We’re committed to improving our ecosystems, quality of life, and communities for the better.
Our passion and commitment to the integration of innovative science and engineering drive us to exceed on behalf of every client.
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Today, we’re shining the spotlight on Riverkeeper, a 501(c)3 nonprofit membership organization headquartered in Ossining, New York. The organization is committed to protecting and restoring the Hudson River from source to sea and safeguarding drinking water supplies through advocacy rooted in community partnerships, science, and law. For this Client Spotlight, we spoke with Riverkeeper’s Senior Habitat Restoration Manager George Jackman, PhD via zoom: Q. Tell us a little about Riverkeeper and what makes it unique? A: We are the first Keeper organization in the world. We began in 1966 as the Hudson River Fishermen’s Association, an environmental watchdog and enforcement organization founded by a group of concerned fishermen. In 1986, we officially changed our name to Riverkeeper. We've helped set worldwide standards for waterway and watershed protection, and continue to serve as the model for more than 300 Keeper programs around the globe. As New York’s clean water advocate, Riverkeeper is the unique voice in the Hudson Valley that is continually speaking-up to protect the integrity of the water, the creatures that call it home, and our surrounding communities. We are a voice of environmental justice for the people of Hudson Valley, advocating for communities that have often been marginalized or placed in disadvantaged situations that are now at the mercy of climate change. We are always striving for a fishable, swimmable, and drinkable Hudson River and a healthy watershed. For historical photos and more info about Riverkeeper's origination, click here to view the "Riverkeeper: An Incomplete History" slideshow. Q. What does your organization value? A: We value clean, reliable drinking water and an equitable justice for all people. We value a healthy, ecologically-balanced environment and clean, sustainable forms of energy. We value free-flowing rivers that are resilient and teeming with life. We value stewardship of the Hudson River and its watershed. And, last but not least, we value all of our members, volunteers, partners, supporters, and neighbors who play a primary and vital role in protecting our local environment. Q. What are some exciting things your organization is working on right now? A: I have to tell you, some of the work we do is not incredibly exciting, but it's incredibly important. We do a lot of work to strengthen the laws and regulations that impact New York’s water resources. We advocate for environmental justice, and we help our fellow community members understand the legislative process and how to get involved in garnering support for legislation that protects our Hudson River, its tributaries, our watershed, wetlands and surrounding areas. Strong environmental policy may not be the most exciting thing, but it is one of the best tools we have. And, it is very exciting when we win. Riverkeeper has taken on some of the largest corporations on planet Earth - General Electric, General Motors, Exxon - and we've won! The work isn’t easy; sometimes it can be a long, persistent slog. But, you know what? We’ve stayed the course and we've prevailed. Every time we win for the fish, it’s a big win for all of us, and for me that’s incredibly exciting and fulfilling. Click here to read Riverkeeper’s 2023 Legislative Agenda for New York State. Q. Can you talk a little about the history behind the Riverkeeper and Princeton Hydro partnership and some of the milestone projects we’ve collaborated on: A: [embed]https://youtu.be/HVJ6GBbq6jM[/embed] The removal of the two defunct dams that George mentions in the video clip – Strooks Felt Dam and Furnace Brook Barrier #1 – marked an important milestone in the Riverkeeper’s journey to “Undam the Hudson River” and restore fish passage between the Hudson and the Atlantic Ocean. Click here to read more. Q. How can people get involved in and help support the important work Riverkeeper is doing? A: [embed]https://youtu.be/rnDjgHMNLX4[/embed] For more Riverkeeper volunteer opportunities and upcoming events, click here. Q. Does Riverkeeper have community science opportunities available for the public to participate in? A: We have a great citizen science water sampling program; it’s actually one of the first community science initiatives in the world related to sampling water. It begins every April and volunteers have to commit to 6-months of water quality sampling. The samples are collected from the water’s edge by Riverkeeper-trained community scientists. We test for salinity, oxygen, temperature, suspended sediment, chlorophyll, and Enterococcus (Entero), a fecal indicator bacteria. It’s quite an unprecedented scope for a citizen science sampling initiative. We compile the data into “How’s the Water” reports and tributary watershed reports, and post them to our website. One of the wonderful things about the citizen science program is that we’re working with younger generations, training