Investigators: Richard G. Lathrop1, Subhasis Giri1, Rachael Sacatelli1, Amanda Archer2, Zeyuan Qiu3, Dibvendu Sarkar4, Zhiming Zhang4, Viravid Na Nagara4
1 Grant F. Walton Center for Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis (CRSSA), Rutgers University
2Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve
3 New Jersey Institute of Technology
4 Stevens Institute of Technology
Funding for this project is from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection 2018 Water Quality Restoration Grant Program. Additional support is provided by the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station and the Johnson Family Chair in Water Resources and Watershed Ecology.
July 2021; Updated October 2023
Overview
Barnegat Bay is recognized as a nationally significant coastal system and it is designated as the 28th National Estuary Program site by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Barnegat Bay is economically and ecologically valuable to the State of New Jersey, supporting vital economic and recreational activities such as commercial and recreational fish and shellfish industries, boating, and tourism.
As a consequence of watershed urbanization, Barnegat Bay has been identified as a highly eutrophic estuary with nonpoint source pollution as a major source of nutrient enrichment. The end result has been a decline in ecological health of the Barnegat Bay due to the high nutrient loading. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) has identified nitrogen and sediment as the primary pollutants of concern in the Bay leading to depleted dissolved oxygen and enhanced turbidity. The focus of this project is enhancing the integrity of the watersheds that drain to Southern Barnegat Bay - Little Egg Harbor.
Study Area
The study area of this project consists of several sub-watersheds draining to Little Egg Harbor (LEH) which represents nearly one sixth of the total drainage area of the BB-LEH Watershed.
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Objectives
The specific objectives of this watershed management planning effort are to:
- Identify the causes and sources of sediment and nutrient pollution that are causing impairments to southern portion of the Bay;
- Determine the existing and potential management measures required to achieve pollutant reduction from various sources;
- Provide site-based information to help prioritize the placement of green infrastructure technologies to enhance the infiltration, evaporation, filtration, stored, and / or reuse of water;
- Implement several pilot projects that demonstrate the effectiveness of green infrastructure technologies such as catch basin inserts with filter media, amended soils in bioretention cells with biochar, and floating treatment platform (see photos in Gallery); and,
- Collaborate with municipalities, residents, businesses, and other local organizations in the scoping and drafting of the watershed restoration plan.
Timeline
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Stakeholder Resources
The Watershed Restoration Plan is being developed in partnership with a Project Advisory Committee including municipalities, residents, major landowners, businesses, environmental managers, government agencies, and local organizations. The Committee meets quarterly to guide the watershed planning process and opportunities for implementing prioritized green infrastructure projects.
List of Committee Members | Link (Google Drive)
To see various maps and data products for the Southern Barnegat Bay Study Area, please go to this ArcGIS Online site: Barnegat Bay Data Viewer: https://arcg.is/19q0L4
Please wait a minute or two for the many maps to load.
Contact Amanda Archer (amanda.archer@marine.rutgers.edu) with questions or to get involved.
Southern Barnegat Bay Watershed Management Plan Interim Reports
The following reports were produced in support of the project work:
Lathrop, R.G. and J. Myers, 2023. Buildout Analysis for the Southern Barnegat Bay Watershed: DRAFT. PDF
Lathrop, R.G., Giri, S., and Pereira, M. 2021. Assessment of Land Use/Land Cover Change and Riparian Zone Status in the Southern Barnegat Bay Watershed. PDF
Lathrop, R.G. and S. Giri. 2021. Developing a Watershed Restoration Plan for Southern Barnegat Bay-Little Egg Harbor Tributaries: Watershed Characterization and Assessment. PDF
Southern Barnegat Bay Watershed Restoration Plan - Stakeholder Advisory Committee: Meeting 4 Notes, 12/2/2022. PDF
Southern Barnegat Bay Watershed Restoration Plan - Project Advisory Committee: Meeting 5 Notes, 6/21/2023. PDF
Southern Barnegat Bay Watershed Restoration Plan - Public Advisory Committee: Presentation 6/21/2023. PDF
Grant F. Walton Center for Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis (CRSSA)
School of Environmental and Biological Sciences
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
14 College Farm Road, Cook Campus
New Brunswick, NJ USA 08901-8551
Tel: 848/932-1582
Fax: 732/932-2587
Web: crssa.rutgers.edu
Web site composed by the Grant F. Walton Center for Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis (CRSSA), © 2023. Page contents last updated 04/26/2023.