Editing Overpeck Creek

{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox river
| name               = Overpeck Creek
| name_native        = 
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<!---------------------- IMAGE & MAP -->
| image              = Bridge at Overpeck County Park.jpg
| image_caption      = Bridge crossing Overpeck Creek at [[Overpeck County Park]]
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<!---------------------- LOCATION -->
| subdivision_type1  = Country
| subdivision_name1  = [[United States]]
| subdivision_type2  = State
| subdivision_name2  = [[New Jersey]]
| subdivision_type3  = [[County (United States)|County]]
| subdivision_name3  = [[Bergen County, New Jersey|Bergen]]
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<!---------------------- PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS -->
| length_mi = 8
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<!---------------------- BASIN FEATURES -->
| source1            = 
| source1_location   = [[Tenafly, New Jersey]], [[United States]]
| source1_coordinates= 
| source1_elevation  = 
| mouth              = [[Hackensack River]]
| mouth_location     = [[Ridgefield Park, New Jersey|Ridgefield Park]] and [[Little Ferry, New Jersey|Little Ferry]], [[Bergen County, New Jersey|Bergen County]], [[New Jersey]], [[United States]]
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}}
'''Overpeck Creek''' is a [[tributary]] of the [[Hackensack River]], approximately {{convert|8|mi}} long, in [[Bergen County, New Jersey|Bergen County]] in [[northeastern New Jersey]] in the United States. The lower broad mouth of the creek is part of the extended tidal [[estuary]] of the lower Hackensack and of the adjacent [[wetland]] region known as the [[New Jersey Meadowlands]].<ref>[http://www.nynjbaykeeper.org/geography/geography_nbc.php Newark Bay Complex], New York / New Jersey Baykeeper. Accessed December 1, 2007.</ref>

The upper creek flows through suburban communities west of [[New York City]]. The creek rises in [[Tenafly, New Jersey|Tenafly]], on the west side of [[The Palisades (Hudson River)|the Palisades]], approximately {{convert|1|mi|spell=in}} from the [[Hudson River]]. It flows south-southwest through [[Englewood, New Jersey|Englewood]], past [[Teaneck, New Jersey|Teaneck]], [[Leonia, New Jersey|Leonia]], and [[Palisades Park, New Jersey|Palisades Park]], where it flows past the [[Overpeck County Park]]. It joins the Hackensack on the south side of [[Ridgefield Park, New Jersey|Ridgefield Park]] and the east side of [[Little Ferry, New Jersey|Little Ferry]].

In [[Province of New Jersey|colonial times]], the creek was called "Tantaqua" and was the site of a [[Hackensack people|Hackensack]] village. An attempted European settlement, [[Achter Col]], in 1642 was aborted after [[Lenape]] retaliations for the [[Pavonia Massacre]]. Later 17th and 18th century settlements were collectively known as the [[English Neighborhood]]. The creek lay along the main land route west of the Hudson and provided a consistently difficult barrier for transportation in the area until the construction of modern roads and bridges in the 19th century. Development of the region was facilitated by the [[New Jersey Midland Railway]], the [[West Shore Railroad]], and the Erie Railroad's [[Northern Branch]], the latter of which partially runs parallel to the creek. Restoration of rail service is the object of the [[Northern Branch Corridor Project]] and the [[Passaic–Bergen–Hudson Transit Project]].

Although the creek is theoretically [[navigable]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://charts.noaa.gov/OnLineViewer/12337.shtml|title=Chart 12337|website=charts.noaa.gov}}</ref> the mouth of the creek is blocked by the two bridges of the [[River Line (Conrail)|CSX River Line]] and [[NYS&W]] railroads.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A8xGAQAAIAAJ&q=overpeck+creek+bridges&pg=RA6-PA7|title=United States Congressional Serial Set|year=1918}}</ref> Federal law requires that these bridges be opened to water traffic on 24 hours' notice.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/33/117.738|title=33 CFR 117.738 - Overpeck Creek.|website=LII / Legal Information Institute}}</ref> The NYS&W bridge can still be opened manually, but the CSX bridge has been inoperable since being rebuilt in 2002,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?2,4196670|title=NJ: CSX's Overpeck Creek bridge to be updated|website=Trainorders.com Discussion}}</ref> rendering the owning railroad liable to a fine of $25,000 per incident.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/33/499|title=33 U.S. Code § 499 - Regulations for drawbridges|website=LII / Legal Information Institute}}</ref> Work to replace the bridge was funded in 2017<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/transportation/2017/01/10/work-century-old-rail-bridge-begin-summer/96366046/|title=Work on century-old rail bridge to begin this summer|website=northjersey.com|first=Scott|last=Fallon}}</ref> and work was scheduled to begin in 2018. The bridge collapsed under a train in August 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/bergen/ridgefield-park/2018/07/28/susquehanna-railroad-bridge-collapses-under-train-ridgefield-park-nj/855116002/|title=Susquehanna railroad bridge collapses under train in Ridgefield Park|website=northjersey.com|first=Curtis|last=Tate}}</ref>

Like the other tributaries of the Hackensack in the Meadowlands, the creek has suffered from severe [[pollution]] in the 20th century during the era of heavy industrialization. During the 1950s, tide gates were installed on the creek that largely cut off the tidal flow into the surrounding wetlands. The restoration of the surrounding wetlands has been an ongoing project of several state and private agencies.

==See also==
*[[Little Ferry Yard]]
*[[Bergen Generating Station]]
*[[List of rivers of New Jersey]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20010126151600/http://www.teanecknjgov.org/general/teaneckhistory.htm History of Teaneck]
*[http://www.hackensackriverkeeper.org/newsletters/Winter2004/20_Winter_2004.htm Wetlands Restoration Plan for Meadowlands]

{{Coord|40.854916|-74.007286|format=dms|display=title}}

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[[Category:Rivers of Bergen County, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Hackensack River]]
[[Category:Rivers of New Jersey]]