Passaic River ( ) is a
river
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...
, approximately long, in
Northern New Jersey
North Jersey comprises the northern portions of the U.S. state of New Jersey between the upper Delaware River and the Atlantic Ocean. The designation of northern New Jersey with a distinct toponym is a colloquial one rather than an administrati ...
. The river in its upper course flows in a highly circuitous route, meandering through the
swamp
A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...
lowlands between the ridge hills of rural and suburban northern New Jersey, called the Great Swamp, draining much of the northern portion of the state through its
tributaries
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 b ...
. In its lower portion, it flows through the most
urbanized
''Urbanized'' is a documentary film directed by Gary Hustwit and released on 26 October 2011. It is considered the third of a three-part series on design known as the Design Trilogy; the first being ''Helvetica'', about the typeface, and the seco ...
and
industrialized
Industrialisation ( alternatively spelled industrialization) is the period of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial society. This involves an extensive re-organisation of an econo ...
areas of the state, including along downtown
Newark
Newark most commonly refers to:
* Newark, New Jersey, city in the United States
* Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey; a major air hub in the New York metropolitan area
Newark may also refer to:
Places Canada
* Niagara-on-the ...
. The lower river suffered from severe
pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse change. Pollution can take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light). Pollutants, the ...
and industrial abandonment in the 20th century.
In April 2014, 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) announced a $1.7 billion plan to remove of toxic mud from the bottom of lower of the river. It is considered one of the most polluted stretches of water in the nation and the project one of the largest clean-ups ever undertaken.
Course
The Passaic rises in the center of
Mendham, in southern
Morris County. The river begins at Dubourg Pond located between Spring Hill Road and Hardscrabble Road, traveling northeast and crossing Corey Lane before entering the ''Buck Hill Tract Natural Area''. At this point, the river begins to generally flow south, through
Morristown National Historical Park
Morristown National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park, headquartered in Morristown, New Jersey, consisting of four sites important during the American Revolutionary War: Jockey Hollow, the Ford Mansion, Fort Nonsense ...
, and forms the boundary between Morris and
Somerset
( en, All The People of Somerset)
, locator_map =
, coordinates =
, region = South West England
, established_date = Ancient
, established_by =
, preceded_by =
, origin =
, lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset
, lord_ ...
counties. In its current path, it passes through the southeast edge and drains
Lord Stirling Park
Lord Stirling Park is a 925/950 acreSomerset County Parks Commission: Parks, Programs % People, Fall 2008 Edition, page 3 park operated by the Somerset County Park Commission and located in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, and separated from the Great ...
then along the western edge of the
Great Swamp, which it drains through several small tributaries including Black Brook. The river passes through a
gorge
A canyon (from ; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), or gorge, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosion, erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tenden ...
in
Millington and then turns abruptly northeast, flowing through the
valley
A valley is an elongated low area often running between Hill, hills or Mountain, mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers ...
between
Long Hill to the west and the
Second Watchung Mountain
The Watchung Mountains (once called the Blue Hills) are a group of three long low ridges of volcanic origin, between high, lying parallel to each other in northern New Jersey in the United States. The name is derived from the American Native Lena ...
to the east.
It forms the boundary between Morris and Union counties as it passes
Berkeley Heights,
New Providence, and
Summit
A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topography, topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous.
The term (mountain top) is generally used ...
. Near
Chatham
Chatham may refer to:
Places and jurisdictions Canada
* Chatham Islands (British Columbia)
* Chatham Sound, British Columbia
* Chatham, New Brunswick, a former town, now a neighbourhood of Miramichi
* Chatham (electoral district), New Brunswic ...
it turns north, forming the boundary between Morris and
Essex
Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...
counties. It passes
Livingston
Livingston may refer to:
Businesses
* Livingston Energy Flight, an Italian airline (2003–2010)
* Livingston Compagnia Aerea, an Italian airline (2011–2014), also known as Livingston Airline
* Livingston International, a North American custom ...
and
Fairfield, where it flows through the
Hatfield Swamp and is joined by the
Rockaway River just after the Rockaway is joined by its own tributary, the
Whippany River
The Whippany River is a tributary of the Rockaway River, approximately 20 mi (30 km) long, in northern New Jersey in the United States.
It rises in Morris County, in Mendham Township west of Morristown, and flows generally ENE in a m ...
