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This mitigation and maintenance plan was required to offset an expansion of the existing landfill into an area which presently provides suitable grassland bird habitat. In addition to the creation of grassland bird habitat, the Permit Modification also required the implementation of periodic grassland bird surveys to document the development of the grassland and to ensure that suitable grassland habitat has been created which supports breeding grassland bird species. Princeton Hydro assessed the existing ecological communities within a portion of the undeveloped land within the GCSWC, which was being targeted for the creation of grassland bird habitat and a hibernacula mitigation and maintenance plan. This effort identified the existing ecological communities, documented plant species, provided recommendations for grassland habitat enhancement within the existing ecological communities where warranted, provided guidelines for hibernaculum creation, and provided seed mix recommendations to create quality grassland bird habitat. This report, the “Grassland Habitat Ecological Communities Analysis”, served as the basis for the habitat creation efforts on-Site. Concomitant to the implementation of the recommended restoration measures outlined in the Grassland Habitat Ecological Communities Analysis document, Princeton Hydro developed a systematic monitoring plan for the avian species on-Site, titled “The Grassland Bird Species and Hibernacula Monitoring Plan”. In 2023, the recommended management measures were implemented, including the application of the recommended upland and wet meadow seed mixes installed within a 70-acre portion of the Site. The seed mixes were selected to include native, desirable grassland flora which are preferred by grassland nesting avifauna. In addition to the creation of grassland bird habitat, approximately 1.34-acres of wildlife hibernacula, designed by Princeton Hydro, were installed. Subsequent to habitat implementation measures, it was determined in early 2024 that the grassland seed mix had germinated successfully, and in response, the grassland bird species monitoring was initiated for the 2024 breeding season. Results of the first monitoring of the grassland indicate that it has developed quality habitat in its initial growing season. Additionally, the created habitat was supporting a number of grassland obligate and grassland edge breeding bird species. Point count and incidental avian surveys of the Site documented the presence of grassland and grassland edge breeding birds throughout the breeding season. These species included New Jersey State Threatened Breeding Species Grasshopper Sparrow, Horned Lark, and American Kestrel, and Special Concern Breeding Species Field Sparrow, Bank Swallow, and Brown Thrasher. In addition to these species which possess a New Jersey State listing designation, a number of additional grassland obligate, open country, and grassland edge species were documented, including a rare New Jersey breeding species in Dickcissel, along with Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Song Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Orchard Oriole, and Eastern Kingbird. Confirmations of successful breeding (i.e. nests, fledged young, feeding young, etc.) were observed in many of these species, indicating that the Site is already productive for the targeted grassland avifauna. [post_title] => Development of Grassland Bird Species and Hibernacula Monitoring Plan/Grassland Bird Surveys [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => development-of-grassland-bird-species-and-hibernacula-monitoring-plan-grassland-bird-surveys [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2025-08-05 17:22:43 [post_modified_gmt] => 2025-08-05 17:22:43 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://princetonhydro.com/?post_type=project&p=18036 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => project [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [1] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 18033 [post_author] => 1 [post_date] => 2025-08-05 16:02:32 [post_date_gmt] => 2025-08-05 16:02:32 [post_content] => The N.J. Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) received a grant for this project from the National Fish and Wildlife Federation. Grantees were charged with providing increased resilience to natural infrastructure that will in turn increase the resiliency of coastal communities in the face of future storms like Hurricane Sandy. Due to the need to maintain navigation channels and assist in the adaptation of tidal marshes to sea level rise and subsidence, the project was completed to investigate and assess the use of dredged material disposal placement, and the effectiveness of this method in maintaining marshes at an elevation that supports native marsh vegetation to reinforce the subsoils and protect the local community. One of the metrics analyzed was the impact, if any, of the placement of dredged material on the community composition, abundance, and distribution of avian species within the two dredged material placement sites, one proximal to the Atlantic Ocean in Avalon, New Jersey and the other proximal to Delaware Bay Fortescue, New Jersey. [gallery link="none" size="large" columns="2" ids="18032,18028"] Princeton Hydro, in conjunction with the Fish and Wildlife Service, Wetlands Institute, and The Nature Conservancy, developed a monitoring plan that utilized the BACI (before, after, control, impact) study design and the protocols from the “Standardized North American Marsh Bird Monitoring Protocols” developed by Courtney Conway in 2012 for both the Fortescue and Avalon sites. Surveys were implemented over a period of four years, 2014-2017, occurring during the spring, summer, and fall periods to capture the avian community composition changes both seasonally and year over year at both sites with seven survey areas at Fortescue and nine at Avalon. Post thin layer placement surveys indicated that (1) avian species richness increased at Avalon, but was negligible at Fortescue; (2) species guild assemblage experienced a shift, with an increase in shorebirds coinciding with a decrease in waders and passerines at Avalon, while there was an increase in gulls and waders and a decrease in passerines at Fortescue; (3) loafing by shorebirds and gulls increased at Avalon, while Fortescue had negligible changes in loafing. Over time, loafing activities at both sites decreased with an increase in foraging observed and the communities of both sites shifted from gull/shorebird dominated to passerine/wader dominated as the marsh vegetation developed. [post_title] => Avian Monitoring of Coastal Salt Marshes [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => avian-monitoring-of-coastal-salt-marshes [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2025-08-05 16:03:34 [post_modified_gmt] => 2025-08-05 16:03:34 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://princetonhydro.com/?post_type=project&p=18033 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => project [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [2] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 17721 [post_author] => 1 [post_date] => 2025-07-01 15:26:32 [post_date_gmt] => 2025-07-01 15:26:32 [post_content] => Lake Holiday is a 249-acre impoundment that acts as the aesthetic center point and primary ecological feature for the Lake Holiday Country Club (LHCC) in Cross Junction, Virginia. The lake is used for boating, swimming, and fishing for the surrounding community. In 2016, the lake experienced a cyanobacteria-driven harmful algal bloom (HAB) which impacted contact recreation in the lake, as well as aesthetic value. In 2017, the LHCC engaged Princeton Hydro to understand the driving mechanisms behind the bloom and to recommend preventative management techniques to reduce the chances of future bloom formation. The first step in this process was water quality testing of the lake inclusive of in-situ, discrete laboratory, and plankton analyses. This study also included stormwater monitoring of the incoming tributaries throughout the lake. Following this study, Princeton Hydro modeled the watershed-based load of nutrients and hydrology in addition to evaluating the internal phosphorus load. The results of this effort showed the watershed load of phosphorus was the largest driver of algal growth. Following this effort, Princeton Hydro provided design of two emergent wetland best management practices (BMPs) at the mouths of Isaacs Creek and Yeiders Run through 30% completion. [gallery link="none" columns="2" size="medium" ids="17717,17718"] In addition to the projects mentioned above, Princeton Hydro has developed a HAB monitoring, response, and management plan for the community. This plan provides specific volunteer-based monitoring that should be conducted to detect a bloom and includes subsequent information for community notification, follow-up testing, and management. Throughout these endeavors, the LHCC has hired Princeton Hydro to monitor the lakes’ water quality to track its ecological condition over time and document improvements as management measures are implemented. [post_title] => Lake Holiday: Lake & Watershed Management [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => lake-holiday-lake-watershed-management [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2025-07-01 15:26:32 [post_modified_gmt] => 2025-07-01 15:26:32 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://princetonhydro.com/?post_type=project&p=17721 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => project [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [3] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 17715 [post_author] => 1 [post_date] => 2025-07-01 14:59:08 [post_date_gmt] => 2025-07-01 14:59:08 [post_content] => The Cooper River Watershed is a 39.5 square mile tributary to the Delaware River within the Delaware River Basin. It is characterized by extensive residential and commercial development and a number of highly degraded waterbodies. Near the mouth of the Cooper River, a tidal dam forms Cooper River Lake (CRL). This 192-acre public lake has a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for total phosphorus (TP) and a variety of other nonpoint source pollutants. Immediately upstream of CRL are Wallworth Lake and Evans Pond which suffer the same impairments as CRL. CRL is the centerpiece of Camden County’s 347-acre Cooper River Park; Evans Pond and Wallworth Lake are within Camden County’s Wallworth Park (56 acres). These waterbodies are part of Camden County’s greenway and provide recreational opportunities to the overburdened communities (OBCs) that surround them. These waterbodies also provide significant water quality services to the watershed, such as regional stormwater attenuation and sediment trapping. Unfortunately, the highly degraded condition of this watershed is well documented. Further, in 2020 a harmful algal