them on how to take samples and make observations, and helping them learn about the river. We’re trying to create a deeper connection between the river and its surrounding community members, especially our younger groups, and teach everyone how to be stewards for the river and protect the rivers’ many creatures. Click here to meet Riverkeeper’s water quality program science partners and supporters, and check out the data findings. Q. Do you have anything else you’d like to share with our blog readers? A: I’ll just close by saying, I’ve had a great experience working with Princeton Hydro. And, we look forward to Princeton Hydro bidding on future Riverkeeper projects, and hopefully working with them in the future. A big thanks to George and Riverkeeper for taking part in our Client Spotlight Series! To learn more about George and the important work he's doing with Riverkeeper, we invite you to read this article recently published in Planet A Magazine, "Channeling the Flow of Nature." Click below to check out the previous edition of our Client Spotlight Series featuring Tim Fenchel, Deputy Director of Schuylkill River Greenways National Heritage Area: [post_title] => Client Spotlight: Riverkeeper - New York's Clean Water Advocate [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => client-spotlight-riverkeeper [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2023-05-25 15:39:15 [post_modified_gmt] => 2023-05-25 15:39:15 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://princetonhydro.com/?p=12661 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [1] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 12586 [post_author] => 1 [post_date] => 2023-04-21 18:46:19 [post_date_gmt] => 2023-04-21 18:46:19 [post_content] => Happy Earth Day! It's important that we all do our part today and every day to honor our precious planet and promote climate action. We've put together a quick list of fun ideas and helpful tips to celebrate Earth Day 2023: Get Your Garden Spring-Ready Tulips are starting to emerge, buds are blossoming on trees and, unfortunately, invasive plant species are also beginning their annual growing cycle. Invasive species create major impacts on ecosystems near and far, but we can all do our part to reduce the spread. Princeton Hydro Landscape Architects and Expert Green Thumbs Jamie Feinstein, RLA and Cory Speroff, PLA, ASLA, CBLP recently led a live “Ask Me Anything” Spring Gardening conversation via Facebook. They provided gardening tips and tricks, including:
Welcome to the latest edition of our Client Spotlight series, which provides an inside look at our collaboration, teamwork, and accomplishments with one of our client partners.
Today, we’re shining the spotlight on Riverkeeper, a 501(c)3 nonprofit membership organization headquartered in Ossining, New York. The organization is committed to protecting and restoring the Hudson River from source to sea and safeguarding drinking water supplies through advocacy rooted in community partnerships, science, and law.
For this Client Spotlight, we spoke with Riverkeeper’s Senior Habitat Restoration Manager George Jackman, PhD via zoom:
A: We are the first Keeper organization in the world. We began in 1966 as the Hudson River Fishermen’s Association, an environmental watchdog and enforcement organization founded by a group of concerned fishermen. In 1986, we officially changed our name to Riverkeeper. We've helped set worldwide standards for waterway and watershed protection, and continue to serve as the model for more than 300 Keeper programs around the globe.
As New York’s clean water advocate, Riverkeeper is the unique voice in the Hudson Valley that is continually speaking-up to protect the integrity of the water, the creatures that call it home, and our surrounding communities. We are a voice of environmental justice for the people of Hudson Valley, advocating for communities that have often been marginalized or placed in disadvantaged situations that are now at the mercy of climate change. We are always striving for a fishable, swimmable, and drinkable Hudson River and a healthy watershed.
A: We value clean, reliable drinking water and an equitable justice for all people. We value a healthy, ecologically-balanced environment and clean, sustainable forms of energy. We value free-flowing rivers that are resilient and teeming with life. We value stewardship of the Hudson River and its watershed. And, last but not least, we value all of our members, volunteers, partners, supporters, and neighbors who play a primary and vital role in protecting our local environment.
A: I have to tell you, some of the work we do is not incredibly exciting, but it's incredibly important.
We do a lot of work to strengthen the laws and regulations that impact New York’s water resources. We advocate for environmental justice, and we help our fellow community members understand the legislative process and how to get involved in garnering support for legislation that protects our Hudson River, its tributaries, our watershed, wetlands and surrounding areas. Strong environmental policy may not be the most exciting thing, but it is one of the best tools we have.
