| Maurice River | |
|---|---|
 The Maurice River inMillville | |
  Location of the mouth in Cumberland County, New Jersey | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Jersey |
| Counties | Salem andCumberland |
| Cities | Vineland,Millville |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Pittsgrove Township |
| Source confluence | Still Run andScotland Run |
| • coordinates | 39°33′00″N75°04′16″W / 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 |
| Type | Scenic, Recreational |
| Designated | December 1, 1993 |
TheMaurice River (/ˈmɔːrɪs/[2]) is atributary ofDelaware Bay inSalem County andCumberland County,New Jersey in the United States. The river was named forMaurice, Prince of Orange.[3]
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 forestedwetlands known as thePine Barrens. Its mouth on Delaware Bay is surrounded by extensivesalt marshes and has provided a historically importantoystering ground.
It is born at the confluence ofStill Run andScotland Run, beneath the waters ofWillow Grove Lake inPittsgrove,Salem County and flows generally south-southeast, passing 2 miles (3 km) west ofVineland. AtMillville 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 intoMaurice River Cove on Delaware Bay. The estuary is joined from the northeast byMenantico Creek, theManumuskin River, andMuskee Creek.
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 ofwild 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 theNational 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.
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
