Manasquan River

Last updated • 2 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Manasquan River
Manasquan River (Freehold Twp.).png
Manasquan River as it flows through Freehold Township
Manasquan River
Location
CountryUnited States
StateNew Jersey
Physical characteristics
Source 
  coordinates 40°12′03″N74°20′30″W / 40.200934°N 74.341531°W / 40.200934; -74.341531
Mouth  
  coordinates
40°06′05″N74°01′55″W / 40.101410°N 74.032031°W / 40.101410; -74.032031
Length26.5 miles (42.6 km)

The Manasquan River is a 26.5-mile-long (42.6 km) [1] waterway in central New Jersey.

Contents

It flows from western Monmouth County, beginning in Freehold Township, near the headwaters for the Manalapan Brook and Millstone River systems in the Raritan Basin, and flowing to the Atlantic Ocean, where it empties between the communities of Manasquan and Point Pleasant via the Manasquan Inlet. [2] It widens greatly as it nears the ocean, making it ideal for boating, and is a very popular recreational area of the Jersey Shore. The Manasquan River and Inlet is the unofficial northernmost terminus of the Intracoastal Waterway.

The river is the center of a large watershed area that incorporates numerous streams as well as a large man-made pumped (i.e. no direct flow from the river) reservoir in Howell Township; aptly named the Manasquan Reservoir. It also marks the traditional boundary between North Jersey and South Jersey; it separates Monmouth and Ocean counties and marks the border between rich, fertile soil to the north and the sandier soil of the "Pine Barrens" to the south.

Mouth of the river ManasquanInletPier7.13.08ByLuigiNovi7.jpg
Mouth of the river

Situated in the middle of the river east of the New Jersey Route 70 highway bridge and adjacent to the former Point Pleasant Hospital site and Point Pleasant Canal entrance is a sizable island only accessible by boat that is a popular spot for picnics and recreation. The island includes a sandy beach area and even used to have an improvised swing-set for youngsters which has been removed by the boro of Brielle, but is mainly covered with trees. The water surrounding the island is deep enough to accommodate boat traffic, and boaters normally beach their boats on the sand while they enjoy a day of relaxation on the island. Today its officially named Nienstedt Island, honoring the family who donated it to the borough. [3] In the 19th century it was known as "Osborn Island". In May 1888, Robert Louis Stevenson spent about a month in Brielle along the Manasquan River. One day Stevenson visited Osborn Island and was so impressed he whimsically renamed it "Treasure Island" after his famous novel Treasure Island (1883) and carved his initials into a bulkhead. This took place five years after he had completed the novel. To this day, many still refer to the island as such. [4] [5]

The navigable Manasquan River and its tributaries are crossed by three drawbridges, the Brielle Road Glimmer Glass Bridge, the Route 35 Manasquan River bridge, and the NJ Transit railroad bridge, and one fixed bridge – the Route 70 September 11 Memorial Bridge.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Jersey Route 35</span> State highway in eastern New Jersey, US

Route 35 is a state highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey, primarily traveling through the easternmost parts of Middlesex, Monmouth, and Ocean counties. It runs 58.1 mi (93.5 km) from the entrance to Island Beach State Park in Berkeley Township, Ocean County, to an intersection with Lincoln Highway/St. Georges Avenue (Route 27) in Rahway, Union County. Between Seaside Park and Mantoloking, Route 35 follows the right-of-way of the former Pennsylvania Railroad along the Jersey Shore. The route heads through Point Pleasant Beach and crosses the Manasquan River on the Brielle Bridge, meeting the intersection of Route 34 and Route 70 at the former Brielle Circle in Wall Township. From there, Route 35 heads north and interchanges with Route 138, an extension of I-195, continuing north through Monmouth County before crossing the Victory Bridge over the Raritan River into Perth Amboy, where the route continues north to Rahway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monmouth County, New Jersey</span> County in New Jersey, United States

