Maurice River

The Maurice River (/ˈmɔːrɪs/^[2]) is a tributary of Delaware Bay in Salem County and Cumberland County, New Jersey in the United States. The river was named for Maurice, Prince of Orange.^[3]

Maurice River
The Maurice River in Millville
Location of the mouth in Cumberland County, New Jersey
Location
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
Counties	Salem and Cumberland
Cities	Vineland, Millville
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Pittsgrove Township
Source confluence	Still Run and Scotland Run
• coordinates	39.5501153°N 75.0710102°W / 39.5501153; -75.0710102
Mouth	Delaware Bay
Length	50 mi (80 km)approx.
Basin size	386 sq mi (1,000 km2)approx.
Discharge
• location	Norma (Pittsgrove Township)[1]
• average	117 cu ft/s (3.3 m3/s)[1]
• minimum	24 cu ft/s (0.68 m3/s)1966
• maximum	922 cu ft/s (26.1 m3/s)1940
Basin features
Tributaries
• left	Burnt Mill Branch, Blackwater Branch, Little Robin Branch, Parvin Branch, Manantico Creek, Manumuskin River, Muskee Creek, Little Mill Creek
• right	Green Branch, Muddy Run, Mill Creek, White Marsh Run, Buckshutem Creek, Steep Run, Peterson Run, Sheppards Branch
National Wild and Scenic River
Type	Scenic, Recreational
Designated	December 1, 1993

Watershed and course

The Maurice River, pronounced "MAW-ris",^[2] is approximately 50 miles (80 km) long with a drainage area of 386 square miles (1,000 km²).^[4] It is the second longest and second largest tributary to Delaware Bay.^{[citation needed]} Its watershed includes an extensive southern portion of the coastal forested wetlands known as the Pine Barrens. Its mouth on Delaware Bay is surrounded by extensive salt marshes and has provided a historically important oystering ground.

The Maurice River from the Maurice River Bluffs Preserve

It is born at the confluence of Still Run and Scotland Run, beneath the waters of Willow Grove Lake in Pittsgrove, Salem County and flows generally south-southeast, passing 2 miles (3 km) west of Vineland. At Millville it is impounded to form the Union Lake reservoir, approximately 3 miles (5 km) long. South of Millville it becomes navigable, forming a 10-mile (16 km) estuary that empties into Maurice River Cove on Delaware Bay. The estuary is joined from the northeast by Menantico Creek, the Manumuskin River, and Muskee Creek.

Water quality and stewardship

The river is considered especially pristine for the region, forming a critical ecological link between the Pine Barrens and the Delaware Bay systems, except that the State of New Jersey advises against eating more than 8 ounces (230 g) of fish caught in the river in any week or month, depending on the species, for the general population and advises against eating any fish from the Maurice River for the High Risk population.^[5] It is the location of one of the few stands of wild rice in New Jersey, and provides habitat for 53 percent of the species in New Jersey designated as endangered. In 1993, Congress designated 28.9 miles (46.5 km) of the river and its tributaries as the Maurice National Scenic and Recreational River, as part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers program.

A local nonprofit organization, Citizens United to Protect the Maurice River and Its Tributaries, Inc., is a regional watershed organization that focuses its work on the Maurice River watershed, from Willow Grove Lake southward. The South Jersey Land and Water Trust focuses on the northern portion of the watershed, from Willow Grove Lake northward.

Tributaries

• Menantico Creek
• Manumuskin River
• Muddy Run

See also

• List of New Jersey rivers