| For more information regarding the Raritan River Initiative or the website please contact Dr. Judy Shaw at (732) 932-5475x 720 or Judy.Shaw@rutgers.edu |
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Collaborators
The American Littoral Society has a number of programs and initiatives that impact the Raritan River and Raritan Bay.
Advocacy: ALS advocates at the state level (at the agencies and in front of the Legislature) for strong coastal protection policies and regulations focused on land use, growth management, open space protection and acquisition, habitat protection, adaptation to sea level rise impacts on coastal habitat, public access, shellfish and habitat restoration, horseshoe crab and migratory bird protection, water quality improvements; these policies and regulations directly affect activities along the Raritan and the Bay.
Planning: ALS has focused for several years on supporting the State Development and Redevelopment Plan, and the implementation programs under the State Planning Commission (particularly the Plan Endorsement process), to integrate coastal resource protection policies into local and regional planning, as well as recognize and address current and emergent issues such as public access, habitat protection, sea level rise adaptation.
Financial Support: ALS directly funds (and has funded for many years) the BayKeeper Oyster restoration program in Raritan Bay through their national partnership with Restore America’s Estuaries and NOAA Restoration Center. They also funded other habitat restoration projects on Sandy Hook and in the Navesink River.
Land Acquisition: ALS has funded land acquisition projects (through the Baykeeper) along the River and Bay.
Education: ALS runs educational programs in area schools under their “Sea Quest” program, which brings marine science curriculum into middle schools, with an emphasis on getting kids out into the field to learn about the coast and Raritan Bay
Enforcement: ALS has brought public interest litigation cases throughout the years to address Clean Water Act violations, some of which have direct impact on the Raritan River and Bay.
Publications: Through their publications, they promote education about estuaries.
The Conserve Wildlife Foundation is dedicated to the restoration and protection of habitat for endangered and threatened species in New Jersey. They have an active education and outreach program and are central to research efforts to map habitat and track species populations.
The Edison Wetlands Association
Since 1989, the independent nonprofit Edison Wetlands Association (EWA) has led the effort to clean up, preserve, and restore the Raritan Estuary. Dedicated to preserving the environment and protecting public health, EWA focuses on the Lower Raritan Watershed, but is active in ensuring timely and thorough cleanups of toxic sites across the state as well as federal issues such as Superfund.
Cleanup of Hazardous Sites: The major focus of EWA is serving as the state leader in ensuring the thorough and timely cleanups of New Jersey’s most dangerous toxic sites. Since their incredible decade-long successful fight to clean up the Chemical Insecticide Corporation “green rabbits” site in Edison, EWA has continued to advocate on behalf of the Raritan River Watershed as a treasured natural resource.
Federal Superfund Reinstatement: EWA has long served as the national grassroots leader in the effort to reauthorize the federal Superfund “Polluter Pays” Tax, a federal program designed to fund the remediation of sites that pose an imminent threat to human health and the environment. EWA Executive Director Robert Spiegel has testified three times before the U.S. Senate on the federal Superfund issue.
Environmental Justice: EWA provides technical and strategic assistance to underprivileged community organizations across New Jersey through its Community Assistance Remediation Program.
Brownfields-to-Greenfields/Open Space Preservation: EWA advocates for the balanced redevelopment of Brownfield sites to support creation of open space and recreational lands, enhance public access to our natural resources, and restore wildlife habitat, while also providing economic incentives from balanced redevelopment.
Conservation: EWA has led the protection of the Dismal Swamp Conservation Area, a 1,200-acre at-risk wildlife refuge that stands as the only significant natural area left in the Lower Raritan Watershed. Known as the “Everglades of Central Jersey,” the Diz serves as a key source of clean water for the Lower Raritan. EWA has also created the Birds of Middlesex County report and is developing a Guide to the Wildlife of Middlesex County. EWA Director of Operations David Wheeler founded WildNewJersey.tv, the only daily nature and wildlife blog in New Jersey.
Environmental Education: Through their headquarters at the Triple C Ranch, the last farm in Edison and the gateway to the Dismal Swamp Conservation Area, and an ambitious outreach and education schedule, EWA provides programs to educate children and families on the importance of protecting our natural resources. EWA also brings programs to other organizations to further encourage all New Jerseyans to join the cause for environmental restoration and protection.
Enforcement: EWA challenges actions that have potentially harmed the environment and uses legal action to ensure enforcement of environmental regulations. EWA advocates with municipalities, regulators, and federal officials to improve their local ordinances to enforce environmental protection laws.
