Kittatinny valley
Encyclopedia
The Kittatinny Valley lies east of the Kittatinny Mountain in western Sussex County, New Jersey
. To the east of the valley is the Highlands in eastern Sussex County. The valley
is part of the Great Appalachian Valley
.
. The western side of the valley goes from the New York
state line, east of High Point
, and runs southwest along the base of the eastern slope of Kittatinny Mountains to the terminal moraine
created by the Wisconsin Glacier just north of Columbia
on the New Jersey border with Pennsylvania
. This is slightly south of the Delaware Water Gap
. The eastern side of the valley trends northeast along Highlands of the Jenny Jump Mountains, then along the base of Allamuchy Mountains to Andover
where it follows the western edge of the Pimple Hills to the Hamburg Mountains. The eastern edge of the valley follows the western base of Hamburg Mountain to the New York State line.
The valley is about twenty one miles long and ten miles wide.
North of the New York state line is the Hudson Valley
. South of the terminal moraine of the Wisconsin Glacier is the Lehigh Valley
. The Hudson, the Lehigh, and the Kittatinny Valleys are all locally named sections of the Great Appalachian Valley
.
collided with proto North America, around four hundred fifty million BC. This is known as the Taconic Orogeny. The rock from the islands went over top of the North American plate. The sediment under the seas was compressed and formed shale and was uplifted. Thus the Kittatinny Valley was born. Then a small continent collided with proto North America around four hundred million BC. This created folding and faulting which created the Kittatinny Mountain and the southern Appalachians. The valley is situated between the Silurian Shawangunk
quartz conglomerate and the lower Cambrian Hardyston quartzite
.
The Silurian Shawangunk conglomerate
lies on top of the Martinsburg formation. This is due to the quartz
pebbles being transported on top of the Martinsburg shale, and then due to geologic pressure, folded and faulted. Thus the Kitatinny Mountain was born. About half of the valley is of the Martinsburg formation which is shale
and slate
. Some of the valley is of the Kittatinny and Jacksonburg limestones. The Kittatinny formation formed during the Cambrian period. Most of the formations are in belts traversing a northeast to southwest axis.
A volcanic brecca is at Rutan Hill which is along County Route 519 in Wantage Township, about 5 miles northwest of Sussex Borough
.
During the Wisconsin Glacier which lasted from 21,000 BC to 13,000 BC, the valley was covered in three hundred meters of ice. The glacier melted and this created end moraines
, eskers, lakes, and other post glacier formations. Lakes were also created such as Culvers Lake, Lake Aeroflex, Cranberry Lake
, and Lake Owassa
. Lake Aeroflex is the deepest lake at one hundred ten feet deep.
The valley is drained by three small shallow rivers. The first is the Paulinskill River which flows from Newton
north to Augusta
, then southeast to empty into the Delaware River
near Columbia
. The second is the Wallkill River
which starts at Lake Mohawk in Sparta. The river flows northwest. Papakating Creek and the West Branch of Papakating Creek flow into the Wallkill north of the town of Sussex. The Wallkill flows north over the New York State line and drains into the Hudson River. The third small river is the Pequest River
which begins in Andover Township and flows south to Great Meadows and then flows east to Belvidere and drains into the Delaware River.
All three of these rivers are premier trout
fishing streams, as they are stocked every year.
found their way into the Kittatinny Valley around 10,500 BC. They hunted game, fished and gathered plants. The valley is fairly flat with fresh water streams which allowed for easy hunting and gathering various plants and nuts.
Native Americans
came later and camped along the shallow and narrow streams. These streams allowed for easy fishing, waterfowl hunting, as well as hunting small and large game in the forests.
ans settled in the Kittatinny Valley in the early 1740s. The virgin forests were cut to allow for agriculture and the selling of timber. Eventually nearly all the forest was cleared by the early 1900s. Settlers built rock walls along the borders of the properties. These rock walls can be seen everywhere in the valley. Very few of these original houses exist today because the houses were made of wood and caught fire or rotted. Some were made of stone from the nearby area.
and peach
orchards. There are also dairy farms that have twenty to seventy five cows.
, Andover Borough
& Township
, Allamuchy Township, Blairstown Township, Frankford Township
, Hamburg Borough
, Hope Township, Johnsonburg
, Newton
, Sussex Borough
, and Wantage Township are all located in the Kittatinny Valley.
