- Rockaway River
The Rockaway River is a
tributary of thePassaic River , approximately 35 mi (56 km) long, in northernNew Jersey in theUnited 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 133 sq mi (340 km²).It rises in northwestern Morris County, along the northwestern slope of
Green Pond Mountain south of Oak Ridge. 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 ameander ing course, past Wharton, Dover (where it enters a concrete channel), Rockaway, Denville and Boonton, where it passes through theBoonton Gorge . The gorge has several waterfalls and drops over 120 feet per mile. It is slightly over 1 mile (1.6 km) long. On the south side of Boonton it is impounded to form theBoonton Reservoir . Downstream from the reservoir it flows south, past Parsippany and intoHatfield Swamp , where it is joined by theWhippany River and then joins the Passaic.In the 19th century the river connected to the
Morris Canal near Wharton and served as an industrial transportation link for shippingcoal andiron ore betweenPennsylvania and New York City. 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 significantpollution 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 river is shown in the movie,
The Station Agent .Tributaries
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Whippany River ee also
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List of New Jersey rivers External links
* [http://www.njskylands.com/tnrockawayriv.htm New Jersey Skylands: The Rockaway River]
* [http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nj/nwis/current/?type=flow U.S. Geological Survey: NJ stream gaging stations]
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