Natural Resource Inventory Report
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NATURAL RESOURCE INVENTORY REPORT Prepared by: The Millburn Environmental Commission Millburn Township Essex County, New Jersey APRIL 1992 The Environmental Commission of Millburn Township -_ Elizabeth C. Howe, Chair Kathleen P. Galop - S. Jerome Greenfield Allen Kilik - Edward T. Marshall Mary Jean McLaughlin - Helen K. Motzenbecker Elizabeth Naughton Kurt L. Snyder James S. Ward -.. - This report was published by the Environmental Commissio n in June 1992. The document was prepared with the aid of a grant from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Environmental Services. Copies may be purchased from Millburn Town Hall 375 Millburn Avenue Millburn, New Jersey 07041 - TABLE OF CONTENTS Paqe No. INTRODUCTION ......................................... i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..................................... ii MAPS ................................................. iii I. BACKGROUND ........................................... 1 A. Geography and Demography ........................ 1 B. Land Use ........................................ 3 C. History ......................................... 4 D. Physiography .................................... 6 1. Wyoming .................................... 7 2. South Mountain ............................. 7 3. Millburn ................................... 8 4. Knollwood .................................. 9 5. Glenwood ................................... 9 6. Brookhaven ................................. 9 7. Old Short Hills ............................ 9 8. Country Club ............................... 10 - 9. White Oak Ridge ............................ 10 10. Deerfield-Crossroads ....................... 11 11. Mountaintop ................................ 11 II. NATURAL RESOURCES .................................... 12 A. Climate ......................................... 12 B. Air Quality ..................................... 15 C. Geology ......................................... 19 D. Aquifers ........................................ 26 E. Soils ........................................... 28 1. Slope ...................................... 32 2. Soil Erosion Potential ..................... 33 3. Seasonal High Water Table .................. 34 4. Water Runoff Potential ..................... 35 5. Depth to Bedrock ........................... 36 F. Hydrology ....................................... 36 G. Water Quality ................................... 40 1. Upper Passaic River ........................ 40 2. Rahway River ............................... 41 H. Vegetation ...................................... 42 I. Wetlands ........................................ 47 1. Wetland Values ............................. 47 2. Federal Authority .......................... 51 3. State Authority ............................ 53 J. Wildlife ........................................ 56 TABLE OF CONTENTS Pase No. - III. REGIONAL FACTORS .................................... 57 A. Water Supply ................................... 57 B. Watersheds ..................................... 57 C. Population Density and Open Space .............. 62 D. Sewerage ....................................... 64 E. Transportation ................................. 66 1. Automobile ................................ 66 2. Bus ....................................... 67 - 3. Rail ...................................... 68 IV. FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ........................ 69 V. BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................ 71 VI. APPENDICES - A. Seven "Critical Area" Maps ..................... A-l B. Open Space in Millburn Township ................ B-l 1. Tabular Listing ........................... B-2 2. Fox Hill Reserve .......................... B-4 C. Bicentennial Trees ............................. C-l D. Historic Districts and Sites ................... D-l 1. Historic Buildings ........................ D-2 2. Historic Sites ............................ D-9 3. Public Buildings .......................... D-10 4. Schools ................................... D-11 5. Churches .................................. D-12 6. Private Clubs ............................. D-13 7. Historic District Map ..................... D-14 E. Chart of Soils ................................. E-l F. List of Birds at Hartshorn Arboretum ........... F-l G. Population and Housing Information ............. G-l - H. Examples of Wetland Types ...................... H-l I. Definitions of Wetlands ........................ I-l J. Explaining the Three Criteria for Wetlands ..... J-l K. Water Supply Facts ............................. K-l LIST OF FIGURES Pase No. No. Title 1. Location Map ......................................... 2 2. Annual Precipitation Canoe Brook 1931-1990 ........... 