North & South Branch Raritan Watershed Management Area

Problem Statements, Goals, Objectives and Strategies

Links to N&S Branch WMA Work Groups:

Headwaters & Stream Management

Problem Statement

Headwater streams are created when small waterways find their way to larger ones and soon develop into a full-fledged stream. These headwater streams link together and become rivers. What happens in the initial part of the water system influences all of the downstream waterbodies to which these smaller streams are linked. The small size of these streams makes them highly vulnerable to the impact of land use practices. Often in the development process, these streams are mistreated and are given no importance in the water system. Disturbances (however minimal) could undermine the ecological values of these important waterways, the function of which is to protect and maintain high water quality and water supply for local and downstream users. Those areas in which initial water flow starts to feed those tributaries serve many purposes including: water purification, recharge, filtration of contaminants, and critical habitat for plant and animal species.  We need to make sure that these headwater areas are protected as important components of our state’s fragile ecological structure.

Goal Objective Strategy
NSHW-G1: No degradation or destruction of headwaters in the North and South Branch Raritan Watershed Management Area, so that these areas and their associated water resources will be protected now and into the future  NSHW-O1A: By 2004, define and locate the headwater areas needing protection in the North and South Branch Raritan Watershed Management Area. NSHW-S1A1  (1): Identify headwaters needing protection in the WMA.
NSHW-S1A2 (8): Implement a process to update the headwaters inventory baseline map to ensure accuracy of the map.
NSHW-S1A3 (5): Encourage municipalities and other interest groups to conduct a visual stream assessment to determine “good” v. “bad” headwater areas in the WMA.  
NSHW-O1B: By 2003, develop a broad awareness of the critical nature of and the public and governmental responsibility for protecting headwaters in the North and South Branch Raritan Watershed Management Area. NSHW-S1B1 (1): Develop an awareness of the critical nature of headwaters in the WMA.
NSHW-O1C: By 2004, establish a consensus within the Watershed Management Area regarding responsibility for the protection of headwaters through the collaboration of municipalities that results in an economy of effort, and the social and political benefits for all communities. NSHW-S1C1 (7): Provide specific guidance to encourage municipalities to implement headwaters protection and enforcement.
NSHW-S1C2 (1): Ensure that municipalities have NJDEP support when developing stream corridor ordinances so that ordinances can be implemented without concern of litigation from developers.  
NSHW-S1C3 (8): Encourage municipalities with shared waterways to work together on stream corridor ordinances so that streams will receive adequate protection both upstream and downstream.  
NSHW-S1C4 (6): Encourage municipalities with shared waterways to work together to designate streams and their associated riparian areas as critical environmental sites. Designated sites should provide linkages to other critical environmental sites.
NSHW-G2: Restoration and enhancement of degraded headwaters in the North and South Branch Raritan Watershed Management Area NSHW-O2A: By 2004, evaluate the level of restoration needed in degraded headwaters of the N & S Branch Raritan WMA NSHW-S2A1 (4): Identify and catalogue individual sites and reaches that would benefit from restoration activities.
NSHW-S2A2 (11: Prioritize recommendations for restoration and implement restoration projects.
NSHW-O2B: By 2005, identification of partners who have the ability to participate in the restoration of degraded headwaters. NSHW-S2B1 (8): Establish and carry out a coordinated, watershed based, governmental and private sector effort to plan and implement restoration activities that will improve the function and quality of headwater streams in the N & S Branch Raritan WMA. (See LRWR-S1C1)

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Land Use & Open Space

Problem Statement

Open Space and farmland preservation, in addition to land use decision-making, is critical for the preservation of our water and water related resources.  Yet, due to the absence of planning and land use decision-making, our water and water related resources are being degraded both in quality and quantity.

Goal Objective Strategy
NSLU-G1: Protection and improvement of water and water related resources of the North & South Branch Raritan WMA. NSLU-O1A: By 2004, establish techniques to ensure that development protects and improves water and water related resources of the North & South Branch Raritan WMA.   NSLU-S1A1 (13): Identify the current land use requirements, shortfalls and the assistance needed by the 38 municipalities in their planning efforts, using techniques similar to the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association’s Municipal Assessment.
NSLU-S1A2 (5):  Provide regional and on-site training opportunities for municipal planners, engineers, planning boards, environmental commissions and municipal governing bodies. Topics should include, but not be limited to:

Innovative planning and site design techniques including low impact development concepts, open space subdivisions, stormwater management practices, etc.

