Holland Brook

Holland Brook is a brook in central New Jersey, running through Readington and Branchburg. It is the last tributary of the South Branch Raritan River before it combines with the North Branch Raritan River. The brook is over seven miles in length running from its headwaters near Cushetunk Mountain [ [http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/LivingWith/VolcanicPast/Places/volcanic_past_new_jersey.html] Cushetunk Mountain] , an extinct volcano surrounding Round Valley Reservoir, to its convergence with the South Branch Raritan River near Studdiford Drive in Branchburg. The brook is ten to twenty feet across most of its length. It changes in elevation from near three hundred and fifty feet in elevation near its headwaters to fifty feet at its convergence with the Raritan River. Holland Brook was originally named Holland's Brook for Thomas Holland of Woodbridge, who was married to Winifred Pound. Thomas Holland was a descendent of the translator Philemon Holland [ [http://www.sallysfamilyplace.com/Parker/hollandjj.htm] Holland Family History] . Holland was an early property owner along the brook, although he never resided there. The recorded Lenape name for the Brook was Amanmechunk [ [http://www.lebanonboro.com/community/History/TheDawnOfHunterdonByNormanCWittwer] Dawn of Hunterdon] . This word in the Unami dialect meant large creek.

Greenway

The Holland Brook Greenway is a proposed five-mile greenway project in Readington and Branchburg. If both townships completed the trail, it could link another future trail on the North Branch Raritan River with the Middle School in Readington and the Lachenmayr Trail. Branchburg’s proposed section of the Greenway would fit into a larger plan and would connect with a 16-mile cross-township trail [ [http://www.teambranchburg.org/] Branchburg Trail] . The Holland Brook Greenway trail could eventually have access to the Raritan River Greenway and the East Coast Greenway. The township of Branchburg would need to gain four additional properties to have public access from the Readington border to the Confluence Reservoir Park land along the North Branch Raritan River. A possible trail along this path would need to make minor crossings at South Branch Road (near a number of farms), Evergreen Drive (in a residential neighborhood) and the somewhat busier Old York Road. A fourth crossing over US-202, however, would need to be constructed to ensure a safe passage for bicycles or pedestrians. At-grade crossings with crosswalks would be possible at South Branch Road and Evergreen Drive and the trail could possibly go under the bridge at Old York Road. The Readington section still has several gaps in it and none of the Greenway has been built in either township [ [http://www.readingtontwp.org/farm_land_main.html] Holland Brook Greenway] .

Tributaries

Holland Brook has ten unamed tributaries in Branchburg and Readington listed on NJDEP's website. They all are categorized as FW2-NT (fresh water second level classification generally not suitable for trout).

Crossings

Readington

*Dreahook Road
*Voorhees Road
*Dogwood Drive
*CR 523/Flemington-Whitehouse Road (brown sign on bridge)
*Holland Brook Road (2 crossings)
*Roosevelt Road
*Pine Bank Road (2 crossings)
*Hillcrest Road in Readington Village

Branchburg

*Old York Road
*US 202
*West County Drive

References