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Archive for the 'riparian mitigation candidate project' Category
Tags: stony brook millstone watershed association
Posted in projects funded by conservation resources, riparian mitigation candidate project, water protection, filtration, & control
In 2010, CRI awarded the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association $12,000 through its RPWHP grant program. This grant will cover 50% of the costs of this restoration project along the Stony Brook.
This project aims to improve the buffer along the Stony Brook, much of which is classified as a Category 1 stream. The Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association will partner with Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS), Hopewell Campus, to design and implement a forested buffer planting along the Stony Brook. Enhancing existing buffer areas on BMS property will reduce sediment runoff, improve habitat for land species, and protect aquatic life in the stream.
The BMS campus is a targeted parcel within the priority Stony Brook riparian corridor. Management of targeted parcels is an implementation strategy of the RPWHP Forest and Conservaton plan.
Ecosystem Services Provided:
Water Protection, Filtration, and Control: Water quality- restoring buffers to streams
Total Project Cost: $24,000
Status: As neighbors, the Watershed Association has a long-standing relationship with BMS. From 2002-2006, SBMWA helped with environmental improvements on campus through its River-Friendly Program. SBMWA hopes to partner with BMS on this project as well.
If you would like further information about this project, please contact Conservation Resources.
Tags: u.s. fish and wildlife service
Posted in NRD settlement candidate project, biological diversity, ecological restoration project, recreation & aethestics, riparian mitigation candidate project, water protection, filtration, & control, wetlands mitigation project
The Mill Dam Fish Passage Restoration Project will install a denil-type fish ladder within the Mill Dam to provide access to spawning and rearing habitat for migrating fish and would benefit migratory fish populations that historically spawned in the Rancocas River including: alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus), blueback herring (Alosa aestivalis), American shad (Alosa sapidissima), and American eel (Anguilla rostrata). The fish ladder at Mill Dam would provide access to approximately 11 miles of spawning habitat for alewife, American shad, and American eel.
Currently, alewife are able to use the Rancocas River up to Mill Dam. However, alewife are prevented from using areas upstream of the Mill Dam due to the obstruction. As a result of the Mill Dam, hundreds of alewife congregate at the base of the dam every spring during the spawning run. In addition, a fish ladder was constructed at the Smithville Dam approximately 5 miles upstream in anticipation of fish passage being provided at Mill Dam. The land use around the Rancocas River includes agriculture, open space, and residential and commercial development.
Improving migratory fish access into the Rancocas River will enhance the biological diversity of the riverine ecosystem, also benefitting wading birds and other wetland-dependent wildlife species. As studies have shown, the reintroduction of herring populations through spawning runs not only makes available the juvenile herrings as a food supply for other marine or freshwater fish, but other life stages of the herring provide additional foraging opportunities for birds, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals. Thus, the number of fish species and piscivorous birds upstream of the dam will rise due to the overall improvement in the health of the Rancocas River’s riparian system as natural aquatic food webs are rebuilt.
Recreational fishing opportunities for the public will increase with future “herring runs.” The recreational fishery for striped bass (Morone saxatilius) will benefit from the increases in aquatic biodiversity and forage fish populations. A variety of warm-water fish (e.g., chain pickerel (Esox niger), smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu), largemouth bass (M. salmoides)) will feed on alewife, thus providing recreational fishing opportunities for both anadromous and warm-water fisheries.
Ecosystem Services Provided:
Biological Diversity: Ecosystem restoration- restoring spawning grounds, restoring forage for upstream species
Recreation and Aesthetics: Public access- recreational fishing
Total Project Cost: $500,000
Status: The project has completed conceptual designs and is now finalizing engineering designs for the project. Project construction can begin as early as Spring 2010 with funding sources in place.
If you would like further information about this project, contact Conservation Resources Inc.
Tags: rahway river association, wma 07 (arthur kill)
Posted in biological diversity, climate stabilization and/or air pollution mitigation project, ecological restoration project, projects funded by conservation resources, riparian mitigation candidate project, water protection, filtration, & control, wetlands mitigation project
In 2008, CRI facilitated a $42,000 payment for this project from a previously collected NRD settlement.
