The Hackensack River is a river, approximately 45 miles (72 km) long, in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
s of
New York and
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, emptying into
Newark Bay, a back chamber of
New York Harbor. The
watershed of the river includes part of the suburban area outside
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
just west of the lower
Hudson River
The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...
, which it roughly parallels, separated from it by the
New Jersey Palisades
The Palisades, also called the New Jersey Palisades or the Hudson River Palisades, are a line of steep cliffs along the west side of the lower Hudson River in Northeastern New Jersey and Southeastern New York in the United States. The cliffs s ...
. It also flows through and drains the
New Jersey Meadowlands
New Jersey Meadowlands, also known as the Hackensack Meadowlands after the primary river flowing through it, is a general name for the large ecosystem of wetlands in northeastern New Jersey in the United States, a few miles to the west of ...
. The lower river, which is navigable as far as the city of
Hackensack, is heavily industrialized and forms a commercial extension of Newark Bay.
Once believed to be among the most polluted watercourses in the United States, it staged a modest revival by the late 2000s. The river is divided into the upper river, north of the
Oradell Reservoir
The Oradell Reservoir is a reservoir formed by the Oradell Reservoir Dam on the Hackensack River in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States.
Geography
The Oradell Reservoir Dam is located primarily in the borough of Oradell, but the reservoir ...
and
Oradell Dam, and lower river, south of the reservoir and dam.
Description
The Hackensack River rises in southeastern New York, in
Rockland County
Rockland County is the southernmost county on the west side of the Hudson River in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the New York metropolitan area. It is about from the Bronx at their closest points. The county's population, as of t ...
, in the Sweet Swamp, just west of the
Hudson River
The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...
and approximately 1 mi (1.6 km) south of
West Haverstraw. It flows briefly southeast, into the
Lake DeForest
Lake DeForest, also called DeForest Lake, is a reservoir in Clarkstown, New York, created in 1956 by impounding the Hackensack River, which is a principal part of the water supply for Rockland County, New York and Northern New Jersey, mainly Berge ...
reservoir, separated from the Hudson by less than 3 mi (5 km). South of the dam, it then flows south, diverging from the Hudson. Just across the New Jersey state line, in northern
Bergen County, it is impounded to form the reservoir
Lake Tappan
Lake Tappan is a reservoir impounded by the Tappan Dam on the Hackensack River, straddling the border between the U.S. states of New Jersey and New York. Within New Jersey, the lake traverses the border separating the municipalities of Riv ...
near
River Vale
River Vale is a township in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. River Vale is the easternmost municipality in an area of the county referred to as the Pascack Valley. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 9,6 ...
.
South of Lake Tappan, it flows in a
meander
A meander is one of a series of regular sinuous curves in the channel of a river or other watercourse. It is produced as a watercourse erodes the sediments of an outer, concave bank ( cut bank) and deposits sediments on an inner, convex ba ...
ing course southward through the suburban communities of New Jersey. Near
Oradell, it is impounded to form
Oradell Reservoir
The Oradell Reservoir is a reservoir formed by the Oradell Reservoir Dam on the Hackensack River in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States.
Geography
The Oradell Reservoir Dam is located primarily in the borough of Oradell, but the reservoir ...
, where it is surrounded primarily by Oradell,
Haworth
Haworth () is a village in the City of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, in the Pennines, south-west of Keighley, west of Bradford and east of Colne in Lancashire. The surrounding areas include Oakworth and Oxenhope. Nearby villages inc ...
, and
Emerson, and joined by several streams, including the
Dwars Kill
The Dwars Kill (also known as Dwarskill or Dwarskill Creek) is a tributary of the Hackensack River (Oradell Reservoir) in Bergen County, New Jersey, in the United States. The name is taken from the Dutch language and can be translated as "Cross Cr ...
, the Cherry Brook, and
Pascack Brook Pascack Brook is a tributary of the Hackensack River in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States.
