The South Branch Raritan River 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 drai ...
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 ...
in
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 ...
.
[Gertler, Edward. ''Garden State Canoeing'', Seneca Press, 2002. ]
Description
The source of the South Branch is the outflow from
Budd Lake, a glacial remnant located a few miles northeast of
Hackettstown. The river flows out of
Morris County, down the middle of
Hunterdon County, and along the western edge of
Somerset County.
At its end, it forms the border between Branchburg and Hillsborough Townships and, upon reaching the border of Bridgewater Township, joins the
North Branch Raritan River to form 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 ...
, which generally flows eastward from that point. This area where the branches converge was called "Tucca-Ramma-Hacking" by the Lenape meaning the flowing together of water. It was called "Two Bridges" by the early European settlers, after a set of bridges built in 1733 that met at a small island (the island has washed away over time) on the North Branch.
[New Jersey Historical Society. "Proceedings of the New Jersey Historical Society." Newark: New Jersey Historical Society, 1924.] Today the area is generally referred to as "The Confluence". In the 1970s, the state discussed plans for a Raritan Confluence Reservoir, which have been shelved due to acquisition costs.
The river’s local grassroots organization is the
South Branch Watershed Association. Their mission is to “Protect the Water Resources of the South Branch of the Raritan River and its Watershed”. Established in 1959, the South Branch Watershed Association is one of the oldest and largest watershed associations in New Jersey, covering 276 square miles, 3 counties and 25 municipalities. The group offers homeowner well testing, environmental education, river monitoring, annual river cleanup and stream restoration.
Both North and South branches of the Raritan run nearly parallel southwards, east and west of one another, but receive their names from the direction each one flows from at their confluence.
Gallery
File:South Branch Raritan River, NJ - river mouth.jpg, Confluence of the South Branch and the North Branch with the Raritan River
File:Obediah Latourette Grist and Saw Mill, Long Valley, NJ - river view.jpg, Flowing past the Obediah Latourette Grist and Saw Mill in Long Valley
File:Dunham's Mill, Clinton, NJ.jpg, Dunham's Mill, home to the Hunterdon Art Museum, and the Clinton Dam
File:Ken Lockwood Gorge Bridge, NJ - looking northwest.jpg, The Ken Lockwood Gorge Bridge
Tributaries
*Allerton Creek
*Assicong Creek
*Beaver Brook
*Bushkill Brook
*Capoolong Creek
*Cramers Creek
*Drakes Brook
*Electric Brook
*
Holland Brook
*Little Brook
*Minneaconing Creek
*
Neshanic River The Neshanic River is a tributary of the South Branch Raritan River in central New Jersey in the United States.Gertler, Edward. ''Garden State Canoeing'', Seneca Press, 2002. It is 11 miles long.
See also
*List of rivers of New Jersey
This is a ...
*
Pleasant Run (Campbell's Brook)
*Prescott Brook
*
Spruce Run
**Mulhockaway Creek
*Sidney Brook
*Stony Brook (Washington Township - Morris County)
*Turkey Brook
See also
*
List of rivers of New Jersey
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 th ...
*
List of crossings of the Raritan River
This is a list of road/highway and rail crossings of the Raritan River from the mouth at Raritan Bay upstream. It also includes crossings of its two branches: the North Branch Raritan River and the South Branch Raritan River
The South Branch Rar ...
References
External links
*
U.S. Geological Survey: NJ stream gaging stationsSouth Branch Watershed Association
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Rivers of Hunterdon County, New Jersey
Rivers of Morris County, New Jersey
Tributaries of the Raritan River
Rivers of New Jersey
Rivers of Somerset County, New Jersey