Delaware Bay · NJ
Port Norris
The old oyster port of the Maurice River.
- Population
- 1,111 (2020 census)
- Oyster peak
- 1955
- MSX die-off
- 1957
- Tides
- Two highs, two lows a day
Then
- 1911
Voters turn down making Port Norris a borough separate from Commercial Township.
- 1955
The oyster industry at Bivalve and Shell Pile peaks; shells pile high outside the packing sheds.
- 1957
The parasite MSX kills 90 percent of the oysters, and the industry collapses.
Now
Bivalve and Shell Pile are now mostly ghost towns of fewer than 50 people. The stations here follow the Maurice River and the bay shore creeks from Fortescue to Bidwell Creek, plus the back bays from Strathmere to the Tuckahoe River.
On the water
From NOAA's predictions for Bivalve, Maurice River, NJ over the next 365 days. Heights are in feet above mean lower low water (MLLW).
- Pattern
- Two highs and two lows a day, close in size
- Typical daily range
- 5.8 ft
- Biggest swing
- 7.7 ft on Jan 23
- Smallest swing
- 4.1 ft on Mar 31
- Highest high
- 7.3 ft, Aug 2 at 10:06 PM
- Lowest low
- −1.0 ft, Jan 24 at 4:24 AM
32 tide stations around Port Norris
- Bivalve, Maurice River2.0 mi
- Riggins Ditch, Heislerville2.1 mi
- Mauricetown2.8 mi
- East Point, Maurice River Cove3.3 mi
- Riggins Ditch, 0.5 n.mi. above entrance3.5 mi
- West Creek, Route 47 bridge4.4 mi
- Port Elizabeth, Manumuskin River4.8 mi
- East Creek, Route 47 bridge5.8 mi
- Dividing Creek entrance5.9 mi
- West Creek, 0.7 n.mi. above entrance6.0 mi
Show all 32 stations
- Menantico Creek entrance6.8 mi
- Weir Creek bridge, Dividing Creek6.9 mi
- Hollywood Beach, The Glades7.9 mi
- Fishing Creek entrance8.7 mi
- Dennis Creek, 2.5 n.mi. above entrance9.2 mi
- Fortescue Creek9.4 mi
- Bidwell Creek entrance9.9 mi
- Millville10.4 mi
- Dennis Creek, Route 47 bridge10.4 mi
- Sluice Creek, Route 47 bridge, Dennis Creek10.7 mi
- Bidwell Creek, Route 47 bridge11.2 mi
- Tuckahoe, Tuckahoe River13.9 mi
- Townsend Sound15.0 mi
- Cedar Swamp Creek, Tuckahoe River15.0 mi
- Stites Sound15.7 mi
- Ludlam Bay, west side16.2 mi
- Long Reach, Ingram Thorofare16.4 mi
- Ingram Thorofare16.8 mi
- River Bend Marina, Great Egg Harbor River17.3 mi
- Ocean Drive bridge17.4 mi
- Strathmere, Strathmere Bay18.6 mi
- Middle Thorofare, Ocean Drive bridge18.9 mi