Everything about Hackensack River totally explained
The
Hackensack River is a river, approximately 45 mi (72 km) long, in the
U.S. states of
New York and
New Jersey, emptying into
Newark Bay, a back chamber of
New York Harbor. The watershed of the river includes part of the suburban area outside
New York City just west of the lower
Hudson River, which it roughly parallels, separated from it by the
New Jersey Palisades. It also flows through and drains the
New Jersey Meadowlands. The lower river, which is navigable as far as the community of
Hackensack, is heavily industrialized and forms a commercial extension of Newark Bay. Once believed to be the among the most polluted water courses in the United States, it's has staged a modest revival in recent decades. The river is sometimes affectionately nicknamed the "Hacky" for short.
Description
The Hackensack River rises in southeastern New York, in
Rockland County, just west of the
Hudson River and approximately 1 mi (1.6 km) south of
West Haverstraw. It flows briefly southeast, into the
DeForest Lake reservoir, separated form the Hudson by less than 3 mi (5 km). South of the dam, it then flows south, diverging from the Hudson. Just across the New Jersey state line, in northern
Bergen County, it's impounded to form the reservoir
Lake Tappan.
South of Lake Tappan, it flows in a
meandering course southward through the suburban communities of New Jersey. Near
Oradell, it's impounded to form
Oradell Reservoir, where it's joined by several streams, including the
Dwars Kill and
Pascack Brook.
Van Buskirk Island, a man-made island and site of the
New Milford Plant of the Hackensack Water Company, lies in this area. South of the reservoir, it flows past
River Edge,
Hackensack,
Teaneck, and
Ridgefield Park, once again approaching within 3 mi (5 km) of the Hudson, and separated from it by the ridge of the Palisades.
At
Little Ferry, it's joined by the broad
Overpeck Creek, then flows southward, widening in a broad meandering
tidal estuary through the Meadowlands, forming extensive side streams and
wetlands. South of
North Bergen, it forms the boundary between Bergen County to the west and
Hudson County to the east. Opposite
Secaucus it's joined by
Berrys Creek, then flows past the western edge of
Jersey City, which overlooks the river's valley from the ridge of the Palisades, before forming Newark Bay at its confluence with the
Passaic River between Jersey City and
Kearny.
As it flows through the Meadowlands it's traversed by numerous
rail and road bridges.
History
The name of the river comes from the
Lenape word
Ackingsack, meaning "flat confluence of streams". Conflicts with the Lenape prevented the early
Dutch settlers of the
New Netherland colony from expanding westward into the valley into late in the 17th century. The river furnished both the
Native Americans and the
European settlers with abundant runs of
herring,
shad and
striped bass.
In the colonial era, the river and the surrounding Meadowlands presented a formidable difficulty in transportation and communication. The wetlands helped allow the escape of the
Continental Army under
George Washington in 1776 after several defeats at the hands of the
British army on the east side of the Hudson. It later served as a protective barrier that allowed Washington's army to encamp in the nearby hills near
Morristown.
In the last two centuries, the river has suffered from extremely severe
pollution. The construction of the
Oradell Reservoir dam in 1921 essentially changed the lower river from a free-flowing stream into a brackish estuary, allowing the encroachment of marine species. By the 1960s, however, much of the lower river was essentially a turbid
oxygen-less dead zone, with only the hardiest of species such as the
mummichog able to survive in its waters.
Berrys Creek was once thought to be the most polluted stream in the United States.
The river has recovered somewhat in recent decades following the decline in manufacturing in the area, as well as from enforcement of such regulations as the
Clean Water Act and from the efforts of local conservancy groups. Recreational fishing has staged a modest comeback, despite continuing health advisories against the consumption of catch.
The future of the
wetlands around the lower river has been an ongoing controversy between development and preservation groups in recent decades. The controversial
Hackensack Meadowlands Development Commission (now the
New Jersey Meadowlands Commission) was formed by the state in 1968 to manage development and habitat preservation.
Tributaries
Further Information
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