Crosswicks Creek facts for kids

Crosswicks Creek is a 25.3-mile-long stream in New Jersey. It flows into the Delaware River. This creek is special because it runs through parts of four different counties: Burlington, Mercer, Monmouth, and Ocean.

The creek starts near the Fort Dix and McGuire Air Force Base military areas. It flows northwest at first, then turns sharply south. Finally, it joins the Delaware River in Bordentown Township.

Because it's close to military bases, the Crosswicks Creek area has some unique challenges. Many groups work to protect and restore the creek's environment. In the mid-1990s, a new part of I-295 was built. This highway greatly changed the area where the creek meets the Delaware River. This spot is called the Hamilton Marsh.

A lot of the Hamilton Marsh was filled in to make space for the highway. While new wetlands were created, some older woodlands were lost. The large highway might also make it harder for wildlife to move around the marsh. Because of these changes, many people support creating a special "Hamilton Marsh Greenway" to protect the area.

Amazing Fossils

Most parts of Crosswicks Creek don't have many fossils. But some spots are full of them! Scientists have found fossils from the Pleistocene and Cretaceous eras here. These are very old time periods. The Ellisdale Fossil Site is one famous place along the creek where many fossils have been discovered. It's like a treasure hunt for ancient life!

Quick Facts About the Creek

• Length: 25 miles (about 40 kilometers)
• Watershed Area: 146 square miles (about 378 square kilometers). A watershed is all the land where water drains into a specific river or creek.
• Where it Starts: Near Fort Dix and McGuire Air Force Base military bases, and Lahaway Creek.
• Water Quality: The water at the start of the creek is very clean (FW-1). Most of the rest of the creek is good for fish, but not for trout (FW-2 Nontrout).
• Land Use: The land around the creek is used for farming, forests, homes, businesses, and military activities.

Towns Along the Creek

The Crosswicks Creek watershed includes parts of these towns:

• Allentown
• Bordentown Township
• Chesterfield
• City of Bordentown
• Fort Dix Military Reservation
• Hamilton
• Plumsted
• New Hanover
• North Hanover
• Upper Freehold
• Springfield

Smaller Streams (Tributaries)

Many smaller streams flow into Crosswicks Creek. These are called tributaries:

• Bobs Run
• Buck Brook
• Buckhole Creek
• Culvert Pond Run
• Doctors Creek
• Edges Brook
• Ivanhoe Brook
• Jumble Gut Run
• Jumping Brook
• Lahaway Creek
• Long Bog Run
• Mile Hollow Brook
• North Run
• South Run
• Thornton Creek

Lakes and Ponds (Impoundments)

There are also several lakes and ponds along the creek or its tributaries. These are often created by dams:

• Allentown Lake
• Brindle Lake
• Conines Millpond
• Cookstown Pond
• Gropp Lake
• Hamilton Marsh
• Imlaystown Lake
• Oakford Lake
• Prospertown Lake
• Red Valley Lake

Images for kids

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  Crosswicks Creek marshlands near Bordentown