Bush River is a tidal estuary

Estuary

An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....

 in Harford County

Harford County, Maryland

Harford County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland. In 2010, its population was 244,826. Its county seat is Bel Air. Harford County forms part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area.-History:...

, 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...

, located about 15 mi (24 km) northeast of Baltimore. The estuary extends from the community of Riverside

Riverside, Maryland

Riverside is a census-designated place in Harford County, Maryland, United States. The population was 6,128 at the 2000 census. The term 'Riverside' is generally used interchangeably with 'Belcamp;' the latter is the government-designated name of the area, and the former the unofficial name of the...

, south for about 9 mi (14 km), to 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...

. The watershed

Drainage basin

A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...

 area of tidal Bush River is 125 mi² (320 km²), and includes Aberdeen Proving Ground

Aberdeen Proving Ground

Aberdeen Proving Ground is a United States Army facility located near Aberdeen, Maryland, . Part of the facility is a census-designated place , which had a population of 3,116 at the 2000 census.- History :...

, a military facility.

Tributaries

Bush River has three principal tributaries: Bush Creek, Church Creek and Otter Point Creek. The smaller tributaries are:

• Abbey Creek
• Bear Cabin Branch
• Bread and Cheese Branch
• Broad Run
• Bynum Run
• Cod Creek
• Coopers Creek
• Cranberry Run
• Deep Spring Branch
• East Branch
• Elbow Brook
• Grays Run
• Haha Branch

• Heavenly Waters
• High Bridge Branch
• Hoops Branch
• James Run
• Kings Creek
• Lauderick Creek
• Long Branch
• Monks Creek
• Mountain Branch
• Plumtree Run
• Sod Run
• West Branch
• Winters Run
  Winters Run
  Winters Run is a river in Harford County, Maryland. The river begins north of the community of Fallston at the confluence of the West and East Branches, and flows southeast about to Atkisson Dam in Edgewood. The dam and reservoir were built by the U.S. Army in 1942 to provide an auxiliary fresh...