Oakeys Brook is a

tributary A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage ...

Lawrence Brook Lawrence Brook is a tributary of the Raritan River in Middlesex County, New Jersey, in the United States. Course Originally a stream, its course now includes man-made lakes created by dams built in the 19th and 20th centuries: Deans Pond ( So ...

, a branch of the

Raritan River Raritan River is a major river of New Jersey. Its Drainage basin, watershed drains much of the mountainous area of the central part of the state, emptying into the Raritan Bay on the Atlantic Ocean. History Geologists assert that the lower Rar ...

in Middlesex County,

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 territorie ...

Course

The source of Oakeys Brook is near Beekman Road in central South Brunswick. Farther downstream, it runs through the Nassau Square housing development on Augustine Drive. Then it crosses Henderson Road in northern South Brunswick (which is its official source at ), and runs beside the Brunswick Acres School in northern South Brunswick. It then crosses Route 1 and merges with another unnamed tributary. It continues flowing away from Black Horse Lane before coming toward it and crossing the railroad tracks a little farther north than the road reaches them. Another unnamed tributary joins it, along with

Cow Yard Brook The Cow Yard Brook is a small tributary of the Oakeys Brook, in central South Brunswick, New Jersey in the United States. Course The Cow Yard Brook starts at near the intersection of Beekman Road, Northumberland Way, and US Route 1. It cross ...

. It turns east, crosses Route 130 near Black Horse Lane, and crosses Davidson Mill Road before emptying into

Farrington Lake Farrington Lake is a scenic freshwater reservoir in Middlesex County, New Jersey near Milltown, New Jersey. Created by a dam on the Lawrence Brook, a tributary of the Raritan River, the lake is in fact a widened section of the Lawrence Brook. It ...

, near Davidson Mill Road.

Animal life

Oakeys Brook is an ecosystem full of many varieties of life, despite its proximity to human habitation in many upstream areas. Many

tadpole A tadpole is the larval stage in the biological life cycle of an amphibian. Most tadpoles are fully aquatic, though some species of amphibians have tadpoles that are terrestrial. Tadpoles have some fish-like features that may not be found i ...

s and

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely Carnivore, carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order (biology), order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-f ...

s live in the stream, especially upstream where natural dams sometimes create small ponds.

Snake Snakes are elongated, Limbless vertebrate, limbless, carnivore, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other Squamata, squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping Scale (zoology), scales. Ma ...

s and occasionally

turtle Turtles are an order of reptiles known as Testudines, characterized by a special shell developed mainly from their ribs. Modern turtles are divided into two major groups, the Pleurodira (side necked turtles) and Cryptodira (hidden necked tu ...

s may be found by the stream. Upstream, numerous species of small fish live in it, providing food for some birds which live there.

Accessibility

Oakeys Brook flows in many areas through developed sectors, where it is easily accessible.

Terrain

Oakeys Brook generally has a clay streambed. Upstream decay products turn the mud black, making it an ideal place for amphibians and turtles to hide in. Downstream, there are a few more rocks, although the stream is still muddy and deep. The stream flows through wetland areas in several places near Black Horse Lane. This stream is generally low-lying, collecting water from various storm drainage systems. It is fed by swamp drainage and springs in the downstream areas but by storm drainage and farm drainage in upstream areas. Since a major source is storm drainage, it swells considerably during rains.

Tributaries

Sister tributaries

* Beaverdam Brook *

Great Ditch Great Ditch is a drainage ditch that drains areas of the Pigeon Swamp State Park in New Jersey in the United States. Course Great Ditch starts at , in the Pigeon Swamp State Park. It flows west, crossing Fresh Ponds Road and Route 130 before jo ...

* Ireland Brook * Sawmill Brook * Sucker Brook *

Terhune Run Terhune Run is a tributary of Lawrence Brook in eastern South Brunswick, New Jersey in the United States. Course Terhune Run starts at , near the intersection of Route 1 and Major Road. It flows south, crossing Major Road, until it drains int ...

*Unnamed Brook in

Rutgers Gardens Rutgers Gardens (130 acres) is the official botanic garden of Rutgers University, located on the outskirts of Cook Campus, at 112 Ryders Lane, North Brunswick, New Jersey. The grounds include 60 acres of designed beds, specialty gardens, tree and ...

, unofficially named ''Doc Brook'' *Unnamed Brook in Rutgers' Helyar Woods

Gallery

File:Oakeys Brook in Nassau Square - 2.JPG, Oakeys Brook near its source, in the Nassau Square housing development File:Oakeys Brook in Nassau Square - 1.JPG, Oakeys Brook in Nassau Square a little downstream File:Oakeys Brook at Henderson Road.JPG, Oakeys Brook crossing Henderson Road File:Oakeys Brook by School - 1.JPG, Oakeys Brook near Brunswick Acres Elementary School File:Oakeys Brook by School - 2.JPG, Oakeys Brook flowing through Brunswick Acres Elementary School

References

External links

USGS Coordinates in Google Maps
{{authority control Rivers of Middlesex County, New Jersey Tributaries of the Raritan River Rivers of New Jersey