Loantaka Brook
Encyclopedia
Loantaka Brook is a tributary
of the Passaic River
in New Jersey
in the United States
.
The main headwaters of Loantaka Brook arise in Morris Township
between Route 124 (Madison Avenue) and Woodland Avenue in the area just below the medical office parks on the south side of Madison Avenue (see map). This primary headwaters stem flows just south of the Parsons Village apartment complex and to the west of the Woodland Elementary School. After passing the school it crosses Woodland Avenue between the Ginty playing fields and the Morris Township municipal buildings and police department and then makes its way past the Woodland Sewage treatment
plant. A second, smaller stem arises to the south and west of Friendly’s on Madison Avenue, where it makes its way through a culvert and down along a stretch of garden apartments before joining the first stem near the elementary school.
A second headwater tributary of Loantaka arises near South Street in Morris Township behind the Nortel Networks offices. This tributary flows across South Street into the Loantaka Brook Reservation
on the south side of the ballfield at the Reservation entrance. This tributary joins the main stem below the Woodland Water Treatment plant.
Below the confluence of the two stems, the brook has been dammed to form Kitchell Pond. After leaving the pond, the stream flows roughly three miles through the 574 acres (2.3 km²) Loantaka Brook Reservation, where it then joins the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
. This linear park, one of the most heavily used of all of the Morris County
parks, offers numerous recreational opportunities, from running and rollerblading to cycling and horseback riding. The brook is visible along much of the Reservation's paved and unpaved paths, offering passersby a glimpse into its current conditions and, hopefully, at the remediation efforts to repair the stream in the future.
Despite (or perhaps in part because of) its popularity, Loantaka Brook is the most degraded stream in the watershed, meeting none of the Ten Towns Committee’s June 2002 standards. The reasons for this impairment are two-fold, arising from non-point source pollution and excessive water volume in the stream channel.
To address the first issue, the Great Swamp Watershed Association
, under its Adopt-A-Stream program, has begun testing Loantaka Brook to determine the sources and types of pollutants that enter the brook upstream. Designed to supplement the ongoing stream monitoring, the program tests for the presence of Total dissolved solids
(TDS); (b) E. coli
contaminants; and (c) nutrients (phosphorus and nitrates) and sedimentation, as indicated by the presence of Total suspended solids
(TSS). Information gained from Loantaka’s plight will help project staff in designing a remediation program for the stream, which in turn will serve as a pilot for adopting Great Swamp’s other streams.
Excess water volume in Loantaka further impacts its health. The Woodland Water Treatment Plant upstream of Kitchell Pond alters Loantaka by discharging thousands of gallons of treated effluent into the stream every day. A discharge at such levels scours the stream's banks, eroding sand and undercutting streamside vegetation and trees. In addition, hundreds of storm drains located throughout residential and commercial developments transport stormwater runoff directly to the stream. The combination of effluent from the sewage treatment plant and excessive stormwater impairs water quality downstream because silt and sediments block sunlight and increase turbidity
. Excess water volume also widens the stream and makes it shallower, raising water temperatures and making it impossible for certain native species to flourish. Loantaka has, in fact, the lowest species concentration of any of Great Swamp’s streams. Together with other organizations, the GSWA may be able to work to remediate the negative effects of such discharge into Loantaka, thereby elevating the health of the stream and revitalizing this crucial Great Swamp tributary.
Loantaka Brook joins Great Brook
at the edge of the parking lot at the end of Woodland Road in the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
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 Passaic River
Passaic River
The Passaic River is a mature surface river, approximately 80 mi long, in northern New Jersey in the United States. The river in its upper course flows in a highly circuitous route, meandering through the swamp lowlands between the ridge hills of rural and suburban northern New Jersey,...
in 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...
.
The main headwaters of Loantaka Brook arise in Morris Township
Morris Township, New Jersey
Morris Township is a township in Morris County, New Jersey, USA. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 21,796. It is known as the "doughnut" around Morristown since it completely encapsulates it, and has at least five times the area...
between Route 124 (Madison Avenue) and Woodland Avenue in the area just below the medical office parks on the south side of Madison Avenue (see map). This primary headwaters stem flows just south of the Parsons Village apartment complex and to the west of the Woodland Elementary School. After passing the school it crosses Woodland Avenue between the Ginty playing fields and the Morris Township municipal buildings and police department and then makes its way past the Woodland Sewage treatment
Sewage treatment
Sewage treatment, or domestic wastewater treatment, is the process of removing contaminants from wastewater and household sewage, both runoff and domestic. It includes physical, chemical, and biological processes to remove physical, chemical and biological contaminants...
plant. A second, smaller stem arises to the south and west of Friendly’s on Madison Avenue, where it makes its way through a culvert and down along a stretch of garden apartments before joining the first stem near the elementary school.
