Section 4 County Profile
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SECTION 4: COUNTY PROFILE SECTION 4 COUNTY PROFILE This profile describes the general information of the county (physical setting, population and demographics, general building stock, and land use and population trends) and critical facilities located in Hunterdon County. In Section 5, specific profile information is presented and analyzed to develop an understanding of the study area, including the economic, structural, and population assets at risk and the particular concerns that may be present related to hazards analyzed (for example, a high percentage of vulnerable persons in an area). 2016 HMP UPDATE CHANGES For the 2016 HMP update, the County Profile Section contains updated information regarding Hunterdon County's physical setting, population and demographics and trends, general building stock, land use and trends, and critical facilities. Additionally, future development trends in the county are now included in Section 4. 4.1 GENERAL INFORMATION Hunterdon County was established on March 11, 1714, separating from Burlington County (now known as Morris, Sussex, and Warren Counties). The county is located in western New Jersey, along the Delaware River and is made up of 26 municipalities that cover over 437 square miles. Hunterdon County is bordered to the north by Warren and Morris Counties, to the south by Mercer County, to the east by Somerset County, and to the west by the Delaware River and Pennsylvania. Figure 4-1 illustrates Hunterdon County, its municipalities, and the surrounding jurisdictions. 4.1.1 Physical Setting This section presents the physical setting of Hunterdon County, including: hydrography and hydrology, topography and geology, climate, and land use/land cover. Hydrography and Hydrology There are 849 linear miles of rivers and streams in Hunterdon County, connecting rural areas, suburban areas, villages and towns (Hunterdon County Growth Management Plan 2007). These waterways include rivers, such as the Delaware River, as well as numerous smaller rivers, brooks, and streams, including: Alexauken Creek, Assiscong Creek, Back Brook, Beaver Brook, Brookville Creek, Bushkill Brook, Capoolong Creek, Chambers Brook, First Neshanic River, Harihokake Creek, Holland Brook, Lamington River, Little Nishisakawick Creek, Lockatong Creek, Milford Creek, Muddy Run, Mulhockaway Creek, Musconetcong River, Neshanic River, Nishisakawick Creek, Pleasant Run, Quequacommisacong Creek, Rockaway Creek, Rocky Run, Route 202 Tributary, Second Neshanic River, Sidney Brook, South Branch Raritan River, South Fork Third Neshanic River, Spruce Run, Stony Brook, Swan Creek, Third Neshanic River, Walnut Brook, Wickecheoke Creek, and Willoughby Brook (Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA] Flood Insurance Study [FIS] 2012). Figure 4-2 illustrates the waterbodies of Hunterdon County. DMA 2000 Hazard Mitigation Plan Update – Hunterdon County, New Jersey 4-1 May 2016 SECTION 4: COUNTY PROFILE Figure 4-1. Overview Map of Hunterdon County, New Jersey Source: New Jersey Geographic Information Network, Hunterdon County DMA 2000 Hazard Mitigation Plan Update – Hunterdon County, New Jersey 4-2 May 2016 SECTION 4: COUNTY PROFILE Figure 4-2. Waterbodies in Hunterdon County Source: NJGIN, Hunterdon County DMA 2000 Hazard Mitigation Plan Update – Hunterdon County, New Jersey 4-3 May 2016 SECTION 4: COUNTY PROFILE Watersheds A watershed is the area of land that drains into a body of water such as a river, lake, stream, or bay. It is separated from other systems by high points in the area such as hills or slopes. It includes not only the waterway itself but also the entire land area that drains to it. Drainage basins generally refer to large watersheds that encompass the watersheds of many smaller rivers and streams. In New Jersey, the state is divided into 20 Watershed Management Areas (WMA), which are made up of smaller watersheds. Hunterdon County is located in four of the 20 WMAs that are discussed further below: Upper Delaware (WMA 1); North and South Branches of Raritan (WMA 8); Millstone River (WMA 10); and Central Delaware (WMA 11). Figure 4-3 illustrates the watersheds of the State of New Jersey including Hunterdon County. Watershed Management Area 8 – North and South Branch Raritan WMA 8 includes the North and South Branches of the Raritan River and their tributaries. Large portions of Somerset, Hunterdon, and Morris Counties are included in this land area. The North Branch of the Raritan River is 23 miles long and flows from northwestern Morris County through Somerset County to the confluence with the South Branch between the Towns of Branchburg and Raritan. Major tributaries include the Peapack Brook, Rockaway Creek, and Lamington River. The only major impoundment is