Lake Swannanoa, New Jersey

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Lake Swannanoa vintage postcard Postcard 3.jpg
Lake Swannanoa vintage postcard

Lake Swannanoa is a residential lake community located within Jefferson Township, in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. [1] It is within the scenic Skylands Region and approximately 38 miles (61 km) by road from New York City.

Jefferson Township, New Jersey Township in New Jersey, United States

Jefferson Township is the northernmost township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 21,314, having increased by 1,597 (+8.1%) from the 19,717 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 1,892 (+10.6%) from the 17,825 counted in the 1990 Census.

Morris County, New Jersey County in New Jersey

Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about 25 mi (40 km) west of New York City. According to the 2010 United States Census, the population was 492,276, up from the 470,212 at the 2000 Census, As of the 2017 Census estimate, the county's population was 499,693, making it the state's 10th-most populous county, and marking a 1.5% increase from 2010. The county is part of the New York Metropolitan Area, and its county seat is Morristown. The most populous place was Parsippany-Troy Hills Township, with 53,238 residents at the time of the 2010 Census, while Rockaway Township covered 45.55 square miles (118.0 km2), the largest total area of any municipality.

New Jersey State of the United States of America

New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is located on a peninsula, bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, particularly along the extent of the length of New York City on its western edge; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware River and Pennsylvania; and on the southwest by the Delaware Bay and Delaware. New Jersey is the fourth-smallest state by area but the 11th-most populous, with 9 million residents as of 2017, and the most densely populated of the 50 U.S. states; its biggest city is Newark. New Jersey lies completely within the combined statistical areas of New York City and Philadelphia. New Jersey was the second-wealthiest U.S. state by median household income as of 2017.

Contents

Geology and hydrology

The lake has two main sections, connected by a strait. The lake is an impoundment of Russia Brook, [2] a tributary of the Rockaway River. There are also two ponds. There is an island in the north lake called Snake Island. A smaller island, Turtle Island, is indistinguishable from the shoreline at this time.

Strait A naturally formed, narrow, typically navigable waterway that connects two larger bodies of water

A strait is a naturally formed, narrow, typically navigable waterway that connects two larger bodies of water. Most commonly it is a channel of water that lies between two land masses. Some straits are not navigable, for example because they are too shallow, or because of an unnavigable reef or archipelago.

Rockaway River river in the United States of America

The Rockaway River is a tributary of the Passaic River, approximately 35 mi (56 km) long, in northern 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).

Island Any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water

An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island in a river or a lake island may be called an eyot or ait, and a small island off the coast may be called a holm. A grouping of geographically or geologically related islands is called an archipelago, such as the Philippines.

The lake has two man-made dams, one for each section of the lake. The south dam has a spillway and valve, the north dam has a large valve and overflow spillway. The dams were both rehabilitated in 1998 from the original Ringling-era fieldstone and concrete construction.

Dam A barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface or underground streams

A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aquaculture, and navigability. Hydropower is often used in conjunction with dams to generate electricity. A dam can also be used to collect water or for storage of water which can be evenly distributed between locations. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. The earliest known dam is the Jawa Dam in Jordan, dating to 3,000 BC.

Spillway structure for controlled release of flows from a dam or levee

A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of flows from a dam or levee into a downstream area, typically the riverbed of the dammed river itself. In the United Kingdom, they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways ensure that the water does not overflow and damage or destroy the dam.

Valve device that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid or a gas

A valve is a device that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically fittings, but are usually discussed as a separate category. In an open valve, fluid flows in a direction from higher pressure to lower pressure. The word is derived from the Latin valva, the moving part of a door, in turn from volvere, to turn, roll.

The south dam was upgraded in 2013 to meet NJDEP Dam Safety & Flood Control requirements. This was as a direct result of an unusual meteorological event, the August 2000 storm. This storm arrived and did not move for over a day, dumping 14 inches (official measurement, independent estimates say 16+ inches) of rain to a restricted area. The resultant flooding caused the main thoroughfare Berkshire Valley Road to become inundated, but did not cause either dam to fail. Excessive overflow caused some undermining of the dam structure which has since been corrected. The lake was previously under orders of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to maintain a water level of no greater than two and no less than three feet below spillway until the repair was completed.

