The watershed management area includes watersheds drained by waters principally in northern Burlington County that flow into the Delaware River. The principal rivers here are Crosswicks, Doctors and Assiscunk Creeks. The waters here drain sections of Ocean, Burlington, Monmouth, and Mercer Counties and include the following watersheds: Crosswicks Creek ,Assiscunk Creek, Duck Creek, Black Creek and Crafts Creek

Crosswicks Creek is 25 miles long and drains an area of 146 square miles to the Delaware River at Bordentown. It drains sections of Ocean, Burlington, Monmouth, and Mercer Counties. The two main population centers here are Yardville in Mercer County and Bordentown in Burlington County. Important land uses in this watershed include agricultural, forested, residential/commercial and military installations.

Crosswicks Creek as assessed at Extonville shows fair sanitary quality and elevated total phosphorus, and may have problems with lead and arsenic impairing aquatic life support and potability, respectively. Doctors Creek shows some elevation in nitrogen as well as total phosphorus.

Historically, sewage treatment plant effluent, runoff and other nonpoint sources have been suspected of causing nutrient enrichment in the headwaters of Crosswicks Creek. A number of hazardous waste sites are present in the upper watershed that may be contaminating local surface waters. They include: McGuire Air Force Base (aromatic hydrocarbons to South Run), Hopkins Farm site (volatile organics and unknown substances to unnamed tributary), Wilson Farm site (volatile organics and unknown substances to Bordens Run), and Goose Farm (volatile organics to unnamed tributary). Severe runoff from cropland and housing construction is reported to be responsible for turbidity, high total dissolved solids, and excessive phosphorus levels in the Creek. Rising rates of suburban development in New Egypt have brought about severe problems with septic tank leachate and surface runoff. These have resulted in reports of elevated ammonia and coliform bacteria, as well as depressed dissolved oxygen levels.

Doctors Creek receives severe levels of crop land runoff carrying fertilizer, herbicides, pesticides, and silt. Housing and road construction in the upstream reaches are suspected to be contributing additional silt loads to the stream.