bloom (HAB) was confirmed by NJDEP within Hopkins Pond, a waterbody upstream of CRL, with toxin levels posing a high risk of adverse health effects. Camden County Soil Conservation District (CCSCD) was awarded funding through NJDEP’s Lake Restoration Grant program to develop a USEPA 9-Element Plus 1 Watershed Implementation Plan (9E+1 WIP) for the CRL watershed, including Evans Pond, Wallworth Lake, and Hopkins Pond. The goal of the WIP is to develop a strategy to cost effectively identify and address the potential watershed impacts through in-lake and watershed-based management activities, with designs to address impacts driven by climate change. Through stakeholder engagement and the review of historical data, the project team is determining sources of pollutant loading in the watershed. The team will utilize the results, and the data collected during the water quality monitoring and watershed assessment to characterize and prioritize areas that and locations that would be optimal for best management practices and green infrastructure. Ultimately, the project team will develop a comprehensive Cooper River Lake Watershed Implementation Plan. Princeton Hydro is in the process of completing a 1-year detailed sampling and surveying exercise of the CRL watershed for the purpose of collecting the data needed to assess the lake and streams within and design the lake/stream protection and watershed management plan. In addition to the above mentioned tasks, Princeton Hydro also conducted bathymetric assessments of CRL, Evans Pond, and Wallworth Lake. [post_title] => Watershed Implementation Plan for Cooper River Lake [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => watershed-implementation-plan-for-cooper-river-lake [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2025-07-01 14:59:08 [post_modified_gmt] => 2025-07-01 14:59:08 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://princetonhydro.com/?post_type=project&p=17715 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => project [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [4] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 17621 [post_author] => 1 [post_date] => 2025-06-03 11:31:15 [post_date_gmt] => 2025-06-03 11:31:15 [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. In 2018, Mercer County Park Commission (MCPC) contracted Princeton Hydro and Simone Collins Landscape Architecture to develop the Miry Run Ponds Master Plan with three primary goals: (1) Provide passive recreation to complement other County activities; (2) Preserve and enhance the habitat, water quality, and natural systems that currently exist onsite; and (3) Provide linkage to adjacent trails and parks. [caption id="attachment_7488" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Miry Run Ponds Master Plan won the 2021 Landscape Architectural Chapter Award from the American Society of Landscape Architects New Jersey Chapter.[/caption] The team assessed the land area and proposed a concept plan to enhance the area and create recreational lake activities. Applying expertise in science-based assessment and evaluations, we performed:
The Gloucester County Solid Waste Complex (GCSWC) was required to implement a grassland bird habitat and hibernacula mitigation and maintenance plan, totaling 71.34-acres, within an undeveloped southern portion of GCSWC land (Site). This mitigation and maintenance plan was required to offset an expansion of the existing landfill into an area which presently provides suitable grassland bird habitat. In addition to the creation of grassland bird habitat, the Permit Modification also required the implementation of periodic grassland bird surveys to document the development of the grassland and to ensure that suitable grassland habitat has been created which supports breeding grassland bird species.
Princeton Hydro assessed the existing ecological communities within a portion of the undeveloped land within the GCSWC, which was being targeted for the creation of grassland bird habitat and a hibernacula mitigation and maintenance plan. This effort identified the existing ecological communities, documented plant species, provided recommendations for grassland habitat enhancement within the existing ecological communities where warranted, provided guidelines for hibernaculum creation, and provided seed mix recommendations to create quality grassland bird habitat. This report, the “Grassland Habitat Ecological Communities Analysis”, served as the basis for the habitat creation efforts on-Site.
Concomitant to the implementation of the recommended restoration measures outlined in the Grassland Habitat Ecological Communities Analysis document, Princeton Hydro developed a systematic monitoring plan for the avian species on-Site, titled “The Grassland Bird Species and Hibernacula Monitoring Plan”. In 2023, the recommended management measures were implemented, including the application of the recommended upland and wet meadow seed mixes installed within a 70-acre portion of the Site. The seed mixes were selected to include native, desirable grassland flora which are preferred by grassland nesting avifauna. In addition to the creation of grassland bird habitat, approximately 1.34-acres of wildlife hibernacula, designed by Princeton Hydro, were installed. Subsequent to habitat implementation measures, it was determined in early 2024 that the grassland seed mix had germinated successfully, and in response, the grassland bird species monitoring was initiated for the 2024 breeding season.
