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New Jersey Meadowlands

January 01, 1970

This article is about the wetlands. For the sports complex, see Meadowlands Sports Complex. For other uses, see Meadowlands (disambiguation).

New Jersey Meadowlands, also known as the Hackensack Meadowlands after the primary river flowing through it, is a general name for a large ecosystem of wetlands in northeastern New Jersey in the United States, a few miles to the west of New York City. During the 20th century, much of the Meadowlands area was urbanized, and it became known for being the site of large landfills and decades of environmental abuse. A variety of projects began in the late 20th century to restore and conserve the remaining ecological resources in the Meadowlands.

19th century.
Meadowlands seen from Route 7, showing at least four different species of waterfowl.
Marshlands in Lyndhurst
Meadowlands Environment Center
Mill Creek Point walkway with the Meadowlands Sports Complex at far background right.
The Meadowlands as seen from an abandoned section of the Montclair-Boonton Line.

Geography edit

The Meadowlands stretch mainly along the terminus of the Hackensack and Passaic Rivers as they flow into Newark Bay; tributaries of the Hackensack include Mill Creek, Berrys Creek, and Overpeck Creek. The present Meadowlands consist of roughly 8,400 acres (34 km2) of open, undeveloped space in addition to developed areas that had been part of the natural wetlands which were heavily developed by H. Bert Mack and M. Bolero in the 1960s.[1] The area includes portions of Kearny, Jersey City, North Arlington, Secaucus, Lyndhurst, Rutherford, East Rutherford, Carlstadt, North Bergen, Moonachie, Ridgefield, South Hackensack, Teaneck, and Little Ferry.

History edit

The area was forested with Atlantic white cedars before the early Dutch settlers (17th century) cleared the forests and used dikes to drain the land. The Dutch farmers used the drained tidal lands to create "meadows" of salt hay; hence, the area was referred to by locals as the Meadows. In more recent times, the Meadowlands became known for being the site of large landfills and decades of environmental abuse.[2]

Human effect edit

Before European settlement, the area consisted of several diverse ecosystems based on freshwater, brackish water, and saltwater environments. Large areas were covered by forests. And the area was once inhabited with Mountain lions, Eastern elk, Eastern wolves, American marten, Fisher (animal), & American black bears before being made extinct in the area due to hunting . Considered by residents of the area through the centuries as wastelands, the Meadowlands were systematically subject to various kinds of human intervention. The four major categories are:

  • Extraction of natural resources (including fish and game, as well as cedar logs). Farmers also harvested salt hay for feed. Over time, the forest resources were totally depleted, dike systems broke down, farming ceased, and contamination by pollution increased.
  • Alteration of water flow. Construction of drainage canals and the Oradell Reservoir, and the deepening of the Hackensack River for navigation have allowed salt water to enter the original fresh water and brackish water areas, altering the ecology and destroying the estuarine environment.[3]: 112 
  • Reclamation, land making, and development. In addition to landfill from garbage, landmass generated from dredging was also used to create new land. Some material came from building the World Trade Center in nearby New York City, during the late 1960s.
  • Pollution by sewage, refuse, and hazardous waste. Various types of waste have been dumped legally and illegally in the Meadowlands. During World War II, military refuse was dumped in the Meadowlands, including rubble from London created by the Blitz and used as ballast in returning ships. After the war, the Meadowlands continued to be used for civilian waste disposal, as the marshes were considered simply as wastelands that were not good for anything else. In early to mid-20th c. Berrys Creek was extensively polluted with mercury, PCBs and other chemical wastes,[4] and three adjacent industrial properties were subsequently designated as Superfund sites by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).[5][6][7] The opening of the New Jersey Turnpike in January 1952 only amplified the continuing environmental degradation of the Meadowlands. Both spurs of the Turnpike travel through the region from the Passaic River to just past North Bergen.[8]

The Meadowlands Sports Complex, the site of multiple stadia and a racetrack, was built in the Meadowlands beginning in the 1960s. The race track was the first venue in the complex to open, on September 1, 1976.[9]

New Jersey Meadowlands Commission edit

Main article: New Jersey Meadowlands Commission

The location of the New Jersey Meadowlands near the center of the New York metropolitan area and its outgrowth into New Jersey makes conservation of the vast wetland a difficult proposition. In spite of this, the New Jersey Legislature, promoted by Richard W. DeKorte, created the Hackensack Meadowlands Development Commission (since renamed New Jersey Meadowlands Commission and now known as the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority after being merged with that agency) in 1969 to attempt to address both economic and environmental issues concerning the wetland region. The commission was authorized to review and approve land development projects, manage landfill operations, and oversee environmental restoration and preservation projects.

