Assiscunk Creek is a
tributary
A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage ...
of the
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock (village), New York, Hancock, New York, the river flows for along the borders of N ...
in southwestern
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
in the United States.
The name Assiscunk (also spelled Assiscunke or Essiscunk) came from the
Lenape language
The Delaware languages, also known as the Lenape languages ( del, Lënapei èlixsuwakàn), are Munsee language, Munsee and Unami language, Unami, two closely related languages of the Eastern Algonquian languages, Eastern Algonquian subgroup of ...
meaning "muddy creek". Other names were Wissahisk River, Birch Creek, and Barracks Creek.
Assiscunk Creek is approximately long, and drains an area of approximately of
Burlington County
Burlington County is a county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The county is the largest by area in New Jersey. Its county seat is Mount Holly. , New Jersey. It originates in
Springfield Township, and soon forms the border between Springfield Township and
Mansfield Township. It is fed by Annaricken Brook, and then by Crafts Creek just at the
U.S. Route 206
U.S. Route 206 (US 206) is a north–south United States highway in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, United States. Only about a half a mile (800 m) of its length is in Pennsylvania; the Milford–Montague Toll Bridge carries it over the Delawa ...
crossing. Assiscunk Branch and Barkers Brook enter between U.S. Route 206 and the
New Jersey Turnpike
The New Jersey Turnpike (NJTP) is a system of controlled-access highways in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The turnpike is maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA).The Garden State Parkway, although maintained by NJTA, is not consi ...
crossing. The creek begins to widen on the outskirts of
Burlington
Burlington may refer to:
Places Canada Geography
* Burlington, Newfoundland and Labrador
* Burlington, Nova Scotia
* Burlington, Ontario, the most populous city with the name "Burlington"
* Burlington, Prince Edward Island
* Burlington Bay, no ...
City, where it empties into the Delaware River.
Wetlands
A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...
along the creek are habitats for many species, among them the
bog turtle
The bog turtle (''Glyptemys muhlenbergii'') is a critically endangered species of semiaquatic turtle in the family Emydidae. The species is endemic to the eastern United States. It was first scientifically described in 1801 after an 18th-century ...
, which is considered a threatened and endangered species.
The creek is designated as suboptimal under Habitat Analysis, and has moderately impaired waters, a major improvement from recent decades when the river was designated as severely impaired or having marginal habitat conditions.
[http://water.rutgers.edu/Projects/Assiscunk/Assiscunk_Creek_Watershed_Restoration_Protection_Plan_April2013.pdf ]
Pollution is a problem for the Assiscunk Creek, and much of this comes from non-point sources. The land around the creek is mostly agricultural, but there are areas of urban surfaces and forest as well. Assiscunk Creek is still an impaired river, but has improved greatly in recent years thanks to hard efforts to stop the pollution.
Tributaries
*Barkers Brook
*Assiscunk Branch
*Crafts Creek
*Annaricken Brook
See also
*
List of rivers of New Jersey
This is a list of streams and rivers of the U.S. state of New Jersey.
List of New Jersey rivers includes streams formally designated as rivers. There are also smaller streams (''i.e.,'' branches, creeks, drains, forks, licks, runs, etc.) in the ...
References
External links
Mansfield History
Tributaries of the Delaware River
Rivers of New Jersey
Rivers of Burlington County, New Jersey
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