Sharps Run (New Jersey) facts for kids

Sharps Run is a small stream, about 4.04-mile (6.50 km) long, located in Burlington County, New Jersey. It flows into the Southwest Branch Rancocas Creek. This stream helps drain an area of about 4.41 square miles (11.4 km²), which is like a big neighborhood or a small town.

Sharps Run begins in Evesham Township. From there, it flows east into Medford Township. The stream usually flows slowly, but it can become fast during heavy rain. It mostly goes through areas with homes and farms, plus lots of forests. In recent years, the water in Sharps Run has become cleaner.

The stream's very beginning, called its headwaters, is in Evesham Township, near N. Elmwood Road. It then joins the Southwest Branch Rancocas Creek in Medford Township. Along Sharps Run, you can find wetlands, which are like marshy areas with lots of water-loving plants and trees. Some of these wetlands formed in old pits where a special kind of dirt called marl was dug out long ago.

The land around Sharps Run changes in height. At the start of the stream, the elevation is about 55 to 60 feet (17 to 18 m) high. By the time it reaches the creek, it's about 20 feet (6.1 m) high.

Sharps Run History

The name "Sharps Run" has been on maps since the early to mid-1800s. A long time ago, the land along the stream was mostly used for farming. People also dug up a special kind of soil called marl from the stream banks. This marl was very important in the 1800s. Farmers used it to make their soil healthier, which helped their crops grow better and made the area rich from farming. Luckily, there have not been any big accidents or chemical spills along Sharps Run.

Protecting Sharps Run

The Barton Arboretum is a special nature area in Medford Township. It's located near where Sharps Run meets the Southwest Branch Rancocas Creek, close to County Route 541 and Route 70. This arboretum helps protect the forests and floodplains along the stream. There are even trails here where you can walk and enjoy nature by the river. Even with new buildings being built nearby, the natural area along Sharps Run, called the riparian buffer zone, has stayed healthy and wide.

Water Quality of Sharps Run

In the past, Sharps Run had some issues with its water quality. There were problems with certain germs and bacteria, often from things like too many geese and their waste, or water running off from farms. Sharps Run also had too much phosphorus in its water. This also came from things like fertilizers used on farms near the stream, which would wash into the water when it rained. Efforts have been made to improve these issues.

Sharps Run Tributaries

Sharps Run has many smaller streams that flow into it, even though none of them have their own names. These smaller streams are called tributaries. You can find many of these tributaries, especially near the very beginning of Sharps Run.