Other watersheds in the Delaware Bay and Estuary
Appoquinimink River || Army Creek || Blackbird Creek || Broadkill River || C and D Canal East || Cedar Creek || Delaware Bay Drainage || Delaware River Drainage || Dragon Run Creek || Leipsic River || Little Creek || Mispillion River || Murderkill River || Red Lion Creek || Smyrna River || St. Jones River
Appoquinimink River
Background  
The 16-mile Appoquinimink River meanders through farmlands and wetlands in southern New Castle County. The headwater drains mostly agricultural lands, and feeds four major ponds. The tidal freshwater segment of the Appoquinimink is bound by the head of tide at Noxontown Pond and Silver Lake, and by Drawyers Creek's confluence with the Appoquinimink. The remainder of the watershed consists of a tidal marsh extending to the Delaware River. There are several shallow, man-made small lakes and ponds in the watershed: Wiggins Mill Pond, Noxontown Pond, Silver Lake, and Shallcross Lake. The Appoquinimink River is tidal from the confluence with Delaware Bay to the dam at Noxontown Lake on the main stem, the dam at Silver Lake on Deep Creek, and the confluence with Drawyer Creek.

The Appoquinimink watershed, which includes the towns of Odessa, Townsend and Middletown, is a fast growing area in the state with previous agricultural areas changing to suburban. A small area of the watershed remains forested, and those areas are located along the stream valley with very few large continuous tracts of un-fragmented forest remaining.

DNREC's Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program (WMAP) has been developing scientifically robust methods to monitor and evaluate wetlands in Delaware on a watershed basis. Learn more about the health of the wetlands in this watershed from the DNREC Wetlands Monitoring and Assessment Program.
Water Quality  
Plants and Wildlife  
Recreation and Culture  
Further Resources  



View of the Appoquinimink River and its shore
Photo credit: DNREC's Watershed Assessment and Management Section