Upper Watershed
Click on photograph for lager version.
The Great Egg Harbor Rivers headwaters located are near
Park Drive and the White Horse Pike in Berlin. The river is 59 miles long,
drains an area of 304 Square miles, and has 29 tributaries and many lakes.
Near
Park Drive and Cross Keys Road in Berlin Park the river is only a few feet wide.
Cross Keys Road in Camden and Gloucester Counties is the dividing line of the
inner coastal plains (land that drains to the west) and outer coastal plains
(land that drains to the east). This area contains the headwaters of many
streams including The Cooper
River, Big Timber Creek, Mantua Creek and Maurice River begin near Cross Keys Road and flow
west or south to the Delaware River through the inner coastal plain. The
Mullica and Great Egg Harbor Rivers begin near Cross Keys Road and flow east to
the Atlantic Ocean, through the outer coastal plain.
The Great Egg Harbor
River at Williamstown-New Freedom Road in Winslow Township. Upstream the
river has large maple swamps wetlands on each side and a 3 mile segment has
Federal Scenic and Recreational designation. The river has many small
tributaries that join in this area including the Tinkers Branch, Sharps Branch,
Posses Pond Branch, and Wildcat Branch.
The Four Mile Branch at Sicklerville Road. This branch begins in a wetlands
south of the Atlantic City Expressway and flows east through maple and Atlantic
white cedar swamps.
The Four Mile Branch at Malaga Road has large open wetlands that provide habitat
for many resident and migratory species including the red winged black bird,
great blue heron, wood duck, muskrat, and beaver.
The Great Egg Harbor River at New Brooklyn Lake is a Camden County Park and
offers fishing and canoeing access to the lake and river.
The Squankum Branch begins in a wetlands near Rt.322 and New Brooklyn Road and
flows east. The river has Federal Scenic and Recreational designation from
Malaga Road downstream to its confluence with the Great Egg Harbor. At Malaga
Road there is a large population of the invasive species Japanese knotweed, that
is crowding out native species.
In
the Winslow Wildlife Management Area there are many small streams that join the
Great Egg Harbor River.
The Hospitality
Branch begins in a wetlands near Blue Bell Road in Monroe Township and flows
east joining the great Egg Harbor Near Penny Pot in Folsom near the Black Horse
Pike. Other tributaries in this area include the Oakland Branch, Whitehall
Branch, Three Pond Branch, and White Oak Branch
The Timber Lakes on Hospitality
Branch were once cranberry bogs. There are many lakes on the watershed that were
made to provide power for mills or for cranberry cultivation. Other lakes in the
upper watershed include New Brooklyn Lake, Sunset Lake, Victory Lake, Diamond
Lake, Cedar Lake, and Collin's Lake.
Below Winslow Road the Great Egg Harbor River flows through the Winslow
Wildlife Management Area and is the border of Monroe Township and Winslow
Township. In this area the river has Federal Scenic and Recreational designation
and there are large maple and cedar swamp on each side.
At Piney Hollow Road there is the remains of an old bridge that crossed the
river near the Blue Hole. The River was dammed at this site for a sawmill that
produced siding, shingles and wood products from the large stands of Atlantic
White Cedar.
There are many legends about the origins of the Blue Hole. It was most likely
created by Indians digging for clay, which hit an artesian spring and filled
with water. This area is a noted Indian site and many artifacts have been found
there.