We’re committed to improving our ecosystems, quality of life, and communities for the better.
Our passion and commitment to the integration of innovative science and engineering drive us to exceed on behalf of every client.
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Princeton Hydro worked with the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) – New York District and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) on the development of an acceptable monitoring program that was implemented in 2019. As stipulated in the NYSDEC-issued permit, the monitoring program had to follow the New York State Salt Marsh Restoration and Monitoring Guidelines (Guidelines) established in 2000. Working closely with USACE and NYSDEC and following the program specified within the Guidelines, Princeton Hydro established five transects and eighteen associated 1m2 quadrat locations along the five transects. Each transect represented a cross section of the various ecological communities present between Old Place Creek and the upper extent of the mitigation site. The ecological communities monitored across each transect included low marsh, high marsh, transitional zones between low marsh and high marsh, and scrub/shrub, respectively. [gallery link="none" columns="2" ids="19307,19305"] The following metrics were calculated within each 1m2 quadrat: overall percent cover and species composition comprising the observed percent cover. Within each 1m2 quadrat, a 0.25m2 portion of the quadrat was analyzed for stem density and plant height as outlined within the Guidelines. Additionally, the entire mitigation site was investigated for the presence of invasive species with subsequent mapping developed and incorporated into an adaptive management plan. This was then implemented to address the presence of common reed (Phragmites australis). Annual monitoring reports were prepared and submitted to both USACE and NYSDEC detailing the results of the monitoring effort with a focus on the established transects and 1m2 quadrats along each transect. A section of the reports was dedicated to the development of an adaptive management plan to ensure the mitigation site satisfied the requisite 85% vegetative cover comprised of desirable, native species. [post_title] => NYSDEC Wetland Monitoring - Old Place Creek Mitigation Site [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => nysdec-wetland-monitoring-old-place-creek-mitigation-site [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2026-03-06 13:46:46 [post_modified_gmt] => 2026-03-06 13:46:46 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://princetonhydro.com/?post_type=project&p=19292 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => project [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [1] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 19291 [post_author] => 1 [post_date] => 2026-03-06 13:38:57 [post_date_gmt] => 2026-03-06 13:38:57 [post_content] => In response to recurring water quality issues, including a significant cyanobacterial bloom in 2014 that led to prolonged beach closures, the Town of Putnam Valley engaged Princeton Hydro to revise and update the Lake Peekskill Watershed Management Plan. The lake, a small impoundment of Peekskill Hollow Creek, serves as a vital recreational resource for the community. Princeton Hydro’s initial study was structured around three core tasks: (1) analysis of long-term water quality data, (2) development of an updated pollutant budget, and (3) formulation of short- and long-term management strategies. The analysis revealed a steady increase in conductivity and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations over the past two decades, indicating rising nutrient loads and a shift toward eutrophic conditions. Elevated TP levels were directly linked to increased algal biomass, particularly harmful cyanobacteria producing microcystin-LR, which exceeded safe swimming thresholds in 2014. The updated pollutant budget identified septic system leachate (55%) and stormwater runoff (22%) as the primary sources of phosphorus entering the lake. Internal loading from sediments and atmospheric deposition also contributed to the nutrient burden. To address these issues, Princeton Hydro proposed a suite of in-lake management interventions focused on the lake’s three public beaches. Recommendations included installing electric water pumps to improve circulation at Carrara’s Beach and ozone/aeration systems at Singer’s and North Beaches to reduce organic buildup and mitigate algal blooms. These nature-based, non-chemical solutions were designed to provide immediate relief while longer-term watershed improvements, such as septic upgrades and stormwater controls, are pursued. The plan emphasized the need for community engagement, regulatory coordination, and sustainable implementation to restore and protect Lake Peekskill’s ecological health and recreational value. Building on this foundational work, Princeton Hydro was re-engaged in 2022 by the Lake Peekskill Civic Association (LPCA) and the Town of Putnam Valley to provide additional lake management services. The team developed a comprehensive Lake Management Plan aimed at identifying and prioritizing cost-effective green infrastructure and stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) for implementation by the Town. The goal was to reduce nutrient loading, improve water quality, mitigate nuisance aquatic vegetation, prevent harmful algal blooms (HABs), and enhance overall stormwater management within the watershed. This phase of work included a detailed analysis of historical water quality data, a submerged aquatic macrophyte survey, and a field-based water quality assessment. Princeton Hydro also conducted a pollutant removal analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of specific watershed-based management techniques. The resulting plan provided a clear roadmap for reducing annual pollutant loads and minimizing the occurrence and severity of HABs through targeted, science-based interventions. The recommendations were designed to be actionable, scalable, and aligned with the Town’s capacity and resources, reinforcing the long-term commitment to restoring and maintaining the health of Lake Peekskill. [post_title] => Lake Peekskill Watershed Management Planning [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => lake-peekskill-watershed-management-planning [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2026-03-06 