And, it is very exciting when we win. Riverkeeper has taken on some of the largest corporations on planet Earth - General Electric, General Motors, Exxon - and we've won! The work isn’t easy; sometimes it can be a long, persistent slog. But, you know what? We’ve stayed the course and we've prevailed. Every time we win for the fish, it’s a big win for all of us, and for me that’s incredibly exciting and fulfilling.
The removal of the two defunct dams that George mentions in the video clip – Strooks Felt Dam and Furnace Brook Barrier #1 – marked an important milestone in the Riverkeeper’s journey to “Undam the Hudson River” and restore fish passage between the Hudson and the Atlantic Ocean. Click here to read more.
For more Riverkeeper volunteer opportunities and upcoming events, click here.
A: We have a great citizen science water sampling program; it’s actually one of the first community science initiatives in the world related to sampling water.
It begins every April and volunteers have to commit to 6-months of water quality sampling. The samples are collected from the water’s edge by Riverkeeper-trained community scientists. We test for salinity, oxygen, temperature, suspended sediment, chlorophyll, and Enterococcus (Entero), a fecal indicator bacteria. It’s quite an unprecedented scope for a citizen science sampling initiative. We compile the data into “How’s the Water” reports and tributary watershed reports, and post them to our website.
One of the wonderful things about the citizen science program is that we’re working with younger generations, training them on how to take samples and make observations, and helping them learn about the river. We’re trying to create a deeper connection between the river and its surrounding community members, especially our younger groups, and teach everyone how to be stewards for the river and protect the rivers’ many creatures.
Click here to meet Riverkeeper’s water quality program science partners and supporters, and check out the data findings.
A: I’ll just close by saying, I’ve had a great experience working with Princeton Hydro. And, we look forward to Princeton Hydro bidding on future Riverkeeper projects, and hopefully working with them in the future.
A big thanks to George and Riverkeeper for taking part in our Client Spotlight Series!
To learn more about George and the important work he's doing with Riverkeeper, we invite you to read this article recently published in Planet A Magazine, "Channeling the Flow of Nature."
Click below to check out the previous edition of our Client Spotlight Series featuring Tim Fenchel, Deputy Director of Schuylkill River Greenways National Heritage Area:
Happy Earth Day! It's important that we all do our part today and every day to honor our precious planet and promote climate action. We've put together a quick list of fun ideas and helpful tips to celebrate Earth Day 2023:
Tulips are starting to emerge, buds are blossoming on trees and, unfortunately, invasive plant species are also beginning their annual growing cycle. Invasive species create major impacts on ecosystems near and far, but we can all do our part to reduce the spread.
Princeton Hydro Landscape Architects and Expert Green Thumbs Jamie Feinstein, RLA and Cory Speroff, PLA, ASLA, CBLP recently led a live “Ask Me Anything” Spring Gardening conversation via Facebook. They provided gardening tips and tricks, including:
Rain gardens are a cost effective, attractive, and sustainable way to minimize stormwater runoff and filter out pollutants. This aesthetic, low-maintenance addition to any outdoor landscape creates a functioning habitat that attracts pollinators, beneficial insects, and birds. It can also help reduce erosion, promote groundwater recharge, and minimize flooding.
You can help conserve water usage by incorporating water-wise practices into your daily life. Installing a rain barrel is a great place to start! Using a rain barrel to collect fresh, free rainwater helps save money, conserve water AND protects the environment. Collecting water in rain barrels is a fun, affordable and effective way to reduce the amount of run-off flowing into storm drains and waterways. We’ve put together four simple steps to help you install a rain barrel in your yard.
You can play a major role in maintaining the health and safety of your community. By committing to a regular litter pick-up schedule, you can help keep your neighborhood cleaner and decrease the amount of debris and pollution entering your community waterways. Consider choosing a nearby park, lake, pond or stream for your trash clean-up activities. Whatever spot you choose, pick the place that's best for you, invite friends or family to join you, determine a regular clean-up schedule, and stick to it!
