Sprout Creek is a 24.8-mile-long (39.9 km)[1]creek located entirely withinDutchess County, New York,United States.[2][3][4] It is the largest tributary ofFishkill Creek,[5] entering that creek some 11 miles (18 km) upstream from theHudson River.[1][6] The creek is annually stocked with 6,000brown trout, and maintains its own natural population of trout.
Sprout Creek begins inMillbrook, at 755 feet (230 m) in elevation.[7] Paralleling Oak Summit Road, the creek flows generally southward towardsNew York State Route 82, where it passes throughVerbank. The creek turns towards the west, though after reaching Verbank Village, it resumes its southwestern course. It turns around several small hills and mountains, and later intersectsNew York State Route 55. Shortly thereafter, Sprout Creek crosses theTaconic State Parkway;[8] it soon receives Jackson Creek.[3] The Jackson Creek watershed covers 5,524 acres (2,235 ha) of land, draining a large portion ofUnion Vale into Sprout Creek,[9] and has a small annual stocking of around 700 brown trout.[10] Sprout Creek continues generally towards the southwest, and later towards the south, before once again passing under Route 82. The bridge over the creek, located in the town of Fishkill, was built in 1934. At 85 ft (26 m) long, the bridge carried anAADT of 19,400 vehicles as of February 2006.[11] In 1722,William Verplanck constructed a dam across the creek. He also built a grinding mill on the creek's banks; during theAmerican Revolution, this mill ground a large quantity of grain for the soldiers stationed at Fishkill.[12] The creek ends at the Fishkill Creek, just north ofNew York State Route 52.[8] Sprout Creek also passes throughSprout Creek Farm, an educational farm, in the town of LaGrange.
Comprising 24% of the overall Fishkill Creek watershed, the Sprout Creeksubwatershed encompasses about 46 square miles (120 km2) of land—of which 17% was being used for agricultural purposes in 2000.[13] The creek's quality is described as "good" by the Fishkill Creek Watershed Committee, though agricultural operations, sewer treatment plants, and septic systems led to pollution at certain times during a study from 1973 to 2002.[14] It drains portions ofLa Grange,Union Vale,Wappinger, andEast Fishkill.[5]
One of only three trout creeks in Dutchess County, the creek is annually stocked with 6,000brown trout; wild trout are also present.[15][16] A group of local residents formed the Sprout Creek Association, after the operation of a nearby rock mine prompted concerns about the creek's environmental health.[16]
41°33′1.34″N73°50′34.48″W / 41.5503722°N 73.8429111°W /41.5503722; -73.8429111
