﻿Divide 
  of 
  Right 
  Middle 
  Creek, 
  Ky. 
  61 
  

  

  The 
  present 
  watershed 
  of 
  the 
  upper 
  part 
  of 
  Right 
  

   Middle 
  Creek 
  is 
  indicated 
  by 
  the 
  western, 
  northern, 
  and 
  

   eastern 
  edges 
  of 
  the 
  shaded 
  area. 
  The 
  lowest 
  pass, 
  or 
  

   "gap," 
  is 
  found 
  at 
  a 
  quarter 
  of 
  a 
  mile 
  west 
  of 
  Ivyton 
  

   Magoffin 
  County, 
  at 
  D, 
  and 
  is 
  about 
  960 
  feet 
  above 
  sea 
  

   level. 
  The 
  "gap" 
  is 
  flat 
  and 
  swampy 
  on 
  the 
  Burning 
  

   Fork 
  side 
  ; 
  but 
  on 
  the 
  Ivyton 
  side 
  it 
  is 
  perfectly 
  drained, 
  

   and 
  erosive 
  forces 
  are 
  active. 
  At 
  C, 
  within 
  the 
  shaded 
  

   area, 
  is 
  another 
  low 
  pass. 
  These 
  two 
  passes 
  indicate 
  

   points 
  of 
  movement 
  of 
  the 
  shifting 
  divides. 
  The 
  upper 
  

   part 
  of 
  Right 
  Middle 
  Creek 
  basin 
  is 
  bounded 
  on 
  the 
  west 
  

   by 
  the 
  basin 
  of 
  the 
  Burning 
  Fork 
  of 
  Licking 
  River, 
  on 
  the 
  

   north 
  by 
  the 
  basin 
  of 
  Jenny 
  Creek, 
  a 
  tributary 
  of 
  the 
  

   Levisa 
  Fork 
  of 
  the 
  Big 
  Sandy 
  River, 
  on 
  the 
  east 
  by 
  

   the 
  basin 
  of 
  Abbott 
  Creek, 
  which 
  is 
  also 
  tributary 
  to 
  the 
  

   Big 
  Sandy 
  River. 
  

  

  From 
  a 
  combined 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  field 
  geology, 
  the 
  drain- 
  

   age 
  courses, 
  and 
  the 
  topography, 
  it 
  is 
  apparent 
  that 
  Right 
  

   Middle 
  Creek 
  has 
  shifted 
  its 
  divide 
  8 
  to 
  10 
  miles 
  north- 
  

   westward 
  and 
  has 
  captured 
  the 
  headwaters 
  of 
  the 
  Burn- 
  

   ing 
  Fork 
  of 
  Licking 
  River. 
  The 
  extent 
  of 
  the 
  captured 
  

   area 
  is 
  about 
  20 
  square 
  miles 
  and 
  is 
  indicated 
  on 
  the 
  map 
  

   by 
  the 
  shaded 
  area. 
  Apparently 
  the 
  original 
  head 
  of 
  

   Right 
  Middle 
  Creek 
  was 
  along 
  the 
  line 
  E 
  to 
  A. 
  Capture 
  

   resulted 
  from 
  a 
  gradual 
  pushing 
  to 
  the 
  northwest 
  of 
  the 
  

   Right 
  Middle 
  Creek-Burning 
  Fork 
  "gap" 
  from 
  A 
  to 
  the 
  

   present 
  location 
  at 
  D. 
  The 
  Burning 
  Fork, 
  already 
  some- 
  

   what 
  entrenched 
  when 
  the 
  shifting 
  began, 
  offered 
  in 
  its 
  

   own 
  main 
  channel 
  the 
  lowest 
  point 
  for 
  capture 
  by 
  the 
  

   advancing 
  headwaters 
  of 
  Right 
  Middle 
  Creek. 
  As 
  a 
  

   result, 
  to-day 
  the 
  upper 
  portion 
  of 
  Right 
  Middle 
  Creek 
  is 
  

   superimposed 
  upon 
  the 
  old 
  channel 
  and 
  basin 
  of 
  the 
  Burn- 
  

   ing 
  Fork. 
  Field 
  evidence 
  is 
  as 
  follows 
  : 
  

  

  1. 
  The 
  tributary 
  streams 
  within 
  the 
  shaded 
  area 
  flow 
  

   northwestward 
  at 
  an 
  acute 
  angle 
  against 
  the 
  main 
  current 
  

   of 
  Right 
  Middle 
  Creek. 
  

  

  2. 
  The 
  valley 
  of 
  the 
  Burning 
  Fork 
  of 
  Licking 
  River 
  

   is 
  a 
  broad, 
  open, 
  flat 
  basin, 
  with 
  low 
  rounded 
  hills 
  and 
  

   imperfect 
  headwater 
  drainage. 
  The 
  Burning 
  Fork 
  itself 
  

   is 
  a 
  very 
  small 
  stream 
  and 
  out 
  of 
  proportion 
  to 
  the 
  size 
  

   of 
  its 
  valley. 
  Aggradation 
  is 
  in 
  progress. 
  

  

  3. 
  The 
  valley 
  of 
  Right 
  Middle 
  Creek 
  from 
  Ivyton 
  to 
  a 
  

   point 
  one 
  mile 
  below 
  Brainard 
  presents 
  the 
  physiographi- 
  

   cal 
  opposite 
  to 
  the 
  valley 
  of 
  the 
  Burning 
  Fork. 
  The 
  

  

  