A National Estuarine Research Reserve for New Jersey a Report and Preliminary Recommendations* June 1993

A National Estuarine Research Reserve for New Jersey

A Report and Preliminary Recommendations

June 1993

Submitted to: u.s. Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management National Estuarine Reserve Research System Washington, D.C.

Prepared by:

Institute of Marine & Coastal Science Rutgers University New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0231

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection & Energy Office of Regulatory Policy Trenton, NJ 08625 Table of Contents

Page

SUMMARY 1

I. INTRODUCTION 2 A. National Estuarine Research Reserve Program ....•... 2

B. Proposal to Designate a NERR in New Jersey .•••..... 3

II. CHARACTERISTICS OF POTENTIAL NEW JERSEY NERR SITES 3

A. Characteristics of the Mullica River - Great Bay 3 Estuary B. Characteristics of the Great Egg Harbor Estuary . ... 5 c. Characteristics of the Maurice River Estuary ...... 7 III. SCOPE OF THE EVALUATION STUDY 8 IV. COMPARISON OF THE PROPOSED NERR SITES 9

V. PROPOSED NERR; MULLICA RIVER - GREAT BAY ESTUARY 17 A. NERR Boundary Delineation Criteria ...... 17 B. Characteristics of the Proposed MRGB NERR .•...... 18 c. Research and Education within the Proposed ...... 22 MRGB NERR

D. Management of the Proposed MRGB NERR ...... •... 24

E. Summary ...... 2 6

VI. LIST OF PREPARERS 27 VII. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 27 VIII. REFERENCES 28 A National Estuarine Research Reserve for New Jersey A Report and Preliminary Recommendations* June 1993

Summary The NOAA program on National Estuarine Research Reserves (NERR) has evolved to encompass 21 locations, each dedicated to the development and operation of an estuarine area as a natural field laboratory. Education and research are the primary goals of the Program. The purpose of this study was to evaluate several possible sites within the state of New Jersey for possible inclusion in the NERR program. Three major sites were considered: 1) the Mullica River-Great Bay estuary; 2) the Great Egg Harbor River estuary; and 3) the Maurice River estuary. These three sites were compared on the basis of a number of criteria: including the diversity of rare plant and animal species, the amount of human population and development, and the degree of protection afforded by existing land use planning/regulation and publicly owned conservation land. The Mullica River-Great Bay estuarine system in southern New Jersey is ranked number one in each of the above criteria. Based on this evaluation, the MRGB should be the priority site for New Jersey's nomination to the NERR program. It is large, encompassing a total of 46,173 hectares. The vast public holdings that compose and surround the NERR site, including the Pinelands National Reserve, virtually guarantee that the system will continue to function as it does now for decades into the future and will maintain the diversity of unaltered aquatic, wetland, and terrestrial habitats. It is the diversity of plant and animal species, pristine quality of the estuary, the protected watersheds that lead to it, and the low human population totals that contribute to its uniqueness within the highly-populated northeastern u.s. and within the industrial and densely-populated State of New Jersey. Ongoing research and educational efforts conducted by Rutgers University and the public agencies in the proposed NERR are directed toward meeting the objectives of the estuarine program.

* Institute of Marine & Coastal Sciences Report #93-19 Rutgers University - The State University of New Jersey New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0231

1 I. Introduction A. National Estuarine Research Reserve Program The concept of protecting coastal estuaries was developed as part of the original Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) of 1972 when it was recognized that these transitional zones between the continent and the ocean were extremely fragile habitats in need of special consideration (Imperial et al, 1992; EPA, 1990). Under the CZMA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration was selected as the cognizant body to designate appropriate estuaries and to administer the estuarine protection system. Whereas the early approach was to create estuarine-based sanctuaries as a means to protect these systems, the program has evolved into the current emphasis on a multi-tiered reserve concept in which education and research are the primary goals in managing the system as a natural field laboratory (NOAA, 1992). In April 1986, the institutional name was changed from the Estuarine Sanctuary Program to the National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) System Program to reflect the greater emphasis on the research agenda within the estuaries and the opportunity to gather scientific data appropriate to resource protection and enhancement for the rest of the nation's coastline. General procedures for selecting, nominating, and administering these reserves are published in the National Estuarine Research Reserve Program Regulations (15 CFR Part 921). The protection and management objectives of the designated estuarine areas are intended to foster and support research and monitoring programs as their primary function. In addition, each estuarine reserve is to provide suitable opportunity for public education. This component is a necessary ingredient in the designation of research reserves. While the primary purpose of estuarine research reserves is scientific and educational, multiple use of reserves will be encouraged to the extent such activities are compatible with the original intent of the NERR program. Multiple uses mean the simultaneous utilization of an area or resource for a variety of compatible pruposes or to provide more than one benefit. Reserve uses may include hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and low intensity recreation. Certain subareas of the reserve may be designated as Core areas with a more restrictive management policy. Examples of non-compatible uses within a core area include, but are not limited to: diking, dredging or manipulative research with long-term negative impacts (unless the core area has been specifically set aside for such research purposes). The preparation of a management plan is a key requirement of these regulations, providing a means of ensuring that planned activities and development within the reserve conform to the NERR program objectives. The NERR designation provides federal/state

2 matching funds for developing the management plan and for carrying out the research, education and resource protection components of the plan. Since existing State statutes and regulations appear fully adequate to address any potential problems resulting from uses within a research reserve and in adjacent waters and lands, designation of a research reserve will not result in the need for new or additional environmental regulations or creation of a new State agency, or a new division within existing agencies.

