The Readington Township Environmental Resource Inventory Prqnm{13y ~ The Readington Township Environmental Commission f£rrdraurrmta{ cmsuftal1tc­ p-Princeton Hydro, LLC - April 2001 - The Readington Township Environmental Resource Inventory Prep:rred13y ~ The Readington Township Environmental Commission Frances T. Spann, Chair 509 Route 523 Whitehouse Station, New Jersey 08889 (908) 534-4051 f£rrdraurrmta{ cmsuitant ~ p-Princeton Hydro, LLC Suzanne Forbes AICP, Project Manager 80 Lambert Lane Lambertville, New Jersey o8530 (619) 397-5335 Readington Township Environmental Resource Inventory 4/20/01 Subject Page Number Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................................ .i An Introduction Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 1 Plan Components ................................................................................................................................ 1 Plan Methodology ............................................................................................................................... 4 Findings .............................................................................................................................................. 5 Part I - A Resource Planning & Resource Protection Overview Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 11 State & Local Natural Resource Regulations & Planning Policies .......................................................... 12 State Planning Area Boundaries ........................................................................................................ 13 The Readington Township Master Plan ............................................................................................ 15 The Readington Township Zoning Ordinance .................................................................................. 17 Readington Township Resource Protection Efforts ................................................................................ 21 Part II- The Natural Resource Inventory Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 27 Location & Population .......................................................................................................................... 28 Land Use Data ..................................................................................................................................... 29 Climate & Air Quality ............................................................................................................................ 30 Geology, Topography & Slope .............................................................................................................. 31 Soils, Soil Erosion & Septic Suitability ............................................................................................. 35 Flora, Fauna & Critical Habitat .............................................................................................................. 45 Historic Features *................................................................................................................................. 49 Surface Water *..................................................................................................................................... 53 Floodplains & Riparian Corridors *........................................................................................................ 59 Wetlands ............................................................................................................................................... 64 Groundwater *....................................................................................................................................... 66 Readington Township Environmental Resource Inventory 4/20/01 *Note: Section will be completed during phase II of ERI project. Subject Page Number Part III- Natural Resource Vulnerability Natural Resource Vulnerability .......................................................................................................... 73 Land Use Changes & Natural Resource Vulnerability ........................................................................ 74 Land Use Trends .............................................................................................................................. 77 Potential Pollution Sources ............................................................................................................... 77 Natural Resource Vulnerability, Overlay Analysis* ............................................................................ 84 Part IV - Natural Resource Management Recommendations Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 87 Resource Preservation Recommendations .......................................................................................... 8 8 Resource Conservation Recommendations ......................................................................................... 88 Land Management Recommendations ............................................................................................... 89 List of References ............................................................................................................................. 91 List of Figures Figure 1, Regional Location/Tax Parcel Map ................................................................................. 2 Figure 2, Aerial Photography/Tax Parcel Map ................................................................................ 3 Figure 3, State Planning Area Map ................................................................................................ 14 Figure 4, Township Zoning Map .................................................................................................... 19 Figure 5, Preserved Open Space & Farmland Map (December 1999) ............................................ 23 Figure 5a, Preserved Open Space (April 2000)* ............................................................................. 24 Figure 6, Slope Map ...................................................................................................................... 33 Figure 7, Geology Map ................................................................................................................... 34 Figure 8, Soil Series Map ............................................................................................................... 42 Figure 9, Agricultural Soils Map .................................................................................................... 43 Figure 10, Septic Suitability Map ................................................................................................... 44 Figure 11, State Natural Heritage Map ............................................................................................ 50 Figure 12, Cultural/Historical Features Map .................................................................................. 52 Figure 13, Surface Water Resources Map ....................................................................................... 63 Figure 14, Wetland Resources Map ................................................................................................ 65 Figure 15, Aquifers and Community Wells Map ............................................................................ 71 p-i?rinceton Hydro, LLC Readington Township Environmental Resource Inventory 4/20/01 Figure 16, Land Use & Land Cover ................................................................................................ 76 Figure 17, Natural Resource Vulnerability Map ............................................................................. 85 *Note: Section will be completed during phase II of ERI project. Subject Page Number List of Tables & Other Illustrations Zoning Information Table ................................................................................................................ 17 Readington Historic Population Table ............................................................................................. 28 AQI Illustration ................................................................................................................................ 31 Annual Soil Loss Illustration ........................................................................................................... 36 Soils Limitation Table ..................................................................................................................... 37 Natural Heritage Index Table .......................................................................................................... 46 Subwatershed Area Table ,.............................................................................................................. 53 Surface Water Use Table ................................................................................................................ 55 Surface Water Flow Table .............................................................................................................. 56 Benthic Data Illustration ................................................................................................................