Monksville Reservoir
Encyclopedia
Monksville Reservoir, known for its trophy size muskellunge
, walleye
, bass
and trout
, sits atop the defunct community of Monksville, New Jersey
. The lake is used by anglers, sporting clubs and the Society for the Education of American Sailors (SEAS). Easily accessible from either the north or the south boat ramp, the area is open 24/7.
The lake is in Long Pond Ironworks State Park
, which is located in the community of Hewitt
, in West Milford
, New Jersey
, United States
. The park is known for its old stone walls, furnaces and other remnants of a once industrious ironworking community that now sits next to the swiftly flowing Wanaque River
. The park is operated and maintained by the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry
.
Construction of the reservoir was started in 1985. Land was cleared and gravel was crushed on site and stock-piled. Approximately 15 residences, mostly owned by the Rhinesmith and Vreeland families, were purchased with NJ Green Acres funding and their owners relocated. Two homes of historic significance were moved, the others were demolished. One business, Duramic, was relocated and its building demolished.
Stonetown Road was realigned to run over the dam. A small bailey bridge
that was put in place in 1977 was dismantled to be used again elsewhere. The Monksville dam is approximately .4 miles in length. A portion of Greenwood Lake Turnpike was realigned to higher ground.
The dam impounds water from the Wanaque River flowing down from Greenwood Lake. A spillway was constructed to allow water to flow into the Wanaque Reservoir below. During times of low flow, water from the Monksville Reservoir is released into the Wanaque Reservoir below via the intake tower which mixes water from various levels of the Monksville.
The dam was constructed with rollcrete. Dirt and gravel from on-site were mixed with cement. A dry mix of this material was laid down by large spreader trucks. A water truck would sprinkle the mix every 30 minutes around the clock to cure the mix. The face of the dam on the water side was faced with concrete, the other side was earthen. In 2007 the earthen side was refaced with concrete.
Building of the actual dam started in March 1987 and was completed in August 1987. Then NJ governor Thomas Kean was present for the ribbon cutting ceremony in autumn 1987.
The reservoir filled quickly and was completely full by October 1987.
The Monksville Reservoir is largely located in Ringwood NJ with a western portion in West Milford NJ.
Muskellunge
A muskellunge , also known as a muskelunge, muscallonge, milliganong, or maskinonge , is a large, relatively uncommon freshwater fish of North America. Muskellunge are the largest member of the pike family, Esocidae...
, walleye
Walleye
Walleye is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the northern United States. It is a North American close relative of the European pikeperch...
, bass
Bass (fish)
Bass is a name shared by many different species of popular gamefish. The term encompasses both freshwater and marine species. All belong to the large order Perciformes, or perch-like fishes, and in fact the word bass comes from Middle English bars, meaning "perch."-Types of basses:*The temperate...
and 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...
, sits atop the defunct community of Monksville, New Jersey
Monksville, New Jersey
Monksville is a very small town under water in the middle of Monksville Reservoir in Passaic County, New Jersey that Jacques-Yves Cousteau once visited and filmed in a submarine.-External links:*...
. The lake is used by anglers, sporting clubs and the Society for the Education of American Sailors (SEAS). Easily accessible from either the north or the south boat ramp, the area is open 24/7.
The lake is in Long Pond Ironworks State Park
Long Pond Ironworks State Park
Long Pond Ironworks State Park is located in the community of Hewitt, in West Milford, New Jersey, United States. The park is known for its old stone walls, furnaces and other remnants of a once industrious ironworking community that now sits next to the swiftly flowing Wanaque River...
, which is located in the community of Hewitt
Hewitt, New Jersey
Hewitt is an unincorporated area within West Milford in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. The area is served as United States Postal Service ZIP Code 07421. It is named after Abram S. Hewitt....
, in West Milford
West Milford, New Jersey
West Milford is a township in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 25,850.-History:...
, New Jersey
New 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The park is known for its old stone walls, furnaces and other remnants of a once industrious ironworking community that now sits next to the swiftly flowing Wanaque River
Wanaque River
The Wanaque River is a tributary of the Pequannock River in Passaic County in northern New Jersey in the United States....
. The park is operated and maintained by the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry
New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry
The New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry is responsible for the management and operation of New Jersey's 42 parks, 11 forests and 3 recreation areas, as well as for the more than 50 historic sites and districts...
.
Construction of the reservoir was started in 1985. Land was cleared and gravel was crushed on site and stock-piled. Approximately 15 residences, mostly owned by the Rhinesmith and Vreeland families, were purchased with NJ Green Acres funding and their owners relocated. Two homes of historic significance were moved, the others were demolished. One business, Duramic, was relocated and its building demolished.
Stonetown Road was realigned to run over the dam. A small bailey bridge
Bailey bridge
The Bailey bridge is a type of portable, pre-fabricated, truss bridge. It was developed by the British during World War II for military use and saw extensive use by both British and the American military engineering units....
that was put in place in 1977 was dismantled to be used again elsewhere. The Monksville dam is approximately .4 miles in length. A portion of Greenwood Lake Turnpike was realigned to higher ground.
The dam impounds water from the Wanaque River flowing down from Greenwood Lake. A spillway was constructed to allow water to flow into the Wanaque Reservoir below. During times of low flow, water from the Monksville Reservoir is released into the Wanaque Reservoir below via the intake tower which mixes water from various levels of the Monksville.
The dam was constructed with rollcrete. Dirt and gravel from on-site were mixed with cement. A dry mix of this material was laid down by large spreader trucks. A water truck would sprinkle the mix every 30 minutes around the clock to cure the mix. The face of the dam on the water side was faced with concrete, the other side was earthen. In 2007 the earthen side was refaced with concrete.
Building of the actual dam started in March 1987 and was completed in August 1987. Then NJ governor Thomas Kean was present for the ribbon cutting ceremony in autumn 1987.
The reservoir filled quickly and was completely full by October 1987.
The Monksville Reservoir is largely located in Ringwood NJ with a western portion in West Milford NJ.
External links
- Monksville Reservoir
- Monksville Reservoir Photos of paddling on Monksville Reservoir in October, 2005
- Long Pond Ironworks State Park