. Southwest of
Lincoln Park
Lincoln Park is a park along Lake Michigan on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. Named after US President Abraham Lincoln, it is the city's largest public park and stretches for seven miles (11 km) from Grand Avenue (500 N), on the south, ...
it passes through the
Great Piece Meadows, where it turns abruptly eastward and is joined at
Two Bridges (two bridges road) by its major tributary, the
Pompton River, then meandering through
Little Falls, New Jersey
Little Falls is a township in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. The township was named for a waterfall on the Passaic River at a dam near Beattie Mill.
As of the 2020 census, the township's population was 13,360 reflecting a decrea ...
as it drops over a fall, across some rapids, and under Passaic County
Route 646 and an abandoned railroad
trestle.
The river flows northeast into the city of
Paterson, where it drops over the
Great Falls of the Passaic. On the north end of Paterson, it turns abruptly south, flowing between Paterson and
Clifton
Clifton may refer to:
People
*Clifton (surname)
*Clifton (given name)
Places
Australia
* Clifton, Queensland, a town
**Shire of Clifton
*Clifton, New South Wales, a suburb of Wollongong
*Clifton, Western Australia
Canada
*Clifton, Nova Scotia ...
on the west and
Hawthorne
Hawthorne often refers to the American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne.
Hawthorne may also refer to:
Places
Australia
*Hawthorne, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane
Canada
* Hawthorne Village, Ontario, a suburb of Milton, Ontario
United States
* Hawt ...
,
Fair Lawn,
Elmwood Park,
Garfield
''Garfield'' is an American comic strip created by Jim Davis. Originally published locally as ''Jon'' in 1976, then in nationwide syndication from 1978 as ''Garfield'', it chronicles the life of the title character Garfield the cat, his human ...
on the east, next through the city of Clifton. At Elmwood Park it begins to form
Dundee Lake
Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, fourth-largest city and the List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mi ...
, created by the Dundee Dam built in 1845. The river becomes
navigable
A body of water, such as a river, canal or lake, is navigable if it is deep, wide and calm enough for a water vessel (e.g. boats) to pass safely. Such a navigable water is called a ''waterway'', and is preferably with few obstructions against di ...
downstream of the Dundee Dam at the Eighth Street/Locust Ave Bridge in
Wallington where the dredged Wallington Reach
channel
Channel, channels, channeling, etc., may refer to:
Geography
* Channel (geography), in physical geography, a landform consisting of the outline (banks) of the path of a narrow body of water.
Australia
* Channel Country, region of outback Austral ...
begins. Proceeding beyond the Wallington Reach, the river remains navigable via a series of maintained channels to its final destination,
Newark Bay. It passes
Passaic
Passaic ( or ) is a city in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city had a total population of 70,537, ranking as the 16th largest municipality in New Jersey and an increase of 656 from the 69,7 ...
, Clifton again, then
Nutley and
Belleville on the west; it flows past
Rutherford,
Lyndhurst and
North Arlington to the east.
In its lowest reaches, it flows along the northeast portion of the city of Newark on the west, passing
Kearny,
East Newark, and
Harrison
Harrison may refer to:
People
* Harrison (name)
* Harrison family of Virginia, United States
Places
In Australia:
* Harrison, Australian Capital Territory, suburb in the Canberra district of Gungahlin
In Canada:
* Inukjuak, Quebec, or " ...
on the eastern bank. Near downtown Newark it makes an abrupt easterly bend, then south around
Ironbound
The Ironbound is a neighborhood in the city of Newark in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. It is a large working-class multi-ethnic community, covering approximately of well maintained streets and homes. Historically, the area was cal ...
, joining the
Hackensack River
The Hackensack River is a river, approximately 45 miles (72 km) long, in the U.S. states of New York (state), New York and New Jersey, emptying into Newark Bay, a back chamber of New York Harbor. The drainage basin, watershed of the ri ...
at the northern end of Newark Bay, a back bay of
New York Harbor
New York Harbor is at the mouth of the Hudson River where it empties into New York Bay near the East River tidal estuary, and then into the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast of the United States. It is one of the largest natural harbors in t ...
.
History
Geology
The Passaic River formed as a result of drainage from a massive
proglacial lake
In geology, a proglacial lake is a lake formed either by the damming action of a moraine during the retreat of a melting glacier, a glacial ice dam, or by meltwater trapped against an ice sheet due to isostatic depression of the crust around th ...
that formed in Northern New Jersey at the end of the last
ice age
An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages and gree ...
