The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission is dedicated to uniting the region’s elected officials, planning professionals, and the public with a common vision of making a great region even greater. Shaping the way we live, work, and play, DVRPC builds consensus on improving transportation, promoting smart growth, protecting the environment, and enhancing the economy. We serve a diverse region of nine counties: Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia in Pennsylvania; and Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, and Mercer in New Jersey. DVRPC is the federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization for the Greater Philadelphia Region — leading the way to a better future. The symbol in our logo is adapted from the official DVRPC seal and is designed as a stylized image of the Delaware Valley. The outer ring symbolizes the region as a whole while the diagonal bar signifies the Delaware River. The two adjoining crescents represent the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey. DVRPC is funded by a variety of funding sources including federal grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA), the Pennsylvania and New Jersey departments of transportation, as well as by DVRPC’s state and local member governments. The authors, however, are solely responsible for the findings and conclusions herein, which may not represent the official views or policies of the funding agencies. DVRPC fully complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related statutes and regulations in all programs and activities. DVRPC’s website (www.dvrpc.org) may be translated into multiple languages. Publications and other public documents can be made available in alternative languages and formats, if requested. For more information, please call (215) 238-2871. Table of Contents Acknowledgements ..................................................................................... vii Executive Summary ...................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER 1 Introduction .................................................................................................... 3 CHAPTER 2 Brief History ................................................................................................... 5 CHAPTER 3 Location, Size, and Land Use ....................................................................... 9 CHAPTER 4 Natural Resources ....................................................................................... 15 Physiography ............................................................................................... 15 Topography and Surface Landscapes ...................................................... 16 Steep Slopes ................................................................................................ 17 Soils .............................................................................................................. 17 Climate .......................................................................................................... 26 Surface Water Resources ........................................................................... 28 Groundwater ................................................................................................ 62 Air Quality .................................................................................................... 68 CHAPTER 5 Biological Resources .................................................................................. 77 Natural Vegetation ....................................................................................... 77 Landscape Project Priority Habitats .......................................................... 82 Animal Communities ................................................................................... 84 Rare Wildlife, Plants, and Ecological Communities ................................ 88 Conservation Areas ..................................................................................... 93 CHAPTER 6 The Built Environment ................................................................................ 99 Population and Housing ............................................................................. 99 Transportation ........................................................................................... 100 Historic Resources .................................................................................... 101 Open Space and Civic Resources ........................................................... 108 Township Utilities and Services .............................................................. 111 i CHAPTER 7 Environmental Issues ............................................................................... 117 Known Contaminated Sites ...................................................................... 117 Radon .......................................................................................................... 118 Flooding ...................................................................................................... 119 Threats to Natural Vegetation .................................................................. 123 CHAPTER 8 Sources of Information ............................................................................. 125 Appendices ................................................................................................ 131 Figures Figure 1: Location of Hamilton Township ............................................................................ 9 Figure 2: The Physiographic Regions of New Jersey ........................................................ 15 Figure 3: Watershed Management Areas in New Jersey .................................................. 30 Figure 4: Stream Order Classification ............................................................................... 31 Figure 5: Tile Drain Installation.......................................................................................... 36 Figure 6: Parts of a Flood Hazard Area ............................................................................. 38 Figure 7: Mayfly Nymph .................................................................................................... 46 Figure 8: Coastal Plain Aquifers ........................................................................................ 62 Figure 9: USGS Groundwater Observation Site Water Levels .......................................... 65 Figure 10: Air Quality Index (AQI) ..................................................................................... 74 Figure 11: The Population of Hamilton Township, 1930 - 2010 ........................................ 99 Tables Table 1: General Land Cover (2007) ................................................................................. 10 Table 2: Detailed Land Use/Land Cover (2007) ................................................................ 10 Table 3: Land Use (2005) ................................................................................................. 12 Table 4: Soils .................................................................................................................... 18 Table 5: Agricultural Values for Soils ................................................................................ 22 Table 6: Soil Limitations for Development ......................................................................... 22 Table 7: Watersheds and Subwatersheds ........................................................................ 29 Table 8: Stream Order ...................................................................................................... 32 Table 9: Named Streams .................................................................................................. 32 Table 10: Floodplains ........................................................................................................ 39 Table 11: Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report (2008) ............... 41 Table 12: Impaired Waters with Priority Ranking (2008) ................................................... 43 ii Hamilton Township Environmental Resource Inventory Table 13: TMDLs for Impaired Waters .............................................................................. 46 Table 14: AMNET Water Quality Data ............................................................................... 48 Table 15: Fish Consumption Advisories (2010) ................................................................. 51 Table 16: NJPDES Permits for Point Source Pollution ...................................................... 53 Table 17: NJPDES Permits for Nonpoint Source Pollution ................................................ 56 Table 18: Impervious Coverage by Subwatersheds .......................................................... 59 Table 19: Geologic Outcrops ............................................................................................. 63 Table 20: Groundwater Observation Sites ........................................................................ 65 Table 21: Public Community Water Supply Wells ............................................................. 66 Table 22: Public Noncommunity Water Supply Wells........................................................ 67 Table 23: PM2.5 Air Quality Data (2007) ............................................................................ 71 Table 24: PM10 Air Quality Data (2007)