| Mullica River | |
|---|---|
 | |
  | |
| Etymology | Named afterEric Pålsson Mullica |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Camden County |
| • coordinates | 39°47′24″N74°54′46″W / 39.7901°N 74.9129°W /39.7901; -74.9129 |
| Mouth | Great Bay (New Jersey) |
• location | Little Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey |
• coordinates | 39°33′03″N74°22′34″W / 39.5507°N 74.3761°W /39.5507; -74.3761 |
| Length | 50.6 miles (81.4 km) |
TheMullica River is a 50.6-mile-long (81.4 km)[1] river in southernNew Jersey in theUnited States. The Mullica was once known as theLittle Egg Harbor River.
The river provides one of the principal drainages into theAtlantic Ocean of the extensivePinelands. Itsestuary onGreat Bay is considered one of the least-disturbed marinewetlands habitats in the northeastern United States.
In 2022, theMullica River Fire consumed an estimated 13,500 acres (55 km2) of the relatedWharton State Forest.
The Mullica rises in centralCamden County, nearBerlin, on the southeastern fringes of the New Jerseysuburbs ofPhiladelphia. It flows generally east-southeast across the state, crossing theWharton State Forest and forming most of the boundary betweenAtlantic andBurlington County. Near The Forks, where it receives theBatsto River, the Mullica broadens into a navigable river approximately 20 miles (32 km) long, stretching east-southeast and emptying intoGreat Bay approximately 10 miles (16 km) north ofAtlantic City. It becomes brackish below the bridge atGreen Bank. Approximately 3 miles (5 km) upstream from its mouth on Great Bay, it receives theestuary of theWading River from the north. Approximately 2 miles (3 km) upstream from its mouth, it receives theBass River from the north. The watershed drained by the river and its tributaries measures approximately 568 square miles, and is composed primarily of pine forests and scrub habitat.
The estuary is crossed by theGarden State Parkway andUS 9 near its mouth. The lower reaches of the river form an extensivewetlands area, which is protected on its southern bank as theEdwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge.
Freshwater portions are also home to healthy populations ofwhite catfish,pickerel,white perch,crappie,white sucker, andlargemouth bass. Brackish and saltwater portions of the river are inhabited byweakfish, winter flounder,bluefish,American eel, and summer flounder.Blue claw crabs are prevalent in the lower reaches of the river and in tributaries flowing through the surrounding salt marshes. These tidal creeks also support populations of the northerndiamondback terrapin, which is listed by the federal government as a species of special concern.
The river also provides a habitat for a broad assortment of nesting and migratory birds. Species of note include thecommon tern,black skimmer,laughing gull,piping plover,least tern,great black-backed gull,osprey,great egret,black-crowned night heron,clapper rail,Virginia rail,merlin, andmarsh wren, among others.Canada geese,American black ducks, mallards,tundra swans,northern pintails, and other migratory birds are often observed in the river estuary.
The river is named afterEric Pålsson Mullica, earlySwedish settler (withFinnish ancestry) born in 1636 who founded a homestead on the river after moving there from the vicinity ofPhiladelphia.[2] The settlement was located about 15 miles (24 km) upstream from the mouth near present-dayLower Bank. For many years it was known as the Little Egg Harbor River ('Little' to disambiguate it from theGreat Egg Harbor River to its south); before European colonization, theLenape called it the Amintonck.[3]: xi
{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
