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.
WP_Query Object ( [query] => Array ( [tag] => fish-passage ) [query_vars] => Array ( [tag] => fish-passage [error] => [m] => [p] => 0 [post_parent] => [subpost] => [subpost_id] => [attachment] => [attachment_id] => 0 [name] => [pagename] => [page_id] => 0 [second] => [minute] => [hour] => [day] => 0 [monthnum] => 0 [year] => 0 [w] => 0 [category_name] => company-news [cat] => 29 [tag_id] => 17 [author] => [author_name] => [feed] => [tb] => [paged] => 1 [meta_key] => [meta_value] => [preview] => [s] => [sentence] => [title] => [fields] => all [menu_order] => [embed] => [category__in] => Array ( [0] => 29 ) [category__not_in] => Array ( ) [category__and] => Array ( ) [post__in] => Array ( ) [post__not_in] => Array ( ) [post_name__in] => Array ( ) [tag__in] => Array ( ) [tag__not_in] => Array ( ) [tag__and] => Array ( ) [tag_slug__in] => Array ( [0] => fish-passage ) [tag_slug__and] => Array ( ) [post_parent__in] => Array ( ) [post_parent__not_in] => Array ( ) [author__in] => Array ( ) [author__not_in] => Array ( ) [search_columns] => Array ( ) [ignore_sticky_posts] => [suppress_filters] => [cache_results] => 1 [update_post_term_cache] => 1 [update_menu_item_cache] => [lazy_load_term_meta] => 1 [update_post_meta_cache] => 1 [post_type] => [posts_per_page] => 10 [nopaging] => [comments_per_page] => 5 [no_found_rows] => [order] => DESC ) [tax_query] => WP_Tax_Query Object ( [queries] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [taxonomy] => category [terms] => Array ( [0] => 29 ) [field] => term_id [operator] => IN [include_children] => ) [1] => Array ( [taxonomy] => post_tag [terms] => Array ( [0] => fish-passage ) [field] => slug [operator] => IN [include_children] => 1 ) ) [relation] => AND [table_aliases:protected] => Array ( [0] => ph_term_relationships [1] => tt1 ) [queried_terms] => Array ( [category] => Array ( [terms] => Array ( [0] => 29 ) [field] => term_id ) [post_tag] => Array ( [terms] => Array ( [0] => fish-passage ) [field] => slug ) ) [primary_table] => ph_posts [primary_id_column] => ID ) [meta_query] => WP_Meta_Query Object ( [queries] => Array ( ) [relation] => [meta_table] => [meta_id_column] => [primary_table] => [primary_id_column] => [table_aliases:protected] => Array ( ) [clauses:protected] => Array ( ) [has_or_relation:protected] => ) [date_query] => [queried_object] => WP_Term Object ( [term_id] => 17 [name] => fish passage [slug] => fish-passage [term_group] => 0 [term_taxonomy_id] => 17 [taxonomy] => post_tag [description] => [parent] => 0 [count] => 43 [filter] => raw [term_order] => 0 ) [queried_object_id] => 17 [request] => SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS ph_posts.ID FROM ph_posts LEFT JOIN ph_term_relationships ON (ph_posts.ID = ph_term_relationships.object_id) LEFT JOIN ph_term_relationships AS tt1 ON (ph_posts.ID = tt1.object_id) WHERE 1=1 AND ( ph_term_relationships.term_taxonomy_id IN (29) AND tt1.term_taxonomy_id IN (17) ) AND ((ph_posts.post_type = 'post' AND (ph_posts.post_status = 'publish' OR ph_posts.post_status = 'acf-disabled'))) GROUP BY ph_posts.ID ORDER BY ph_posts.menu_order, ph_posts.post_date DESC LIMIT 0, 10 [posts] => Array ( [0] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 15139 [post_author] => 1 [post_date] => 2024-06-21 17:47:10 [post_date_gmt] => 2024-06-21 17:47:10 [post_content] => Princeton Hydro's President and Founding Principal, Geoffrey M. Goll, PE, recently participated in the prestigious Free Flow 2024 conference in Groningen, The Netherlands. This international event, focused on protecting and restoring free-flowing rivers, gathered policy makers, river managers, ecologists, researchers, students, and industry professionals from around the globe. With 130 speakers spread across 27 sessions, the conference delved into crucial topics like dam removal, fish passage, and the ecology of free-flowing rivers. Free Flow 2024, organized by the World Fish Migration Foundation and the Institute of Fisheries Management, highlighted the urgent need for river restoration to achieve the EU 2030 Biodiversity goal of freeing up 25,000 km (15,534 miles) of rivers. The conference aimed to connect practitioners and scientists, promote knowledge sharing, and spur the implementation of innovative river restoration projects. Princeton Hydro's Contributions to Free Flow 2024 Geoff participated