A second headwater tributary of Loantaka arises near South Street in Morris Township behind the Nortel Networks offices. This tributary flows across South Street into the Loantaka Brook Reservation
Loantaka Brook Reservation
The Loantaka Brook Reservation is a part of the Morris County Park Commision. The Brook Reservation is broken up into four distinct areas that include: the South Street recreation facilities, Seaton Hackney Stables, Loantaka Brook area at Kitchell Road, and the Loantaka Way Trail...
on the south side of the ballfield at the Reservation entrance. This tributary joins the main stem below the Woodland Water Treatment plant.
Below the confluence of the two stems, the brook has been dammed to form Kitchell Pond. After leaving the pond, the stream flows roughly three miles through the 574 acres (2.3 km²) Loantaka Brook Reservation, where it then joins the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
The Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge is located in Morris County, New Jersey. Established in 1960, it is one of more than 550 refuges in the National Wildlife Refuge System.The refuge was declared a National Natural Landmark in May 1966...
. This linear park, one of the most heavily used of all of the Morris County
Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the United States 2010 Census, the population was 492,276. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Morristown....
parks, offers numerous recreational opportunities, from running and rollerblading to cycling and horseback riding. The brook is visible along much of the Reservation's paved and unpaved paths, offering passersby a glimpse into its current conditions and, hopefully, at the remediation efforts to repair the stream in the future.
Despite (or perhaps in part because of) its popularity, Loantaka Brook is the most degraded stream in the watershed, meeting none of the Ten Towns Committee’s June 2002 standards. The reasons for this impairment are two-fold, arising from non-point source pollution and excessive water volume in the stream channel.
To address the first issue, the Great Swamp Watershed Association
Great Swamp Watershed Association
The Great Swamp Watershed Association is a member-based, non-profit, 501 organization dedicated to preserving and protecting water and natural areas. Their programs serve all who live, work, or play in the watershed...
, under its Adopt-A-Stream program, has begun testing Loantaka Brook to determine the sources and types of pollutants that enter the brook upstream. Designed to supplement the ongoing stream monitoring, the program tests for the presence of Total dissolved solids
Total dissolved solids
Total Dissolved Solids is a measure of the combined content of all inorganic and organic substances contained in a liquid in: molecular, ionized or micro-granular suspended form. Generally the operational definition is that the solids must be small enough to survive filtration through a sieve...
(TDS); (b) E. coli
Escherichia coli
Escherichia coli is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium that is commonly found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms . Most E. coli strains are harmless, but some serotypes can cause serious food poisoning in humans, and are occasionally responsible for product recalls...
contaminants; and (c) nutrients (phosphorus and nitrates) and sedimentation, as indicated by the presence of Total suspended solids
Total suspended solids
Total suspended solids is a water quality measurement usually abbreviated TSS. It is listed as a conventional pollutant in the U.S. Clean Water Act. This parameter was at one time called non-filterable residue , a term that refers to the identical measurement: the dry-weight of particles trapped...
(TSS). Information gained from Loantaka’s plight will help project staff in designing a remediation program for the stream, which in turn will serve as a pilot for adopting Great Swamp’s other streams.
Excess water volume in Loantaka further impacts its health. The Woodland Water Treatment Plant upstream of Kitchell Pond alters Loantaka by discharging thousands of gallons of treated effluent into the stream every day. A discharge at such levels scours the stream's banks, eroding sand and undercutting streamside vegetation and trees. In addition, hundreds of storm drains located throughout residential and commercial developments transport stormwater runoff directly to the stream. The combination of effluent from the sewage treatment plant and excessive stormwater impairs water quality downstream because silt and sediments block sunlight and increase turbidity
Turbidity
Turbidity is the cloudiness or haziness of a fluid caused by individual particles that are generally invisible to the naked eye, similar to smoke in air. The measurement of turbidity is a key test of water quality....
. Excess water volume also widens the stream and makes it shallower, raising water temperatures and making it impossible for certain native species to flourish. Loantaka has, in fact, the lowest species concentration of any of Great Swamp’s streams. Together with other organizations, the GSWA may be able to work to remediate the negative effects of such discharge into Loantaka, thereby elevating the health of the stream and revitalizing this crucial Great Swamp tributary.
Loantaka Brook joins Great Brook
Great Brook (New Jersey)
Great Brook is a tributary of the Passaic River which passes through Bernardsville, New Jersey.-See also:* List of New Jersey rivers...
at the edge of the parking lot at the end of Woodland Road in the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge