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In his article, Roy takes readers on a tour of Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge wetland complex and provides an in-depth look at the extraordinary diversity of protected plant and animal species that can be found there. The article, titled, "Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Massachusetts, USA: A Wetland of Distinction," also contains beautiful full-color images of the landscape and wildlife within it. Great Meadows is one of more than 560 refuges in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Wildlife Refuge System. The system is a network of lands and waters managed specifically for the protection of wildlife and wildlife habitat and represents the most comprehensive wildlife resource management program in the world. The Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge is a river wetlands conservation area, divided into two major parcels, stretching from the towns of Billerica, Massachusetts to Wayland, Massachusetts, along the Concord and Sudbury Rivers. Approximately 85% of the refuge's 3,600 acres is comprised of freshwater wetlands. According to the FWS, Great Meadows is considered an excellet place for birding, and “noted ornithologists consider this unit to be one of the best inland birding areas in the state.” This site has a wildlife observational tower, observational platform and direct access to the Concord River. Roy's article, as well as the entire January 2023 issue of Wetland Science & Practice Magazine, is available to members of the Society of Wetland Scientists, which is an international, professional nonprofit organization devoted to promoting understanding, conservation, protection, restoration, science-based management, and sustainability of wetlands. Society membership is open to anyone with an interest in wetlands. To learn more, click here. [post_title] => Wetland Science & Practice Magazine Features Princeton Hydro Engineer [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => princeton-hydro-featured-in-wetland-science-practice-magazine [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2023-02-27 14:08:41 [post_modified_gmt] => 2023-02-27 14:08:41 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://princetonhydro.com/?p=12253 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [1] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 11995 [post_author] => 1 [post_date] => 2022-12-29 04:39:58 [post_date_gmt] => 2022-12-29 04:39:58 [post_content] => The Former New Jersey Pulverizing Tract, located in Ocean County, is fundamentally a degraded landscape created by nearly a century of sand and gravel extraction. [gallery columns="2" link="none" ids="11999,11998"] Despite the site’s disturbance history, the 782-acre area has abundant natural character and enormous ecological and recreational potential. In 2016, using funds from the Natural Lands Trust, Ocean County purchased the sand and gravel quarry with the goal of restoring the land to incorporate ecological improvements, extending public trails access to (and through) the site, and establishing a long-term landscape design lending itself to sustainable, cost-effective stewardship as a key Natural Lands Trust preserve. With so much ecological restoration potential it was difficult to know exactly where to start. For several years, staff representing Ocean County Department of Planning and Ocean County Department of Parks & Recreation considered a variety of restoration alternatives. Then in 2021, the County hired Princeton Hydro and Strauss & Associates/Planners to develop a comprehensive Conservation Management Plan to help guide Ocean County’s decision-making process and prioritize restoration efforts. Developing the Plan Before a strategic conservation plan could be developed for the site, the team needed to have a deep understanding of the history, characteristics, and existing conditions of the land. A review of the title, survey, and legal encumbrances was performed as a measure of planning due diligence. Princeton Hydro also conducted a water quality assessment; hydrologic monitoring; pollutant loading and hydrology modeling; fishery survey; detailed geology analysis and soil sampling; wetland delineation; and flora and fauna inventory. The team found that, with the exception of a forest perimeter buffer, nearly all land within the site was degraded from nine decades of continuous sand and gravel extraction. The mined land was lowered substantially in base elevation, resulting in a bowl-like landscape of exposed and compacted soils, a sterile 42-acre lake, mining roads, ATV tracks, steep slopes, ruts, and soil piles. These findings inform the plan’s ecological design recommendations, and confirm the site’s fundamental resilience, restoration potential, public access opportunities, and scientific and interpretative value. With the initial testing and analysis complete, the team could develop an informed and comprehensive plan that balances active and passive efforts to transition the Pulverizing site from a sand pit to a unique Natural Lands Trust preserve. Focusing & Structuring Conservation Efforts For the Princeton Hydro team, the approach to the project was not just focused on developing a management plan for a depleted mining site, but to truly believe in the land’s restoration potential and imagine a thriving multi-purpose park within a restored landscape. The team developed a Conservation Management Plan that presents a composite view for land restoration as a mosaic of open water, wetland, emergent meadow, grassland, and forest linked by miles of new recreational trails, and is derivative of two overarching goals: First, provide ecological uplift; and second, provide an extensive system of passive recreational public access. In the plan, the site’s public access system combines 8.1 miles of pedestrian paths and multi-use bicycle trails that connect with the County’s Barnegat Branch Trail, an existing 15.6-mile regional facility that runs for 1.4 miles through the Pulverizing site’s eastern reach. The plan also contains a unique 3-mile water trail that connects existing dead-end mining channels through a series of excavated shallow cuts. The water trail unlocks a range of paddling routes that offer kayakers and canoeists unequaled access to restored and protected ponds, wetlands, fishing and picnicking coves, and terrestrial zones, including birding meadows and oak-pine forests. Ecologically speaking, the plan’s design recommendations complement ongoing natural processes while working to correct and naturalize significant impairments. The ecological uplift activities presented in the plan focus on restoring the land’s wetlands, streams, and topography that were lost to excavation, and strengthening the native plant community to help increase biodiversity and increase natural floodplain and stormwater management function. The Conservation Management Plan was driven by the following six objectives: 1. PRESERVE WHAT IS BENEFICIAL. Protect the best examples of existing upland and wetland plant communities. The site contains a range of productive native plants representative of the New Jersey pinelands and Barnegat Bay Watershed. The plan identifies and extends protection to these localized communities. 2. CREATE AND REPLACE WHAT IS DAMAGED. Rebuild native plant communities through the introduction of wetland littoral zones and benched terrestrial habitat. Decades of mineral extraction and misuse have resulted in denuded, desert-like zones. The plan draws on pineland ecological analogs to reestablish native plant communities. 3. RE-ESTABLISH HYDROLOGIC CONNECTIONS. Restore the site’s hydrologic connections to both pinelands and Barnegat Bay areas. The plan contains a range of treatments to restore and expand wetlands and open water, reconnect the native fishery, and diversify aquatic and terrestrial habitat. 4. BUILD AN INTERCONNECTED TRAIL SYSTEM. The plan establishes a hierarchy of pedestrian and bike trails enabling public access to all corners of the site and connecting the site to the Barnegat Branch Trail. As a premier Natural Lands Trust preserve the restored Pulverizing site will attract bicyclists from trail towns including Toms River, Beachwood, Bayville, Forked River, Waretown, Barnegat and beyond. 5. EXPAND WATER TRAILS FOR KAYAK AND CANOE ACCESS. Surface water connections will be enhanced by excavating a series of waterways and emergent wetland habitat. The plan links the existing radiating lagoon fingers to one-another and to the 42-acre lake. The new connections will improve circumferential paddling routes, backcountry destinations, habitat protection and management. 