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) is a government agency in the U.S. state of New Jersey that is responsible for managing the state's natural resources and addressing issues related to pollution. NJDEP now has a staff of approximately 2,850.

Due to the large watershed, the lake both enjoys and is cursed with a high flow-through rate. The water in the lake is replaced approximately every 30–45 days. This allows for water refreshment, but makes aquatic weed treatment more challenging.

Drainage basin Area of land where precipitation collects and drains off into a common outlet

A drainage basin is any area of land where precipitation collects and drains off into a common outlet, such as into a river, bay, or other body of water. The drainage basin includes all the surface water from rain runoff, snowmelt, and nearby streams that run downslope towards the shared outlet, as well as the groundwater underneath the earth's surface. Drainage basins connect into other drainage basins at lower elevations in a hierarchical pattern, with smaller sub-drainage basins, which in turn drain into another common outlet.

Historical information

Post-Native-American settlement, the area was mostly farmland.

Native Americans in the United States Indigenous peoples of the United States (except Hawaii)

Native Americans, also known as American Indians, Indigenous Americans and other terms, are the indigenous peoples of the United States, except Hawaii. There are over 500 federally recognized tribes within the US, about half of which are associated with Indian reservations. The term "American Indian" excludes Native Hawaiians and some Alaska Natives, while Native Americans are American Indians, plus Alaska Natives of all ethnicities. Native Hawaiians are not counted as Native Americans by the US Census, instead being included in the Census grouping of "Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander".

Alfred T. Ringling

The property was consolidated, the lake enlarged (and two lakes combined), and a 28-room manor house with auxiliary structures were built in the rustic neoclassical style to accommodate Ringling Brothers Circus impresario Alfred T. Ringling. The estate and its auxiliary structures served as winter quarters for the R.T. Richards Circus owned and operated by Ringling's son Richard T. Ringling. Geraldine Farrar sang for the famous guests of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred T. Ringling in the music room with its great organ and Tiffany stained glass window. Ringling's death in 1919 brought an end to this era.

Peggy Winterbottom in the Alfred T. Ringling elephant barn. (Oak Ridge, NJ - April 1918) CCF03192017 - Copy.jpg
Peggy Winterbottom in the Alfred T. Ringling elephant barn. (Oak Ridge, NJ - April 1918)

The buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places. Although, the manor house has been privately owned by the St. Stanislaus Friary of the Polish Capuchins for many years, as of 2017, it is up for sale. [3]

Becoming Lake Swannanoa

The Ringling estate was purchased by Arthur D. McAllister in 1925 and renamed Lake Swannanoa. Plans were created to develop a ritzy golf and country club, the original prospectus calling for elegant high society balls, and racial/ethnic restrictions. Due to the great depression this plan never came to fruition, so instead in the 1930s it was developed as a residential community by Ringling Estates Inc. Log cabin style houses were built on small lots as primarily summer homes, and were used as such throughout the 1950s. Although there are a few weekend residents today, most houses are now occupied full-time year-round. Many of the current houses are situated on multiple original lots.

The name Swannanoa is reported to be "derived from the Cherokee word Suwali-Nunna, meaning 'trail of the Suwali tribe,'" however the name was used in this case under the impression that the translation is actually "the beautiful trail." The street names within the development are all named after Native American tribes.

Today

Lake Swannanoa (the lake, beach, and shoreline property, not the entire development) is privately owned and operated by the Lake Swannanoa Homeowners Association formerly known as the Swannanoa Sentinal Society, a private non-profit corporation. Membership is by deeded covenant. There is a fee to join the covenant, and yearly dues are assessed. Access to and use of the lake and property is by permit and restricted to members in good standing.

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References

  1. Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed June 9, 2016.
  2. USGS
  3. Sweetman, Jennie (29 January 2017). "Ringling Estate recalled as famous circus is to close | Biography & History". njherald.com. New Jersey Herald. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  1. ^ Jefferson Township Historical Society, printed reproduction postcard
  2. ^ USGS
  3. ^ Synopsis prepared by the Jefferson Township Historical Society, October 30, 1996
  4. ^ Native American Place Names
  5. ^ Weird New Jersey: 09/12/03 Carrot Wielding Little People in Jefferson Township

Coordinates: 41°00′38″N74°31′12″W / 41.0106°N 74.5201°W / 41.0106; -74.5201