Delaware Nerr

The Delaware Reserve consists of two components: 1,180 acres of freshwater wetlands, ponds and forest lands in Blackbird Creek; and 3,750 acres of salt marsh and open water habitats on the St. Jones River on Delaware Bay. The Blackbird Creek watershed drains a portion of southern New Castle County, a predominantly rural area consisting of wetlands, forests and agricultural lands. The St. Jones River watershed has significant development in upstream non-tidal areas, where urbanized Dover dominates the middle and upper watershed. However, downstream portions of the St. Jones River watershed, where the St. Jones Reserve is located, are still primarily agricultural, with the Dover Air Force Base nearby. Delaware Bay is a major spawning area for horseshoe crabs each spring. Their eggs provide fuel for migratory shorebirds on their way to the Arctic from the Southern Hemisphere.