Results of the first monitoring of the grassland indicate that it has developed quality habitat in its initial growing season. Additionally, the created habitat was supporting a number of grassland obligate and grassland edge breeding bird species. Point count and incidental avian surveys of the Site documented the presence of grassland and grassland edge breeding birds throughout the breeding season. These species included New Jersey State Threatened Breeding Species Grasshopper Sparrow, Horned Lark, and American Kestrel, and Special Concern Breeding Species Field Sparrow, Bank Swallow, and Brown Thrasher. In addition to these species which possess a New Jersey State listing designation, a number of additional grassland obligate, open country, and grassland edge species were documented, including a rare New Jersey breeding species in Dickcissel, along with Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Song Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Orchard Oriole, and Eastern Kingbird. Confirmations of successful breeding (i.e. nests, fledged young, feeding young, etc.) were observed in many of these species, indicating that the Site is already productive for the targeted grassland avifauna.
The N.J. Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) received a grant for this project from the National Fish and Wildlife Federation. Grantees were charged with providing increased resilience to natural infrastructure that will in turn increase the resiliency of coastal communities in the face of future storms like Hurricane Sandy. Due to the need to maintain navigation channels and assist in the adaptation of tidal marshes to sea level rise and subsidence, the project was completed to investigate and assess the use of dredged material disposal placement, and the effectiveness of this method in maintaining marshes at an elevation that supports native marsh vegetation to reinforce the subsoils and protect the local community.
One of the metrics analyzed was the impact, if any, of the placement of dredged material on the community composition, abundance, and distribution of avian species within the two dredged material placement sites, one proximal to the Atlantic Ocean in Avalon, New Jersey and the other proximal to Delaware Bay Fortescue, New Jersey.
Princeton Hydro, in conjunction with the Fish and Wildlife Service, Wetlands Institute, and The Nature Conservancy, developed a monitoring plan that utilized the BACI (before, after, control, impact) study design and the protocols from the “Standardized North American Marsh Bird Monitoring Protocols” developed by Courtney Conway in 2012 for both the Fortescue and Avalon sites.
Surveys were implemented over a period of four years, 2014-2017, occurring during the spring, summer, and fall periods to capture the avian community composition changes both seasonally and year over year at both sites with seven survey areas at Fortescue and nine at Avalon. Post thin layer placement surveys indicated that (1) avian species richness increased at Avalon, but was negligible at Fortescue; (2) species guild assemblage experienced a shift, with an increase in shorebirds coinciding with a decrease in waders and passerines at Avalon, while there was an increase in gulls and waders and a decrease in passerines at Fortescue; (3) loafing by shorebirds and gulls increased at Avalon, while Fortescue had negligible changes in loafing. Over time, loafing activities at both sites decreased with an increase in foraging observed and the communities of both sites shifted from gull/shorebird dominated to passerine/wader dominated as the marsh vegetation developed.
Lake Holiday is a 249-acre impoundment that acts as the aesthetic center point and primary ecological feature for the Lake Holiday Country Club (LHCC) in Cross Junction, Virginia. The lake is used for boating, swimming, and fishing for the surrounding community.
In 2016, the lake experienced a cyanobacteria-driven harmful algal bloom (HAB) which impacted contact recreation in the lake, as well as aesthetic value. In 2017, the LHCC engaged Princeton Hydro to understand the driving mechanisms behind the bloom and to recommend preventative management techniques to reduce the chances of future bloom formation. The first step in this process was water quality testing of the lake inclusive of in-situ, discrete laboratory, and plankton analyses. This study also included stormwater monitoring of the incoming tributaries throughout the lake. Following this study, Princeton Hydro modeled the watershed-based load of nutrients and hydrology in addition to evaluating the internal phosphorus load. The results of this effort showed the watershed load of phosphorus was the largest driver of algal growth. Following this effort, Princeton Hydro provided design of two emergent wetland best management practices (BMPs) at the mouths of Isaacs Creek and Yeiders Run through 30% completion.