in an expert panel for the "Prioritizing Rivers and Dams for Restoration" workshop. The workshop, moderated by Joshua Royte of The Nature Conservancy and Dr. Ruben van Treeck of World Wide Fund For Nature Germany, also included esteemed panelists Dr. Carlos Garcia De Leaniz of Swansea University, Dr. Jesse O'Hanley of the University of Kent, and Dr. Paulo Branco of the University of Lisbon. The discussion focused on the most efficient means and tools for prioritizing the removal of stream and river barriers in watersheds, considering both micro- and macroscale approaches. Geoff's contribution centered on the confounding and feasibility issues of individual barriers that could influence the overall prioritization process. [gallery link="none" columns="2" size="medium" ids="15145,15146"] (Photos by Lorenzo Quaglietta) Geoff also led a presentation titled "Dam Removal is not just about Dam Removal," Geoff emphasized the multifaceted benefits of dam removal beyond fish passage restoration. He argued that successful dam removal projects hinge on understanding and balancing the diverse values of stakeholders, managing sediment, protecting infrastructure, and recognizing the opportunities for restoring natural capital. During the presentation, Geoff highlighted that while many dams no longer serve their original functions, some remain integral to the communities around them, often holding deep emotional significance. His presentation illustrated the wide-ranging restoration possibilities and community benefits of dam removal, including:
Princeton Hydro's President and Founding Principal, Geoffrey M. Goll, PE, recently participated in the prestigious Free Flow 2024 conference in Groningen, The Netherlands. This international event, focused on protecting and restoring free-flowing rivers, gathered policy makers, river managers, ecologists, researchers, students, and industry professionals from around the globe. With 130 speakers spread across 27 sessions, the conference delved into crucial topics like dam removal, fish passage, and the ecology of free-flowing rivers.
Free Flow 2024, organized by the World Fish Migration Foundation and the Institute of Fisheries Management, highlighted the urgent need for river restoration to achieve the EU 2030 Biodiversity goal of freeing up 25,000 km (15,534 miles) of rivers. The conference aimed to connect practitioners and scientists, promote knowledge sharing, and spur the implementation of innovative river restoration projects.
Geoff participated in an expert panel for the "Prioritizing Rivers and Dams for Restoration" workshop. The workshop, moderated by Joshua Royte of The Nature Conservancy and Dr. Ruben van Treeck of World Wide Fund For Nature Germany, also included esteemed panelists Dr. Carlos Garcia De Leaniz of Swansea University, Dr. Jesse O'Hanley of the University of Kent, and Dr. Paulo Branco of the University of Lisbon. The discussion focused on the most efficient means and tools for prioritizing the removal of stream and river barriers in watersheds, considering both micro- and macroscale approaches. Geoff's contribution centered on the confounding and feasibility issues of individual barriers that could influence the overall prioritization process.
Geoff also led a presentation titled "Dam Removal is not just about Dam Removal," Geoff emphasized the multifaceted benefits of dam removal beyond fish passage restoration. He argued that successful dam removal projects hinge on understanding and balancing the diverse values of stakeholders, managing sediment, protecting infrastructure, and recognizing the opportunities for restoring natural capital.
During the presentation, Geoff highlighted that while many dams no longer serve their original functions, some remain integral to the communities around them, often holding deep emotional significance. His presentation illustrated the wide-ranging restoration possibilities and community benefits of dam removal, including:
Additionally, Geoff's presentation reviewed the values of existing dams and their impoundments, the institutional and physical challenges of removal, and showcased successful examples of dam removal projects in the northeastern United States, providing valuable insights for European ecosystem restoration efforts.
Princeton Hydro was also proud to sponsor the Dam Removal & Small Barriers portion of the education program.
