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Important Bird and Birding Areas
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Round Valley Recreation Area
Hunterdon CountyCoordinates: N 40.60491
W 74.82967
Skylands: PiedmontArea: 8,693 Acres Habitat: Open water with deciduous forestSite Description: This site encompasses the open water and deciduous forest of the Round Valley Recreation Area and the surrounding woodlands of Clinton Township. The site includes Hunterdon County’s Cushetunk Mountain Nature Preserve situated to the north of the reservoir. The Reservoir was created by the New Jersey Water Supply Authority (NJWSA) in 1960 with the construction of two large dams at either end of an enormous ravine. Its name is derived from the circular valley that is surrounded by Cushetunk Mountain, once a volcano caldera (a collapse of land following a volcanic eruption). The 2000 acre Round Valley Reservoir is designated a Category One waterbody by NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to maintain water quality and to protect designated uses. As NJ’s deepest lake, the Reservoir reaches 180 feet deep and holds up to 55 billion gallons of water.IBA Criteria:
| Criterion | Species |
| Conservation Concern – State-endangered (B) | Bald Eagle |
| Conservation Concern – State-threatened (W) | Long-eared Owl |
| Significant Congregations (W) | Gulls & Terns, Ring-billed Gull |
| Significant Congregations - Exceptional Single Species Concentration (FM) | Common Loon |
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| Ring-billed Gull | Mike Lyncheski |
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Birds: This site provides breeding habitat for a pair of state-endangered Bald Eagles. The Reservoir is also supports Long-eared Owls and over 9000 Ring-billed Gulls during winter months. Common Loons utilize the area throughout fall migration. Broad-winged Hawks, Ospreys and mergansers also frequent the reservoir.Conservation: The Round Valley Reservoir is managed by NJWSA as a water supply for residents of central NJ. The habitats of the Round Valley Recreational Area were preserved primarily to protect the water quality of the reservoir but the area also offers many recreational opportunities. Disturbance to nesting birds may by a threat because of the intense use of the reservoir for fishing and boating activities. Portions of Cushetunk Mountain Nature Preserve and the Recreation Area are closed each year from January 1 to August 1 to limit disturbance to the nesting Bald Eagles. The NJWSA has identified several priority riparian restoration projects within the region to improve water quality at the Round Valley and Spruce Run Reservoirs. These projects will repair eroded stream banks and natural water flow while reducing sedimentation and inputs of nonpoint source pollution caused by the expanding residential development. Restoration of the riparian area will also improve habitat quality for birds and wildlife in general. Protection and restoration of the remaining privately-owned parcels adjacent to the Recreation Area is recommended to maintain the integrity of this site. Opportunities to work with local landowners to reduce nonpoint source pollution, conserve water and restore and improve habitats on their properties should also be identified. Invasive plant species and exotic insect pests may also threaten the integrity of the forests at this site.Additional Information: Site Report
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| Fall Foliage in the Valley | Mike Lyncheski |
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