The Salem River is a where it widens into a meandering shallow estuary, Kates Creek Meadow, and passes the city of Salem, its head of navigability. It flows into the Delaware River from the east near the head of Delaware Bay, on the boundary of Pennsville and Elsinboro townships, approximately west of Salem and approximately southeast of Finns Point.

The Delaware and the Salem are tidal. The Delaware River Main Channel is maintained at a depth of and expected to be in 2017 Reach D, which includes the entrance to Port of Salem, was completed in 2010. The shipping channel of the Salem River is much shallower, making the city a low draft port, which prohibits use by Handymax class ships. The river is entered though Salem Cove about from the entrance of the Delaware Bay. The channel travels along the southeast side of the cove for and continues another upstream of the first vehicular bridge crossing it.

The Salem River and Cut-Off was first channelized in 1925 to a depth of .

According to the Geographic Names Information System, the river has also been known historically as Firkins Creek, Varkens Kill, and Varkins Kill (Hogg Creek). The Board on Geographic Names settled on "Salem River" as the stream's name in 1940.

See also

  • List of New Jersey rivers

References

  • Salem River gaging station at Woodsville