The Round Valley Reservoir in Clinton Township in

Hunterdon County Hunterdon County is a county located in the western section of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county's population was 128,947, making it the state's 18th-most populous 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, was formed in 1960 when the New Jersey Water Authority constructed two large dams and flooded a large valley. The reservoir is named after the naturally formed circular valley surrounded by Cushetunk Mountain. The deep valley was caused by erosion of the soft sedimentary rock. The surrounding ridges of Cushetunk Mountain endure because they were underlaid with dense and durable volcanic rock diabase that cooled slowly under the surface of the earth. The reservoir covers what used to be a farming community, with remains of a school and a church on the lake floor among other buildings. Reaching depths of , this reservoir is best known for its pristine clear blue waters. The reservoir contains of water for use in central New Jersey, making it the largest in the state. Its water is distributed during times of drought via the nearby south branch of the

Raritan River Raritan River is a major river of New Jersey. Its 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 Raritan provided t ...

. The New Jersey Division of Wildlife (a department of 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 ...

) claims the reservoir is the southernmost body of water that contains naturally reproducing

lake trout The lake trout (''Salvelinus namaycush'') is a freshwater char living mainly in lakes in northern North America. Other names for it include mackinaw, namaycush, lake char (or charr), touladi, togue, and grey trout. In Lake Superior, it can also ...

. This is one of only two lakes in New Jersey with lake trout, the other being

Merrill Creek Reservoir Merrill Creek Reservoir, located in Harmony Township, New Jersey in central Warren County, New Jersey, is a artificial lake designed to hold 15 billion gallons of water that is surrounded by of protected woodland and fields. These lands are the ...

Warren County Warren County is the name of fourteen counties in the USA. Some are named after General Joseph Warren, who was killed in the Battle of Bunker Hill in the American Revolutionary War: * Warren County, Georgia * Warren County, Illinois * Warren County ...

. Some of the other species of fish in the lake include bass, pickerel,

catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the three largest species alive ...

, american eel,

yellow perch The yellow perch (''Perca flavescens''), commonly referred to as perch, striped perch, American perch, American river perch or preacher is a freshwater perciform fish native to much of North America. The yellow perch was described in 1814 by Sam ...

, brown trout, and rainbow trout. The park also has a wilderness area for camping, swimming and SCUBA diving facilities, a boat ramp and nature hiking and biking trails. The reservoir has been called the Bermuda Triangle of New Jersey, and over 26 people have drowned there since 1971. Six of them have never been found.N.J.'s 'Bermuda Triangle': Mystery surrounds Clinton fishing hole's deep, dark past
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Gallery

Image:RoundValleySign3.JPG, Picture of the Round Valley lake Image:RoundValleyTree.JPG, Tree hanging over the edge Image:RoundValleyBL.JPG, Boat Launch Image:RoundValleyShoreline.JPG, Shoreline Image:RoundValley-SpruceRun-aerial.jpg, Round Valley and Spruce Run File:Round Valley Reservoir.jpg, Shoreline

References

External links

* Official Page from the NJDEP
New Jersey's Great Northwest Skylands Area Page

NY-NJTC: Round Valley Recreation Area Trail Details and Info

NY-NJTC: Cushetunk Mountain Nature Preserve Details and Info

Round Valley Fishing Info

{{authority control Clinton Township, New Jersey Protected areas of Hunterdon County, New Jersey Reservoirs in New Jersey State parks of New Jersey Dams in New Jersey United States state-owned dams Bodies of water of Hunterdon County, New Jersey