B. Proposal to Designate A NERR in New Jersey As of early 1993, there were 21 approved National Estuarine Research Reserves in the System in the United States and Puerto Rico, with several others in the process of being considered. However, no reserves have been designated within the state of New Jersey. Designation of a national estuarine research reserve will provide New Jersey with an opportunity to be a part of the national system. Membership in this national network of reserves will provide better access to information gathered in studying and managing other estuaries around the country, and in turn makes available to other states the information and experiences gained in New Jersey. The purpose of this study is to evaluate several possible sites within the state of New Jersey for possible inclusion in the NERR program. Three major sites were considered: 1) the Mullica River-Great Bay (MRGB) estuary; 2) the Great Egg Harbor River (GEHR) estuary; and 3) the Maurice River (MR) estuary (Figure 1). An evaluation concerning the three possible research reserve sites was conducted using a watershed-based approach. Each reserve study area included the entire river drainage basin plus adjacent basins and coastal areas that were contiguous (i.e. , drained or tidally connected) to the estuary of interest.

II. Characteristics of Potential New Jersey NERR Sites A. Characteristics of the Mullica River - Great Bay Estuary One of the areas under consideration is the Mullica River-Great Bay estuarine system located in southern New Jersey. This estuary and its watershed lies entirely within the State of New Jersey (Fig. 2) and drains the central Preservation Area of the Pinelands National Reserve. The Mullica River watershed consists of low-lying coastal plain formations with vegetation adapted to the edaphic drought and fire regimes. Forest types vary from pine-covered uplands to hardwood and Altantic white cedar swamps in the alluviated stream valleys. Although an average of 1000-1200 mm of rain falls in the Mullica River basin, only 5% of the total exits as surface flow into the head of Great Bay. Most

3 Figure 1. NJ NERR Study Areas.

NE'V JERSEY of it filters through the highly porous surface strata to discharge into the margins of the estuary as highly acidic ground water flow (pH ::::: 4. 4) (Good and Good, 1984) . Due to the predominantly undeveloped nature of the Mullica River watershed, the water quality of Great Bay is exceptionally good. The Great Bay area is an important center of estuarine research in New Jersey. Rutgers University's Marine Field Station at Tuckerton is located on Great Bay near the inlet to the Atlantic Ocean. In addition, the NJ Department of Environmental Protection and Energy's (DEPE) Nacote Creek Research Station and Leed's Point Laboratory are both located within the MRGB site. Extensive freshwater wetlands and saltmarsh habitats characterize the lower reaches of the Mullica River channel and extend into the lowland region lying between the continental upland and the Holocene barrier island margin. Aqueous habitats are also very common, ranging from high salinity open water bays and lagoon environments, to extensive tidal channel and pond development in variable salinity wetlands, and to freshwater stream systems leading from the uplands. One totally-undeveloped barrier island and the undeveloped parts of two other barrier islands front the Great Bay estuary. These islands incorporate the natural conditions of beach, dune features, overwash fans, abandoned inlets, and extensive backmarsh virtually unknown throughout most of the East Coast. These factors combine to create a highly productive system supporting a rich diversity and high population of finfish, shellfish and wildlife. The Mullica River - Great Bay estuary, was previously nominated as a National Estuarine Sanctuary in 1981 (Kantor et al., 1981). Due to a number of reasons, including the absence of local public support for the heavy emphasis on land acquisition by the federal government, the area was not designated. This earlier nomination was based on the recommendations of a study evaluating several sites in New Jersey's coastal zone as possible Estuarine Sanctuaries, Estuarine Sanctuaries for New Jersey's Coastal Zone: A Report and Preliminary Recommendations (Kantor, 1980).

B. Characteristics of the Great Egg Harbor River Estuary The second area under consideration is the Great Egg Harbor Tuckahoe River Estuary located on the Atlantic Coast of southern New Jersey. This estuary and its drainage basin lie entirely within the State of New Jersey (Fig. 2). The Great Egg Harbor and Tuckahoe Rivers drain the southern portion of the Forest Protection Area of the Pinelands National Reserve. The watershed is characterized by unconsolidated quartz sands with scattered clay lenses of Tertiary origin. These droughty, low nutrient, acid soils support a vegetation of oak-pine forests typical of