Great Appalachian Valley
Wallkill River
Sussex County, New Jersey
The County of Sussex is the northernmost county in the State of New Jersey. It is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 Federal decennial census, 149,265 persons resided in Sussex County...
. To the east of the valley is the Highlands in eastern Sussex County. The valley
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
is part of the Great Appalachian Valley
Great Appalachian Valley
The Great Valley, also called the Great Appalachian Valley or Great Valley Region, is one of the major landform features of eastern North America. It is a gigantic trough — a chain of valley lowlands — and the central feature of the Appalachian Mountain system...
.
Geography
The Kittatinny valley is in northern New JerseyNew Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. The western side of the valley goes from the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
state line, east of High Point
High Point
High Point, in the northwestern part of New Jersey in Montague, Sussex County in the Skylands Region of New Jersey, is the highest elevation in the state at 1,803 feet . It is southeast of Port Jervis, New York. High Point is the highest peak of the Kittatinny Mountains.At the peak is the High...
, and runs southwest along the base of the eastern slope of Kittatinny Mountains to the terminal moraine
Moraine
A moraine is any glacially formed accumulation of unconsolidated glacial debris which can occur in currently glaciated and formerly glaciated regions, such as those areas acted upon by a past glacial maximum. This debris may have been plucked off a valley floor as a glacier advanced or it may have...
created by the Wisconsin Glacier just north of Columbia
Columbia, New Jersey
Columbia is a census-designated place within Knowlton Township in Warren County, New Jersey, United States. The area is served as United States Postal Service ZIP Code 07832.As of the United States 2010 Census, the population for Columbia was 229....
on the New Jersey border with Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. This is slightly south of the Delaware Water Gap
Delaware Water Gap
The Delaware Water Gap is on the border of New Jersey and Pennsylvania where the Delaware River cuts through a large ridge of the Appalachian Mountains...
. The eastern side of the valley trends northeast along Highlands of the Jenny Jump Mountains, then along the base of Allamuchy Mountains to Andover
Andover, New Jersey
Andover is a Borough in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 606.Andover was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 25, 1904, from portions of Andover Township.-Geography:Andover is located at ...
where it follows the western edge of the Pimple Hills to the Hamburg Mountains. The eastern edge of the valley follows the western base of Hamburg Mountain to the New York State line.
The valley is about twenty one miles long and ten miles wide.
North of the New York state line is the Hudson Valley
Hudson Valley
The Hudson Valley comprises the valley of the Hudson River and its adjacent communities in New York State, United States, from northern Westchester County northward to the cities of Albany and Troy.-History:...
. South of the terminal moraine of the Wisconsin Glacier is the Lehigh Valley
Lehigh Valley
The Lehigh Valley, known officially by the United States Census Bureau as the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metropolitan area and referred to locally as The Valley and A-B-E, is a metropolitan region consisting of Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, and Carbon counties in eastern Pennsylvania and...
. The Hudson, the Lehigh, and the Kittatinny Valleys are all locally named sections of the Great Appalachian Valley
Great Appalachian Valley
The Great Valley, also called the Great Appalachian Valley or Great Valley Region, is one of the major landform features of eastern North America. It is a gigantic trough — a chain of valley lowlands — and the central feature of the Appalachian Mountain system...
.
Geology
Sediment was deposited at the bottom of deep seas. The Kittatinny Valley was created during the late Ordovician period and the Cambrian period. This is when the volcanic island chainVolcanic arc
A volcanic arc is a chain of volcanoes positioned in an arc shape as seen from above. Offshore volcanoes form islands, resulting in a volcanic island arc. Generally they result from the subduction of an oceanic tectonic plate under another tectonic plate, and often parallel an oceanic trench...
collided with proto North America, around four hundred fifty million BC. This is known as the Taconic Orogeny. The rock from the islands went over top of the North American plate. The sediment under the seas was compressed and formed shale and was uplifted. Thus the Kittatinny Valley was born. Then a small continent collided with proto North America around four hundred million BC. This created folding and faulting which created the Kittatinny Mountain and the southern Appalachians. The valley is situated between the Silurian Shawangunk
Shawangunk
Shawangunk may refer to:In New York*Shawangunk, New York, a town in Ulster County*Shawangunk Correctional Facility*Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge, in Ulster County*Shawangunk Kill, a tributary of the Wallkill River...
quartz conglomerate and the lower Cambrian Hardyston quartzite
Quartzite
Quartzite is a hard metamorphic rock which was originally sandstone. Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tectonic compression within orogenic belts. Pure quartzite is usually white to gray, though quartzites often occur in various shades of pink...
