Mahwah River
Encyclopedia
The Mahwah River runs on a meandering SSW course for about 11 mi (18 km) from its headwaters just north of the hamlet of Ladentown, New York
to its mouth which empties into the Ramapo River
in Mahwah, New Jersey
, just south of the village of Suffern, New York
, and the state line. Its course runs along the length of the Ramapo geologic fault
on the eastern edge of Harriman State Park and below the face of the Ramapo Mountain
escarpment
. Numerous brooks and streams flowing out of the Ramapo Mountains to the west feed the river as it runs south. For most of its length the river's course is roughly paralleled by U.S. Route 202
.
s in Rockland County, New York
. As it runs south, the river's course is interrupted by numerous dam
s forming ponds and small lakes. At a number of points it runs through woodlands and remains in its original natural condition.
Approximately 4.5 mi (7.2 km) south of its source the Mahwah passes under Sky Meadow Lane and shortly thereafter enters a stretch where it is surrounded by Harriman State Park on both sides. Just south of this the river passes through Katkiat County Park and just beyond the park it passes under Route 202 from west to east.
Farther south the river enters Antrim Lake and immediately thereafter it passes under the New York State Thruway
, flows through Suffern, south across the state boundary and into the Ramapo River in the town of Mahwah.
, brown trout
, largemouth bass
, pickerel
, catfish
, bluegill
s, suckers
, and chubbs. It also hosts waterfowl species, including wood duck
in its northern reaches, mallard
s and Canadian geese throughout its length. Muskrat
s, beaver
s and an occasional otter
are seen plying its waters as well. Pileated Woodpeckers, wild turkey
, whitetailed deer, black bear
and coyote
s are common in the surrounding woodlands and mountains.
ing during periods of heavy rainfall. A debate rages among local politicians and citizens over the best way to remediate the problem.
ordinances
pushed by local politicians, which allow for high density development
in the vicinity of the river, have tripped off a firestorm of protest by local citizens and precipitated the creation of community action groups dedicated to protecting the Mahwah and its watershed
against over-development.
Ladentown, New York
Ladentown is a hamlet in the Town of Haverstraw Rockland County, New York, United States is located in the center of a triagle between Haverstraw, Spring Valley and Suffern and two miles west of Mount Ivy. It is located north-northwest of New York City....
to its mouth which empties into the Ramapo River
Ramapo River
The Ramapo River is a tributary of the Pompton River, approximately 30 mi long, in southern New York and northern New Jersey in the United States.-Course:...
in Mahwah, New Jersey
Mahwah, New Jersey
Mahwah is a township in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 25,890. The name Mahwah is derived from the Lenni Lenape word "mawewi" which means "Meeting Place" or "Place Where Paths Meet".The area that is now Mahwah was...
, just south of the village of Suffern, New York
Suffern, New York
Suffern is a village in the Town of Ramapo, Rockland County, New York, United States located north of the State of New Jersey; east of Hillburn; south of Montebello and west of Airmont...
, and the state line. Its course runs along the length of the Ramapo geologic fault
Geologic fault
In geology, a fault is a planar fracture or discontinuity in a volume of rock, across which there has been significant displacement along the fractures as a result of earth movement. Large faults within the Earth's crust result from the action of tectonic forces...
on the eastern edge of Harriman State Park and below the face of the Ramapo Mountain
Ramapo Mountains
The Ramapo Mountains are a forested chain of the Appalachian mountains in northeastern New Jersey and southeastern New York in the United States...
escarpment
Escarpment
An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that occurs from erosion or faulting and separates two relatively level areas of differing elevations.-Description and variants:...
. Numerous brooks and streams flowing out of the Ramapo Mountains to the west feed the river as it runs south. For most of its length the river's course is roughly paralleled by U.S. Route 202
U.S. Route 202
U.S. Route 202 is a highway stretching from Delaware to Maine, also passing through the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire....
.
Course
Just south of its source at the foot of Lime Kiln Mountain, the Mahwah passes through the Ladentown Swamp, an extensive wetland area that is one of the last unspoiled aquiferAquifer
An aquifer is a wet underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock or unconsolidated materials from which groundwater can be usefully extracted using a water well. The study of water flow in aquifers and the characterization of aquifers is called hydrogeology...
s in Rockland County, New York
Rockland County, New York
Rockland County is a suburban county 15 miles to the northwest of Manhattan and part of the New York City Metropolitan Area, in the U.S. state of New York. It is the southernmost county in New York west of the Hudson River, and the smallest county in New York outside of New York City. The...