In addition to the projects mentioned above, Princeton Hydro has developed a HAB monitoring, response, and management plan for the community. This plan provides specific volunteer-based monitoring that should be conducted to detect a bloom and includes subsequent information for community notification, follow-up testing, and management.
Throughout these endeavors, the LHCC has hired Princeton Hydro to monitor the lakes’ water quality to track its ecological condition over time and document improvements as management measures are implemented.
The Cooper River Watershed is a 39.5 square mile tributary to the Delaware River within the Delaware River Basin. It is characterized by extensive residential and commercial development and a number of highly degraded waterbodies. Near the mouth of the Cooper River, a tidal dam forms Cooper River Lake (CRL). This 192-acre public lake has a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for total phosphorus (TP) and a variety of other nonpoint source pollutants. Immediately upstream of CRL are Wallworth Lake and Evans Pond which suffer the same impairments as CRL.
CRL is the centerpiece of Camden County’s 347-acre Cooper River Park; Evans Pond and Wallworth Lake are within Camden County’s Wallworth Park (56 acres). These waterbodies are part of Camden County’s greenway and provide recreational opportunities to the overburdened communities (OBCs) that surround them. These waterbodies also provide significant water quality services to the watershed, such as regional stormwater attenuation and sediment trapping. Unfortunately, the highly degraded condition of this watershed is well documented. Further, in 2020 a harmful algal bloom (HAB) was confirmed by NJDEP within Hopkins Pond, a waterbody upstream of CRL, with toxin levels posing a high risk of adverse health effects.
Camden County Soil Conservation District (CCSCD) was awarded funding through NJDEP’s Lake Restoration Grant program to develop a USEPA 9-Element Plus 1 Watershed Implementation Plan (9E+1 WIP) for the CRL watershed, including Evans Pond, Wallworth Lake, and Hopkins Pond. The goal of the WIP is to develop a strategy to cost effectively identify and address the potential watershed impacts through in-lake and watershed-based management activities, with designs to address impacts driven by climate change.
Through stakeholder engagement and the review of historical data, the project team is determining sources of pollutant loading in the watershed. The team will utilize the results, and the data collected during the water quality monitoring and watershed assessment to characterize and prioritize areas that and locations that would be optimal for best management practices and green infrastructure. Ultimately, the project team will develop a comprehensive Cooper River Lake Watershed Implementation Plan. Princeton Hydro is in the process of completing a 1-year detailed sampling and surveying exercise of the CRL watershed for the purpose of collecting the data needed to assess the lake and streams within and design the lake/stream protection and watershed management plan. In addition to the above mentioned tasks, Princeton Hydro also conducted bathymetric assessments of CRL, Evans Pond, and Wallworth Lake.
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. In 2018, Mercer County Park Commission (MCPC) contracted Princeton Hydro and Simone Collins Landscape Architecture to develop the Miry Run Ponds Master Plan with three primary goals: (1) Provide passive recreation to complement other County activities; (2) Preserve and enhance the habitat, water quality, and natural systems that currently exist onsite; and (3) Provide linkage to adjacent trails and parks.
The team assessed the land area and proposed a concept plan to enhance the area and create recreational lake activities. Applying expertise in science-based assessment and evaluations, we performed:
Our project team facilitated focus groups with local municipalities, residents, interest groups, and County stakeholders to seek their input and report on site evaluation findings. In partnership with the County, we held public meetings to gather feedback on the conceptual site designs. This helped to inform the park planning process and determine how best to manage the site to meet the needs of the community and future generations.
The final Miry Run Pond Master Plan goes above and beyond the original vision, proposing considerable improvements to the area prioritizing valuable natural features, including 34 acres of reforestation, 64 acres of new meadows, 19 acres of vernal pools, and 7.9 miles of walking trails. It serves as a long-term vision and will be implemented over multiple phases. Dredging of the lake began in 2023.
Princeton Hydro was contracted by the American Littoral Society to complete design plans, permits and construction services for multiple water quality improvement projects conducted within Ocean County Park. The restoration and wetland pocket creation portion of the project is specific to work conducted during the summer of 2017 adjacent to Duck Pond, the second of three interconnected ponds located within the park. The overall purpose of the Duck Pond project was to reduce the non-point source loading of nitrogen and phosphorous. The reduction of nitrogen and phosphorus loading is a key element of the satisfying the Metedeconk River TMDL and addressing the causes for the eutrophication of Barnegat Bay.
