Raritan Alliance Launches Riparian Restoration Focus

The Raritan River Basin has approximately 2,000 miles of streams, ranging from the mainstem Raritan River in Somerset and Middlesex Counties to tiny headwater streams in all seven Raritan Counties (see map).  The smallest of the streams can be stepped over, but constitute half of the total stream mileage and are the most vulnerable.  Streams of the Raritan Basin have suffered from centuries of damage.  The Raritan Basin Watershed Management Project documented the impacts, and the Raritan Basin Watershed Management Plan (2003) targeted stream restoration and protection as one of six critical issues in the region (see www.raritanbasin.org). 

Recent work by watershed associations, water supply utilities and soil conservation agencies shows that stream damage is ubiquitous in the Raritan Basin.  Bank and channel erosion, loss of aquatic habitat, stream channelization and “armoring,” vegetation clearing and development along the riparian areas of streams, waste dumping along and in streams, and stormwater discharge “scour holes” are all common.  Although a detailed survey has not been completed, evidence to date shows that a majority of the streams are at least somewhat damaged, and many have severe damage – even to the point of piping the streams underground.  The key is that our riparian areas (those lands close to the stream that provide shading and nutrients) are in poor shape and getting worse.

The Causes

Damages to stream systems are caused by myriad individual insults, unlike pollution caused by wastewater treatment plants (which are easy to identify and regulate).  However, the general categories of stream damage are:

         Excessive and unmanaged stormwater flows from developed lands, resulting in erosion of the stream banks and channels

         Loss of vegetation from riparian areas, resulting in stream heating, loss of nutrients to the stream, bank erosion, and sedimentation from the land

         Filling, straightening and channelization of the stream, resulting in habitat losses, ecosystem damages and faster stream flows that in turn result in more stream bank and channel erosion downstream

         Nonpoint source pollution from lawns, roads, farms and other land uses that have the potential to contribute nutrients, pesticides and other pollutants to the stream, either in stormwater runoff or in ground water movement to the stream

Most of these damages are associated with myriad land uses, human actions and stormwater outfalls.  While regulation of new land uses (through local and State programs) can reduce the potential for additional damage, they do not and cannot restore damaged streams.  They also cannot protect streams to the same extent as open space preservation, which is by far the best use for a stream’s riparian areas.  Even if no additional stresses are imposed, damaged streams generally will take years to decades to regain their equilibrium, and usually will have far less ecological vitality than the original, natural stream. 

Stream restorations have been implemented in a variety of areas within the Raritan Basin, but the total number of restored stream miles is very small compared to the need.  Riparian area preservation, through open space acquisitions and easements, is more common but still far more limited than the need.  The goals of State and Federal laws for healthy streams are not attainable, despite billions of dollars spent on pollution control, unless far more attention is paid to both restoring and preserving our streams and their riparian areas.  The costs of not acting will be felt from every headwater stream to the end of the Raritan River in Perth Amboy and South Amboy.

For this reason, the Raritan Basin Watershed Alliance has decided to promote the restoration and protection of 2,000 miles of streams in the Raritan River Basin, as a critical part of regional water quality and water supply management.  Through this initiative, coordinated by the Alliance and involving a large number of public, non-profit and private sector interests, the damage from centuries of poor land management will be reversed through stream restoration projects.  In addition, stream protection will occur through improved stormwater management, development review, open space preservation and land management.  The initiative involves the following key steps:

       Gather commitments from public, non-profit and private sector interests

       Secure funding and other resources

       Target high-priority stream segments for restoration and protection

        Implement restoration and protection projects

        Assess project results

A project committee met for the first time on 17 August 2005, to start formulating the key issues, potential partners, and overall approach to this initiative.  The long-term intent is to increase the understanding of restoration needs, financial resources, organizational capacity, implementation and maintenance efforts for riparian restoration in the Raritan River Basin.  The Raritan Alliance would serve as a facilitator, but would not be engaged in project implementation.  Those interested in becoming part of the committee to develop this initiative should contact Dan Van Abs at the NJ Water Supply Authority:  dvanabs@raritanbasin.org.

Back to Basin Bulletin