13 3. Relation of 3 Lava Flows to Sedimentary Rock ......... 20 4. Possible Course of Ancestral Hudson River 70 Million Years Ago ............................ 22 5. Glacial Lake Passaic - 10,000 years Ago .............. 24 6. Direction and Extent of Wisconsin Glacier's Terminal Moraine at Millburn .................... 25 - 7. Artesian Aquifer and Recharge Area ................... 27 8. Central Passaic River Basin Study Area ............... 29 9. Buried Valleys ....................................... 30 10. Rivers, Brooks and Ponds in Millburn Township ........ 37 11. Central Passaic River Basin Pumpage .................. 58 12. Buried Valley Aquifer System-Pumpage Impacts on Ground Water Levels .................. 59 LIST OF TABLES No. i. Listing and Description of NRI Maps .................. iii 1. Land Use in Millburn Township, 1992 .................. 3 2. Climatic Data, Canoe Brook 1974-1990 ................ 14 3. Ambient Air Quality Standards ........................ 16 4. Ambient Air Quality Millburn Vicinity ................ 17 5. Water Quality of Rahway River, lggl.................. 42A 6. Central Passaic River Basin, 1989 Pumpage ............ 60 - 7. Summary of Major Storm Events Rahway River ........... 63 8. Aae Distribution. Millburn Township .................. 65 -- - INTRODUCTION In 1974 the Millburn Environmental Commission chaired by Maureen Ogden undertook an inventory of the natural resources of the Township in detail -- geology, soils, water, vegetation and wildlife. Since Millburn is a developed community it also ex- plored the man-made resources such as historic and cultural sites and its over-all visual image. Finally a section was devoted to regional concerns such as watersheds, water supply, transporta- tion, open space and sewage. There have been many changes in Millburn Township since then, and the Environmental Commission sees a need to up-date this report so that it will continue to be a tool which will help the Planning Board and other governing bodies assess the strengths and weaknesses of our community as they make decisions that will shape Millburn in the decades ahead. The relationship between man and his environment is complex, but the welfare of every community depends upon an awareness that all decisions should be compatible with the ecological system. Our land use decisions must be made with an understanding of natural law. i - -- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The Environmental Commission would like to thank the 1991 Township Committee Michael Vernotico, Jeanne Graves, Daniel Cannizzo, William Caveney, and Frank Long for matching the State grant which funded this project. Special thanks also to Elaine Becker, a current Township committeewoman and past chair of the Environmental Commission, whose persistence led to the applica- - tion for revision of the 1974 Inventory. Business Administrator Timothy Gordon provided us with valu- -- able assistance and Tom Wells of the Department of Environmental Protection was most helpful in answering our questions. Our thanks also to John Linson, Township Forester; Thomas Watkinson, Township Engineer; Lynn Rogers-Eisenbeil, Township Clerk; and John J. Lynch, Township Planner. Maser Sosinski & Associates P.A. under the supervision of A. Brook Crossan provided the technical assistance and design of the update. Commission members were responsible for supervising the entire project. - - ii MAPS The Natural Resources Inventory Report of 1974 included 18 Township and regional maps at scales of 1" = 600' and 1" = 2,400'. The information illustrated on these maps was based on U.S. Geological Survey quadrangle, aerial photographs, books, reports, interviews, newspapers, field observation, and other maps. Although these maps have not been updated for 1992, they provide useful information and should be used in conjunction with further on-site investigation. The maps are color coded to show the extent of environmental damage that may be caused by further development. The darker the tone, the higher the ecological cost from construction; the lighter the tone, the lower the cost in terms of disturbing natural assets. Table i, following, lists and describes these maps, all of which are stored at Town Hall. Table 1.. Listing and Description of NRI Maps Principal Sources Millburn Township Maps No. of of Information 1"=600' Maps Millburn Township Topoqraphy - surface land forms: 1 slope, hills and valleys State Bureau of Geology Geoloqv - subsurface conditions: 3 State Water Resources underlying rocks, water supply Dept. (wells), and groundwater Commonwealth Water Co. hydrology (aquifer) Soil Conservation Ser. Soil - surficial geology: drainage, 3 Rutgers survey percolation and erosion Aerial photos, borings Millburn Township Hvdroloqv - drainage systems: 2 Army Corps of Engr. brooks, rivers, ponds, swamps,