Oakeys Brook (New Jersey)
Encyclopedia
Oakeys Brook is a tributary
of the Lawrence Brook
, a branch of the Raritan River
in Middlesex County
, New Jersey
in the United States
.
Its source is in western South Brunswick
. It drains into Farrington Lake
in western East Brunswick
.
, near Davidson Mill Road40°25′06"N 74°29′29"W.
s and frog
s live in the stream, especially upstream where natural dams sometimes create small ponds. Snake
s and occasionally turtle
s may be found by the stream. Upstream, numerous species of small fish live in it, providing food for some birds which live there.
This stream is generally low-lying, collecting water from various storm drainage systems. It is fed by swamp drainage and springs in the downstream areas but by storm drainage and farm drainage in upstream areas. Since a major source is storm drainage, it swells considerably during rains.
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Lawrence Brook
Lawrence Brook
Lawrence Brook is a tributary of the Raritan River. Its entire course is in Middlesex County, New Jersey in the United States.-Course:Originally a stream, its course now includes man-made lakes created by dams built in the 19th and 20th centuries: Deans Pond , Davidsons Mill Pond , Farrington Lake...
, a branch of the Raritan River
Raritan River
The Raritan River is a major river of central New Jersey in the United States. Its watershed drains much of the mountainous area of the central part of the state, emptying into the Raritan Bay on the Atlantic Ocean.-Description:...
in Middlesex County
Middlesex County, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 750,162 people, 265,815 households, and 190,855 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,422 people per square mile . There were 273,637 housing units at an average density of 884 per square mile...
, 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...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Its source is in western South Brunswick
South Brunswick Township, New Jersey
South Brunswick Township is a Township in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 43,417....
. It drains into Farrington Lake
Farrington Lake
Farrington Lake is a scenic freshwater reservoir in Middlesex County, New Jersey near Milltown, New Jersey. Created by a dam on the Lawrence Brook, a tributary of the Raritan River, the lake is in fact a widened section of the Lawrence Brook...
in western East Brunswick
East Brunswick Township, New Jersey
The town is located southwest of New York City and 48 miles northeast of Philadelphia.Lawrence Brook, a tributary of the Raritan River, runs along the western border of the township...
.
Course
Its source is near Beekman Road in central South Brunswick. Farther downstream, it runs through the Nassau Square housing development on Augustine Drive. Then it crosses Henderson Road in northern South Brunswick (which is its official source at 40°25′56"N 74°32′39"W), and runs beside the Brunswick Acres School in northern South Brunswick. It then crosses Route 1 and merges with another unnamed tributary. It continues flowing away from Black Horse Lane before coming toward it and crossing the railroad tracks a little farther north than the road reaches them. Another unnamed tributary joins it, along with the Cow Yard Brook. It turns east, crosses Route 130 near Black Horse Lane, and crosses Davidson Mill Road before emptying into Farrington LakeFarrington Lake
Farrington Lake is a scenic freshwater reservoir in Middlesex County, New Jersey near Milltown, New Jersey. Created by a dam on the Lawrence Brook, a tributary of the Raritan River, the lake is in fact a widened section of the Lawrence Brook...
, near Davidson Mill Road40°25′06"N 74°29′29"W.
Animal life
It is an ecosystem full of many varieties of life, despite its proximity to human habitation in many upstream areas. Many tadpoleTadpole
A tadpole or polliwog is the wholly aquatic larval stage in the life cycle of an amphibian, particularly that of a frog or toad.- Appellation :...
s and frog
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
s live in the stream, especially upstream where natural dams sometimes create small ponds. Snake
Snake
Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
s and occasionally turtle
Turtle
Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines , characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield...
s may be found by the stream. Upstream, numerous species of small fish live in it, providing food for some birds which live there.
Terrain
The Oakeys Brook generally has a clay streambed. Upstream decay products turn the mud black, making it an ideal place for amphibians and turtles to hide in. Downstream, there are a few more rocks, although the stream is still muddy and deep. The stream flows through wetland areas in several places near Black Horse Lane.This stream is generally low-lying, collecting water from various storm drainage systems. It is fed by swamp drainage and springs in the downstream areas but by storm drainage and farm drainage in upstream areas. Since a major source is storm drainage, it swells considerably during rains.
Sister tributaries
- Beaverdam BrookBeaverdam Brook (New Jersey)The Beaverdam Brook is a tributary of the Lawrence Brook in central East Brunswick, New Jersey in the United States.-Course:The source of the Beaverdam Brook is at in central East Brunswick, near the intersection of CR-617 with Dunhams Corner Road. It crosses Dutch Road and the New Jersey Turnpike...
- Great DitchGreat DitchThe Great Ditch is a drainage ditch that drains certain areas of the Pigeon Swamp State Park.-Course:The Great Ditch starts at , in the Pigeon Swamp State Park...
- Ireland BrookIreland Brook (New Jersey)Ireland Brook is a tributary of Lawrence Brook in Middlesex County, New Jersey in the United States.Ireland Brook is a moderately long stream that drains an area in central East Brunswick.-Course:...
- Sawmill BrookSawmill Brook (New Jersey)The Sawmill Brook is a tributary of the Lawrence Brook. It drains a section in northwestern East Brunswick, New Jersey in the United States.-Course:...
- Sucker BrookSucker BrookSucker Brook is a small tributary of the Lawrence Brook in central New Jersey in the United States.-Course:Its source is several pools located in a housing development at . It travels in a pipe under Route 130, and then runs between a housing development...
- Terhune RunTerhune RunThe Terhune Run is a small tributary of the Lawrence Brook found in eastern South Brunswick, New Jersey, United States.-Course:The Terhune Run starts at , near the intersection of Route 1 and Major Road...
- Unnamed Brook in Rutgers GardensRutgers GardensRutgers Gardens are horticultural, display, and botanical gardens, including arboretums, located on the Cook Campus, Rutgers University, 112 Ryders Lane, North Brunswick in Middlesex County, New Jersey, in the United States...
, unofficially named Doc Brook - Unnamed Brook in Rutgers' Helyar Woods