Trap Pond State Park
Encyclopedia
Trap Pond State Park is a 2,109 acre (8.5 km²) Delaware state park located near Laurel, Delaware
. It is one of the largest surviving fragments of what was once an extensive wetland
in what is now southwestern Sussex County
. The state park features an extensive patch of second-growth baldcypress trees.
Many bird
s flock to stands of baldcypress, including Great Blue Heron
s, owl
s, warbler
s, and Pileated Woodpecker
s. Birdwatchers can also see hummingbird
s and Bald Eagle
s at Trap Pond in season.
Large specimens of American holly, the state tree of Delaware, can also be seen in the Trap Pond bottomland.
to cut the timbers. This dam helped to create what is now Trap Pond. The pond was enlarged in later years as nearby farmers laid down drainage tile
s to de-water their wetlands for agriculture. After the old-growth cypress timber had been harvested, the pond and adjacent surviving wetlands were re-used as the drainage sump for the surrounding farmers of Sussex County.
In the 1930s, the federal Civilian Conservation Corps
listed the pond as a place of recreation development. The Delaware legislature took over the land and named it as a state park in 1951.
s, kayak
s, rowboats, and pedal boat
s. There is also a launching ramp for privately owned shallow-draft vessels.
Fishing opportunities concentrate on panfish such as crappie
and bluegill
, with some bass
and pickerel
as well.
exhibits and a nature library. The nature center
is open seven days a week during spring and summer. Programs include hayride
s, guided nature walks and hikes, naturalist
-led pontoon
boat tours and outdoor skills workshops.
Laurel, Delaware
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,668 people, 1,389 households, and 957 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,215.9 people per square mile . There were 1,561 housing units at an average density of 943.0 per square mile...
. It is one of the largest surviving fragments of what was once an extensive wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
in what is now southwestern Sussex County
Sussex County, Delaware
Sussex County is a county located in the southern part of the U.S. state of Delaware. As of 2010 the population was 197,145, an increase of 25.9% over the previous decade. The county seat is Georgetown. The Seaford Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Sussex County.Sussex County is...
. The state park features an extensive patch of second-growth baldcypress trees.
Baldcypress ecosystem
The baldcypress is a wetland tree adapted to areas of calm, shallow standing water. It survives frosts but does not like extensive periods below freezing, and Trap Pond is the northernmost extensive natural stand of baldcypress on the Eastern seaboard of the United States.Many bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s flock to stands of baldcypress, including Great Blue Heron
Great Blue Heron
The Great Blue Heron is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North and Central America as well as the West Indies and the Galápagos Islands. It is a rare vagrant to Europe, with records from Spain, the Azores and England...
s, owl
Owl
Owls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions . Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish...
s, warbler
Warbler
There are a number of Passeriformes called "warblers". They are not particularly closely related, but share some characteristics, such as being fairly small, vocal and insectivorous....
s, and Pileated Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
The Pileated Woodpecker is a very large North American woodpecker, almost crow-sized, inhabiting deciduous forests in eastern North America, the Great Lakes, the boreal forests of Canada, and parts of the Pacific coast. It is also the largest woodpecker in America.Adults are long, and weigh...
s. Birdwatchers can also see hummingbird
Hummingbird
Hummingbirds are birds that comprise the family Trochilidae. They are among the smallest of birds, most species measuring in the 7.5–13 cm range. Indeed, the smallest extant bird species is a hummingbird, the 5-cm Bee Hummingbird. They can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings...
s and Bald Eagle
Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
s at Trap Pond in season.
Large specimens of American holly, the state tree of Delaware, can also be seen in the Trap Pond bottomland.
History
The rot-resistant wood of Trap Pond's baldcypress trees was extensively harvested starting in the 18th century. The lumbermen extensively altered the morphology of the wetland, damming its outflow to create power for a small sawmillSawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
to cut the timbers. This dam helped to create what is now Trap Pond. The pond was enlarged in later years as nearby farmers laid down drainage tile
Tile drainage
Tile drainage is an agriculture practice that removes excess water from soil subsurface. Whereas irrigation is the practice of adding additional water when the soil is naturally too dry, drainage brings soil moisture levels down for optimal crop growth...
s to de-water their wetlands for agriculture. After the old-growth cypress timber had been harvested, the pond and adjacent surviving wetlands were re-used as the drainage sump for the surrounding farmers of Sussex County.
In the 1930s, the federal Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
listed the pond as a place of recreation development. The Delaware legislature took over the land and named it as a state park in 1951.
Boating
The partly sheltered waters of Trap Pond (90 acres/0.4 km²) are now managed as a waterway for family recreation. A concessioner rents canoeCanoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
s, kayak
Kayak
A kayak is a small, relatively narrow, human-powered boat primarily designed to be manually propelled by means of a double blade paddle.The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler...
s, rowboats, and pedal boat
Pedalo
A paddle boat or "pedalo" is a form of waterborne transport, primarily for recreational use, powered through the use of pedals....
s. There is also a launching ramp for privately owned shallow-draft vessels.
Fishing opportunities concentrate on panfish such as crappie
Crappie
Crappie is a genus of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of order Perciformes. The type species is P. annularis, the white crappie...
and bluegill
Bluegill
The Bluegill is a species of freshwater fish sometimes referred to as bream, brim, or copper nose. It is a member of the sunfish family Centrarchidae of the order Perciformes.-Range and distribution:...
, with some bass
Bass (fish)
Bass is a name shared by many different species of popular gamefish. The term encompasses both freshwater and marine species. All belong to the large order Perciformes, or perch-like fishes, and in fact the word bass comes from Middle English bars, meaning "perch."-Types of basses:*The temperate...
and pickerel
American pickerel
The American pickerels are two subspecies of Esox americanus, a species of freshwater fish in the pike family of order Esociformes: the redfin pickerel, E. americanus americanus Gmelin, 1789, and the grass pickerel, E. americanus vermiculatus Lesueur, 1846.Both subspecies are native to North America...
as well.
Baldcypress Nature Center
The Baldcypress Nature Center features a display of some of the reptiles, fish and amphibians found in Trap Pond, as well as other natural historyNatural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
exhibits and a nature library. The nature center
Nature center
A nature center is an organization with a visitor center or interpretive center designed to educate people about nature and the environment. Usually located within a protected open space, nature centers often have trails through their property. Some are located within a state or city park, and...
is open seven days a week during spring and summer. Programs include hayride
Hayride
A hayride, also known as a hayrack ride, is a pleasure ride in an open truck, wagon or sleigh which has been decorated with hay or straw and similar farmlife paraphernalia...
s, guided nature walks and hikes, naturalist
Naturalist
Naturalist may refer to:* Practitioner of natural history* Conservationist* Advocate of naturalism * Naturalist , autobiography-See also:* The American Naturalist, periodical* Naturalism...
-led pontoon
Pontoon (boat)
A pontoon is a flotation device with buoyancy sufficient to float itself as well as a heavy load. A pontoon boat is a flattish boat that relies on pontoons to float. Pontoons may be used on boats, rafts, barges, docks, floatplanes or seaplanes. Pontoons may support a platform, creating a raft. A...
boat tours and outdoor skills workshops.