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New Jersey's Central Passaic Basin

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New Jersey's Central Passaic Basin U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service New Jersey’s Central Passaic Basin Prehistoric Glacial Lake, Present-Day Wetland Treasure Prehistoric Glacial Lake Passaic “During the flood of 1903 the water fell so quickly all over this basin, and was collected so rapidly by the small tributaries, that a lake was formed at once which served as a cushion against which the raging torrent of the highland tributaries spent itself without doing extraordinary damage in that immediate region. The conditions here outlined illustrate the rapidity with which flood waters are discharged from the Pompton drainage area, and the deterring effect of Great Piece Meadows upon the flood.” Marshall Ora Leighton, U.S. Geologic Survey, 1904 Panoramic view of Troy Meadows, Morris County, New Jersey. Photo: Wendy Walsh / USFWS Origins Drinking Water During the last ice age, the massive About 40 percent of New Jersey’s Wisconsin glacier encountered a large Highlands, renowned for clean water, drain oval basin in northern New Jersey. About to the Central Passaic Basin through the 30 miles long and 5 to 10 miles wide, this Ramapo, Pompton, Pequannock, Rockaway, distinctive basin dates back about 180 and Whippany Rivers. The Basin’s five million years and consists of a sedimentary reservoirs provide drinking water to people Photo: Dave Menke / USFWS Piedmont plain enclosed by hard volcanic as far as Jersey City. A prolific glacial Wood duck (Aix sponsa) rocks—the Watchung Mountains to the aquifer beneath the Central Passaic is east and the ancient Highlands ridges to tapped by over 100 wells that supply water the west. Ice and debris from the glacier to most of the Basin’s half-million local blocked gaps in the Watchung Mountains, residents. and the Passaic River backed up to form a lake. As the ice retreated, Glacial Lake Passaic reached its maximum size between Flood Control 13,000 and 11,000 years ago, supplemented Nine floods since the 1960s have prompted by glacial melt waters. When the Passaic Federal Disaster declarations and extensive River carved its current circuitous course, flood control studies in the Passaic it drained the basin through a mountain gap watershed. However, flood damages would at Little Falls, leaving behind an impressive be much worse without the capacity of series of palustrine wetlands from Basking wetlands to retain and detain flood waters. Ridge to Pompton Plains. Sediments The importance of the Central Passaic deposited by the glacier cover much of the wetlands as a natural flood buffer has been Central Passaic Basin, in places more than recognized for over 100 years. 300 feet thick. Fish and Wildlife Threats Over 20,000 acres in the Passaic Basin are Despite historic losses from development, The primary threat to the natural resources conserved. State-owned lands exceed 1,600 wetlands comprise about a quarter of the of the Central Passaic is development acres and are increasing in part through Central Passaic Basin, over 30,000 acres. that promotes flooding, sedimentation, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers program About 70 percent of the wetlands are pollution, invasive species, and ecosystem to acquire 5,350 acres of natural flood forested, mainly red maple (Acer rubrum) fragmentation. Over half the Basin is storage areas—essentially, the outer core swamps. Other wetland communities already developed, and its wetlands are perimeter of the wetland complexes. At the include buttonbush (Cepahalanthus fragmented by a web of major highways south end of the Basin, the U.S. Fish and occidentalis) shrub swamps and marshes and utility rights-of-way. The invasive Wildlife Service (Service) administers the of cattails (Typha spp.), bulrushes (Scirpus plants purple loosestrife (Lythrum Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. At spp.), sedges (Carex spp.), and arrow arum salicaria) and common reed (Phragmites approximately 7,600 acres, the Refuge is the (Peltandra virginica). Undeveloped uplands australis) have degraded many wetlands, largest public land holding in the Central include about 2,000 acres of grasslands and and overabundant white-tailed deer Passaic Basin. The Service is authorized to 15,000 acres of forest. The size and diversity (Odocoileus virginianus) are damaging acquire another 1,800 acres for the Refuge. of this freshwater wetland complex is the forest understory in places—both Within the Great Swamp watershed, the especially significant in the urbanized symptoms of encroaching development. Service is working with partners to clean