| Round Valley Reservoir | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Round Valley Reservoir  Round Valley Reservoir | |
| Location | Clinton Township, New Jersey |
| Coordinates | 40°36′50.0″N74°49′21.7″W / 40.613889°N 74.822694°W /40.613889; -74.822694 |
| Type | Reservoir |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | over 2,300 acres (9.3 km2) |
| Max. depth | 180 ft (55 m) |
| Water volume | 55,000,000,000 US gal (0.21 km3) |
| Surface elevation | 381 ft (116 m) |
TheRound Valley Reservoir inClinton Township inHunterdon County,New Jersey, United States, was formed in 1960 when theNew Jersey Water Authority constructed two large dams and flooded a large valley. The reservoir is named after the naturally formed circular valley surrounded byCushetunk Mountain. The deep valley was caused by erosion of the soft sedimentary rock. The surrounding ridges of Cushetunk Mountain endure because they were underlaid with dense and durable volcanic rockdiabase that cooled slowly under the surface of the Earth. The reservoir covers what used to be a farming community, with remains of a school and a church on the lake floor among other buildings.[1][2]
Reaching depths of 180 feet (55 m), this 2,350-acre (9.5 km2) reservoir is best known for its pristine clear blue waters. The reservoir contains 55 billion US gallons (210,000,000 m3) of water for use incentral New Jersey, making it the largest in the state. Its water is distributed during times of drought via the nearbysouth branch of theRaritan River. TheNew Jersey Division of Wildlife (a department of theNew Jersey Department of Environmental Protection) claims the reservoir is the southernmost body of water that contains naturally reproducinglake trout. This is one of only two lakes in New Jersey with lake trout, the other beingMerrill Creek Reservoir inWarren County. Some of the other species of fish in the lake includebass,pickerel,catfish,american eel,yellow perch,brown trout, andrainbow trout. The park also has a wilderness area for camping, swimming and SCUBA diving facilities, a boat ramp and nature hiking and biking trails.
The reservoir has been called the Bermuda Triangle of New Jersey, and also known as one of the worlds most cursed lakes with over 26 people have drowned there since 1971. Six of them have never been found.[3][4] In December 2024, several unidentified lights were seen over the reservoir as part of the largerNew Jersey drone sightings phenomena.[5]
