Slippery Rock 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 ...

of the Passaic River in Passaic 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. Slippery Rock Brook flows north as it drains part of the western flank of First Watchung Mountain. Traveling south from its confluence with the Passaic River, it passes through the city of Paterson and the borough of Woodland Park.

Course

Slippery Rock Brook arises south of Weasel Drift Road in Rifle Camp Park, in Woodland Park and travels north into

Garret Mountain Reservation Garret Mountain Reservation (also spelled Garrett) is a park located on First Watchung Mountain (Garret Mountain) in Paterson and Woodland Park (formerly West Paterson) in southern Passaic County, New Jersey. In 1967, it was designated a Natio ...

, forming the elongated Barbour Pond, a by natural lake. Turning west, the brook travels a short distance before forming the New Street Reservoir and Highland Lake, both man-made ponds. At Highland Lake the brook turns north again, flowing under

Interstate 80 Interstate 80 (I-80) is an east–west transcontinental freeway that crosses the United States from downtown San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey, in the New York metropolitan area. The highway was designated in 1956 as one o ...

as it enters Paterson. The brook takes on an urban appearance as it winds its last half mile to the Passaic River with its mouth in Pennington Park. The confluence with the Passaic occurs almost directly opposite the mouth of Molly Ann Brook, with Slippery Rock Brook's mouth approximately upstream.

Ecology

The majority of Slippery Rock Brook’s riparian corridor has been overrun by urbanization, but a significant section remains intact through

. South of Barbour Pond, the brook passes through a ravine shaded by a stand of

yellow birch ''Betula alleghaniensis'', the yellow birch, golden birch, or swamp birch, is a large tree and an important lumber species of birch native to northeastern North America. Its vernacular names refer to the golden color of the tree's bark. In the pa ...

and

witch-hazel Witch-hazels or witch hazels (''Hamamelis'') are a genus of flowering plants in the family Hamamelidaceae, with three species in North America ('' H. ovalis'', '' H. virginiana'', and '' H. vernalis''), and one each in Japan ('' H.&nb ...

. Rhododendrons and

trout lily ''Erythronium'', the fawn lily, trout lily, dog's-tooth violet or adder's tongue, is a genus of Eurasian and North American plants in the lily family, most closely related to tulips. The name Erythronium derives from Ancient Greek () "red" in ...

are known to line the banks along this section of the brook, adding vibrant colors to the riparian environment during the flowering season in May.Glenn, Steven. ''FIELD TRIP REPORTS - Garret Mountain Reservation''. The Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society 135(1):149-153. Jan/Feb 2008.
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References

External links

TopoQuest map depicting Slippery Rock Brook in Paterson and Woodland Park
{{authority control Rivers of Passaic County, New Jersey Tributaries of the Passaic River Rivers of New Jersey

Course

Ecology

See also

References

External links