6. INCREASE ECOLOGICAL UPLIFT THROUGH COST-EFFECTIVE CONSTRUCTION. The plan recognizes that – ecologically speaking – nearly everything required for long-term success is already on-site, including hydrology, native plant communities, and seed stock. There is limited need for imported material, fertilization, or complex engineering. Although the site is significantly degraded, the plan incorporates a substantial amount of habitat preservation and limits most earthmoving activities to the area around the main lake. [caption id="attachment_12000" align="aligncenter" width="854"] Denuded ATV washboard area trying to become an emergent wetland, East of the Barnegat Branch Trail at the former NJ Pulverizing Tract[/caption] Moving Forward & Implementing the Plan The effort to transition the former NJ Pulverizing Tract from a modified mining pit to a Natural Lands Trust preserve is multi-faceted. This conceptual plan estimates a 5- to 7-year timeline and suggests using a phased approach for preliminary and final design, permitting, and construction that capitalizes on existing hydrology, creates, and restores damaged habitat areas, and lays the foundation for the land and water trail system. Ocean County has not formally endorsed the Conservation Management Plan and next steps will dependent on available funding and prioritization by the County. The following steps are proposed: 1. A thorough review of Comprehensive Management Plan by Commissioners and key departments; 2. Completion of special design area studies with additional key department review; 3. Preparation of phased development plan, integration with Barnegat Branch Trail construction; 4. Scheduling of permit pre-application meetings with NJDEP; 5. Completion of a topographical survey, site plans, preliminary engineering, and utility coordination; 6. Development of cost estimates and material requirements for construction; 7. Review and adoption of financial plans for construction phases; 8. Preparation of final engineering plans and bid specifications for construction; 9. Issuance of regulatory permits for phased work; and 10. Publication of bid, award, and issuance of contractor Notice to Proceed for construction. The former NJ Pulverizing Tract offers exciting opportunities to apply adaptive and restorative design in furtherance of ecological and public access objectives among the incredibly diverse 782-acres. Restoration, preservation, and stabilization of the mine landscape will provide a diverse and continuously changing experience to visitors of all ages and interests. As a jewel in the necklace of the Natural Land Trust system, the site shall enrich the natural resource base, provide a mind-changing visitor experience, and reinforce the prescience of forward-thinking officials at Ocean County who embarked on, and advanced, the objective of acquiring and restoring an abandoned sand and gravel quarry. Princeton Hydro is proud be a part of this unique site’s transformation. [gallery link="none" ids="12006,12005,12003"] Please stay tuned to our blog for project updates. And, to read about another ecological restoration project Princeton Hydro is working on in the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum in Philadelphia, click below: [visual-link-preview encoded="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"] [post_title] => Transforming a Mining Site into a Natural Lands Trust Preserve & Public Park [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => former-new-jersey-pulverizing-tract-restoration [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2023-01-04 15:29:22 [post_modified_gmt] => 2023-01-04 15:29:22 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://princetonhydro.com/?p=11995 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [2] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 11554 [post_author] => 1 [post_date] => 2022-10-29 16:06:00 [post_date_gmt] => 2022-10-29 16:06:00 [post_content] => Ecological restoration work is underway in the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which is celebrated as America's First Urban Refuge. Friends of Heinz Refuge hired Princeton Hydro and teammates Enviroscapes and Merestone Consultants to provide engineering design, environmental compliance, engineering oversight, and construction implementation to enhance and restore aquatic, wetland, and riparian habitats and adjacent uplands within the Turkey Foot area of the Refuge. About the Refuge The Turkey Foot project area is an approximately 7.5-acre site within the greater 1,200-acre John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, which is located within the City of Philadelphia and neighboring Tinicum Township in Philadelphia and Delaware Counties, about one-half mile north of Philadelphia International Airport. The Refuge protects approximately 200 acres of the last remaining freshwater tidal marsh in Pennsylvania and represents an important migratory stopover along the Atlantic Flyway, a major north-south flyway for migratory birds in North America. It also provides protected breeding habitat for State-listed threatened and endangered species, as well as many neotropical migrants, such as the American Bittern, Least Bittern, Black-crowned Night-heron, King Rail, Great Egret, Yellow-crowned Night-heron, and Sedge Wren. [caption id="attachment_11775" align="aligncenter" width="732"] Photo of a Least Bittern taken in the Refuge by Princeton Hydro Vice President Mark Gallagher[/caption] The Refuge was established for the purposes of preserving, restoring, and developing the natural area known as Tinicum Marsh, as well as to provide an environmental education center for its visitors. The Refuge contains a variety of ecosystems unique in Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia metropolitan area, including tidal and non-tidal freshwater marshes, freshwater tidal creeks, open impoundment waters, coastal plain forests, and early successional grasslands. Although many of the Refuge’s ecosystems have been degraded, damaged, or, in some cases, destroyed as a result of numerous historic impacts dating back to the mid-17th century, many of these impacted ecosystems have the potential to be restored or enhanced through various management and restoration efforts. Turkey Foot Ecological Restoration Project The Turkey Foot project area is an example of one of the historically impacted ecosystems at the Refuge with tremendous opportunity for ecological restoration. The Friends of Heinz Refuge and the project team are working to restore and enhance the aquatic habitats, wetlands, riparian buffers, and adjacent uplands within the project area. The approach for the restoration project focuses on creating approximately four acres of contiguous wetland habitat bordered by a functional riparian buffer. The design includes the creation of three habitat zones: intertidal marsh, high marsh, and upland grassland. [caption id="attachment_11774" align="aligncenter" width="1072"] Illustration of the Turkey Foot Conceptual Design identifying the three proposed habitat areas and the project area.Conceptual Design created by Princeton Hydro.[/caption] Incorporating the three elements into the landscape will help to establish foraging, breeding, and nesting habitat for critical wildlife species, including Eastern Black Rail, a threatened species listed under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. The project work also includes a robust invasive species management plan, aimed at removing close to 100% of the invasive species, supported by an adaptive management monitoring program that will guide the development of the restored site towards the ultimate goal of establishing a diverse and productive coastal ecosystem within the Turkey Foot project area. The upland slopes of the high marsh were seeded earlier this year, which will help to establish a grassland dominated by native warm season grasses. Native shrubs and flowering plants were also installed, including little bluestem, switchgrass, Virginia wild rye, asters, goldenrods, and bergamot. And, coastal panic grass was seeded, which is another Pennsylvania-listed endangered species, and, once grown-in, will provide suitable stopover foraging and cover for migratory land birds and pollinators. The team also completed site grading to increase tidal flushing within the Turkey Foot’s two ponds, create intertidal and high marsh wetlands, prevent stagnant water and nutrient accumulation in bottom sediments, and reduce the reestablishment of invasive species. The bottom of the existing ponds were raised to elevations that support the establishment of intertidal marsh. The pond banks were then regraded to create the appropriate elevations for freshwater intertidal marsh and high marsh. Additionally, the tidally influenced connection points between the two ponds and the linear channel were enlarged. Refuge Manager Lamar Gore recently visited the Turkey Foot project site and interviewed Deputy Refuge Manager, Mariana Bergerson, and Princeton Hydro Director of Restoration and Resilience, Christiana Pollack, about the progress made thus far and what's to come. Watch now: Upcoming Restoration Activities In Spring of 2023, the team will install a wide variety of native wetland plant species plugs and continue its work to restore the riparian buffer habitats within the Turkey Foot project area. The high marsh will be planted with a mix of native coastal plain wetland species, including fine-stemmed emergent plants, primarily rushes and grasses, with high stem densities and dense canopy cover, using species such as chairmaker's bulrush, river bulrush, blue flag, and rice cutgrass. The installation of river bulrush, a Pennsylvania-listed rare species, will provide beneficial wildlife habitat and serve to expand the range of this species in Pennsylvania. Additionally, restoring the high marsh will create the foundation for establishing Black Rail habitat and giving the threatened species protection from predators and opportunities to glean insects and other invertebrates from the ground and water. The restoration and enhancement of riparian buffer habitats will reduce