13:38:57 [post_modified_gmt] => 2026-03-06 13:38:57 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://princetonhydro.com/?post_type=project&p=19291 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => project [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [2] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 19287 [post_author] => 1 [post_date] => 2026-03-06 13:31:30 [post_date_gmt] => 2026-03-06 13:31:30 [post_content] => The City of Lambertville contracted Princeton Hydro and WSP to evaluate Lambertville’s need for, and ability to create, a fee‑based Stormwater Utility. Lambertville faces stormwater management issues primarily due to its geographic and infrastructural characteristics. Situated along the Delaware River, the city is prone to flooding, which is exacerbated by aging and inadequate stormwater infrastructure. Dense urban development results in a high percentage of impervious surfaces, such as roads and buildings, that prevent proper absorption of rainwater, leading to increased runoff and strain on existing drainage systems. [caption id="attachment_19301" align="aligncenter" width="770"] Sample of single-family residential parcels and median impervious surface area[/caption] Lambertville’s stormwater infrastructure includes more than 530 identified stormwater inlets, a series of aging culverts, and miles of stormwater conveyance piping—much of it in unknown condition—with many structures serving as components of cross‑jurisdictional systems, all paired with repeated devastation from flooding. The project team completed a Lambertville Stormwater Utility Feasibility Study, which included the following components: Programmatic and Organizational Review: Evaluation of existing stormwater infrastructure operation and maintenance practices, as well as current program organization and administration. Gaps and Funding Analysis and Future Program Needs: Review and presentation of recent and projected capital project needs and baseline costs provided by Lambertville, along with an assessment of current revenue sources. Land Cover Analysis, Digitization of Impervious Cover, and Equity of Current Costs: Digitization and evaluation of land cover data based on the potential use of an Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU) rate structure and the quantification of billing units. Assessment of the equity of current stormwater costs and the potential impact of a fee‑based stormwater utility on different landowner categories. [caption id="attachment_19297" align="aligncenter" width="888"] Sankey Diagram highlighting the shift from current tax revenue to a stormwater utility fee.[/caption] User Fee Rate Options and Summary: Evaluation of how revenue generation might shift from a general‑fund, tax‑based model to a fee‑based model, including a summary of available rate structures designed to balance equity, cost, and administrative ease. Policy Development and Legislation Review: Examination of the policy framework for delivering stormwater management services under a utility model, including policies related to extent of service, billing, and funding. Topics included mission and program priorities, level of service, organizational structure, and credit policy. Public Outreach & Stakeholder Engagement: Formation and facilitation of a Stormwater Focus Group composed of key stakeholders, as well as hosting a public meeting to gather feedback, ensure transparency, and support community participation. [gallery columns="2" link="none" ids="19300,19299"] Funding for the Lambertville Stormwater Utility Feasibility Study was provided through a grant from the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters Education Fund. [post_title] => City of Lambertville - Stormwater Utility Feasibility Study [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => city-of-lambertville-stormwater-utility-feasibility-study [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2026-03-06 13:31:30 [post_modified_gmt] => 2026-03-06 13:31:30 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://princetonhydro.com/?post_type=project&p=19287 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => project [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [3] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 19070 [post_author] => 1 [post_date] => 2026-01-25 03:21:37 [post_date_gmt] => 2026-01-25 03:21:37 [post_content] => Colonial Lake is located within Colonial Lake Park, a 2.1-acre public park in the highly developed Lawrence Township. The lake shows varying degrees of bank erosion. To address these issues, Lawrence Township secured a grant from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to restore 800 linear feet of shoreline using native vegetation and sustainable practices. In the winter of 2024, Princeton Hydro was contracted to provide consulting services for shoreline stabilization and to design living shorelines along sections of Colonial Lake. Princeton Hydro conducted a comprehensive shoreline evaluation, classifying the observed erosion into the following categories and applying targeted stabilization strategies for each:
The Goethals Bridge Replacement Project resulted in unavoidable impacts to 4.929 acres of wetlands and open water associated with the Arthur Kill, requiring the creation of 15.39 acres of mudflat, low marsh, high marsh, and scrub/shrub habitat; and preservation of 3.91 acres of existing low marsh/high marsh and open water habitat. Princeton Hydro worked with the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) – New York District and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) on the development of an acceptable monitoring program that was implemented in 2019. As stipulated in the NYSDEC-issued permit, the monitoring program had to follow the New York State Salt Marsh Restoration and Monitoring Guidelines (Guidelines) established in 2000. Working closely with USACE and NYSDEC and following the program specified within the Guidelines, Princeton Hydro established five transects and eighteen associated 1m2 quadrat locations along the five transects. Each transect represented a cross section of the various ecological communities present between Old Place Creek and the upper extent of the mitigation site. The ecological communities monitored across each transect included low marsh, high marsh, transitional zones between low marsh and high marsh, and scrub/shrub, respectively.