, approximately 13,000 years ago. That prehistoric lake is now known as
Glacial Lake Passaic
Lake Passaic was a prehistoric proglacial lake that existed in northern New Jersey in the United States at the end of the last ice age approximately 19,000–14,000 years ago.Stanford, Scott D. “Glacial Lake Passaic.” ''Unearthing New Jerse ...
and was centered in the present lowland swamps of Morris County, forming because of a blockage of the normal drainage path. Eventually, the lake level rose high enough that the water flowed out of a new outlet. The Passaic River found a new path to the ocean via the Millington Gorge and the Paterson Falls as the glacier that covered the area retreated northward and the lake drained. As a result, the river as we now know it was born.
Native American weirs
Prior to European colonialization along the Passaic in the late 17th century, the valley was the territory of the
Lenape
The Lenape (, , or Lenape , del, Lënapeyok) also called the Leni Lenape, Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. Their historical territory includ ...
groups now known as the
Acquackanonk and
Hackensack, who used the river for fishing. To that end they built
weir
A weir or low head dam is a barrier across the width of a river that alters the flow characteristics of water and usually results in a change in the height of the river level. Weirs are also used to control the flow of water for outlets of l ...
s, or overflow dams, to create pools and where the fish could be trapped. Many of these archeological sites are still present and, in some cases, in good condition.
Economic development
The river was highly significant in the early industrial development of New Jersey. It provided a navigable route connected by canals to the
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock (village), New York, Hancock, New York, the river flows for along the borders of N ...
starting in the late 18th century. It also was an early source of
hydropower
Hydropower (from el, ὕδωρ, "water"), also known as water power, is the use of falling or fast-running water to Electricity generation, produce electricity or to power machines. This is achieved by energy transformation, converting the Pot ...
at the Great Falls of the Passaic in Paterson, resulting in the early emergence of the area as the center of industrial mills.
Pollution
Much of the lower river suffered severe
pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse change. Pollution can take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light). Pollutants, the ...
during the 19th and 20th centuries because of industrial waste discharges to the river and improper waste disposal practices on adjacent land. Although the health of the river has improved due to implementation of the 1972
Clean Water Act
The Clean Water Act (CWA) is the primary federal law in the United States governing water pollution. Its objective is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters; recognizing the responsibiliti ...
and other
environmental legislation
Environmental law is a collective term encompassing aspects of the law that provide protection to the environment. A related but distinct set of regulatory regimes, now strongly influenced by environmental legal principles, focus on the manage ...
, and the decline of industry along the river, it still suffers from substantial degradation of
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 sediment at the mouth of the river near Newark Bay remains contaminated by pollutants such as
dioxin
Dioxin may refer to:
* 1,2-Dioxin or 1,4-Dioxin, two unsaturated heterocyclic 6-membered rings where two carbon atoms have been replaced by oxygen atoms, giving the molecular formula C4H4O2
*Dibenzo-1,4-dioxin, the parent compound also known as ...
. The dioxin was generated principally by the
Diamond Shamrock
Diamond Shamrock Corp. or Diamond Shamrock Refining and Marketing was an oil refinery and gas station company in the United States, headquartered in San Antonio, Texas.
Since 2001, it operates as a brand of Valero and has withdrawn the brand f ...
Chemical Plant in Newark, as a waste product resulting from the production of the
Agent Orange
Agent Orange is a chemical herbicide and defoliant, one of the "tactical use" Rainbow Herbicides. It was used by the U.S. military as part of its herbicidal warfare program, Operation Ranch Hand, during the Vietnam War from 1961 to 1971. It ...
defoliation chemical used during the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
. The cleanup of the dioxin contamination on the bottom of the river is the subject of a major environmental
lawsuit
-
A lawsuit is a proceeding by a party or parties against another in the civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today. The term "lawsuit" is used in reference to a civil actio ...
regarding the responsibility for the cleanup. In 2008, the EPA reached a
settlement
Settlement may refer to:
*Human settlement, a community where people live
*Settlement (structural), the distortion or disruption of parts of a building
* Closing (real estate), the final step in executing a real estate transaction
*Settlement (fin ...
with
Occidental Chemical Corporation and Tierra Solutions Inc. to clean a portion of the polluted river. A
New Jersey Superior Court
The Superior Court is the state court in the U.S. state of New Jersey, with statewide trial and appellate jurisdiction. The New Jersey Constitution of 1947 establishes the power of the New Jersey courts.Jeffrey S. Mandel, New Jersey Appellate Pra ...
judge, ruling in July and September 2011, stated that Occidental and Maxus Exergy Corporation (a subsidiary of
YPF
YPF S.A. (, formerly ; English: "Fiscal Oilfields") is a vertically integrated, majority state-owned Argentine energy company, engaged in oil and gas exploration and production, and the transportation, refining, and marketing of gas and petr ...
