Virtual River Talk: Glaciers, Mountains, Gorges, and Mud- A History of Humans and Land Use Up-River on the Musconetcong

Virtual River Talk: Glaciers, Mountains, Gorges, and Mud: The Human Geography of the Musconetcong Watershed

Join the MWA for a virtual River Talk, which will take place on Tuesday, April 4, 7:00 - 8:30p.m.

Where people settle down and what they use the land and water for is often driven by geography. Unlike larger Rivers such as the Delaware, in the Musconetcong River valley,  life was shaped not by the appeal of easy transportation, but the challenge of transportation. Glaciers, mountains, gorges, and mud were formidable barriers for moving throughout the landscape. Swift moving water also provided the hydropower for small mills and those muddy, high-quality soils continue to be a boon to agriculture. Conquering the mountains also meant new transportation innovations, such as inclined planes for the Morris Canal, and tunnels for railroads. Many of these changes are represented in how the village of Asbury, the home of the Musconetcong…