The Great Egg Harbor River in Weymouth Township
South River
Click on photograph for larger version.
The South River begins in Buena Vista Township and flows south, entering
Weymouth Township near 16th Avenue. In this area the river is only a few feet
wide and has deep maple swamps on each side.
Below Walker's Forge Road the river begins to widen. Along the banks red maple,
bay magnolia, sweet pepperbush, button bush, smooth alder, blue flag, and
cardinal flower are common.
Above 13th Avenue the river is an important spawning grounds for alewife or
river herring which are an important food fish for game fish including the
striped bass, bluefish. and weakfish. They also provide food for the river
otter, osprey, bald eagle, and great blue heron.
In
this area eel grass is common on the stream bottom. It provides habitat for
small fish and insects which are an important part of the rivers food
chain.
Upstream of Route 50 is the highest reach of the tide. Here there are large
areas of open and forested wetlands that flood during the high tides each day.
These wetlands provide the important environmental functions of filtering and
breaking down pollution and sediment, and holding and slowly releasing water
during a flood.
Below Route 50 the river widens into a large brackish water estuary. There are
grasses, rushes, wild rice and other species of plants that provide food for
resident and migratory birds. Fish found here include the chain pickerel, white
and yellow perch, large mouth and striped bass, sun fish, and alewife.
On the peninsula between the South and Great Egg Harbor River there are many
wetlands and vernal ponds. Vernal ponds are bodies of water only present during
the wet spring months. These temporary ponds provide spawning areas for frogs
and salamanders.
Tuckahoe River
The
Tuckahoe River head waters are in the Milmay section of Buena Vista Township.
Flowing south the river enters Weymouth Township west of Route 557.
Upstream of 13th Avenue the river is bordered by large stands of Atlantic white
cedar.
In
this area are large populations of the fibrous bladderwort (the small yellow
flowers in the photograph). They have small traps in their roots that catch and
digest small insects. Other insectivorous plants found here include the northern
pitcher plant and round leave sundew.
Near 13th Avenue there are open wetlands along the river that are home to many
wetlands plants including, rushes, grasses, milkworts, pipeworts, sundews,
yellow-eye grass, cranberry, and the rose pagonia orchid.
Downstream
of 13th Avenue there are more stands of Atlantic white cedar. These trees were
once harvested and cut by area mills into shingles, siding, and other products.
The Tuckahoe River leaves Weymouth Township south of 10th Avenue.
Stephens Creek
Stephens
Creek is a small tributary that begins near Estelle and 14th Avenues. At 14th
Avenue there is a large vernal pond that flood with water each spring.
The creek flows south through wetlands of maples and Atlantic white cedar and
joins the Great Egg Harbor River in Estelle Manor.
The Great Egg Harbor River
The Great Egg Harbor River enters Weymouth Township south of Route 40. In this
the river is very wide and used for boating water skiing, and fishing
Farther downstream the river becomes salty and has large wetlands on each side
that flood twice a day with the tide. The osprey, marsh hawk, and bald eagle
feed in this area.