Sunset at the Manasquan River Wildlife Management Area

Ben Ruset

Ben Ruset

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Well, it's not the Pine Barrens but I discovered this little slice of heaven only about 15 minutes from my house yesterday. I just got a new wide angle lens for my camera and wanted to give it a try and I caught this after the clouds started to change color and the trees caught a bit of side light as the sun peeked through a hole in the clouds.

There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of history here. The 1930s aerials just show some farm fields around and a RR station at nearby Allenwood. The Howell Iron Works (today's Allaire State Park) is nearby but I'm pretty sure they imported bog iron from elsewhere, so there probably wasn't any ore raising done here. I'm hoping to bring my kayak here sometime soon and explore the river a bit.

DSCF1838-Edit.jpg
 
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Boyd

Boyd

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It shows up pretty well on the 3d LIDAR

https://boydsmaps.com/#17.00/40.138874/-74.114462/mbx3dmidatl/-30.60/60.80

Ben Ruset said:
I'd love to find the source. It starts somewhere in Freehold.
Click to expand...

If I'm reading it correctly, the c. 1999 USGS 24k topo appears to show the Manasquan becoming an intermittent stream up here

https://boydsmaps.com/#16.00/40.205891/-74.337658/pines1999/0.00/0.00

You can see where it goes upstream pretty clearly on the LIDAR

https://boydsmaps.com/#17.00/40.205899/-74.337797/mbx3dmidatl/0.00/0.00
 
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Boyd

Boyd

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Ben's Branch, Stephen Creek
Ben Ruset

Ben Ruset

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Looking at the 1890 topo leads me to believe that the "source" is actually just rainwater coming down from all of the hills in the area and then joining together to make a stream. https://boydsmaps.com/#14.00/40.215602/-74.302232/njginHist/0.00/0.00

It's so interesting to see the topography in the area change over the years. In 1870 it looks like there was a mill pond nearby. By 1930 you can see it dried out and (presumably) being used as a field of some sort. Now there's no trace of it. Interestingly there's a lot of activity there on the 1949 topo.
Jon Holcombe said:
That sliver of light on the horizon makes all the difference. Last light. Beautiful.
Click to expand...
Thanks! I love how it lit up the tops of the trees to the left.
 
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ninemileskid

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Sep 14, 2014
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Ben Ruset said:
Looking at the 1890 topo leads me to believe that the "source" is actually just rainwater coming down from all of the hills in the area and then joining together to make a stream. https://boydsmaps.com/#14.00/40.215602/-74.302232/njginHist/0.00/0.00

It's so interesting to see the topography in the area change over the years. In 1870 it looks like there was a mill pond nearby. By 1930 you can see it dried out and (presumably) being used as a field of some sort. Now there's no trace of it. Interestingly there's a lot of activity there on the 1949 topo.

Thanks! I love how it lit up the tops of the trees to the left.
Click to expand...
Google map shows a tributary called Sawmill Creek.
The Manasquan also flows under Lakewood-Farmingdale Rd and then Rte. 195. I fished that stretch of the river, it was very muddy and I caught nothing...that does not mean there were no fish there, In between the split in the Lakewood-Farmingdale Rd. there is a sanitary sewer pump station and a VERY interesting graveyard. Worth a look if you're in the neighborhood but the place is loaded with ticks.
 
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Ben Ruset

Ben Ruset

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ninemileskid said:
Google map shows a tributary called Sawmill Creek.
The Manasquan also flows under Lakewood-Farmingdale Rd and then Rte. 195. I fished that stretch of the river, it was very muddy and I caught nothing...that does not mean there were no fish there, In between the split in the Lakewood-Farmingdale Rd. there is a sanitary sewer pump station and a VERY interesting graveyard. Worth a look if you're in the neighborhood but the place is loaded with ticks.
Click to expand...
Do you mean the Quaker Cemetary, right by 195? I've never been but have always meant to.

Lower Squankum Friends Burial Ground | TriCollege Libraries Digital Collections

digitalcollections.tricolib.brynmawr.edu digitalcollections.tricolib.brynmawr.edu
 
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Trailwalker

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Sep 5, 2023
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My stomping grounds growing up. Have paddled that river from near Howell High School down to Bryce Park many times. Further upstream around the Haven's Bridge (referenced in Springsteen's Darkness on the Edge of Town) area the river is lined with very steep banks. it is near this area that the Fenton gang's cave was purported to be. Always wondered about the Willy Wonka color of the river but there is a scientific reason for it. Downstream from the gauging falls off of Lakewood Farmingdale road the area would get loaded up with fishermen so there is definitely something in there worth catching.
 
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Ben Ruset

Ben Ruset

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Trailwalker said:
My stomping grounds growing up. Have paddled that river from near Howell High School down to Bryce Park many times. Further upstream around the Haven's Bridge (referenced in Springsteen's Darkness on the Edge of Town) area the river is lined with very steep banks. it is near this area that the Fenton gang's cave was purported to be. Always wondered about the Willy Wonka color of the river but there is a scientific reason for it. Downstream from the gauging falls off of Lakewood Farmingdale road the area would get loaded up with fishermen so there is definitely something in there worth catching.
Click to expand...

Where did you put in? Up by the high school?
 
pinelandpaddler

pinelandpaddler

Piney
Apr 6, 2004
3,620
564
Galloway
Trailwalker said:
My stomping grounds growing up. Have paddled that river from near Howell High School down to Bryce Park many times. Further upstream around the Haven's Bridge (referenced in Springsteen's Darkness on the Edge of Town) area the river is lined with very steep banks. it is near this area that the Fenton gang's cave was purported to be. Always wondered about the Willy Wonka color of the river but there is a scientific reason for it. Downstream from the gauging falls off of Lakewood Farmingdale road the area would get loaded up with fishermen so there is definitely something in there worth catching.
Click to expand...
something in the soils, I presume? Do you know what exactly is giving the water its color?
 
pinelandpaddler

pinelandpaddler

Piney
Apr 6, 2004
3,620
564
Galloway
Ben Ruset said:
Well, it's not the Pine Barrens but I discovered this little slice of heaven only about 15 minutes from my house yesterday. I just got a new wide angle lens for my camera and wanted to give it a try and I caught this after the clouds started to change color and the trees caught a bit of side light as the sun peeked through a hole in the clouds.

There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of history here. The 1930s aerials just show some farm fields around and a RR station at nearby Allenwood. The Howell Iron Works (today's Allaire State Park) is nearby but I'm pretty sure they imported bog iron from elsewhere, so there probably wasn't any ore raising done here. I'm hoping to bring my kayak here sometime soon and explore the river a bit.

View attachment 17493
Click to expand...
I used to visit this location when I lived in Brielle. Always wanted to put my kayak in there.
 
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