In 2004, Princeton Hydro was selected by the New Jersey Water Supply Authority (NJWSA) to develop a Restoration / Implementation Plan for Manalapan Lake and its watershed to comply with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s (NJDEP’s) targeted 86% reduction of the annual total phosphorus (TP) load entering Manalapan Lake, as per the established Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) (NJDEP, 2003).

Based on the data collected as part of the study, Princeton Hydro presented the following interim conclusions to NJWSA and NJDEP:

1. In the case of Manalapan Lake and its watershed, the total phosphorus TMDL approach is not the most appropriate means of restoring and managing these ecosystems.

2. The pollutant of primary concern for the Manalapan Lake watershed should be total suspended solids (TSS), not TP.

3. A watershed-based, stream assessment approach should be taken to develop a Watershed Protection & Restoration Plan for the Manalapan Lake watershed instead of the previously recommended lake-based TMDL approach.

In 2006, NJDEP and Middlesex County Planning Department allocated funding from a current 319(h) grant held by the County in order to expand the study area to include the entire Manalapan Brook watershed, instead of terminating where the brook enters Manalapan Lake. NJWSA is currently working with Princeton Hydro to revise the scope of work for the project.  We anticipate kicking off the expanded project during the fall of 2006.

NJDEP 319 Grant Project Page