The Six Mile Run Reservoir Site, part of the

Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park is a New Jersey state park along the Delaware and Raritan Canal. History In 1974, most of the canal system was declared a New Jersey state park. It remains one today, and is used for canoeing, kayaking, an ...

, is located in Franklin Township, Somerset 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 ...

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 ...

. It is adjacent to the

Delaware and Raritan Canal The Delaware and Raritan Canal (D&R Canal) is a canal in central New Jersey, built in the 1830s, that served to connect the Delaware River to the Raritan River. It was an efficient and reliable means of transportation of freight between Philadel ...

. It covers . The reservoir plan was to flood the Six Mile Run watershed. The Six Mile Run is a tributary of the

Millstone River The Millstone River is a tributary of the Raritan River in central New Jersey in the United States.Gertler, Edward. ''Garden State Canoeing'', Seneca Press, 2002. The Millstone River begins in western Monmouth County and flows westward throu ...

that, with its tributaries (

Cross Brook Cross Brook is a tributary of Six Mile Run in Somerset and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey in the United States. Course The source of Cross Brook is near Suydam Road in eastern Franklin Park, at . It flows through the Six Mile Run Reservoir Si ...

Middlebush Brook Middlebush Brook is a tributary of Six Mile Run in Somerset 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, is a country primarily loc ...

Nine Mile Run Nine Mile Run, known as Ninemile Run according to the USGS GNIS, is a moderately large tributary of the Six Mile Run, one of the branches of the Millstone River, in central New Jersey in the United States. Course The official source of the Nine ...

and

Steep Hill Brook Steep Hill Brook is a tributary of Six Mile Run in central and north central Franklin Park, Somerset County, New Jersey in the United States. Course Steep Hill Brook's source is at , in a pond near the intersection of Amwell Road and Van Cle ...

and several other unnamed ones), drains a large area in central

Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey Franklin Township is a township in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. It is centrally located in the Raritan Valley region, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 62, ...

and western portions of

North Brunswick North Brunswick is a Township (New Jersey), township in Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. It is centrally located in the Raritan River, Raritan Valley region within the New York Metropolitan area. At the ...

and South Brunswick Townships in Middlesex County, New Jersey. It derives its name, along with other streams (

Mile Run The mile run (1,760 yards or exactly 1,609.344 metres) is a middle-distance foot race. The history of the mile run event began in England, where it was used as a distance for gambling races. It survived track and field's switch to ...

, Three Mile Run,

, and Ten Mile Run), from the distance early surveyors estimated it was from the point where the historic King's Highway (now Rt. 27) left 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 ...

New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...

to the point the roadway crossed the stream. The estimates were not very accurate but the stream names have remained in use ever since.

History

The land first came under serious consideration as a reservoir site with a 1958 referendum. In 1962, the Freeholders of Somerset County were informed on the intention to use the land for this purpose by the New Jersey Division of Water Power and Supply. It was debated and challenged throughout the 1960s by citizens and politicians. The land was acquired by the state of

in 1970, through 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 ...

, Division of Water Resources as a future reservoir and recreation area. The reservoir was never built and in 1993 administration of the area was transferred to the

New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry In the state of New Jersey, the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry is an administrative division of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. In its most visible role, the Division is directly responsible for the management and ...

when alternative water supply sources were found. Because part of the land at the site was taken out of cultivation 39 years ago, the process of "old field succession" has now yielded up trees and foliage that are unique among state park lands. In the section between Canal Road and South Middlebush Road, there are postings describing the foliage and the natural process. The

Red Dot The Red Dot Design Award is a German international design prize awarded by Red Dot GmbH & Co. KG. There are prize categories for product design, brands and communication design, and design concept. Since 1955, designers and producers can apply ...

hiking trail, which runs between Canal Road and South Middlebush Road, has now been extended from South Middlebush Road up to

New Jersey Route 27 Route 27 is a state highway in New Jersey, United States. It runs from U.S. Route 206 (US 206) in Princeton, Mercer County northeast to an interchange with Route 21 (McCarter Highway) and Broad Street in Newark, Essex County. The route p ...

, behind the parking lot for the Jersey Knights soccer field.

External links

Delaware & Raritan Canal State Park: Six Mile Run Reservoir Site

References

{{Reflist Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey Protected areas of Somerset County, New Jersey