Habitats: Swamp Forests with bald cypress, red maple, tupelo and loblolly pine; mixed forests with beech and mesophytic oaks; lake with cypress-tupelo swamp and a diversity of floating and submerged aquatics.

Site Description: The majority of the site is riverine swamp forest along the Chowan River that is approximately 18 miles long and 2-3 miles wide in places. Merchants Millpond is approximately 760 acres in total area.

Land Use: wildlife conservation, hunting, recreation/tourism

Primary Threats: disturbance to birds, commercial development, tree cutting on private lands.

Protection Status: Approximately half of the acreage (9,800 acres) includes merchants Millpond State Park and Chowan Swamp Game Lands, both of which are protected and managed by the State of North Carolina. The remaining acreage is privately owned and not under protection.

Conservation Issues:

Birds: The site is significant for breeding landbirds (Criteria 4g), wood ducks, barred owls, and woodpeckers.  In addition, the site holds a significant diversity and abundance of species associated with bottomland hardwood forest habitat (Criteria 3).