This exciting project will restore a portion of the headwaters of the Rahway River.
Over the past several years, Millburn Township has been working with USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) to design a stream restoration project that would reduce stormwater runoff and restore the historic hydrology at Old Short Hills Park. The project includes creating a meandering stream that will connect two existing ponds and replacing an existing water control structure. The new stream will be lined with attractive native wetland trees, shrubs, wildflowers, and grasses. The project also entails removing silt from one of the ponds to restore original depth in order to improve water quality and habitat for native aquatic species.
Ecosystem Services Provided:
Climate Stabilization and Air Pollution Mitigation: Carbon sequestration- aforestation
Water Protection, Filtration, and Control: Water quality and quantity- wetland restoration, protection of headwaters, riparian land protection
Biological Diversity: habitat- protecting aquatic and riparian habitat, ecosystem restoration
Total Project Cost: $94,300
In 2008, Conservation Resources Inc. helped to facilitate a $42,000 contribution to this project from the NJDEP Office of Natural Resource Restoration.
Status: Project is fully funded and restoration is underway.
If you would like further information about this project, contact Conservation Resources.
Tags: musconetcong watershed association
Posted in biological diversity, ecological restoration project, recreation & aethestics, riparian mitigation candidate project, water protection, filtration, & control, wetlands mitigation project
The Musconetcong River runs 42 miles from Lake Hopatcong to the Delaware River, the longest undammed river east of the Mississippi. Over 24 miles of the Musconetcong River are designated as part of the National Wild and Scenic River System due to the remarkable recreational and scenic characteristics of this watercourse. It is the existence of the Warren Glen Dam that ends a 20 mile stretch of this Wild and Scenic River. The Musconetcong River Restoration Partnership believes that the removal of the Warren Glen and Hughesville Dams would add up to 6 additional miles of river to the National Wild and Scenic River System.
The goal of this project is to complete a feasibility study to evaluate restoration and engineering requirements for the Warren Glen and Hughesville Dam removals, and to complete removal of the remnants of the Rieglesville Dam. The feasibility study will include a survey of the dams, including impoundments and extensive diversions, sediment survey and analysis, and a conceptual design of restoration at Warren Glen and Hughesville Dams.
The successful completion of this project will improve fish passage, restore natural sediment transfer, restore floodplain wetlands, improve water quality, restore aquatic habitat, improve forage for raptors, and reduce public safety risk.
Ecosystem Services Provided:
Water Protection, Filtration, and Control: Water quality-protection of headwaters, wetland restoration; Water quantity-restoration of natural water flow, increased aquatic habitat
Biological Diversity: Habitat- extend aquatic habitat for fish spawning and raptor forage
Recreation and Aesthetics: expand area designated as part of National Wild and Scenic River system
Total Project Cost: $571,169
Status: The Musconetcong River Restoration Partnership is seeking matching funds in the amount of $50,000. Non-federal matching funds will help the Partnership’s application to the NOAA Open Rivers Initiative Grant Program to compete for funding.
If you would like further information about this project, contact Conservation Resources Inc.
Tags: new jersey conservation foundation
Posted in NRD settlement candidate project, land preservation project, riparian mitigation candidate project
 Swamp pink photo courtesy of USFWS This 96-acre property, located within the New Jersey Conservation Foundation‘s Burden Hill Project Area, is located in Alloway Township near the Thundergut Pond Wildlife Management Area. It is approximately 80% forested, and contains part of a federally listed Swamp pink (Helonias bullata) population estimated at 1900 plants. It is adjacent to preserved farmland.
In 2008 the NJDEP designated parts of the property as Exceptional value wetlands with some Intermediate value wetlands as well. Important tributries of Alloway Creek flow through the property, some of which support thriving Swamp pink populations on adjacent parcels of land. This critical forest habitat can support other threatened species as well, such as Red-headed woodpecker, Bald eagle, and Cooper’s hawk.
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service considers this property to be of the highest conservation priority in accordance with its Swamp pink recovery plan.
Ecosystem services provided: groundwater recharge, carbon sequestration, riparian buffer, federal threatened species habitat protection
Total project cost: $1,835,000
Status: The property has been granted preliminary approval for 22 homes. The property owner has filed an application to sell with Green Acres and the Natural Lands Trust. Green Acres is presently unable to move on the property due to unavailability of funding.
