Lee Meadows Swamp
Encyclopedia
The Lee Meadows Swamp in eastern Morris County of New Jersey in the United States was originally a 500 acres (2 km²) swamp
with low woodlands surrounding it. It is located in the southeastern section of Parsippany-Troy Hills Township and the western section of Hanover Township
, in Morris County, New Jersey
. Due to the construction of office buildings and roads in the 1980s, the swamp has become much smaller.
and early Jurassic
periods, when the North American plate separated from the African plate, an aborted rift system was created. The resulting rift valley, known as the Newark Basin
, was filled with alternating layers of red bed sediment and flood basalts
. Over millions of years, the rift valley was faulted, tilted, and eroded, until the edges of the hard flood basalt layers formed ridges. Prior to 20,000 years before the present, an ancestral Passaic River
flowed through a gap in these ridges. This changed when the Wisconsin Glacier
, a massive continental ice sheet which formed during the last ice age, advanced on the region and permanently plugged the gap with glacial rubble
. As the glacier eventually melted back, water pooled behind the ridges (known today as the Watchung Mountains
), forming Glacial Lake Passaic
. After thousands of years, the lake drained leaving behind many swamps, including Lee Meadows.
The elevation of the swamp area ranges from three hundred twenty feet above sea level to two hundred eight feet.
Route 287 was built in the early 1970s which cut through the eastern section of the swamp. On the south side of the swamp is Route 10.
The western side was used as the Alderney Dairy Farm from 1940s to the late 1960s. It had three barns in the fields near the western side of the swamp.
s, raccoon
s, skunk
s, possum
s and weasels.
There are different types of hawks. Waterfowl such as mallards, wood ducks, woodcock
migrated through the area in the autumn and rested in the swamp.
There were many types of snakes and turtles that lived in the area before the office complex was built. Garter snakes, brown snakes, ringneck snakes, water snakes, and milk snakes inhabited the area. Turtles included snapping turtles, box turtles, wood turtles, spotted turtles, musk and mud turtles.
The swamp is surrounded by a northern deciduous forest of maples, various oaks, beech, hickory, elm, ash, sweet gum, cherry, sycamore, and walnut.
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
with low woodlands surrounding it. It is located in the southeastern section of Parsippany-Troy Hills Township and the western section of Hanover Township
Hanover Township, New Jersey
Hanover Township is a Township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. At the 2000 United States Census, the township population was 12,898...
, in Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the United States 2010 Census, the population was 492,276. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Morristown....
. Due to the construction of office buildings and roads in the 1980s, the swamp has become much smaller.
Geology
During the late TriassicTriassic
The Triassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about 250 to 200 Mya . As the first period of the Mesozoic Era, the Triassic follows the Permian and is followed by the Jurassic. Both the start and end of the Triassic are marked by major extinction events...
and early Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
periods, when the North American plate separated from the African plate, an aborted rift system was created. The resulting rift valley, known as the Newark Basin
Newark Basin
The Newark Basin is a sediment-filled rift basin located mainly in northern New Jersey but also stretching into south-eastern Pennsylvania and southern New York. It is part of the system of Eastern North America Rift Basins.-Geology:...
, was filled with alternating layers of red bed sediment and flood basalts
Flood basalt
A flood basalt or trap basalt is the result of a giant volcanic eruption or series of eruptions that coats large stretches of land or the ocean floor with basalt lava. Flood basalts have occurred on continental scales in prehistory, creating great plateaus and mountain ranges...
. Over millions of years, the rift valley was faulted, tilted, and eroded, until the edges of the hard flood basalt layers formed ridges. Prior to 20,000 years before the present, an ancestral Passaic River
Passaic River
The Passaic River is a mature surface river, approximately 80 mi long, in northern New Jersey in the United States. The river in its upper course flows in a highly circuitous route, meandering through the swamp lowlands between the ridge hills of rural and suburban northern New Jersey,...
flowed through a gap in these ridges. This changed when the Wisconsin Glacier
Wisconsin glaciation
The last glacial period was the most recent glacial period within the current ice age occurring during the last years of the Pleistocene, from approximately 110,000 to 10,000 years ago....
, a massive continental ice sheet which formed during the last ice age, advanced on the region and permanently plugged the gap with glacial rubble
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...
. As the glacier eventually melted back, water pooled behind the ridges (known today as the Watchung Mountains
Watchung Mountains
The Watchung Mountains are a group of three long low ridges of volcanic origin, between 400 ft. and 500 ft. high, lying parallel to each other in northern New Jersey in the United States...
), forming Glacial Lake Passaic
Glacial Lake Passaic
Glacial Lake Passaic was a prehistoric proglacial lake that existed in northern New Jersey in the United States at the end of the last ice age approximately 19,000-14,000 years ago...
. After thousands of years, the lake drained leaving behind many swamps, including Lee Meadows.
Geography
The swamp is feed by three small streams. The first exits Mirror Pond, flowing though a low lying woodland. The second stream exits a pond on the western side of Route 202 and once flowed through open fields but now flows though a office building complex. The two streams meet and this is where the woodland swamp starts. The third stream starts near the intersection Route 10 and Route 202, on the north side of Rt. 10, and flows east toward Route 287.The elevation of the swamp area ranges from three hundred twenty feet above sea level to two hundred eight feet.
Route 287 was built in the early 1970s which cut through the eastern section of the swamp. On the south side of the swamp is Route 10.
The western side was used as the Alderney Dairy Farm from 1940s to the late 1960s. It had three barns in the fields near the western side of the swamp.
Flora and fauna
This swamp is feed by three small streams and because of this the water table did not rise much. Due to the water table not rising, animals were able to establish themselves in the swamp and surrounding area. The area had fields, corn fields, and deciduous forests around the swamp. This is why the area was once full of game. The area is inhabited by white tailed deer, gray fox, muskratMuskrat
The muskrat , the only species in genus Ondatra, is a medium-sized semi-aquatic rodent native to North America, and introduced in parts of Europe, Asia, and South America. The muskrat is found in wetlands and is a very successful animal over a wide range of climates and habitats...
s, raccoon
Raccoon
Procyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals, comprising three species commonly known as raccoons, in the family Procyonidae. The most familiar species, the common raccoon , is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are...
s, skunk
Skunk
Skunks are mammals best known for their ability to secrete a liquid with a strong, foul odor. General appearance varies from species to species, from black-and-white to brown or cream colored. Skunks belong to the family Mephitidae and to the order Carnivora...
s, possum
Possum
A possum is any of about 70 small to medium-sized arboreal marsupial species native to Australia, New Guinea, and Sulawesi .Possums are quadrupedal diprotodont marsupials with long tails...
s and weasels.
There are different types of hawks. Waterfowl such as mallards, wood ducks, woodcock
Woodcock
The woodcocks are a group of seven or eight very similar living species of wading birds in the genus Scolopax. Only two woodcocks are widespread, the others being localized island endemics. Most are found in the Northern Hemisphere but a few range into Wallacea...
migrated through the area in the autumn and rested in the swamp.
There were many types of snakes and turtles that lived in the area before the office complex was built. Garter snakes, brown snakes, ringneck snakes, water snakes, and milk snakes inhabited the area. Turtles included snapping turtles, box turtles, wood turtles, spotted turtles, musk and mud turtles.
The swamp is surrounded by a northern deciduous forest of maples, various oaks, beech, hickory, elm, ash, sweet gum, cherry, sycamore, and walnut.