The Cooper River 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 drai ...
of the
Delaware River 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 United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
.
[Gertler, Edward. ''Garden State Canoeing'', Seneca Press, 2002. ]
The confluence of the Cooper River with the Delaware River is in
Camden.
The Cooper River serves as a border between
Cherry Hill and
Haddon Township,
Haddonfield, and
Lawnside.
The Cooper River (known upstream near Haddonfield as Cooper's Creek) was named after the Cooper family, who were some of the first European settlers in the area of
Camden County, New Jersey. This tributary of the Delaware River is 16 miles (25.7 km) long measuring from its headwater in
Gibbsboro (it is notable that the Northern Branch begins in
Voorhees Township). The Cooper River Watershed covers , and includes the tributaries Chandlers Run, Millard Creek, Nicholson Branch, the North Branch, and Tindale Run (the last two being the most significant). Although historically a
tidal river
A tidal river is a river whose flow and level are influenced by tides. A section of a larger river affected by the tides is a tidal reach, but it may sometimes be considered a tidal river if it has been given a separate name.
Generally, tidal ri ...
(the most severe tide reportedly reached Kings Highway), all present tidal influence stops at the Kaighn Avenue Bridge, in Camden, where it is impounded.
The Cooper flows through
Barrington,
Berlin Township,
Camden,
Cherry Hill,
Collingswood,
Gibbsboro,
Haddon Township,
Haddonfield,
Lawnside,
Lindenwold,
Magnolia
''Magnolia'' is a large genus of about 210 to 340The number of species in the genus ''Magnolia'' depends on the taxonomic view that one takes up. Recent molecular and morphological research shows that former genera ''Talauma'', ''Dugandiodendro ...
,
Merchantville,
Pennsauken Township,
Somerdale,
Stratford,
Tavistock
Tavistock ( ) is an ancient stannary and market town within West Devon, England. It is situated on the River Tavy from which its name derives. At the 2011 census the three electoral wards (North, South and South West) had a population of 13 ...
and
Voorhees Township.
The Cooper also has seven impoundments, not listed in geographical order: Cooper River Lake, Evans Pond,
Hopkins Pond, Kirkwood Lake, Linden Lake, Square Circle Lake, Wallworth Lake.
Historical reference
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin ( April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher. Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the leading inte ...
made a brief visit to Cooper's Creek on his way to Philadelphia, as a run-away apprentice from Boston in 1723:
"However, walking in the evening by the side of the river, a boat came by, which I found was going towards Philadelphia, with several people in her. They took me in, and, as there was no wind, we row'd all the way; and about midnight, not having yet seen the city, some of the company were confident we must have passed it, and would row no farther; the others knew not where we were; so we put toward the shore, got into a creek, landed near an old fence, with the rails of which we made a fire, the night being cold, in October, and there we remained till daylight. Then one of the company knew the place to be Cooper's Creek, a little above Philadelphia, which we saw as soon as we got out of the creek, and arrived there about eight or nine o'clock on the Sunday morning, and landed at the Market-street wharf."
Recreation
The Camden County Boathouse sits on the banks of the Cooper River in
Pennsauken Township and is home to eight area rowing clubs, which are active February through November.
The Cooper River Yacht Club is situated on the Cooper River in
Collingswood and offers sailing instruction courses during the summer to children and adults, as well as organizing racing events from time to time.
Using a canoe, people can navigate the Cooper from its mouth to southern
Haddonfield; however, it is necessary to cross several impoundments. Canoeing the Cooper into and farther than Greenwald Park in
Cherry Hill is technically a violation of local watercraft laws.
Fishing in the river has improved since the installation of fish ladders along the impoundments. In season, small fish such as sunnies and
smallmouth bass can be caught.
Sports
Since 1955, the Cooper River has been the site of the
Intercollegiate Rowing Association
The Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) governs intercollegiate rowing between varsity men's heavyweight, men's lightweight, and women's lightweight rowing programs across the United States, while the NCAA fulfills this role for women's ope ...
's IRA Championship Regatta, which is considered to be the United States
collegiate national
championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this system ...
of
rowing
Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically ...
.
The 2007
Scholastic Rowing Association of America
The Scholastic Rowing Association of America was formed as the Schoolboy Rowing Association of America in 1935 to host an unofficial national championship regatta for high school rowing. The name was changed in 1976 after women were allowed to co ...
national championships and
USRowing
The United States Rowing Association, commonly known as USRowing, is the national governing body for the sport of Rowing in the United States. It serves to promote the sport on all levels of competition, including the selection and training of t ...
club national championships were held on the Cooper River.
The trail around the river regularly hosts community races such as the 9/11 Heroes Run hosted by the Travis Manion Foundation.
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 th ...
References
External links
U.S. Geological Survey: NJ stream gaging stationsCooper River Yacht Club
{{authority control
Rivers of Camden County, New Jersey
Rowing venues in the United States
Sports venues in New Jersey
Rivers of New Jersey
Tributaries of the Delaware River