears Fork is a 7.77miles long third order tributary to the Haw River, in Guilford County, North Carolina.

Variant names

According to the Geographic Names Information System, it has also been known historically as:^[3]

• Mears Fork Creek

Course

Mears Fork rises on the divide between Mears Fork, Haw River, and Reedy Fork at Summerfield in Guilford County. Mears Fork then flows northeast to meet the Haw River about 2 miles south of Midway, North Carolina.^[4]

Watershed

Mears Fork drains of area, receives about 45.7 in/year of precipitation, has a topographic wetness index of 409.05 and is about 50% forested.^[2]

Natural History

The Natural Areas Inventory Guilford County, North Carolina and a later addition in 1995^[5] recognized nine locations of natural significance in the Mears Fork watershed. These sites include:

• Witty Road Wetland (County General Significant)--the location of semi-impermanent impoundment and alluvial forest.
• Cummings Dairy Beaver Pond (County General Significant)--the location of a shrub swamp from an old beaver pond.
• Strader Road Beaver Pond (County General Significant)--the location of a beaver pond.
• Trailing Cedar Farm (County High Significant)--the location of wetland and forested communities with rare species.
• Burnt Oaks (County General Significant)--the location of beaver pond wetlands and forested slopes.
• Mears Fork at Lake Brandt Road (County High Significant)--the location of a mature Dry-Mesic Oak-Hickory Forest and Mesic Mixed Hardwood Forest.
• Cedar Hollow Alluvial Forest (County Low Significant)--the location of Piedmont Alluvial Forest.
• Mear Fork at Church Street (County General Significant)--the location of mature Dry-Mesic Oak-Hickory Forest.
• Church Street Ginseng Slope (County General Significant)--the location of a mature Mesic Mixed Hardwood Forest.

See also

• List of rivers of North Carolina

External links

• Article about Open Space preservation along Mears Fork

Notes and References

1. Web site: ArcGIS Web Application . epa.maps.arcgis.com . US EPA . 8 October 2019.
2. Web site: Mears Fork Watershed Report . Waters Geoviewer . US EPA . 8 October 2019.
3. Web site: GNIS Detail - Mears Fork . geonames.usgs.gov . US Geological Survey . 8 October 2019.
4. Web site: Mears Fork Topo Map, Guilford County NC (Lake Brandt Area) . TopoZone . Locality, LLC . 8 October 2019 . en.
5. Web site: Natural areas inventory, Guilford County, North Carolina :: State Publications . digital.ncdcr.gov . Guilford County and North Carolina Natural Heritage Foundation . 8 October 2019.