As biologists, ecologists, environmentalists, and outdoor enthusiasts, all of us at Princeton Hydro take our responsibility to care for and respect our natural surroundings very seriously. We play hard and work hard to protect our natural resources for generations to come. Happy Earth Day!
Spring is here! We kicked-off the new growing year with a live "Ask Me Anything" Spring Gardening conversation via Facebook.
Princeton Hydro Landscape Architects and Expert Green Thumbs Jamie Feinstein, RLA and Cory Speroff, PLA, ASLA, CBLP provided participants with all sorts of gardening tips and tricks, including:
Our Communications Intern Andrea Rojas led the Q&A conversation, and Jamie and Cory fielded a variety of questions from the audience, including some about soil testing, installing a rain garden, and choosing the best mulch.
If you missed it, have no fear - we recorded the session. Roll up your sleeves and get ready for gardening!
If you're interested in learning more about installing a rain garden in your yard, please check out our recent blog: How To Build a Rain Garden in 10 Steps.
The North American Lake Management Society (NALMS) held its 42nd Annual International Symposium from November 14–17 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Water resource professionals, researchers, students and practitioners came together to share ideas and learn about managing and protecting lakes and their watersheds.
This year’s conference, which was titled, “Leveraging Experience to Manage Diverse Lakes, Landscapes, and People,” featured an exhibitor hall, networking events, and a variety of presentations and workshops. Princeton Hydro, a proud contributing sponsor of the conference, led four presentations and one workshop; below, we provide a free download of each.
On the first day of the conference, Chris and Fred led a half-day workshop about developing Harmful Algal Blooms Management and Restoration Plans for Beaches and Marinas, which are designed as part of a larger, all-encompassing Watershed Implementation Plan. The workshop provided both in-lake, near-shore, and local watershed solutions to preserve water quality and protect the health of people and pets utilizing these waterbodies.
A daring group of symposium participants bundled up and braved the cold temperatures for the Clean Lakes Classic 5k Run, which Princeton Hydro sponsored. The point-to-point course followed along the Mississippi River, through city greenways, and around snowy Minneapolis neighborhoods.
We’re also excited to announce that Chris L. Mikolajczyk won this year’s International Symposium photo contest for this stunning image he captured during a recent visit to Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. The photo is titled “Aquatic Plant Management: No Permits Needed!”
Welcome to the latest edition of our Client Spotlight series, which provides an inside look at our collaboration and accomplishments with a specific client.
For this Client Spotlight, we spoke with Tim Fenchel, Deputy Director of Schuylkill River Greenways National Heritage Area (SRG). The mission of SRG is to connect residents, visitors, and communities to the Schuylkill River and the Schuylkill River Trail by serving as a catalyst for civic engagement and economic development in order to foster stewardship of the watershed and its heritage. The boundaries of the Heritage Area cover the Schuylkill River watershed in Schuylkill, Berks, Chester, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties.
Let's dive in!
We value our heritage and the deeply-rooted culture of this region. We also look ahead to how we can continue to engage our communities with that heritage and create future generations of stewards for the Schuylkill River and Schuylkill River Trail.
We value vibrant and revitalized communities, and it’s rewarding to see how SRG has contributed to sustainable revitalization of river-town communities, including Phoenixville, Manayunk, and Pottstown. We really value helping to maintain a strong connection between the river and its surrounding neighborhoods. By enabling and encouraging communities to enjoy the river and trail, we create lifelong stewards of these important resources.
Another core value is making outdoor recreation accessible for everyone. The trail is a public recreational resource that anyone can enjoy, and we really try to promote it as a means for health and wellness, all kinds of recreation experiences, family-friendly outings, arts and culture, and much more.
Collaboration is also very valuable to SRG. Every single project and program that we do, we do it in partnership with at least one other organization if not multiple other organizations. The Schuylkill River Water Quality project, which we’ll talk more about today, is a great example of that.
As Deputy Director, I get to be involved in just about everything that we do here. I assist with the day-to-day operations of the organization; I pitch in with trail issues when they arise; I’m involved, in some way shape or form, with our various community events throughout the year; and I also have several projects and programs that I personally oversee. The Schuylkill River Water Quality project is one, which we'll discuss in more detail shortly.
