Chatham Township Environmental Commission Natural Resources Inventory 2013 (1-14-13) NATURAL RESOURCES INVENTORY 2013 Introduction Acknowledgements Chapter 1 - History Chapter 2 - Geology and Topography Chapter 3 - Hydrology Chapter 4 - Climate and Air Quality Chapter 5 - Soils Chapter 6 - Vegetation Trees of the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge Wildflowers of the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge Chapter 7 - Wildlife Chapter 8 - Open Space and Land Use Chapter 9 - Transportation and Regional Connections Chapter 10 - Natural Regions Overview map of updated regions and sections Passaic River section discussion Passaic River section map Esternay section discussion Esternay section map Orchard section discussion Orchard section map Mountainview section discussion Mountainview section map Fairmount section discussion Fairmount section map Southern Boulevard section discussion Southern Boulevard section map Averett section discussion Averett section map Moraine section discussion Moraine section map Giralda Farms section discussion Giralda Farms section map Loantaka section discussion Loantaka section map Hickory section discussion Hickory section map Delta section discussion Delta section map Maps of Environmental Features in Chatham Township Buried Valley Aquifer A Sole Source aquifer underlying part of Chatham Township Conservation Easements Contaminated Sites Critical Habitat for Imperiled Species Environmentally Sensitive Sites Permit extension law does not apply to these sensitive sites Geology Land Use/Land Cover 1986 to 2007 Open Space Parcels with Potential for Development Slopes In Percent Soils Stormwater Recharge Streams Requiring a 300 Foot Buffer Topography Wetlands NRI 1974 edition (21 MB) Also on-line on the Chatham Township website NRI 1999 edition Also on-line on the Chatham Township website Township of Chatham, 58 Meyersville Road, Chatham, NJ 07928, 973-635-4600 Chatham Township Natural Resources Inventory 2013 Introduction The Chatham Township Environmental Commission has updated its 1999 NRI with new and revised content and maps. The 1999 NRI, prepared by volunteers, was based on the first Township NRI done by volunteers in 1974. The 2013 NRI was carried out by volunteer members of the Environmental Commission in consultation with the Township engineer, John Ruschke of Hatch, Mott, MacDonald, and the Township planner, Frank Banisch of Banisch Associates. The purpose of an NRI is to provide information to the Planning Board when considering development applications, revisions to the Master Plan and zoning, to developers so they can plan environmentally sensitive construction, to the Open Space Committee to show opportunities for open space acquisition, currently preserved properties and possibilities for creating and connecting trails, to the Board of Adjustment for evaluating variance applications, to the Township Committee when planning services, and to the Environmental Commission and other groups for planning activities. The environment of Chatham Township is dominated by the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, which occupies about a third of the township. Most of the Refuge is wetlands; they are the remnant of a lake formed when the Wisconsin glacier melted ten thousand years ago. The wetlands don't stop at the border of the refuge; they extend into most of the township and up some of the eastern slopes. The two main environmental changes in Chatham Township between 1999 and 2013 were the redevelopment and infill of parcels and small subdivisions, with many modest houses being demolished and replaced with bigger homes ("McMansions"), and the preservation of large tracts of open space. With the recent acquisition of the Platt property over half of the Hickory section is preserved open space. Of Chatham Township's 9.4 square mile area over 40% is preserved as open space. There are other large open areas which are privately owned. Other significant environmental events in the period included the adoption of strict stormwater control regulations and the requirement by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection that its conservation easements on wetlands and wetland transition areas be recorded in the office of the Morris County Clerk. The first means that often lot grading plans can be required to include stormwater management features and the second means that a parcel can easily be checked for a wetland easement by searching the on-line Morris County database. The 1999 NRI gives information on changes in the Township between the 1970s and 1999 including the construction of the Tanglewood sewage treatment plant, the identification of an important recharge area lying roughly between Southern Boulevard and Shunpike Road for the Buried Valley aquifer, and studies showing increased