Klondike Rocks

Klondike Rocks
The low, shelf-like structure of the rocks, which seldom rise
more than two feet above the bottom. Cunners

These low outcroppings appear in small to large patches over a two-mile area called the Klondike, and elsewhere, at depths ranging from 60 to 90 feet. The overhangs, crags, and holes afforded by the piles of rocks and boulders provide excellent homes for fish and lobsters. Visibility can be great here at times, but it is usually 10-20 ft, with a silty bottom in most places. The larger areas extend for many hundreds of feet, and an incautious diver can easily get lost. The stone itself is a type of sandstone known as Greensand, which occurs along the northern part of the New Jersey coast, and parts of Long Island, most famously as the Shrewsbury Rocks.

Captain Henry Beebe named this bank of high bottom off the central Jersey coast during the time of gold fever in the West. He ferried people from the Jersey beaches in small boats to drift from the pilot boat B Jordan, which he captained. He'd bring them to the Klondike Bank, thus named because of its rich treasure trove of fish. Many of the individual outcroppings are named after the fishing boat or captain that found the spot.

Klondike Rocks
The rocks are riddled with fissures and fractures that run across the "grain".
Klondike Rocks
A Sea Bass shelters in a nook. Yellow Boring Sponge on the left.
Klondike Rocks
A pair of one-armed lobsters fight over a cave. Hydroids and Stony Coral.
Klondike Rocks
A dogfish patrols an area where the rocks are more boulder-like than flat.

There are hundreds of small lumps and ridges such as this, stretching the entire length of the Jersey coast. The Manasquan Ridge and its East Lump is another example of these spots, as is the Harvey Cedar Lump, although there are many that show up on nautical charts as just small spots.

Greensand
Sandstone from an outcropping near the Mohawk.
Facing is the broken-off interior edge. ( Approx. 7" )

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Round Valley Reservoir
Looking roughly southeast, with the diving cove in the foreground. The natural basin of the valley is evident, as well as one of the two dams, at right. The water level looks pretty high, with a little snow on the ground.

Note: In 2020 Round Valley began a period of maintenance which is expected to last several years. During this time, the water volume is reduced by a third. My completely offhand guess is that this will reduce the water level by around ten feet. In the shallow areas where diving is practical, this will significantly alter the shoreline.

https://www.roundvalleyproject.com

Type:
freshwater artificial reservoir
Depth:
180 ft, but less than 60 ft in the usual area

Printed from njscuba.net