Another unique project I oversee is the Schuylkill River Restoration Fund. Essentially, SRG receives funding from both private and public entities, and we then regrant those funds to local government agencies, nonprofits, and community organizations to implement on-the-ground projects for the improvement of water quality throughout the Schuylkill River Watershed. The grants focus on three major sources of pollution: stormwater run-off, agricultural pollution, and abandoned mine drainage.
There is a lot of variety in my role here, which I really enjoy.
An important aspect of our mission is to connect communities to the Schuylkill River through recreational and educational activities. To fully achieve the Schuylkill River’s potential, we must help the public understand the current health status and what they can do to continue to improve its quality for this generation and generations to come. In 2019, we received a grant from the William Penn Foundation to fund the Schuylkill River Water Quality project, which aimed to document the current ecological status and health of the river, and engage and educate a diverse set of river users and residents.
Through an RFP process, we selected Princeton Hydro as one of the main project advisors. From the start, we hit it off with Michael Hartshorne, Director of Aquatics, and Dana Patterson, Director of Marketing & Communications. The strength of what they brought as a team and their scientific water quality and engagement expertise impressed us from the start and it really carried on throughout the entirety of the project. We had a truly tremendous team of partners, including Berks Nature, Bartram’s Garden, The Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education, and Stroud Water Research Center.
The project, which focused on the main stem of the river from Reading to Southwest Philadelphia, included four key components:
The yearlong data collection and community science initiative culminated with the launch of an interactive ArcGIS StoryMap webpage that reveals the local perceptions of the Schuylkill River and aims to connect residents with and encourage engagement with this special resource.
We have so many wonderful events throughout the year that provide an opportunity for community members to learn about and engage with the Schuylkill River and the Trail.
We just held the Ride for the River outing, which is a one-day bike ride and fundraising event. The ride began at the Pottstown River Front Park and followed about 20-miles of the Schuylkill River Trail to Reading. It’s always a ton of fun.
Every June we have our Annual Schuylkill River Sojourn, which consists of a 7-day, 112-mile guided canoe/kayak trip on the Schuylkill River that begins in rural Schuylkill Haven and ends in Philadelphia. The event combines kayaking/canoeing, camping, education, and games into one exciting adventure.
In November, we're hosting our 18th annual “Scenes of the Schuylkill” Art Show. Throughout the year, we host several free educational programs, do guided tours at locations within the Heritage Area, and so much more.
Click here to learn more about SRG’s Programs and Events.
A big thanks to Tim and SRG for taking part in our Client Spotlight Series!
Schuylkill River Greenways relies on help from volunteers, who provide valued assistance with trail maintenance, special events, environmental education, water quality monitoring and more. To learn more about how to get involved, visit SRG's volunteer portal for a full rundown of opportunities.
Princeton Hydro led a stormwater management webinar during which participants learned about the purpose, management, and functionality of stormwater basins, and how to get involved in addressing stormwater management issues in their own communities. Dr. Clay Emerson, P.E., CFM and Mark Gallagher, the webinar instructors, provided examples of basins that could benefit most from a retrofit and step-by-step instructions on how to revitalize older basins to meet new stormwater standards and more effectively manage runoff.
The workshop, hosted by The Watershed Institute, is part of the Watershed Wednesdays webinar series, which explores a variety of topics related to protecting and improving water quality. The Watershed Institute, established in 1949, is a nonprofit organization located in Central New Jersey that promotes and advocates conservation and restoration of natural habitats, collects data on environmental conditions in its watersheds, and provides environmental education through numerous programs. To learn more about The Watershed Institute and other upcoming adult-education events, click here.
At Princeton Hydro, we are experts in stormwater management; we recognize the numerous benefits of green infrastructure; and we’ve been incorporating green infrastructure into our engineering designs since before the term was regularly used in the stormwater lexicon. Click here to read about the on-call stormwater services and ongoing residential, commercial, and professional redevelopment projects we’re working on in Tredeffryin Township, Pennsylvania.
