The Nanticoke River drains a third of Delaware's land, taking its waters from the
swamps and cultivated flatlands of Sussex County and flowing into Maryland, where it
empties into Tangier Sound and the Chesapeake Bay. Despite pressures from agriculture,
development, and industry, the Nanticoke is one of the least spoiled rivers of the
Chesapeake Bay.
The Nanticoke is endowed with outstanding abundance and diversity of wildlife,
undisturbed land, and rural characteristics. The river and its major tributaries - Broad
Creek, Deep Creek, Gravelly Branch, and Marshyhope Creek - are free of dams and support
excellent fisheries.
Wildlife flourishes in this setting. Bald eagles, ospreys, and great blue herons are
common in the skies above the Nanticoke, while the waters below thrive with a
profusion of fish and shellfish: American shad, striped bass, largemouth bass, white and yellow perch,
crabs, oysters, and clams. Flocks of migrating waterfowl - black ducks, canvasbacks,
mallards, and teals - use the Nanticoke as a resting point and wintering area. Otters, owls,
and muskrats also call the Nanticoke their home.
The Nanticoke is a wonderful river for recreation, education, nature study, and simple
solitude. It has a rich history of Native Americans, tall ships, steamboats, slave
running, piracy, and the underground railroad. There are properties within the watershed
on the National Register of Historic Places. Some of the northernmost stands of
bald cypress trees on the Atlantic Coast are found within the Nanticoke's watershed.
and it also has the highest concentration of bald eagles in the northeastern United States. These
characteristics should be preserved.
If we take care of our river now, we will save ourselves from the much more difficult
task of cleaning it up later. It's our choice, and it's a choice we must make every day,
everywhere in the watershed, whether we live on the water or not. Remember: we all live in
a watershed and upstream from someone else.
