A System of Open Space Preservation for Sussex County Photo by Sandy Urgo Appalachian Trail in Wantage “Conservation means harmony between people and land. When land does well for its owner, and the owner does well by his land; when both end up better, by reason of their partnerships, we have conservation.” Aldo Leopold, Round River Preserved open space is a vital county resource whose function, location and design need to be planned as carefully as drinking water delivery, road systems, and sewer service. To achieve the goals identified by Sussex County leaders and residents through the open space planning process, land conservation needs to proceed systematically. This section offers recommendations how Sussex County can use open space preservation as a system to accomplish community and county goals. These goals include • Maintaining water quality and quantity • Protecting plant and wildlife habitat • Meeting community recreation needs • Linking trails and creating greenways • Preserving vistas and community character • Enhancing historic and cultural resources • Promoting tourism A system of open space preservation will help achieve the above goals, which are described further in the pages following. Each description will include information on: • special resources within Sussex County; • the importance of this system to Sussex County as obtained through the outreach activities of the planning process and special places identified in the outreach meetings; VII. A System of Open Space Preservation 105 • map of the areas of interest for preservation obtained through the outreach meetings; • issues that describe the challenges faced in achieving this system; and • recommendations to further develop the system. Through the public meetings held as part of the open space planning process, participants identified special areas to be considered for preservation. As explained earlier, participants were also asked why these areas should be preserved. A separate document (Summary of Outreach Process for the 2003 Sussex County Open Space and Recreation Plan) contains a complete summary of the outreach meetings, including potential preservation areas identified by participants, attendees, and issues of concern. VII. A System of Open Space Preservation 106 Maintain Water Quality and Quantity Photo by Tanya Nolte Clove Acres Lake, Sussex “Water…not necessary to life, but rather life itself.” Saint Exupery, Wind, Sound and Stars, 1939 Special Resources of Sussex County Water is a vital natural resource. In addition to human use and consumption, waters and riparian areas of Sussex County provide outstanding habitat for numerous species of plants and animals, some of which are rare, threatened or endangered. Sussex County is bounded on the west by the Delaware River, one of the largest free- flowing rivers on the east coast. The county’s interior sections contain myriad rivers, streams, lakes and aquifers that provide residents with drinking water, scenic vistas, recreation areas, and some of the most productive freshwater fisheries in the state. Opening day of the trout season brings thousands of people out to the county’s streams, lakes, and rivers, which are consistently cited as featuring some of New Jersey’s best trout fishing. Many high quality streams are located west of the Kittatinny Ridge. This area is also the location of one of the largest concentrations of protected open space in the state. This protected landDelaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Stokes State Forest and High Point State Parksafeguards surface water bodies, and affords ample public access. The ecological richness and the excellent public access are what make that area of the county such a desirable destination. High quality surface waters are also located in other areas of the county where preserved lands are less extensive or non-existent. This includes the upper Paulins Kill, upper Pequest River, and several smaller streams and lakes. Preserving land in these areas will help protect the waterways’ ecological significance by providing wildlife access to water VII A. Water Quality and Quantity 107 and protecting riparian habitat. Protecting land will also provide public access, which is necessary to establish an area as a recreational destination. North Jersey Resource Conservation and Development (NJRC&D) has compiled water resources mapping for Sussex County based on data that primarily address ecological concerns. By overlaying information on freshwater wetlands, flood prone areas, hydric soils, land use and land cover, water classification (C1, trout production, etc.) of the nearest stream in the watershed, and Landscape Project data on endangered species, NJRC&D has assembled what they refer to as the “Relative Health of Riparian Zones” map. The mapping is done by watershed management area, and they have completed the assessment for watershed management areas 1 (Upper Delaware) and 2 (Wallkill River). NJRC&D’s mapping shows that the riparian areas with the highest relative health are located: • along the Big Flat Brook and its tributaries; • along the Wallkill River in Sparta Township and Ogdensburg; • through Vernon Valley; • in the Whittingham area of Green and Fredon Townships, and; • in Wawayanda State Park in Vernon. Notwithstanding the ecological and recreational benefits of water resources, the most utilitarian use of water is for human consumption. In Sussex County approximately 90% of residents rely on groundwater for their private water use. This places a great importance on maintaining the productivity and integrity of aquifers in order to support future growth in the county, and to maintain a high quality of life for current residents. NJRC&D has also developed what they refer to as the “Water Resource Evaluation System” map. This mapping adds groundwater recharge data to the “Relative Health of Riparian Zones” data. The result provides information for all the land in Sussex County, rather than just riparian zones. The highest value areas are located west of the Kittatinny Ridge in the Upper Delaware Valley and along the Big Flatbrook. Other areas of high water resource value are located in the Wallkill Valley, Vernon Valley, and isolated patches throughout the Kittatinny Valley and the Highlands. Importance to Sussex County: What We Heard The municipal surveys, as well as the regional municipal meetings, have indicated that Sussex County residents are well aware of the need to preserve their drinking water supplies. The municipal survey reported that preserving “land for the protection of groundwater resources” is the most important goal of open space preservation. The survey also reported that second in importance is the preservation of “land for protection of, or access to, surface water bodies.” Although this second goal embodies a definite recreation element, several Sussex County communities rely on surface water for consumption, and thus this goal is applicable to drinking water supplies as well. The goals for open space preservation that came out of the regional municipal meetings also showed water quality and quantity protection as the most important goals for open VII A. Water Quality and Quantity 108 space preservation. Several municipalities indicated that preserving land for groundwater recharge and for the protection of surface drinking water supplies are of primary importance. Each regional meeting contained at least two goals and priority areas that had a water quality component (no other goal was so consistently mentioned). Moreover, of the 18 municipalities that participated in the regional meetings, 14 mentioned water quality and quantity at least once (the next most popular goal was mentioned by 11 of the 18 towns). In addition to the municipal meetings, the non-profit meeting and recreation providers meeting both mentioned the preservation of water quality and quantity most frequently as an important goal for open space preservation. The land managers cited water quality and quantity second in frequency, out of a total of seven identified goals. A sampling of important areas to preserve mentioned at the outreach meetings includes: • protecting tributaries to the Wallkill River; • protecting tributaries to Swartswood Lake; • providing greater fishing and boating access on Sussex County’s waterways; • establishing greenways along streams and rivers such as the Papakating Creek, the Pequest River, the Black Creek in Vernon Township, and a host of smaller streams and tributaries; • protecting aquifers and groundwater recharge and supply; • protecting well heads, and; • protecting surface water bodies that provide drinking water. Issues: The Challenges to Face The water quality and quantity goals articulated at the regional municipal meetings and at the three additional meetings held for non-profits, resource managers and recreation providers stem from a larger statewide concern for New Jersey’s water resources. The drought that afflicted the state in 2002 shed light on the fragile nature of water supplies. The consensus across meetings was that as Sussex County’s population grows, an even greater consumptive demand will be placed on its water resources. Steps should be taken now to safeguard the current supply. Additionally, the ability to access water bodies for recreational purposes was identified. Throughout Sussex large stretches of streams, rivers and lakes are contained on private property and are unavailable for public use. Recommendations: What Should be Done Water resource conservation projects can be divided