Cedar Swamp Watershed
Watershed Description
Cedar Swamp Tidal Marsh
Cedar Swamp is located in southeastern New Castle County and is the most undeveloped watershed in Delaware. A large part of the land is owned by the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife as Cedar Swamp Wildlife Area.
Watershed Area: 6,385 acres (2,584 hectares)
Location: Southeastern New Castle County in north central Delaware between Blackbird Creek on the north and Smyrna River on the south.
Flow Direction: Most of the watershed is tidal but the flow is generally east towards Delaware Bay.
Characterstics: Mostly forest and marshland with rest as agricultural field. This is the most undeveloped watershed in Delaware.
Major Vegetation Communities/Land Covers
This is the least developed watershed in Delaware. North Atlantic Low Salt Marsh is the largest “natural community” and vegetation community. Agricultural field is second covering about 1/3 of the watershed. Reed Tidal Marsh ranks #3 and Estuarine Coastal Mesohaline Water ranks #4. Mid-Atlantic Mesic Mixed Hardwood Forest rounds out the list at #5.
| Cedar Swamp Watershed Vegetation Communities/Land Cover (Top 5 for 2007) | ||
| Vegetation Community/Land Cover | Acres | Hectares |
| North Atlantic Low Salt Marsh | 2,286.00 | 925.00 |
| Agricultural Field | 1,781.00 | 721.00 |
| Reed Tidal Marsh | 828.00 | 335.00 |
| Estuarine Coastal Mesohaline Water | 380.00 | 154.00 |
| Mid-Atlantic Mesic Mixed Hardwood Forest | 207.00 | 84.00 |
*The table above is subject to change with more watershed mapping.
Managed Lands
Links of Interest
Vegetation Community/Land Cover Maps Available
One vegetation community/land cover map based on 2007 aerial imagery is available in .pdf format. The map that is in the process of completion and is provided “as is” for informational purposes. Email robcoxe@baccharisconsulting.com for shapefile requests.