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).
16-553: 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
32-858: A humid continental climate , abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps. The postal addresses within the CDP, including the communities within Jefferson Township, read "Oak Ridge, New Jersey". The respective school districts are Jefferson Township Public Schools for sections in Jefferson Township, Morris County; and West Milford Township Public Schools for sections in West Milford Township, Passaic County. The respective public high schools are Jefferson Township High School and West Milford High School . People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Oak Ridge include: Pequannock River The Pequannock River
48-720: Is a tributary of the Pompton River , approximately 20 miles (32 km) long, located in northern New Jersey in the United States . It rises in eastern Sussex County , near Highland Lakes on the north side of Hamburg Mountain. It flows southeast to Stockholm , then east-southeast, in a gap north of Green Pond Mountain and other ridges, past Butler and Bloomingdale . It joins the Ramapo River at Pompton Plains in Pequannock Township to form
64-765: 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. The communities of Wharton, Dover, and Boonton were important iron processing towns in
80-649: The U.S. state of New Jersey . The area is served as United States Postal Service ZIP Code 07438. As of the 2020 United States census , the population was 10,996. The Oak Ridge CDP is located in northern Morris County and western Passaic County and includes several communities, including Oak Ridge proper in Passaic County on the Pequannock River along Route 23 and the New York, Susquehanna & Western Railroad main line. In Morris County,
96-459: The City of Newark 's Division of Watershed Development , which requires permits for all such uses. The Pequannock watershed is the source of most of Newark's water supply. The lands and water were purchased under the mayoralty of Joseph E. Haynes . 41°04′40″N 74°29′25″W / 41.077749°N 74.490266°W / 41.077749; -74.490266 This article related to
112-584: The Passaic/Morris county line, takes a winding course through the northern part of the CDP, separating Oak Ridge proper from the communities of Milton and Petersburg. The Pequannock is an east-flowing tributary of the Pompton River and part of the Passaic River watershed. Oak Ridge Reservoir on the Pequannock lies on part of the northwest border of the CDP. A low height of land just south of
128-615: The Pequannock River places the southern part of the CDP within the watershed of the Rockaway River , a south-flowing tributary that also leads to the Passaic. White Rock Lake, Mitt Pond, Moosepac Pond, Cozy Lake, Lake Swannanoa, and Oak Ridge lake are all within the CDP and drained by the Rockaway River. Green Pond Mountain, rising to over 1,260 feet (380 m) above sea level, forms the southern border of Oak Ridge and
144-541: The Pompton. In its upper course, it forms part of the county line between Passaic and Morris counties. It is impounded near its source to form the Oak Ridge Reservoir. The river is relatively unspoiled compared to other rivers in the region. It is a popular spot for recreation trout fishing in its upper reaches. Fishing, hunting, and other recreational uses of the river and watershed are controlled by
160-816: 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. 40°50′58″N 74°19′49″W / 40.84936°N 74.33014°W / 40.84936; -74.33014 Oak Ridge, New Jersey Oak Ridge is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located in West Milford Township in Passaic County and Jefferson Township in Morris County , in
176-518: The border with Rockaway Township . Bowling Green Mountain, elevation 1,380 feet (420 m), borders the community to the southwest. The Oak Ridge CDP was first listed for the 2020 census . This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Oak Ridge has
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#1732775402039192-544: The communities of Milton, Petersburg , and Woodstock are within the Oak Ridge CDP. County Route 699 (Oak Ridge Road) runs south from the junction with Route 23 and is the main north–south local route in the community. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the Oak Ridge CDP has a total area of 14.26 square miles (36.9 km ), of which 13.31 square miles (34.5 km ) are land and 0.95 square miles (2.46 km ), or 6.65%, are water. The Pequannock River, forming
208-490: 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
224-526: 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
240-514: The river. The river is shown in the movie, The Station Agent , and also appears in one episode of The Sopranos . 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
256-400: 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
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