In advance of his panel presentation, Geoff created and distributed a poll using Mentimeter to gather insights from conference attendees. This interactive approach allowed participants to share their thoughts and experiences ahead of the workshop, fostering a more engaging and tailored discussion. The questions posed in the poll were designed to capture a range of perspectives on barrier removal, a key topic at the conference.
The responses collected provided valuable input that helped shape the dialogue during Geoff's presentation. Here are the visual results of the poll:
The creative atmosphere of the Oosterpoort venue in Groningen fostered dynamic exchanges of ideas and solutions. The conference featured over 100 presentations, divided into parallel sessions, providing a comprehensive exploration of river restoration topics, including: Ecology and hydromorphology of free-flowing rivers; freshwater fish and fisheries; hydropower development vs. free-flowing rivers; policies for free-flowing rivers; river restoration tools and projects; cultural and socio-economic aspects of free-flowing rivers; nature-based solutions; and dam removal and fish passage projects.
The conference included various networking opportunities, such as a cocktail reception on the first evening and a conference dinner on the second, allowing attendees to connect and discuss their work in a more relaxed setting. Throughout the conference, poster sessions showcased ongoing research, and an exhibitor marketplace provided an additional platform for participants to engage with the latest innovations and tools in river restoration.
Participants also had the opportunity to join one of five field trips organized in cooperation with the Wadden Sea Swimway project. These excursions provided a hands-on look at various river restoration and fish passage projects. For instance, one field trip followed the journey of a sea trout as it navigates to its ancestral spawning grounds, offering participants an immersive experience in understanding the challenges and successes of fish migration.
The Free Flow 2024 conference underscored the critical importance of river restoration in the face of climate change and biodiversity loss. By bringing together leading experts and fostering a collaborative environment, the event contributed significantly to the advancement of knowledge and the implementation of effective river restoration strategies.
"Participating in the Free Flow 2024 Conference was an incredible opportunity to collaborate with global experts dedicated to river restoration," said Geoff. "Through insightful discussions and educational sessions, we exchanged valuable knowledge and experiences, strengthening our shared commitment to protecting and restoring free-flowing rivers. It is encouraging to witness the dedication and innovative solutions being applied globally.”
Click here to learn more about Free Flow 2024, view presentation abstracts, the complete agenda, and more photos from the conference.
Princeton Hydro has successfully designed, permitted, and overseen the removal of over 84 dams to date. Geoff holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Rutgers University and a Master of Engineering Management from UW–Madison. His knowledge encompasses water resources and geotechnical engineering, including sediment management, stream and river restoration, stormwater management, green infrastructure, freshwater wetland and coastal marsh design, dam design, and dam removal. Geoff’s is recognized as a distinguished leader in advancing innovative and effective solutions for dam removal and river restoration. To read about a recent dam removal project that Geoff spearheaded with The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey, click here.
Welcome to the latest edition of our Client Spotlight Blog Series! Each spotlight provides an inside look at our collaboration, teamwork, and accomplishments with a specific client. We value our client relationships and pride ourselves on forming strong ties with organizations that share our values of creating a better future for people and our planet.
The Musconetcong Watershed Association (MWA) is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to protecting and improving the quality of the Musconetcong River and its watershed, including its natural and cultural resources. Members of the organization are part of a network of individuals, families, and companies that care about the Musconetcong River and its watershed, and are dedicated to improving the watershed resources through public education and awareness programs, river water quality monitoring, promotion of sustainable land management practices, and community involvement.
Princeton Hydro has been working with MWA in the areas of river restoration, dam removal, and engineering consulting since 2003. To develop this Client Spotlight, we collaborated with MWA's Executive Director Cindy Joerger and Communications Coordinator Karen Doerfer:
A: As a watershed association, we focus on a specific place. This includes the Musconetcong River, a National Wild and Scenic River, as well as the area’s cultural, historical, recreational, and natural resources. We take a watershed focus, seeking to monitor the river and upstream areas to ensure it maintains good water quality.
A: MWA values community. Our membership is mostly grassroots, including residents, riverfront landowners, farmers, and local businesses. We value the long-term community of people who have helped form the organization, improve the river, and protect the scenic and historic resources that make our watershed unique.
A: Princeton Hydro has helped MWA with dam removal projects since the very first one, the Gruendyke Mill Dam, which was an obsolete dam on the border of Hackettstown and Mount Olive. Since then, Princeton Hydro has helped with four other dam removal projects and is currently assisting in the removal and restoration of the Beatty’s Mill Dam in Hackettstown, providing engineering plans and project management support.