Along 140 feet of shoreline an existing bulkhead running along the entire perimeter of Duck Pond was removed. It was graded back in a way to create two small wetland pockets designed to receive spill over from the pond during moderate to large storm events as well as treat existing runoff from the park during smaller storm events that would otherwise discharge directly into the pond. These wetland pockets were also graded to create non-uniform microtopography for increased ecological benefit. The plant palette chosen strikes a balance between aesthetic design and water quality improvement. Princeton Hydro worked collaboratively with NJDEP to reduce the permitting burden on our project partners. Due to the intent of the project to improve water quality, we presented an alternative permitting strategy agreed upon by NJDEP, which allowed the permitting of the project via the FHA Control Act Rules. This approach removed the need for CAFRA permitting and reduced permit preparation costs, review time, and fees, ultimately resulting in excess funding being directed towards implementation.
Following the project, in-stream in-situ and discrete water quality monitoring was conducted for one year in order to assess the effectiveness of the BMPs. The combined green infrastructure and living shoreline elements of this project set the stage for a much needed effort to reduce NPS loading and address waterfowl-related pathogen impacts to Ocean County Park’s lakes and the Metedeconk River. It heightened public awareness of NPS pollution and the benefits of green infrastructure. The project serves as a model for proper stormwater management and living shoreline creation throughout both the Metedeconk River and Barnegat Bay Watersheds.
Mercer County’s John A. Roebling Memorial Park offers residents in the surrounding area a freshwater marsh with river fishing, kayaking, hiking, and wildlife-watching. The park contains the northernmost freshwater tidal marsh on the Delaware River, Abbott Marshland. Tidal marshes, like the 3,000-acre Abbott Marshlands, contain valuable habitat for many rare species like River Otter, American Eel, Bald Eagle, and many species of wading birds. Unfortunately, the Abbott Marshland has experienced a significant amount of loss and degradation, partially due to the introduction of the invasive Phragmites australis (Phragmites).
For the Mercer County Park Commission (MCPC), Princeton Hydro put together a plan to reduce and control the Phragmites to increase biodiversity, improve water quality, broaden recreational opportunities, and enhance the visitor experience at the park. This stewardship project replaced the Phragmites with native species with a goal to reduce its ability to recolonize the marsh. Once the restoration was completed, these areas gave way to native flora, enhanced tidal function, and incredible viewscapes. Princeton Hydro also conducted a Floristic Quality Assessment to identify invasive areas and an Evaluation of Planned Wetlands to identify key wetland functions/values to be enhanced/restored, as well as performed hydrologic monitoring to understand tidal stage elevations.
Phase 1 of the restoration process included multiple herbicide applications in Spring and Fall to eradicate the Phragmites. We led the permit application process, which included securing a Flood Hazard Area (FHA) General Permit #4, Freshwater Wetlands (FWW) General Permit #16, and Coastal (CZM) General Permit #24. Our field operations crew applied the herbicide Imazapyr using our amphibious Marsh Master vehicle and airboat as well as on foot with a backpack sprayer. Following herbicide treatment, the Marsh Master was be equipped with a steel lawn roller with a welded angle iron to roll over and crush/snap the common reed stalks. The stalks would be rolled in opposite directions to break and mulch the stalks and expose the native seedbank. One year later, we documented a dozen “volunteer” native species growing in the marsh. During the project, Princeton Hydro worked alongside MCPC to keep the public informed and engaged through public meetings and outreach. MCPC launched the “Capture the Change” initiative to help document the visual changes seen in the park as the restoration progresses by sharing photos on social media using #BagthePhrag.
Keen Road, a local, rural roadway in East Vincent Township is scheduled to be repaved in 2025. There are four culverts under Keen Road that are in poor condition and need to be replaced, with one of them containing an active stream traveling through it. There are erosion issues and safety issues with culverts on both sides of the road, with erosion beginning to undermine the road itself.
