Watershed Management

The control of external nutrient loading from the watershed, including best management practices (BMPs) for stemming erosion with swales, rain gardens, etc.

CLEAN OCEAN ACTION'S - NEW JERSEY'S FERTILIZER LAW

NJ passed the nation's toughest fertilizer law, which reduces the amount of pollution entering waterways. NJ is the first state to limit both the nitrogen and phosphorus content of all lawn-care fertilizer products sold at retailers and to regulate the use of these fertilizers by consumers and professionals.

Click here to access the powerpoint to learn What You Need to Know.

 

WATERSHED MINDFULNESS - FIVE EASY STEPS  by Clean Ocean Action (COA)

1.  Know your water address.    We all know our street address, but do you know how water flows from your home, school or business into the ocean and waterways.   Find it here

 

2.  Reduce stormwater runoff.  As water washes over the land it collects pollutants (chemicals, oil, fertilizer, litter, fecal matter and other harmful substances) that wash into our waterways.  By planting native plants and trees more water can be absorbed into the earth where it is filtered.

 

3.  Say No to Plastics and Litter.  

 

4.  Scoop the poop.  Pet waste contributes to fecal contamination and is a serious public health problem in waterways. One tiny gram of dog waste contains 23 million bacteria!

 

5.  Stop the drips.  Leaking septic and sewer systems, especially in older communities, cause ground water pollution which travels to waterways. If you suspect a leak, contact the experts.  If you see automotive fluid stains in your driveway, have your car checked and repaired.

 

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NJ COLA 11/16/19 Mtg - Presentations on Watershed Management and Funding

A joint presentation was made by Chris Mikolajczyk, CLM, Princeton Hydro and Keri Green, NJ Highlands Council

Chris's  presentation "Watershed-based Assessment of the Lakes of the Borough of Ringwood, in Passaic County" focused on the assessment process and Keri's focused on NJ Highlands Municipal and County Grant Funding. One important facet of the grant program is that the applicant is always the conforming municipality, and secondly, the grants can only be used for planning initiatives. These reimbursement-based grants are approved by the Highlands Council following the submittal of a scope of work. Handouts at the meeting included a listing of all the Highlands Region municipalities and counties, with details such as what portion of the Region each entity is conforming for, whether Preservation Area (mandatory), Planning Area (voluntary) or both. Additionally, the list provides the name of each Highlands staff municipal liaison assigned to each town or county who are the points of contact with their towns, for scope of work submittals, as well as provision of guidance, both technical and planning, throughout the process of Plan Conformance.

 

 

NJDEP 4/13/19 Presentation

 

Patrick Ryan, NJDEP- Division of Land Use Regulation,gave a presentation at the 4/13/19 COLA meeting which focused on permitting guidelines for water treatments such as harvesting, hydro-raking and dredging and also sediment removal at the end of a dock and/or sedimentation basin outfall. Also discussed were existing rules and how they are applied regarding re-constructing shore lines from the impact of erosion. His presentation gives clear advice on what you can do without a permit and what action requires a permit.  

 

COLA Technical Presentation:

Lake Water Quality Treatment Overview”, Dr. Steve Souza of Princeton Hydro (2014)

 

Resources:

 

NJDEP-Water Quality Management Planning Program