.
The Silurian Shawangunk conglomerate
Conglomerate (geology)
A conglomerate is a rock consisting of individual clasts within a finer-grained matrix that have become cemented together. Conglomerates are sedimentary rocks consisting of rounded fragments and are thus differentiated from breccias, which consist of angular clasts...
lies on top of the Martinsburg formation. This is due to the quartz
Quartz
Quartz is the second-most-abundant mineral in the Earth's continental crust, after feldspar. It is made up of a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall formula SiO2. There are many different varieties of quartz,...
pebbles being transported on top of the Martinsburg shale, and then due to geologic pressure, folded and faulted. Thus the Kitatinny Mountain was born. About half of the valley is of the Martinsburg formation which is shale
Shale
Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock composed of mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals and tiny fragments of other minerals, especially quartz and calcite. The ratio of clay to other minerals is variable. Shale is characterized by breaks along thin laminae or parallel layering...
and slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
. Some of the valley is of the Kittatinny and Jacksonburg limestones. The Kittatinny formation formed during the Cambrian period. Most of the formations are in belts traversing a northeast to southwest axis.
A volcanic brecca is at Rutan Hill which is along County Route 519 in Wantage Township, about 5 miles northwest of Sussex Borough
Sussex, New Jersey
Sussex is a borough in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 2,130.Sussex was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on October 14, 1891, as Deckertown, from portions of Wantage...
.
During the Wisconsin Glacier which lasted from 21,000 BC to 13,000 BC, the valley was covered in three hundred meters of ice. The glacier melted and this created end moraines
Terminal moraine
A terminal moraine, also called end moraine, is a moraine that forms at the end of the glacier called the snout.Terminal moraines mark the maximum advance of the glacier. An end moraine is at the present boundary of the glacier....
, eskers, lakes, and other post glacier formations. Lakes were also created such as Culvers Lake, Lake Aeroflex, Cranberry Lake
Cranberry Lake
Cranberry Lake is a lake on the Oswegatchie River in the Adirondack Park in New York in the United States. It is the third largest lake in the Adirondack Park Cranberry Lake is a lake on the Oswegatchie River in the Adirondack Park in New York in the United States. It is the third largest lake in...
, and Lake Owassa
Lake Owassa
Lake Owassa is a lake in Sussex County, New Jersey, is fed by Bear Swamp, and feeds into Culver's Lake . It is at an elevation of...
. Lake Aeroflex is the deepest lake at one hundred ten feet deep.
The valley is drained by three small shallow rivers. The first is the Paulinskill River which flows from Newton
Newton, New Jersey
Newton is a town in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the town population was 8,244. It is the county seat of Sussex County....
north to Augusta
Augusta, New Jersey
Augusta is an unincorporated area located within Frankford Township, Sussex County, New Jersey.Augusta is the home of the New Jersey State Fair and the Sussex County Farm and Horse Show....
, then southeast to empty into the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
near Columbia
Columbia, New Jersey
Columbia is a census-designated place within Knowlton Township in Warren County, New Jersey, United States. The area is served as United States Postal Service ZIP Code 07832.As of the United States 2010 Census, the population for Columbia was 229....
. The second is the Wallkill River
Wallkill River
The Wallkill River, a tributary of the Hudson, drains Lake Mohawk in Sparta, New Jersey, flowing from there generally northeasterly to Rondout Creek in New York, near Rosendale, with the combined flows reaching the Hudson at Kingston....
which starts at Lake Mohawk in Sparta. The river flows northwest. Papakating Creek and the West Branch of Papakating Creek flow into the Wallkill north of the town of Sussex. The Wallkill flows north over the New York State line and drains into the Hudson River. The third small river is the Pequest River
Pequest River
The Pequest River is a tributary of the Delaware River in the Skylands Region in northwestern New Jersey in the United States.The Pequest, Native American for "open land", drains an area of across Sussex and Warren counties, consisting of ten municipalities....
which begins in Andover Township and flows south to Great Meadows and then flows east to Belvidere and drains into the Delaware River.