sedimentation and lower pond temperatures, improving water quality for native fish and invertebrates. Riparian buffers also filter nutrients in runoff and deter eutrophication of the ponds, and provide high quality food sources for native and migratory species, unlike the invasive species which provide low nutrient value foods. [gallery link="none" ids="11773,11772,11770"] Please stay tuned to our blog for more project updates once the plantings have been completed in the Spring, as well as before and after photos once the plants are established. To read more about Princeton Hydro's robust natural resource management and restoration services, click here. [post_title] => Ecological Restoration in John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => ecological-restoration-in-john-heinz-national-wildlife-refuge [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2022-11-01 15:35:56 [post_modified_gmt] => 2022-11-01 15:35:56 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://princetonhydro.com/?p=11554 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [3] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 11506 [post_author] => 1 [post_date] => 2022-09-27 19:04:51 [post_date_gmt] => 2022-09-27 19:04:51 [post_content] => The Lion’s Gate Park and Urban Wetland Floodplain Creation Project has been chosen as a winner of the New Jersey Future “Smart Growth Awards” for 2022. The project transformed a densely developed, flood-prone, industrial site into a thriving public active recreation park with 4.2 acres of wetlands. As stated in the New Jersey Future award announcement, “The park is representative of smart growth values, with walkable trails in the middle of a residential area, a regenerated protected wetland which helps to mitigate flooding from storms like Hurricane Ida, and mixed-use opportunities for recreation. The dual roles of Lion Gate Park as both a source of resilience and recreation demonstrate a model of land use and planning that values the accessibility of public spaces while acknowledging and addressing the urgent need to adapt to the growing impacts of climate change in New Jersey.” The restoration project site is located in Bloomfield Township and includes 1,360 feet along the east bank of the Third River and 3,040 feet along the banks of the Spring Brook. These waterways are freshwater tributaries of the Passaic River and share a history of flooding above the site’s 100-year floodplain. The Third River, like many urban streams, tends to be the victim of excessive volume and is subjected to erosion and chronic, uncontrolled flooding. By removing a little over four acres of upland historic fill in this density developed area and restoring the natural floodplain connection, we significantly improved the land’s ecological value; enhanced the aquatic and wildlife habitat; increased flood storage capacity for urban stormwater runoff; replaced invasive plant species with thriving native wetland and riparian plant communities; and provided outdoor recreation accessibility to Bloomfield Township. [gallery columns="2" link="none" ids="4704,9172"] The Lion Gate Park project is the culmination of nearly two decades of collaborative work. The primary project team includes the Township of Bloomfield, NY/NJ Baykeeper, Bloomfield Third River Association, CME Associates, PPD Design, GK+A Architects, Enviroscapes, Strauss and Associates/Planners, and Princeton Hydro. The project recieved $1.76 million in funding from the New Jersey Freshwater Wetlands Mitigation Council and another several million dollars from NJDEP’s Office of Natural Resource Restoration. Princeton Hydro served as the ecological engineer to Bloomfield Township. Our scientists and engineers assisted in obtaining grants, collected background ecological data through field sampling and surveying, created a water budget, completed all necessary permitting, designed both the conceptual and final restoration plans, and conducted construction oversight throughout the project. Enviroscapes and Princeton Hydro are currently monitoring the site on behalf of the Township. [gallery link="none" columns="2" ids="4710,9319"] “Local residents are already benefiting from this floodplain creation project. During Tropical Storm Ida, the area held significant flood waters,” said Mark Gallagher, Vice President of Princeton Hydro. “This restoration project really exemplifies how a diverse group of public and private entities can work together to prioritize urban and underserved areas to mitigate flooding and create new open space. We’re honored to be recognized by NJ Future and selected as a winner of this important award.” [gallery link="none" columns="2" ids="9318,9294"] Since 2002, New Jersey Future has honored smart planning and redevelopment in New Jersey through its "Smart Growth Awards." The projects and plans chosen each year represent some of the best examples of sustainable growth and redevelopment in the state. For a complete list of 2022 Award Winners, click here. For more info on New Jersey Future, click here. To learn more about the Bloomfield restoration project and see drone images of it all coming together, click below: [visual-link-preview encoded="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"] [post_title] => Bloomfield's Lion’s Gate Park Restoration Wins 2022 Smart Growth Award [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => lion-gate-park-wins-smart-growth-award [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2022-11-07 16:41:26 [post_modified_gmt] => 2022-11-07 16:41:26 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://princetonhydro.com/?p=11506 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [4] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 11289 [post_author] => 1 [post_date] => 2022-08-26 19:06:38 [post_date_gmt] => 2022-08-26 19:06:38 [post_content] => 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. [caption id="attachment_11299" align="aligncenter" width="771"] Photo by NJDEP[/caption] 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. The Abbott Marshlands in Trenton, New Jersey [gallery link="none" ids="11287,11288,11281"] 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. Mullica River Wetland Mitigation Site in Evesham, New Jersey [gallery link="none" ids="11343,11342,11282"] 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. 3. Third River Floodplain Wetland Enhancement Project in Bloomfield, New Jersey [gallery link="none" ids="11344,11279,11277"] 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. [post_title] => Students from NJDEP's Youth Inclusion Initiative Tour Restored Landscapes with Princeton Hydro [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => njdep-youth-inclusion-initiative [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2022-08-26 19:13:55 [post_modified_gmt] => 2022-08-26 19:13:55 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://princetonhydro.com/?p=11289 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [5] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 8966 [post_author] => 1 [post_date] => 2021-08-06 21:32:24 [post_date_gmt] => 2021-08-06 21:32:24 [post_content] => Bloomfield Township held a ribbon cutting ceremony to commemorate the completion of a remarkable environmental restoration project and welcome the public to enjoy the new Lion Gate Park! The Lion Gate Park project is the culmination of nearly two decades of work. The once densely developed, flood-prone, former industrial site was transformed into a thriving public active recreation park and 4.2 acres of wetlands. 2020 2021 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. “Our ability to open this park is a testament to the hard work and advocacy of so many people in our community," said Bloomfield Township Mayor Venezia. Princeton Hydro served as the ecological engineer to Bloomfield Township for this important urban wetland creation project. Our scientists and engineers assisted in obtaining grants, collected background ecological data through field sampling and surveying, created a water budget, completed all necessary permitting, designed both the conceptual and final restoration plans, and conducted construction oversight throughout the project. 2020 2021 “We are so honored to work with Bloomfield Township on this urban restoration project. By removing a little over four acres of upland historic fill in this densely developed area and converting it to a functioning floodplain wetland, we've enhanced the ecological and flood storage value and provided outdoor recreation accessibility to the community of Bloomfield,” said Mark Gallagher, Vice President of Princeton Hydro. 