Monmouth County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is bordered to its west by Mercer and Middlesex Counties, to its south by Ocean County, to its east by the Atlantic Ocean, and to its north by the Raritan Bay. Monmouth County's geographic area comprises 30% water. The county is part of the Jersey Shore region of the state. It has also been categorized under the Central Jersey region, though it was not among the four counties explicitly listed as included in Central Jersey as part of legislation signed into law in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Jersey Route 70</span> Highway in New Jersey

Route 70 is a state highway located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It extends 59.8 mi (96.24 km) from an interchange with Route 38 in Pennsauken, Camden County, east to an intersection with Route 34 and Route 35 in Wall Township, Monmouth County. Route 70 cuts across the middle of the state as a two-lane highway through the Pine Barrens in Burlington and Ocean counties. A popular truck route, it provides access between Philadelphia and the surrounding Philadelphia metro area and the Jersey Shore resorts, particularly Long Beach Island by way of Route 72. It is also a congested commercial route within Philadelphia's New Jersey suburbs. The western section in Cherry Hill and Marlton is a four- to eight-lane divided highway that serves as a major suburban arterial and is locally known as Marlton Pike. The eastern section in Monmouth and Ocean counties is also a multilane divided highway that runs through suburban areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brielle, New Jersey</span> Borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, US

Brielle is a borough located in southern Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, along the Manasquan River. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 4,982, its highest decennial count ever and an increase of 208 (+4.4%) from the 2010 census count of 4,774, which in turn reflected a decline of 119 (−2.4%) from the 4,893 counted in the 2000 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manasquan, New Jersey</span> Borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, US

Manasquan is a borough in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, on the Jersey Shore. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 5,938, an increase of 41 (+0.7%) from the 2010 census count of 5,897, which in turn reflected a decline of 413 (−6.5%) from the 6,310 counted in the 2000 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sea Girt, New Jersey</span> Borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey

Sea Girt is a borough situated on the Jersey Shore, within Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 1,866, an increase of 38 (+2.1%) from the 2010 census count of 1,828, which in turn had reflected a decline of 320 (−14.9%) from the 2,148 counted in the 2000 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey</span> Borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, US

Point Pleasant Beach is a coastal borough situated on the Jersey Shore, and the northernmost community directly facing the Atlantic Ocean within Ocean County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It lies at the northern end of the Barnegat Peninsula, which serves as a barrier island separating Barnegat Bay from the open Atlantic Ocean. The borough's name is derived from its location.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Jersey Route 71</span> State highway in New Jersey, US

Route 71 is a state highway in New Jersey that runs 16.7 miles (26.9 km) near the shore in Monmouth County. It begins at Route 35 in Brielle just north of the Manasquan River and the Ocean County line and heads north to Route 35 in Eatontown with a four block concurrency with Route 35 in Belmar. Monmouth University is located off Route 71 in West Long Branch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jersey Shore</span> Coastal region of the U.S. state of New Jersey

The Jersey Shore, commonly referred to locally as simply the Shore, is the coastal region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. Geographically, the term encompasses about 141 miles (227 km) of oceanfront bordering the Atlantic Ocean, from Perth Amboy in the north to Cape May Point in the south. The region includes Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Atlantic, and Cape May counties, which are in the central and southern parts of the state. Located in the center of the Northeast Megalopolis, the northern half of the shore region is part of the New York metro area, while the southern half of the shore region is part of the Philadelphia metro area. The Jersey Shore hosts the highest concentration of oceanside boardwalks in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metedeconk River</span> River

The Metedeconk River is a tributary of Barnegat Bay in Ocean County, New Jersey in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manalapan Brook</span> Tributary of the South River in New Jersey

Manalapan Brook is a tributary of the South River in Monmouth and Middlesex counties, New Jersey in the United States.

