State of the Raritan Conference and Awards Ceremony

State of the Raritan

Status and trends from across the region, where do we go from here?

Friday, June 9, 2017

Douglass Student Center, New Brunswick, NJ

9th Annual Sustainable Raritan Conference and Awards Ceremony

Our 2017 conference showcased a series of status and trends reports by Raritan stakeholders from across the region. Presentations described several decades of change in key indicators of watershed health for the Raritan River, basin and bay. And during lunch, keynote speaker, Andrew Johnson of the William Penn Foundation reflected on the strategic approach developed and applied through the Delaware River Watershed Initiative to address the same types of issues we face in the Raritan. What do these reports say about the health of the Raritan and what are the key concerns that still need to be addressed? How do we best leverage existing resources to tackle them? These are a few of the questions panelists and participants considered during this day long conference.

We also presented the 2017 Sustainable Raritan River Awards to recognize outstanding achievements in efforts to revitalize, restore and protect Raritan River resources and to make the Raritan region a premiere place to live, work and raise a family. Eight recipients were recognized. You can follow the link below to learn more about them and their good works for a more sustainable Raritan.

New at this year’s conference was a Data Blitz. The Data Blitz — a series of eleven five-minute long lightning talks — covered a broad range of topics highlighting current academic research, community actions, policy and planning efforts by stakeholders across the Raritan region. Each talk was supported by a poster, and the conference closed with a poster session and networking reception.

If you missed the conference or want to learn more about the presentations and talks, check out the links below, or contact Sara Malone for more information.

Also, watch for our announcement of next year’s conference — our 10th Annual!

Links to more information:

Conference Presentations

Welcome
- Sara Malone and Dr. Carrie Ferraro, Welcome and Rutgers on the Raritan
Status and Trend Reports
- Dr. Richard Lathrop, State of the Raritan Report, Volume 1 and Updates
- Dr. Jay Kelly, Assessing Forest Health in Central New Jersey: Effects of Deer and Invasive Plant Species
- Jeffrey L. Hoffman, Status of Raritan Groundwater Resources
- Kimberly A. Cenno and Jack Pflaumer, 2016 NJDEP Integrated Water Quality Report
- Elizabeth Schuster, Scoping for a Healthier Raritan Watershed for Nature and People
- Isabelle Stinnette, Habitat Restoration Projects and Opportunities in the Raritan
Keynote Address
- Andrew Johnson, An Overview of the Delaware River Watershed Initiative: Alignment and Collaboration to Accelerate Conservation and Measure Impact
Panel and Audience Discussion, Where do we go from here? (summary comments)
Data Blitz – Eleven Lightning Talks
- Daniel Mayer, Restoring Duke’s Brook: A Story of Collaboration
- Mike Stepowyj, Sediment Survey of the Lower Raritan River
