The Passaic River
The Passaic River begins in Mendham, NJ, and flows 90 miles to its mouth at Newark Bay. The river varies in width from a few feet to 150 feet as it flows through highlands, wetlands, swamps, suburban, and urban regions. In all, 7 rivers are tributaries to the Passaic River: Whippany, Rockaway, Pompton, Pequannock, Wanaque, Ramapo, and Saddle Rivers. Unfortunately, the Passaic River has been abused. About 10 million gallons of wastewater are dumped into the river each day. Before water quality regulations were implemented, the Passaic River was large sewer into which raw sewage and factory waste was regularly dumped. Dioxin contamination in the lower Passaic River is a continuing problem that has caused the NJDEP to issue fish consumption advisories for the portion of the river below the Dundee Dam.
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The Passaic River basin was formed over 10,000 years ago by the last glacier to cover New Jersey. The mountain ridges of the highlands trapped the melting waters of the Wisconsin Glacier forming a massive glacial lake. When the waters of the lake were released, the rest of the Passaic River was carved out. The Passaic River basin absorbs on average 46.3 inches of rain per year. The wetlands that form the Great Swamp section of the Passaic River are the remnants of Glacial Lake Passaic. |
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Narrow and shallow at the beginning, the Passaic River is an important wildlife habitat for migratory birds and other animals. The water quality as the river enters the Great Swamp is excellent and supports a diverse group of clean water indicator species such as water pennies and damselflies. Dissolved oxygen content tends to remain high as trees keep the water shaded and cool. The trees along the river also prevent soil erosion. The wetlands and forest floors along the river are a natural purification system for run-off. |
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On average, 1 billion gallon of water flows over the Great Falls at Paterson each day. The Great Falls launched the Industrial Revolution when Alexander Hamilton recognized the potential power of the falls. Paterson became the first planned industrial city in the United States. The falls were formed millions of years ago when North America rifted away from north Africa. The rift valley the formed during the Mesozoic became the Atlantic Ocean. |
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Below the Great Falls is the Elmwood Park boat basin. On any given summer day, fishermen gather along the shore and cast their lines hoping for a strike. Canada geese have become a nuisance in recent years. The non-migratory geese nest along the boat basin fouling the water with their waste and traffic along River Road with their parade from the river to the grass lawn of Elmwood Park High School. |
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The Dundee Dam was constructed in 1828. Above the dam the river is freshwater. Below the dam, the river is tidal. The lower Passaic River is a mixture of freshwater and salt water. Before the dam was built, the tides were measured up to the Great Falls. The dam changed the chemistry of the lower part of the river raising the salt content during high tide. Below the Dundee Dam, industrial pollution has contaminated the soil beneath the water. The NJDEP has issued warning regarding the consumption of fish and other aquatic animals from below the dam. |
