The river derives its name from the Whippanong Native Americans, a tribe that once inhabited the area.

Whippanong meant "place of the willows", named for the trees growing along the banks of the river.

[1] Circa 1500, the Whippany River was part of the Lenapehoking (along with the rest of New Jersey) and was inhabited by the Munsee Lenape.

The Committee is sponsored by grants from NJDEP, Victoria Foundation, Rutgers University, Pfizer, and other corporations.

The Committee hosts canoe trips, festivals, hikes, educational outreach, classes, civic organizations, engineering roundtables, goose workshops, and stormwater conferences.