﻿Divide 
  of 
  Right 
  Middle 
  Creek, 
  Ky. 
  63 
  

  

  The 
  question 
  therefore 
  arises, 
  Why 
  did 
  not 
  Jenny 
  Creek 
  

   capture 
  the 
  head 
  tributaries 
  of 
  the 
  Burning 
  Fork? 
  The 
  

   answer 
  involves 
  a 
  consideration 
  of 
  local 
  structures 
  as 
  

   given 
  below. 
  

  

  The 
  physical 
  factors 
  favoring 
  migration 
  in 
  this 
  region 
  

   are 
  as 
  follows 
  : 
  

  

  1. 
  Difference 
  in 
  elevation. 
  Right 
  Middle 
  Creek 
  is 
  a 
  

   tributary 
  of 
  the 
  Levisa 
  Fork 
  of 
  the 
  Big 
  Sandy 
  River. 
  

   At 
  its 
  mouth, 
  Middle 
  Creek 
  has 
  an 
  elevation 
  of 
  about 
  

   580 
  feet 
  at 
  low 
  water. 
  The 
  elevation 
  at 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  

   Burning 
  Fork 
  is 
  about 
  880 
  feet 
  at 
  low 
  water. 
  This 
  dif- 
  

   ference 
  of 
  330 
  feet 
  is 
  slightly 
  increased 
  when 
  a 
  compari- 
  

   son 
  is 
  made, 
  as 
  between 
  the 
  headwater 
  tributaries 
  of 
  the 
  

   Licking 
  River 
  where 
  they 
  adjoin 
  the 
  tributaries 
  of 
  Right 
  

   Middle 
  Creek. 
  It 
  was 
  this 
  difference 
  in 
  elevation 
  which 
  

   gave 
  the 
  first 
  "push" 
  to 
  the 
  northwestward 
  migration 
  

   of 
  the 
  divide 
  between 
  Burning 
  Fork 
  and 
  Right 
  Middle 
  

   Creek. 
  

  

  2. 
  Difference 
  in 
  structure. 
  But 
  equally 
  as 
  important 
  

   as 
  the 
  difference 
  in 
  altitude 
  of 
  the 
  main 
  channels 
  of 
  these 
  

   two 
  competing 
  drainage 
  systems 
  were 
  the 
  structural 
  and 
  

   lithological 
  features 
  of 
  the 
  area, 
  which, 
  perhaps, 
  may 
  be 
  

   considered 
  the 
  real 
  cause 
  of 
  the 
  rapid 
  shifting 
  of 
  the 
  

   Middle 
  Creek-Burning 
  Fork 
  divide. 
  The 
  slight 
  differ- 
  

   ence 
  in 
  the 
  structure 
  and 
  lithology 
  also 
  may 
  explain 
  why 
  

   Jenny 
  Creek 
  possessing 
  the 
  advantage 
  of 
  a 
  somewhat 
  

   lower 
  stream 
  channel 
  could 
  not 
  overtake 
  Right 
  Middle 
  

   Creek 
  in 
  the 
  race 
  for 
  the 
  headwaters 
  of 
  the 
  Burning 
  

   Fork. 
  

  

  The 
  village 
  of 
  Ivyton 
  is 
  near 
  the 
  center 
  of 
  a 
  region 
  of 
  

   local 
  uplift 
  — 
  a 
  structural 
  dome. 
  This 
  dome 
  sends 
  off 
  

   rather 
  high 
  limbs 
  to 
  the 
  west, 
  to 
  the 
  north, 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  

   southwest. 
  A 
  somewhat 
  lower 
  limb 
  extends 
  east, 
  and 
  it 
  

   is 
  up 
  this 
  limb 
  that 
  the 
  headwaters 
  of 
  Jenny 
  Creek 
  pro- 
  

   gressed 
  westward. 
  But 
  the 
  lowest 
  and 
  steepest 
  dipping 
  

   limb 
  extends 
  to 
  the 
  southeast, 
  almost 
  in 
  the 
  course 
  of 
  

   Right 
  Middle 
  Creek, 
  and 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  structural 
  drop 
  in 
  

   this 
  direction 
  of 
  over 
  100 
  feet 
  in 
  a 
  very 
  short 
  distance. 
  

   The 
  strong 
  sandstone 
  member 
  of 
  the 
  Pottsville 
  series, 
  

   through 
  which 
  both 
  Right 
  Middle 
  Creek 
  and 
  Jenny 
  Creek 
  

   have 
  had 
  to 
  cut, 
  has 
  a 
  somewhat 
  softer 
  texture 
  in 
  the 
  

   lower 
  courses 
  of 
  Middle 
  Creek 
  than 
  on 
  Jenny 
  Creek. 
  In 
  

   these 
  two 
  factors, 
  then, 
  all 
  others 
  being 
  excluded, 
  lies 
  the 
  

   key 
  to 
  the 
  situation. 
  Right 
  Middle 
  Creek 
  with 
  a 
  some- 
  

  

  