) are liable for remediation in other portions of the river. In 2013, several corporate defendants agreed to pay the State of New Jersey $130 million for ecological damages related to Passaic River pollution. However, it is unclear as to whether the state will actually use this money for clean-up efforts.
The
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) is a government agency in the U.S. state of New Jersey that is responsible for managing the state's natural resources and addressing issues related to pollution. NJDEP now has a staff o ...
(NJDEP) issued notices in 2009 banning commercial fishing and advising the general public that fish caught in the tidal Passaic River (from Dundee Dam to the mouth at Newark Bay) should not be eaten. The fish consumption advisories remain in effect as of 2020.
In April 2014 EPA announced a $1.7 billion plan to remove of toxic mud from the bottom of lower of the river. It is considered one of the most polluted stretches of water in the nation and one of the biggest clean-ups project ever undertaken.
Economic decline and resurgence
The decline of manufacturing on the lower river has left a post-industrial landscape of abandoned and disused factories and other facilities. In particular, the stretch of the river along downtown Newark came to be regarded in the latter decades of the 20th century as particularly wretched. Starting in the 1990s, the lower river became the subject of federal and state urban restoration efforts, which have resulted in new construction along the riverfront, the city of Newark has constructed a riverfront walk from the
Jackson Street Bridge
The Jackson Street Bridge is a bridge on the Passaic River between Newark and Harrison, New Jersey. The swing bridge is the 6th bridge from the river's mouth at Newark Bay and is upstream from it. Opened in 1903 and substantially rehabilitated ...
to the
Bridge Street Bridge. It is landscaped with trees, plants, and flowers, and benches too. Construction of office buildings has also taken place, including a regional headquarters building for the
FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...
.
While there has been a decline in the industrial use of the river, recreational use has increased since the early 1990s. There has been a long tradition of high school rowing by Kearny (since 1968), Belleville (1942, New Jersey's first public high school crew team), and Nutley High Schools and, in 1990, the historic Nereid Boat Club (founded in 1868) was revived, broadening participation in the sport of rowing on the Passaic River. In 1999, the Passaic River Rowing Association became the second rowing club along the banks of the Lower Passaic River. Today, the rowing community is very active through the two Rowing Clubs
Nereid Boat Cluband Passaic River Rowing Association) and ten high school crews that include Kearny, Belleville, Nutley,
Don Bosco Prep
, motto_translation = To Increase in Knowledge and Grace
, accreditation = Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
, rival = Bergen Catholic High SchoolSaint Joseph Regional High School
, mascot =
, ma ...
,
St. Peter's Preparatory School, Montclair, Ridgewood, Teaneck, Westfield, North Arlington (2012-13 School Year), and
St. Benedict's Prep. The Passaic River is also host to the annua
Head of the Passaic Regattathat has been held since 2001.
Commercial transport on the Lower Passaic hasn't entirely died. On December 3, 2008, a barge was loaded with
biodiesel
Biodiesel is a form of diesel fuel derived from plants or animals and consisting of long-chain fatty acid esters. It is typically made by chemically reacting lipids such as animal fat (tallow), soybean oil, or some other vegetable oil with ...
at the former W.A.S. Terminals in Newark, now Passaic River Terminals. Innovation Fuels LLC, one of the terminal's tenants, has plans to continue to sell two barge loads a month of biodiesel to customers in Europe. This is the first commercial barge in the river in over 15 years. Although they experienced some delays with the County drawbridges that have been neglected for years and had some problems with shoaling due to the lack of maintenance dredging, they remain undeterred and the Passaic River represents the cheapest and most efficient method to ship their cargo to its customers.
Vantage points
The Passaic River can be accessed via a number of county parks. One notable park is Stanley Park between
Summit
A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topography, topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous.