The following metrics were calculated within each 1m2 quadrat: overall percent cover and species composition comprising the observed percent cover. Within each 1m2 quadrat, a 0.25m2 portion of the quadrat was analyzed for stem density and plant height as outlined within the Guidelines. Additionally, the entire mitigation site was investigated for the presence of invasive species with subsequent mapping developed and incorporated into an adaptive management plan. This was then implemented to address the presence of common reed (Phragmites australis). Annual monitoring reports were prepared and submitted to both USACE and NYSDEC detailing the results of the monitoring effort with a focus on the established transects and 1m2 quadrats along each transect. A section of the reports was dedicated to the development of an adaptive management plan to ensure the mitigation site satisfied the requisite 85% vegetative cover comprised of desirable, native species.
In response to recurring water quality issues, including a significant cyanobacterial bloom in 2014 that led to prolonged beach closures, the Town of Putnam Valley engaged Princeton Hydro to revise and update the Lake Peekskill Watershed Management Plan. The lake, a small impoundment of Peekskill Hollow Creek, serves as a vital recreational resource for the community. Princeton Hydro’s initial study was structured around three core tasks: (1) analysis of long-term water quality data, (2) development of an updated pollutant budget, and (3) formulation of short- and long-term management strategies.
The analysis revealed a steady increase in conductivity and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations over the past two decades, indicating rising nutrient loads and a shift toward eutrophic conditions. Elevated TP levels were directly linked to increased algal biomass, particularly harmful cyanobacteria producing microcystin-LR, which exceeded safe swimming thresholds in 2014. The updated pollutant budget identified septic system leachate (55%) and stormwater runoff (22%) as the primary sources of phosphorus entering the lake. Internal loading from sediments and atmospheric deposition also contributed to the nutrient burden.
To address these issues, Princeton Hydro proposed a suite of in-lake management interventions focused on the lake’s three public beaches. Recommendations included installing electric water pumps to improve circulation at Carrara’s Beach and ozone/aeration systems at Singer’s and North Beaches to reduce organic buildup and mitigate algal blooms. These nature-based, non-chemical solutions were designed to provide immediate relief while longer-term watershed improvements, such as septic upgrades and stormwater controls, are pursued. The plan emphasized the need for community engagement, regulatory coordination, and sustainable implementation to restore and protect Lake Peekskill’s ecological health and recreational value.
Building on this foundational work, Princeton Hydro was re-engaged in 2022 by the Lake Peekskill Civic Association (LPCA) and the Town of Putnam Valley to provide additional lake management services. The team developed a comprehensive Lake Management Plan aimed at identifying and prioritizing cost-effective green infrastructure and stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) for implementation by the Town. The goal was to reduce nutrient loading, improve water quality, mitigate nuisance aquatic vegetation, prevent harmful algal blooms (HABs), and enhance overall stormwater management within the watershed.
This phase of work included a detailed analysis of historical water quality data, a submerged aquatic macrophyte survey, and a field-based water quality assessment. Princeton Hydro also conducted a pollutant removal analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of specific watershed-based management techniques. The resulting plan provided a clear roadmap for reducing annual pollutant loads and minimizing the occurrence and severity of HABs through targeted, science-based interventions. The recommendations were designed to be actionable, scalable, and aligned with the Town’s capacity and resources, reinforcing the long-term commitment to restoring and maintaining the health of Lake Peekskill.
The City of Lambertville contracted Princeton Hydro and WSP to evaluate Lambertville’s need for, and ability to create, a fee‑based Stormwater Utility. Lambertville faces stormwater management issues primarily due to its geographic and infrastructural characteristics. Situated along the Delaware River, the city is prone to flooding, which is exacerbated by aging and inadequate stormwater infrastructure. Dense urban development results in a high percentage of impervious surfaces, such as roads and buildings, that prevent proper absorption of rainwater, leading to increased runoff and strain on existing drainage systems.
Lambertville’s stormwater infrastructure includes more than 530 identified stormwater inlets, a series of aging culverts, and miles of stormwater conveyance piping—much of it in unknown condition—with many structures serving as components of cross‑jurisdictional systems, all paired with repeated devastation from flooding.