Applications and limitations of existing laws and court precedents.

Techniques and scientific tools for improved land use control.

Training of the regulated parties (e.g., engineers, planners, landscape architects and attorneys).
NSLU-S1A3 (1):  Provide municipalities with technical and planning assistance as they work through the process of incorporating such ideas into their municipal master plans, subdivision ordinances, site plan ordinances and other land use codes.
NSLU-S1A4 (16):  Provide municipalities with support and guidance from NJDEP.
NSLU-O1B: Increase preserved open space and farmland acreage in the WMA by 5% every 5 years to ensure the protection of critical habitats and water resources. NSLU-S1B1 (15): By 2003, identify the status of open space planning efforts within the 38 municipalities of the WMA.
NSLU-S1B2 (1):  Develop a status and tracking system to monitor progress toward increasing preserved open space and preserved farmland acreage to ensure protection of critical habitats and water resources.
NSLU-S1B3 (1): Develop criteria for identification and prioritization of lands for future preservation in the Raritan Basin
NSLU-S1B4 (1): Promote the preservation of open space and acquire parcels by promoting the use of the Raritan Basin water resources protection open space criteria by land preservation entities and municipalities.
NSLU-S1B5 (9): Promote farmland preservation and acquire parcels by educating municipalities about financial opportunities and farmland preservation programs that are available to provide assistance.
NSLU-S1B6 (9): Promote farmland preservation by educating property owners about financial opportunities and farmland preservation programs that are available to provide assistance.
NSLU-O1C: By 2005, establish procedures to maintain and safeguard preserved lands that impact water and water-related resources. NSLU-S1C1 (7): Provide municipalities with techniques, tools and training to preserve, track the status of, and monitor preserved open space lands within their municipal borders.
NSLU-S1C2 (5): Ensure consistency between the Watershed Management Area land use and open space plans and the State Development & Redevelopment Plan (SDRP).
NSLU-O1D: By 2005, implement a program to identify and remedy previous land use practices that negatively affect water resources. NSLU-S1D1 (13): Identify criteria that serve as evidence for land use practices that have negatively affected water resources, and identify problem areas.
NSLU-S1D2 (9): Identify and implement possible remedies (i.e., BMPs) and corrective measures to improve water resources that have been negatively affected by land use practices.
NSLU-S1D3 (17):  Require the use of BMPs from the NJDEP Manual and guidelines in site planning and municipal ordinances to reduce NPS pollutant loads from agricultural and urban land uses.
NSLU-S1D4 (8):  Encourage the implementation of municipal ordinances (e.g., tree protection, stream corridor) that require revegetation of publicly owned lands and personal property along water resources of the WMA.
NSLU-S1D5 (12): Encourage municipalities to seek funding and partnerships to implement restoration projects to remedy land use practices that have negatively impacted water resources.

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Stormwater Management & Hydrology

Goal Objective Strategy
NSSM-G1: Minimization of cumulative flood and stream corridor damages in the North & South Branch Raritan Watershed Management Area.  NSSM-O1A: By 2005, estimate the potential for minimizing flood damages in the North & South Branch Raritan WMA and the mainstem Raritan River, and then by 2015, implement cost-effective projects.

NSSM-S1A1: (14) Implement a federal level flood damage reduction study to:

Investigate the potential for minimizing flood damages by changing current land uses in flood prone areas.

Investigate more stringent peak site outflow requirements to reduce flooding in existing flood prone areas.

Investigate the potential for minimizing flood damages by changing land use management practices in upland areas that are contributing to flooding problems.

Investigate the potential for minimizing flood damages through the use of structural and nonstructural measures in flood prone areas.

Reproduce pre-development hydraulic conditions.