2020 2021 Enjoy the gallery of photos from the event below. To learn more about the project and see drone images of it all coming together, click below: Bloomfield: Restoration Efforts Transforming Industrial Site Into Thriving Public ParkA densely developed, flood-prone, former industrial site in Bloomfield, New Jersey is being transformed into a thriving public park and 4.2 acres of wetlands. This is thanks to the Third River Floodplain Wetland Enhancement Project, which broke ground in March of 2019. The project will restore valuable ecological functions and natural floodplain connection, enhance aquatic... [post_title] => Bloomfield's Lion Gate Park is Now Open to the Public [post_excerpt] => In Bloomfield, New Jersey, along the Third River and Spring Brook, two freshwater tributaries of the Passaic River, a disturbed industrial site was transformed into a active recreation park and 4.2 acres of wetlands, restoring the natural floodplain connection, enhancing aquatic habitat, and increasing flood storage capacity for urban stormwater runoff. [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => bloomfields-lion-gate-park-is-now-open-to-the-public [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2021-11-10 17:46:33 [post_modified_gmt] => 2021-11-10 17:46:33 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://princetonhydro.com/?p=8966 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [6] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 7485 [post_author] => 1 [post_date] => 2021-02-12 17:53:19 [post_date_gmt] => 2021-02-12 17:53:19 [post_content] => Over 40 years ago, Mercer County purchased 279 acres of flood-prone land along Miry Run as part of a restoration and flood mitigation initiative. Mercer County’s Master Plan, approved in 2020, goes above and beyond the original vision, proposing considerable improvements to the area, including 34 acres of reforestation, 64 acres of new meadows, 19 acres of vernal pools, and 7.9 miles of walking trails. Mercer County Park Commission contracted Princeton Hydro and Simone Collins Landscape Architecture to develop the plan. Today, we are thrilled to announce that the Miry Run Ponds Master Plan was awarded the 2021 Landscape Architectural Chapter Award from the New Jersey Chapter American Society of Landscape Architects (NJASLA). Each year, the NJASLA Professional Awards honor the best in landscape architecture in the region. Only one Chapter Award is given annually for exceptional performance in any category, as determined by a unanimous vote of the jury members. This year’s jury was composed of distinguished members from the Oregon ASLA Chapter. There were 19 total projects entered into the 2021 competition. “The Park Commission is honored to have a project recognized by the NJASLA and we look forward to acting on our plan in the years ahead,” said Park Commission Executive Director Aaron T. Watson. When Mercer County acquired the property in 1978, the original plan was to create a recreation area and flood control site. In order to mitigate local flooding, the County Park Commission developed a dam, which created a 55-acre tree-lined lake. The rest of the property comprises undeveloped uplands, wetlands, woodlands, and open space with limited-use recreation areas primarily only used by immediate neighbors. With 55 acres of lake space, however, Mercer County saw huge potential for what the park could provide and set out on a mission to create a Master Plan for the area with three primary regional goals:
The latest issue of Wetland Science & Practice Magazine, a quarterly e-publication published by the Society of Wetland Scientists, features an article written by Princeton Hydro Engineer Dr. Roy Messaros, PE, PWS, CFM.
In his article, Roy takes readers on a tour of Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge wetland complex and provides an in-depth look at the extraordinary diversity of protected plant and animal species that can be found there. The article, titled, "Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Massachusetts, USA: A Wetland of Distinction," also contains beautiful full-color images of the landscape and wildlife within it.
Great Meadows is one of more than 560 refuges in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Wildlife Refuge System. The system is a network of lands and waters managed specifically for the protection of wildlife and wildlife habitat and represents the most comprehensive wildlife resource management program in the world.
The Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge is a river wetlands conservation area, divided into two major parcels, stretching from the towns of Billerica, Massachusetts to Wayland, Massachusetts, along the Concord and Sudbury Rivers. Approximately 85% of the refuge's 3,600 acres is comprised of freshwater wetlands. According to the FWS, Great Meadows is considered an excellet place for birding, and “noted ornithologists consider this unit to be one of the best inland birding areas in the state.” This site has a wildlife observational tower, observational platform and direct access to the Concord River.
Roy's article, as well as the entire January 2023 issue of Wetland Science & Practice Magazine, is available to members of the Society of Wetland Scientists, which is an international, professional nonprofit organization devoted to promoting understanding, conservation, protection, restoration, science-based management, and sustainability of wetlands. Society membership is open to anyone with an interest in wetlands. To learn more, click here.
The Former New Jersey Pulverizing Tract, located in Ocean County, is fundamentally a degraded landscape created by nearly a century of sand and gravel extraction.
Despite the site’s disturbance history, the 782-acre area has abundant natural character and enormous ecological and recreational potential. In 2016, using funds from the Natural Lands Trust, Ocean County purchased the sand and gravel quarry with the goal of restoring the land to incorporate ecological improvements, extending public trails access to (and through) the site, and establishing a long-term landscape design lending itself to sustainable, cost-effective stewardship as a key Natural Lands Trust preserve.
With so much ecological restoration potential it was difficult to know exactly where to start. For several years, staff representing Ocean County Department of Planning and Ocean County Department of Parks & Recreation considered a variety of restoration alternatives. Then in 2021, the County hired Princeton Hydro and Strauss & Associates/Planners to develop a comprehensive Conservation Management Plan to help guide Ocean County’s decision-making process and prioritize restoration efforts.
Before a strategic conservation plan could be developed for the site, the team needed to have a deep understanding of the history, characteristics, and existing conditions of the land. A review of the title, survey, and legal encumbrances was performed as a measure of planning due diligence. Princeton Hydro also conducted a water quality assessment; hydrologic monitoring; pollutant loading and hydrology modeling; fishery survey; detailed geology analysis and soil sampling; wetland delineation; and flora and fauna inventory.
The team found that, with the exception of a forest perimeter buffer, nearly all land within the site was degraded from nine decades of continuous sand and gravel extraction. The mined land was lowered substantially in base elevation, resulting in a bowl-like landscape of exposed and compacted soils, a sterile 42-acre lake, mining roads, ATV tracks, steep slopes, ruts, and soil piles.
These findings inform the plan’s ecological design recommendations, and confirm the site’s fundamental resilience, restoration potential, public access opportunities, and scientific and interpretative value. With the initial testing and analysis complete, the team could develop an informed and comprehensive plan that balances active and passive efforts to transition the Pulverizing site from a sand pit to a unique Natural Lands Trust preserve.
For the Princeton Hydro team, the approach to the project was not just focused on developing a management plan for a depleted mining site, but to truly believe in the land’s restoration potential and imagine a thriving multi-purpose park within a restored landscape.
The team developed a Conservation Management Plan that presents a composite view for land restoration as a mosaic of open water, wetland, emergent meadow, grassland, and forest linked by miles of new recreational trails, and is derivative of two overarching goals: First, provide ecological uplift; and second, provide an extensive system of passive recreational public access.
In the plan, the site’s public access system combines 8.1 miles of pedestrian paths and multi-use bicycle trails that connect with the County’s Barnegat Branch Trail, an existing 15.6-mile regional facility that runs for 1.4 miles through the Pulverizing site’s eastern reach. The plan also contains a unique 3-mile water trail that connects existing dead-end mining channels through a series of excavated shallow cuts. The water trail unlocks a range of paddling routes that offer kayakers and canoeists unequaled access to restored and protected ponds, wetlands, fishing and picnicking coves, and terrestrial zones, including birding meadows and oak-pine forests.
Ecologically speaking, the plan’s design recommendations complement ongoing natural processes while working to correct and naturalize significant impairments. The ecological uplift activities presented in the plan focus on restoring the land’s wetlands, streams, and topography that were lost to excavation, and strengthening the native plant community to help increase biodiversity and increase natural floodplain and stormwater management function.
The Conservation Management Plan was driven by the following six objectives:
Protect the best examples of existing upland and wetland plant communities. The site contains a range of productive native plants representative of the New Jersey pinelands and Barnegat Bay Watershed. The plan identifies and extends protection to these localized communities.