The dam removals in the lower Musconetcong River have created a free-flowing passage to the Delaware River, and the removal of the Hughesville Dam welcomed the return of American shad less than a year after its removal.
A: Princeton Hydro has provided MWA with dam removal services on the Musconetcong River, most notably, the removal of Hughesville Dam, which brought Secretary of the Interior, Sally Jewell, out for its notching. Princeton Hydro has also helped us with the engineering and design for the Musconetcong Island Park Project, which involves the demolition of a building in a Historic District and the replacement of new, safer stairs.
A: The Hughesville Dam removal saw many successes and a few challenges we had to overcome as a team. After the initial removal and restoration, we worked together on another streambank restoration project to further stabilize the streambank near the dam removal site. This dam removal restored over 5 miles of free-flowing river to the Delaware River and will help lay the groundwork for the Warren Glen Dam removal, which is the largest dam on the Musconetcong River.
A: MWA is still working to restore the Asbury Mill, which we plan to use as an educational and eco-tourism hub for the community, as well as a much-needed office space for our growing staff.
A: Working for such a small organization, it is easier and more gratifying to see the impact it's making. Our staff gets to see a lot of projects from start to finish, so it’s rewarding to be able to have your stamp on something you watched grow from its inception to conclusion.
A: In the upper watershed, we are hoping that Princeton Hydro, in concert with others, can continue to help guide improvements to the water quality of Lake Hopatcong. The lake acts as our headwaters and is the largest in New Jersey. Last year, it suffered a serious issue with Harmful Algal Blooms.
…
The Resource Institute hosted its 9th Annual Mid-Atlantic Stream Restoration Conference in Baltimore, Maryland, where water resource professionals, researchers, and practitioners come together for three days to share ideas and learn about stream restoration planning, assessment, design, construction, evaluation, and other topical stream issues. The conference, which was themed Building Resilient Streams in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions, included presentations, discussions, exhibits, and pre-conference workshops. Princeton Hydro participated in three presentations on a variety of topics.
Below, we provide a synopsis of each presentation:
The presentation provides a detailed look at the removal of the Martin Dam in Fallston, Maryland, and how project partners were able to drastically expand the footprint of this emergency dam removal to generate enough ecological restoration benefits to adequately fund the dam removal itself.
The Martin Dam was constructed in 1965 as part of USDA’s sustainable farms pond construction initiative, which promoted aquaculture and subsistence fish production on small farms across the region as an income source for agricultural producers. Dam-related impacts included the permanent loss of spring-fed sedge wetlands, ditching of forested floodplain wetlands, pollution from stream bank entrenchment, and thermal impacts to a wild brook trout population downstream.
Overtime, the dam structure began to degrade. With each state and local agency inspection that was conducted, the dam increased in hazard category. In 2016, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) was forced to list the dam as a, “public safety hazard at risk of immanent failure.” The landowner, unable to fund the dam removal, contacted GreenTrust Alliance (GTA), a regional green infrastructure nonprofit organization, for help.
By emphasizing the ecological benefits of restored wetlands and streams above and below the dam as well as the critical public safety hazard faced by residents and motorists downstream, GTA, in partnership with Princeton Hydro and GreenVest, was able to secure restoration funding for the site. The design and permitting was led by Princeton Hydro, and the dam was safely breached as part of restoration construction in January 2019.
In order to explore the use of drone or UAV technology to evaluate the effects of dam removals, the presentation showcases the Columbia Lake Dam removal, the largest dam removal in New Jersey to date.
The Columbia Lake Dam, built in 1909, was 18 feet high, 330 feet long dam, and stretched more than 1.5 miles on the Paulins Kill less than 0.25 miles upstream from its confluence with the Delaware River. As part of The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) mission to improve the quality of the Paulins Kill, removing this “first blockage” was the cornerstone of the larger mission. Princeton Hydro served as the engineer-of-record, designing and permitting this project. Dam removal activities commenced in 2018 and were finalized in 2019. Its removal opens 10 miles of river for fish migration and improves recreation access, floodplain reconnection, habitat enhancement and higher water quality.
TNC will conduct five years of monitoring, a vitally important component of this project, to determine long-term ecological uplift, short-term positive and negative effects, and to develop data to provide information for future dam removals. And, as a result of the programmable and repeatable nature of drone flight paths, such monitoring will be able to be conducted for years and decades, producing invaluable data for research and future project design.