The project team completed a Lambertville Stormwater Utility Feasibility Study, which included the following components:
Funding for the Lambertville Stormwater Utility Feasibility Study was provided through a grant from the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters Education Fund.
Colonial Lake is located within Colonial Lake Park, a 2.1-acre public park in the highly developed Lawrence Township. The lake shows varying degrees of bank erosion. To address these issues, Lawrence Township secured a grant from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to restore 800 linear feet of shoreline using native vegetation and sustainable practices. In the winter of 2024, Princeton Hydro was contracted to provide consulting services for shoreline stabilization and to design living shorelines along sections of Colonial Lake.
Princeton Hydro conducted a comprehensive shoreline evaluation, classifying the observed erosion into the following categories and applying targeted stabilization strategies for each:
Following the visual assessment, in addition to the development of engineering plans and planting schedules focused on a native plant palette, the collected data was used to generate conceptual plans to visually aid in the understanding of the proposed stabilization measures.
Finally, Princeton Hydro assisted the regulatory compliance by securing all necessary permits. Construction was successfully completed in the fall of 2025. Princeton Hydro continues to collaborate with the Township to develop educational signage aimed at engaging residents and visitors, highlighting the Township’s commitment to improving water quality and promoting ecological health.
In 2013, American Rivers, CTDEEP Fisheries, and Natural Resources Conservation Service began collaborating on an effort to remove up to five dams as part of a long-term project to restore connectivity to the Moosup River, prized trout-fishing stream in the Town of Plainfield. Princeton Hydro was contracted with RiverLogic Solutions to provide design-build and permitting services.
As part of this larger effort, the most downstream barrier, Hale Factory Dam, was removed in 2014. The remnants of the toppled Griswold Rubber Dam (approximately 2 miles upstream) were removed in 2015. The removal of Brunswick Mill Dam #1 (approximately 0.75 miles upstream) was completed in 2017.
Princeton Hydro developed a design-build approach for the project in collaboration with RiverLogic Solutions, a contractor highly specialized in the removal of dams. Princeton Hydro prepared design plans and project permitting, as well as supervised construction for the three dams. RiverLogic Solutions provided design and constructability input, and the construction services to remove each dam.
Princeton Hydro proposed a low-cost, low-impact approach to the removal of the Hale Factory Dam that involved the full removal of the structure, the re-use of boulders from the dam for random in-channel placement to enhance aquatic habitat, and the passive recovery of the channel. Griswold Rubber Factory Dam Removal involved the demolition and removal of concrete slabs and the creation of a natural gravel/cobble riffle coupled to the existing pools upstream and downstream of the former spillway to provide enhanced fish habitat. In addition to restoring aquatic organism passage, the Brunswick Mill Dam #1 removal, also provided for removal of a large floodplain constriction and a public safety hazard, and stabilization of an eroding bank.
While dam removal is becoming a more common mode of restoring rivers, efforts like this – to remove multiple barriers on a single river – are rare. When clustered on a single river, the ecological benefits to restoring aquatic organism passage and enhancing aquatic habitat are substantially magnified.
The New Jersey Department of Military and Veteran Affairs (NJDMAVA) retained Princeton Hydro to implement ecological services at the Sea Girt National Guard Training Center in the Borough of Sea Girt, Monmouth County, New Jersey. To facilitate portions of the 2025-2029 Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan (INRMP), Princeton Hydro conducted a series of tasks such as delineating the extent of the northern and southern dune protection areas, where suitable habitat for the federally threatened, state endangered piping plover (Charadrius melodus) is present and confirming the extent of wetlands associated with a prior Letter of Interpretation.
The project team also conducted an ecological assessment of the existing ecological communities with a focus on identifying the presence/extent/type of invasive species present to inform future targeted habitat management efforts identified within the INRMP and procured, on behalf of NJDMAVA, a Letter of Interpretation – Line Verification, Freshwater Wetlands General Permit 16 – Creation, restoration, and enhancement of habitat and water quality functions and values, and Coastal Zone Management General Permit 24 – Habitat creation, restoration, enhancement, and living shoreline activities.
Princeton Hydro and our project partner, the American Littoral Society, developed living shoreline designs for Nyack Beach State Park. The project goal was to create shorelines resilient to extreme storms and increase resilience to damages linked to climate change while enhancing ecological values and preserving public use of the site.
