St. Jones River
Encyclopedia
The St. Jones River is a river
flowing to Delaware Bay
in central Delaware
in the United States
. It is 12.8 miles (20.6 km) long and drains an area of 36 square miles (93.2 km²) on the Atlantic Coastal Plain
. The river is believed to have been named either for Robert Jones, an early European property owner in the region, or for "St. Jone", the Welsh
spelling of St. John.
The St. Jones River flows for its entire length in east-central Kent County
. According to the Geographic Names Information System
, the river begins at the dam of Silver Lake
in the city of Dover
; Silver Lake is fed by Fork Branch, Penrose Branch, and Maidstone Branch. From Silver Lake, the St. Jones River flows generally southeastwardly, along the east side of downtown Dover and past Legislative Hall, the Capital Square/Legislative Mall, and the Dover Air Force Base
to Bowers
, where it flows into Delaware Bay, approximately 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) north of the mouth of the Murderkill River
.
The lower course of the river southeast of Dover is surrounded by brackish
marshes and salt marsh
es, open water habitats, and wetlands. A portion of the lower river, along with nearby Blackbird Creek
, have received federal protection as the Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve
, part of the National Estuarine Research Reserve
system.
settled on "St. Jones River" as the stream's name in 1894. According to the Geographic Names Information System
, it has also been known historically as:
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
flowing to Delaware Bay
Delaware Bay
Delaware Bay is a major estuary outlet of the Delaware River on the Northeast seaboard of the United States whose fresh water mixes for many miles with the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. It is in area. The bay is bordered by the State of New Jersey and the State of Delaware...
in central Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is 12.8 miles (20.6 km) long and drains an area of 36 square miles (93.2 km²) 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...
. The river is believed to have been named either for Robert Jones, an early European property owner in the region, or for "St. Jone", the Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
spelling of St. John.
The St. Jones River flows for its entire length in east-central Kent County
Kent County, Delaware
Kent County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is coextensive with the Dover, Delaware, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 the population was 162,310, a 28.1% increase over the previous decade. The county seat is Dover, the state capital...
. According to the Geographic Names Information System
Geographic Names Information System
The Geographic Names Information System is a database that contains name and locative information about more than two million physical and cultural features located throughout the United States of America and its territories. It is a type of gazetteer...
, the river begins at the dam of Silver Lake
Silver Lake (Dover, Delaware)
Silver Lake is a lake and park located in the city of Dover, Delaware. The lake is the source of the St. Jones River. There are several species of fish in the lake, including largemouth bass, carp, crappie, striped bass, white perch, bluegill, catfish, and others. Silver Lake has a boat ramp...
in the city of Dover
Dover, Delaware
The city of Dover is the capital and second largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. It is also the county seat of Kent County, and the principal city of the Dover, Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Kent County. It is located on the St. Jones River in the Delaware...
; Silver Lake is fed by Fork Branch, Penrose Branch, and Maidstone Branch. From Silver Lake, the St. Jones River flows generally southeastwardly, along the east side of downtown Dover and past Legislative Hall, the Capital Square/Legislative Mall, and the Dover Air Force Base
Dover Air Force Base
Dover Air Force Base or Dover AFB is a United States Air Force base located two miles southeast of the city of Dover, Delaware.-Units:...
to Bowers
Bowers, Delaware
Bowers is a town in Kent County, Delaware, United States. It is part of the Dover, Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area. According to the 2010 Census, the population of the town is 335.-Geography:Bowers is located at ....
, where it flows into Delaware Bay, approximately 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) north of the mouth of the Murderkill River
Murderkill River
The Murderkill River is a river flowing to Delaware Bay in central Delaware in the United States. It is approximately long and drains an area of on the Atlantic Coastal Plain.The Murderkill flows for its entire length in southern Kent County...
.
The lower course of the river southeast of Dover is surrounded by brackish
Brackish water
Brackish water is water that has more salinity than fresh water, but not as much as seawater. It may result from mixing of seawater with fresh water, as in estuaries, or it may occur in brackish fossil aquifers. The word comes from the Middle Dutch root "brak," meaning "salty"...
marshes and salt marsh
Salt marsh
A salt marsh is an environment in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and salt water or brackish water, it is dominated by dense stands of halophytic plants such as herbs, grasses, or low shrubs. These plants are terrestrial in origin and are essential to the stability of the salt marsh...
es, open water habitats, and wetlands. A portion of the lower river, along with nearby Blackbird Creek
Blackbird Creek (Delaware)
Blackbird Creek is a river in northern Delaware in the United States.It rises in southern New Castle County, in several streams southwest of Blackbird, in the Blackbird State Forest...
, have received federal protection as the Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve
Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve
The Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve consists of two unique components, one on Blackbird Creek and the other on the St. Jones River . Freshwater wetlands, ponds and forest lands dominate the Blackbird Creek component. The St...
, part of the National Estuarine Research Reserve
National Estuarine Research Reserve
The National Estuarine Research Reserve System is a program of the United States government. The program establishes federal-state partnerships under the Coastal Zone Management Act to create a system of estuarine research reserves representative of the various regions and estuarine types in the...
system.
Variant names
The United States Board on Geographic NamesUnited States Board on Geographic Names
The United States Board on Geographic Names is a United States federal body whose purpose is to establish and maintain uniform usage of geographic names throughout the U.S. government.-Overview:...
settled on "St. Jones River" as the stream's name in 1894. According to the Geographic Names Information System
Geographic Names Information System
The Geographic Names Information System is a database that contains name and locative information about more than two million physical and cultural features located throughout the United States of America and its territories. It is a type of gazetteer...
, it has also been known historically as:
- Jones Creek
- Joness Creek
- Kishlen
- Saint Jones Creek
- Warge Kijhlen
- Wulfs Creek
- Wulfscreek