New Jersey Meadowlands, also known as the Hackensack Meadowlands after the
primary river flowing through it, is a general name for the large
ecosystem
An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact. These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Energy enters the syste ...
of
wetlands in northeastern
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 ...
in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
, a few miles to the west of
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 ...
. In the 20th century, much of the Meadowlands area was
urbanized, and it became known for being the site of large
landfills and decades of environmental abuse. A variety of projects are underway to restore and conserve the remaining ecological resources in the Meadowlands.
Geography
The Meadowlands stretch mainly along the terminus of the
Hackensack and
Passaic Rivers as they flow into
Newark Bay; tributaries of the Hackensack include Mill Creek,
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 ...
, and
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 ...
. The Meadowlands consist of roughly 8,400 acres (34 km
2) of open, undeveloped space in addition to developed areas that had been part of the natural wetlands which were heavily developed by
H. Bert Mack and M. Bolero in the 1960s.
[Orlando Sun Sentinel: "H. Bert Mack, Businessman, Philanthropist"]
May 11, 1992 The area includes portions of
Kearny,
Jersey City,
North Arlington,
Secaucus,
Lyndhurst,
Rutherford,
East Rutherford
East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the borough's population was 10,022, reflecting an increase of 1,109 (+12.4%) from the 8,913 counted in the 2010 census. ,
Carlstadt,
North Bergen,
Moonachie,
Ridgefield,
South 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 ...
, and
Little Ferry.
History
The area was forested with
Atlantic white cedar
''Chamaecyparis thyoides'' (Atlantic white cedar, Atlantic white cypress, southern white cedar, whitecedar, or false-cypress), a species of ''Cupressaceae'', is native to the Atlantic coast of North America and is found from southern Maine to ...
before the early Dutch settlers cleared the cedar forests and used dikes to drain the land. The Dutch farmers used the drained tidal lands to create "meadows" of
salt hay
''Sporobolus pumilus'', the saltmeadow cordgrass, also known as salt hay, is a species of cordgrass native to the Atlantic coast of the Americas, from Newfoundland south along the eastern United States to the Caribbean and north-eastern Mexico. I ...
; hence, the area was referred to by locals as the Meadows. In more recent times, the Meadowlands became known for being the site of large landfills and decades of environmental abuse.
Human impact
Before European settlement, the area consisted of several diverse ecosystems based on
freshwater,
brackish water
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 estuari ...
, and
saltwater
Saline water (more commonly known as salt water) is water that contains a high concentration of dissolved salts (mainly sodium chloride). On the United States Geological Survey (USGS) salinity scale, saline water is saltier than brackish water, ...
environments. Large areas were covered by forests. Considered by residents of the area through the centuries as wastelands, the Meadowlands were systematically subject to various kinds of human intervention. The four major categories are:
* ''Extraction of natural resources (including fish and game, as well as cedar logs).'' Farmers also harvested
salt hay
''Sporobolus pumilus'', the saltmeadow cordgrass, also known as salt hay, is a species of cordgrass native to the Atlantic coast of the Americas, from Newfoundland south along the eastern United States to the Caribbean and north-eastern Mexico. I ...
for feed. Over time, the forest resources were totally depleted, dike systems broke down, farming ceased, and contamination by pollution increased.
* ''Alteration of water flow.'' Drainage canals and especially the deepening of the Hackensack River for navigation have allowed salt water to enter the original fresh water and brackish water areas, altering the ecology and destroying the estuarine environment.
* ''Reclamation, land making, and development.'' In addition to landfill from garbage, landmass generated from dredging was also used to create new land. Some material came from building the
World Trade Center
World Trade Centers are sites recognized by the World Trade Centers Association.
World Trade Center may refer to:
Buildings
* List of World Trade Centers
* World Trade Center (2001–present), a building complex that includes five skyscrapers, a ...
in nearby
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 ...
, in the late 1960s.
* ''Pollution by sewage, refuse, and hazardous waste.'' Various types of waste have been dumped legally and illegally in the Meadowlands. During
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 ...