The term (mountain top) is generally used ...
and Chatham. Other parks along the river are located in Passaic County. As part of the ongoing Newark revitalization effort by the city government, parkland is proposed along the banks of the river.
The Passaic River generally is free of industrialization until it reaches the Summit and Chatham border. The upper portion of the river, above Summit and Chatham, are more natural in appearance and the river has more of a young river character in places. The middle portion of the river flows through natural marshlands and forested areas in Essex County, which are generally inaccessible, and then through heavily populated areas of Passaic County where it is accessible via parallel roads and parks. Lower portions of the river, south of Paterson are wider, more industrialized, and more mature in nature.
Kearny Riverbank Park and
Riverbank Park
Riverbank Park is a park in the Ironbound section of Newark, Essex County, New Jersey, United States. The park was opened in 1910 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 16, 1998. It is the smallest and one of the m ...
in Newark both provide waterfront access. The banks of the lower few miles (kilometers) of the river mainly are industrialized.
Flooding problems
The Passaic River is known for chronic
flooding
A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrolog ...
problems during periods of heavy rainfall or snow-melt, especially where the Pompton River joins the Passaic River on the border of Fairfield, Lincoln Park, and
Wayne. The two rivers form a sizable
flood plain
A floodplain or flood plain or bottomlands is an area of land adjacent to a river which stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls, and which experiences flooding during periods of high discharge.Goudi ...
in this area. Building has been allowed in the flood plain and during extreme weather events that occur on a fairly regular basis, homes and businesses in the flood plain become flooded. A plan has been proposed to build a massive structure, the
Passaic River Flood Tunnel, to divert the periodic floodwaters southeasterly into Newark Bay, thus relieving these flooding problems upstream. Some residents have accepted buy-outs from the federal government while the concept of constructing a flood tunnel is debated, however, many residents still live within the flood plain and flooding appears to be growing worse as the land in the Passaic River
basin continues to be developed.
Little Falls River Gauge
Th
Little Falls River Gaugealong the Passaic River is located just south of the junction with the Pompton River, in an area that frequently floods. Flood stage is at this location.
Floods
On February 28, 1902, there was severe flooding of the river. On October 10, 1903, one of the worst floods on record happened. The water crest was and severe flooding of Little Falls, Paterson, as well as many other areas along the river. Other high crests were: on April 7, 1984; on April 18, 2007; and on March 16, 2010. On April 23, 2010, Governor
Chris Christie
Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician, lawyer, political commentator, lobbyist, and former federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018.
Christie, who was born in Ne ...
issued an order creating the ''Passaic River Basin Flood Advisory Commission''. In January 2011 a report was issued, mentioning the 2010 flood, and the result was for municipalities to change their master plans and change local flood damage prevention ordinances, which would include such things as elevating structures, and to stop expansion into flood zones.
The areas considered prone to continual flooding are Acid Brook, Buttermilk Falls, Haycock Brook, Mahwah River, Masonicus Brook, Packanack Brook, Pequannock River, Plog Brook, Pompton River, Ramapo River, Third River, Wanaque River, and Wolf Creek. On August 30, 2011 there was another flood with a crest. The flood control issue had been considered as far back as 1870 and there were studies in 1939, 1948, 1962, 1969, 1972, 1973, 1987, and 1995 with minimum results from report suggestions.
In the arts and literature
A poem about the river was written by
John Alleyne Macnab in 1890, and put to music by
Fountains of Wayne
Fountains of Wayne was an American rock band that formed in New York City in 1995. The band included founding members Chris Collingwood, Adam Schlesinger, Jody Porter, and Brian Young. They released five albums from 1996 to 2011 before effec ...
.
The river hosted a group of Inuit plantation workers on the run in the 2004 short story, "From Out of the River", by beat laureate Spencer Hash.
The river, and especially its Great Falls, plays a large part in
William Carlos Williams
William Carlos Williams (September 17, 1883 – March 4, 1963) was an American poet, writer, and physician closely associated with modernism and imagism.
In addition to his writing, Williams had a long career as a physician practicing both pedia ...
's epic poem
Paterson.
