Bohemia Creek || Broad Creek || C and D Canal West || Chester River || Choptank River || Deep Creek || Elk Creek || Gravelly Branch || Gum Branch || Marshyhope Creek || Nanticoke River || Perch Creek || Pocomoke River || Sassafras River || Wicomico
Choptank River
Background ▲ The Choptank River watershed is located on the western edge of Delaware and resides in Kent County. The Choptank River watershed consists of Tappahanna Ditch in the northern portion of the watershed, Culbreth Marsh Ditch in the center, and Cow Marsh Creek in the lower portion. Both Tappahanna Ditch and Culbreth Marsh Ditch drain to Mud Millpond, which is situated at the Maryland-Delaware state line. The pond discharges to the Choptank River in Delaware, which meanders southward, where Cow Marsh Creek connects in before continuing into Maryland.
The land use in the watershed is dominated by agriculture, wetlands and forest. 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 ▼
Further Resources ▼ ![]() View of the Choptank River in winter Photo credit: DNREC's Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program | Quick facts ▲ Square Miles (total): 255.2 Square Miles (DE): 97.1 Population (total)*: 29,395 Population (DE)*: 10,365 States: DE, MD Counties: DE: Kent MD: Caroline *Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2019.
Land cover (total)† ▲
Land cover within Delaware† ▲ †Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office for Coastal Management. 2016 C-CAP Regional Land Cover. Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP) Regional Land Cover.. |