In 1982, 17 miles of the Lower Cohansey, from the Delaware Bay to Bridgeton’s city limits, were listed by the National Park Service as eligible for designation as a “National Wild and Scenic River” due to its “outstandingly remarkable values.”
The Cohansey River has been identified as one of five conservation zones under the Delaware Bay Landscape chapter of the New Jersey Wildlife Action Plan (WAP). New Jersey’s comprehensive WAP identifies the challenges, needs, goals and strategies for protecting wildlife species of the greatest conservation need. As a focus area of the WAP, the Cohansey River is recognized for its ecological importance. In the Cohansey zone, the WAP identifies 13 State threatened and endangered species and 48 species of special concern or regional priority.
The 1993 Cumberland County Delaware Estuary Study, conducted by the Cumberland County Department of Planning and Economic Development through a USEPA grant, designated the lower Cohansey area as an Area of Special Significance. The designation was based on critical habitat and rare species. It recommended preservation of the area and implementation of ecologically sensitive farming practices.