On a recent canoe trip, over fifty individuals (that's a lot of canoes) toured this regional treasure. Along the way, egrets, herons and kingfishers were among the feathered denizens spotted. Despite the intrusion of development, the vastness of the marsh and the solitude of Crosswicks Creek were not diminished.
The Delaware Riverkeeper Network has a volunteer monitoring site on the Crosswicks Creek at the Groveville Bridge, Groveville. Tests are performed twice a month for basic water quality parameters. Volunteer also record stream conditions, sightings of flora and fauna, and any observations of pollution or other threats. This information is recorded in the Network database and distributed to local residents and all decision makers responsible for local stream protection. The goal of the Network is to ensure that the Delaware River and every tributary stream of the watershed is actively protected by local residents. To that end, the Network sponsors public meetings and assists local groups in building Watershed Task Forces to actively work on local stream protection projects.
| Length: | 25 Miles |
| Watershed Area: | 146 Square Miles |
| Headwaters: | Fort Dix and McGuire Military Bases and Lahaway Creek in the Colliers Mill Wildlife Management Area |
| Significant Tributaries: | Buck Brook Buckhole Creek Culvert Pond Run Doctors Creek Edges Brook Ivanhoe Brook Jumping Brook Lahaway Creek Long Bog Run Mile Hollow Brook Negro Run North Run South Run Thornton Creek |
| Impoundments: | Allentown Lake Brindle Lake Conines Millpond Cookstown Pond Gropp Lake Hamilton Marsh Imlaystown Lake Oakford Lake Prospertown Lake Red Valley Lake |
| NJ Stream Classification: | FW-1 at headwaters FW-2 Nontrout for the rest of watershed |
| Land Use: | Agricultural/undeveloped, forested, urban/suburban residential, commercial, and military. |
| Municipalities: | Allentown Bordentown Township Chesterfield City of Bordentown Fort Dix Military Reservation Hamilton New Hanover North Hanover Upper Freehold Springfield |
pH: 6.0 - 7.5 Nitrates: 0.44 - 4.40 mg/L Phosphate: 0.2 - 1.0 mg/L Dissolved Oxygen: 6.5 - 14.0 mg/L Dissolved Oxygen Saturation: 68.9 - 111.7%
The results of the monitoring to date indicate that pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), and DO saturation are in the range generally considered acceptable to support wildlife and are similar to neighboring tributaries. The nitrates and phosphate, however, are the highest observed in the region. Nitrate is the principal form of nitrogen in most surface waters, but high concentrations of nitrate may be related to heavy fertilizer applications to lawns and crops and reflect unsanitary conditions because human and animal wastes are major sources of nitrate. Nitrate concentrations were significantly correlated with phosphate concentrations, indicating similar sources for both nutrients.
The volunteers have confirmed what you already know -- The Crosswicks Creek has its problems, but is still a viable ecosystem worth protecting and restoring. It supports wildlife and offers tranquility and recreation. The Crosswicks Creek needs continued monitoring so that filed tested stream conditions can be used as input to devise strategies for improving water quality and streamside habitat. Continued monitoring is also important to ensure the problems are identified early and corrected before significant degradation occurs.
NJDEPE Water Quality Assessment in Brief:1
"The Upper Crosswicks Creek watershed appears to be moderately to severely degraded. Intensive survey results from 1984 show nutrient enrichment, with generally high bacteria counts and low dissolved oxygen saturation. Nutrient concentrations were usually higher during low flow periods. In addition, elevated total residual chlorine levels, noticeable chlorine odors and chloroform were found in Upper Crosswicks Creek watershed also indicate generally poor water quality, with pollution tolerant organisms prevalent throughout." (p. III-120)
"Doctors Creek has water quality problems due to high fecal coliform, inorganic nitrogen and total phosphorus concentrations." (p. III-121) "Direct assessments of the fish populations of Crosswicks Creek and Doctors Creek are not available." (p. III-121)
Point Sources:
"Sewage treatment plant effluent...is suspected of causing nutrient enrichment and poor water quality in the headwaters of the crosswicks Creek." Several municipal treatment plants are "under enforcement action" by NJDEPE. These include "Wrightstown MUA...not meeting permit limitations on solids, BOD, and chlorine"..."Hamilton Township STP...excessive ammonia"..."Allentown STP...inadequately treated wastewater"..."North Burlington County High School...excessive BOD, suspend solids, and chlorine." "Additional dischargers to the Crosswicks Creek undergoing enforcement actions include Spartan Village Mobile Home Park STP (excessive flow) and Hanover Mobile Village STP (excessive BOD and suspended solids). (p. III-121/122)
"A number of hazardous waste sites are present in the upper watershed that may be contaminating local surface waters. They include: McGuire Air Force Base (aromatic hydrocarbons to South Run), Hopkins Farm site (volatile organics and unknown substances to unnamed tributary), Wilson Farm site (volatile organics and unknown substances to Bordens Run), and Goose Farm (volatile organics to unnamed tributary)." (p. III-122)
NJDEP Permitted Discharges1:
| Permit # | Receiving Waters | ||
| Yates Indust., Inc. | 0004332 | Mile Hollow | |
| Hamilton Twp/Independence Ave. | 0026301 | Crosswicks | |
| Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc. | 0004294 | Thorton Creek | |
| Garden State Water Co. | 0001198 | Culvert Pond | |
| NJ Turnpike Auth./Area 6N and 6S | 0020737 | Crosswicks | |
| Bordentown Twp. Mile Hollow STP | 0024121 | Crosswicks | |
| Crosswicks/Bordentown | 0026719 | Crosswicks | |
| Allentown Borough Water Plant | 0030848 | Doctors Creek | |
| Allentown Borough STP | 0020206 | Doctors Creek | |
| California Villa Mobile Home | 0027511 | Crosswicks | |
| Wrightstown MUA | 0022985 | Crosswicks | |
| McGuire A.F.B. | 0022578 | South Run | |
| US Army/Ft. Dix | 0004855 | Crosswicks | |
| Hanover Mobile Home Park | 0027464 | Crosswicks | |
| Plumstead Twp. School Dist. | 0021407 | Crosswicks | |
| Bordentown Water Department | 0028649 | Crosswicks |
Nonpoint Sources:
The upper reaches of the Crosswicks Creek and many of its tributaries "receives pollution from both agriculture and suburban development." "The lower reaches of Crosswicks Creek are known to receive fertilizer, herbicides, pesticides, and silt loads from ever increasing amounts of crop land run-off." "Severe runoff from suburban construction sites, storm sewers, as well as road maintenance
are noted to be increasing problems. Local septic systems are
suspected to be causing rising levels of coliform contamination." (p. III-122/123)
"Imlaystown and Allentown Lakes were also evaluated and noted to be receiving high levels of siltation from local plant nursery stock operations." (p. III-123)
NJDEPE Assessment:1
"Portions of Crosswicks Creek and tributaries will meet the fish propagation/maintenance goal, but swimmable status can not be assigned to the watershed. The macroinvertebrate survey of 1984 indicates that
fish life any be stressed in the upper watershed, as such this section is considered to be partially meeting the fish
propagation maintenance use. In the Lower Crosswicks creek this use is met. Fecal coliform counts in streams frequently exceed the standard for swimming." (p. III-123)
For Additional Information:
Riverkeeper Fact Sheets are updated as new information becomes available. If you have information on Crosswicks Creek, please call the Delaware Riverkeeper Network at (609) 854-5108.