Manasquan Reservoir
Encyclopedia
The Manasquan Reservoir is a source of water
for municipalities and utilities, as well as a 1,204-acre
(4.87 km²) park
located in Howell Township
, in Monmouth County
, New Jersey
, United States
. The park is part of the Monmouth County Park System.
trail
which surrounds the perimeter of the reservoir
. The trail is marked with mileposts, and starts in the vicinity of the visitors parking area. There are also a number of shorter trails, but these have no milepost markings. Unlike the perimeter trail, the shorter trails are also considerably narrower. The width of the perimeter trail fluctuates between 8 and 24 feet (7.3 m), whereas that of the side trails is usually no greater than 3 foot (0.9144 m).
A secondary trail, called the Cove Trail, features 1.1 miles (1.8 km) of nature that explores the lakeshore near the nature center. The trail starts off the main Perimeter Trail, about 1/4 mile from the Nature Center. Binoculars are recommended for sightseeing of wildlife in this area.
, located near milepost 1.3. Passed the Environmental Center the trail continues until it reaches a county road (George Tavern Rd) that roughly serves as the western boundary of the Park. Here the trail continues parallel to the road leading to Chesnut Point where parking is available for nearby recreational fishing. Past milepost 3 (and roughly around mile 3.3) the trail crosses the main utility service road of the Manasquan Water Supply System, and then it becomes a considerably narrower trail until its end at milepost 5 in the area of the visitors parking lot. Mileposts are marked to the mile.
The following table lists the main facilities, services, and features along the perimeter trail (except for posted milepost markings, all others mileage shown are approximations):
is reachable by car and has its own parking lot. It contains displays of the fauna
and fishery
of the area, related instructional materials, and overlook windows to the surrounding land area and lake
. There are restroom facilities at the Center, but the center closes much earlier than the park itself. There is also a hidden loop trail nearby leading to the lake.
, canoe
s, etc., or they can avail themselves of the rowboat and group boat rides available to park visitors.
There are boat launching piers for entry into the lake. Fishing
is permitted on the lake, and there are several great fishing spots. Horseback riding
and biking is also permitted on the trails. The park also has a playground for children near the visitors center.
, hybrid striped bass
, tiger muskie
, bullhead catfish
and panfish
.
ming the Timber Swamp Brook. Several portions of wetland
were destroyed in the making of the reservoir. By New Jersey state law, for all wetland destroyed by mankind, additional equivalent amounts of wetlands must be recreated artificially in the immediacy of the destroyed wetland. The reservoir has a four billion gallon capacity and a maximum depth of 40 feet (12.2 m). It can supply up to 30 million USgals (113,562.4 m³) of water per day.
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
for municipalities and utilities, as well as a 1,204-acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
(4.87 km²) park
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
located in Howell Township
Howell Township, New Jersey
Howell is a Township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 51,075.Howell Township was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 23, 1801, from portions of Shrewsbury Township...
, in Monmouth County
Monmouth County, New Jersey
Monmouth County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 630,380, up from 615,301 at the 2000 census. Its county seat is Freehold Borough. The most populous municipality is Middletown Township with...
, 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 part of the Monmouth County Park System.
Trails
The Manasquan Reservoir Park features a five-mile (8 km) multi-use perimeterPerimeter
A perimeter is a path that surrounds an area. The word comes from the Greek peri and meter . The term may be used either for the path or its length - it can be thought of as the length of the outline of a shape. The perimeter of a circular area is called circumference.- Practical uses :Calculating...
trail
Trail
A trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...
which surrounds the perimeter of the reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
. The trail is marked with mileposts, and starts in the vicinity of the visitors parking area. There are also a number of shorter trails, but these have no milepost markings. Unlike the perimeter trail, the shorter trails are also considerably narrower. The width of the perimeter trail fluctuates between 8 and 24 feet (7.3 m), whereas that of the side trails is usually no greater than 3 foot (0.9144 m).
A secondary trail, called the Cove Trail, features 1.1 miles (1.8 km) of nature that explores the lakeshore near the nature center. The trail starts off the main Perimeter Trail, about 1/4 mile from the Nature Center. Binoculars are recommended for sightseeing of wildlife in this area.
Course of the Perimeter Trail
The perimeter trail leads to the Environmental CenterNature center
A nature center is an organization with a visitor center or interpretive center designed to educate people about nature and the environment. Usually located within a protected open space, nature centers often have trails through their property. Some are located within a state or city park, and...