April 2009: Raritan bay pollution lawsuit
A notice to file a lawsuit has been announced by NY/NJ Baykeeper and Edison Wetlands Association (April 16, 2009). The two groups plan to sue eight public andprivate entities over pollution in and around Raritan Bay (NL Industries Inc., NL Environmental Management Services Inc, Sayreville Economic and Redevelopment Agency, O’Neill Properties Group, Sayreville Seaport Associates, Middlesex County, the Turnpike Authority, and the New Jersey Department of Transportation). The NGOs contend that the contamination comes from National Lead, a manufacturing facility operated in Sayreville (1935-1982), and from inefficient storm water management programs run by the named transportation authorities. The lawsuit seeks to stop discharge of hazardous substances and to remediate the contaminated sediments.
The New Jersey Audubon Society
The New Jersey Audubon Society has several projects in the region of the Raritan River. Among these are the avian research conducted in conjunction with Edison Wetlands Association assessing habitat along the Raritan and in the Raritan Bay Estuary. Their current work includes stewardship efforts in the Upper Raritan Basin and an avian assessment in the lower Raritan bay complex. Their work on contaminants in the Meadowlands is a model for future research on the Raritan River. The Audubon Society is currently partnering with Franklin Township, Somerset County, to lead birdwatching walks in the area.
Lawrence Brook Watershed Partnership
The highly effective educational mission of the Lawrence Brook Watershed Partnership attracts hundreds of people to events organized throughout the year to promote the protection and stewardship of the Brook. Their events, workshops and local tours engage residents from across the region.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
NOAA’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Division (CPRD) protects and restores natural resources in marine and coastal environments that are affected by hazardous waste sites. NOAA Coastal Resource Coordinators (CRCs) work with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the State of New Jersey, and other trustee agencies to identify risks to natural resources, recommend site cleanups that protect habitat and wildlife, and design projects to restore injured resources and habitats.
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
The Natural Resources Conservation Service(NRCS) works with private land owners to ensure protective practices in the stewardship of soil, water, and other natural resources. They also advise government agencies at all levels and advise policymakers on these issues. Their technical assistance has helped many in the Raritan River Basin and they are also a source of financial assistance for some programs.
The New Jersey Water Supply Authority: Watershed Protection Programs Division
The New Jersey Water Supply Authority, created in 1981, is charged with the oversight of two of the state’s major reservoirs and the Delaware and Raritan Canal (in conjunction with the NJDEP). The Watershed Protection Programs Division was initiated in 1999 to protect these vital drinking water supplies. The NJWSA has reinvested funds from their rate-payers to conserve and protect the resource and much of the preserved land in the region. To date, they have preserved over 2700 acres of land. They serve as a model for stewardship in the region and partner with NJDEP and numerous other agencies to foster the protection of the water supply for the vast majority of the region in the Upper Raritan, and through contracts with other water purveyors, much of the Lower Raritan as well.
Projects:
Mulhockaway Creek Stormwater Management and Watershed Restoration Plan
Spruce Run Reservoir Initiative Project
Raritan Highlands Wastewater Management Plan
Recently celebrating twenty years of advocacy and stewardship, the New York/New Jersey Baykeeper is among the leading organizations in the region in the fight to restore waterways damaged by years of neglect and pollutants from the areas heavy industrial base. They advocate for protection of habitat and the fisheries in the Hudson-Raritan complex. Their prime objectives are:
• Preservation of the habitat and ecosystems of the Hackensack Meadowlands
• Restoration of oyster habitat and the oyster industry
• Remediation of contamination and public access to its 650 mile shoreline
• Pursue polluters and secure damage funds to restore the habitat for animals and people
• Greenways and waterfront parks
• Revitalized communities through restored ecosystems
• Stewardship for the future
The Raritan Riverkeeper's mission is to protect, preserve, and restore the ecological integrity and productivity of the Raritan River, its tributaries, and watershed. As the citizen conservation advocate for the River and its shores, the Riverkeeper stops polluters, champions public access, and influences land use decisions.
The Raritan Basin Alliance is an unincorporated coalition of interests that play major roles in water resources management in the region. It seeks to foster implementation of the Raritan Basin Watershed Management Plan, completed in early 2003 as a comprehensive approach affecting the 1100 square mile Raritan River Basin. Formed in late 2003, the Alliance’s major functions are:
• Create public and official support for Plan implementation
• Create coalitions/partnerships for Plan implementation and assist with acquisition of financial and other resources where requested
• Encourage and support implementation efforts and assist with project planning
• Keep the Raritan Plan current and continually improving
• Maintain and enhance technical knowledge and capabilities of the Basin and ensure dissemination to those who need it
In the near term, the Alliance has two principal responsibilities: attracting resources to implement the Raritan Plan; and fostering partnerships to use those funds effectively. Most project funds will go directly to the partnerships involved in each project, rather than to the Alliance itself. The Alliance has selected three major initiatives for its initial efforts:
Program Coordination – Workshops for governmental and nongovernmental entities engaged in major water resources management work, to increase the potential for cooperative projects and new initiatives.