5 Figure 2. NJ NERR Study Site Watersheds.

l~EW JERSE"Y' the New Jersey Pine Barrens. Lowland forests of hardwood and Atlantic white cedar swamps line the major tributaries. In October 1992, 39 miles of the Great Egg Harbor River and 89 miles of its tributaries were designated as National Wild and Scenic Rivers in recognition of their relatively pristine condition. The upper estuary formed by the confluence of the Great Egg Harbor and Tuckahoe Rivers contains large expanses of freshwater and saltwater wetlands and an associated network of tidal channel and ponds. The lower estuary is the site of a major electrical power-generating plant. Pleistocene and Holocene age barrier islands front the Atlantic Ocean, protecting a back-bay lagoonjwetland complex. The barrier islands are heavily urbanized with intensive development on both the ocean and back bay shoreline (e.g., Ocean City, NJ). c. Characteristics of the Maurice River Estuary The third area under consideration is the Maurice River Estuary located on the Delaware Bay shore of southern New Jersey. This estuary and its drainage basin lie entirely within the State of New Jersey (Fig. 2). The watershed is characterized by unconsolidated outer coastal plain sediments that are of slightly higher agricultural potential. These droughty, low nutrient, acid soils support a vegetation of upland oak-pine forests and lowland forests of hardwood and occasionally Atlantic white cedar swamps. The Maurice River watershed is largely outside the boundaries of the Pinelands National Reserve. While large portions of the drainage basin are under mixed agricultural development, there is comparatively little residential and industrial development, with the notable exception of the city of Vineland. The lower portions of the Maurice River have traditionally been an important center of the Delaware Bay oyster harvesting industry. Rutgers University's Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory, located in Bivalve, NJ near the mouth of the Maurice River, is an important center for shellfish- and aquaculture research. Forty-two miles of the Maurice River is under consideration for protection under the National Wild and Scenic River system in recognition of the river's largely undeveloped character and its natural, historical and cultural interest. This designation would include several tributaries: the. Manumuskin River, Menantico and Muskee Creeks. The Wild and Scenic River designation would help to protect these rivers by regulating land use within a half-mile buffer of the rivers. The Maurice River is typical of Delaware Bay tributaries in not having an expansive estuarine mixing zone prior to discharging into the main body of the bay. The estuary is not protected by barrier islands, unlike those estuaries that directly front the Atlantic Ocean (as in the case of the MRGB and GEHR estuaries).

7 However, the Maurice River does discharge into a shallow, protected cove (i.e., Maurice River Cove) that is bounded by Fortescue Neck to the west and Cape May to the east. The tidal portion of the river is characterized by fringing freshwater and saltwater wetlands. Tidal wetlands extend east and west along the adjacent Delaware Bay shore from Dennis Creek to the expansive marshes of Dividing Creek/Fortescue Neck area. The shoreline beaches, tidal flats and marshes are a major stopover point of migratory waterfowl and shorebirds on the Atlantic Flyway. The U.s. Fish & Wildlife Service is in the process of purchasing land to create the newly designated Cape May National Widlife Refuge to protect this globally significant migratory bird stopover area.

III. Scope of the Evaluation Study A geographic survey was conducted for all three estuary watershed study areas using satellite remote sensing imagery and geographic information system techniques. Landsat Thematic Mapper images, acquired in August 1988 and March 1991, were used to map Level I land cover types. 1990 Census data was used to map population at a municipality level. Additional geographic information (e.g., hydrography, transportation, municipal/political jurisdictions) was incorporated in the geographic analysis. Of particular importance was the delineation of publicly owned land (e.g., Federal National Wildlife Refuges; State Fish & Game and Parks & Forestry lands; County parks; Military bases; etc. ) . The New Jersey Natural Heritage Database provided additional information on rare and endangered plant, animal and significant natural communities. Four criteria were used to evaluate the candidate reserve sites: 1) Minimum amount of development and population in upland watershed and coastaljestuarine area.

2) Maximum amount of watershed protection in the form of public open space land holdings and multi-layered state regulatory programs in private lands (e.g., Pinelands Commission regulation) .

3) Maximum amount of coastal/estuarine wetlands protection in the form of public open space land holdings (e.g., national wildlife refuges and state fish and wildlife management areas, statejcounty park and forest lands) . 4) Maximum amount of diversity in rare plants, animals and natural communities. Based on the above criteria, one of the sites was proposed for inclusion in the NERR program.

8 IV. Comparison of the Proposed NERR Sites The MRGB Study Area covers the largest area at approximately 1920 km2, followed by the Maurice River (MR) at 1463 km2 and the Great Egg Harbor River (GEHR) at 1370 Jan2. The MRGB site has the lowest total population (Figure 3) and % developed land (Figure 4) of the three study areas (Table 1). In addition, the MRGB basin is still largely forested with the least amount in developed or non-forested vegetation (primarily agricultural land) (Table 2) (Figure 5). The MRGB is 13.8% developed/non forest, GEHR is 23.4% and MR is 37.0%. The MRGB has the greatest percentage of its area within the Pinelands Management Area (PMA): 74.5% of MRGB, 66.1% of GEHR and 16.0% of MR is within the PMA (Table 3). 43.5% of the MRGB site is within the Preservation Area District, the land management type with the strictest control on future development. Thus the MRGB site has the strictest controls on land use and future development on the upland watershed, thereby better protecting the existing high quality water from future degradation. In contrast, the GEHR and MR sites have both been designated as areas for future growth. The amount of undeveloped land in these watersheds is therefore expected to decrease. A comparative evaluation of the land area within the Coastal Area Facilities Review Act (CAFRA) control area was not undertaken. The MRGB has the greatest percentage of its land area in public ownership (e.g., federal, state or county) (Table 4) (Figure 6). over 50% of the MRGB site is within existing or pending public ownership, an additional 8.5% of the site is state-controlled water. Approximately 17% of GEHR and 19% of MR is in existing or pending public ownership. A majority of these publicly owned lands are specifically managed to conserve the integrity of the natural ecosystem. Thus the MRGB site has the strictest controls on land use and future development and the greatest probability in maintaining its existing pristine character. The MRGB area has the greatest overall diversity of rare plant and animal species and natural communities (Table 5). The MR site was a close second, followed by the GEHR. In particular, it should be noted that the MRGB area had 9 natural ecosystems of special importance as compared to 6 for the MR and 3 for the GEHR areas. In summary, the Mullica River - Great Bay Study Area was ranked first for all of the four above criteria and is the preferred choice for designation as a National Estuarine Research Reserve within the state of New Jersey.

