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 an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''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 into which they ...
of the
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and is the longest free-flowing (undammed) river in the Eastern United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock, New York, the river flows for a ...
in
Salem County,
New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
in the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. 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 headwater of a river or stream is the geographical point of its beginning, specifically where surface runoff water begins to accumulate into a flowing channel of water. A river or stream into which one or many tributary rivers or streams flo ...
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
Alloway (, ) is a suburb of Ayr, and former village, in South Ayrshire, Scotland, located on the River Doon. It is best known as the birthplace of Robert Burns and the setting for his poem Tam o' Shanter (Burns poem), "Tam o' Shanter". Tobias Ba ...
and the largest lake in Salem County.
Cedar Brook 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 (geography), channel of a river or other watercourse. It is produced as a watercourse erosion, erodes the sediments of an outer, concave bank (cut bank, cut bank or river cl ...
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, 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.
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
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