History
At least one late 18th-century map calls the brook "Great Pascack River." Its tributary Musquapsink Brook is shown as "Little Pascack River. ...
.
Van Buskirk Island
A van is a type of road vehicle used for transporting goods or people. Depending on the type of van, it can be bigger or smaller than a pickup truck and SUV, and bigger than a common car. There is some varying in the scope of the word across ...
, a man-made island and site of the
New Milford Plant of the Hackensack Water Company, lies in this area. South of the reservoir, it flows through the
Oradell Dam through
River Edge,
Hackensack,
Teaneck
Teaneck () is a township in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a bedroom community in the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the township's population was 39,776, reflecting an increase of 516 (+1.3%) f ...
,
Bogota, and
Ridgefield Park, once again approaching within 3 mi (5 km) of the Hudson, and separated from it by the ridge of the Palisades.
At
Little Ferry, it is joined by the broad
Overpeck Creek
Overpeck Creek is a tributary of the Hackensack River, approximately long, in Bergen County in northeastern New Jersey in the United States. The lower broad mouth of the creek is part of the extended tidal estuary of the lower Hackensack and of t ...
, then flows southward, widening in a broad meandering
tidal
Tidal is the adjectival form of tide.
Tidal may also refer to:
* ''Tidal'' (album), a 1996 album by Fiona Apple
* Tidal (king), a king involved in the Battle of the Vale of Siddim
* TidalCycles, a live coding environment for music
* Tidal (servic ...
estuary
An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environm ...
through the Meadowlands, forming extensive side streams and
wetland
A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The p ...
s. South of
North Bergen
North Bergen is a township in the northern part of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the township had a total population of 63,361. The township was founded in 1843. It was much diminished in territory by ...
, it forms the boundary between Bergen County to the west and
Hudson County
Hudson County is the most densely populated county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It lies west of the lower Hudson River, which was named for Henry Hudson, the sea captain who explored the area in 1609. Part of New Jersey's Gateway Region in ...
to the east. Opposite
Secaucus
Secaucus ( ) is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, the town's population was 16,264,[Berrys Creek
Berry's Creek (sometimes referred to as ''Berrys Creek'' or ''Berry Creek'') is a tributary of the Hackensack River in the New Jersey Meadowlands in Bergen County, New Jersey. The creek watershed contains a diverse array of wetlands, marshes, and ...]
, then flows past the western edge of
Jersey City, which overlooks the river's valley from the ridge of the Palisades, before forming Newark Bay at its confluence with the
Passaic River between Jersey City and
Kearny.
As it flows through the Meadowlands it is traversed by numerous
rail and road bridges.
History
![Sports Complex fr Trolley Pk jeh](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Sports_Complex_fr_Trolley_Pk_jeh.jpg)
The name of the river comes from the
Lenape word ''Achinigeu-hach'', or ''Ackingsah-sack'', meaning ''flat confluence of streams'' or ''stony ground.'' Conflicts with the Lenape prevented the early
Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
settlers of the
New Netherland
New Netherland ( nl, Nieuw Nederland; la, Novum Belgium or ) was a 17th-century colonial province of the Dutch Republic that was located on the east coast of what is now the United States. The claimed territories extended from the Delmarva P ...
colony from expanding westward into the valley into late in the 17th century. The river furnished both the
Native Americans and the
European settlers with abundant runs of
herring,
shad and
striped bass.
At the outset of the
colonial era the river's watershed was home to
Lenape groups now known as the
Rumachenanck (or Haverstraw),
Tappan, and
Hackensack, the latter
exonym
An endonym (from Greek: , 'inner' + , 'name'; also known as autonym) is a common, ''native'' name for a geographical place, group of people, individual person, language or dialect, meaning that it is used inside that particular place, group, ...
taken from an encampment near the confluence of the tributary
Overpeck Creek
Overpeck Creek is a tributary of the Hackensack River, approximately long, in Bergen County in northeastern New Jersey in the United States. The lower broad mouth of the creek is part of the extended tidal estuary of the lower Hackensack and of t ...