. As it runs south, the river's course is interrupted by numerous dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. 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. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
s forming ponds and small lakes. At a number of points it runs through woodlands and remains in its original natural condition.
Approximately 4.5 mi (7.2 km) south of its source the Mahwah passes under Sky Meadow Lane and shortly thereafter enters a stretch where it is surrounded by Harriman State Park on both sides. Just south of this the river passes through Katkiat County Park and just beyond the park it passes under Route 202 from west to east.
Farther south the river enters Antrim Lake and immediately thereafter it passes under the New York State Thruway
New York State Thruway
The New York State Thruway is a system of limited-access highways located within the state of New York in the United States. The system, known officially as the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway for former New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey, is operated by the New York State Thruway Authority and...
, flows through Suffern, south across the state boundary and into the Ramapo River in the town of Mahwah.
Wildlife species
The Mahwah harbors a population of fish species, including brook troutBrook trout
The brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, is a species of fish in the salmon family of order Salmoniformes. In many parts of its range, it is known as the speckled trout or squaretail. A potamodromous population in Lake Superior are known as coaster trout or, simply, as coasters...
, brown trout
Brown trout
The brown trout and the sea trout are fish of the same species....
, largemouth bass
Largemouth bass
The largemouth bass is a species of black bass in the sunfish family native to North America . It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth...
, pickerel
Pickerel
Pickerel may refer to:*Esox, the genus of fish commonly known as the pickerels which includes pike and muskellunge as well as other pickerel*American pickerel*Chain pickerel*Walleye, or Yellow Pickerel * Pickerel Frog...
, catfish
Catfish
Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
, bluegill
Bluegill
The Bluegill is a species of freshwater fish sometimes referred to as bream, brim, or copper nose. It is a member of the sunfish family Centrarchidae of the order Perciformes.-Range and distribution:...
s, suckers
Catostomidae
Catostomidae is the sucker family of the order Cypriniformes. There are 80 species in this family of freshwater fishes. Catostomidae are found in North America, east central China, and eastern Siberia...
, and chubbs. It also hosts waterfowl species, including wood duck
Wood Duck
The Wood Duck or Carolina Duck is a species of duck found in North America. It is one of the most colourful of North American waterfowl.-Description:...
in its northern reaches, mallard
Mallard
The Mallard , or Wild Duck , is a dabbling duck which breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand and Australia....
s and Canadian geese throughout its length. Muskrat
Muskrat
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, beaver
Beaver
The beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver and Eurasian Beaver . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...
s and an occasional otter
Otter
The Otters are twelve species of semi-aquatic mammals which feed on fish and shellfish, and also other invertebrates, amphibians, birds and small mammals....
are seen plying its waters as well. Pileated Woodpeckers, wild turkey
Wild Turkey
The Wild Turkey is native to North America and is the heaviest member of the Galliformes. It is the same species as the domestic turkey, which derives from the South Mexican subspecies of wild turkey .Adult wild turkeys have long reddish-yellow to grayish-green...
, whitetailed deer, black bear
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
and coyote
Coyote
The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
s are common in the surrounding woodlands and mountains.
Flooding
In the Squires Gate section of Suffern there have been significant episodes of floodFlood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
ing during periods of heavy rainfall. A debate rages among local politicians and citizens over the best way to remediate the problem.
Over-development concerns
Recent down-zoningZoning
Zoning is a device of land use planning used by local governments in most developed countries. The word is derived from the practice of designating permitted uses of land based on mapped zones which separate one set of land uses from another...
ordinances
Local ordinance
A local ordinance is a law usually found in a municipal code.-United States:In the United States, these laws are enforced locally in addition to state law and federal law.-Japan:...
pushed by local politicians, which allow for high density development
Land development
Land development refers to altering the landscape in any number of ways such as:* changing landforms from a natural or semi-natural state for a purpose such as agriculture or housing...
in the vicinity of the river, have tripped off a firestorm of protest by local citizens and precipitated the creation of community action groups dedicated to protecting the Mahwah and its watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
against over-development.