, located near milepost 1.3. Passed the Environmental Center the trail continues until it reaches a county road (George Tavern Rd) that roughly serves as the western boundary of the Park. Here the trail continues parallel to the road leading to Chesnut Point where parking is available for nearby recreational fishing. Past milepost 3 (and roughly around mile 3.3) the trail crosses the main utility service road of the Manasquan Water Supply System, and then it becomes a considerably narrower trail until its end at milepost 5 in the area of the visitors parking lot. Mileposts are marked to the mile.
The following table lists the main facilities, services, and features along the perimeter trail (except for posted milepost markings, all others mileage shown are approximations):
| Milepost | Facility, Service, or Feature |
|---|---|
| 0.0 | MILEPOST MARKER (START) |
| 0.6 | bridges (2) |
| 0.7 | bench |
| 0.8 | dike/bridge |
| 1.0 | MILEPOST MARKER |
| 1.1 | bench |
| 1.2 | Cove Trail entrance |
| 1.3 | Environmental Center |
| 1.4 | George Tavern Rd |
| 1.5 | dike/fishing pier |
| 1.7 | Chesnut Pt/toilet |
| 1.8 | dike |
| 1.9 | bench |
| 2.0 | MILEPOST MARKER |
| 2.2 | yield sign |
| 2.4 | Wildlife Obs. Blind |
| 2.5 | bench |
| 3.0 | MILEPOST MARKER |
| 3.5 | dam road crossing |
| 3.7 | steel bridge |
| 3.8 | portable toilet |
| 3.9 | bench |
| 4.0 | MILEPOST MARKER |
| 4.5 | Secondary service driveway |
| 4.8 | bench/dike/bridge |
| 4.9 | wildlife obs. blind |
| 5.0 | MILEPOST MARKER (END) |
Environmental Center
The Environmental CenterNature center
A nature center is an organization with a visitor center or interpretive center designed to educate people about nature and the environment. Usually located within a protected open space, nature centers often have trails through their property. Some are located within a state or city park, and...
is reachable by car and has its own parking lot. It contains displays of the fauna
Fauna
Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...
and fishery
Fishery
Generally, a fishery is an entity engaged in raising or harvesting fish which is determined by some authority to be a fishery. According to the FAO, a fishery is typically defined in terms of the "people involved, species or type of fish, area of water or seabed, method of fishing, class of boats,...
of the area, related instructional materials, and overlook windows to the surrounding land area and lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
. There are restroom facilities at the Center, but the center closes much earlier than the park itself. There is also a hidden loop trail nearby leading to the lake.
Recreational Activities
Visitors can bring in their own water crafts, such as boats, kayakKayak
A kayak is a small, relatively narrow, human-powered boat primarily designed to be manually propelled by means of a double blade paddle.The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler...
, canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
s, etc., or they can avail themselves of the rowboat and group boat rides available to park visitors.
There are boat launching piers for entry into the lake. Fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
is permitted on the lake, and there are several great fishing spots. Horseback riding
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
and biking is also permitted on the trails. The park also has a playground for children near the visitors center.
Visitors Center
A visitors center features restroom facilities, vending machines, park literature, and a small shop to purchase fishing supplies (a bait shop). There is also a good-size hall and a lookout deck on the second floor of the building with spectacular view of the lake. An observation deck, complete with on-deck pay-for-view binoculars, complements the second floor features of the Center.Wilderness Reserve
A selected portion of the reservoir's property is designated as a wildlife reserve which protects aquatic fauna such as smallmouth bassSmallmouth bass
The smallmouth bass is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of the order Perciformes. It is the type species of its genus...
, hybrid striped 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...
, tiger muskie
Muskie
Muskie may refer to:*Ed Muskie, American politician*Muskellunge, freshwater fish native to North America...
, bullhead catfish
Catfish
Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
and panfish
Panfish
A panfish, also spelled pan-fish or pan fish, is an edible game fish that usually doesn't outgrow the size of a frying pan. The term is also commonly used by anglers to refer to any small catch that will fit in a pan, but is large enough to be legal. However its definition and usage varies with...
.
Reservoir
The reservoir provides a large portion of the drinking water for Central New Jersey. The Manasquan Water Supply System manager is Richard Famularo. The reservoir was created by damDam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
ming the Timber Swamp Brook. Several portions of wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
were destroyed in the making of the reservoir. By New Jersey state law, for all wetland destroyed by mankind, additional equivalent amounts of wetlands must be recreated artificially in the immediacy of the destroyed wetland. The reservoir has a four billion gallon capacity and a maximum depth of 40 feet (12.2 m). It can supply up to 30 million USgals (113,562.4 m³) of water per day.