Crosswicks Creek
Encyclopedia
Crosswicks Creek is a 25.3 miles (40.7 km) tributary
of the Delaware River
in Burlington County
, in western New Jersey
in the United States
.
Crosswicks Creek watershed encompasses parts of Burlington, Mercer
, Monmouth
and Ocean
Counties. Its headwaters flow from the Fort Dix and McGuire Air Force Base
Military Reserves in a northwesterly direction and then turn sharply south where it meets the Delaware River at Bordentown Township
. With jets roaring overhead and shells being test fired, the Crosswicks Creek watershed has a set of unique concerns and is the focus of many protection and restoration activities. The New Jersey Department of Transportation
has opened the I-295
extension that has had a significantly impact on the Hamilton Marsh, located near the mouth of the Crosswicks. Parts of the marsh were filled in, while new wetlands were created at the expense of established woodlands. As the new road bisects the marsh, interference of wildlife movement patterns may have occurred. In light of these activities, there is tremendous support for the development of a Hamilton Marsh Greenway.
among mostly non-fossiliferous deposits throughout the creek's path.
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 Burlington County
Burlington County, New Jersey
There were 154,371 households out of which 34.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.70% were married couples living together, 10.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.70% were non-families. 22.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.50% had...
, in western 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...
.
Crosswicks Creek watershed encompasses parts of Burlington, Mercer
Mercer County, New Jersey
As of the census of 2000, there were 350,761 people, 125,807 households, and 86,303 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,552 people per square mile . There were 133,280 housing units at an average density of 590 per square mile...
, Monmouth
Monmouth County, New Jersey
Monmouth County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 630,380, up from 615,301 at the 2000 census. Its county seat is Freehold Borough. The most populous municipality is Middletown Township with...
and Ocean
Ocean County, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 510,916 people, 200,402 households, and 137,876 families residing in the county. The population density was 803 people per square mile . There were 248,711 housing units at an average density of 151/km²...
Counties. Its headwaters flow from the Fort Dix and McGuire Air Force Base
McGuire Air Force Base
JB MDL McGuire is a United States Air Force base located approximately south-southeast of Trenton, New Jersey. McGuire is under the jurisdiction of the USAF Air Mobility Command...
Military Reserves in a northwesterly direction and then turn sharply south where it meets the Delaware River at Bordentown Township
Bordentown Township, New Jersey
Of note, the Crosswicks Creek and its juncture with the Delaware River, otherwise known as the Trenton-Hamilton Marsh, is a very significant ecosystem and, with the peninsula of land and waterways to the northwest of Bordentown Township known, respectively, as Duck Island, Duck Creek and the...
. With jets roaring overhead and shells being test fired, the Crosswicks Creek watershed has a set of unique concerns and is the focus of many protection and restoration activities. The New Jersey Department of Transportation
New Jersey Department of Transportation
The New Jersey Department of Transportation is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey. It is headed by the Commissioner of Transportation...
has opened the I-295
Interstate 295 (Delaware-New Jersey)
Interstate 295 in New Jersey and Delaware is an auxiliary Interstate Highway, designated as a bypass around Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The route begins at a junction with Interstate 95 south of Wilmington, Delaware, and runs to another junction with I-95 north of Trenton, New Jersey...
extension that has had a significantly impact on the Hamilton Marsh, located near the mouth of the Crosswicks. Parts of the marsh were filled in, while new wetlands were created at the expense of established woodlands. As the new road bisects the marsh, interference of wildlife movement patterns may have occurred. In light of these activities, there is tremendous support for the development of a Hamilton Marsh Greenway.
Fossils
Although most of the creek does not yield particularly abundant deposits of fossils, fossils from the Pleistocene and Cretaceous eras have been found. There exist patches of particularly fossiliferous depositsEllisdale Fossil Site
The Ellisdale Fossil Site is located in the valley of the Crosswicks Creek in Monmouth County, New Jersey. The site has produced the largest and most diverse fauna of Late Cretaceous terrestrial animals from eastern North America, including the type specimens of the teiid lizard Prototeius stageri...
among mostly non-fossiliferous deposits throughout the creek's path.
Vital statistics
- Length: 25 miles (40.2 km)
- Watershed Area: 146 square miles (378.1 km²)
- Headwaters: Fort Dix and McGuire Military Bases and Lahaway Creek in the Colliers Mill Wildlife Management Area
- NJ Stream Classification: FW-1 at headwaters, FW-2 Nontrout for the rest of watershed
- Land Use: Agricultural/undeveloped, forested, urban/suburban residential, commercial, and military
- Municipalities:
- Allentown
- Bordentown Township
- Chesterfield
- City of Bordentown
- Fort Dix Military Reservation
- Hamilton
- New Egypt
- New Hanover
- North Hanover
- Upper Freehold
- Springfield
Tributaries
- Bobs Run
- Buck Brook
- Buckhole Creek
- Culvert Pond Run
- Doctors Creek
- Edges Brook
- Ivanhoe Brook
- Jumping Brook
- Lahaway Creek
- Long Bog Run
- Mile Hollow Brook
- Negro Run
- North Run
- South Run
- Thornton Creek
- Impoundments: Allentown Lake
- Brindle Lake
- Conines Millpond
- Cookstown Pond
- Gropp Lake
- Hamilton Marsh
- Imlaystown Lake
- Oakford Lake
- Prospertown Lake
- Red Valley Lake