{{Short description|Nature preserve in Parsippany, New Jersey}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Infobox protected area | name = Troy Meadows | alt_name = | iucn_category = | image = Troy Meadows, NJ - 01.jpg | image_alt = | image_caption = | image_size = | map = USA New Jersey Morris County | map_alt = | map_caption = | map_width = | location = Morris County, New Jersey | nearest_city = Parsippany | coordinates = {{coord|40.84603|-74.37928|region:US-NJ|display=inline, title}} | area = {{convert|3100|acre|ha}} | established = | visitation_num = | visitation_year = | governing_body = | url = | module = {{designation list | embed = yes
| designation1 = NNL | designation1_date = 1967 }} }} '''Troy Meadows''' is a {{convert|3100|acre|ha|adj=on}} nature preserve in Parsippany, Morris County, New Jersey. Along with the Great Swamp, it is one of the remnants of Glacial Lake Passaic. It was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1967.<ref name=nnl>{{cite web|title=Troy Meadows National Natural Landmark|url=https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nnlandmarks/site.htm?Site=TRME-NJ|work=May 4, 2011|publisher=National Park Service|access-date=15 July 2011}}</ref> It is the largest freshwater marsh in New Jersey, the Whippany River goes through the swamp before connecting with the Rockaway River.<ref name=whippany>{{cite web|last=Branson|first=Ken|title=A Stealth River in Morris County|url=http://www.njskylands.com/tnwhippanyriv.htm|publisher=njskylands.com|accessdate=15 July 2011}}</ref> It is part of the Northeastern coastal forests ecoregion.<ref name="terrestrial">{{cite journal |author=Olson, D. M, E. Dinerstein|title = Terrestrial Ecoregions of the World: A New Map of Life on Earth |journal=BioScience |year = 2001 |volume=51 |issue=11 |pages= 933–938 |url = http://worldwildlife.org/science/wildfinder/ |doi = 10.1641/0006-3568(2001)051[0933:TEOTWA]2.0.CO;2 |display-authors=etal|doi-access=free }}</ref>
==Geology== thumb|left|Aerial view Around 400 million years ago, a small continent long and narrow collided with proto North America. This created folding and faulting, as compression occurred. Then around 350 million years ago, the African plate collided with North America creating the folding and faulting in the Appalachians. But when the African plate pulled away from North America, an aborted rift valley was created. This half graben, starts east of Boonton and goes through the middle of Parsippany, south to Morristown, to the south end of Great Swamp. From Parsippany and the Boonton area the half graben goes east to the western side of Paterson, were there was another fault by the lava flows. East of the Ramapo Fault is where there is this aborted rift valley.[19] The Ramapo fault goes through the county on a northeast–southwest axis. The fault separates the Highlands from the Piedmont, also known as the Newark Basin.
The Wisconsin Glacier covered the area from 25,000 B.C. to 13,000 B.C. and when it melted due to climate warming, Glacial Lake Passaic was created. The lake slowly drained and the meadows was created.
==Ownership==
The marsh is owned by Wildlife Preserves and the State of New Jersey.<ref>{{Cite web|url= http://wildlifepreserves.org/troymeadows.htm |title= Troy Meadows |publisher= Wildlife Preserves}}</ref> Inside the marsh, there is a two mile boardwalk.<ref name=botany>{{cite web|title=Troy Meadows|url=http://www.nynjctbotany.org/njnbtofc/troymdws.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030505221944/http://nynjctbotany.org/njnbtofc/troymdws.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=May 5, 2003|publisher=nynjctbotany.org|accessdate=15 July 2011}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{commons category-inline}} *{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20030505221944/http://nynjctbotany.org/njnbtofc/troymdws.html NY NJ CT Botany hiking guide]}} *[http://wildlifepreserves.org/troymeadows.htm Troy Meadows] ''Wildlife Preserves''
{{National Natural Landmarks in New Jersey}} {{authority control}}
Category:National Natural Landmarks in New Jersey Category:Parsippany–Troy Hills, New Jersey Category:Passaic River Category:Protected areas of Morris County, New Jersey Category:Watchung Mountains Category:Marshes of the United States Category:Landforms of Morris County, New Jersey Category:Meadows in the United States Category:Wetlands of New Jersey