. European settlement began in the mid 17th century as part of
New Netherland
New Netherland ( nl, Nieuw Nederland; la, Novum Belgium or ) was a 17th-century colonial province of the Dutch Republic that was located on the east coast of what is now the United States. The claimed territories extended from the Delmarva P ...
when the region was called ''
Achter Kol
Achter Kol (or Achter Col) was the name given to the region around the Newark Bay and Hackensack River in northeastern New Jersey by the first European settlers to it and was part of the 17th century province of New Netherland, originally admini ...
'', meaning "rear pass" or "behind the ridge", to describe the valleys west of the
Hudson Palisades
The Palisades, also called the New Jersey Palisades or the Hudson River Palisades, are a line of steep cliffs along the west side of the lower Hudson River in Northeastern New Jersey and Southeastern New York in the United States. The cliffs s ...
which afforded passage to trapping grounds in the northern hinterlands.
The river and the surrounding Meadowlands presented a formidable difficulty in transportation and communication. The wetlands helped allow the escape of the
Continental Army under
George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...
in 1776 after several defeats at the hands of the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
army on the east side of the Hudson. It later served as a protective barrier that allowed Washington's army to encamp in the nearby hills near
Morristown.
Urbanization and pollution
![Newark Mtn jeh](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b7/Newark_Mtn_jeh.jpg)
Human alterations to land in the Hackensack meadowlands increased in the 19th century, including clearing forests; building roads, railroads and ditches; and filling wetlands.
The
Second Industrial Revolution
The Second Industrial Revolution, also known as the Technological Revolution, was a phase of rapid scientific discovery, standardization, mass production and industrialization from the late 19th century into the early 20th century. The Fi ...
led to construction of heavy manufacturing, storage tanks, and chemical processing plants in the area during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The economic development and population increases in the watershed led to extensive
water pollution
Water pollution (or aquatic pollution) is the contamination of water bodies, usually as a result of human activities, so that it negatively affects its uses. Water bodies include lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers, reservoirs and groundwater. ...
in the river, both from municipal
sewage and
industrial wastewater
Industrial wastewater treatment describes the processes used for Wastewater treatment, treating wastewater that is produced by industries as an undesirable by-product. After treatment, the treated industrial wastewater (or effluent) may be reuse ...
. In the 20th century untreated sewage discharges from the various towns and cities began to contribute significant amount of pollutants to the river. The first sewage plant with
secondary treatment
Secondary treatment is the removal of biodegradable organic matter (in solution or suspension) from sewage or similar kinds of wastewater. The aim is to achieve a certain degree of effluent quality in a sewage treatment plant suitable for the inte ...
technology did not open until the 1950s, and more treatment capacity was added in the region in the following decades. Water quality studies in the late 1980s indicated that the river continued to be impaired with low oxygen levels and
nutrient pollution
Nutrient pollution, a form of water pollution, refers to contamination by excessive inputs of nutrients. It is a primary cause of eutrophication of surface waters (lakes, rivers and coastal waters), in which excess nutrients, usually nitrogen or ...
.
In the 21st century many communities in the watershed continue to be drained by
combined sewers, which discharge untreated sewage during large rainstorms.
Development of new drinking water supplies also had major environmental impacts on the river. The construction of the
Oradell Reservoir
The Oradell Reservoir is a reservoir formed by the Oradell Reservoir Dam on the Hackensack River in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States.
Geography
The Oradell Reservoir Dam is located primarily in the borough of Oradell, but the reservoir ...
dam in 1921 essentially changed the lower river from a free-flowing stream into a
brackish
Brackish water, sometimes termed brack water, is water occurring in a natural environment that has more salinity than freshwater, but not as much as seawater. It may result from mixing seawater (salt water) and fresh water together, as in estu ...
estuary
An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environm ...
, allowing the encroachment of marine species.
