Issue #14 

Winter 2006/2007

The Basin Bulletin

 

 Newsletter for Stakeholders of the Raritan River Basin

Prepared on behalf of the Raritan Basin Watershed Alliance

     

 

Neshanic River Watershed Restoration Plan Development

New DEP 319 Grant Received by New Jersey Institute of Technology

The Neshanic River watershed is in the southwestern portion of the South Branch Raritan River watershed.  It is a 31 square mile drainage basin of mixed land uses containing Walnut Brook, First, Second and Third Neshanic Rivers and the Neshanic River main branch.  While it appears to be a rural and bucolic area, the NJDEP has listed its waters as impaired for fecal coliform, phosphorus, total suspended solids, copper and aquatic life.  Another concern in the watershed is the increasing occurrences of no flow or low base flow in the river during the summer months.  Although data clearly show problems in the Neshanic watershed, the sources and causes of the problems are not clear.

The NJDEP recently awarded a 319 grant to New Jersey Institute of Technology to develop a watershed restoration plan for the watershed.  Through ten separate tasks (listed below) the plan will detail the management measures necessary to achieve reduction in fecal coliform and attain water quality standards for total phosphorus and total suspended solids, to reduce the aquatic life impairments, and to examine the possibility of restoring the base flow of the Neshanic River.

Task 1

Establish and operate a Neshanic River watershed restoration planning committee

Task 2

Conduct biological and chemical water quality monitoring

Task 3

Conduct stream visual assessment

Task 4

Conduct stormwater infrastructure inventory

Task 5

Evaluate stormwater management measures

Task 6

Evaluate agricultural best management practices (BMPs)

Task 7

Calibrate and apply the Soil and Water Assessment Tool

Task 8

Determine optimal spatial patterns of stormwater management

Task 9

Prepare a watershed restoration plan

Task 10

Develop an interactive project website

The overall goal of this project is to improve the health of the Neshanic River.  Its success will be measured by implementation of the project results which will cross many organizational boundaries as well as political boundaries.  The project is designed to garner support at the start and keep communication open to the community through the restoration planning committee.  Support from the four municipalities in the project area is already in place; Delaware Township, East Amwell Township, Flemington Borough and Raritan Township.  Collaborative project partners are Rutgers Cooperative Research and Extension, Hunterdon County Soil Conservation District, New Jersey Water Supply Authority, Natural Resource Conservation Service, North Jersey Resource Conservation and Development Council, the South Branch Watershed Association, and the NJDEP Division of Watershed Management.