Editing Jefferson Township, New Jersey (section)

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the township had a total area of {{convert|42.77|mi2|km2}}, including {{convert|38.90|mi2|km2}} of land and {{convert|3.88|mi2|km2}} of water (9.06%).<ref name=CensusArea/><ref name=GR1 />

The township borders [[Mount Arlington, New Jersey|Mount Arlington]], [[Rockaway Township, New Jersey|Rockaway Township]], [[Roxbury, New Jersey|Roxbury]] and [[Wharton, New Jersey|Wharton]] in Morris County; [[West Milford, New Jersey|West Milford]] in [[Passaic County, New Jersey|Passaic County]]; and [[Hardyston Township, New Jersey|Hardyston Township]], [[Hopatcong, New Jersey|Hopatcong]] and [[Sparta, New Jersey|Sparta]] in [[Sussex County, New Jersey|Sussex County]].<ref>[https://global.mapit.mysociety.org/area/1071978/touches.html Areas touching Jefferson Township], MapIt. Accessed February 24, 2020.</ref><ref>[https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5hiBO5NWHt5YzdlbHhiWnNWU2s/view Morris County Municipalities Map], [[Morris County, New Jersey]] Department of Planning and Preservation. Accessed February 24, 2020.</ref><ref>[https://www.state.nj.us/transportation/gis/maps/polnoroads.pdf New Jersey Municipal Boundaries], [[New Jersey Department of Transportation]]. Accessed November 15, 2019.</ref>

The township has two large divisions, Milton and [[Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey|Lake Hopatcong]].<ref>Willis, R. Richard; and Lees, Lorraine C. [https://books.google.com/books?id=PIYPhm_aTqAC&pg=PA7&lpg=PA7 ''Jefferson Township on Lake Hopatcong''], p. 7. [[Arcadia Publishing]], 2001. {{ISBN|0-7385-0077-1}}. Accessed November 20, 2011. "Jefferson Township is a large municipality that is separated into two major sections, Lake Hopatcong and Oak Ridge/Milton, with the Mahlon Dickerson County Park in the middle."</ref> Each half has its own first-aid squad, fire department substation and set of elementary schools. Addresses in the Milton section of the township are classified under the Oak Ridge mailing city, which is shared with a portion of [[West Milford, New Jersey|West Milford]], or in the Newfoundland mailing area, shared with a portion of West Milford and Rockaway Township. Addresses in Lake Hopatcong use either Lake Hopatcong (not to be confused with the Hopatcong mailing city used in the [[Hopatcong, New Jersey|Borough of Hopatcong]]) or [[Wharton, New Jersey|Wharton]] as their mailing city. In 2016, there was an effort to change the mailing address for the Lake Shawnee section of town from a Wharton, NJ 07885 ZIP code, to a Lake Hopatcong, NJ 07849 ZIP code. The effort was narrowly defeated.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.07885to07849.com/2016/12/survey-results-are-in.html|title=Survey Results Are In|website=www.07885to07849.com|access-date=2017-10-11}}</ref> In 2026, a new effort will be made to change the mailing address ZIP code to Lake Hopatcong, NJ 07849.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.07885to07849.com/2017/09/next-survey.html|title=Next ZIP Code Change Survey Can Be Submitted|website=www.07885to07849.com|access-date=2017-10-11}}</ref> The Jefferson Township Municipal Building, Middle School, High School, Recycling Center and school bus depot are positioned at the boundary between the two halves of the township.{{Citation needed|date=September 2011}}<!-- need cite for whole paragraph -->

[[Local government in New Jersey#Unincorporated communities|Unincorporated communities]], localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Berkshire Valley, Bowling Green Mountain, Cozy Lake, Espanong, Halsey Island, Hurdtown, Lake Forest, Lake Hopatcong, [[Lake Swannanoa, New Jersey|Lake Swannanoa]],<ref>Cella, Chris. [http://www.northjersey.com/news/119843854_Officials_need_further_discussion_on_Lake_Swannanoa.html "Jefferson Township officials need further discussion on Lake Swannanoa"], ''Aim Jefferson'', April 14, 2011. Accessed September 8, 2011. "At last week's Jefferson Town Council meeting there was a large turnout as many townspeople anxiously awaited the discussions regarding the Lake Swannanoa dam restoration. During the March 16 meeting over 40 people spoke out during the public portion of the meeting, voicing their opinions and thoughts as to whether or not the town should agree to pay for repairs on the Swannanoa dam, as proposed by the Lake Swannanoa Homeowners Association."</ref> Lake Shawnee, Lake Winona, Longwood Mountains, Lower Longwood, Minisink, Moosepac Pond, [[Newfoundland, New Jersey|Newfoundland]], Nolans Point, [[Oak Ridge, New Jersey|Oak Ridge]], Petersburg, Prospect Point, Raccoon Island, [[Russia, New Jersey|Russia]], Upper Longwood, Weldon, Woodport, White Rock, and Woodstock.<ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/infobank/localnames.txt Locality Search], State of [[New Jersey]]. Accessed April 30, 2015.</ref>

{{As of|2018}} some residents on the portion along Lake Hoptacong with "Wharton" postal addresses state that they are from "Lake Shawnee"; people in that area, as of that year, do not state they are from "Wharton". Residents in the lake areas in the township state they are from particular localities. As of that year, in the section of Oak Ridge in Jefferson Township, the people there state they are from "Milton".<ref name=Zimmeretal>{{cite web|last1=Zimmer|first1=David M.|last2=Sheingold|first2=Dave|last3=Shkolnikova|first3=Svetlana|last4=Fagan|first4=Matt|url=https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/new-jersey/2018/06/14/towns-new-jersey-sometimes-not-towns-all-but-unincorporated-community/694485002/|title=Sorry, your New Jersey hometown may not be a town at all|publisher=[[northjersey.com]]|date=2018-06-14|accessdate=2023-06-29}}</ref>

Portions of the township are owned by the City of [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]], [[Essex County, New Jersey|Essex County]], for its [[Pequannock River]] Watershed, which provides water to the city from an area of {{convert|35000|acres}} that also includes portions of [[Hardyston Township, New Jersey|Hardyston Township]], [[Kinnelon, New Jersey|Kinnelon]], [[Rockaway Township, New Jersey|Rockaway Township]], [[Vernon Township, New Jersey|Vernon Township]], and [[West Milford, New Jersey|West Milford]].<ref>Primerano, Jane. [http://www.northjersey.com/community-news/newark-appealing-watershed-taxes-against-jefferson-1.1329222 "Newark appealing watershed taxes against Jefferson"], ''AIM Jefferson'', May 8, 2015. Accessed July 2, 2015. "Besides West Milford and Jefferson, Newark owns watershed land in Hardyston, Vernon, and Rockaway Townships and Kinnelon Borough, Leach said."</ref><ref>[http://www.leagle.com/decision/1980911NJTax90_180.xml/CITY%20OF%20NEWARK%20v.%20VERNON%20TP. ''City of Newark v. Vernon Tp.''], Leagle from Tax Court of New Jersey, April 1, 1980. Accessed July 2, 2015. "Generally, the lands are part of the 35,000-acre Pequannock Watershed (approximately two times the size of Newark), which was purchased by Newark at the turn of the century to provide a water supply. The watershed, which contains five major bodies of water, is located in Vernon and Hardyston in Sussex County, Jefferson, Rockaway and Kinnelon in Morris County, and West Milford in Passaic County."</ref>