 
NSSM-O1B: To have no increase in potential flood damages, by 2008. NSSM-S1B1: (22) Establish state, county and municipal regulatory measures that would prevent flooding problems from getting worse due to land use changes.
NSSM-S1B2: (14) Regulation of stormwater systems to minimize the extent to which they short circuit the beneficial effects of riparian areas for flow control and water quality.
NSSM-S1B3: (13) Creation of more open space including the preservation of natural areas and riparian corridors to help mitigate potential flood damages from new development.
NSSM-S1B4: (9) Develop and implement a training program on stormwater BMPs for county and municipal officials and employees.
NSSM-S1B5: (17) Develop and implement a non-structural approach to stormwater management that preserves, restores, creates and utilizes natural drainage systems in a sustainable manner 
NSSM-S1B6: (17) Design development sites utilizing site planning and design techniques to minimize runoff.
NSSM-S1B7: (2) Develop & implement watershed-based stormwater management plans for all watersheds with major existing or proposed development areas with evidence of localized flood damages.
NSSM-O1C: Minimization of stream damages caused by excessive stream flows. NSSM-S1C1: (17) Develop & implement watershed-based stormwater management plans for areas with significant existing or projected land uses that generate stormwater flows.
NSSM-S1C2: (21) Educate municipal officials and other pertinent stakeholders about the relationship of stormwater management programs to healthy watersheds and sustainable, cost effective development.
NSSM-G2: Adequate ground water recharge and baseflow to maintain all future water needs in the North & South Branch Watershed Management Area NSSM-O2A: By 2010, develop a system for tracking impacts on ground water and baseflow.   NSSM-S2A1: (12) Correlate loss of recharge with decreased baseflow.
NSSM-S2A2: (4) Utilize GIS to track losses of ground water recharge by updating results every 2 or 3 years.
NSSM-O2B: By 2005, no net loss of baseflow in any location of the WMA. NSSM-S2B1: (4) Implement municipal regulatory systems to maintain 100% of pre-development recharge using structural and non-structural methods in order to maintain annual ground water recharge rates.
NSSM-S2B2: (4) Require project designs that minimize impervious surface and retain native vegetation for landscaping.  Designs should utilize the pervious landscape to naturally filter and infiltrate runoff before it leaves the development site where possible.
NSSM-S2B3: (8) Develop and implement institutional methods (voluntary or regulatory) to minimize impervious cover and reduce the volume of runoff (maintain natural buffers and drainage way)
NSSM-S2B4: (1) Create local funding capacity (e.g., stormwater utility, municipal or county department, or private utility), to ensure adequate, ongoing funding for stormwater management activities and to provide funding to contribute to regional stormwater management projects.
NSSM-S2B5: (14) Establish alternate runoff control techniques that facilitate infiltration and recharge.
NSSM-O2C: By 2010, have 10-year recharge restoration programs in place for all subwatersheds that have lost greater than 10% of recharge since 1986. NSSM-S2C1: (17) Identify methods and responsible parties to implement recharge restoration plans.
NSSM-S2C2:  (22) Create institutional capacity to ensure sufficient funding for and implementation of recharge restoration programs.
NSSM-G3: The quality of stormwater runoff will not cause or contribute to a violation of surface water quality standards in the North & South Branch Raritan Watershed Management Area. NSSM-O3A:   By 2005, achieve no net loss/degradation of surface water quality (i.e., physical, chemical or biological) in any subwatershed. NSSM-S3A1: (3) Create financial or other incentives for incorporating BMPs, reducing NPS loads, etc. beyond current standards in development and redevelopment projects. 

NSSM-S3A2: (4) Adopt requirements for new development to protect water quality.  Project designs shall:

- duplicate existing flow regime and volume conditions as closely as possible in a manner that protects water resources,

- utilize the pervious landscape to naturally filter and infiltrate runoff before it leaves the development site where possible.

- require utilization of nonstructural techniques, including pollution prevention and source reduction, to minimize the type of treatment stormwater needs.
NSSM-O3B: By 2010, achieve surface water quality standards for physical, biological and chemical parameters in all subwatersheds of the Watershed Management Area. NSSM-S3B1: (10) Establish programs for redevelopment and the correction of overt stormwater problems. Consider the effectiveness, cost effectiveness and site specific conditions (i.e., programs must be achievable on site).
NSSM-S3B2: (10) Require specific load reductions to manage discharges from ‘hot spots’ (i.e., land uses or activities with higher proven loadings) in order to achieve the surface water quality standards.

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