If you would like further information about this project, please contact Conservation Resources Inc.
Tags: franklin parker small grants program, stony brook millstone watershed association, wma 10 (millstone)
Posted in NRD settlement candidate project, ecological restoration project, projects funded by conservation resources, riparian mitigation candidate project
 Pike Run at high flow conditions Pike Run, in Montgomery Township, Somerset County, has been adversely affected by upstream development. Encroaching development and its associated non-porous pavement have resulted in stormwater being diverted directly into the stream through stormwater pipes, instead of infiltrating through soil. Flash flows during and after storm events have eroded the stream banks, incised the stream, and flushed out stream sediment. This has resulted in a greatly straightened stream that has been eroded down to bedrock and is disconnected from its flood plain.
Reconnecting Pike Run to its flood plain along a 1400 foot segment would allow high stormwater flows to dissipate in a safe and natural way, reduce flooding potential, reduce erosion, and protect installed instream structures.
The Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association has started a multi-phase restoration project of Pike Run at Montgomery Park in partnership with Montgomery Township and the NJDEP. The first three phases have been completed. The Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association is currently seeking funding for Phase 4.
- Phase 1, restoration of a 1.27 acre wetland meadow;
- Phase 2, creation of instream habitat and a meandering stream flow pattern through the use of single wing deflectors and cover logs;
- Phase 3, live stakes planted on the streambanks alongside each instream structure and along the restored wetland meadow to further stabilize Pike Run’s stream banks;
- Phase 4, reconnect Pike Run to its flood plain.
Ecosystem Services Provided:
Water Protection, Filtration & Control: Water quality and quantity- stream buffers, stormwater management, groundwater recharge; Flood control- wetlands protection, riparian land protection
Climate Stabilization and Air Pollution Mitigation: carbon sequestration- meadow restoration
Total Project Cost: $630,000
In 2008, CRI granted $3,000 to the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association for this project
through its Franklin Parker Small Grants program.
Status: In order to begin Phase 4, the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association needs to hire a consultant to design the reconnection, run a stream modeling program to make sure that there will be no detrimental effects, submit permits to NJDEP for approval, and hire a contractor to conduct the fieldwork.
If you would like further information about this project, please contact Conservation Resources Inc.
Tags: franklin parker small grants program, saddler's woods conservation association, wma 18 (lower delaware)
Posted in NRD settlement candidate project, biological diversity, climate stabilization and/or air pollution mitigation project, ecological restoration project, projects funded by conservation resources, recreation & aethestics, riparian mitigation candidate project, water protection, filtration, & control
Saddler’s Woods surrounds the headwater spring of the main branch of the Newton Creek, called Saddler’s Run, which is a tributary of the Delaware River in Camden County, NJ, and contains an old growth forest, young woodlands and wetlands all located within five miles of Philadelphia. The 15 acre parcel is permanently protected by a conservation easement. Saddler’s Woods was officially named in January of 2004 to honor Joshua Saddler, a runaway slave who escaped a Maryland plantation with his wife and two daughters in the early 1800s. Saddler eventually earned his freedom and thrived, farming on the border of the woods. Saddler attempted to make protections for the woods when he wrote into his will in 1868 that “to commit no waste,… no heirs shall cut the timber thereon.” -JS 1868
This habitat enhancement project is crucial for the restoration of the Newton Creek Watershed, which is an essential habitat for a large number of migratory songbirds, waterfowl and fish and necessary in order to help protect the Potomac-Raritan-Magothy Aquifer, from which many in the region – 472,000 people in Camden county alone – draw their drinking water.
It is imperative to rehabilitate one of the last remaining examples of old growth forest in the Eastern United States. Less than 0.05% of the forests in the Eastern United States can be considered old growth which makes this forest a superlative habitat. With its unique historical and cultural contexts, Saddler’s Woods merits the highest committed investment for its rehabilitation.
