Sleepy Creek is a winding stream in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia that flows 42 miles north from near Bloomery, Virginia, into the Potomac River at the village of Sleepy Creek, West Virginia. The Creek is composed of the main branch, the middle fork, and the south fork all of which join in the area of Stotlers Crossroads. The Meadow Branch, which flows from the east, joins Sleepy Creek about three miles upstream from its junction with the Potomac River.
In addition to these four main branches, another 194 smaller and wet-weather streams add up to a total of about 320 miles of streambed. This network of streams drains approximately 93,000 acres of land in the Sleepy Creek Watershed.
The watershed areain northern Frederick County, Va, contains approximately 13,000 acres. Another 69,000 acres are added to the watershed in Morgan County, West Virginia, and the Meadow Branch adds another 10,600 acres from Berkeley County, W.Va. About half of the watershed is forest, a third is farm land, and the remaining one sixth is homes or small businesses.
There are no incorporated towns or villages in the watershed. However, there are 10 “permitted” wastewater treatment facilities in the watershed. These facilities are associated with home developments, the Morgan County Business Park, Cacapon State Park, and small commercial activities. Homes are primarily single-family dwellings scattered throughout the watershed or contained in large-lot subdivisions. Businesses are primarily located along the main transportation corridors of north-south U.S. Route 522 or east-west WV Route 9.
The boundary of the watershed is made up of three primary mountain ranges and the Potomac River. The Cacapon Mountains are located to the west. Sleepy Creek Mountain and Third Hill Mountain is located to the east, and the Potomac River is located to the north. The topography of the watershed is varying mountain heights and associated valleys.