The commission merged with the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA) in 2015.[10][11]

Conservation efforts edit

The Hackensack Riverkeeper, a conservation organization established in 1997, conducts public education, advocacy, river cleanups and conservation projects.[12]

Water quality in the Hackensack River improved somewhat by the late 2000s following the decline in manufacturing in the area, as well as from enforcement of Clean Water Act regulations and from the efforts of local conservancy groups. Urban runoff pollution, municipal sewage discharges from sanitary sewer overflows and combined sewer overflows, and runoff from hazardous waste sites continue to impair the river's water quality.[13][14]

In 2015 EPA awarded grants to conduct research on Meadowlands wetlands.[15]

The NJSEA owns or holds management rights to preserve wetlands in the Meadowlands district. As of 2016 over 3,900 acres of wetlands have been preserved by NJSEA and other property owners.[16]

The New Jersey Legislature established the Meadowlands Conservation Trust in 1999 to protect and manage land in the Meadowlands watershed.[17] As of 2024 over 800 acres of land are protected through the trust using conservation easements and management by government agencies.[18]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Orlando Sun Sentinel: "H. Bert Mack, Businessman, Philanthropist" May 11, 1992
  2. ^ Rojas, Rick (April 26, 2017). "Invisible 'Bird Killer' Lurks in Revitalized New Jersey Meadowlands". The New York Times.
  3. ^ The Hackensack Meadowlands Initiative: Preliminary Conservation Planning for the Hackensack Meadowlands, Hudson and Bergen Counties, New Jersey (Report). Pleasantville, NJ: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). March 2007.
  4. ^ "Berry's Creek/Berry's Creek Canal". Meadowlands Environmental Site Investigation Compilation. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District. May 2004.
  5. ^ "Scientific Chemical Processing Superfund Site". Superfund. New York, NY: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 2022-06-30.
  6. ^ "Universal Oil Products Superfund Site". Superfund. EPA. 2022-06-30.
  7. ^ "Ventron/Velsicol, Wood Ridge Borough, NJ: Cleanup Activities". Superfund. EPA. Retrieved 2019-01-14.
  8. ^ Marshall, Stephen (December 2004). "The Meadowlands Before the Commission: Three Centuries of Human Use and Alteration of the Newark and Hackensack Meadows". Urban Habitats. Center for Urban Restoration Ecology. eISSN 1541-7115.
  9. ^ Sullivan, Joseph F. (1976-09-01). ""They're Off!" Tonight at Meadowlands Race Track". The New York Times.
  10. ^ "Christie Urged to Turn Down Meadowlands Legislation". 28 January 2015.
  11. ^ "Christie signs controversial Meadowlands overhaul, but says bill will be revised". 5 February 2015.
  12. ^ "Our History". Hackensack, NJ: Hackensack Riverkeeper.
  13. ^ Wright, Jim. "Hackensack River is getting cleaner."The Record. August 26, 2007. 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine
  14. ^ (PDF). NJDEP. 2007-07-17. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-03-27.
  15. ^ "EPA Provides $1 Million to Protect Wetlands in New Jersey". News Releases from Region 2. New York, NY: EPA. 2015-12-09.
  16. ^ Grant, Meghan (2016-09-22). "Meadowlands Conversation Trust handed land for preservation". NorthJersey.com. Woodland Park, NJ: The Record.
  17. ^ State of New Jersey. "Meadowlands Conservation Trust Act." L.1999, c. 31, § 3. March 2, 1999. N.J.S.A. 13:17–87.
  18. ^ "Trust Properties". Lyndhurst, NJ: Meadowlands Conservation Trust. Retrieved 2024-04-08.

Further reading edit

  • Brooks, John (1957-03-09). "The Meadows-I". The New Yorker.
  • Brooks, John (1957-03-16). "The Meadows-II". The New Yorker.
  • Sullivan, Robert (1998-02-15). "I Sing the Meadowlands!". The New York Times.

External links edit

  • Meadowlands Museum
  • Hackensack Riverkeeper
  • New Jersey Meadowlands Commission Master Plan
  • Photos of Mill Creek Marsh, Meadowlands Preserve
  • "Hackensack Meadowlands, Richard W. DeKorte Park". The Trails of New Jersey & New York in Pictures. 2009-07-18.
  • Zanisnik, Bryan (2011-12-01). "Beyond Passaic: Contamination, security threats, hobo encampments. A Meadowlands photo essay". Triple Canopy.

