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UPPER ALLIGATOR RIVER MARSH 



NATURAL AREA INVENTORY 



Basic Information Summary Sheet : 



1. Natural Area Name 



Upper Alligator River Marsh 



2. County 

 Tyrrell 



3. Location 



Located along Alligator River from where NC 94 crosses the river at 

 the Tyrrell-Hyde County border eastward along the river - 4.5 miles 

 See figures 1 and 10. 



4. Topographic quadrangle 

 Fairfield, Fairfield NW 



5. Size 



971 acres 



6. Elevation 

 0-2 feet 



7. Access 



By foot from NC 94 at Tyrrell-Hyde County border. By boat form 

 same spot. By boat from Gum Neck Landing. See figures 10. 



8. Names of investigators 



Charles B. McDonald, East Carolina University 

 Andrew N. Ash, East Carolina University 



9. Date(s) of investigation 

 5/31/80 



6/12-13/80 

 8/6/80 



9A. Prose description of site 



The upper Alligator River Marsh is a 971 acre stretch of fresh 

 water marsh dominated by Typha glauca . The marsh seems robust and has 

 probably expanded recently as there are dead and dying trees near the 

 edge. The attached vegetative analysis sheet gives an indication of the 

 abundance and distribution of the more common plants in the marsh. 



The soils are histosoils over a parent material of quaternary sand 

 typical of the Pamlico Terrace. The marsh occupies the flood plain of 

 the upper Alligator River for a distance of over four miles. 



At first view, the observer is impressed with the extremely high 

 density of Typha and the fairly common red cedars (Juniperus virginiana ) 