Ravine Lake. Land use in the North Branch Raritan River Watershed is primarily rural, consisting of woodland and agricultural, with scattered areas of commercial and residential. However, there is dense development along the major road corridors. The South Branch of the Raritan River is 51 miles long and flows from western Morris County through central Hunterdon County into western Somerset County before joining the North Branch. Major tributaries include the Neshanic River, Spruce Run Creek, Mulhockaway Creek, and Cakepoulin Creek. Major impoundments are the Spruce Run and Round Valley Reservoirs. Land use in the South Branch Raritan River Watershed is mostly agricultural, but suburban-industrial development is increasing at a rapid rate. Watershed Management Area 10 – Millstone WMA 10 includes the Millstone River and its tributaries. The Millstone River itself is a tributary to the Raritan River. This watershed lies in parts of Hunterdon, Somerset, Middlesex, Mercer, and Monmouth Counties. The Millstone River is 38 miles long and flows from Millstone Township in Monmouth County to the Raritan River near Manville and Bound Brook. Major tributaries include the Stony Brook, Cranbury Brook, Bear Brook, Ten Mile River, Six Mile River, and Bedens Brook. The largest impoundment is Carnegie Lake. Land use in the Millstone Watershed is primarily suburban development with scattered agricultural areas although there is extensive, recent development present in the upper portion of the watershed (NJDEP 2012). Watershed Management Area 11 – Central Delaware WMA 11, known as the Central Delaware Tributaries, affects the drainage in 24 municipalities within the counties of Hunterdon, Mercer, and Monmouth. The predominant drainage funnels to the Delaware River or the Delaware & Raritan (D&R) Canal. WMA 11 covers approximately 272 square miles and is dominated by the Assunpink Creek and its tributaries to the south and much smaller creeks in the northern portions. Land uses in this area range from agricultural to urban, most notably in the State Capital, the City of Trenton. The land area has also been heavily impacted by suburban development. There are four subwatersheds in WMA 11: Lockatong Creek/Wickecheoke Creek, Hakihokake/Harihokake/Nishisakawick Creek, Alexauken Creek/Moore Creek/Jacobs Creek, and Assunpink Creek (NJDEP 2012). DMA 2000 Hazard Mitigation Plan Update – Hunterdon County, New Jersey 4-4 May 2016 SECTION 4: COUNTY PROFILE Figure 4-3. Watersheds of New Jersey Source: NJDEP 2012 Note: The location of Hunterdon County is depicted by the blue circle. The numbers indicate the Watershed Management Area (i.e. Watershed Management Area 01). DMA 2000 Hazard Mitigation Plan Update – Hunterdon County, New Jersey 4-5 May 2016 SECTION 4: COUNTY PROFILE Topography and Geology The landscape of Hunterdon County is varied and includes forests, grasslands, wetlands, and streams. The county falls within two physiographic provinces of New Jersey – the Highlands and the Piedmont Provinces. The Highlands Province extends from Pennsylvania to Connecticut, crossing all or portions of 15 municipalities in northwestern Hunterdon County. The Highlands Province comprises one-third of the county’s land. The geology in this province has formed broad, flat-topped ridges and steep-sided valleys. The valleys consist of softer carbonate rock landscapes and shale. Rock outcroppings provide varied conditions to support a healthy diversity of plan and animal habitats in the county. The broader fertile valley of the Musconetcong River is an important grassland habitat and contains agricultural soils that are still farmed (Hunterdon County Growth Management Plan 2007). The Piedmont Province occupies two-thirds of the county and contains rolling, moderately sloping terrain and wide valleys. High rocky ridges, such as Cushetunk Mountain and Sourland Mountain, rise above the lowlands. There is a variety of habitats within this province and includes large grassland areas in East Amwell and portions of neighboring municipalities, the forests of Sourland Mountain, and the Delaware River bluffs. There is prime agricultural soils in the Piedmont, especially in the eastern portions of the county (Hunterdon County Growth Management Plan 2007). Climate The State of New Jersey is located approximately halfway between the equator and the North Pole, resulting in a climate that is influenced by wet, dry, hot and cold airstreams, making a highly variable environment. The dominant feature of the atmospheric circulation over North America, including New Jersey, is the broad, undulating flow from west to east across the middle latitudes of the continent. This pattern exerts a major influence on the weather throughout the State (Office of the New Jersey State Climatologist [ONJSC] Date Unknown). The State of New