The Elk River is a tributary

Tributary

A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...

 of the Chesapeake Bay

Chesapeake Bay

The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...

 on the Delmarva Peninsula

Delmarva Peninsula

The Delmarva Peninsula is a large peninsula on the East Coast of the United States, occupied by most of Delaware and portions of Maryland and Virginia...

. It is about 16.5 miles (26.6 km) long, and as the most northeastern extension of the Chesapeake Bay estuary

Estuary

An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....

, serves as one entrance to the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal

Chesapeake and Delaware Canal

The Chesapeake and Delaware Canal is a 14-mile long, 450-foot wide and 40-foot deep ship canal that cuts across the states of Maryland and Delaware, in the United States. It connects the waters of the Delaware River with those of the Chesapeake Bay and the Port of Baltimore...

. It is located in Cecil County

Cecil County, Maryland

Cecil County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. It is part of the Delaware Valley. It was named for Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore , who was the first Proprietary Governor of the colony of Maryland from 1632 until his death in 1675. The county seat is Elkton. The newspaper...

, Maryland

Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

, with its headwaters

Source (river or stream)

The source or headwaters of a river or stream is the place from which the water in the river or stream originates.-Definition:There is no universally agreed upon definition for determining a stream's source...

 extending into 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...

, Delaware

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...

 and Chester County

Chester County, Pennsylvania

-State parks:*French Creek State Park*Marsh Creek State Park*White Clay Creek Preserve-Demographics:As of the 2010 census, the county was 85.5% White, 6.1% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American or Alaskan Native, 3.9% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian, 1.8% were two or more races, and 2.4% were...

, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

. Elkton

Elkton, Maryland

The town of Elkton is the county seat of Cecil County, Maryland, United States. The population was 11,893 as of the 2000 census and 14,842 according to current July 2008 census estimates. It is the county seat of Cecil County...

, the county seat

County seat

A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....

 of Cecil County, is located at its head. Its total watershed area is 143 square miles (including the Bohemia River

Bohemia River

The Bohemia River is a tributary of the Elk River on the Delmarva Peninsula. It is located in Cecil County, Maryland, with its headwaters extending into New Castle County, Delaware....

), with 21 square miles (54.4 km²) of open water, so its watershed is 15% open water. It is south and east of the North East River

North East River

The North East River is the northernmost arm of Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, the United States. Entirely tidal, it extends for from the town of North East, southwest past Charlestown to the main body of Chesapeake Bay between Carpenter Point and Red Point. The river is fed by North East Creek and...

, and north of the Sassafras River

Sassafras River

The Sassafras River is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay on the Delmarva Peninsula in the United States. It is about long and starts in western New Castle County, Delaware, and along the boundary between Cecil County, Maryland on the north and Kent County, Maryland on the south...

.

Course

The Elk River begins at Elkton, where its two major tributaries, Big Elk Creek and Little Elk Creek, come together, and ends at the Chesapeake Bay in a wide mouth between Turkey Point on Elk Neck and Grove Point on Grove Neck. Little Elk Creek rises near Oxford, Pennsylvania

Oxford, Pennsylvania

Oxford is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. Oxford is the closest town to Lincoln University. The population was 4,315 at the 2000 census.-History:The borough was once called Oxford Crossing and Oxford Village....

, and the East Branch and West Branch of Big Elk Creek rise to the south of Cochranville, Pennsylvania. They descend through the Pennsylvania and Maryland Piedmont

Piedmont (United States)

The Piedmont is a plateau region located in the eastern United States between the Atlantic Coastal Plain and the main Appalachian Mountains, stretching from New Jersey in the north to central Alabama in the south. The Piedmont province is a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division...

, before reaching sea level at Elkton, the head of navigation

Navigability

A body of water, such as a river, canal or lake, is navigable if it is deep, wide and slow enough for a vessel to pass. Preferably there are few obstructions such as rocks or trees to avoid. Bridges must have sufficient clearance. High water speed may make a channel unnavigable. Waters may be...

.

Tributaries

There are several small creeks on the western shore, including Muddy Creek, Jones Creek, Bull Minnow Run, and Plum Creek. On the eastern shore major tributaries are Back Creek, much of which is now the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, and the Bohemia River. Small creeks include Pond Creek, Pearce Creek, Cabin John Creek, Herring Creek, and Perch Creek.

External links

• NOAA Nautical Chart 12274
• Chesapeake Bay Program Watershed Profile: Elk River Lower
• Chesapeake Bay Program Watershed Profile: Upper Elk River
• Chesapeake Bay Program Watershed Profile: Bohemia River