For episode three of Stroud Water Research Center's 2022 Science Seminar Series, Michael Hartshorne, Director of Aquatics at Princeton Hydro (and former Stroud Center intern), gave a presentation about the ecological status of the Schuylkill River and shared the story of a yearlong community science project that included a volunteer survey and scientific water quality assessment. Stroud Center's Science Seminar lecture series, which provides an opportunity for the public to learn more about the issues that matter to them, has been running for over a decade. It also gives the public access to some of the world’s leading freshwater scientists and educators and the chance to learn how watershed science and education are tackling water-related challenges.
As described in Michael's presentation, the project, which included four phases, was implemented through a partnership between the Schuylkill River Greenways, Berks Nature, Bartram’s Garden, The Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education, Stroud Center, and Princeton Hydro.
First, to understand local perceptions of the river, investigators conducted a community survey of more than 300 residents from Berks, Chester, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties. Despite a majority of respondents reporting that they care about the river, many also reported concerns about trash and litter and whether the river is clean and safe enough for activities like swimming and fishing. This insight was used to drive the priorities for the in-depth water quality monitoring assessment and inspired the launch of a new Community Science trash monitoring program.
In June, the group launched an interactive ArcGIS StoryMap webpage that reveals the local perceptions of the Schuylkill River and aims to connect residents and communities with the Schuylkill River and encourage engagement with this special resource.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) launched a Youth Inclusion Initiative to help the State of New Jersey develop the next generation of environmental protection, conservation and stewardship leaders while also providing an avenue for young adults from open space-constrained communities to engage with nature as they provide valuable stewardship services to the public through jobs at NJDEP.
This year, the youth inclusion program is partnering with Groundwork Elizabeth, Rutgers University Camden, and Newark’s Ironbound Community Corporation to create a workforce development curriculum for people ages 17 to 24. Groundwork Elizabeth sent 12 participants to this year’s program, and Rutgers Camden and the Ironbound Community Corporation each sent 10.
The curriculum provides career education in the environmental protection field and helps the young participants develop the skills necessary to pursue those career paths in New Jersey. Participants learn through classroom instruction and by working across sectors regulated by the NJDEP, including water resources, air quality, energy and sustainability, public lands management, and wildlife.
Susan Lockwood of NJDEP’s Division of Land Resource Protection’s Mitigation Unit reached out to Princeton Hydro to showcase ecosystem restoration and mitigation efforts across the state as well as discuss the variety of career roles that make these projects possible. Our portion of the curriculum entailed each group of students visiting two sites to learn about the benefits of restoring a landscape with native vegetation. Our discussion explored different fields of work related to urban environmental restoration and water resource protection and the job responsibilities of environmental scientists, water resource engineers, geologists, ecologists, pesticide applicators, and regulatory compliance specialists.
After a quick stop at NJDEP’s office in Trenton to learn about NJ invasive species, all three groups popped over to the Tulpehaking Nature Center in Mercer County’s John A. Roebling Park to see the restoration site in the Abbott Marshlands. The 3,000-acre Abbott Marshlands is the northernmost freshwater tidal marsh on the Delaware River and contains valuable habitat for many rare species like River Otter, American Eel, Bald Eagle, and various species of wading birds. Unfortunately, the area has experienced a significant amount of loss and degradation, partially due to the introduction of the invasive Common Reed (Phragmites australis). For Mercer County Park Commission, Princeton Hydro implemented a restoration plan to remove Common Reed and expose the native seed bank in 40-acres of the marsh to increase biodiversity, improve recreational opportunities, and enhance visitor experience. Students learned how to tell the difference between the invasive Common Reed vs. native Wild Rice (Zizania palustris L.). They utilized tools of the trade like field guides and binoculars to identify flora and fauna in the marsh. Learn more about this project.
After visiting the Roebling site, students from Camden traveled down to Evesham Township in Burlington County to visit the Mullica River Wetland Mitigation Site. For this project, Princeton Hydro worked with GreenVest, LLC to restore a highly degraded 34-acre parcel of land which was previously used for cranberry cultivation. Through the implementation of restoration activities focused on removing the site’s agricultural infrastructure, Princeton Hydro and GreenVest were able to restore a natural wetland system on the site and over 1,600 linear feet of stream, providing forested, scrub-shrub, and emergent wetlands, forested uplands, headwater stream and riparian buffer, and critical wildlife habitat. The project also significantly uplifted threatened and endangered species habitats including Timber Rattlesnake.
