Lower Delaware Fact Sheet
The Delaware River watershed drains an area of about 13,000 square miles. It tributaries begin in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania and the Catskill Mountains in New York.
The Upper Delaware is joined by many small and large tributaries, such as Wickecheoke Creek in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Much of the area around the creek has been preserved by the New Jersey Conservation Foundation.
The Delaware River up stream of Trenton is largely undeveloped. This area is an important spawning grounds for River Herring and American Shad
The Delaware and Raritan Canal once linked the River and the Atlantic Ocean. It is now used to supply water.
Delaware Canal near Bull's Island.
Trenton New Jersey is the highest reach of the tide. Below Trenton the river has as dredged channel which allows ship traffic. The Port of Philadelphia is one the largest freshwater ports in the world.
Port of Philadelphia from Gloucester City New Jersey.
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Walt Whitman, USS New Jersey in center.
The Big Timber Creek is typical of the many of the lower Delaware's, Southern New Jersey tributaries. It was once extremely polluted by many old municipal sewage plants which discharged poorly treated sewage into the Creek. A large, modern, regional sewage plant was built in the 1980's and the quality of the Creek's water vastly improved.
Big Timber Creek upstream of Blackwood Lake.
The creeks headwater begins in environmentally sensitive wetlands where plant species such as the federally protected Swamp Pink Lily are found. Southern New Jersey contains about %70 of known populations, representing the global stronghold of the species.
Swamp Pink Lily, Big Timber Creek.
The lower part of the creek is effected by the tides which can range up to 6 feet.
Big Timber Creek, Deptford New Jersey.
The lower portion of the creek is densely developed and contains large areas of freshwater tidal wetlands. These areas have large populations of Wild Rice (light green vegetation in photograph below), which provides food and habitat for many resident and migratory species. These wetlands also help filter sediment, break down pollution, and hold water during a flood.
Wild Rice and tidal wetlands.
Since the Creeks water quality has improved, many species of fish have returned to the creek including, Large Mouth and Stripped Bass, Chain Pickerel, and Yellow Perch.
Fisherman with River Herring from Big Timber Creek, early 1900's.
Fishing in Big Timber Creek in Blackwood, early 1900's.
The lower part of the river in New Jersey has many farms.
Soy bean fields, Gloucester County.