November 2019
www.branchburgnews.com
DAYS OF DEMOLITION Goodbye Wooden Bridge
And some news about the new one...
On Oct. 2, the New Jersey Department of Transporation (NJDOT) notified Branchburg Township that it would begin demolishing the NJ Transit Wooden Bridge on River Road on Friday night, Oct. 4, and continue night and day through Monday morning, Oct 7. The all day/all night schedule was mandated by NJ Transit so as not to interfere with the train schedule. The bridge was gone by Monday morning, and now planning continues for its replacement by the State of New Jersey. At press time, Township Administrator Greg Bonin told The Branchburg News that NJDOT wants to set up a meeting with the Township
“to review renderings of the designs for the new bridge” (quote from NJDOT email). The NJDOT email stated, “The purpose of this meeting is to get Branchburg’s input and decide on a final design.” In Bonin’s words, “The Township is very much aware of the historical nature of the old bridge and how it created a certain feel for the area. We will be working with NJDOT and NJ Transit to ensure, as best we can, the design of the new bridge will fit into the neighborhood, be reminiscent and respectful of the historic wooden bridge but also meet current safety standards. “We are working to set up that meeting and hope that by the time the December issue of the BBurg News is published, we will have a final plan and maybe even design drawings to share with the public.”
Now You See it; Now You Don’t
-- As if by magic, the 133-year-old wooden bridge over the tracks of the NJ Transit Raritan Valley Line disappeared over the weekend of Oct. 4-6. The photo on the left was taken Friday morning, Oct. 4; the photo on the right was taken Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 8.
Demolition in Progress -- Over the weekend, a crane on the tracks prepares to remove a beam from the bridge. -- photo by Ray Sanderson continued on page 2
Goodbye Burnt Mills Dam
The large letters written in white chalk on the old concrete dam simply read, “GOODBYE DAM.” That sentiment was accompanied by names and sketches, not unlike a farewell card signed for a departing fellow co-worker. The dam on the Lamington River at Burnt Mills between Branchburg and Bedminster was removed during mid-October. Several iterations of mills had operated at the site as early as Colonial times, circa 1754. Dams and mills came and went on New Jersey rivers and streams. Some destroyed by floods, fire or angry upstream neighbors deprived of migrating fish. British troops did their part and burned the mill on the Lamington, in Bromley, which was henceforth named Burnt Mill. These days the dams are being removed by private organizations and groups in cooperation with the National Fish and Wildlife Service. These organizations are dedicated to the restoration of rivers and the downstream benefits to native wildlife and soil stability. “As the regional watershed association, Raritan Headwaters (RHA) saw an opportunity to improve water quality in the Lamington River. RHA owns the property that includes the old dam, so we worked with our neighbors to remove a derelict dam, reduce flooding in the area, and show the public the benefits of stream restoration.” -- Bill Kibler, RHA Director of Policy Hundreds of dams across the country have been removed or are being scheduled for removal. The results are, for the most part, shockingly positive. From California to Maine, stories of returning fisheries, reduction in sediment accumulation, reduced flooding and a greater
The dam removal proceeds on the Lamington River at Burnt Mills. In this downstream view from the canoe of JJ Mish, the machine on the left is breaking up the dam’s concrete with a ram-driven spike. The machine on the right scoops up the rubble and rearranges boulders. This is the latest of several dams that have already been removed in an attempt to restore the Raritan river drainage to its original unimpeded flow to the sea.
diversity of wildlife have been documented. Every dam is its own story, its significance dependent on location. Downstream of the Lamington, on the lower Raritan, removal of dams allowed the upstream travel of anadromous fish. In Colonial times, netting alewives and shad as far upstream as Raritan generated a profitable commercial fishery. Mills and dams put an end to that business.
Most early mills were situated on feeder streams to avoid seasonal floods and raging current. The Lamington dam was perfectly situated in that regard. Mature trees lined the banks to stabilize the soil and as a result the streambed suffered minimal erosion during seasonal flooding. Runoff was minimal due to the surrounding land being unsuitable for farming. Even today as development continued on page 7
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