| Pohick Creek | |
| Name Other: | Tributary to Potomac River |
| Map Size: | 250 |
| Pushpin Map: | USA Virginia#USA |
| Pushpin Map Size: | 250 |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of Pohick Creek mouth |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Subdivision Name1: | United States |
| Subdivision Type2: | State |
| Subdivision Name2: | Virginia |
| Subdivision Type3: | County |
| Subdivision Name3: | Fairfax |
| Length: | 14.32miles[1] |
| Discharge1 Location: | Potomac River (Pohick Bay) |
| Discharge1 Avg: | 41.2cuft/s at mouth with Potomac River[2] |
| Source1: | confluence of Rabbit Branch and Sideburn Branch |
| Source1 Location: | Fairfax, Virginia |
| Source1 Coordinates: | 38.7978°N -77.2844°W[3] |
| Source1 Elevation: | 262feet[4] |
| Mouth: | Potomac River (Pohick Bay) |
| Mouth Location: | about 0.5 miles north of Springfield Farms, Virginia |
| Mouth Coordinates: | 38.6853°N -77.1867°W |
| Mouth Elevation: | 0feet |
| Progression: | southeast |
| River System: | Potomac River |
| Tributaries Left: | Rabbit Branch |
| Tributaries Right: | Sideburn Branch Middle Run South Run Rocky Branch |
| Waterbodies: | Lake Royal |
| Bridges: | Commonwealth Boulevard, Guinea Road, Burke Lake Road, Old Keene Mill Road, VA 286, Pohick Road, I-95, Lorton Road, US 1, Old Colchester Road |
Pohick Creek is a 14adj=midNaNadj=mid[5] tributary stream of the Potomac River in Fairfax County in the U.S. state of Virginia. It takes its name from the Pohick Native American tribe once prevalent in the area.
Pohick Creek forms in the vicinity of Burke and flows southeast past the western edge of Fort Belvoir to empty into the tidal Pohick Bay, which itself empties, along with Accotink Bay, into Gunston Cove, an embayment of the tidal Potomac River. Pohick Creek is a popular stream for whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling, providing Class II and III rapids along a 5.5miles stretch between Hooes Road (Virginia Secondary Route 636) and the Richmond Highway (U.S. Route 1) at Lorton.
Several tributaries of the Pohick Creek are impounded by dams constructed under the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act to prevent soil erosion and flooding. Originally eight dams were planned, but from 1970 to 1985, only six were actually built.
The following variant names have been listed on the Geographic Names Information System by the United States Geological Survey.
Pohick Creek forms at the confluence of Rabbit Branch and Sideburn Branch in Burke, Virginia. Pohick Creek Creek then flows southeast, forming the border between Burke and West Springfield. After crossing the Fairfax County Parkway, it enters Newington and descends into a gorge where the Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail follows the creek, crossing it eight times. It then passes into Lorton and crosses Interstate 95, the CSX RF&P Subdivision, and U.S. Route 1. It then meets the Potomac River in Pohick Bay about 0.5 miles north of Springfield Farms.[4]
Pohick Creek drains of area, receives about 43.5 in/year of precipitation, has a topographic wetness index of 409.88 and is about 31.0% forested.[2]