Environmental Resource Inventory
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ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCE INVENTORY FOR UPPER DEERFIELD TOWNSHIP CUMBERLAND COUNTY, NEW JERSEY MAY 18, 2006 Prepared for: Upper Deerfield Township Environmental Commission Prepared by: Amy S. Greene Environmental Consultants, Inc. 4 Walter E. Foran Boulevard, Suite 209 Flemington, New Jersey 08822 This document was prepared with the aid of a Smart Growth Planning Grant from the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions ASGECI Project #2517 TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Page # 1.0 INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................... 1 2.0 HISTORY ................................................................................................................... 4 2.1 Local History.................................................................................................. 4 2.2 Historic Preservation..................................................................................... 4 2.3 Significant Trees.............................................................................................6 2.4 Historic Roads................................................................................................ 6 3.0 CLIMATOLOGY ...................................................................................................... 7 4.0 GEOLOGY................................................................................................................. 8 4.1 Physiography.................................................................................................. 8 4.2 Stratigraphy.................................................................................................... 9 4.3 Surficial Formations ...................................................................................... 9 4.4 Aquifers and Recharge Areas....................................................................... 9 4.5 Potable Water Supply.................................................................................. 11 4.6 Contamination.............................................................................................. 11 4.7 Wellhead Protection..................................................................................... 15 4.8 Known Contaminated Sites......................................................................... 15 4.9 EPA Superfund Sites ................................................................................... 16 4.10 Sole Source Aquifers.................................................................................... 17 5.0 SOILS ........................................................................................................................ 17 5.1 Soil Types...................................................................................................... 17 5.2 Prime Farmland........................................................................................... 20 5.3 Hydric Soils...................................................................................................21 5.4 Steep Slopes .................................................................................................. 23 5.5 Soil Erosion and Sediment Control............................................................ 23 6.0 WATER RESOURCES........................................................................................... 24 6.1 Drainage Basins and Major Surface Water Features .............................. 24 6.2 Surface Water Quality Classification......................................................... 27 6.3 Surface Water Quality................................................................................. 28 6.3.1 AMNET Monitoring ...................................................................... .28 6.3.2 Federal Clean Water Act (Section 303d) ...................................... 29 6.3.3 Non-Point Source Pollution............................................................ 30 6.3.4 Point Source Pollution.................................................................... 31 6.4 Surface Water Quality Protection.............................................................. 31 6.4.1 Riparian Corridors ......................................................................... 31 6.4.2 Flood Hazard Area Control Act Rules.......................................... 33 6.4.3 Stormwater Management Rules .................................................... 33 6.4.4 Public Participation ....................................................................... .34 6.5 Floodplains....................................................................................................34 TABLE OF CONTENTS – Continued Page # 7.0 WETLANDS............................................................................................................. 35 7.1 Definition and Identifying Factors ............................................................. 35 7.2 Wetland Locations ....................................................................................... 36 7.3 Wetland Resource Value Classification..................................................... 36 7.4 Wetland Communities................................................................................. 38 7.4.1 Palustrine Deciduous Forested Wetlands ..................................... 39 7.4.2 Palustrine Scrub/Shrub Wetlands................................................. 39 7.4.3 Palustrine Emergent Wetlands...................................................... 39 7.4.4 Palustrine Needle Leaved and Broad Leaved Wetlands ............. 40 7.4.5 Modified Wetlands.......................................................................... 40 7.4.6 Vernal Pools..................................................................................... 40 7.4.7 Wetland Mitigation......................................................................... 42 7.4.8 EPA Priority Wetlands.................................................................. 42 7.4.9 Wetland Regulations...................................................................... 43 8.0 AIR QUALITY.........................................................................................................44 9.0 LAND USE............................................................................................................... 45 9.1 Land Use/Cover Types ................................................................................ 45 10.0 WILDLIFE ............................................................................................................... 48 10.1 Fisheries........................................................................................................ 48 10.2 Endangered and Threatened Species......................................................... 49 10.3 Endangered and Threatened Plant Species............................................... 53 10.4 NJDEP Priority Site..................................................................................... 55 10.5 The Landscape Project................................................................................ 55 10.6 Forest Fragmentation and Corridors......................................................... 57 10.7 Regulatory Protection for Endangered and Threatened Species............ 58 11.0 SUMMARY…………………………………………………………………………59 12.0 FIGURES…………………………………………………………………………62-78 Figure 1 Location Map Figure 2 Geology Figure 3 Wellhead Protection Areas and Known Contaminated Sites Figure 4 USGS Topographic Map Figure 5 Soil Series Figure 6 Slopes Figure 7 Watersheds Figure 8 Surface Water Resources Figure 9 HUC-14 Subwatersheds Figure 10 Floodplains TABLE OF CONTENTS – Continued Page # Figure 11 Wetlands Figure 12 Forest and Grassland Habitat Figure 13 Potential Vernal Habitat Figure 14 Land Use/Land Cover Figure 15 Bald Eagle Foraging Habitat Figure 16 Forested and Emergent Wetland Habitat 13.0 REFERENCES......................................................................................................... 79 APPENDIX A: NJDEP NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM DATA AND U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE RESPONSE LETTER LIST OF SITES REGULATED BY NJDEP APPENDIX B: PHOTOGRAPHS LIST OF TABLES Table 1 Contamination Susceptibility in Public Noncommunity Wells......................... 13 Table 2 Upper Deerfield Township Known Contaminated Sites .................................. 16 Table 3 Soils Mapping Units and their Characteristics ................................................. 19 Table 4 Upper Deerfield Township Watersheds/Subwatersheds.................................. 26 Table 5 Biological Condition of Streams in Upper Deerfield Township ...................... 29 Table 6 Impaired Waters Listed on the 303(d) List for Upper Deerfield Township... 29 Table 7 Recent NJPDES Permitted Facilities in Upper Deerfield Township............... 31 Table 8 Distribution of Wetland Communities in Upper Deerfield Township ............ 38 Table 9 Distribution of Land Use/Land Cover Types .................................................... 45 Table 10 Threatened and Endangered Wildlife................................................................ 49 Table 11 Threatened and Endangered Plant Species ....................................................... 54 1.0 INTRODUCTION The purpose of the Environmental Resource Inventory (ERI) for Upper Deerfield Township is to objectively identify and describe the natural resources, cultural conditions and environmental features within the Township. The ERI provides both visual depictions of natural resources, in the form of mapping