stormwater runoff from development. This Natural Resources Inventory is a report of all the natural features in Chatham Township. It has chapters on history, geology and topography, hydrology, climate and air quality, soils, vegetation, wildlife, open space and land use, transportation and regional connections. Some independent reports are made available: Banisch Build- out Analysis, Banisch Walkway and Bikeway Plan, Apgar Report 1997 on the Rolling Knolls landfill. The NRI ___________________________________________________ Chatham Township Natural Resources Inventory 2013 Introduction 1 includes a discussion of each of the Township's 12 natural sections: Passaic River, Esternay, Orchard, Mountainview, Fairmount, Southern Boulevard, Averett, Moraine, Giralda Farms, Loantaka, Hickory, and Delta. The NRI includes 15 stand-alone maps with a description of each: the Buried Valley aquifer, conservation easements, contaminated sites, critical habitat for imperiled species, environmentally sensitive sites, geology, land use/land cover 1986 to 2007, open space, parcels with potential for development, slopes in percent, soils, stormwater recharge, streams requiring a 300 foot buffer, topography, and wetlands. Contents Chapters, Reports and Maps Introduction Acknowledgements Chapter 1 - History Chapter 2 - Geology and Topography Chapter 3 - Hydrology Chapter 4 - Climate and Air Quality Chapter 5 - Soils Chapter 6 - Vegetation Trees of the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge Wildflowers of the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge Chapter 7 - Wildlife Chapter 8 - Open Space and Land Use Banisch Build-out Analysis Chapter 9 - Transportation and Regional Connections Banisch Walkway and Bikeway Plan Chapter 10 - Natural Regions Overview map of updated regions and sections Passaic River section discussion Passaic River section map Esternay section discussion Esternay section map Orchard section discussion Orchard section map Mountainview section discussion Mountainview section map Fairmount section discussion Fairmount section map ___________________________________________________ Chatham Township Natural Resources Inventory 2013 Introduction 2 Southern Boulevard section discussion Southern Boulevard section map Averett section discussion Averett section map Moraine section discussion Moraine section map Giralda Farms section discussion Giralda Farms section map Loantaka section discussion Loantaka section map Hickory section discussion Hickory section map Delta section discussion Apgar Report 1997 Delta section map Descriptions of the Maps of Environmental Features in Chatham Township Maps • Buried Valley Aquifer - A Sole Source aquifer underlying part of Chatham Township • Conservation Easements • Contaminated Sites • Critical Habitat for Imperiled Species • Environmentally Sensitive Sites - Permit extension law does not apply to these sensitive sites • Geology • Land Use/Land Cover 1986 to 2007 • Open Space • Parcels with Potential for Development • Slopes In Percent • Soils • Stormwater Recharge • Streams Requiring a 300 Foot Buffer • Topography • Wetlands = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = ___________________________________________________ Chatham Township Natural Resources Inventory 2013 Introduction 3 Natural Resources Inventory Acknowledgements The Chatham Township Environmental Commission acknowledges the efforts of all who cared enough about the town to spend countless hours investigating the environmental aspects of its regions and recording the information for the Natural Resources Inventory. All three editions have been produced by volunteers, with extra assistance from Kathy Caccavale, who helped with the production of the 1999 NRI, from John Ruschke, Township engineer associated with Hatch, Mott, MacDonald, who provided consultant services for the 2013 NRI, and from Frank Banisch, Township planner associated with Banisch Associates, who provided much detailed data for the 2013 NRI. The environmental commission which sponsored the 2013 NRI update consisted of Nicole Hagner, Chatham Township Mayor Kathy Abbott, Chatham Township Committee liaison to CTEC Lou Caprioglio Steve Carroll Pat Collington, Vice Chair Frank Esposito Shankar Krishnan Matt Palmer Subashree Rajagopal Megan Schaaf Dot Stillinger, Chair Carolyn Scannelli, Secretary The environmental commission NRI subcommittee which supervised all the work and created most of the content consisted of Steve Carroll, Shankar Krishnan, Matt Palmer, Dot Stillinger. We acknowledge with grateful thanks the 1999 mayor of Chatham Township and the members of the 1999 Environmental Commission whose efforts produced the 1999 Natural Resources Inventory: Joseph Reilly, Mayor 1999 Abigail Fair, Township Committee Liaison Keith Savel, Chairman Gregg Williamson, Vice Chairman