Nonpoint Source Pollution Cause Identification – “Demonstration project” of nonpoint source pollution cause analysis in three to five watersheds or subwatershed of the Raritan River Basin, including innovative techniques.
Raritan Basin Stream Corridors Project and Riparian Restoration – Campaign for the creation of a linked network of vegetated stream corridors, using both parks and private lands, and comprehensive stream and riparian corridor habitat restorations as appropriate.
Stony Brook - Millstone Watershed Association
The Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association is a member supported non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of the natural environment in the 265-square mile region drained by Stony Brook and the Millstone River through intelligent and informed land use decision making, the protection of water quality and supply, and the improvement of the community's awareness of environmental issues. They offer education programs and workshops for the community and operate an 860 acre nature reserve. They organize volunteer stream clean ups. They also monitor local water quality through StreamWatch, in which volunteers collect information on biological, chemical and physical stream features. The Association’s River-Friendly Certification Program promotes environmental stewardship and provides education and information on nonpoint source (NPS) pollution reduction and best management practices focused on the landscape. The program aims to work cooperatively with residents, businesses, and golf courses to protect our local environment and reduce the amount of chemicals entering water bodies. They sponsor restoration and reforestation projects. They are attempting to restore shad and other fish in the Millstone by researching the safety of removing or breaching dams, such as the Weston Causeway and Blackwell Mills Dams, and improving water quality. Other Raritan related projects: The Raritan Basin Watershed Management Project, EPA Targeted Watershed Initiative Grant for the Raritan Basin
The Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national, nonprofit, land conservation organization that conserves land for people to enjoy as parks, community gardens, historic sites, rural lands, and other natural places, ensuring livable communities for generations to come.
NJ Department of Environmental Protection
Somerset County Parks Commission
Rutgers, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning & Public Policy, National Center for Neighborhood & Brownfield Redevelopment
Rutgers Environmental Research Center
Rutgers, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences
Rutgers Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences
NJ Water Resources Research Institute
South Branch Watershed Association
The South Branch Watershed Association (SBWA) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to protecting the environment in the watershed of the South Branch Raritan River. Since 1959, SBWA has been assisting municipalities, schools, community groups, and citizens with protecting natural resources through education and outreach. Programs offered by SBWA include a volunteer stream monitoring program, biannual stream clean-ups, informational workshops, community well testing programs, and in-school in-field environmental education programs. SBWA also serves as a clearinghouse for public information regarding local environmental issues.
Projects
EPA Targeted Watersheds Grant Project: This $2.1M project was an exciting effort to improve surface water quality using a three-prong effort of restoration, protection, and pollution prevention.
Raritan Basin Watershed Management Project: The Raritan Basin Project is a cooperative effort coordinated by the New Jersey Water Supply Authority with the ultimate goal to develop a Plan to assure that the water quality in the Basin meets or exceeds federal standards.
DEP Grants: SBWA is involved in two projects funded by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection through the 319h Non-point Source Pollution Grant Program. One project addressed potential impacts of local septic systems in the Califon area and storm-water runoff in the Town of Clinton. The second project was initiated during 2000 and is entitled "Action Plan Presentations to Communities to Address Non-point Source Pollution".
Open Space Preservation and Land Acquisition Projects: SBWA works in partnership with Hunterdon County and its municipalities to preserve open space and acquire land to protect our watershed.
Programs
Well Testing: Private wells run the risk of contamination from groundwater. It is critical that wells are tested regularly to ensure the safety and cleanliness of drinking water. SBWA works with communities and individual homeownders to conduct well testing.
Environmental Education: The Waterways Stewardship Project consists of two program components: an in-school 90-minute session and an in-field 2.5-hour session.
River Monitoring – Volunteer Biological Monitoring Program's mission is to promote the conservation of water quality in the South Branch of the Raritan River watershed. The objective of the program is to obtain baseline benthic macro-invertebrate data to be
Upper Raritan Watershed Association
The US Fish and Wildife Service is very interested in restoration opportunities on the Raritan and have actively been pursuing fish passage improvements as well as wetland and riparian restoration through the Partners for Fish and Wildlife and Coastal Programs. Their website has more information regarding these two programs that work with landowners (private, corporate, county, municipal, tribes and States) cooperatively to restore and enhance fish and wildlife habitat. Please contact USFWS for support and assistance in efforts to restore and improve the Raritan River.