Alloway Creek is a
[U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data]
The National Map
, accessed April 1, 2011 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
Salem County
Salem County is the westernmost county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Its western boundary is formed by the Delaware River and its eastern terminus is the Delaware Memorial Bridge, which connects the county with New Castle, Delaware. Its cou ...
,
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 ...
. The name is a derivative of Allowas, an Indian chief. It has also been known by other names: Aloes River, Aloes Creek, Cotton River, Korten River, Short River, Monmouth River, Munmouth River, and Roiter's River.
[http://westjerseyhistory.org/books/salemnames/ Place Names of Salem County N.J., West Jersey History Project]
The
headwaters
The headwaters of a river or stream is the farthest place in that river or stream from its estuary or downstream confluence with another river, as measured along the course of the river. It is also known as a river's source.
Definition
The ...
of the creek are to the southeast of
Daretown, in
Upper Pittsgrove Township. It flows roughly parallel and to the south of Commissioners Pike, meeting
Cool Run before turning west and flowing under the pike. Entering a marshy area, it meets an unnamed tributary and flows under Alloway Road. Here the creek enters Alloway Lake, formed by a dam at the town of
Alloway and the largest lake in Salem County.
Cedar Brook
Cedar Brook is a tributary of Cranbury Brook in Cranbury, New Jersey, United States.
Course
Cedar Brook starts at , near Exit 8A on the New Jersey Turnpike. It flows southwest, crossing Applegarth Road and Prospect Plains Road before crossing ...
also feeds the lake, entering from the south.
Below the dam at Alloway, the creek becomes a tidal marsh and meadow estuary. About a mile west of the dam,
Deep Run enters from the south. The
meander
A meander is one of a series of regular sinuous curves in the channel of a river or other watercourse. It is produced as a watercourse erodes the sediments of an outer, concave bank ( cut bank) and deposits sediments on an inner, convex ba ...
s of the creek become pronounced as the creek turns to flow southwest towards
Quinton, where it receives the outlet of Laurel Lake, the water supply for
Salem.
Route 49 crosses the creek at Quinton. Below
Hancock's Bridge, the creek enters the marshes fringing the Delaware. A network of estuarine channels known as Abbotts Meadow lies on the north side. On the south side, a channel has been cut across a meander; Alloway Hope Halfway, a tidal channel connecting with
Hope Creek
Hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one's life or the world at large.
As a verb, its definitions include: "expect with confidence" and "to cherish ...
, enters the south side of the meander loop there. The island in the middle of the loop and the land on the south bank from the meander to the mouth are part of
Mad Horse Creek Wildlife Management Area
Mad, mad, or MAD may refer to:
Geography
* Mad (village), a village in the Dunajská Streda District of Slovakia
* Mád, a village in Hungary
* Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport, by IATA airport code
* Mad River (disambiguation), several ri ...
.
The Alloway Creek watershed is , accounting for about 20% of Salem County land area, and providing a habitat essential for commercial and sport fishing, hunting and trapping.
A volunteer organization called Delaware Riverkeeper has a monitoring site at the Route 49 bridge in Quinton. As of 1995, Riverkeepers regularly tested the surface water and recorded stream conditions. The goal of Riverkeeper is to ensure that the Delaware River and every tributary stream of the watershed is actively protected by local residents.
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
Delaware Riverkeeper fact sheet* - Mouth of the creek
{{authority control
Rivers of New Jersey
Tributaries of the Delaware River
Rivers of Salem County, New Jersey