WWC plans an ongoing Hackensack River Research Center to study the “forgotten river,” that part of the Hackensack River below the Oradell Reservoir. There are currently many intriguing questions about the Hackensack River at this site which could be explored and explained by an active Research Center. The Center will be staffed by graduate students, interested naturalists, environmental scientists and river restoration experts, some full time, some part time and many volunteers. The research of the Center will be open to the public; and the public, particularly students of all ages, will be invited to participate actively in the research process. The Center will teach workshops and maintain a library of Hackensack River historical documents and research data.

Current Conditions

The Hackensack River, at the Elm Street Bridge, the northern end of the Island, is essentially a log-jam of garbage, refuse, old toys, broken branches, trees, and flotsam that has floated up the river on the tide and lodged there. The eastern spur of the river is extremely shallow, barely moving at times, but is more active in the spring. The banks are degraded and covered with a blackish sediment that, in warmer weather, smells unpleasantly pungent. The western spur generally has a greater flow, however it also is not in pristine condition.

Is the Hackensack River a River?

One of the most intriguing questions about the Hackensack River is whether it is truly a river any longer. “With the dam separating the river from its headwaters, there is even some question as to whether it is truly a river and not just an estuary,” commented Professor I. Isquith, Chairman of Earth Sciences, Fairleigh Dickinson University, and a River Restoration Expert. There is a strong belief that the river is brackish all the way up to Van Buskirk Island. The flood and ebb effect of the tides can be observed as far north as the northern end of the island. With river research, the Hackensack River could be defined and analyzed. If there are contaminants in the river, or problems that effect the environmental health of the river, these can be identified and solutions suggested, explored, researched and found to restore the river to health.

Should Van Buskirk Island Remain an Island?

The Hackensack River, at the point of Van Buskirk Island, is not following its real channel. The first mention of the “island” was not until 1802 . Prior to this, the “island” did not exist as an island due to the intermittent channels and courses of the Hackensack River. ). The Hackensack was known to the Native Americans who settled in this region as “the river with many bends.” Van Buskirk Point or Island was the highest navigable point of the River. Because of the ability to dam the river at the “island,” there were several dams and mills built on the site , creating, in essence, an island . The last of these was prior to the time the Hackensack Water Co. took over the site in 1881 . The Hackensack Water Co. in 1882 utilized the “mill chase” which had been created to bring water into their pumping station. In 1911, they closed off the chase to expand what they termed the “New Basin” ﷓ which we know as the western branch of the “river” ﷓ to create more water flow into the plant.

One of the issues that the River Research Center might investigate is whether the River might profit environmentally by closing this man-made basin to allow the River to return to its single path, on the eastern side of the “island.”

Ongoing River Research

WWC plans to maintain the River Research Center as an ongoing, cutting-edge Center where the River as a habitat and as a resource is explored. How do we continue our development, with limited water sources, in a sustainable manner? How can we keep our rivers healthy while meeting the needs of the humans in the habitat? How can we influence the habits of the businesses and homes that abut the river, so that the river can be maintained in a healthy manner? How is the river effected by the tidal flood and ebb? All of these are vital questions that will be explored on a continuing basis into the next century. The opportunity to study the river on a daily, weekly, monthly schedule, year in and year out, is a rare and wonderful one, following the model of the Hubbard Brook study in the White Mountains by Gene Likens.