- Meredith Comi, Citizen Science Monitoring for Pathogen Indicators Along the NJ Raritan Bayshore
- Mara Tippett, It’s Time to Test your Well! What Motivates Homeowners to Monitor Their Drinking Water?
- Zoe Linder-Baptie and Alexa Schatzmann, Locally Driven Policies to Help Improve Water Quality in the Raritan River Basin
- Dr. Beth Ravit and Sandra Meola, Microplastic Pollution in the Raritan River
- Dr. Aamani Rupakula, Anaerobic Biodegradability of Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products in Raritan River Sediments
- Dr. Josh Kohut, Introducing Rutgers Students to NJDEP Sampling and Quality Control Standards
- Dr. Margaret Christie and Jennifer Walker, Impacts of Sea-level Change and Human Activities in the Raritan River
- Brittany Musolino, A River-Friendly Vision for the Raritan Basin
- Anthony Vastano, Raritan River Fish Cam
Poster Session
- Daniel Mayer, Duke Farms – Dukes Brook 2017 CREP Restoration
- Mike Stepowyj, Sediment Survey of the Lower Raritan River
- Meredith Comi, Citizen Science Monitoring for Pathogen Indicators Along the NJ Bayshore
- Mara Tippett, It’s Time to Test your Well! What Motivates Homeowners to Monitor Their Drinking Water?
- Zoe Linder-Baptie and Alexa Schatzmann, Locally Driven Policies to Help Improve Water Quality in the Raritan River Basin
- Dr. Beth Ravit and Sandra Meola, Microplastics in Urban Freshwaters: Conduit for Persistent Organic Pollution
- Dr. Josh Kohut, Introducing Rutgers Students to NJDEP Sampling and Quality Control Standards
- Dr. Margaret Christie and Jennifer Walker, Impacts of Sea-level Change and Human Activities in the Raritan River
- Brittany Musolino, A River-Friendly Vision for the Raritan Basin
- Alex Ambrose w/Krasnuk, Walker, Weber and Viera, Mapping the Physical and Historical Features of the Lower Raritan
- Rosy Tucker w/Kapagantula, Gilardi, Schumm, Ray and Hudyha, Flood Inundation Modeling for the Raritan River
- Ian Baker w/Hess, Huang, Kerr, Nausbaum, Purus and Warina, Raritan River Real-Time Hydrological Observatory
- Daryl Krasnuk, Improving Watershed Health Through Habitat Restoration and Storm Water Management in the Raritan River Basin
- Daryl Krasnuk, Urbanization and Groundwater Recharge in the Raritan River Watershed
- Dr. Nicole Fahrenfeld, Microplastics as Emerging Contaminants in New Jersey Surface Water
- Susan Welkovits, Raritan River Park Connector Trail (poster), Raritan River Park Connector Proposed Trail (handout)
- Dr. Kristi MacDonald, Biodiversity Initiatives to Protect Water in the Upper Raritan Region
- Subhasis Giri, Assessing Land Use Intensity on Stream Health Using Macro-Invertebrates
- Anthony Vastano, The Raritan River Fish Cam: A Live View of Fish Passage on the Raritan River
- Angela Gorczyca, Waiting 2 – 3 Days to Swim in a Stream After a Rain Event May Increase Safety: Raritan Headwaters Dips into Bacteria Monitoring
- Dr. Jie Gong, Inundation Risk Information System (IRIS) Viewer: A Convergence of Big Spatial Data and Cloud Computing for Flood Mitigation
- Alex Mossavir, Where the Pipe Ends: The Fate of PPCPs in the Raritan River Watershed
- Samuel Wieczerzak, Characterization of PPCP-degrading Microbes in River Sediments