From 2006 to 2008, writer
Wheeler Antabanez Wheeler Antabanez is the alter-ego and pen name for Montclair, New Jersey-based writer Matt Kent (born January 31, 1977). Antabanez is best known as the author of best selling special issue of ''Weird NJ'', ''Nightshade on the Passaic'' and ''gasst ...
traveled the Passaic River and its shores, chronicling his adventures in a special issue of ''
Weird NJ
''Weird NJ'' (sometimes abbreviated ''WNJ'') is a semi-annual magazine that chronicles local legends, purported hauntings, ghost stories, folklore, unusual places or events, and other peculiarities in New Jersey. The magazine originated in 1989 as ...
'' magazine. ''Nightshade on the Passaic'' was released as a special issue of the magazine and quickly became its best-selling issue, confirming readers' interest in stories involving the Passaic River.
["Nightshade on the Passaic."](_blank)
''Weird NJ,'' July 2008 Special Issue, Stock No. 9631. . Antabanez intentionally did not want the special issue to be a history lesson of New Jersey or the river, but instead wanted it to be a
Huck Finn
Huck may refer to:
Characters
* Huckleberry Finn, a character in four novels by Mark Twain
* Huckleberry Hound, a cartoon character created by animation studio Hanna-Barbera
* Huck, a character on ''Scandal (TV series), Scandal''
* Huck, a charac ...
-style adventure story.
In his canoe, Nightshade, Antabanez visits the most dangerous parts of the Passaic, along with several of the abandoned buildings and factories that relied on the Passaic years ago. In addition to the river and the decaying structures that surround it, he also researched murders that involved the Passaic River, including the horrific case of Jonathan Zarate who attempted to dump the mutilated body of his 16-year-old neighbor in the river, but was thwarted by a police officer who happened to pass by at the time.
[Klein, Corey]
"Where we see a beast, he sees a beauty."
''South Bergenite.'' July 2, 2008.
Tributaries
(As encountered traveling upstream to its source):
*
First River
The First River, in the state of New Jersey in the United States, is a subterranean river and the first main tributary of the Passaic River encountered while travelling upstream from its mouth at Newark Bay
Newark Bay is a tidal bay at the c ...
(a.k.a. Mill Brook)
*
Second River or Watsessing River
*
Third River or Yanticaw River
*
McDonalds Brook
McDonald's Brook is a tributary of the Passaic River. It is a natural stream originating in Clifton, New Jersey, passing through Passaic, New Jersey. For most of its length, it runs underground in a culvert constructed by the United States Army Co ...
(originally ''Mineral Spring Brook'')
*
Weasel Brook
Weasel Brook is a tributary of the Passaic River, Passaic River in Passaic County, New Jersey, Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. The brook begins in Clifton, New Jersey's Albion section near Ravine Park, passes under several major roads b ...
*
Saddle River
**
Ho-Ho-Kus Brook
Ho-Ho-Kus Brook is a tributary of the Saddle River (which is itself a tributary of the Passaic River) in Bergen County, New Jersey, in the United States.Gertler, Edward. ''Garden State Canoeing'', Seneca Press, 2002.
The brook originates in Mah ...
* Fleischer Brook
* Lyncrest Brook
*
Little Diamond Brook
*
Diamond Brook
*
Stevenson Brook
*
Goffle Brook
Goffle Brook is a tributary of the Passaic River which flows south through a section of Passaic County and Bergen County in New Jersey and drains the eastern side of the First Watchung Mountain. Heading up the brook from the confluence with th ...
**
Deep Voll Brook
Deep Voll Brook, also known as Deep Brook (USGS captioned name), is a tributary of Goffle Brook and part of the Passaic River watershed. The brook drains part of the eastern flank of First Watchung Mountain, cutting through portions of Bergen ...
*
Molly Ann Brook
** Spring Brook
**
Squaw Brook
*
Slippery Rock Brook
Slippery Rock Brook is a tributary of the Passaic River in Passaic County, New Jersey in the United States.
Slippery Rock Brook flows north as it drains part of the western flank of First Watchung Mountain. Traveling south from its confluence ...
*
Peckman River
* Singac Brook
* Deepavaal Brook
*
Pompton River
**
Pequannock River
The Pequannock River is a tributary of the Pompton River, approximately long, located in northern New Jersey in the United States.
It rises in eastern Sussex County, near Highland Lakes on the north side of Hamburg Mountain. It flows southeas ...
***
Wanaque River
The Wanaque River ( Native American for "place of the sassafras") is a tributary of the Pequannock River in Passaic County in northern New Jersey in the United States.Gertler, Edward. ''Garden State Canoeing'', Seneca Press, 2002.
