What a beautiful day!!! This past Saturday, Dec. 28, was about 49 degrees, and I was pondering: “What is my Photo of the Week going to be about??”  Noon, I get in my car and head out; I’ll think of something OR come across something!  

Driving west along Rt 46, I decided to go into Belvidere and check out where the Pequest River pours into the Delaware River, at the bridge. Parked at the bridge, looking over the Pequest and Delaware, I was taking some photos when the bridge tender came over and asked what I was doing. I replied, “Just taking some photos.  I noticed a lot of fishermen along the river and figured I would check out this area. It is pretty well known as a good fishing place!”

Suddenly, some images from my journey along Route 46 began to come to mind and WHAM, just figured out what my Photo of the Week story would be about!! I hoped some of those fishermen would still be there.  I decided to head back east along Rt. 46 to look for parked cars, at which point I would stop and take photos. 

I worked my way to the Pequest Trout Hatchery; there are always fishermen off the entrance bridge there.  The parking lot was almost full and that is where your Photo of the Week was taken.  With all the holiday hubbub, I really never gave a thought about fishing, however, fishing had been gradually making presentations, one after another, as I drove along the river.  Thank You Fishermen!!

The Pequest River is a 35.7 mile-long tributary – a stream or river that feeds into a larger river – of the Delaware River, in the Skylands Region of Northwest, New Jersey. The word Pequest is derived from a Lenape word that purportedly meant “Open Land.” The Leni Lenape were the indigenous people who lived in the woodlands of New Jersey and surrounding areas prior to settlers’ arrival.

Did you know??  The Skylands is not only a geographical region but a marketing area of the state of New Jersey, encompassing areas in Warren, Morris, Somerset, Hunterdon and Sussex Counties.  It is one of six Tourism Regions established by the State Department of Tourism. 

The Pequest River has four distinct areas.  I will analyze each:

FIRST:  The river begins at Stickles Pond in Newton, Sussex County. It flows south through Sussex County where it appears more like a small stream.

SECOND:  Just before entering Warren County, and a little north of the Tranquility Mill in Green Township, the river widens into a small lake surrounded by reeds. From the Kennedy Road bridge, looking south, one gets a beautiful view of the historic Tranquility Mill and, looking north, one sees the Pequest Wildlife Management Area.

THIRD:  Entering into Allamuchy Township, the river begins its journey through the ‘Mucklands,’ or Great Meadows.  The river here looks more like a channel cutting through the deep rich soil of the region.  This soil was once a lake bed created by the melting of a glacier from the Wisconsin Glaciation (essentially, Ice Age).  Keep in mind, this section of the river from this point to Route 46 was realigned in the 1950s by the federal government to drain these wetlands and create the now famous Great Meadows farm and sod fields.  The river through here is rock free with steep channeled banks.

FOURTH:  After Route 46 in Independence Township, the Pequest again changes characteristics.  It widens and begins to flow faster as it makes it rocky descent towards the Delaware.  This is the area where trout fishing has become famous.

Finally at Belvidere, the River flows over two man made dams and then hurls into the Delaware River by the bridge.

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays. Have A Happy New Year!!

Charlie Fineran

Director Open Space
Allamuchy Township Environmental Commission – Chairman
Allamuchy Historical Society – President