MILLSTONE RIVER WATERSHED Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention (PL-566) Locally-Led Planning and Implementation Effort

(NJ map with Millstone Watershed highlighted)

SPONSORS: Hunterdon County Mercer County Middlesex County Monmouth County Somerset County Freehold Soil Conservation District Hunterdon Soil Conservation District Mercer County Soil Conservation District Somerset-Union Soil Conservation District NJ State Soil Conservation Committee NJ Water Supply Authority USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

What is a watershed?

A watershed is the land area that water flows across before draining to a common stream, lake, river, bay or ocean. Watersheds naturally cross municipal and county boundaries.

How does this relate to the Millstone River Watershed?

The Millstone River Watershed is located in central New Jersey. The watershed is 184,320 acres in size. It straddles two major physiographic provinces, namely the Piedmont Plateau and the Inner Coastal Plain. The watershed is made up of portions of Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth and Somerset counties.

Within this area are parts or all of 26 municipalities, including the following incorporated municipalities: the boroughs of Manville, Millstone, Franklin, Hillsborough, Hightstown and Mont- gomery, and the townships of Plainsboro and Princeton; historic communities along the river corridor include Zarephath, Blackwells Mills, Griggstown and Kingston. It includes the Route 1 corridor from Lawrence to North Brunswick Townships. Land and water management in one part of the watershed can have direct and indirect impacts on water quantity and quality in downstream areas of the watershed.

Why is the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) working with governing body officials, citizens and other individuals in the Millstone River Watershed?

NRCS works with other Federal, State, and local agencies, units of government and local organizations to provide help requested at the local level. Following flooding from on September 17, 1999, several members of Congress requested that NRCS determine the level of local interest in its PL-566 Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Program. Since late January 2000, NRCS has met with representatives of counties, soil conservation districts, municipalities and others in the Millstone Watershed in an effort to begin a discussion on local resource concerns.

What does the PL566 Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Program offer local people in the Millstone River Watershed?

It provides the planning assistance, free of charge, to develop a watershed plan that will address local citizens’ concerns and objectives. Objectives may include flood damage reduction, soil erosion reduction, water quality improvement, public recreation development, public fish and wildlife development, groundwater recharge protection and agricultural water management. Following Watershed Plan development, cost sharing may be available to local sponsors to cover up to 100 percent of the construction cost for a flood prevention/control measure (land-rights and permits necessary to implement a project are not included).

What are the objectives of developing the Watershed Plan?

The objectives of the Watershed Plan, to be completed at Federal expense with the full participation of a locally-led Steering Committee, are to:

• Define the problems and identify opportunities and potential solutions for flood damage reduction as identified by the local sponsors. These alternatives may include structural, non- structural and/or land treatment alternatives. • Define the problems and identify opportunities and potential solutions for non-flood related issues. • Determine the engineering, economic (costs and benefits) and environmental feasibility of the identified solutions. • Recommend an alternative to local sponsors. The local sponsors make the final decision as to which alternative will be implemented.

What is involved in developing the Watershed Plan?

The watershed plan development includes identification of the problems, determination of the local citizens’ objectives, inventory of existing resources, analysis of the resource data, development and evaluation of the various alternatives for solution of the locally identified problems, and a decision by the local people regarding which alternative would offer the best solution for the problems.

When will the Watershed Plan be completed and ready for implementation?

The Plan is expected to be completed in early 2002. Following Plan completion, the local sponsors represented on the Millstone River Steering Committee will follow up with implementation of their selected alternative.

How is this watershed planning effort related to other similar activities in the watershed or the Basin?

This watershed planning effort, in order to avoid duplication of effort and to build on past and existing planning activities by others, is being coordinated with planning activities by other organizations. These include the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Jersey Water Supply Authority, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the Stony Brook-Millstone River Watershed Association.

How can I help?

Your input and involvement with the watershed planning process is critical to the successful development and implementation of the Watershed Plan.

Who should I contact to provide inputs to the Plan development?

Contact your local representative on the Millstone River Steering Committee. Sponsor organizations are listed at the top of this document.

Who should I contact regarding the PL566 Program?

Greg Westfall, Water Resource Planner USDA NRCS 1370 Hamilton Street Somerset, NJ 08873

Phone 732-246-1171 X165

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or familial status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice or TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.