Molly Ann Brook
| Molly Ann Brook Molly Ann's Brook | |
|---|---|
 Molly Ann Brook viewed from Squaw Brook Road inNorth Haledon | |
 Major Tributaries of the North Bend of the Passaic River | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Jersey |
| Counties | Passaic,Bergen |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Franklin Lakes,Bergen County,New Jersey,United States |
| • coordinates | 40°59′34.37″N74°11′34.15″W/ 40.9928806°N 74.1928194°W |
| • elevation | 495 ft (151 m) |
| Mouth | Passaic River |
• location | Paterson,Passaic County,New Jersey,United States |
• coordinates | 40°54′47.26″N74°11′18.60″W/ 40.9131278°N 74.1885000°W |
• elevation | 117 ft (36 m) |
| Length | 6.75 mi (10.86 km) |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Squaw Brook |
Molly Ann Brook(sometimesMolly Ann's Brook) is a tributary of thePassaic Riverwhich flows south between the northern ranges ofFirst Watchung MountainandSecond Watchung MountaininPassaic CountyandBergen County,New Jersey.Traveling north from its confluence with thePassaic River,Molly Ann Brook passes through the city ofPatersonand the boroughs ofHaledon,Prospect Park,North HaledonandFranklin Lakes.
History
[edit]Molly Ann Brook, like its neighboring Passaic River tributaries, played host toGeneral Lafayette's troops during theAmerican Revolutionary War.Known asKrakeel Valin 1780, the brook passed along the western edge of Lafayette's Grand Parade, running through the area whereGeneral St Clair's troops were stationed in October and November.[1]
In the late 18th century, the area of Westside Park, at the mouth of the brook in Paterson, was home to Dirck and Molly Van Houten and their children, one of the original pioneer families to settle the area. Adreyean, the ninth child of the family, distinguished himself from other Van Houtens in the area by calling himselfMolly's Yawn(Dutch), orMolly's son.Living at his parents' homestead, the brook running through the property came to be known asMolly Yawn's Brook,which was later corrupted to the currentMolly Ann's Brook.[2]
In the early 20th century, the brook became well known for its intense floods, particularly a massive flood affecting four towns in July, 1945. As a response, overflow tunnels were proposed in the late 1950s.[3]Ultimately, in 1999 theUnited States Army Corps of Engineers,Philadelphia District completed a flood control project in the lower reaches of the brook to protect against 50-year storm events. The project significantly deepened and widened the brook through the construction of concrete and rock-lined channels.[4]
Description
[edit] |
Molly Ann Brook rises south of Franklin Ave inFranklin Lakes,about two thousand feet west of Goffle Pond, where the headwaters of the neighboringGoffle Brookare located. After flowing through High Mountain Golf Club, Molly Ann Brook joins two smaller tributaries to form Haledon Reservoir, an approximately three thousand foot by one thousand foot artificial lake. A second man made lake, Lower Basin Pond, exists directly below Haledon Reservoir, followed by a swimming hole about two thousand feet downstream.
InNorth Haledon,Molly Ann Brook is joined by its most significant tributary,First Brook,which extends north from its junction with Molly Ann Brook into the town ofWyckoff.Three quarters of a mile downstream of the confluence withFirst Brook,Molly Ann Brook is joined by the tiny Spring Brook just south of Overlook Ave. Another smaller brook paralleling Ballentine Drive and draining part of the western flank ofFirst Watchung MountaininNorth Haledonthen merges with the brook before it reaches Oldham Pond. At Oldham Pond, Molly Ann Brook is joined by its second most significant tributary, a steeply graded stream draining the southwestern facesMount CecchinoandHigh Mountain,the highest peaks ofSecond Watchung Mountain.
Beyond Oldham Pond, Molly Ann Brook is quickly joined by one other tributary flowing east offSecond Watchung Mountainjust south of the Haledon-North Haledon border. Here the brook transitions from the suburban environments ofFranklin LakesandNorth Haledonto the urbanized environments ofProspect Park,Haledon,andPaterson.Bound by concrete flood control walls, the brook takes on an artificial appearance for much of its lower reach. Ultimately, Molly Ann Brook joins thePassaic RiverinPatersonabout three thousand feet west of theGreat Falls,becoming the last tributary to reach the Passaic before the river's waters plunge over the imposing geologic barrier.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^John Austin Stevens, et al.The Magazine of American history with Notes and Queries.A. S. Barnes., 1879.See Page 490.Available via Google Books
- ^William Nelson, Charles Anthony Shriner.History of Paterson and Its Environs (the Silk City): Historical - Genealogical - Biographical.Lewis Historical Pub. Co., 1920.See Page 57, Pioneer Families.Available via Google Books
- ^William Lawrence Saunders.Taming the Molly Ann.Compressed Air Magazine. Pg. 360. 1957.
- ^Anthony J. DePasquale, Douglas Leatherman, & Randy Thomas.Molly Ann's Brook: Channel Protection for High-Velocity Urban Stormwater Runoff.Stormwater: The Journal for Surface Water Quality Professionals. Jan/Feb, 2001.Available online