Dr. Kirk Barrett, PhD.
What
is the biggest source of water pollution in our area? It is
_you_-- and all of the other people that live, drive, work, shop
and play in the Rahway River watershed (a watershed is the area
of land that drains to the River). The watershed encompasses
about 83 square miles and is home to about 330,000 persons. It
is densely developed, with 55% of the land in residential use
and 20% in commercial, industrial or transportation use. Natural
lands (forests, wetlands and meadows) comprise only about 17%.
About 32% of the watershed is covered with
"impervious surfaces" like pavement and rooftops that prevents
rain from soaking into the ground.
Instead, rain runoffs quickly, carrying with
it a host of pollutants:
pet and wildlife feces, pesticides and
fertilizers from lawns, road salt, and many different toxic
chemicals mostly related automobile use (leaking oil,
antifreeze, rusting metal, tire and brake wear) and burning of
fuels. This so-called "nonpoint source pollution" that comes
from these every-day activities happening at many different
locations is the largest source of pollution in our area --
larger than "point sources" like factories or wastewater
treatment plants. Furthermore, the high volume of runoff that
enters our streams can cause eroding stream banks, leaving them
dangerously steep and unstable and adding sediment to lakes and
ponds.
Given the assaults inflicted on our water
bodies every time it rains, it is not surprising problems are
evident. According to the NJ Department of Environmental
Protection (NJDEP), at all 10 monitoring sites in watershed, the
community of small animals (insect larvae, crayfish,snails) that
live on the stream bottom is "moderately impaired" regarding its
diversity and presence of pollution-sensitive species.
Furthermore, most of the watershed does not
meet the standards to support boating and fishing let alone
swimming. (These standards are on indicators of contamination by
fecal matter from warm blooded animals). Nevertheless, of the 25
or so people at the recent conference who said they fish or boat
on the River, not a single person believe they had ever became
sick from doing so.
At the lone drinking water intake, the City
of Rahway/United Water plant treats and tests the water
thoroughly ensuring it is safe to drink.
Regarding eating fish caught in the tidal
areas, it is illegal to catch blue crabs and the NJDEP warns
that infants, children, pregnant women, nursing mothers, women
of childbearing age should not eat any fish.
Regarding freshwater areas, no
specific fish consumption advisory exists, but there are
statewide advisories. Details can be found at:
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/dsr/fishadvisories/freshwater-advisories.htm
So, how do we improve water quality? "Low
impact development" or "green infrastructure" is a broader water
quality improvement strategy that can be applied by home owners,
businesses and governments. The basic idea is to reduce
impervious areas and let rain soak into the ground to reduce the
volume and flow rate of runoff and associated pollutants.
Specific techniques include redirecting downspouts to discharge
onto lawns (rather than into a storm drain), building small
"rain gardens" and swales where water can collect during a storm
then soak into the ground, and replacing asphalt with permeable,
open-center pavers.
Individual behavior can make an important
difference. Use fertilizers and pesticides carefully, or better
yet, don’t use them at all – your lawn will still look ok and
you can be confident that no poisons will harm children or pets
using the lawn. Never dump used oil on the ground, in the street
or in a storm drain. Instead, take it to a used oil recycling
center; for locations see:
www.state.nj.us/dep/dshw/recycle/classd/
Water
Quality of the Rahway River Basin *by Dr. Kirk Barrett, PhD.*
Cindy Roberts, Senior
Project Manager of the Trust for Public Land
Preserving
land has never been more important. As many as two out of three
city residents do not have access today to a nearby park,
playground or open space and therefore do not share in the
benefits that parks give rise to including: cleaner air and
water, better health, reduced crime, stronger economy and a
stronger community. Open space opportunities in the Rahway River
watershed include vacant land, land where the previous use have
been abandoned and partnering with public schools to build
playgrounds. Look toward local advocates and community groups to
know which sites should be priorities for preservation.
Within the watershed linear parks along stream
corridors would be a natural area to consider for additional
preservation opportunities.
These sites would allow for enhanced habitat,
wildlife migration and recreation opportunities, while
establishing linkages between open spaces and parks. Turning
Brownfields into Greenfields is a way to provide new parks in
neighborhoods that are often park poor and provide for some
critical Greenway linkages. State funding is available for
cleanup. Augmenting existing parks by adding acreage and
restoring habitat on properties already preserved provides true
benefits to urban and suburban areas. Forests and trees provide
many environmental and economic benefits that can lead to
improved environmental quality and human health.
Preserving Open
Space in the Rahway River Watershed *by Cindy Roberts, Senior
Project Manager of the Trust for Public Land*
Biodiversity of the Rahway River Water shed Pictography *by Dr.
Emile DeVito PhD Director of Conservation Biology*
Environmental Stewardship: Beyond Compliance *by Wolfgang
Skacel, Deputy Commissioner for Compliance and Enforcement*
