NATURAL RESOURCE INVENTORY Montgomery Township Somerset County, New Jersey April 2004 Prepared by The Montgomery Township Planning Board In consultation with Banisch Associates, Inc. Sergeantsville, NJ 08557 Natural Resource Inventory Table of Contents Introduction.................................................................................................................................... 4 Purpose and Objectives.............................................................................................................. 4 Climate........................................................................................................................................... 7 Land Use/Land Cover.................................................................................................................. 8 Table 1 – Detailed 1995 Land Use/Land Cover..........................................................................................10 Table 2 – Land Use/Land Cover Change (1972, 1986 and 1995) ...........................................................12 Forested Areas ....................................................................................................................... 12 Table 3 – 1995 Forest Types.........................................................................................................................13 Agricultural Lands................................................................................................................... 17 Groundwater Considerations................................................................................................ 21 Soils.............................................................................................................................................. 24 Farmland Capability............................................................................................................... 26 On-Site Disposal of Effluent ................................................................................................. 28 Table 4 – N.J.A.C. 7:9A Limiting Zones .......................................................................................................30 Depth to Bedrock.................................................................................................................... 31 Depth to Seasonal High Water ............................................................................................ 32 Highly Erodible Lands............................................................................................................ 34 Surface Waters and Subwatersheds ...................................................................................... 36 Table 5 – Streams and Rivers .......................................................................................................................36 Table 6 – Subwatersheds...............................................................................................................................37 Surface Water Quality ............................................................................................................... 38 AMNET Biological Monitoring and Water Quality ............................................................. 41 Wetlands...................................................................................................................................... 43 Table 7 – Wetland Types................................................................................................................................45 Floodplains and Floodprone Areas ......................................................................................... 47 Steep Slopes and Topography ................................................................................................ 52 Ridgelines................................................................................................................................54 Wildlife and Critical Habitat....................................................................................................... 55 Table 8 - NJ Landscapes Program Ranking System.................................................................................56 Areas of Scenic and Recreational Importance...................................................................... 59 1 Natural Resource Inventory Regional Relationships.............................................................................................................. 60 State Plan ................................................................................................................................60 County Planning ..................................................................................................................... 65 Adjacent Municipalities.......................................................................................................... 69 Appendix 1 .................................................................................................................................. 71 Geologic Units – Technical Descriptions ............................................................................ 72 Appendix 2 .................................................................................................................................. 75 SSURGO Soil Characteristics.............................................................................................. 76 Appendix 3 .................................................................................................................................. 78 Nitrate Dilution Modeling of Montgomery Township......................................................... 78 2 Natural Resource Inventory List of Figures 1. Level 1 1995 Land Use/Land Cover 2. Detailed 1995 Land Use/Land Cover 3. Land Cover Change – 1972 to 1995 4. 1995 Forested Areas 5. 1995 Agricultural Areas and Agriculture Lost Since 1986 6. Bedrock Geology 7. Agriculturally Productive Soils – Prime, Statewide and Locally Important Soils 8. Limitations for On-Site Disposal of Effluent Via Septic System 9. Soil Suitability Classes – N.J.A.C. 7:9A 10. Soils Generally Unsuitable for Septic Systems - N.J.A.C. 7:9A 11. Depth to Bedrock 12. Depth to Seasonal High Water 13. Erodible Lands Classes 14. Surface Waters and Subwatersheds 15. AMNET Biological Monitoring Sites 16. Wetlands 17. FEMA Floodzones 18. USGS Floodprone Areas 19. Riparian Areas and 1995 Forested Areas 20. Topography 21. Steep Slopes and Ridgelines 22. NJ Landscape Project Data 23. Areas of Scenic and Recreational Importance 24. State Plan Policy Map 3 Natural Resource Inventory Introduction Montgomery Township, located in southern Somerset County bordering both Hunterdon and Mercer Counties, is a community with unique natural and scenic resources. Montgomery Township is also characterized by contrasts; while home to a portion of the fragile Sourland Mountain ecosystem, it is also home to stable suburban neighborhoods and a thriving business community. The local land use mosaic is punctuated by active agricultural operations, with over a quarter of the Township’s 20,787 acres in productive farming and scenic stream corridors. These features contribute to the character of the Township, long known as a desirable place to live. Montgomery Township is also a desirable place to build, and commercial and residential development continues. In the face of this continuing development, the unique resources that characterize the Township are at risk. Identifying these resources and their significance is the first step in affording them protection as development moves forward. Purpose and Objectives The Natural Resource Inventory (NRI) identifies, quantifies and describes the environmental resources present in the community. Through the mapping and accompanying narrative, the natural resource base, along with resource conservation issues are portrayed. Many natural resources are worthy of preservation efforts, others merit highlighting or are indicators of larger issues that require further study. 4 Natural Resource Inventory Digital datasets from the Montgomery Township Geographic Information System (GIS) have been used extensively in the preparation of this NRI. The source and original scale of individual datasets utilized in map generation are noted on each map. Generally, the scale of source data for Montgomery Township digital datasets range from 1:9,480 to 1:250,000. The source data scale is an indicator of the overall accuracy of a dataset and its potential utility in making determinations. National Map Accuracy Standards (NMAS) govern production of datasets; when digitized, source data with a scale of 1:20,000 or smaller must have 90% of tested points within 1/50 of an inch of their location on the map and data presented at a scale greater than 1:20,000 must have 90% of tested points within 1/30 of an inch of their location on the map. Provided a data set meets NMAS, its scale can be translated into ground accuracy. As an example, the source data scale of the bedrock geology information presented in National Map Accuracy Standards Figure 6 is 1:100,000. NMAS require that 90% of tested points fall within 1/30 of an inch of their location on the Ground Ground map from which they were digitized. This translates to Map Scale Meters Feet roughly 166 feet on the ground, as noted in the table to 1:12,000 10.2 33.5 1:24,000 12.2 40.0 the right. This implies that a feature or line can be 1:100,000 50.8 166.7 depicted 165 feet from its actual location on the ground 1:250,000 127 416.7