9 Table 1. Comparison of 3 NERR study sites: Total Area, Total Population and % Developed.

Total Total % Developed2 Area (km2) Population!

MRGB 1920 129,944 1.56

GEHR 1370 176,186 3.26

MR 1463 159,209 2.13

1 The total population figures are approximate because the watershed basin boundaries did not always coincide with the municipality boundaries. Where a municipality was only partially contained within a basin, the population for that municipality was weighted by the percentage area within the basin.

2 % Developed was taken from the State-wide Level I land cover classification derived from Landsat TM imagery. The developed category refers to intensive urban and residential development where there is a significant coverage of impervious surface (e.g., concrete, asphalt).

Table 2. Comparison of 3 NERR Study Sites: Satellite-derived Land Cover Percentage of each Study Area.

MRGB GEHR MR (%) (%) (%)

Forest 65.2 62.3 49.4 Coastal Wetland 9.4 9.5 10.2 Non-forest Veg. 12.2 20.1 34.9 Developed 1.6 3.3 2.1 Barren 0.6 0.8 0.9 Water 11.1 4.0 2.5

Forest: coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests. Coastal Wetland: saltwater, brackish and tidal wetlands. Non-forest Vegetation: agricultural crop and pasture land, natural grassjshrublands and freshwater wetlands. Developed: intensive urban and residential areas. Barren: exposed sand and gravel. Water: Fresh and brackish water.

10 Figure 3. NJ Population Densit .

Population Density (sq.km.) D 1 <-49 fill~ 2 50 to 99 ml 3 100 t 0 199 Ill 4 200 to 499 Ill 5 500 to 999 Ill 6 >= 1000 Lande over N • 1) Developed D 2) \'Vater • 3) Marsh 1 II 4) Other

Figure 4. Land Cover of NJ NFRR Study Sites.

Lande over

N • 1) Developed ~ 32)) Water tllilJ Nonforested II 4) Forested 1 II 5) Marsh

Figure 5. Land Cover of NJ NERR Study Sites.

13 Table 3. Comparison of 3 NERR study Sites: Percentage of Area by Pinelands Land Management Area.

Management Types MRGB GEHR MR (%) (%) (%)

Preservation 43.5 o.o o.o Forest 7.6 32.0 10.9 Agriculture* 12.3 6.8 1.1 Rural Development 4.2 15.0 2.3 Regulated Growth 3.0 8.5 0.0 Town/Village** 3.9 3.8 1.7

Within PMA 74.5 66.1 16.0 Outside PMA 25.5 33.9 84.0

* Agriculture: Agriculture Production and Special Agriculture.

** Town/village: Pinelands town and village.

Table 4. Comparison of 3 NERR Study Sites: Percentage of Area by Public Ownership Type.

Ownership Type MRGB GEHR MR (%) (%) (%)

Existing State 36.2 11.4 15.5 Conservation lands

Federal & County 7.1 2.9 0.9 Conservation lands

Pending State 4.8 2.4 1.8 Conservation lands

Federal,State 2.6 0.0 0.4 & County facilities

Subtotal 50.7 16.7 18.6

Water 8.5 3.6 2.4

Total 59.2 20.3 21.0

N land Ownership Existing conservation land Pending conservation land Other public land 1 Private land Water

Figure 6. Land Ownership of NJ NERR Study Sites.

15 Table 5. Comparison of 3 NERR study Sites: Diversity of Rare Plant, Animal and Natural Community Types.

Ownership Type MRGB GEHR MR (%) (%) (%)

Rare Vertebrate 31 25 24 Species

Rare Invertebrate 36 9 24 Species

Rare Vascular Plants 90 58 105

Rare and Examplary 9 3 6 Natural Communities

Other Important 3 3 3 Natural Communities

16 V. Proposed NERR: Mullica River - Great Bay Estuary Based on the above evaluation, the Mullica River-Great Bay study area is clearly the preferred choice for designation as a National Estuarine Research Reserve. The Mullica River - Great Bay Estuary is regarded as one of the least-disturbed settings in the densely populated urban corridor of the Northeastern United States. The site and situation of this habitat cause it to be of especial value in ecological terms and an extraordinary candidate for inclusion in the educational and research format of the current National Estuarine Research Reserve system. It lies astride the Pinelands forest ecosystem on the coastal plain as well as the Pleistocene and Holocene barrier island morphologies of the coastal margin. Its high environmental quality is consistent with the NERR objectives of sites which retain a healthy ecosystem and show the opportunity to serve the needs of long-term research and monitoring programs.

