Hack Creek

There are many ways to look at and think about Hack Creek: As a body of water, as an ecosystem, as a view, as a place to see and enjoy nature.

The image below shows Hack Creek as a feature on Northumberland County tax maps. I didn’t stay within the lines nor did I abut the two tax maps perfectly, but the point is made. The tax maps combine parcel borders, water features (streams, ponds, creeks), marshes, highways, schools, houses of faith, and more. The tax map shows the sizes, shapes, and locations of land parcels and numbers them so the owners can be identified.

To find the property owner, go to the Northumberland County website and click on the house icon or “Land Records”; read the disclaimers, accept, and proceed. From there, search by Parcel Record Number (PRN), address, owner name, or map number. Note that only improved lots have E911 addresses. Unimproved lots go by the map number, the double circle number, and the lot number.

Hack Creek, the body of water

The Environmental Protection Agency’s How’s My Waterway (right) and EnviroMapper (below) indicate that Hack Creek’s water quality is impaired. Several factors contribute to the impairment: Stormwater runoff, limited tidal action, and the big one is the impairment of the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay.

More coming soon.

Updated: November 3, 2024