Thanks to our Sponsors

Multi-year Sponsors

Bald Eagle Level Sponsor

Osprey Level Sponsors

In Memory of

Ann McGovern Suydam

Special Thanks to

Chancellor Richard Edwards, Rutgers University – New Brunswick

Dean James Hughes, Rutgers Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy

Dean Robert Goodman, Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences

The Sustainable Raritan River Initiative is independently funded. For information about how to support our efforts, contact Sara Malone at sara.malone@rutgers.edu or by calling 848.932.2720. Thank you!

Photo Credit: “Aerial view of the Raritan River Bridge at left with Old Edison Memorial Bridge paralleling it, in Middlesex County on the Garden State Parkway of New Jersey”, from Tichnor Brothers Collection, Boston Public Library, digitalcommonwealth.org

	April 2019
Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
	1	2	3	4	5	6
7	8	9	10	11 Bayshore Regional Watershed Council Meeting Bayshore Regional Watershed Council Meeting Starts: 8:00 pm Ends: April 11, 2019 - 10:00 pm Location: Hall Place, Hall Pl, Keyport, NJ 07735, USA Description: Monthly Meeting of the Bayshore Regional Watershed Council The watershed council is an all-volunteer organization. Since 2000, we have been dedicated to improving water quality and restoring wildlife habitat along Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook Bay. Please consider joining the watershed council. Membership is always free. We depend on the time and generosity of volunteers for everything we do. Join us for a watershed meeting. Meetings are always informal and a great way to learn about your watershed. We meet the second Thursday of every month at 7:30pm inside Keyport Borough Hall located on Front Street. www.restoreraritanbay.org More details... •	12	13
14	15 Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership Meeting Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership Meeting Starts: 10:00 am Ends: April 15, 2019 - 12:00 pm Location: Middlesex County Office of Planning, 75 Bayard Street, New Brunswick Description: Special presentation by Nicole Wines, co-founder of Raices Cultural Center on "EcoCulture as Innovation"http://lowerraritanwatershed.org More details... •	16	17	18	19 Tree Planting in Lost Valley Tree Planting in Lost Valley Starts: 10:00 am Ends: April 19, 2019 - 4:00 pm Description: HELP PLANT TREES IN THE LOST VALLEY NATURE PARK! In conjunction with The Nature Conservancy's Roots for Rivers program, the Borough of Manville has acquired about 200 native tree saplings for planting at the Lost Valley Nature Park. Join us this Friday, April 19 and/or Saturday, April 20 any time between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to help plant saplings in this important restoration area. Things to Bring: Water and a snack Shovel and gloves (some will be provided, but extras are always helpful) Friends and family (this event is open to the public!) A smile You can find us on Google Maps at 226 Boesel Ave, Manville, NJ 08835 and park in the staging area as indicated on the map to the right. Contact Angela Knowles at aknowles@vancleefengineering.com with any questions. ABOUT: The Lost Valley Nature Park is a 60-acre park that is currently in the planning and design stages to become a regional nature park for all to enjoy. Working through a phased approach, short-term projects include welcome signage, at least one new trail to the existing boat ramp, allowing for native vegetation to resume growth, and for new plantings of trees and native pollinator habitat (wildflowers) to take root in the park. Longer-term projects would include development of larger structures like kiosks and a larger multi-use trail network with interpretive signage and an upgraded boat launch. Ultimately, the Borough, and the Lost Valley Nature Park, will be home to the county’s first public boat launch for kayaks and canoes. With the Weston Dam removed, access to the Royce Brook, Millstone River, and Raritan River will be easier than ever. Through collaboration with concurrent projects the Borough also plans to connect the park with Main Street Manville and the Raritan River Greenway. A pedestrian bridge over the Royce Brook at the southerly end of the park is also part of the long-term plan. Restoring this park will add a major community asset to the Borough’s roster of destinations and will bring a different demographic, of nature-enthusiasts, to the area. It truly is a showcase project that will provide benefits to the community and the region through every step of its development. More details... •	20 Tree Planting in Lost Valley Tree Planting in Lost Valley Starts: 10:00 am Ends: April 20, 2019 - 4:00 pm Description: HELP PLANT TREES IN THE LOST VALLEY NATURE PARK! In conjunction with The Nature Conservancy's Roots for Rivers program, the Borough of Manville has acquired about 200 native tree saplings for planting at the Lost Valley Nature Park. Join us this Friday, April 19 and/or Saturday, April 20 any time between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to help plant saplings in this important restoration area. Things to Bring: Water and a snack Shovel and gloves (some will be provided, but extras are always helpful) Friends and family (this event is open to the public!) A smile You can find us on Google Maps at 226 Boesel Ave, Manville, NJ 08835 and park in the staging area as indicated on the map to the right. Contact Angela Knowles at aknowles@vancleefengineering.com with any questions. ABOUT: The Lost Valley Nature Park is a 60-acre park that is currently in the planning and design stages to become a regional nature park for all to enjoy. Working through a phased approach, short-term projects include welcome signage, at least one new trail to the existing boat ramp, allowing for native vegetation to resume growth, and for new plantings of trees and native pollinator habitat (wildflowers) to take root in the park. Longer-term projects