Urbanization in the region intensified after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, with the expansion of roads and highways, including the
New Jersey Turnpike (1952), as well as the
Meadowlands Sports Complex
The Meadowlands Sports Complex is a sports complex located in East Rutherford, in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. The facility is owned and operated by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA).
The complex currently con ...
(1970s).
By the 1960s, much of the lower river was essentially a
turbid
Turbidity is the cloudiness or haziness of a fluid caused by large numbers of individual particles that are generally invisible to the naked eye, similar to smoke in air. The measurement of turbidity is a key test of water quality.
Fluids can ...
hypoxic
Hypoxia means a lower than normal level of oxygen, and may refer to:
Reduced or insufficient oxygen
* Hypoxia (environmental), abnormally low oxygen content of the specific environment
* Hypoxia (medical), abnormally low level of oxygen in the t ...
dead zone, with only the hardiest of species, such as the
mummichog
The mummichog (''Fundulus heteroclitus'') is a small killifish found along the Atlantic coast of the United States and Canada. Also known as Atlantic killifish, mummies, gudgeons, and mud minnows, these fish inhabit brackish and coastal waters in ...
, able to survive in its waters. Chemical companies dumped large volumes of waste into
Berry's Creek
Berry's Creek (sometimes referred to as ''Berrys Creek'' or ''Berry Creek'') is a tributary of the Hackensack River in the New Jersey Meadowlands in Bergen County, New Jersey. The creek watershed contains a diverse array of wetlands, marshes, a ...
during the 20th century, resulting in the highest concentrations of
methyl mercury
Methylmercury (sometimes methyl mercury) is an organometallic cation with the formula . It is the simplest organomercury compound. Methylmercury is extremely toxic, and its derivatives are the major source of organic mercury for humans. It is ...
of any fresh-water sediment in the world, as well as extensive residues of
PCBs
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are highly carcinogenic chemical compounds, formerly used in industrial and consumer products, whose production was banned in the United States by the Toxic Substances Control Act in 1979 and internationally by t ...
and other chemicals.
Three sites along the creek are federally-designated
Superfund sites and require major cleanup operations, which are ongoing as of 2022.
The river recovered somewhat by the late 2000s following the decline in manufacturing in the area, as well as from enforcement of
Clean Water Act regulations and from the efforts of local conservancy groups. Recreational fishing has staged a modest comeback, although
catch and release
Catch and release is a practice within recreational fishing where after capture, often a fast measurement and weighing of the fish is performed, followed by posed photography as proof of the catch, and then the fish are unhooked and returned ...
may be advisable, as there are continuing health advisories against the consumption of fish caught in the river.
Urban runoff
Urban runoff is surface runoff of rainwater, landscape irrigation, and car washing created by urbanization. Impervious surfaces (roads, parking lots and sidewalks) are constructed during land development. During rain , storms and other precip ...
pollution, municipal sewage discharges from
sanitary sewer overflow
Sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) is a condition in which untreated sewage is discharged from a sanitary sewer into the environment prior to reaching sewage treatment facilities. When caused by rainfall it is also known as wet weather overflow. Cause ...
s and combined sewer overflows, and runoff from
hazardous waste sites continue to impair the river's
water quality
Water quality refers to the chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of water based on the standards of its usage. It is most frequently used by reference to a set of standards against which compliance, generally achieved through tr ...
.
The future of the
wetland
A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The p ...
s around the lower river has been an ongoing controversy between
development
Development or developing may refer to:
Arts
*Development hell, when a project is stuck in development
*Filmmaking, development phase, including finance and budgeting
*Development (music), the process thematic material is reshaped
* Photograph ...
and preservation groups in recent decades. The Hackensack Meadowlands Development Commission, later called the
New Jersey Meadowlands Commission
The New Jersey Meadowlands Commission (NJMC; formerly the Hackensack Meadowlands Development Commission) was a regional zoning, planning and regulatory agency in northern New Jersey. Its founding mandates were to protect the delicate balance of n ...
