New Jersey Highlands Council Lake Management & Stream Corridor Guidance

Princeton Hydro developed a series of guidance documents for the New Jersey Highlands Council as part of their Regional Master Plan. The Regional Master Plan outlines the linkage between a lake’s water quality and the condition of its surrounding watershed as well as emphasizes that a polluted, eutrophic lake is also a threat to downstream waters, wetlands, and riparian areas.

Because the aesthetics and character of a lake community are directly linked to the quality, aesthetics, and recreational opportunities of the lake itself, the plan guidance can also help lake communities meet the goals within the Regional Master Plan.

The guidance documents, include:

1. Lake Management Guidance

2. Stream Corridor Guidance: Functional Value Assessment Methodology

3. Stream Corridor Guidance: Protection and Restoration Planning

Each guidance documents were compiled and utilized to aid the Highland Council and Highland municipalities in protecting and restoring  stream and riparian ecosystems. These guidance documents and associated toolkits also provided the principles, strategies, and methods to accurately characterize waterbodies in order to ascribe appropriate protection or restoration measures.

As part of the guidance development, Princeton Hydro utilized sound ecological assessment and restoration principles that were specifically tied to the unique geology and water resources of the Highlands physiographic province.

To date, these baseline guidance documents have been utilized  by the Highlands Council and project partners to implement the  Regional Master Plan and its goal to “…protect and enhance the  significant values of the resources…” associated with this special  region, which provides drinking water for more than half of New  Jersey’s residents.