40°48′57″N 74°02′23″W / 40.815888°N 74.039612°W / 40.815888; -74.039612

January 01, 1970
jersey, meadowlands, this, article, about, wetlands, sports, complex, meadowlands, sports, complex, other, uses, meadowlands, disambiguation, also, known, hackensack, meadowlands, after, primary, river, flowing, through, general, name, large, ecosystem, wetlan. This article is about the wetlands For the sports complex see Meadowlands Sports Complex For other uses see Meadowlands disambiguation New Jersey Meadowlands also known as the Hackensack Meadowlands after the primary river flowing through it is a general name for a large ecosystem of wetlands in northeastern New Jersey in the United States a few miles to the west of New York City During the 20th century much of the Meadowlands area was urbanized and it became known for being the site of large landfills and decades of environmental abuse A variety of projects began in the late 20th century to restore and conserve the remaining ecological resources in the Meadowlands 19th century Meadowlands seen from Route 7 showing at least four different species of waterfowl Marshlands in Lyndhurst Meadowlands Environment Center Mill Creek Point walkway with the Meadowlands Sports Complex at far background right The Meadowlands as seen from an abandoned section of the Montclair Boonton Line Contents 1 Geography 2 History 3 Human effect 4 New Jersey Meadowlands Commission 5 Conservation efforts 6 See also 7 References 8 Further reading 9 External linksGeography editThe Meadowlands stretch mainly along the terminus of the Hackensack and Passaic Rivers as they flow into Newark Bay tributaries of the Hackensack include Mill Creek Berrys Creek and Overpeck Creek The present Meadowlands consist of roughly 8 400 acres 34 km2 of open undeveloped space in addition to developed areas that had been part of the natural wetlands which were heavily developed by H Bert Mack and M Bolero in the 1960s 1 The area includes portions of Kearny Jersey City North Arlington Secaucus Lyndhurst Rutherford East Rutherford Carlstadt North Bergen Moonachie Ridgefield South Hackensack Teaneck and Little Ferry History editThe area was forested with Atlantic white cedars before the early Dutch settlers 17th century cleared the forests and used dikes to drain the land The Dutch farmers used the drained tidal lands to create meadows of salt hay hence the area was referred to by locals as the Meadows In more recent times the Meadowlands became known for being the site of large landfills and decades of environmental abuse 2 Human effect editBefore European settlement the area consisted of several diverse ecosystems based on freshwater brackish water and saltwater environments Large areas were covered by forests And the area was once inhabited with Mountain lions Eastern elk Eastern wolves American marten Fisher animal amp American black bears before being made extinct in the area due to hunting Considered by residents of the area through the centuries as wastelands the Meadowlands were systematically subject to various kinds of human intervention The four major categories are Extraction of natural resources including fish and game as well as cedar logs Farmers also harvested salt hay for feed Over time the forest resources were totally depleted dike systems broke down farming ceased and contamination by pollution increased Alteration of water flow Construction of drainage canals and the Oradell Reservoir and the deepening of the Hackensack River for navigation have allowed salt water to enter the original fresh water and brackish water areas altering the ecology and destroying the estuarine environment 3 112 Reclamation land making and development In addition to landfill from garbage landmass generated from dredging was also used to create new land Some material came from building the World Trade Center in nearby New York City during the late 1960s Pollution by sewage refuse and hazardous waste Various types of waste have been dumped legally and illegally in the Meadowlands During World War II military refuse was dumped in the Meadowlands including rubble from London created by the Blitz and used as ballast in returning ships After the war the Meadowlands continued to be used for civilian waste disposal as the marshes were considered simply as wastelands that were not good for anything else In early to mid 20th c Berrys Creek was extensively polluted with mercury PCBs and other chemical wastes 4 and three adjacent industrial properties were subsequently designated as Superfund sites by the U S Environmental Protection Agency EPA 5 6 7 The opening of the New Jersey Turnpike in January 1952 only amplified the continuing environmental degradation of the Meadowlands Both spurs of the Turnpike travel through the region from the Passaic River to just past North Bergen 8 The Meadowlands Sports Complex the site of multiple stadia and a racetrack was built in the Meadowlands beginning in the 1960s The race track was the first venue in the complex to open on September 1 1976 9 New Jersey Meadowlands Commission editMain