, was established by the state in 1968 to manage development and habitat preservation. The commission was merged into the
New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority
The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA) is an independent authority established by the State of New Jersey in 1971 to oversee the Meadowlands Sports Complex, but which now contains the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission, a regulatory ...
in 2015.
The
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent executive agency of the United States federal government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon pro ...
(EPA) proposed designating the Lower Hackensack as a Superfund site, which would make it eligible for environmental remediation partially funded by original polluters. In September 2022, the Lower Hackensack was declared a federal
superfund site, triggering the process.
Tributaries
New Jersey
*
Berrys Creek
Berry's Creek (sometimes referred to as ''Berrys Creek'' or ''Berry Creek'') is a tributary of the Hackensack River in the New Jersey Meadowlands in Bergen County, New Jersey. The creek watershed contains a diverse array of wetlands, marshes, and ...
*Bashes Creek
*Cherry Brook
*Moonachie Creek
*
Mill Creek
*
Cromakill Creek
Mill Creek Marsh is a nature preserve in the New Jersey Meadowlands located in Secaucus at its border with North Bergen, the Cromakill Creek, in Hudson County, New Jersey. It is fed by the Hackensack River,
and is a contributing property to the Hac ...
*Bellmans Creek
*Losen Slote
*
Overpeck Creek
Overpeck Creek is a tributary of the Hackensack River, approximately long, in Bergen County in northeastern New Jersey in the United States. The lower broad mouth of the creek is part of the extended tidal estuary of the lower Hackensack and of t ...
*Coles Brook
*French Brook
*Hirshfeld Brook
*
Dwars Kill
The Dwars Kill (also known as Dwarskill or Dwarskill Creek) is a tributary of the Hackensack River (Oradell Reservoir) in Bergen County, New Jersey, in the United States. The name is taken from the Dutch language and can be translated as "Cross Cr ...
:*Tappan Run
*
Pascack Brook Pascack Brook is a tributary of the Hackensack River in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States.
History
At least one late 18th-century map calls the brook "Great Pascack River." Its tributary Musquapsink Brook is shown as "Little Pascack River. ...
*Holdrum Brook
:*Hillsdale Brook
*Cherry Brook
New York
*Nauraushaun Brook
Nanuet, New York
Nanuet is a hamlet and census-designated place in the town of Clarkstown, Rockland County, New York, United States. The third largest hamlet in Clarkstown, it is located north of Pearl River, south of New City, east of Spring Valley, and west o ...
*East Branch Hackensack River
*Toms Creek
*West Branch Hackensack River
See also
*
List of New Jersey rivers
*
List of New York rivers
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby unio ...
*
List of crossings of the Hackensack River
The Hackensack River courses southward for approximately through Rockland County in New York and Bergen and Hudson counties in northeastern New Jersey, forming the border of the latter two for part of its length. Its source, as identified by ...
*
Little Ferry Seaplane Base
*
Hackensack RiverWalk
Hackensack RiverWalk, also known as the Hackensack River Greenway, a is partially constructed greenway along the Newark Bay and Hackensack River in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. The linear park, which closely follows the contour ...
References
External links
Bergen SWAN- Watershed Protection Group
Hackensack Riverkeeper- Environmental organization
- Fairleigh Dickinson University
Friends of the Hackensack River Greenway through TeaneckNew Jersey Meadowlands CommissionMeadowlands Environment CenterMeadowlands Environmental Research Institute (MERI)New Jersey Naval MuseumHome of the W.W. II Submarine
USS Ling (SS-297)USS LingPhotos on board the Submarine USS Ling SS-297
NOAA Chart 12337, Passaic and Hackensack RiversU.S. Geological Survey: NJ stream gaging stations
{{authority control
Rivers of New Jersey
Rivers of New York (state)
Rivers of Bergen County, New Jersey
Rivers of Hudson County, New Jersey
Rivers of Rockland County, New York