A. NERR Boundary Delineation Criteria The Mullica River-Great Bay study Area was further evaluated to delineate suitable boundaries for the proposed NERR. The area chosen as the Mullica River-Great Bay NERR should to the extent possible, include water and land masses constituting a natural ecological unit. The following criteria were used in the selection of the reserve boundaries: 1) Reserve should include as much diversity as possible in habitat type (flora and fauna communities) which interact with the estuarine zone. In an estuarine context, the reserve should span the gradient from the upland/freshwater wetland interface through the estuary and out to the nearshore continental shelf. Areas from adjacent estuaries should be included within the proposed boundary to include missing coastal habitats and/or allow greater comparative analysis of adjacent habitats. Diversity provides for contact with all representative trophic levels within the integrated ecosystem. The inclusion of many habitat types allows for a full range of comparative research and education activities. 2) Reserve should be a contiguous area of minimally to virtually undisturbed lands and waters. An outer jurisdictional boundary should be coincident with existing municipal/county boundaries, roads, waterways, etc. Although private land is included within the proposed NERR outer jurisdictional boundaries, only existing publicly-owned lands will be actually incorporated with the designated NERR for administrative and management purposes. 3) Reserve should include upland forested areas adjacent to wetlands, wherever possible, to serve as a protective buffer.

17 4) Reserve should include as much surface and groundwater drainage sources, andjor source types as feasible. These type areas include non-estuarine types such as freshwater marshes, bogs, and swamp type forest. Water sources of the estuarine zone should be represented in order to afford protection of a representatively complete natural aquatic ecosystem. 5) Core research areas will be delineated to include representative areas across the gradient of coastal habitat types. These core areas will be selected to minimize conflicts with existing noncompatible uses. B. Characteristics of the Proposed MRGB NERR Second in size only to the Appalachicola NERR, the proposed Mullica River Great Bay NERR encompasses 46,173 hectares (Figure 7). Similar to other estuarine systems, the proposed Mullica River - Great Bay NERR incorporates a great variety of terrestrial, wetland, and aquatic habitats. As befitting an estuarine system, the most common cover type in the proposed NERR is water, 27,599 hectares, almost 60% of the area {Table 6). Marsh cover is the next largest category, accumulating to 13,034 hectares, over 28% of the area. Forest cover contributes another component to the diversified ecological system, including both upland and lowland forest types. Total forest cover amounts to 4,616 hectares, about 10% of the area. The developed landscape constituted only 553 hectares, or slightly over 1% of the area. Natural systems dominate the proposed NERR. They range from protected state forests, through wetlands, to barrier islands. The boundary shown on Figure 8 incorporates private holdings which are not part of the NERR. Although private land is included within the proposed boundaries, only publicly-owned lands and water will be actually incorporated within the designated NERR. The largest component of the proposed reserve is the water surface, and nearly all of the land margins bounding the water are in public ownership {Table 7). The southern margin of Great Bay is primarily in the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge (11,536 hectares, 25% of the area). The northern margin is largely in New Jersey's Great Bay Wildlife Management Area (4542 hectares, 9.8%). In addition, State Forest holdings along the Mullica River amount to 3,933 hectares, 8.5%. An additional 1155 hectares of state conservation lands are scheduled for future acquisition under pending Pinelands program funding. The significance of the public ownership is that the land use will not change greatly nor rapidly because there will not be major changes in land-use objectives and most of the land will continue to function within the system as it does now. Some of the public lands are managed as 'wilderness systems' (no modification allowed) , whereas others are managed to support recreational uses such as hunting, fishing, nature trails, canoeing, and non-exploitative uses. 18 1-' 1.0

Developed Water Nonforested Forested Marsh

Proposed MRGB NERR boundary

Table 6. Land cover in proposed MRGB NERR as determined by multispectral classification of Landsat Thematic Mapper imagery of August 18, 1988.

Land Cover Hectares % Cover ------~------~------Oak-Pine uplands 720 1.56 Pine-oak uplands 414 0.90 Pitch pine lowlands 2,190 4.74 Hardwood swamp 1,142 2.47 Cedar swamp 149 0.32 Barren 368 0.80 Water 27,599 59.77 Fresh/brackish marsh 683 1.48 Phragmites 501 1.08 High marsh 3,848 8.33 Low marsh 8,006 17.34 Developed 552 1.20 Total 46,172 100.00

Table 7. Land Ownership of proposed MRGB NERR.

Ownership category Hectares % of Total

National Wildlife Refuge 11,535 24.98 State Wildlife Man. Area 4,542 9.84 State Forest 3,932 8.52 Water 26,163 56.66

Total 46,172 100.00

Reserve Reserve

Estuarine Estuarine

River River

Boundary Boundary

Acquisition Acquisition

1992 1992

Reserve Reserve

1993 1993

Public Public

Road Road

Highway Highway

Estuary Estuary

Mullica Mullica

Commlakm, Commlakm,

University, University,

Land Land

State State

County County

ToliRoad ToliRoad

Land Land

Pending Pending

Rutgers Rutgers

Private Private

Proposed Proposed

Land Land

Public Public

Plnellllnds Plnellllnds

---

0 0

• •

Bl Bl D D

Santini, Santini,

Proposed Proposed

I I

tt:1 tt:1

Ill Ill

rt rt

ro ro

Ill Ill

11 11

~ ~

PJ PJ

ro ro

......

~ ~

(') (')

00 00

0. 0.

ro ro

1-' 1-'

c c

'cl 'cl

i-11 i-11

"< "<

0 0

11 11

Ill Ill

00 00

ro ro

......

1-J:j 1-J:j

c c

11 11

. .

I.Q I.Q

00 00 ro ro

ro ro

110 110

::011 ::011

::r

(') (')

00 00

ro ro

11 11

Ill Ill

......