Rebuild native plant communities through the introduction of wetland littoral zones and benched terrestrial habitat. Decades of mineral extraction and misuse have resulted in denuded, desert-like zones. The plan draws on pineland ecological analogs to reestablish native plant communities.
Restore the site’s hydrologic connections to both pinelands and Barnegat Bay areas. The plan contains a range of treatments to restore and expand wetlands and open water, reconnect the native fishery, and diversify aquatic and terrestrial habitat.
The plan establishes a hierarchy of pedestrian and bike trails enabling public access to all corners of the site and connecting the site to the Barnegat Branch Trail. As a premier Natural Lands Trust preserve the restored Pulverizing site will attract bicyclists from trail towns including Toms River, Beachwood, Bayville, Forked River, Waretown, Barnegat and beyond.
Surface water connections will be enhanced by excavating a series of waterways and emergent wetland habitat. The plan links the existing radiating lagoon fingers to one-another and to the 42-acre lake. The new connections will improve circumferential paddling routes, backcountry destinations, habitat protection and management.
The plan recognizes that – ecologically speaking – nearly everything required for long-term success is already on-site, including hydrology, native plant communities, and seed stock. There is limited need for imported material, fertilization, or complex engineering. Although the site is significantly degraded, the plan incorporates a substantial amount of habitat preservation and limits most earthmoving activities to the area around the main lake.
The effort to transition the former NJ Pulverizing Tract from a modified mining pit to a Natural Lands Trust preserve is multi-faceted. This conceptual plan estimates a 5- to 7-year timeline and suggests using a phased approach for preliminary and final design, permitting, and construction that capitalizes on existing hydrology, creates, and restores damaged habitat areas, and lays the foundation for the land and water trail system. Ocean County has not formally endorsed the Conservation Management Plan and next steps will dependent on available funding and prioritization by the County. The following steps are proposed:
1. A thorough review of Comprehensive Management Plan by Commissioners and key departments; 2. Completion of special design area studies with additional key department review; 3. Preparation of phased development plan, integration with Barnegat Branch Trail construction; 4. Scheduling of permit pre-application meetings with NJDEP; 5. Completion of a topographical survey, site plans, preliminary engineering, and utility coordination; 6. Development of cost estimates and material requirements for construction; 7. Review and adoption of financial plans for construction phases; 8. Preparation of final engineering plans and bid specifications for construction; 9. Issuance of regulatory permits for phased work; and 10. Publication of bid, award, and issuance of contractor Notice to Proceed for construction.
The former NJ Pulverizing Tract offers exciting opportunities to apply adaptive and restorative design in furtherance of ecological and public access objectives among the incredibly diverse 782-acres. Restoration, preservation, and stabilization of the mine landscape will provide a diverse and continuously changing experience to visitors of all ages and interests. As a jewel in the necklace of the Natural Land Trust system, the site shall enrich the natural resource base, provide a mind-changing visitor experience, and reinforce the prescience of forward-thinking officials at Ocean County who embarked on, and advanced, the objective of acquiring and restoring an abandoned sand and gravel quarry. Princeton Hydro is proud be a part of this unique site’s transformation.
Ecological restoration work is underway in the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which is celebrated as America's First Urban Refuge. Friends of Heinz Refuge hired Princeton Hydro and teammates Enviroscapes and Merestone Consultants to provide engineering design, environmental compliance, engineering oversight, and construction implementation to enhance and restore aquatic, wetland, and riparian habitats and adjacent uplands within the Turkey Foot area of the Refuge.
The Turkey Foot project area is an approximately 7.5-acre site within the greater 1,200-acre John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, which is located within the City of Philadelphia and neighboring Tinicum Township in Philadelphia and Delaware Counties, about one-half mile north of Philadelphia International Airport.
The Refuge protects approximately 200 acres of the last remaining freshwater tidal marsh in Pennsylvania and represents an important migratory stopover along the Atlantic Flyway, a major north-south flyway for migratory birds in North America. It also provides protected breeding habitat for State-listed threatened and endangered species, as well as many neotropical migrants, such as the American Bittern, Least Bittern, Black-crowned Night-heron, King Rail, Great Egret, Yellow-crowned Night-heron, and Sedge Wren.
The Refuge was established for the purposes of preserving, restoring, and developing the natural area known as Tinicum Marsh, as well as to provide an environmental education center for its visitors. The Refuge contains a variety of ecosystems unique in Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia metropolitan area, including tidal and non-tidal freshwater marshes, freshwater tidal creeks, open impoundment waters, coastal plain forests, and early successional grasslands. Although many of the Refuge’s ecosystems have been degraded, damaged, or, in some cases, destroyed as a result of numerous historic impacts dating back to the mid-17th century, many of these impacted ecosystems have the potential to be restored or enhanced through various management and restoration efforts.
The Turkey Foot project area is an example of one of the historically impacted ecosystems at the Refuge with tremendous opportunity for ecological restoration. The Friends of Heinz Refuge and the project team are working to restore and enhance the aquatic habitats, wetlands, riparian buffers, and adjacent uplands within the project area.
The approach for the restoration project focuses on creating approximately four acres of contiguous wetland habitat bordered by a functional riparian buffer. The design includes the creation of three habitat zones: intertidal marsh, high marsh, and upland grassland.
Incorporating the three elements into the landscape will help to establish foraging, breeding, and nesting habitat for critical wildlife species, including Eastern Black Rail, a threatened species listed under the Endangered Species Act of 1973.
The project work also includes a robust invasive species management plan, aimed at removing close to 100% of the invasive species, supported by an adaptive management monitoring program that will guide the development of the restored site towards the ultimate goal of establishing a diverse and productive coastal ecosystem within the Turkey Foot project area.
The team also completed site grading to increase tidal flushing within the Turkey Foot’s two ponds, create intertidal and high marsh wetlands, prevent stagnant water and nutrient accumulation in bottom sediments, and reduce the reestablishment of invasive species. The bottom of the existing ponds were raised to elevations that support the establishment of intertidal marsh. The pond banks were then regraded to create the appropriate elevations for freshwater intertidal marsh and high marsh. Additionally, the tidally influenced connection points between the two ponds and the linear channel were enlarged.
Refuge Manager Lamar Gore recently visited the Turkey Foot project site and interviewed Deputy Refuge Manager, Mariana Bergerson, and Princeton Hydro Director of Restoration and Resilience, Christiana Pollack, about the progress made thus far and what's to come. Watch now:
In Spring of 2023, the team will install a wide variety of native wetland plant species plugs and continue its work to restore the riparian buffer habitats within the Turkey Foot project area. The high marsh will be planted with a mix of native coastal plain wetland species, including fine-stemmed emergent plants, primarily rushes and grasses, with high stem densities and dense canopy cover, using species such as chairmaker's bulrush, river bulrush, blue flag, and rice cutgrass. The installation of river bulrush, a Pennsylvania-listed rare species, will provide beneficial wildlife habitat and serve to expand the range of this species in Pennsylvania. Additionally, restoring the high marsh will create the foundation for establishing Black Rail habitat and giving the threatened species protection from predators and opportunities to glean insects and other invertebrates from the ground and water.
The restoration and enhancement of riparian buffer habitats will reduce sedimentation and lower pond temperatures, improving water quality for native fish and invertebrates. Riparian buffers also filter nutrients in runoff and deter eutrophication of the ponds, and provide high quality food sources for native and migratory species, unlike the invasive species which provide low nutrient value foods.
