Assiscunk Creek is a tributary

Tributary

A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...

 of the Delaware River

Delaware River

The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...

 in southwestern New Jersey

New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

 in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

.

The name Assiscunk (also spelled Assiscunke or Essiscunk) came from the Lenape language

Lenape language

The Delaware languages, also known as the Lenape languages, are Munsee and Unami, two closely related languages of the Eastern Algonquian subgroup of the Algonquian language family...

 meaning "muddy creek". Other names were Wissahisk River, Birch Creek, and Barracks Creek.

The Assiscunk is approximately 17 miles (27 km) long, and drains an area of approximately 60 sq. miles (155 sq km) of Burlington County, New Jersey. It originates in Springfield Township

Springfield Township, Burlington County, New Jersey

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 3,227 people, 1,098 households, and 906 families residing in the township. The population density was 107.4 people per square mile . There were 1,138 housing units at an average density of 37.9 per square mile...

, and soon forms the border between Springfield and Mansfield Townships

Mansfield Township, Burlington County, New Jersey

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 5,090 people, 2,077 households, and 1,561 families residing in the township. The population density was 234.3 people per square mile . There were 2,122 housing units at an average density of 97.7 per square mile...

. It is fed by Annaricken Brook, and then by Crafts Creek just at the U.S. Route 206

U.S. Route 206

U.S. Route 206 is a long north–south United States highway in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, United States. Only about a half a mile of its length is in Pennsylvania; the Milford-Montague Toll Bridge carries it over the Delaware River into New Jersey, where it is the remainder of the route...

 crossing. Assiscunk Branch and Barkers Brook enter between Route 206 and the New Jersey Turnpike

New Jersey Turnpike

The New Jersey Turnpike is a toll road in New Jersey, maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. According to the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, the Turnpike is the nation's sixth-busiest toll road and is among one of the most heavily traveled highways in the United...

 crossing. The creek begins to widen on the outskirts of Burlington

Burlington, New Jersey

Burlington is a city in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States and a suburb of Philadelphia. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 9,920....

, where it empties into the Delaware. Wetlands along the creek are habitats for many species, among them the Bog turtle

Bog turtle

The bog turtle is a semiaquatic turtle endemic to the eastern United States. It was first scientifically described in 1801 after an 18th century survey of Pennsylvania. It is the smallest North American turtle, measuring about long when fully grown...

, which is considered a threatened and endangered species.

External links

• Mansfield History

- Mouth of the creek