Environmental Resource Inventory for the Township of Greenwich Is Dedicated to the Memory of Deputy Mayor Daniel Hancock
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The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission is dedicated to uniting the region’s elected officials, planning professionals, and the public with a common vision of making a great region even greater. Shaping the way we live, work, and play, DVRPC builds consensus on improving transportation, promoting smart growth, protecting the environment, and enhancing the economy. We serve a diverse region of nine counties: Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia in Pennsylvania; and Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, and Mercer in New Jersey. DVRPC is the federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization for the Greater Philadelphia Region — leading the way to a better future. The symbol in our logo is adapted from the official DVRPC seal and is designed as a stylized image of the Delaware Valley. The outer ring symbolizes the region as a whole while the diagonal bar signifies the Delaware River. The two adjoining crescents represent the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey. DVRPC is funded by a variety of funding sources including federal grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA), the Pennsylvania and New Jersey departments of transportation, as well as by DVRPC’s state and local member governments. The authors, however, are solely responsible for the findings and conclusions herein, which may not represent the official views or policies of the funding agencies. DVRPC fully complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related statutes and regulations in all programs and activities. DVRPC’s website (www.dvrpc.org) may be translated into multiple languages. Publications and other public documents can be made available in alternative languages and formats, if requested. For more information, please call (215) 238-2871. Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................... i EXECUTIVE SUMMARY................................................................................................ 1 CHAPTER 1.............................................................................................................................................................. 3 BRIEF HISTORY............................................................................................................ 3 Early History and Lenape Settlement ...................................................................... 3 European Settlement ............................................................................................... 4 Agriculture and Industry ........................................................................................... 7 The Bayside Tract.................................................................................................... 9 CHAPTER 2............................................................................................................................................................ 11 LOCATION, SIZE, AND LAND USE............................................................................ 11 CHAPTER3............................................................................................................................................................. 19 NATURAL RESOURCES ............................................................................................ 19 Physiography ......................................................................................................... 19 Topography and Surface Landscapes................................................................... 20 Soils........................................................................................................................ 20 Climate ................................................................................................................... 32 Surface Water Resources...................................................................................... 34 Groundwater .......................................................................................................... 60 Air Quality............................................................................................................... 68 CHAPTER 4............................................................................................................................................................ 73 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES ....................................................................................... 73 Natural Vegetation ................................................................................................. 73 Landscape Project Priority Habitats....................................................................... 77 Animal Communities .............................................................................................. 83 Natural Heritage Database and Natural Heritage Priority Sites............................. 91 CHAPTER 5............................................................................................................................................................ 93 THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT ....................................................................................... 93 Population .............................................................................................................. 93 Transportation ........................................................................................................ 94 Township Utilities and Services ............................................................................. 95 Open Space, Parks, and Recreation ..................................................................... 96 Historic Resources................................................................................................. 98 CHAPTER 6.......................................................................................................................................................... 103 ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES ...................................................................................... 103 Known Contaminated Sites.................................................................................. 103 Radon................................................................................................................... 104 Other Environmental Concerns............................................................................ 105 CHAPTER 7.......................................................................................................................................................... 111 SOURCES OF INFORMATION ................................................................................. 111 APPENDICES....................................................................................................................................................... 121 Tables Table 1: Greenwich General Land Use/Land Cover Classes (2002) ..........................................12 Table 2: Greenwich Detailed Land Use/Land Cover (2002) .......................................................13 Table 3: Agricultural Value for Greenwich Soils..........................................................................22 Table 4: Greenwich Soils............................................................................................................25 Table 5: Soil Limitations for Development ..................................................................................27 Table 6: Watersheds and Subwatersheds in Greenwich ............................................................38 Table 7: Greenwich Streams ......................................................................................................38 Table 8: Flood Hazard Area Acreage .........................................................................................45 Table 9: Water Quality Classifications of Streams in Greenwich ................................................46 Table 10: New Jersey Integrated Water-Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report (2008).......48 Table 11: New Jersey’s 303(d) List of Impaired Waters with Priority Ranking (2008) ..................50 Table 12: New Jersey AMNET Sampling Locations Greenwich Township Waterways ................51 Table 13: Fish Consumption Advisories for Cumberland County .................................................52 Table 14: Impervious Coverage by HUC 14 Watersheds .............................................................56 Table 15: Greenwich NJPDES Permits ........................................................................................60 Table 16: Public Non-Community Water Supply Wells.................................................................63 Table 17: 2009 Monitoring Schedule of Public Water Supply Wells .............................................64 Table 18: Greenwich Natural Vegetation......................................................................................74 Table 19: Landscape Project Habitat Rankings – Acreage in Greenwich.....................................79 Table 20: Explanation of Landscape Project Habitat Rankings ....................................................80 Table 21: Protected Open Space .................................................................................................97 Table 22: Sites Listed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places .............................99 Table 23: Known Contaminated Sites in Greenwich Township ..................................................103