metropolitan area. To protect developments in the floodplain, up contaminated sites, improve sewage a number of flood control construction treatment plant discharges, survey for The species list for the Central Passaic projects have been proposed since the federally listed species, and restore includes at least 33 mammals, 244 birds, 1930s, some of which would damage the wetlands with settlement funds from parties 20 reptiles, 24 amphibians, and 35 fish. area’s wetlands if built. responsible for pollution. The Central Passaic contains the State’s only known population of the blue-spotted Pollution is another threat. The Central The Service’s Partners for Fish and salamander and important breeding habitat Passaic was once viewed as a swampy Wildlife program has carried out three for Indiana bat. About 600 plant species dumping ground. Old landfills have left habitat restoration projects in the Basin. occur in the area, including 10 State-listed a legacy of contamination including four Since 1997, the Service has reviewed over and 1 federally listed species (swamp pink). Superfund sites. In addition to polluted 450 development proposals in the Basin, runoff from development, about 150 providing recommendations to protect The Basin supports over 100 species of authorized facilities discharge to the wildlife. Numerous reports issued by the breeding birds, including 10 species of Basin’s surface waters, including over 30 Service have helped steer flood control conservation concern. Nesting birds include sewage treatment plants. Water quality in in the Passaic River watershed toward sensitive forest-interior songbirds, cavity- the Central Basin is impaired by excess the least environmentally damaging nesting red-headed woodpeckers and wood nutrients and a variety of metals. alternatives. The Service is a committed ducks (Aix sponsa), colonial great blue conservation partner in protecting the herons (Ardea herodias), three species of Central Passaic and invites you to enjoy this rails, four State-listed raptor species, and wetland treasure in the heart of suburbia. one of the largest Eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis) populations in New Jersey. Forested wetlands of the Central Passaic provide valuable stopover habitats for migrating songbirds, and the Basin’s diverse habitats support a prey base for raptors that follow Photo: Nieminen / USFWS the Watchung ridges during migration. Eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis) November waterfowl surveys of the area U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Ecological Services average over 5,000 wintering ducks and Conservation geese. New Jersey Field Office Although threats remain, considerable 927 North Main Street, Building D conservation progress has been made Pleasantville, New Jersey 08232 in the Central Passaic Basin. Laws Listed Species in the Passaic Basin regulating waste disposal have put an end P: 609/646 9310 to indiscriminate dumping. State laws F: 609/646 0352 Federally Listed Species now regulate activities in wetlands and E: [email protected] Indiana Bat (Myotis sodalis) [endangered] floodplains. The Flood Hazard Control Act W: http://www.fws.gov/northeast/ Bog Turtle (Clemmys muhlenbergii) [threatened] prohibits almost all new development in njfieldoffice/ Swamp Pink (Helonias bullata) [threatened] Floodways, which total about 6,300 acres in the Central Passaic Basin. Recognizing Federal Relay Service for the deaf State-Listed Wildlife Species the area’s particular flooding problems, the and hard-of-hearing 800/877 8339 Bobcat (Lynx rufus) Act includes a special rule for the Central American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosos) Passaic Basin that prohibits any net loss of Barred Owl (Strix varia) February 2007 flood water retention capacity. Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) Long-Earred Owl (Asio otus) Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus) Designations of the Central Passaic Wetland Complex Pied-Billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) Red-Headed woodpecker (Melanerpes Biodiversity Priority Site ........ New Jersey Natural Heritage Program erythrocephalus) Priority Wetland ....................... U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Red-Shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) Significant Habitat Complex .. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Wood Turtle (Clemmys insculpta) Priority Wetland ....................... U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Blue-Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma laterale) Waterfowl Focus Area .............. Atlantic Coast Joint Venture.
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