Princeton Hydro was contracted by East Vincent Township to develop construction plans to replace the culverts and address the safety and erosion issues before Keen Road is repaved later in 2025. Princeton Hydro had the project area surveyed and used public LiDAR data to build a watershed model to calculate the flow through each of the culverts to determine if they were sized correctly. Without any record drawings of these culverts, Princeton Hydro had to work from scratch to understand how the system currently works and if there would be any ways to improve the performance of the system. Princeton Hydro also coordinated with local and state permitting agencies to attain the necessary permits to install the new culverts.
At the request of the local residents, Princeton proposed to modify the existing layout of the culverts to eliminate the need for two guide rail structures. Princeton Hydro also designed a series of grade control structures along the eastern upstream side of the project area to eliminate the source of the erosion and provide erosion protection along the roadway to stop the undermining of the road. The grade control structures reduce the velocity of the runoff to reduce erosion while also providing armor to provide further protection against erosion. Finally, erosion control measures such as a rip rap apron were designed at the discharge to provide protection from erosion on the downstream side of Keen Road.
The project was put out to bid in November 2024 and is scheduled for construction this Spring 2025.
In 2012, Hurricane Sandy left numerous NJ communities with storm damage to homes and infrastructure including Naval Weapons Station (NWS) Earle, which incurred approximately $50M in installation damages that not only impacted mission readiness, but also impacted neighboring communities, where the majority of the installations’ military and civilian employee population resides. It is expected that NWS Earle and its surrounding communities may experience increased frequent flooding from tidal waters and storm surge, adversely affecting ecosystems and presenting challenges to installation resilience and readiness. In response to these past occurrences and the threat of future related coastal hazards, Monmouth County, in cooperation with NWS Earle and the 13 municipalities that surround it, published a Joint Land Use Study in 2017, which defined several goals related to adapting to sea level rise and improving resiliency from future storm events. In 2019, the cooperative published the Raritan/Sandy Hook Bay Coastal Resilience Planning Study (Bayshore Study) which identified potential coastal resilience projects within the region that could improve sustainability and resiliency from current and future coastal hazards and sea level rise.
In 2021, Monmouth County commissioned Princeton Hydro to advance the goals of the Bayshore Study through the Bayshore Coastal Resilience Design Study. The goal of this study is to develop conceptual coastal resilience designs for two of the Bayshore Study projects located on coastal wetlands along Whale Creek in Aberdeen Township and Flat Creek in Union Beach Borough. We conducted site assessments that included desktop investigation, bio-benchmarks, and hydrologic monitoring; completed hydrodynamic modeling to assess the impacts of storms and sea level rise; and developed conceptual restoration designs for both sites. Restoration strategies included removal of invasive species, planting of native species, enhancement of hydrology, and fostering marsh migration. Conceptual designs were presented to a Technical Advisory Committee to solicit feedback for further project development.
This project provided an opportunity to work closely with Monmouth County on an effort to address the threat of future coastal hazards through marsh restoration. The project resulted in the development of conceptual designs for restoration of the tidal marsh ecosystems at Whale Creek and Flat Creek as well as a detailed study report to support those designs.
Princeton Hydro provided consulting engineering services for the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) concerning the implementation of the recently amended New Jersey Stormwater Management Rules. Modifications to the Stormwater Management Rules were considered which would require the use of Green Infrastructure measures to satisfy the groundwater recharge, peak flow control, and water quality requirements.
The purpose of Princeton Hydro’s consulting services was to quantify the impact of the amended rules on typical land use development within the State and to provide technical assistance to the NRDC as part of their public comment. This effort included detailed modeling and hydrologic and hydraulic calculations of hypothetical land development applications with the implementation of various Green Infrastructure measures.
An additional component of Princeton Hydro’s consulting engineering services was the participation in stakeholder meetings to discuss the potential for applicant credit for infiltration towards their peak flow rate criteria. Princeton Hydro supported the need for physically-based and scientifically sound approaches to the issue which do not jeopardize downstream properties and receiving water bodies.
Additionally, Princeton Hydro provided technical support and additional hydrologic and hydraulic calculations to quantify the impact of changing precipitation patterns on the stormwater management design process in New Jersey. The State is currently considering additional amendments to the stormwater rules which may incorporate provisions for predicted future rainfall intensities.
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