would include development of larger structures like kiosks and a larger multi-use trail network with interpretive signage and an upgraded boat launch. Ultimately, the Borough, and the Lost Valley Nature Park, will be home to the county’s first public boat launch for kayaks and canoes. With the Weston Dam removed, access to the Royce Brook, Millstone River, and Raritan River will be easier than ever. Through collaboration with concurrent projects the Borough also plans to connect the park with Main Street Manville and the Raritan River Greenway. A pedestrian bridge over the Royce Brook at the southerly end of the park is also part of the long-term plan. Restoring this park will add a major community asset to the Borough’s roster of destinations and will bring a different demographic, of nature-enthusiasts, to the area. It truly is a showcase project that will provide benefits to the community and the region through every step of its development. More details... •
21	22 Stony Brook Regional Sewerage Authority Meeting Stony Brook Regional Sewerage Authority Meeting Starts: 7:30 pm Ends: April 22, 2019 - 9:30 pm Location: 290 River Road, Princeton, NJ Description: Authority Board Meeting Schedule A RESOLUTION SETTING REGULAR MEETING DATES FOR THE STONY BROOK REGIONAL SEWERAGE AUTHORITY FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2016 IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THE OPEN PUBLIC MEETINGS ACT Resolution No. 2015-78 BE IT RESOLVED by the Stony Brook Regional Sewerage Authority: That the regular meeting day of the Authority be held on the fourth Monday of each month, except in November, when it will be held on the second Monday, and June and December when the meeting will be held on the third Monday of the month. http://www.sbrsa.com/ More details... Somerset Raritan Valley Sewerage Authority Somerset Raritan Valley Sewerage Authority Starts: 7:30 pm Ends: April 22, 2019 - 9:30 pm Location: 50 Polhemus Ln, Bridgewater, NJ 08807, USA Description: Meetings of the Somerset Raritan Valley Sewerage Authority are held the fourth Monday of each month. Meetings are held in the Authority conference room located in the Administrative Office. Open session meetings begin at 7:30 p.m. and there is an opportunity for public participation. Anyone from the public wishing to be heard should arrive promptly for the start of a meeting as the public participation portion is early on the agenda. http://srvsa.org/ More details... Earth Day Earth Day Starts: 12:00 am Ends: April 22, 2019 - 11:59 pm Description: Earth Day is an annual event, celebrated on April 22, on which day events worldwide are held to demonstrate support for environmental protection. It was first celebrated in 1970, and is now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network,[1] and celebrated in more than 192 countries each year.[2] In 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco, peace activist John McConnell proposed a day to honor the Earth and the concept of peace, to first be celebrated on March 21, 1970, the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere. This day of nature's equipoise was later sanctioned in a Proclamation written by McConnell and signed by Secretary General U Thant at the United Nations. A month later a separate Earth Day was founded by United States Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in first held on April 22, 1970. Nelson was later awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom Award in recognition of his work.[3] While this April 22 Earth Day was focused on the United States, an organization launched by Denis Hayes, who was the original national coordinator in 1970, took it international in 1990 and organized events in 141 nations.[4][5] Numerous communities celebrate Earth Week, an entire week of activities focused on environmental issues. from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Day More details... • • •	23	24	25	26	27 Stream School Stream School Starts: 9:00 am Ends: April 27, 2019 - 4:30 pm Description: This two day intensive classroom and field workshop will introduce participants to basic stream ecology and water quality monitoring techniques to prepare them for future volunteer monitoring at their local stream. Attendees will learn how to collect and identify benthic macroinvertebrates, a key indicator species used to detect overall stream health. Visual, physical, and habitat monitoring methods will also be taught, with ample time for practice along the stream. If you have any questions, please contact Erin Stretz at estretz@thewatershed.org Thanks, Rachael ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Rachael Graham Citizen Science Coordinator US EPA Region 2 Email: Graham.rachael@epa.govPhone: 732-321-4438 Hours: Mon-Thurs 8:30am-6:00pm Every Other Fri 8:30am-5:00pm More details... Watershed Sculpture Project Watershed Sculpture Project Starts: 11:00 am Ends: April 27, 2019 - 6:00 pm Description: with Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership and coLAB Arts at Rutgers Day More details... • •
28 Stream School Stream School Starts: 9:00 am Ends: April 28, 2019 - 4:30 pm Description: This two day intensive classroom and field workshop will introduce participants to basic stream ecology and water quality monitoring techniques to prepare them for future volunteer monitoring at their local stream. Attendees will learn how to collect and identify benthic macroinvertebrates, a key indicator species used to detect overall stream health. Visual, physical, and habitat monitoring methods will also be taught, with ample time for practice along the stream. If you have any questions, please contact Erin Stretz at estretz@thewatershed.org Thanks, Rachael ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Rachael Graham Citizen Science Coordinator US EPA Region 2 Email: Graham.rachael@epa.govPhone: 732-321-4438 Hours: Mon-Thurs 8:30am-6:00pm Every Other Fri 8:30am-5:00pm More details... •	29	30