Please stay tuned to our blog for more project updates once the plantings have been completed in the Spring, as well as before and after photos once the plants are established. To read more about Princeton Hydro's robust natural resource management and restoration services, click here.
The Lion’s Gate Park and Urban Wetland Floodplain Creation Project has been chosen as a winner of the New Jersey Future “Smart Growth Awards” for 2022. The project transformed a densely developed, flood-prone, industrial site into a thriving public active recreation park with 4.2 acres of wetlands.
As stated in the New Jersey Future award announcement, “The park is representative of smart growth values, with walkable trails in the middle of a residential area, a regenerated protected wetland which helps to mitigate flooding from storms like Hurricane Ida, and mixed-use opportunities for recreation. The dual roles of Lion Gate Park as both a source of resilience and recreation demonstrate a model of land use and planning that values the accessibility of public spaces while acknowledging and addressing the urgent need to adapt to the growing impacts of climate change in New Jersey.”
The restoration project site is located in Bloomfield Township and includes 1,360 feet along the east bank of the Third River and 3,040 feet along the banks of the Spring Brook. These waterways are freshwater tributaries of the Passaic River and share a history of flooding above the site’s 100-year floodplain. The Third River, like many urban streams, tends to be the victim of excessive volume and is subjected to erosion and chronic, uncontrolled flooding.
By removing a little over four acres of upland historic fill in this density developed area and restoring the natural floodplain connection, we significantly improved the land’s ecological value; enhanced the aquatic and wildlife habitat; increased flood storage capacity for urban stormwater runoff; replaced invasive plant species with thriving native wetland and riparian plant communities; and provided outdoor recreation accessibility to Bloomfield Township.
The Lion Gate Park project is the culmination of nearly two decades of collaborative work. The primary project team includes the Township of Bloomfield, NY/NJ Baykeeper, Bloomfield Third River Association, CME Associates, PPD Design, GK+A Architects, Enviroscapes, Strauss and Associates/Planners, and Princeton Hydro. The project recieved $1.76 million in funding from the New Jersey Freshwater Wetlands Mitigation Council and another several million dollars from NJDEP’s Office of Natural Resource Restoration.
Princeton Hydro served as the ecological engineer to Bloomfield Township. Our scientists and engineers assisted in obtaining grants, collected background ecological data through field sampling and surveying, created a water budget, completed all necessary permitting, designed both the conceptual and final restoration plans, and conducted construction oversight throughout the project. Enviroscapes and Princeton Hydro are currently monitoring the site on behalf of the Township.
“Local residents are already benefiting from this floodplain creation project. During Tropical Storm Ida, the area held significant flood waters,” said Mark Gallagher, Vice President of Princeton Hydro. “This restoration project really exemplifies how a diverse group of public and private entities can work together to prioritize urban and underserved areas to mitigate flooding and create new open space. We’re honored to be recognized by NJ Future and selected as a winner of this important award.”
Since 2002, New Jersey Future has honored smart planning and redevelopment in New Jersey through its "Smart Growth Awards." The projects and plans chosen each year represent some of the best examples of sustainable growth and redevelopment in the state. For a complete list of 2022 Award Winners, click here. For more info on New Jersey Future, click here.
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.
Bloomfield Township held a ribbon cutting ceremony to commemorate the completion of a remarkable environmental restoration project and welcome the public to enjoy the new Lion Gate Park!
The Lion Gate Park project is the culmination of nearly two decades of work. The once densely developed, flood-prone, former industrial site was transformed into a thriving public active recreation park and 4.2 acres of wetlands.
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.
“Our ability to open this park is a testament to the hard work and advocacy of so many people in our community," said Bloomfield Township Mayor Venezia.
Princeton Hydro served as the ecological engineer to Bloomfield Township for this important urban wetland creation project. Our scientists and engineers assisted in obtaining grants, collected background ecological data through field sampling and surveying, created a water budget, completed all necessary permitting, designed both the conceptual and final restoration plans, and conducted construction oversight throughout the project.
“We are so honored to work with Bloomfield Township on this urban restoration project. By removing a little over four acres of upland historic fill in this densely developed area and converting it to a functioning floodplain wetland, we've enhanced the ecological and flood storage value and provided outdoor recreation accessibility to the community of Bloomfield,” said Mark Gallagher, Vice President of Princeton Hydro.
Enjoy the gallery of photos from the event below.
To learn more about the project and see drone images of it all coming together, click below:
Over 40 years ago, Mercer County purchased 279 acres of flood-prone land along Miry Run as part of a restoration and flood mitigation initiative. Mercer County’s Master Plan, approved in 2020, goes above and beyond the original vision, proposing considerable improvements to the area, including 34 acres of reforestation, 64 acres of new meadows, 19 acres of vernal pools, and 7.9 miles of walking trails. Mercer County Park Commission contracted Princeton Hydro and Simone Collins Landscape Architecture to develop the plan.
Today, we are thrilled to announce that the Miry Run Ponds Master Plan was awarded the 2021 Landscape Architectural Chapter Award from the New Jersey Chapter American Society of Landscape Architects (NJASLA).
Each year, the NJASLA Professional Awards honor the best in landscape architecture in the region. Only one Chapter Award is given annually for exceptional performance in any category, as determined by a unanimous vote of the jury members. This year’s jury was composed of distinguished members from the Oregon ASLA Chapter. There were 19 total projects entered into the 2021 competition.
The gap between the current condition and the huge potential pushed the Mercer County Park Commission to contract Princeton Hydro and Simone Collins Landscape Architecture in 2018 to assess the land area and propose a concept plan to enhance the area and create recreational lake activities.
Beginning in December 2018 and throughout the course of 2019, the project team implemented the necessary measures to fully assess the status of the expansive property. Applying expertise in science-based assessment and evaluations, our aquatic ecologists and environmental scientists performed:
These evaluations were conducted in order to better understand the existing site and area conditions, to assist in the development of the site plan, and for future incorporation into Mercer County’s Draft Master Plan.
In addition, our project team facilitated focus groups with local municipalities, residents, interest groups, and County stakeholders to seek their input and to report the site evaluation findings. In partnership with Mercer County, the team led many public community meetings that served as a platform for discussion about the project and conceptual site designs. The meetings helped to inform the process through collaboration and determine how best to manage the site moving forward in order to meet the needs of the community and future generations.
In November of 2019, a draft master plan was released, followed by a 60-day public comment period. The commission hosted a series of public meetings to solicit input for potential improvements to the park. Having reviewed and considered all comments, the Park Commission’s Steering Committee and team of expert consultants were able to finalize the plan, which focused on environmental stewardship and education paired with passive land and water-based activities.
The Master Plan was then presented to the Park Commission for review and approved in 2020.
The improvement plans comprises:
Of the total Miry Run Ponds land area, only 17 acres, or approximately 7.4 percent of the site, would be disturbed for trails, parking and other park visitor facilities. The site’s valuable natural features will be augmented through the establishment of 34 acres of new forest and 64 acres of native meadow.
The Master Plan serves as a long-term vision for improvements to the property and will be implemented over multiple phases. The construction of major park improvements is projected for 2022-2023.
To view the Final Master Plan, visit the Park Commission’s website. To learn more about the NJASLA and see a complete list of 2021 award winners, go here.
