River in New Jersey, United States
The
Rockaway River
is a
tributary
of the
Passaic River
, approximately 35 mi (56 km) long, in
Morris County, New Jersey
in the
United States
. The upper course of the river flows through a wooded mountainous valley, whereas the lower course flows through the populated New Jersey suburbs and former industrial area west of New York City. It drains an area of approximately 130 sq mi (340 km²).
Course
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The Rockaway River rises in the
Oak Ridge
neighborhood of
Jefferson Township
. It flows SSW, in a direct course between in the valley between the mountain ridges. Northeast of
Wharton
it emerges from the mountains and flows generally east in a
meandering
course, past Wharton,
Dover
(where it enters a concrete channel),
Rockaway
,
Denville
and
Boonton
, where it passes through the
Boonton Gorge
. The gorge begins with the impressive 25 foot Boonton Falls. It continues for a little over 1 mile (1.6 km) dropping around 120 feet per mile (23 m/km) through nearly continuous class 3 and 4 whitewater. On the south side of Boonton it is impounded to form the
Boonton Reservoir
. Downstream from the reservoir dam it flows south, through Lake Hiawatha, where the river splits and joins again. It then flows through
Parsippany
and into
Hatfield Swamp
, where it is joined by the
Whippany River
and then merges with the Passaic River.
Beaver brook is a stream that flows through a swamp and enters the Rockaway River in Denville.
In the 19th century the river connected to the
Morris Canal
near Wharton and served as an industrial transportation link for shipping
coal
and
iron
ore between
Pennsylvania
and New York City.
[2]
The communities of Wharton, Dover, and Boonton were important iron processing towns in the early 19th century, with a large concentration of forges and mills. The significant
pollution
problem in the lower course of the river has been somewhat alleviated by legislation and by the nearly complete abandonment of
heavy industry
in the area.
The isolated upper course of the river is a popular region site for
smallmouth bass
fishing.
The New Jersey Fish and Game stocks the river in many sections with rainbow and brown trout. Many fisherman find enjoyment in fishing the river.
The river is shown in the movie,
The Station Agent
, and also appears in one episode of
The Sopranos
.
Flooding
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The Rockaway River has the potential to cause flooding in the area of Denville that is north of the central business district, including residential areas along the river. During the massive flooding following
Hurricane Irene
in August 2011, the Rockaway River crested approx. 6 feet above its previous record flood level. The flooding was considered to be a 500-year event. The downtown Denville business district and surrounding residential areas were flooded, by in some places up to 8 feet of water. As silt has accumulated in the river basin, the average depth of the river has steadily decreased. Since the flooding of Irene there have been no problems reported with the river overreaching its banks. Discussions are ongoing with the Township of Denville and the Army Corps of Engineers as to a solution, including the control of dams upstream which may have contributed to the downtown flooding.
Tributaries
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See also
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References
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External links
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]
40°50′58″N
74°19′49″W
/
40.84936°N 74.33014°W
/
40.84936; -74.33014
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