, military refuse was dumped in the Meadowlands, including rubble from
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
created by
the Blitz
The Blitz was a German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom in 1940 and 1941, during the Second World War. The term was first used by the British press and originated from the term , the German word meaning 'lightning war'.
The Germa ...
and used as
ballast
Ballast is material that is used to provide stability to a vehicle or structure. Ballast, other than cargo, may be placed in a vehicle, often a ship or the gondola of a balloon or airship, to provide stability. A compartment within a boat, ship ...
in returning ships. After the war, the Meadowlands continued to be used for civilian waste disposal, as the marshes were seen simply as wastelands that were not good for anything else.
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 ...
was extensively polluted with
mercury,
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 chemical wastes, and three adjacent industrial properties have been designated as
Superfund sites. The opening of the
New Jersey Turnpike in January 1952 only amplified the continuing environmental decline of the Meadowlands, as both spurs of the Turnpike travel through the region from the
Passaic River to just past
North Bergen.
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 ...
, the site of multiple stadia and a racetrack, was built in the Meadowlands beginning in the 1960s. The race track was the first venue in the complex to open, on September 1, 1976.
New Jersey Meadowlands Commission
The location of the New Jersey Meadowlands near the center of the
New York metropolitan area
The New York metropolitan area, also commonly referred to as the Tri-State area, is the largest metropolitan area in the world by urban landmass, at , and one of the most populous urban agglomerations in the world. The vast metropolitan area ...
and its outgrowth into New Jersey makes
conservation of the vast wetland a difficult proposition. In spite of this, the
New Jersey Legislature, led by
Richard W. DeKorte
Richard William DeKorte (March 27, 1936 – March 16, 1975) was a New Jersey Republican member of the New Jersey General Assembly.
He was born in Paterson, New Jersey to John I. and Henrietta DeKorte, and educated at Ramsey High School, Am ...
, created the Hackensack Meadowlands Development Commission (since renamed New Jersey Meadowlands Commission and now known as the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority after being merged with that agency) in 1969 to attempt to address both economic and environmental issues concerning the wetland region. The commission was authorized to review and approve
land development projects, manage landfill operations, and oversee
environmental restoration and
preservation projects.
The commission merged with 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.
Conservation efforts
Even under grave environmental circumstances, the Meadowlands contain many species of fish,
crustacean
Crustaceans (Crustacea, ) form a large, diverse arthropod taxon which includes such animals as decapods, seed shrimp, branchiopods, fish lice, krill, remipedes, isopods, barnacles, copepods, amphipods and mantis shrimp. The crustacean group can ...
s, and
mollusk
Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is e ...
s and are considered to be an important bird habitat. Congress has provided funds through 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 ...
to protect and preserve the Meadowlands and establish organizations to research the unique animals and their interaction with the ecosystem. The ecosystem is a fragile environment that waterfowl and other species of animals need. Richard W. DeKorte Park in the Meadowlands is known for
bird watching
Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device like binoculars or a telescope, by ...
, particularly for migratory waterfowl.
See also
*
Marine life of New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary
Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean.
Marine or marines may refer to:
Ocean
* Maritime (disambiguation)
* Marine art
* Marine biology
* Marine debris
* Marine habitats
* Marine life
* Marine pollution
Military
* ...
*
Meadowlands Museum
References
External links
Meadowlands MuseumHackensack RiverkeeperNew Jersey Meadowlands Commission Master PlanMeadowlands Regional Chamber of CommerceMeadowlands Liberty Convention & Visitors BureauMeadowlands Environment CenterNew Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority websiteNew Jersey Meadowlands at National GeographicPhotos of Mill Creek Marsh, Meadowlands PreserveBeyond Passaic: Contamination, security threats, hobo encampments. A Meadowlands photo essay*
*
{{Coord, 40.815888, -74.039612, format=dms, display=title
Regions of New Jersey
Meadowlands
Meadowlands
Wetlands of New Jersey
Estuaries of New Jersey
New Jersey Meadowlands District
Hackensack River
Passaic River
fi:The Meadowlands