Once known as ...
**
Ramapo River
The Ramapo River is a tributary of the Pompton River, approximately 30 mi (48 km) long, in southern New York and northern New Jersey in the United States.
Course
The Ramapo river rises in Round Lake, a small freshwater lake in the To ...
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Mahwah River
The Mahwah River is a tributary of the Ramapo River in Rockland County, New York and Bergen County, New Jersey 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, ...
*
Rockaway River
**
Whippany River
The Whippany River is a tributary of the Rockaway River, approximately 20 mi (30 km) long, in northern New Jersey in the United States.
It rises in Morris County, in Mendham Township west of Morristown, and flows generally ENE in a m ...
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Foulerton's Brook
Foulerton's Brook is a tributary of the Passaic River in Roseland, New Jersey in the United States.
Foulerton's Brook was rerouted during the construction of Interstate 280 to run behind the Essex County Golf Facility.
See also
* List of rive ...
*
Spring Garden Brook
*
Slough Brook
Slough Brook is a tributary of the Passaic River in Essex County, New Jersey in the United States.
Slough Brook flows through a residential area of central Livingston, mostly filled in or culvertised, with streets now covering what was once th ...
*
Canoe Brook
Canoe Brook is a tributary of the Passaic River in the U.S. state of New Jersey.
It runs behind several municipal buildings in Livingston such as the police station and town hall. Its average depth is about 6 inches (15.2 cm) deep, but i ...
*
Salt Brook
Salt Brook is a tributary of the Passaic River in Union County, New Jersey in the United States.
Salt Brook starts in Summit, New Jersey in the highlands south and west of Memorial Field. It then flows north and then west through Summit. It t ...
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Cory's Brook
Cory's Brook is a tributary of the Passaic River that has its source in Warren, New Jersey and forms the boundary of Union County, New Jersey. The brook forms a pond at the East County Park in Warren Township, New Jersey, Warren Township.
See al ...
*
Dead River
*
Black Brook
*
Great Brook
*
Loantaka Brook
Loantaka Brook is a tributary of the Passaic River in New Jersey in the United States.
The main headwaters of Loantaka Brook arise in Morris Township between Route 124 (Madison Avenue) and Woodland Avenue in the area just below the medical off ...
*
Primrose Brook
*
Penns Brook
*
Indian Grove Brook
*
Naakpunkt Brook
* Taylor Brook
Crossings
*
List of crossings of the Lower Passaic River
The Lower Passaic River in New Jersey is the section of the Passaic River below the Great Falls which flows over the Dundee Dam to the river mouth at Newark Bay in the northeastern part of the state. Its midpoint generally delineates the ...
*
List of crossings of the Upper Passaic River
The Upper Passaic River in New Jersey is the section of the Passaic River above the Dundee Dam, including the Great Falls. The entire river flows for 81 miles from its river's source in Mendham to the river mouth at Newark Bay in the nor ...
See also
*
List of New Jersey rivers
This is a list of streams and rivers of the U.S. state of New Jersey.
List of New Jersey rivers includes streams formally designated as rivers. There are also smaller streams (''i.e.,'' branches, creeks, drains, forks, licks, runs, etc.) in the ...
*
Passaic Formation
The Passaic Formation is a mapped bedrock unit in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. It was previously known as the Brunswick Formation since it was first described in the vicinity of New Brunswick, New Jersey. It is now named for the city of ...
*
References
External links
Lower Passaic River Restoration ProjectPassaic River CoalitionPassaic River Boat ClubPassaic River Institute, Montclair State UniversityNorth Jersey District Water Supply Commission*
ttp://www.stevegarufi.com/passaicriver.htm My Passaic River Kayak Trip - 90 Miles of Fun in Northern New Jersey - June 2000 - by Steve GarufiGreat Swamp National Wildlife RefugeGreat Swamp Watershed Association - The Passaic River WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE AffiliateU.S. Geological Survey: NJ stream gaging stationsPassaic River Rowing AssociationNereid Boat Club* (Water-Supply and Irrigation Paper No. 92)
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Rivers of New Jersey
Rivers of Hudson County, New Jersey
Rivers of Passaic County, New Jersey
Rivers of Essex County, New Jersey
Rivers of Bergen County, New Jersey