Birds Mill Swamp
Encyclopedia
Birds Mill Swamp is a swamp
located just west of the Chesapeake Bay
in Anne Arundel County on the Atlantic Coastal Plain
region of Maryland
in the United States
. It lies between Route 468 (also known as Muddy Creek Road) and Route 2 and is just south of Mill Swamp Road. Its coordinates are 38.88167°N 76.57444°W.
Like most swamps surrounding the Chesapeake Bay, this small freshwater
body is classified as a bald cypress swamp. It is part of a tributary system which feeds into the Rhode River
, and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay itself. It is also home to many species including a variety of reptiles, amphibians, insects, birds, and aquatic vegetation. Unlike many swamps, it is untouched by humans except for a few dirt trails nearby. It is an important habitat for wildlife in the area.
Birds Mill Swamp is one of more than one hundred swamps in Maryland.
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
located just west of the Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
in Anne Arundel County on the Atlantic Coastal Plain
Atlantic Coastal Plain
The Atlantic coastal plain has both low elevation and low relief, but it is also a relatively flat landform extending from the New York Bight southward to a Georgia/Florida section of the Eastern Continental Divide, which demarcates the plain from the ACF River Basin in the Gulf Coastal Plain to...
region of Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It lies between Route 468 (also known as Muddy Creek Road) and Route 2 and is just south of Mill Swamp Road. Its coordinates are 38.88167°N 76.57444°W.
Ecosystem
Like most swamps surrounding the Chesapeake Bay, this small freshwater
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
body is classified as a bald cypress swamp. It is part of a tributary system which feeds into the Rhode River
Rhode River
The Rhode River is a tidal tributary of the West River in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. It is south of the South River.These are its named tidal creeks and coves starting at the upper end and going clockwise, with a lower-order tributary listed after the "&" symbol: The locations of all of...
, and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay itself. It is also home to many species including a variety of reptiles, amphibians, insects, birds, and aquatic vegetation. Unlike many swamps, it is untouched by humans except for a few dirt trails nearby. It is an important habitat for wildlife in the area.
Birds Mill Swamp is one of more than one hundred swamps in Maryland.