Saddler’s Woods Conservation Association ( SWCA) will:
- remove debris and eradicate invasive species throughout 15 acres of forest and plant native species in four acres of target restoration zones;
- plant native vegetation along the stream bank and install coir logs along the streambank to control erosion;
- restore over 1600 linear feet of trails and establish a new “woodpecker lane” trail;
- continue to improve the volunteer center facility and acquire tools and equipment for volunteer restoration activities;
- conduct species surveys to document flora and fauna, which will guide restoration initiatives; and
- acquire wildlife display items, update the trail map, create a woodpecker identificataion guide, and produce a “Seasons of Saddler’s Woods” video.
Ecosystem Services Provided:
Water Protection, Filtration & Control: Water quantity- protection of groundwater recharge area, stream buffers, reforestation, avoided deforestation; Flood control- riparian land protection
Climate Stabilization and Air Pollution Mitigation: carbon sequestration- avoided deforestation
Biological Diversity: Habitat- protection of old growth forest; Ecosystem resilience, pest control, disease control- ecosystem-level management
Recreation and Aesthetics: Environmental education
Total Project Cost: $50,000
CRI has funded this project through three Franklin Parker Small Grants: $3000 in 2007, $3000 in 2008, and $2000 in 2009.
Status: This project will be executed in concert with other restoration projects, which will leverage costs and expand the impact of SWCA’s restoration efforts.
If you would like further information about this project, please contact Conservation Resources Inc.
Tags: franklin parker small grants program, north jersey resource conservation & development council, wma 01 (upper delaware), wma 02 (wallkill)
Posted in NRD settlement candidate project, biological diversity, climate stabilization and/or air pollution mitigation project, ecological restoration project, projects funded by conservation resources, riparian mitigation candidate project, water protection, filtration, & control
Through this project, the North Jersey Resource Conservation & Development Council (NJRCD) and project partners will implement eight riparian restoration projects in the Upper Delaware and Wallkill Watersheds. These watersheds in northwest New Jersey are not only experiencing tremendous development pressure, but are also home to some of the state’s most pristine wildlife habitat. Now is a critical time to implement riparian restoration projects to provide linkages and extend habitat corridors in this crucial habitat region as well as to improve water quality in these streams.
Riparian buffers provide numerous benefits including:
- reduced soil and sediment pollution
- increased shading of waterways to decrease water temperature and in turn increase dissolved oxygen
- reduced non-point source pollution and stormwater run-off that could contain nutrients such as nitrates, phosphates, and inorganics
- reduced flooding as a result of slower out-of-bank flows
- increased native wildlife habitat
- increased band and shoreline stability, and
- improved aesthetic and recreation value.
Sites for buffer installation will be selected utilizing a proven method used by North Jersey RC&D for several years through other grant funded projects. RC&D staff will work with project site owners to develop and implement the restoration plan. The RC&D Watershed Specialist will also coordinate volunteer labor and equipment needed to implement the project. Site maintenance plans will be developed for each site and annual monitoring conducted to ensure that the plan is being followed.
Ecosystem Services Provided:
Water Protection, Filtration & Control: Water quality- restoring stream buffers, riparian land protection, stream bank stabilization, preventing sedimentation
Climate Stabilization and Air Pollution Mitigation: Carbon sequestration- aforestation, riparian buffer restoration
Biological Diversity: Habitat-extend habitat corridors and increase native wildlife habitat
Total Project Cost: $282,520
CRI granted this project $4,000 in 2007, and $3,000 in 2008 through its Franklin Parker Small Grants program.
Status: Since 2006, North Jersey RC&D has been able to implement the planting of seven sites throughout the Upper Delaware and Wallkill River Watersheds. Current funding for the riparian restoration projects in this area is through a Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) contribution agreement from the Natural Resources Conservation Service. In 2010, North Jersey RC&D will be continuing to fund and install native riparian vegetation at four additional locations. Continued funding would allow the momentum that has been building for these types of stewardship projects to continue.
If you would like further information about this project, please contact Conservation Resources Inc.
