Alloway Creek facts for kids
Alloway Creek is a 23.2-mile-long (about 37 kilometers) stream in Salem County, New Jersey, United States. It flows into the Delaware River. The creek gets its name from an Indian chief named Allowas. Over time, it has been called by many different names, like Aloes River, Cotton River, and Short River.
Contents
Where Does Alloway Creek Begin?
The creek starts in Upper Pittsgrove Township. This area is southeast of Daretown. The creek flows next to Commissioners Pike. It meets another stream called Cool Run. Then it goes under the pike.
The creek enters a marshy area. It meets another small stream there. Then it flows under Alloway Road. Here, the creek forms Alloway Lake. This lake is created by a dam in the town of Alloway. Alloway Lake is the biggest lake in Salem County. Cedar Brook also flows into Alloway Lake from the south.
Journey to the Delaware River
After the dam at Alloway, the creek changes. It becomes a tidal marsh and meadow estuary. This means the water level changes with the ocean tides. About a mile west of the dam, Deep Run joins from the south.
The creek then starts to curve a lot. These curves are called meanders. It flows southwest towards Quinton. Here, it gets water from Laurel Lake. Laurel Lake provides drinking water for Salem. Route 49 crosses the creek in Quinton.
Below Hancock's Bridge, the creek reaches the marshes. These marshes are along the Delaware River. There are many channels in this area. Abbotts Meadow is a network of channels on the north side. On the south side, a channel connects to Hope Creek. The land here is part of the Mad Horse Creek Wildlife Management Area. This area protects wildlife.
What is the Alloway Creek Watershed?
The Alloway Creek watershed covers 75 square miles (about 194 square kilometers). This is about 20% of all the land in Salem County. A watershed is all the land where water drains into a specific river or creek. This area is very important for nature. It provides a home for many fish and animals. People also use it for fishing, hunting, and trapping.
Protecting the Creek
A group called Delaware Riverkeeper helps protect the creek. They have a monitoring site at the Route 49 bridge in Quinton. Since 1995, they have tested the water regularly. They also record the creek's conditions. The goal of Riverkeeper is to make sure the Delaware River and its streams are protected. Local people help with this important work.
See Also