A project to increase storm resiliency and reduce flood risk through ecological and floodplain restoration on a New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) Blue Acres property in Linden, NJ was completed earlier this year. Today, we are thrilled to announce our project has received the “Excellence in Water Resources: Ecological Restoration Award” from the New Jersey Section – American Water Resources Association (NJ-AWRA).
“The Linden Blue Acres Green Infrastructure & Floodplain Restoration is an excellent model for showcasing a successful approach to the enhancement of public lands through a dynamic multidisciplinary, multi-stakeholder partnership,” said Mark Gallagher, Vice President of Princeton Hydro. “We are so proud to have seen this project through to completion and are all the more honored to be recognized by the NJ-AWRA with this prestigious award.”
The NJ-AWRA Excellence Award recognizes projects that demonstrate an innovative and effective approach to water resources management. The projects must embody the mission of the AWRA to advance multidisciplinary water resources education, management and research. The Linden Blue Acres project excelled in these areas, resulting in the successful nomination of the project to receive the award.
The City of Linden, located 13 miles southwest of Manhattan, is a highly urbanized area with a complex mix of residential, commercial, and industrial land uses. Originally settled as farmland on broad marshes, the city has deep roots in industrial production that emerged in the 19th century, and its easily accessible location on the Arthur Kill tidal straight helped fuel this industrial development.
Like other communities in the Arthur Kill Watershed, Linden also suffers severe flooding from heavy rains and storms. Due to a high percentage of impervious cover from houses, roadways, and sidewalks, even small rain events generate a significant amount of stormwater runoff. Tremley Point, a low-lying community of about 275 homes, is particularly prone to backwater flooding because of its low lying landscape position and its proximity to an extensive area of tidal wetlands associated with Marshes Creek, a tributary to the Rahway River.
In 2012, Hurricane Sandy caused widespread destruction to the City of Linden. The City’s Tremley Point neighborhood was especially storm-ravaged; local news outlets reported that a 15-foot tidal surge overtook Tremley Point homes, destroyed roads, and washed up hazardous material such as a 150-gallon diesel tank.
To help communities like Tremley Point recover, the NJDEP launched the Blue Acres program under which NJDEP purchases homes from willing sellers at pre-Sandy market values, so residents in areas of repetitive and catastrophic flooding can rebuild their lives outside flood-prone areas. Structures are demolished and the properties are permanently preserved as open space for recreation or conservation purposes.
As part of the NJDEP Blue Acres Program, Princeton Hydro, in collaboration with the City of Linden, Rutgers University, NJDEP, Phillips 66, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, New Jersey Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership, and Enviroscapes, took on one of the first ecological restoration projects within Blue Acres-acquired properties. This project increased storm resiliency by reducing flooding and stormwater runoff by improving the ecological and floodplain function within the Tremley Point properties acquired by the NJDEP Blue Acres Program.
Nancy Sadlon, Manager of Public Affairs for Phillips 66-Bayway Refinery, accepted the award on behalf of the project team and said, "Our team not only made possible the first successful implementation of the floodplain restoration on Blue Acres lands but set a precedent on stakeholder engagement; we showed what is possible when all stakeholders are fully engaged and dedicated to the same goal.”
The project included the development and implementation of an on-the-ground natural green infrastructure-focused floodplain enhancement design involving the restoration of native coastal floodplain forest and meadow, as well as floodplain wetlands. The restored area provides natural buffering to storm surge and enhances floodplain functions to capture, infiltrate, store, and slow excess stormwater to reduce the risk of future flood damage. In addition, it restores natural habitat and provides public recreation access on NJDEP Blue Acres property.
Although the planning for this project occurred over many years, the project officially kicked off in December 2018. Engineering design was finalized and permitting submissions were completed in September 2019, and construction commenced in October 2019. The project construction was completed earlier this year.
This project embodies the NJ-AWRA mission as it focuses on restoring a floodplain and enhancing its functions by leveraging the success of the NJDEP Blue Acres buyouts to create even more flood protection for the community. This project also fulfills the NJ-AWRA criteria as several different organizations were involved in bringing it to fruition, including private entities, government agencies, universities, and nonprofit organizations.
Given that this project was the first restoration project to be completed on NJDEP Blue Acres-acquired property, the hope is that it will bring to light other possibilities for restoration work on Blue Acres land. This project can be used as an example for future projects of a similar nature.
We would also like to thank the project funders, whose support made this project possible: The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Phillips 66, and the New Jersey Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership.
During the award ceremony, which was held virtually, NJ-AWRA also recognized John A. Miller, PE, CFM, CSM with the Peter Homack Award for "his outstanding contributions toward a multidisciplinary understanding and management of water resources in New Jersey." John previously worked with Princeton Hydro for 15 years as a Water Resources Engineer and now serves as the Mitigation Liaison to the State of New Jersey at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). We are so proud of John and all his accomplishments. This award is well deserved and we congratulate him on this honor.
Read more about the Linden Blue Acres project:
A densely developed, flood-prone, former industrial site in Bloomfield, New Jersey is being transformed into a thriving public park and 4.2 acres of wetlands. This is thanks to the Third River Floodplain Wetland Enhancement Project, which broke ground in March of 2019. The project will restore valuable ecological functions and natural floodplain connection, enhance aquatic and wildlife habitat, and increase flood storage capacity for urban stormwater runoff.
The project team has already made tremendous progress at the site, which is located along the Third River and Spring Brook, two freshwater tributaries of the Passaic River. Princeton Hydro is serving as the ecological engineer to Bloomfield Township; our scientists and engineers have assisted in obtaining grants, collected background ecological data through field sampling and surveying, created a water budget, completed all necessary permitting, designed both the conceptual and final restoration plans, and continues to conduct construction oversight during the implementation of this important urban wetland creation project.
The project team recently utilized a drone to document the significant progress being made:
We're excited to see what the restoration will look like when it's all finished. Check out additional photos below and stay tuned for project updates!
To learn more, check out the full story below:
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The City of Elizabeth, the fourth most populous in New Jersey, is not exactly the first place that comes to mind when envisioning a wild landscape. This bustling urban area is well known for its Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal and the Philips 66 Bayway Refinery, and sits at the intersection of several major roadways like the NJ Turnpike and the Goethals Bridge. The landscape, which was once teeming with dense wetlands and associated habitats, is now heavily urbanized with a vast mix of residential, commercial, and industrial properties. The largely channelized Elizabeth River courses through the city for 4.2 miles before draining into the Arthur Kill waterway. However, in this 14-square mile city, native flora and fauna are taking root again thanks to ecological restoration and mitigation efforts.
Urban landscapes like Elizabeth can pose significant challenges for restoration efforts, but they also provide an array of opportunity for significant ecological uplift.
In 2004, Princeton Hydro was retained to restore an 18-acre site adjacent to the Elizabeth Seaport Business Park, which is located in an area that was once part of a large contiguous wetland system abutting Newark Bay. The site was comprised of a significantly disturbed mosaic of wetland and upland areas and a monoculture of Phragmites australis, also known as Common Reed, on historic fill. Historic fill consists of non-native material, historically placed to raise grades, and typically contains contaminated material not associated with the operations of the site on which it was placed.
The highly invasive Phragmites australis had overtaken most of the wetland areas, and the upland woodland areas only contained four tree species, mostly Eastern Cottonwood, with very low wildlife value. The 18-acre site had huge potential but was significantly degraded and was being vastly underutilized. Overall, the mitigation plan focused on the enhancement of existing wetland and transition areas to increase the area’s wildlife value through the establishment of a more desirable, diverse assemblage of native species subsequent to eradication of non-native-invasive species.