The final selected shoreline designs were consistent with the Master Plan for the Nyack Beach State Park and promoted goals of the 2010-2014 Hudson River Estuary Action Agenda. With these goals and objectives in mind, the Princeton Hydro team worked closely with the Hudson River Estuary Program (HREP), Nyack Beach State Park staff, and the other project stakeholders to generate ecologically-enhanced, engineered shoreline treatments that resist erosion, enhance the recreational use of the site, and improve habitat for fish and wildlife species.
The Princeton Hydro team consulted state and federal regulations governing waterfront projects and took into consideration guidance offered directly by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) during the early stages of design development. A “tread lightly” approach was taken, promoting nature-based solutions. Satisfactory existing elements of the site, including post-Hurricane-Sandy repairs to the park and its shoreline, were enhanced rather than redone.
A large portion of the selected design included access to the river and the park’s intertidal, nearshore areas. Thus, the project approach would need to be sensitive to park use by visitors. At the same time, as directed by the Nyack Beach State Park staff, our designs were designed to minimize the maintenance responsibilities of park staff.
The Anchor QEA–Princeton Hydro team was selected by Audubon New York (and its partners Save the Sound and New York State Parks) to design the restoration and enhancement of an approximately 400-acre tidal marsh on the north-central coast of Long Island. The marsh has experienced restricted tidal flow since an earthen berm was breached in 2012 during Superstorm Sandy. The restricted tidal flow led to marsh degradation, which converted portions of the former salt marsh to brackish and freshwater marsh. The lack of tidal flushing also enabled invasive Phragmites australis to establish and spread within the marsh system.
The Anchor QEA–Princeton Hydro team developed 60% Designs, including design drawings, a cost estimate, a long-term management plan, and a QAPP. The project design includes dredging approximately 15,000 cubic yards of material from Sunken Meadow Creek and thin layer placement of dredged material onto adjacent marsh cells to develop low and high marsh footprints; treating approximately 20 acres of Phragmites australis and phased replanting the areas with native species; creating approximately 2,000 linear feet of channels in the marsh and improving approximately 8,500 linear feet of existing channels to enhance drainage and tidal flushing; creating tidal pools and installing anchored rootwads to promote habitat diversity; modifying existing culverts within the primary flow channel through the marsh; and planting within the high and low salt marsh footprints.
Princeton Hydro has partnered with Wildlands Conservancy for over a decade on multiple dam removals in the Lehigh River Valley. Our firm designed and permitted the removal of eight consecutive barriers on Jordan Creek, including three consecutive low-head dams. We also designed and permitted two low-head dams on Little Lehigh Creek. Collectively, these dam removal projects reconnected miles of river, enhanced aquatic habitat, and improved adjacent parkland and recreational fishing in the economically-stressed, urban communities of Allentown, PA.
Building upon the successes of the barrier removals on Jordan and Little Lehigh Creeks, Princeton Hydro partnered with the Wildlands Conservancy again in 2018 to remove a combination of four privately and publicly owned dams on Bushkill Creek in Easton, PA. The dam removal projects served as a model for landowners and municipalities regarding the need for future dam removals throughout the Delaware and Lehigh Valley Watersheds.
Having been restored to its natural, free-flowing state in Fall 2024, the barrier removals were part a larger, watershed-wide effort to improve aquatic connectivity, fisheries, and benthic macro-invertebrate and wildlife habitats. The projects restored fish passage, reduced nonpoint source pollution, improved water quality, and restored capacity for groundwater recharge, as well as stabilized and restored the stream’s channels and banks.
As part of the barrier removal projects, Princeton Hydro:
The Arrowhead Lake Community Association, Inc. (ALCA), located in Pocono Lake, Pennsylvania, recognized that the twin corrugated metal culverts passing over Trout Creek were failing. Owassa Drive crosses the culverts and is a primary access for many of the Arrowhead Lake homeowners.
The drainage area to the crossing is nine square miles. Just upstream of the crossing, a dam impounding Brady’s Lake was breached due to the deterioration of the dam. The loss of the Brady’s Lake dam exacerbated the culverts’ deterioration. Another contributing factor to the metal pipe deterioration was the natural low pH (acidic) of the soil and water and the original inadequate backfill technique and materials.
Princeton Hydro analyzed the watershed and determined the hydraulic conditions of the existing culvert as well as a host of replacement options. The ALCA selected a Con-Span culvert with natural bottom due to the capacity, environmental benefits, cost and aesthetics. A geotechnical investigation yielded data on the existing backfill and helped determine that replacement of this material was justified. Field survey was conducted to design the culvert replacement supplemented by an aerial survey of the community. Princeton Hydro permitted the project and construction was completed in June of 2005. Princeton Hydro provided construction administration and oversight during the completion of the culvert replacement.
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