All three of these rivers are premier trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
fishing streams, as they are stocked every year.
Paleo Indians and Native Americans
After the Wisconsin Glacier melted around 13,000 BC, Paleo IndiansPaleo Indians
Paleo-Indians or Paleoamericans is a classification term given to the first peoples who entered, and subsequently inhabited, the American continent during the final glacial episodes of the late Pleistocene period...
found their way into the Kittatinny Valley around 10,500 BC. They hunted game, fished and gathered plants. The valley is fairly flat with fresh water streams which allowed for easy hunting and gathering various plants and nuts.
Native Americans
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
came later and camped along the shallow and narrow streams. These streams allowed for easy fishing, waterfowl hunting, as well as hunting small and large game in the forests.
European Settlement
EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
ans settled in the Kittatinny Valley in the early 1740s. The virgin forests were cut to allow for agriculture and the selling of timber. Eventually nearly all the forest was cleared by the early 1900s. Settlers built rock walls along the borders of the properties. These rock walls can be seen everywhere in the valley. Very few of these original houses exist today because the houses were made of wood and caught fire or rotted. Some were made of stone from the nearby area.
Agriculture
The Europeans saw that the valley was flat in places, and cut down the forests to start agricultural practices. Rocks were cleared from the land and places on rock walls which served as boundary markers. Low lying fields are left to grow grass for cows and horses. Other fields are used to grow corn for horses or cows. On a few fields pumpkins or tomatoes are grown. There are appleApple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
and peach
Peach
The peach tree is a deciduous tree growing to tall and 6 in. in diameter, belonging to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae. It bears an edible juicy fruit called a peach...
orchards. There are also dairy farms that have twenty to seventy five cows.
Towns of the Valley
AugustaAugusta, New Jersey
Augusta is an unincorporated area located within Frankford Township, Sussex County, New Jersey.Augusta is the home of the New Jersey State Fair and the Sussex County Farm and Horse Show....
, Andover Borough
Andover, New Jersey
Andover is a Borough in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 606.Andover was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 25, 1904, from portions of Andover Township.-Geography:Andover is located at ...
& Township
Andover Township, New Jersey
Andover Township is a Township in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 6,319....
, Allamuchy Township, Blairstown Township, Frankford Township
Frankford Township, New Jersey
Frankford Township is a Township in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 5,565....
, Hamburg Borough
Hamburg, New Jersey
Hamburg is a Borough in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 3,277.In 1753, when Sussex County was formed, Hamburg was part of New Town; on February 25, 1762, it became part of the newly established Hardyston Township...
, Hope Township, Johnsonburg
Johnsonburg, New Jersey
Johnsonburg is an unincorporated area within Frelinghuysen Township in Warren County, New Jersey, United States. The area is served as United States Postal Service ZIP Code 07846...
, Newton
Newton, New Jersey
Newton is a town in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the town population was 8,244. It is the county seat of Sussex County....
, Sussex Borough
Sussex, New Jersey
Sussex is a borough in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 2,130.Sussex was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on October 14, 1891, as Deckertown, from portions of Wantage...
, and Wantage Township are all located in the Kittatinny Valley.
See also
Kittatinny Valley State ParkKittatinny Valley State Park
Kittatinny Valley State Park is located near Andover, New Jersey. Glacial lakes, limestone outcroppings, former railroads, and a small airport are just some of the features of the park. Lake Aeroflex and Gardner's Pond form part of the headwaters of the Pequest River and are excellent for fishing...
Great Appalachian Valley
Great Appalachian Valley
The Great Valley, also called the Great Appalachian Valley or Great Valley Region, is one of the major landform features of eastern North America. It is a gigantic trough — a chain of valley lowlands — and the central feature of the Appalachian Mountain system...
Wallkill River
Wallkill River
The Wallkill River, a tributary of the Hudson, drains Lake Mohawk in Sparta, New Jersey, flowing from there generally northeasterly to Rondout Creek in New York, near Rosendale, with the combined flows reaching the Hudson at Kingston....