The Great Swamp Watershed Association‘s 50 acre Conservation Management Area (CMA) contains critical wetlands, vernal pools, forested areas, and the Silver Brook (a feeder stream to the Passaic River), and is home to several state and federally designated threatened species, including wood turtle and barred owl.
2009-10 Stewardship goals for the site are:
- Continue restoration of the property to a diverse ecologically functioning state. Restoration projects undertaken to date have included 15+ acres of invasive plant species control, 23 acre deer exclosure fencing, enhancement of vernal pool habitat, stream bank stabilization and replenishment, and improvement of habitat compromised by past excessive deer browsing.
- Improve Public access for passive recreation. 1.5 miles of trails cross the site and are undergoing access improvements such as boardwalk construction over wet areas.
- Increase use of the property as an educational and demonstration site for volunteer-led restoration efforts and as a site for academic study and fieldwork.
Ecosystem Services Provided:
Biological Diversity: habitat- protecting aquatic habitat, federal threatened/endangered species habitat protection; ecosystem restoration- invasive plant removal
Recreation and Aesthetics: Public access- hiking trails
Total Project Cost: $94,000
In 2009, CRI awarded the GSWA $4,000 for this project through its Franklin Parker Small Grants program.
Status: Restoration has been underway at the site since 1996, with a 23 acre deer fence installed in 2005. Corporate and community volunteers have so far labored thousands of hours towards the restoration of this ecosystem.
If you would like further information about this project, contact Conservation Resources Inc.
Penn’s Brook, the headwater reach of the Upper Passaic River that is the subject of this project, is defined by a starting point near Bernardsville High School and a point of termination where the stream flows under Childs Rd. There are of a number of eroded segments along this reach that require immediate stabilization. The most significantly unstable and eroded reach is located on the south side of the stream. It appears that the source of this erosion is runoff from Rte 202 that is piped to a point at the top of the slope. Over time this runoff has created a significant amount of erosion, actually cutting a 15 foot deep gully into the side of the slope. It has been conservatively estimated that this erosion has generated at least 5,000 cubic yards of sediment loading to Penn’s Brook proper. 
