State of the Run
About Elks Run
Elks Run, and its tributary Elk Branch, is the only surface water stream in Jefferson County, West Virginia, that serves a municipal water supply. Approximately 1500 people in Bolivar and Harpers Ferry get their drinking water from Elks Run.
01
Watershed Overview
The Elks Run watershed is located entirely in Jefferson County. Elks Run totals 7.9 miles in length and includes a northern tributary called Elk Branch. Elks Run drains approximately 18.1 square miles, or 11,598 acres, and averages about 12 feet in width from top of bank to top of bank.
Most importantly, Elks Run is the only surface water stream in Jefferson County that serves a municipal water supply.
02
Land Use In The Watershed
The principal use of the Elks Run watershed remains farming, though houses, towns, and roads also make up a significant share of the landscape.
Cropland
1,859 acres in the full watershed
1,184 acres around Elk Branch
Pasture
2,309 acres in the full watershed
332 acres around Elk Branch
Houses, Towns & Roads
1,726 acres in the full watershed
881 acres around Elk Branch
03
Wildlife & Stream Health
The most common wildlife species in the Elks Run watershed are squirrels, bobwhite quail, mourning doves, raccoons, rabbits, skunks, opossums, and whistle pigs.
A recent biological stream assessment of 11 sites in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties found that eight sites had slight to moderate impairment, while Elks Run was the only one found to be in good condition — especially important for a water supply stream.