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.
As we reflect on 2022 and set our sights on 2023, we have many successes to celebrate. Here’s a look at our top 10 successes of the year:
In May, we officially moved into our new Trenton office in the historic former Roebling Wireworks Carpentry Shop. We kicked off our move with a ribbon cutting event and successful open house, and quickly settled into our new space. We also made a commitment to support the local community, living up to our promise with local sponsorships to the Outdoor Equity Alliance (OEA) for Trenton’s Junteenth celebration and Black Farmer’s Market and Trenton South Ward Neighborhood Association’s Summer Splash Bash. We supported OEA’s Careers in Conservation Program with virtual and field sessions on water quality and landscape planning led by Jesse Smith, Dana Patterson, Fred Lubnow, and Mark Gallagher. We’ve donated the use of the space to several local organizations for fundraising events, including Passage Theatre, NJ Environmental Lobby, and Trenton Historical Society. We also jumped right in to assist the City on an emergency basis for water quality monitoring of the Pennington Reservoir. To cap off the year, during our Holiday Virtual Giving Event, 21 staff donated a total of 115 items (87lbs) totaling $1,734 to the Trenton-based Children’s Home Society of New Jersey.
After a year-long water quality and trash monitoring initiative, the Schuylkill River Greenways, in partnership with Berks Nature, Bartram’s Garden, Stroud Water Research Center, The Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education, and Princeton Hydro, launched an interactive ArcGIS StoryMap that documents the ecological status and local perceptions of the Schuylkill River. The goal of the project is to connect residents and communities with the river and all it has to offer.
In New York, we worked with the Seatuck Environmental Association to conduct a study to understand the feasibility of enhancing fish passage to Mill Pond. For the study, we completed a site investigation including topographic survey, sediment probing and sampling, and assessment of structures to identify project opportunities and site constraints. Then, based on our findings, we developed three design options: a nature-like fishway, a technical fishway, or dam removal. In Pennsylvania, we supported Solebury Township in their effort to convert a former lake into a natural area with a free-flowing, cold water stream capable of supporting native brook trout, which had not been present in the area for more than a century. Specifically, we designed the restoration of Aquetong Creek’s main channel and tributary to reduce erosion and improve brook trout habitat; we developed an invasive species control and woodland restoration plan; and we provided stormwater design support for areas adjacent to the creek.
We opened the year with the news that Mark Gallagher was selected for the prestigious “Lifetime Achievement Award” from NJ Highlands Coalition and closed with the celebration of the two project awards: The NJ Water Supply Authority’s Delaware & Raritan Canal Hydrilla management project landed an Excellence in Water Resources Award from NJ-AWRA and the Third River Wetland Floodplain Wetland Enhancement Project in Bloomfield, now known as Lion’s Gate Park, won the 2022 New Jersey Future Smart Growth Award.
We helped the Township of Byram in Sussex County, New Jersey secure grant funding from the New Jersey Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council for a regional lake and watershed management program that includes ten of the Township’s waterbodies. We worked with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers -, New York District, to conduct a study that compares the costs, benefits, and effectiveness of management alternatives that prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species between the Hudson River and Lake Champlain via the Champlain Canal. We were contracted by the Central Park Conservancy to develop and implement a long-term and holistic management plan for the lakes and ponds in Central Park, New York City with the primary goal of preventing harmful algal blooms. For Lake Latonka in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, we developed a comprehensive lake management plan that includes five primary management measures: phosphorus loading mitigation, biomanipulation, management of submerged aquatic vegetation, waterfowl management, and regular water quality monitoring and testing.
Ecological restoration work is underway at USFWS’s John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum in Philadelphia! Friends of Heinz Refuge hired our team to enhance and restore the Refuge’s Turkey Foot area. The approach for the restoration project focuses on creating intertidal marsh, high marsh, and upland grassland habitat zones as well as four acres of contiguous wetland habitat bordered by a functional riparian buffer.
Our team members are always striving for personal growth, expanding their knowledge, and continue to amaze us. Christiana Pollack is now a Certified Ecological Restoration Practitioner (CERP) through the Society for Ecological Restoration. Jake Dittes, PE earned the New Jersey Watershed Institute Green Infrastructure (WIGI) certification. Geoffrey Goll was featured on PBS TV Panel Discussion and was appointed to the Rutgers University School of Engineering Industry Advisory Board. Samara McAuliffe was appointed to the Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space Board of Trustees. And, Christopher Mikolajczyk served his term as President of the North American Lake Management Society.
Dr. Roy Messaros joined our firm as Director of Engineering, coming from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – New York District. We expanded our River Restoration team with the addition of a Staff Engineer Cole Pragides, EIT and Project Manager/Landscape Architect Jamie Feinstein, RLA. To support our Restoration & Resilience and Regulatory Compliance & Wildlife Survey teams, Tara Srinivasan and Eric Zawatski joined as Staff Scientists. With our growing geoscience and water resources service areas, we hired Geotechnical Engineer Michael Torino, PE and Staff Engineer James Holyoke, EIT to support our engineering team. For our Field Services operations, we brought on two Aquatic Specialists Ryan Sheehan and Stephen Seely. And to provide office administration and executive support in the new Trenton office, Nicole Petrillo joined our team as an Administrative Assistant.
Many events returned to in-person this year, yet we still participated in numerous virtually. We traveled around the Northeast and beyond to share our project stories and lessons learned. We sponsored over $22,000 to nonprofit events and fundraisers and the Marketing Team exhibited at a dozen conferences, festivals, and local events. Aquatics team members Dr. Fred Lubnow, Christopher Mikolajczyk, CLM, Michael Hartshorne, Pat Rose presented on managing harmful algal blooms and lake management virtually and all across the country — from the NALMS conference in Minneapolis, MN to the Pennsylvania Lake Management Society Annual Conference in Boalsburg, PA. Dr. Clay Emerson, PE, CFM, Christiana Pollack, CERP, CFM, GISP, and Mark Gallagher presented on green infrastructure and stormwater management. Jake Dittes, PE and Geoffrey Goll, PE traveled down to the first National Stream Restoration Conference and presented on river restoration and dam removal. Mike Hartshorne showcased the Schuylkill River Partner Water Quality Project all around the watershed and Pat Rose, Dana Patterson, and Cory Speroff, PLA, CBLP, taught nonprofit organizations data visualization tips and tricks for water quality monitoring. These are just a few highlights! Click here to read about our upcoming events.
One of Princeton Hydro’s key offerings is grant writing to assist our nonprofit and government clients in writing watershed plans and implement projects to improve water quality from stormwater basin retrofits to wetland restorations. This year, we assisted in landing $3,550,000 million in Lake Restoration Grant funding from NJDEP to improve water quality and reduce the impacts of nonpoint source pollution. We’ve also assisted several clients with other grant applications for NJDEP 319, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and NOAA.
Thank you for supporting Princeton Hydro and sharing our stories. We truly appreciate each and every one of our clients, partners, and friends. Cheers to a successful 2023 and beyond!
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