Susan Lockwood of NJDEP, Owen McEnroe of GreenVest, and Dana Patterson of Princeton Hydro, lead the group of 10 students. They learned the difference between restoration and mitigation and got to experience the remoteness of Pinelands habitat. Walking through the site, we shared how the dam and dike removal helped to restore the river back to its natural free-flowing state and the numerous resulting environmental benefits.The site was chosen for the Camden students in order to demonstrate that successful mitigation and restoration projects happen throughout the State and not far from urban centers like Camden. Learn more about this project.
After visiting the Roebling site, students from Newark and Elizabeth trekked up to Essex County to visit an urban wetland creation project now known as Lion Gate Park. The once densely developed, abandoned Scientific Glass Factory in Bloomfield Township was transformed into a thriving public park with 4.2 acres of wetlands. Students heard the story of how this project came to be; decades of advocacy and litigation by community members and environmental nonprofits to stop redevelopment of the site into 148 townhomes. Bloomfield Township eventually secured the property to preserve as open space through a range of grants from NJDEP. Serving as the ecological engineer to Bloomfield Township, Princeton Hydro designed, permitted, and oversaw construction for the restoration project and is currently monitoring the site. The restoration work brought back to the land valuable ecological functions and natural floodplain connection, enhanced aquatic and wildlife habitat, and increased flood storage capacity for urban stormwater runoff. Learn more about this project.
The NJDEP Youth Inclusion Initiative began on July 5 with a week of orientation classes, and continued through August with classroom and in-field learning. The initiative culminates on August 26 with a graduation and NJDEP Career Day, during which students will have the opportunity to meet with and discuss career options with various organizations tabling at the event, including Princeton Hydro.
Click here to learn more about the NJDEP education program. If you’re interested in learning more about Princeton Hydro’s ecological restoration services, click here.
A green roof is a roof fully or partially covered in plants and waterproof media that helps reduce the volume and velocity of stormwater runoff from roofs by temporarily storing stormwater, slowing excess stormwater release, and promoting evaporation.
Green roofs offer many benefits. They can help regulate a building’s internal temperature, which leads to heating and cooling energy savings; reduce stormwater runoff; mitigate the urban heat island effect; and increase biodiversity.
From the planted rooftop of a building in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, we spoke with Philadelphia Green Roofs Principal and Owner Jeanne Weber, BSLA, GRP about the basics and benefits of green roofs for stormwater management. Click below to watch:
To learn more about green infrastructure and stormwater management, check out our blog:
The Princeton Hydro team is proud to be participating in and sponsoring a variety of conferences, water quality workshops, and summertime community activities. In this Spotlight edition, we provide a snapshot of what's coming up and information on how to get involved:
Are you looking for a fun way to celebrate summer with the whole family? Look no further than Trenton’s Summer Splash Bash hosted by the Trenton South Ward Neighborhood Association! This free, family-friendly event includes an all-hands-on-deck water blaster battle, live music, and much more! A proud sponsor of the bash, Princeton Hydro invites you to come by its exhibitor table to say hello. We hope to see you at Mill Hill Park on Saturday, July 23 from 1 - 5pm!
Join the Musconetcong Watershed Association (MWA) for its 30th Anniversary Celebration from 5 - 9pm at Donaldson Farms! The evening includes live music by The Emulators, five fabulous food trucks, a raffle, and tons of fun. Princeton Hydro, a proud sponsor of this event, has been working with the MWA in the areas of river restoration, dam removal, and engineering consulting since 2003. The MWA’s mission is to protect and improve the quality of the Musconetcong River and its Watershed, including its natural and cultural resources. They fulfill their mission through public education and awareness programs, river water quality monitoring, promotion of sustainable land management practices, and community involvement.
The Resource Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing America's natural resources by restoring streams, rivers and wetlands, is hosting the first-ever National Stream Restoration Conference. The 3-day event, themed "Sharing Visions for the Future," will be held at the Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville Tennessee. 500 stream restoration professionals are expected to attend the conference, which includes an exhibitor hall and a wide variety of education sessions, including two which are being lead by members of the Princeton Hydro team:
Stay tuned to our blog for more events!
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