The presentation reviews the various parameters investigated, the results and significance of the data retrieved, and recommendations for the use of drone technology for future ecosystem restoration projects.
This presentation provides an overview on how to create 3D river models based on geomorphic input to enhance the overall accuracy and quality of a river restoration project.
In river restoration, the proposed geometry of the river channel is the key part of the design. It impacts earthwork, utility conflicts, plan set layout, and many other aspects of the project. In larger projects with reaches measuring thousands of feet and greater, manual grading is extremely time consuming and tedious; and determining the entire implication of the proposed design is difficult to achieve when simply analyzing proposed cross-sections and profiles. To increase efficiency and maintain uniformity throughout the subject reach developing a 3D-surface model of the proposed restoration reduces design time and increases quality. AutoCAD Civil 3D can be used to convert the proposed profiles and cross-sections from a geomorphic design into a 3D surface of the river corridor.
The presentation goes through the key steps that need to be taken and strategic questions that need to be asked when modeling 3D rivers in AutoCAD along with important tips and reminders.
Stay tuned for our Spring Events Spotlight to learn how you can participate in upcoming environmental events! Click here to read more about Princeton Hydro’s river restoration services.
Princeton Hydro is participating in lots of interesting events this Spring; here's a snapshot of what's to come:
Celebrate Earth Day a few days early with a fun Jersey Shore volunteer event! The American Littoral Society, in partnership with Princeton Hydro, Borough of Point Pleasant, and the local Rotary Club, is organizing dozens of volunteers to restore the shoreline and prevent further erosion at the Slade Dale Sanctuary using recycled Christmas trees, a technique that is groundbreaking for New Jersey. Help us transport donated/recycled Christmas trees to the marsh to breakwater sections, stuffed them between the pilings, and securely tie them down. The volunteer is from 10 AM to 4 PM and water and light refreshments will be served. Dress to get wet and mess and don't forget to bring sunscreen, lunch, and waders (if you have them!). Street parking is available along Sea Point Drive.
We're celebrating Arbor Day with Friends of Exton Park! Join us on Thursday, April 25 for a bird walk and native tree and shrub planting. During the bird walk, which runs from 8:30 - 10:30 am, we hope to spot spring migrants. Planting will take place between 10:30 am and 12:30 pm, and then lunch will be provided.
We hope you'll join us for a fun and productive day in Exton Park. Birders and nature enthusiasts of all skill levels are welcome!
Princeton Hydro is proud to be attending, sponsoring, and our Communications Strategist Dana Patterson is emceeing this year's Society for American Military Engineers (SAME) NJ Post 2019 Small Business Council Breakfast, which is being held at the Forsgate Country Club in Monroe. The program consists of networking opportunities, a variety of speakers, and breakfast (of course!). SAME gives leaders from the A/E/C, environmental, and facility management industries the opportunity to come together with federal agencies in order to showcase best practices and highlight future opportunities for small businesses to work in the federal market.
New York State Federation of Lake Associations (NYSFOLA) will host its 36th Annual Conference May 3-4 at the Fort William Henry Conference Center in Lake George. This year’s conference, which is titled, “Empowering Lake Associations in Challenging Times,” will feature a diverse exhibitor hall, networking opportunities, a silent auction and a variety of educational sessions. Princeton Hydro is exhibiting and giving presentations on the following topics:
Hosted by the nonprofit Sustainable South Jersey, the Sustainable South Jersey Earth Festival is the largest eco-event in the region, drawing 5000 visitors annually. This year’s festival is themed "Reduce Plastic – Fantastic!" and will feature a family-fun bike ride, musical entertainment, perennial native plant swap, exhibits from a variety of earth-friendly, eco-conscious vendors, outdoor arts & crafts, and more. Admission is free and everyone is welcome to attend. Advanced registration is required for the family-fun bike ride. Our Communications Strategist Dana Patterson recently joined the board of Sustainable South Jersey, and will be hopping around the event. We hope to see you there!
...
Your Full Name * Phone Number * Your Email * Organization Address Message *
By EmailBy Phone
Submit
Δ
Couldn’t find a match? Check back often as we post new positions throughout the year.
PRINCETON HYDRO
PRINCETON HYDRO