article New Jersey Meadowlands Commission The location of the New Jersey Meadowlands near the center of the New York metropolitan area and its outgrowth into New Jersey makes conservation of the vast wetland a difficult proposition In spite of this the New Jersey Legislature promoted by Richard W DeKorte created the Hackensack Meadowlands Development Commission since renamed New Jersey Meadowlands Commission and now known as the New Jersey Sports amp Exposition Authority after being merged with that agency in 1969 to attempt to address both economic and environmental issues concerning the wetland region The commission was authorized to review and approve land development projects manage landfill operations and oversee environmental restoration and preservation projects The commission merged with the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority NJSEA in 2015 10 11 Conservation efforts editThe Hackensack Riverkeeper a conservation organization established in 1997 conducts public education advocacy river cleanups and conservation projects 12 Water quality in the Hackensack River improved somewhat by the late 2000s following the decline in manufacturing in the area as well as from enforcement of Clean Water Act regulations and from the efforts of local conservancy groups Urban runoff pollution municipal sewage discharges from sanitary sewer overflows and combined sewer overflows and runoff from hazardous waste sites continue to impair the river s water quality 13 14 In 2015 EPA awarded grants to conduct research on Meadowlands wetlands 15 The NJSEA owns or holds management rights to preserve wetlands in the Meadowlands district As of 2016 over 3 900 acres of wetlands have been preserved by NJSEA and other property owners 16 The New Jersey Legislature established the Meadowlands Conservation Trust in 1999 to protect and manage land in the Meadowlands watershed 17 As of 2024 over 800 acres of land are protected through the trust using conservation easements and management by government agencies 18 See also editMarine life of New York New Jersey Harbor Estuary Meadowlands MuseumReferences edit Orlando Sun Sentinel H Bert Mack Businessman Philanthropist May 11 1992 Rojas Rick April 26 2017 Invisible Bird Killer Lurks in Revitalized New Jersey Meadowlands The New York Times The Hackensack Meadowlands Initiative Preliminary Conservation Planning for the Hackensack Meadowlands Hudson and Bergen Counties New Jersey Report Pleasantville NJ U S Fish and Wildlife Service FWS March 2007 Berry s Creek Berry s Creek Canal Meadowlands Environmental Site Investigation Compilation U S Army Corps of Engineers New York District May 2004 Scientific Chemical Processing Superfund Site Superfund New York NY U S Environmental Protection Agency EPA 2022 06 30 Universal Oil Products Superfund Site Superfund EPA 2022 06 30 Ventron Velsicol Wood Ridge Borough NJ Cleanup Activities Superfund EPA Retrieved 2019 01 14 Marshall Stephen December 2004 The Meadowlands Before the Commission Three Centuries of Human Use and Alteration of the Newark and Hackensack Meadows Urban Habitats Center for Urban Restoration Ecology eISSN 1541 7115 Sullivan Joseph F 1976 09 01 They re Off Tonight at Meadowlands Race Track The New York Times Christie Urged to Turn Down Meadowlands Legislation 28 January 2015 Christie signs controversial Meadowlands overhaul but says bill will be revised 5 February 2015 Our History Hackensack NJ Hackensack Riverkeeper Wright Jim Hackensack River is getting cleaner The Record August 26 2007 Archived 2016 03 03 at the Wayback Machine Watershed Management Area 5 Factsheet PDF NJDEP 2007 07 17 Archived from the original PDF on 2009 03 27 EPA Provides 1 Million to Protect Wetlands in New Jersey News Releases from Region 2 New York NY EPA 2015 12 09 Grant Meghan 2016 09 22 Meadowlands Conversation Trust handed land for preservation NorthJersey com Woodland Park NJ The Record State of New Jersey Meadowlands Conservation Trust Act L 1999 c 31 3 March 2 1999 N J S A 13 17 87 Trust Properties Lyndhurst NJ Meadowlands Conservation Trust Retrieved 2024 04 08 Further reading editBrooks John 1957 03 09 The Meadows I The New Yorker Brooks John 1957 03 16 The Meadows II The New Yorker Sullivan Robert 1998 02 15 I Sing the Meadowlands The New York Times External links editMeadowlands Museum Hackensack Riverkeeper New Jersey Meadowlands Commission Master Plan Meadowlands Environment Center Wild New Jersey The Fishes Swim Through it Once Again New Jersey Meadowlands at National Geographic Photos of Mill Creek Marsh Meadowlands Preserve Hackensack Meadowlands Richard W DeKorte Park The Trails of New Jersey amp New York in Pictures 2009 07 18 Zanisnik Bryan 2011 12 01 Beyond Passaic Contamination security threats hobo encampments A Meadowlands photo essay Triple Canopy 40 48 57 N 74 02 23 W 40 815888 N 74 039612 W 40 815888 74 039612 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title New Jersey Meadowlands amp oldid 1219660166, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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