New Jersey's 4th congressional district is a congressional district that stretches along the New Jersey Shore. It has been represented by Republican Chris Smith since 1981, the second-longest currently serving member of the US House of Representatives and the longest serving member of Congress from New Jersey in history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manasquan Reservoir</span> Reservoir in Monmouth County, New Jersey

The Manasquan Reservoir is a source of water for municipalities and utilities, as well as a 1,204-acre (4.87 km2) park, located in Howell Township, in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. The reservoir doubles as a park that is part of the Monmouth County Park System. The park has trails, a visitor center, a nature/environmental center, a boat launching area and several dikes for fishing, among its facilities. The reservoir itself, which is dammed from the Manasquan River, is operated by the New Jersey Water Supply Authority, which is a part of the much larger Raritan Basin Watershed. The nature trails circling around the reservoir are what makes this county park as one of the most popular hiking destinations in Central New Jersey, as the park receives over one million visitors a year. It is reachable by car and there are five parking lots, including one for vehicles hauling trailers. The park's trails are open to walkers, runners, hikers, bicyclists and equestrians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barnegat Peninsula</span>

The Barnegat Peninsula, also known as the Island Beach Peninsula or Barnegat Bay Island and colloquially as "the barrier island", is a 20-mile (32 km) long, narrow barrier peninsula located on the Jersey Shore in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States, that divides the Barnegat Bay from the Atlantic Ocean. It is a vacation destination and summer colony area and is heavily dependent on tourism, real estate and fishing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glimmer Glass Bridge</span> Bridge in New Jersey and Brielle, New Jersey

The Glimmer Glass Bridge is a county owned bridge in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. It carries traffic from Brielle Road over the Glimmer Glass, a navigable tidal inlet of the Manasquan River, between Manasquan and Brielle. It has also been on the National Register of Historic Places, since 2008. Due to its age, Commercial vehicles cannot be driven over it. It also allows Bicycles and pedestrians to walk on the wooden sidewalk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Point Pleasant Canal</span>

The Point Pleasant Canal is a canal in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. It was completed in 1925 to connect the Manasquan Inlet and Manasquan River with Bay Head Harbor on the northern end of Barnegat Bay. The canal is part of the Intracoastal Waterway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manasquan Inlet</span> Inlet that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Manasquan River

The Manasquan Inlet is an inlet that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Manasquan River, dividing the counties of Ocean County and Monmouth County in the state of New Jersey. Passage to Bay Head Harbor and the Barnegat Bay is possible via the Point Pleasant Canal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shark River Inlet</span>

The Shark River Inlet is an inlet that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Shark River, located entirely in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. The Shark River Inlet acts as a border between the towns of Belmar and Avon-by-the-Sea at the Atlantic Ocean. The Shark River Inlet is the only river inlet exclusively in Monmouth County that drains directly into the Atlantic Ocean; the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers drain into Sandy Hook Bay, and the Manasquan River is shared with Ocean County.

Great Egg Harbor Bay is a bay between Atlantic and Cape May counties along the southern New Jersey coast. The name derives from Dutch explorer Cornelius Jacobsen May's description of the plentiful birds laying eggs, naming the waters Eyren Haven, which translates to Egg Harbor in English. The bay has a total area of 8.5 sq mi (22 km2). Its depth ranges from shallow waters in the southern extension, called Peck Bay, to a 33 ft (10 m) deep channel.

Brielle Draw is a railroad bascule bridge over Manasquan River in Brielle, Monmouth County and Point Pleasant Beach, Ocean County, New Jersey, United States west of the Manasquan Inlet to the Atlantic Ocean. It carries a single track of the New Jersey Transit Rail Operations (NJT) North Jersey Coast Line between Manasquan and Point Pleasant Beach stations. It had once been part of Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ), New York & Long Branch Railroad (NYLB) and Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) operations. The line is also served by the River Draw over the Raritan River, the Morgan Draw over Cheesequake Creek, the Oceanport Draw over Oceanport Creek and the Shark River Draw.

References

  1. U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map Archived 2012-03-29 at the Wayback Machine , accessed April 1, 2011
  2. Preservation of Critical Areas in the Manasquan River Watershed (PDF). New Jersey Water Supply Authority. 2005. Retrieved 28 September 2022. Page 3 has a map of the watershed
  3. Historic Sites in Brielle, Brielle, New Jersey. Accessed May 31, 2007.
  4. Richard Harding Davis (1916). Adventures and Letters of Richard Harding Davis. See page 5 from Project Gutenberg
  5. History of Brielle Archived 2006-09-03 at the Wayback Machine , accessed September 5, 2006