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MARYLAND AT A GLANCE

WATERWAYS

CREEKS

[photo, Great Blue Heron, College Creek, Annapolis, Maryland] For any state, bays and rivers obviously are significant. In Maryland, however, creeks too become especially important for some are the size of rivers. More notably, these tributaries contribute to the geographic and geologic consistency of the Chesapeake Bay, and are equally effected in return.

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias), College Creek, Annapolis, Maryland, July 2010. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

[photo, Little Hunting Creek, Thurmont, Maryland] By definition, a creek is a natural stream of water, normally smaller than, and often tributary to a river. Often, creek waters flow directly into Chesapeake Bay, or merge with other Bay tributaries, such as the Patapsco, the Patuxent, and the Potomac rivers.

Little Hunting Creek, Thurmont, Maryland, January 2006. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

Maryland possesses one of the most notable creeks in the nation - Antietam Creek. There, during the Civil War, on September 17, 1862, after twelve hours of fighting along its banks, approximately 23,000 soldiers were dead, wounded, or missing - the single bloodiest day of battle in American history.

Today, Maryland's creeks predominately are used for recreation, though some have been transformed into nature reserves. Recreational creeks may be found within national, State, and local parks. Chicamuxen Creek in Queen Anne's County, and Tuckahoe Creek in Talbot County, for example, both are located in State parks, while Antietam Creek passes through Antietam National Battlefield Park.

ALLEGANY COUNTY
[photo, Sailboats at piers, Back Creek, Annapolis, Maryland] ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY Sailboats, Back Creek, Annapolis, Maryland, October 2008. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.
[photo, Crew team on College Creek, Annapolis, Maryland]
  • College Creek
  • Cornfield Creek
  • Cox Creek
  • Crab Creek
  • Cross Creek
  • Curtis Creek
  • Cypress Creek
    • Crew team on College Creek, Annapolis, Maryland, April 2000. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.
    [photo, Early morning at Stoney Creek, Pasadena, Maryland] Early morning at Stoney Creek, Pasadena, Maryland, June 2000. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.
    BALTIMORE CITY BALTIMORE COUNTY

    CALVERT COUNTY

    [photo, Sailboats docked on St. Leonard Creek, Calvert County, Maryland]

  • Back Creek
  • Battle Creek (Cypress Swamp)
  • Ben Creek
  • Buzzard Island Creek
  • Chew Creek
  • Cocktown Creek
  • Fishing Creek
    • Sailboats docked on St. Leonard Creek, Calvert County, Maryland, May 2002. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.
    CAROLINE COUNTY CARROLL COUNTY CECIL COUNTY CHARLES COUNTY DORCHESTER COUNTY FREDERICK COUNTY GARRETT COUNTY HARFORD COUNTY HOWARD COUNTY KENT COUNTY MONTGOMERY COUNTY PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY QUEEN ANNE'S COUNTY

    ST. MARY'S COUNTY

    SOMERSET COUNTY TALBOT COUNTY WASHINGTON COUNTY WICOMICO COUNTY WORCESTER COUNTY

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