Tags: franklin parker small grants program, great egg harbor watershed association, wma 15 (great egg harbor)
Posted in ecological restoration project, projects funded by conservation resources, riparian mitigation candidate project, water protection, filtration, & control, wetlands mitigation project
In 1992, 13.5 miles of the South River was designated by Congress as part of the National Wild and Scenic River System. The care and management of this national resource river segment was delegated by Congress at the local level to the 12 municipalities of the Great Egg Harbor River Council, the Great Egg Harbor Watershed Association, Atlantic County, and the state of New Jersey.
Large wakes produced by the high speed operation of numerous personal watercraft in this narrow tidal section of the South River has caused bank erosion which is damaging bed and bank vegetation, contributing to sedimentation, and impacting aquatic and other natural resources. To provide adequate protection for this part of the National Wild and Scenic River System, local partners need to join together to repair the river damage and enforce no wake speed restrictions to prevent further damage.
The Great Egg Harbor Watershed Association will oversee the installation of biologs that will protect approximately 60 linear feet of riverbank. The stabilization materials will consist of coir fiber products and wood stake anchors, and the materials will be installed in accordance with the construction guidelines of Chapter 16– “Streambank and Shoreline Stabilization Protection,” of the National Engineering Handbook (NEH), Part 650, 1996, published by the United States Department of Agriculture.
Biologs trap sediment and nutrients from land runoff, which helps decrease sedimentation. The physical structure of the log functions as a “wave breaker” preserving easily eroded shorelines. Most of the installation work will be done at low tide when the bank toe area is naturally dewatered.
Ecosystem Services Provided:
Water Protection, Filtration & Control: Water quality- Restoring riparian buffers, stream bank stabilization, preventing erosion and sedimentation
Total Project Cost: $4000
In 2008, CRI granted $2,500 to the Great Egg Harbor Watershed Association for this project
through its Franklin Parker Small Grants program.
Status: The project is in the planning process–specifications are under development, permits are applied for, and full funding is being sought.
If you would like further information about this project, please contact Conservation Resources Inc.
Tags: Edison Wetlands Association, wma 09 (lower raritan south river and lawrence)
Posted in NRD settlement candidate project, biological diversity, ecological restoration project, recreation & aethestics, riparian mitigation candidate project, water protection, filtration, & control, wetlands mitigation project
Edison Wetlands Association (EWA) conceived the ambitious Raritan River Walkway and waterfront Brownfields-to-Greenfields (B2G) project in 2002. The visionary project broke ground in August 2009, and its first phase was complete by year-end. By transforming the garbage and toxic waste of Edison Landfill and Kin-Buc Landfill Superfund Site into gardens and rich wildlife habitat, the Raritan River Walkway is creating a national B2G model for redeveloping industrial sites into safe public greenfields with riverfront access and recreation. EWA announced the walkway’s completion with a press conference onsite in late 2009 with Assemblymen Peter Barnes and Patrick Diegnan, then-Mayor Jun Choi, and Conservation Resources Inc. president Michael Catania. The trail will formally open to the public in the Spring of 2010.
EWA advocated successfully for the Township of Edison and the Middlesex County Freeholders to post for a $508,725 bond and reimbursement, and their advocacy led the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to allocate over $600,000 in Natural Resource Damages (NRD) to this project. The NRD funding itself came from the Hatco site settlement in Woodbridge, where EWA worked with NJDEP to force a $13.2 million cleanup of PCB lagoons. The state funding was managed by the nonprofit Conservation Resources Inc. (CRI), which worked with NJDEP, EWA and the Township to forge an agreement for the project to begin. The first phase offers a scenic 1,500-foot trail with the first extended public access to Edison’s seven-mile riverfront in Township history. The trail includes kiosks, native wildflowers and butterfly gardens, a footbridge spanning a tidal wetlands inlet along Mill Brook, and a public gazebo.
Ecosystem Services Provided:
Water Protection, Filtration & Control: Water quantity- wetland restoration
Biological Diversity: Habitat- restoring native vegetation, protecting aquatic habitat
Recreation & Aesthetics: Public access- hiking trails, access to waterfront; Environmental education- informational displays
Total Project Cost: $870,848
Status: The walkway was constructed and formally announced in the Fall of 2009, and the footbridge constructed over the winter. It will formally open to the public on or around Earth Day, 2010.
If you would like further information about this project, please contact Conservation Resources Inc.
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