The freshwater wetland aspect of the mitigation plan, which included inundated emergent, emergent, and forested habitat, was designed to be a combination of wetland creation (2.40 acres) and enhancement (8.79 acres), emphasizing the establishment of more species rich wetlands in order to increase biodiversity and improve the site’s wildlife food value.
The upland forest aspect of the mitigation plan involved the enhancement of 5.40 acres and creation of 1.45 acres of upland forest to foster the development of a species rich and structurally complex upland forest. The upland areas targeted for enhancement/creation consisted of areas where woody vegetation was lacking or forested areas that were dominated by eastern cottonwood.
The project team worked to remove Phragmites australis from the site utilizing a combination of herbicide and mechanical removal techniques. Once the Phragmites australis was cleared, the team installed 27,000 two-inch native herbaceous plant plugs in the wetland portions of the mitigation site, and 2,705 native trees/shrubs throughout the site.
In order to ensure the continued success of the mitigation project, monitoring is regularly conducted at the site. A monitoring report conducted at the end of 2019 revealed a plethora of well-established habitat areas, a diverse community of plant and tree species, and a thriving, highly-functional landscape.
Presently, the Elizabeth Seaport Business Park Mitigation Site boasts a variety of productive wildlife habitats that are rare in a highly urbanized setting and provides valuable ecosystem services, including sediment retention and roosting, foraging, and nesting opportunities for both resident and migratory bird species with over 150 bird species identified within the mitigation site.
This project serves as an example of how degraded urban areas can be successfully rehabilitated and the land’s natural function restored and enhanced. If you'd like to learn more about this project from our Natural Resources Senior Project Manager Michael Rehman, check out the video of his presentation at the 2020 Delaware Wetlands Conference below.
If you're interested in learning more about our wetland restoration and mitigation services, go here!
Non-native Phragmites australis, also known as Common Reed, is a species of perennial grass found across North America, especially along the Atlantic coast, in wetlands, riparian areas, shorelines, and other wet areas like roadside ditches and drainage basins. This aggressively invasive grass can grow up to 20 feet tall, in dense groupings, and tends to spread rapidly, quickly colonizing disturbed wetlands.
Once established, the invasive plant forms a monoculture with a dense mat, outcompeting native vegetation, lowering the local plant biodiversity, and displacing native animals. These landscape changes impair the natural function of the marsh ecosystem by altering its elevations and tidal reach. A higher, drier marsh leads to less vigorous growth of native salt marsh vegetation, allowing Phragmites australis to gain a stronger foothold and continue to take over.
Phragmites australis can also eliminate small, intertidal channels and obliterate pool habitat that offers natural refuge and feeding grounds for invertebrates, fish, and birds. The spread of invasive Phragmites australis also has negative impacts on land aesthetics and outdoor recreation by obscuring views and restricting access. And, each Fall, when Phragmites australis die off, the large concentrations of dry vegetation increase the risk of fast-spreading fires near highly populated residential and commercial areas.
Over the last century, there has been a dramatic increase in the spread of Phragmites australis, partly due to an increase in residential and commercial development that resulted in disturbances to wetlands. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the rapid spread of Phragmites australis in the 20th century can also be attributed to the construction of railroads and major roadways, habitat disturbance, shoreline development, pollution, and eutrophication.
Princeton Hydro has worked in areas throughout the East Coast to address and properly manage Phragmites australis in order to restore natural habitats and enhance plant diversity, wildlife habitat, and water quality. Two recent projects include the restoration of John A. Roebling Memorial Park in Hamilton and Pin Oak Forest Conservation Area in Woodbridge, New Jersey.
Mercer County’s John A. Roebling Memorial Park is home to the northernmost freshwater tidal marsh on the Delaware River, the Abbott Marshlands, an area containing valuable habitat for many rare species. Unfortunately, the area experienced a significant amount of loss and degradation, partially due to the introduction of the invasive Phragmites australis.
For Mercer County Park Commission, Princeton Hydro put together a plan to reduce and control the Phragmites australis, in order to increase biodiversity, improve recreational opportunities, and enhance visitor experience at the park. This stewardship project replaced the Phragmites australis with native species in order to reduce its ability to recolonize the marsh.
By Spring of this year, the team expects to see native species dominating the landscape from the newly exposed native seed bank with minimal Phragmites australis growth.
The Pin Oak Forest Conservation Area is a 97-acre tract of open space that contains an extremely valuable wetland complex at the headwaters of Woodbridge Creek. The site is located in a heavily developed landscape of northern New Jersey. As such, the area suffered from wetland and stream channel degradation, habitat fragmentation, ecological impairment, and decreased biodiversity due to invasive species, including Phragmites australis.
The site was viewed as one of only a few large-scale freshwater wetland restoration opportunities remaining in this highly developed region of New Jersey. A dynamic partnership between government agencies, NGOs, and private industry, was formed to restore the natural function of the wetlands complex, transform the Pin Oak Forest site into thriving habitat teeming with wildlife, and steward this property back to life.
This award-winning restoration project converted over 30 acres of degraded freshwater wetlands, streams and disturbed uplands dominated by invasive species into a species-rich and highly functional headwater wetland complex. The resulting ecosystem provides valuable habitat for wildlife including the state-threatened Black-crowned Night-heron and Red-headed Woodpecker. Biodiversity was also increased through invasive species management, which allowed establishment of native plants such as pin oak, swamp white oak, marsh hibiscus, and swamp rose. The restored headwater wetland system provides stormwater management, floodplain storage, enhanced groundwater recharge onsite, and surface water flows to Woodbridge Creek, as well as public hiking trails, all benefiting the town of Woodbridge.
Scientific field research continues to be conducted in order to identify the best way(s) to manage and control the spread of Phragmites australis. Depending on the landscape and how established the Phragmites australis population is, there are several different methods that can be effective in reducing Phragmites australis infestations in order to allow for the regeneration of native wetland plant communities and protect fish and wildlife habitat.
Recently, a group of more than 280 scientists, resource managers and policy professionals gathered together at the Hudson River Estuary Program’s (HEP) annual conference to explore how natural and nature-based solutions (i.e. building living shorelines, enhancing tidal wetlands and stream corridors, and conserving vulnerable floodplains) can be used as critical tools for addressing the impacts of climate change while also protecting and enhancing critical habitat.
The conference included six interactive workshops and dynamic panel discussions. Christiana Pollack, GISP, CFM of Princeton Hydro, Terry Doss of New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, Kip Stein from New York City Parks, and Judith Weis of Rutgers lead a panel discussion, moderated by Lisa Baron from U.S. Army Corps Engineers, on "The Yin and Yang of Estuarine Phragmites Management" to share lessons learned over many years of combating invasive species, including how sea level rise is changing minds and techniques.
Together, representing decades of experience in Phragmites australis management and research, these experts presented the evolving nature of restoration for this habitat type, common control/management methodologies, and longterm management and monitoring strategies for this reed and other invasive species. During the panel discussion, Christiana made specific mention of the Roebling Park project as one example of successful strategies in action.
If you’re interested in learning more and seeing photos from a few recent Phragmites australis management projects, click below for a free download of Christiana’s full presentation.
Through a combination of prevention, early detection, eradication, restoration, research and outreach, we can protect our native landscapes and reduce the spread of invasive species. Learn more about our invasive species removal and restoration services.
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PRINCETON HYDRO
PRINCETON HYDRO