Blackbird Creek (Delaware)
Encyclopedia
Blackbird Creek is a 16.9 miles (27.2 km) river in northern Delaware
in the United States
.
It rises in southern New Castle County
, in several streams southwest of Blackbird, in the Blackbird State Forest. It flows northeast, in a highly meander
ing course, flowing into the north end of Delaware Bay
approximately 0.25 mile (0.402335 km) south of the mouth of the Appoquinimink River
and approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Taylors Bridge.
The watershed of the river is largely forested and rural. Near its mouth, it is surrounded by extensive salt marsh
es, with extensive populations of saltmarsh cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) and common reed. The lower river upstream from Delaware State Highway 9 is protected as part of the Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve
, along with portions of the lower Appoquinimink.
The damming of this creek was the subject of the 1829 Supreme Court case that gave rise to the theory of the Dormant Commerce Clause
.
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
It rises in southern New Castle County
New Castle County, Delaware
New Castle County is the northernmost of the three counties of the U.S. state of Delaware. As of 2010 its population was 538,479, an increase of 7.6% over the previous decade. The county seat is Wilmington. The center of population of Delaware is located in New Castle County, in the town of...
, in several streams southwest of Blackbird, in the Blackbird State Forest. It flows northeast, in a highly meander
Meander
A meander in general is a bend in a sinuous watercourse. A meander is formed when the moving water in a stream erodes the outer banks and widens its valley. A stream of any volume may assume a meandering course, alternately eroding sediments from the outside of a bend and depositing them on the...
ing course, flowing into the north end of Delaware Bay
Delaware Bay
Delaware Bay is a major estuary outlet of the Delaware River on the Northeast seaboard of the United States whose fresh water mixes for many miles with the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. It is in area. The bay is bordered by the State of New Jersey and the State of Delaware...
approximately 0.25 mile (0.402335 km) south of the mouth of the Appoquinimink River
Appoquinimink River
The Appoquinimink River is a river flowing to Delaware Bay in northern Delaware in the United States. The river is long and drains an area of on the Atlantic Coastal Plain.The Appoquinimink flows for its entire length in southern New Castle County...
and approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Taylors Bridge.
The watershed of the river is largely forested and rural. Near its mouth, it is surrounded by extensive salt marsh
Salt marsh
A salt marsh is an environment in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and salt water or brackish water, it is dominated by dense stands of halophytic plants such as herbs, grasses, or low shrubs. These plants are terrestrial in origin and are essential to the stability of the salt marsh...
es, with extensive populations of saltmarsh cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) and common reed. The lower river upstream from Delaware State Highway 9 is protected as part of the Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve
Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve
The Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve consists of two unique components, one on Blackbird Creek and the other on the St. Jones River . Freshwater wetlands, ponds and forest lands dominate the Blackbird Creek component. The St...
, along with portions of the lower Appoquinimink.
The damming of this creek was the subject of the 1829 Supreme Court case that gave rise to the theory of the Dormant Commerce Clause
Dormant Commerce Clause
The "Dormant" Commerce Clause, also known as the "Negative" Commerce Clause, is a legal doctrine that courts in the United States have inferred from the Commerce Clause in Article I of the United States Constitution...
.