At approximately 1,300 acres, Thousand Acre Marsh is the largest freshwater tidal wetland in northern Delaware. The marsh is bordered on its northern edge by the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal; the eastern boundary is the coastal dike (Rt. 9). The southern and western boundaries meander through privately-owned agricultural properties.

The marsh was originally enclosed by the Dutch in the 1600’s to control water levels for agriculture. In the early 1930’s, an increase in the muskrat hide trade saw landowners maintaining the marsh at higher levels for muskrat production. In times past, an area of just less than a hundred acres yielded 4,000 muskrat hides in one year. The higher water levels placed the muskrat tradesmen in direct conflict with landowners who wanted to maintain the lower water levels necessary to preserve the area for waterfowl hunting.

Although the marsh has been subjected to varied, sporadic, and at times highly reactionary management practices for over a century, it has somehow maintained a well-deserved reputation as one of the most highly productive and diverse habitats in Delaware. The marsh is part of an extensive foraging area for wading birds that nest at the Pea Patch Island heronry. Osprey and bald eagles have also been observed here. The marsh is currently under restoration under the Northern Delaware Wetlands Rehabilitation Program.

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