tributary
A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drai ...
Sussex County, New Jersey
Sussex County is the northernmost county in the State of New Jersey. Its county seat is Newton.United States Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System Feature Detail Report for: Neepaulakating Creek Retrieved June 26, 2015.United States Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data The National Map Retrieved June 26, 2015. Note: The upper elevation of its headwaters is approximately 640 feet above mean sea level derived from a reading of the USGS NHD topographic map. The NHD information provides the elevation the mouth at 395 feet above mean sea level. See also: United States Geological Survey, ''Hamburg, NJ Quadrangle USGS 1:24 Topographic Map 41074B5'' and ''Branchville, NJ Quadrangle USGS 1:24 Topographic Map 41074B4''. It is one of three streams feeding the Papakating Creek, a major contributor to the
Wallkill River
The Wallkill River, a tributary of the Hudson, drains Lake Mohawk in Sparta, New Jersey, flowing from there generally northeasterly U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed Oct ...
. Although the stream was
dam
A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...
med in the 1950s to create Lake Neepaulin as the focal point of a private residential development, the stream did not receive a name until 2002. Residents chose a name that combined elements of the names "Neepaulin" and "Papakating", and submitted a proposal to the United States Board of Geographic Names. The name was approved in 2004.
headwaters
The headwaters of a river or stream is the farthest place in that river or stream from its estuary or downstream confluence with another river, as measured along the course of the river. It is also known as a river's source.
Definition
The ...
are located at 640 feet (195 m) above sea level approximately 0.4 miles (0.6 km) northwest of the north end of Lake Neepaulin.Friends of Lake Neepaulin, Nathaniel Sajdak, Jennifer E. Runyon (USGS), United States Board of Geographic Names Case Brief: Neepaulakating Creek (2002). Retrieved June 26, 2015. These headwaters are located a short distance south of County Route 650 (Libertyville Road) roughly halfway between the
hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
of Libertville in Wantage Township and Sussex Borough. The stream flows into Lake Neepaulin located at 509 ft (155 m) above sea level.United States Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System Feature Detail Report for: Lake Neepaulin Retrieved July 20, 2015. The man-made lake, created through
dam
A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...
ming, is the centre of a private residential development.Eric Oberhauer, "Wantage resident suing over costs of Lake Neepaulin dam", ''The New Jersey Herald'', April 22, 2012. It flows southeast from the lake's dam in the southeast direction for another 1.5 miles (2.4 km) before flowing into Papakating Creek. It enters Papakating Creek at 395 feet (120 m) above sea level approximately 2.5 miles (4 km) upstream of that creek's junction with the Wallkill River at a location directly south of Sussex Borough along County Route 565 near the hamlet of Lewisburg in Wantage Township and near Sussex Airport.
Along with the Clove Brook and
West Branch Papakating Creek
West Branch Papakating Creek is a tributary of Papakating Creek located in Frankford and Wantage townships in Sussex County, New Jersey, in the United States.
See also
* Clove Brook
* Neepaulakating Creek
* Wallkill River
* List of rivers in ...
, Neepaulakating Creek is one of the tributaries that form the watershed of Papakating Creek, a major tributary of the
Wallkill River
The Wallkill River, a tributary of the Hudson, drains Lake Mohawk in Sparta, New Jersey, flowing from there generally northeasterly U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed Oct ...
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) is a government agency in the U.S. state of New Jersey that is responsible for managing the state's natural resources and addressing issues related to pollution. NJDEP now has a staff ...
phosphorus
Phosphorus is a chemical element with the symbol P and atomic number 15. Elemental phosphorus exists in two major forms, white phosphorus and red phosphorus, but because it is highly reactive, phosphorus is never found as a free element on Ear ...
loading in the waters of Papakating Creek. The phosphorus loading may originate from the runoff of
fertilizer
A fertilizer (American English) or fertiliser (British English; see spelling differences) is any material of natural or synthetic origin that is applied to soil or to plant tissues to supply plant nutrients. Fertilizers may be distinct from ...
applications on residential lawns, nearby agricultural operations, or from large populations of
geese
A goose ( : geese) is a bird of any of several waterfowl species in the family Anatidae. This group comprises the genera '' Anser'' (the grey geese and white geese) and ''Branta'' (the black geese). Some other birds, mostly related to the she ...
that inhabit the lakes.
History and naming
In the 1950s, a real estate developer dammed an unnamed stream located to the west and south of Sussex Borough and created Lake Neepaulin. The lake was the center of a planned private lakeside residential community. In 2002, an organization known as Friends of Lake Neepaulin, began using "Neepaulakating Creek" as a new name for an unnamed stream that was dammed to create the lake. After a review of resources available on the internet,
topographic map
In modern mapping, a topographic map or topographic sheet is a type of map characterized by large- scale detail and quantitative representation of relief features, usually using contour lines (connecting points of equal elevation), but histori ...
s, and other government and historical documents, a state engineer reported there was no evidence the stream had any previous name. The name chosen, Neepaulakating, was a combination of portions of the names "Neepaulin" and "Papakating". Lake Neepaulin was named after a combination of the original developers children's names.
A formal proposal prepared by the residents was submitted to the Board of Geographic Names by Nathaniel Sajdak, described as the Outreach Coordinator of the Wallkill River Watershed and a member of Friends of Lake Neepaulin. Sajdak reported to the
United States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...
s Board of Geographic Names that studies such as visual and biological assessments were carried out on the unnamed stream by the Lake Neepaulin Lake Association for roughly two years, during which time they had begun to call it "Neepaulakating Creek". On February 25, 2004, the Sussex County
Board of Chosen Freeholders
In New Jersey, a Board of County Commissioners (until 2020 named the Board of Chosen Freeholders) is the elected county-wide government board in each of the state's 21 counties. In the five counties that have an elected county executive, the ...
unanimously approved a resolution to support the naming, stating that the county government "defers to the Township of Wantage and concurs with the naming of the tributary as 'Neepaulakating Creek'". On April 8, 2004, the Board of Geographic Names approved the proposal.Letter from Roger L. Payne (USGS) to James L. Doherty (Wantage Township Administrator Clerk) (April 30, 2004). Retrieved June 26, 2015. Quote: "U.S. Board on Geographic Names, at its April 8, 2004, meeting, approved the proposal to name an unnamed stream in Sussex County, Neepaulakating Creek. This decision was made in agreement with the findings and recommendations of your office, the government of Sussex County, and the New Jersey Board on Geographic Names."
Gallery
File:Neepaulakating Creek near headwaters.jpg, Neepaulakating Creek near its headwaters
File:Lake_Neepaulin_seen_from_dam_Wantage_Twsp_NJ.jpg, Lake Neepaulin looking northwest from the dam
File:Lake Neepaulin dam.jpg, Lake Neepaulin dam
File:Neepaulakating Creek downstream from Lake Neepaulin dam.jpg, Looking southeast (downstream) from the dam
File:Neepaulakating Creek and marsh near Newton Ave Wantage Twsp.jpg, The creek and marsh near Newton Avenue in Wantage
File:Neepaulakating Creek at CR639.jpg, The creek before it flows under County Route 639
List of rivers of New Jersey
This is a list of streams and rivers of the U.S. state of New Jersey.
List of New Jersey rivers includes streams formally designated as rivers. There are also smaller streams (''i.e.,'' branches, creeks, drains, forks, licks, runs, etc.) in th ...