Merrill Creek Reservoir
Merrill Creek Reservoir, located in Harmony Township, New Jersey in central Warren County, New Jersey,[1] is a 650-acre (260 ha) artificial lake designed to hold 15 billion gallons of water that is surrounded by 290 acres (120 ha) of protected woodland and fields. These lands are themselves part of 2,000 acres (8.1 km2) of open spaces.
| Merrill Creek Reservoir | |
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  Merrill Creek Reservoir  Merrill Creek Reservoir | |
| Location | Harmony Township, Warren County, New Jersey |
| Coordinates | 40°44′10″N 75°6′5″W |
| Lake type | reservoir |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 650 acres (260 ha) |
| Max. depth | 225 ft (69 m) |
Merrill Creek is connected to the Delaware River, about 3 miles (4.8 km) via a tunnel. The earthen Merrill Creek Dam (National ID # NJ00864), with a height of 280 feet (85 m) and a length at its crest of 1,140 feet (350 m), was built in 1988[2] by a consortium of seven electric utilities, under the mandate of the Delaware River Basin Commission. It replaces the river water lost through evaporation in the cooling of 14 power plants. The owners, known as the Merrill Creek Owners Group, are Public Service Electric and Gas, which built the reservoir for the group; Jersey Central Power and Light, Atlantic City Electric, Metropolitan Edison, Philadelphia Electric, PPL Corporation, and Delmarva Power and Light.[3]
The reservoir draws water from the Delaware in springtime, when river flow normally is abundant, and restores it in the summer, when the flow is usually meager and – compounding the problem – demand for electricity for air-conditioning is high. In addition, by maintaining an ample Delaware River flow, seawater intrusion into the aquifers that provide drinking water to many South Jersey communities, including Camden, is minimized.[3] Construction cost $217 million and was one of the largest construction projects in the United States in the 1986-87 construction period. The entire site was cleared of dense forest by huge tree-eating machines, and construction crews worked two 12-hour shifts to build a large earth dam and two dikes.[4]
Launching facilities are provided for recreational boating, but no gasoline motors are allowed. The reservoir and surrounding parkland offer visitors an opportunity to engage in outdoor activity. Some of the abundant wildlife around the lake includes bald eagles, crows, white-tailed deer, wild turkey, and other various migratory birds. The reservoir is best known for its brown trout fishing. Other fish in the reservoir include walleye, yellow perch, small and largemouth bass, chain pickerel, crappie, catfish, sunfish, carp, rainbow trout, brook trout and lake trout.[5]
The lake is about 225 feet (69 m) deep, making it the deepest man-made lake in New Jersey.[6] The depth allows for lake trout to exist and other trout to exist year round. Merrill Creek Reservoir is one of two lakes in New Jersey where lake trout exist; the other is Round Valley Reservoir in Hunterdon County, New Jersey.[7] Since 2018, the lake has been stocked with landlocked Atlantic salmon.[8]
The lake's visitor center features natural history and cultural exhibits and offers environmental education programs for all age groups ranging from pre-K through adults.[9]
References
- Nixon, Joe. "Merrill Creek Dam Nearly Filled Reservoir Stores Water For 7 Utilities", The Morning Call, October 24, 1988. Accessed January 28, 2022. "Over the last seven months, the earthen bowl dug to create the Merrill Creek Reservoir in Harmony Township, N.J., has been filling with water taken from the Delaware River more than three miles away."
- "Dam Name : Merrill Creek Main Dam". Ce-npdp-serv2.stanford.edu. Archived from the original on 2016-03-06. Retrieved 2015-09-04.
- Ginzburg, Ralph (1988-06-12). "Utility-Built Lake Begins Filling Up". The New York Times. Merrill Creek Reservoir (Harmony Township, Nj); New Jersey. Retrieved 2015-08-31.
- "Merrill Creek Reservoir, New Jersey, USA". Lakelubbers. Retrieved 2015-08-31.
- "Merrill Creek Reservoir Details". NJ Fish Finder. Retrieved 2015-08-31.
- "Reservoir Man-Made Water Shed a Vital Link For Environment", Herald and News, September 20, 1999. Accessed January 28, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "High atop Scotts Mountain in Warren County is a 3,000-acre treasure for all to enjoy. Merrill Creek Reservoir is an example of a private enterprise that serves both its owners and the public.... The owners broke ground in 1985 for the construction of the 650-acre reservoir and by October 1988 it was completed and filled with 16.6 billion gallons of water. The average depth is 75 feet, with the deepest point 225 feet."
- Lake Trout Population Assessment, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Division of Fish and Wildlife Bureau of Freshwater Fisheries. Accessed January 28, 2022. "Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush) fisheries exist in two waterbodies within New Jersey, Round Valley Reservoir and Merrill Creek Reservoir. Although stocked for years, the Lake Trout populations in these two reservoirs are now entirely supported by natural reproduction and are no longer stocked by NJDFW’s Hackettstown State Fish Hatchery."
- Landlocked Salmon In New Jersey, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Division of Fish and Wildlife. Accessed January 28, 2022. "Catching Landlocked Salmon (Salmo salar sebago) close to home has never been easier, or more fun, now that Fish and Wildlife is stocking large salmon every fall.... Newly added to the salmon program in 2018, Merrill Creek Reservoir (Warren) is sure to thrill anglers. The salmon complement the Rainbow and Lake Trout fishery in this exceptionally deep (210 ft.), 650-acre Trophy Trout Lake."
- Visitors Center, Merrill Creek Reservoir. Accessed January 28, 2022.