A large expanse, approximately 32,000 acres, 
is located in southern Dorchester County, 
Maryland, and drains into Fishing Bay and 
the Nanticoke River. This area includes the 
lower watersheds of the Blackwater River, 
Transquaking River and Ireland Creek, and 
the entire watersheds of Irish, Jacks and Cow 
Creeks (Ireland Creek and Cow Creek are the 
common names for Island Creek and Langrells 
Creek of the U. S. Geological Survey maps), 
Smaller areas of this marsh type are located 
on the watershed of Broad Creek, draining 
into Ellis Bay in Wicomico County, Maryland 
(about 3,600 acres); and on the watershed of 
Marumsco Creek, draining into Pocomoke 
Sound in Somerset County, Maryland (about 
2,700 acres). Small patches or fringes of this 
marsh type also occur along some of the 
brackish estuarine bays, and particularly along 
Eastern Bay and the Chester River in the Kent 
Narrows and Eastern Neck Island areas. This 
habitat is a complex mosaic of ponds, creeks, 
and marshes. Different plant species are 
dominant in different areas. The more charac- 
teristic species are; 
Primary Species 
Saltmeadow Cordgrass 
Olney Three-square 
Needlerush 
Hightide-bush 
Widgeongrass 
Saltgrass 
Big Cordgrass 
Saltmarsh Cordgrass 
Secondary Species 
Muskgrass Lythrum 
Dwarf Spikerush Sea-lavender 
Fimbristylis Rosegentian 
(F. castanea) Seaside Goldenrod 
Saltmarsh Bulrush Aster 
Atriplex (A, tenuifolius ) 
Glasswort Groundselbush 
(Salicornia europaea) Saltmarsh Fleabane 
Saltmarsh Mallow 
Certain fairly definite plant associations are 
widespread and characteristic of the habitat. 
Big cordgrass, associated with atriplex, sea~ 
lavender, and other subdominant plants, usu- 
ally occurs as a narrow zone along the margins 
of tidal creeks and ponds of the drainage 
systems. Marginal thickets of hightide-bush 
and occasional groundselbush often replace 
the big cordgrass association in some of the 
higher marshes that have less tidal fluctuation. 
Saltmeadow cordgrass usually is the dominant 
plant in marshmeadows of the comparatively 
dry and well-drained zone adjacent to pond.and 
creek borders. Locally saltgrass and salt- 
‘marsh cordgrass may grow with the salt- 
meadow cordgrass or replace it, Secondary or 
subdominant species characteristic of marsh- 
meadows include: fimbristylis, saltmarsh 
mallow, lythrum, sea-lavender, rosegentian, 
15 
seaside goldenrod, aster, and saltmarsh flea- 
bane. A short growth form of saltmarsh cord- 
grass grows in nearly pure stands onthe well- 
drained tidal flats that terminate many of the 
smaller creeks or guts. These flats are 
covered with considerable water during normal 
hightides. Glasswort also is common locally 
on these flats. Olney three-square is the 
dominant plant in extensive, poorly drained 
shallow depressions of the marsh that nor- 
mally are covered with considerable surface 
water. Saltgrass is a common associate of the 
Olney three-square, and saltmarsh bulrush 
occurs in occasional patches. Nearly pure 
stands of needlerush or mixed stands of needle~+ 
rush and saltgrass dominate the poorly drained 
areas that normally have little or no surface 
water. 
Submerged aquatic plants are quite scarce 
or absent from the tidal creeks, guts, and 
ponds. Patches of dwarf spikerush do grow on 
shallow mud bars that are exposed at lowtide. 
The scarcity of plants probably is the result 
of excessive turbidity and scouring by silt- 
laden water. Turbidity is caused in part by 
tidal scouring action and also by the consider- 
able amount of organic stain and silt that is 
carried in from the upper watersheds of many 
of the larger streams. Salinity of the water 
apparently is not great enough to precipitate the 
solid particles. Widgeongrass is dominant in 
the shallow ''still-water" ponds that are situ- 
ated within the poorly drained marsh depres- 
sions. Muskgrasses also are common locally 
in the still-water ponds and sago pondweed 
occurs occasionally. Many of the ponds are 
believed to have originated from muskrat 
"“eatouts''’, They ordinarily do not connect 
directly with tidal streams of the drainage 
systems, and therefore are not appreciably 
affected by normal daily fluctuations of the tide. 
Similar ponds often are created artificially 
by constructing gut plugs or dams on tidal 
streams. 
Vertebrates other than waterfowl 
Brackish estuarine bay marshes have a 
diverse vertebrate fauna. There are 5 species 
of mammals, 28 species of birds, 2 species 
of reptiles, and 5 species of fish. Raccoons 
and Common Crows are important predators 
on waterfowl during the breeding season, dam- 
aging both eggs and young. Muskrats enlarge 
ponds and guts and create new ones, and so 
improve waterfowl habitat. Marsh Hawks, 
Horned Owls and other raptors sometimes take 
a few ducks for food, but the total effect on 
waterfowl probably is insignificant. Three 
species of small fish, the common killifish 
(Fundulus heteroclitus), the striped killifish 
(Fundulus majalis), and the broad killifish 
(Cyprinodon variegatus) are common and widely 
distributed in tidal creeks and ponds. 