:::01-' :::01-'

11 11

~ ~

rtO rtO

ro ro

!:1 !:1

00'0 00'0

Ill Ill

......

1-' 1-' t:I:IO t:I:IO

rt'O rt'O

0 0

!:1 !:1

Ill Ill

z~ z~

N N 1-' 1-' Boundaries were proposed that incorporated the Mullica River upriver to the head of tidal influence and downriver to include all of Great Bay. Adjacent areas were included within the proposed boundary to include missing coastal habitats andjor allow greater comparative analysis of adjacent habitats. The proposed NERR boundary extends north to include the adjacent waters and marshes of Little Egg Harbor to include submerged aquatic vegetation habitats (i.e. , extensive beds of eelgrass, Zostera marina) that are largely absent from Great Bay proper. The proposed boundary extends south to include the important migratory waterfowl habitats contained in the Brigantine portion of the Forsythe National Widlife Refuge and adjacent State Fish & Game Management lands. Because estuaries receive inputs from their oceanic margin as well as their terrestrial sides, this NERR proposes to extend seaward into the Atlantic Ocean approximately 6 km (Fig. 8) to include the Long-term Ecosystem Observatory (LE0-15) on the inner continental shelf. One obvious reason for considering this oceanic area is the importance of organic and inorganic exchanges within the water column and at the sediment interface and opportunities to evaluate the significance of the oceanic contributions to the maintenance of the estuarine system. The LE0-15 site is designated as a 2.79 km offshore research area, it is so listed on all navigation charts and notices to mariners. In Great Bay proper, with the exception of the small communities of Mystic Island and Tuckerton extending for less than 3000 m along the margin of the bay, the aquatic boundary is in a near pristine state. A handful of marinas occur outside of Mystic Island, but their spatial impact is small within the scale of the NERR. This characteristic is particularly beneficial as providing a comparison in the long-term evaluation of estuarine quality in other nearby locations. For example, the adjacent waters and shoreline of Little Egg Harbor have experienced greater development pressure with the lagoonal development of Beach Haven West and the developed portions of Long Beach Island. All of the standard criteria point to the unique and high environmental quality of this NERR site. The Mullica River - Great Bay estuary will provide the baseline data for evaluating modification and recovery programs in other sites. c. Research and Education within the Proposed MRGB NERR A particular benefit to this NERR site is the long history of scientific research. The Mullica River - Great Bay estuary is the site of some of the earliest estuarine research on the east coast of the U.S.A. In the early 1890's, Rutgers University faculty began study of oyster and hard clam biology and culture near Tuckerton. The research that began in the 1890's was sporadic during the next six decades. In 1957, J. B. Durand initiated a long-term study of water quality/chemistry of the 22 Mullica River - Great Bay system. The 1970's brought increased activity with the selection, in 1971, of the Little Egg Coast Guard Station at the mouth of Great Bay as an ideal site for a permanent marine field station. This site houses the Rutgers University Marine Field station (RUMFS), a complex of three buildings at the end of the marshy peninsula extending from Tuckerton.

The Marine Field Station is a major focal point for research activity in the proposed NERR. As expected, aquatic systems have been the primary area of research, including estuarine and juvenile fishes and their habitats, nutrient flux studies of the Mullica Great Bay system, productivity analyses in the wetlands, sedimentation in the wetlands, and benthic communities in the bay environments. These activities build upon and extend the water quality data collection begun by Durand in 1957 (Durand, 1988; Able, et al., 1992). They have generated biological and geological data bases that will be of immense value in the further long-term monitoring and estuarine research associated with a NERR.

Among ongoing developments at RUMFS are programmed expansion of the running seawater wet labs, creation of special purpose laboratory rooms, construction of a sizable dormitory facility on the upland adjacent to the wetlands around Great Bay, and the existence of a fleet of small boats (5-9 m) with which to conduct estuarine research. With the expansion of the Station and its support facilities, greater opportunities for researchers to visit and use the site will be developed. The proposed estuarine boundary extends seaward of the mouth of Great Bay to include an offshore research site that is in the area of tidal exchange with the bay. The offshore research location is designated the Long-Term Ecosystem Observatory Site at 15 meters depth, the LE0-15 site. Plans are underway to build an instrumented platform at this location to gather a variety of environmental data and to transmit these data in real time via a fiber-optic cable to RUMFS (Von Alt and Grassle, 1992), and then to the main campus in New Brunswick (and to other sites as well). The general LE0-15 location is an area which includes one of the large shoreface sand ridges that are so common in the vicinity of inlets along the East Coast. In the early 1970's, this particular ridge site was briefly considered as a possible location for a floating nuclear power plant. A wide range of studies were conducted at the proposed site and in the Mullica River - Great Bay estuary as part of engineering and environmental assessments, such as Milstein and Thomas (1977), Alpine Geophysical (1972), and McCullough, et al. (1974; 1975). These early data sets offer a tremendous historical perspective on the continental-oceanic exchanges. They contribute to the long-term monitoring objective of an NERR

