State of the Raritan Report, Volume 2
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STATE OF THE RARITAN REPORT Volume 2 May 2019 i This page intentionally left blank. ii State of the Raritan Report, Volume 2 Sustainable Raritan River Initiative Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901 http://raritan.rutgers.edu Production Team Julie Blum John Bognar Dr. Richard G. Lathrop Sara J. Malone Elizabeth Pyshnik Dr. Jennifer Whytlaw About the Sustainable Raritan River Initiative Rutgers University launched the Sustainable Raritan River Initiative (SRRI) in 2009 to convene scientists, engineers, business and community leaders, environmental advocates and governmental entities to craft an agenda for the restoration and preservation of New Jersey’s Raritan River, its tributaries and bay. A joint program of the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy and the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, the SRRI partners with other Rutgers units (through the Rutgers Raritan River Consortium) and with stakeholders from across the Raritan region to ensure multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary perspectives and contributions. Participants share a commitment to science-informed policies for sustaining the ecological, economic and community assets attributable to the Raritan. The SRRI fosters university-based research and scholarship that is focused on the Raritan. This knowledge is then translated into practical educational programming and technical assistance to support regional planning, policy and business decision-making. We conduct conferences and topical workshops, provide technical assistance, and develop anchor projects that raise the profile of the Raritan River. The SRRI and our watershed partners recognize the importance of a regional approach to resolving the complex issues associated with the restoration and future protection of the Raritan River, its estuary and all its tributaries. Citation Malone, S.J., R.G. Lathrop, E. Pyshnik, J. Blum, J. Whytlaw, and J. Bognar. 2019. State of the Raritan Report, Volume 2. Sustainable Raritan River Initiative, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ. Image 1. Albany Street Bridge by Mario Burger i Acknowledgements We would like to acknowledge the following individuals and their organizations for contributing information to the State of the Raritan Report, Volume 1 and for providing suggestions on the content for this Volume 2. Michael Catania—Duke Farms Foundation Chad Cherefko—United State Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Ellen Creveling—The Nature Conservancy Heather Fenyk—Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership Carrie Ferraro—Department of Marine & Coastal Sciences, Rutgers School of Environmental & Biological Sciences Alan Godber—Lawrence Brook Watershed Partnership Kathy Hale—Watershed Protection Program, New Jersey Water Supply Authority Christine Hall—United State Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Ken Klipstein—Watershed Protection Program, New Jersey Water Supply Authority Gabriel Mahon and staff—New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Water Quality Debbie Mans—(formerly with the) NY/NJ Baykeeper Kristi MacDonald—Raritan Headwaters Robert Pirani—NY-NJ Harbor & Estuary Program David Robinson—Department of Geography, Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences Bill Schultz—Raritan Riverkeeper Isabelle Stinnette—NY-NJ Harbor & Estuary Program Steve Tuorto—The Watershed Institute (formerly Stony Brook & Millstone River Watershed Association) Special thanks to Dean Piyushimita (Vonu) Thakuriah, Rutgers Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, and Executive Dean Robert Goodman, Rutgers School of Environmental & Biological Sciences for support of the Sustainable Raritan River Initiative Chancellor Christopher Molloy, Rutgers University—New Brunswick for support of the Rutgers Raritan River Consortium Gretchen and James Johnson for support of the Johnson Family Chair in Water Resources and Watershed Ecology Image 2. Untitled view of a good trout fishing spot by Judy Shaw ii Executive Summary This document continues efforts to update key This State of the Raritan Report, Volume 2 and resilience as measured by FEMA flood indicators of water quality and watershed evaluates eight broad areas encompassing insurance payouts for recent historic storms in health for the Raritan River Basin. The health of thirteen key indicators that could either the basin. the Raritan Basin was originally assessed in the impact water quality or watershed health or 2002 Raritan Basin: Portrait of a Watershed as that influence quality of life in the basin. The There was a slight uptick in the percent tree developed by the New Jersey Water Supply eight areas and thirteen key indicators of canopy for the Raritan Basin as a whole, but a Authority and updated in the Sustainable watershed health assessed in this volume decline in canopy cover in the upper Raritan River Initiative’s 2016 State of the include: canopy cover; known contaminated headwaters region is concerning. The Emerald Raritan Report, Volume 1. The objective of sites; threatened and endangered species; Ash Borer is expected to further reduce canopy those reports, and this one, is to inform restoration projects; open space; recreation cover. watershed management planning and water trails including greenways and boat launches; supply and natural resource protection needs in grey infrastructure including stormwater the Raritan Basin. basins, culverts, outfalls, bridges and dams; Image 3. Perth Amboy Riverwalk by Denise Nickel iii Only a little over a quarter of the known outfalls. Recently, a number of outmoded to flooding, drought and even wildfire should contaminated sites (including Superfund sites) dams and culverts have been removed, and be paid to promote enhanced resiliency for have been “cleaned up”. Monitoring the stormwater basins of diverse types have been the Raritan region. integrity of previously remediated sites to installed. Most stormwater basins, however, ensure stability is a concern. are concentrated in more newly developed This report is the second in a series that will areas with older urban areas eventually assess a broad array of metrics of Over 50% of the total Raritan Basin serves as underrepresented. The effectiveness of these watershed health and livability for the Raritan potential habitat for threatened and basins is poorly known. Basin. The intent is to inform watershed endangered species or species of conservation management planning in concert with concern. A myriad of organizations are involved in remediation, restoration and protection restoration work in the Raritan. Over 43% of efforts at the state, regional and local levels. Lands held in fee and easement for public open the HUC-14s in the Raritan have at least one space comprise 20% of the Raritan Basin. Less restoration project implemented. Types of than half of that open space, however, is open restoration projects include wetland, oyster, access. Further, access to nearby open space is stream, shoreline and pond restorations; problematic especially in the more urban Lower riparian buffer improvements; a variety of Raritan. Recreational trails and greenways stormwater treatments; basin retrofits; crisscross the basin and the main stem of the reforestations; dam removals; and floodplain river has a number of boat launches and access or other property acquisitions. In addition, the sites, though accessing the upstream sections Natural Resources Conservation Service has can be a challenge as much of the Raritan's conducted over 6,660 best management shoreline is privately held, existing launch sites practices projects in the more rural/ are generally poorly marked, or lack parking. No agricultural parts of the Raritan River Basin. comprehensive central database of trails or launch sites exists. Climate studies indicate that the Raritan region may experience more extreme weather The river is heavily affected by grey including more extreme precipitation and infrastructure: culverts, dams, bridges and drought in the near future. Greater attention iv Contents Background .............................................................................................................................................1 About the Raritan ....................................................................................................................................3 Measuring the Health of a Watershed ...................................................................................................6 Key Indicators Canopy Cover .............................................................................................................................7 Known Contaminated Sites ..................................................................................................... 12 Threatened & Endangered Species Landscape Project Rankings ........................................... 16 Open Space ............................................................................................................................. 20 Recreational Trails and Greenways......................................................................................... 28 Access to the River—Public Boat Launches ............................................................................ 32 Stormwater Management Infrastructure Management ........................................................ 35 Stormwater Basins ....................................................................................................