Exploring Local Wetlands With Friends for the Marsh

Linda Arntzenius

Princeton Town Topics, December 20, 2006.

Five canoes and 15 kayaks set out from the Bordentown Beach last Saturday, December 16, to explore the Hamilton-Trenton-Bordentown Marsh from the point where Crosswicks Creek meets the Delaware River to the John A. Roebling Memorial Park some four miles upstream.

A group of around 30 paddlers showed up for the trip led by George and Leona Fluck of the Outdoor Club of South Jersey (OCSJ). The Flucks have been organizing trips like this one for a decade, most of them in the Pine Barrens, on the Batsto, Mullica, and Wading rivers, but also further afield, including a moonlight paddle of the marsh in August.

"This is a typical turnout for this popular trip," commented Ms. Fluck. "We're working on opening up Crosswicks Creek from Bordentown to New Egypt, some 26 miles. Access to the river in Anchor Thread Park in Groveville (Hamilton Township) will allow us to go further in this direction."

Having gathered at 9:30 a.m., the group was on the water by 10:15 a.m. But before we set out with the rising tide, Mr. Fluck introduced some protocol, mainly for the benefit of the five newcomers. Most of the group — members of the Friends for the Marsh and the Outdoor Club of South Jersey — were experienced paddlers. All had brought their own canoes and kayaks as there are no boat rentals in the marsh.

The first practice to note, according to Mr. Fluck, was that three blows on the whistle indicated a call for help. Even though it was an unusually mild day for the time of year, the 5 to 10 mph winds out of the west would be against us for most of the time out with crosswinds at the bend, he told us. For the 8-mile trip, as with all OCSJ outings, there would be a lead boat and an end boat.

Our route would take us from Crosswicks Creek to Watson Creek past the Bordentown Bluffs and the high banks where Joseph Bonaparte, brother to Napoleon, had built his New Jersey estate. As we paddled along, a history enthusiast among the group described seeing wrecked hulls dating from the War of Independence and still visible at low tide in the flats along one of the many unnamed tidal channels that meander though the marsh and swampland. Patriots hid their boats from the British navy there. After sailing up the Delaware in pursuit and finding nothing, the British seamen had launched longboats to maneuver into the marsh to find the patriots' boats and burn them to the waterline.

The marsh is an area rich in Colonial and earlier history. Native Americans lived on the natural riches of the marsh fish and plants. On Saturday, we paddled beside cattail, teasel, rush, and 12-foot high marsh grasses, including wild rice. "In September, the red shouldered blackbirds gather to feast on the seeds," said Ms. Fluck. Earlier in the year, the marsh is a riot with spectacular displays of marigolds and purple-stemmed asters.

We saw few flowers or birds on Saturday — several red-tailed hawks wheeled above the cliff-tops, a white heron fished in the shallows, and there were mallards and the ubiquitous geese. Someone said they'd spotted a kingfisher but given the time of year, there were few of the marsh's over 200 bird species to be spotted. According to the D&R Greenway Land Trust, the marsh supports more than 850 recorded species of plants, 28 species of butterflies, 60 species of fish, 19 species of amphibians and reptiles, 237 species of resident or migratory birds, and 17 species of mammals. The Flucks reported frequent bald eagle and osprey sightings.

Interestingly enough, no ducks were seen until we reached a section of the marsh where a sign designated the area as a wildlife safety zone with no hunting allowed. Did the birds know they were safe, perhaps? December is hunting season and several hunters in camouflaged boats had taken to the water as the paddlers left Bordentown Beach. Asked about safety, Ms. Fluck reported confidently that the hunters were generally very respectful of paddlers, who generally know where the blinds are hidden.

Passing under the multiple on-ramps at an intersection of I-195 and I-295, our flotilla maneuvered between the pylons where cliff swallows build their mud nests in early summer.

As a train on the light rail service between Camden and Trenton passed, we were saluted by a friendly whistle from the driver. There's a station at Bordentown and it has been known for paddlers to bike to the station, stow their bikes, and then take to the river.

The tidal waters coming up the Delaware River raise and lower the water level in the marsh six to eight feet twice daily. At or near the full tide, there's plenty of water for recreation. At low tide, the channels narrow and much of the marsh becomes exposed mud flats. So anyone planning a trip must be sure to check the tides.

Although the tide causes the water to rise and fall, just as at the Jersey Shore, the water is fresh. The salt water line on the Delaware River is south of this point, closer to Philadelphia. At this time of year the change in water level in the marsh is about seven feet.

By noon we had arrived at the lunch spot at the John A. Roebling Memorial Park where we stopped to rest and wait for the tide to turn. It had been tough going against the wind. At one point the leaders helped us out by exchanging our canoe paddle for a kayak paddle, which improved our pace. Quite a few canoeists were using double-bladed kayak paddles in the rear.

While we waited for the change in the tide, the group's leaders, who had parked a vehicle in the park, unpacked a barbeque and set to work preparing hot dogs and veggie burgers. Having refueled there was still time for a hike to Spring Lake with its resident pair of swans. Swans are pretty territorial so there were no Canada geese to be seen on this small lake within sight of the Duck Island power station. We took the circular trail around the lake. The wind had dropped, giving the sun a chance to warm us as we walked and chatted.

"It's hard to believe we're only five minutes from Trenton," commented Kathy Westbrook as we walked along the soft path. An enthusiastic kayaker and wild life preservationist, Ms. Westbrook lives in Pennsylvania and is a social worker in Trenton. "There is so much natural beauty outside our own back door but we don't often recognize it."

Ms. Westbrook is a paddler who regularly participates in trips led by the Flucks. She was one of two individuals commended by the group on Saturday for her efforts in cleaning up the marsh.

Back at Roebling Park, the group was joined by Trenton resident Marianne Marquandt out walking her dog. Ms. Marquandt has also been doing her bit to clean up the marsh, albeit anonymously. Her volunteer efforts had not gone unnoticed by the Flucks and other paddlers, though, and the serendipitous meeting provided an opportunity for them to thank Ms. Marquandt. "We'd noticed the great job someone was doing," said Ms. Fluck. "It's nice to know who that person is and to express our appreciation; there are some very nice people out there."

Friends for the Marsh

The 1,250-acre area of the Hamilton/Trenton/Bordentown Marsh is the northernmost tidal and freshwater wetland on the Delaware River. Located on an ancient meander of the river, the marsh links greenways along Watson Creek, Crosswicks Creek, the D&R Canal, and the Delaware River. The area includes several parks including Roebling, North Community Park and the D&R Canal State Park.

About 1,200 species of plants and animals — some rare in New Jersey such as the map Turtle and the Northern brown snake — have been identified in the varied tidal and non-tidal habitats, of river, lake, tidal channel, temporary pool, and beaver pond.

For more information about the Hamilton-Trenton-Bordentown Marsh, including a listing of tide times for Bordentown Beach, visit www.marsh-friends.org.

Outdoor Club of South Jersey

Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, OCSJ is the largest canoeing/kayaking club in New Jersey with over 300 water events each year in addition to other outdoor activities such as bicycling, hiking, and camping. The club's "leave no trace" policy encourages its over 2200 members to "take only photographs, and leave only footprints."

While the club's home base is the Pine Barrens, destinations for trips have ranged as far as New Hampshire and Georgia. In December, members of the group walked at Pointe Breeze, the site of Joseph Bonaparte's home in Bordentown, and paddled the Wading River, Cedar Creek, and the North branch of the Rancocas.

On Thursday, December 21, the Flucks will lead a Winter Solstice paddle on the Wading River and will kick off the New Year with a ritual January 1 Oswego Paddle. For more information, visit www.ocsj.org