23 and further establish the uniqueness of this location. The offshore component of the NERR is an especially important piece of the total estuarine reserve because it extends the spatial continuum of the physical, sedimentological, and biological processes and it allows for the study of the oceanic contribution to the estuarine system. It is an excellent blending of the many fields of science, as befits the characteristics of an estuary. The Mullica River-Great Bay area is also the site of research and management activities sponsored by the state and federal government. The Forsythe National Widlife Refuge is headquartered in Smithville, is involved in a variety of applied research activities focussed on wildlife and wildlife management. The Nacote Creek Research Station (NCRS) is the home of a number of NJDEPE bureaus and the center of much of the state government's coastal and estuarine research activities. The Bureaus of Wildlife Management, Marine Fisheries, Shellfisheries, Land Management, and Marine Law Enforcement are all located at NCRS. The NJDEPE's Bureau of Marine Water and Classification and Analysis, located at Leeds Point, is responsible for monitoring the state's estuarine and coastal water quality. Education programs are currently being conducted through the Rutgers Marine Field Station as part of its University offerings and as service programs to the community. The Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences at Rutgers, which operates the Marine Field Station, also has designed a variety of hands-on field enrichment opportunities for educators. In addition, the LE0-15 observatory offers a variety of interactive educational opportunities for students and educators at all grade levels. The Edwin B. Forsythe Wildlife Refuge, which has a very large visitation by bird-watchers and nature/environmental groups, provides guided and self-guided tours. The non-consumptive use by visitors to the State Forest and Wildlife Management lands are another type of educational experience.

D. Management

The objective of enhancing appropriate environmental decision-making is to be strengthened by the co-management of the Reserve. The proposal calls for a management team to be composed of the various institutional land-holders within. the reserve in addition to environmental groups and local authorities. Through a cooperative effort, the team will direct the programs within the reserve to assist in the educational and research objectives of the members. The partnership approach is both desirable and necessary. The estuary is large and complex. There are many issues that demand scientific inquiry, data gathering, and problem solving. The partnership management team will see to the balance of the inquiry and to the effective utilization of the human and natural resources. According to Imperial, et al.

24 (1992), the OCRM partnership model has proven to be an effective mechanism for the information transfer of research products in other coastal settings. Because most of the existing participants in the management team are concerned with habitat quality, resource enhancement, and recreational benefits, designation as a NERR is seen as another tool as well as strategy in the management program.

Overall responsibility for the management team will be spearheaded by the Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences under a cooperative agreement with the Office Regulatory Policy, Department of Environmental Protection and Energy with the advice of a Research Reserve Advisory Committee and Research and Education Subcommittees. The Advisory Committee membership, which will be appointed by the Commissioner of the New Jersey DEPE, will include, but not be limited to, the following: representatives of the state of New Jersey, Rutgers University and other state colleges and universities, the government agencies with responsibilities in or near the reserve area (e.g., the u.s. Fish & Wildlife Service) , and civic and environmental groups or individuals with relevant expertise. The Sanctuary and Reserves Division of NOAA will participate actively with the Advisory Committe in its role as an ex officio member of the Committee.

The management concept that is being proposed is a sectored approach in which designated portions are maintained with the least manipulation of the natural system, and with more permissive management toward the margins of the NERR. There are large portions of the estuarine wetlands that remain in a relatively-pristine state, not having been developed in the past, and not having modification of the wetland habitat. Much of it has escaped the ubiquitous ditching practiced in the past to control mosquito breeding. There are very few coastal areas in the Northeastern United States that have avoided the ditching syndrome. This is the largest coastal wetland area in New Jersey that remains free of the linear scars and alterations produced by past mosquito management. Research in this portion of the NERR will stress natural system dynamics and modifications associated with global change issues.

Several pieces of legislation combine to guarantee the environmental integrity of the State lands in the area. The New Jersey Wetlands Act of 1972 essentially prohibits any destruction of the wetlands. The Waterfront Development Act of 1914 regulates development below the mean high water level regarding environment, navigation and public access; and the Coastal Area Facilities Review Act of 1972 requires a permitting process for major development within a zone that includes the coast and its estuaries. These laws have combined to restrict any further development on the coastal wetlands and have effectively limited the demand on the area's resources to compatible usage. National

25 wetlands legislation applies to the Federal Refuge lands, and existing management plans for the Refuge establish rigid protection of the 'wilderness areas' with visitor use directed to other portions. The Pinelands National Reserve extends to much of the upland forested land not in the State Forests and that classification restricts the opportunity for development. Further, the Pinelands National Reserve is part of the Atlantic Coastal Plain Biosphere Reserve, designated by UNESCO under the Man and the Biosphere Program, which is an internationally- recognized effort to carry out long-term research on the world's major ecosystems (Good and Good, 1984). The application of existing laws, regulations, and management plans all lead to the preservation of the present system which integrates various levels of protection within the proposed NERR. They will both support and be supported by NERR designation. E. Summary The Mullica River - Great Bay estuarine system is a largely unspoiled environmental gem in the midst of a highly-developed, very urbanized setting. It has heretofore been bypassed because it was off of the urban corridor that extends through the Northeast coast. However, with more of the nation's population moving closer to the shoreline, there will be increasing pressure to develop parts of the estuary and to alter the existing quality. The unique presence of this high quality system within an urbanized/industrialized landscape causes it to be an outstanding candidate for NERR designation. The opportunities for research are enhanced through the ongoing efforts of the Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Energy, and the u.s. Fish & Wildlife Service on Great Bay and the LE0-15 site in the offshore zone. Existing inquiry into natural system dynamics and the accumulated data sets favor the establishment and continuation of long-term monitoring programs. Educational programs in the public lands and associated with the University currently provide a wide range of learning experiences. The wide extent of public lands and the limited development in the proposed area will assist in the management of the NERR toward the goals of research and education. .These goals are consistent with the management programs that apply in the area and the application of NERR goals will assist in the continuing beneficial management of the area.

26 VI. List of Preparers Richard G. Lathrop Jr. Department of Natural Resources Cook College - Rutgers University New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0231 (908) 932-9631 Norbert Psuty Institute of Marine and Coastal Science Cook College - Rutgers University New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0231 (908) 932-6555 Michael DeLuca Institute of Marine and Coastal Science Cook College - Rutgers University New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0231

steven Whitney Office of Regulatory Policy New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection & Energy Trenton, NJ 08625

VII. Acknowledgements Funding for this effort has been provided by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration. Support for this effort has been provided by the Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences of Rutgers University, the Center for Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis of Rutgers University, and the Office of Regulatory Policy of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Energy. John Bognar has been of invaluable assistance throughout every phase of this project. Thomas Breden of the New Jersey Natural Heritage Program provided the information on the diversity of rare plant, animal and natural communities. susan Durkas, Brian Jenkins, and Robert Manning provided assistance in developing the Geographic Information System for the proposed NERR. Alex Santini and Michael Siegel of the IMCS Cartography Laboratory produced the proposed NERR map. Robert Zampella, of the Pinelands Commission, was of great assistance in suggesting possible boundaries for the proposed MRGB NERR. This is Contribution #93-19 of the Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers - The state University of New Jersey.

27 VIII. References Able, Kenneth W., Roger Hoden, David Witting, and James B. Durand, 1992. Physical Parameters of the Great Bay - Mullica River Estuary: With a List of Research Publications. Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: New Brunswick, 38 p. Alpine Geophysical Associates, Inc., 1972. Final Report: Geophysical Investigation of the Atlantic Generating Station Site and Offshore Region, Norwood, NJ. Brower, David J., David W. owens, and Anna K. Schwab, 1991. Evaluation of the National Coastal Zone Management Program. Proceedings, Coastal Zone 1 91, American Society of coastal Engineering, 99. 3627-3637. Culliton, Thomas J., Maureen A Warren, Timothy R. Goodspeed, D avida G. Remer, Carol M. Blackwell, and John J. McDonough, III, 1990. 50 Years of Population Change along the Nation's Coasts, 1960-2010. National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: Rockville, MD, 41 p. Durand, James B., 1988. Field studies in the Mullica River - Great Bay Estuarine system, 2 Vols., Center for Coastal and Environmental Studies, Rutgers University: New Brunswick, NJ, 1316 p.

Environmental Protection Agency, 1990. Progress in the National Estuary Program: Report to Congress. Washington, D. c., 44 p. Gemmell, Dennis J., Norma F. Good, and Ralph E. Good, 1989. Compendium II: New Jersey Pine Barrens Literature. Center for Coastal and Environmental studies, Rutgers University: New Brunswick, NJ, 221 p. Good, Ralph E. and Norma F. Good, 1984. The Pinelands National Reserve: An ecosystem approach to management. BioScience, 34, 169-173.

Imperial, Mark T., Donald Robadue, Jr., and Timothy M. Hennessey, 1992. An evolutionary perspective on the development and assessment of the National Estuary Program, Coastal Management, 20, 311-341. Kantor, Richard A., 1980. Estuarine Sanctuaries for New Jersey's Coastal Zone: A Report and Preliminary Recommendation. Bureau of Coastal Planning and Development, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Trenton, NJ.

28 Kantor, Richard A. , Lawrence N. Bonino and Mil ton H. Martin. 1981. Mullica River Estuarine Sanctuary: Draft Environmental Impact Statement. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Washington, D.C., 77p. Kennish, Michael J., 1986. Ecology of Estuaries, Vol. I. CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL. Kennish, Michael J., 1990. Ecology of Estuaries, Vol. II. CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL. Kennish, Michael J., 1992. Ecology of Estuaries, Vol. III. CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL. McCullough, M. M., R. P. Smith, and Associates, 1974/1975. Ecological studies in the Bays and Other Waterways near Little Egg Inlet and in the Ocean in the Vicinity of the Proposed Site for the Atlantic Generating Station, New Jersey, Vol. I & Vol. II. Ichthyological Associates, Inc.: Ithaca, NY, 527p. & 463p. Milstein, c. B. and David L. Thomas, 1977. summary of Ecological studies for 1972-75 in the Bays and Other Waterways near Little Egg Inlet and in the Ocean in the Vicinity of the Proposed Site for the Atlantic Generating Station, NJ. Bulletin No. 18, Ichthyological Associates, Inc.: Ithaca, NY, 757 p. NOAA, Department of commerce, September 4, 1992. Announcement of Opportunities for Funding Research in the National Estuarine Research Reserve System, for Fiscal Year 1993, Federal Register, 57, 40636-40643. Steele, John, et al., 1989. Comparison of Terrestrial and Marine Ecological Systems: Report of a National Science Foundation Workshop. Santa Fe, NM. Von Alt, Christopher and J. Frederick Grassle, 1992. LE0-15: An unmanned long term environmental observatory, Proceedings, Oceans '92, 2, 849-854.