Dear LRWP Friends and Donors –

We had a wonderful year! See below for an update. Our accomplishments are realized with many thanks to you for the gifts of time and financial support.

Water Quality Monitoring: Raritan River Pathogens Sampling

In partnership with Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Middlesex County and the Interstate Environmental Commission, the LRWP wrapped up our 4th year of civic science pathogens sampling and reporting for non-swimming public access beach sites along the Raritan River. The project has evolved, including expansion of Spanish-language volunteer engagement and a pathogens genetics study partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency. We received NJSeaGrant funds for our project “Advancing techniques to source track fecal microbes in estuarine and coastal waters to engage civic scientists” to continue this work through 2024. In Summer 2023 our real-time data reporting on both the LRWP website www.lowerraritanwatershed.org and Rutgers Hydrological database https://tessera.rutgers.edu/rrho/ will be in both English and Spanish.

Community Boat Build

In March we moved into our new boat build space at 101 Raritan Avenue in Highland Park! Volunteers developed woodworking skills, building paddles and ‘stable recreational’ rowing vessels that will serve as the inaugural fleet for a youth rowing program. Grant funding was provided by the Middlesex County Board of County Commissioners through a grant award from the Middlesex County Cultural and Arts Trust Fund, made possible by funds from Middlesex County, a partner of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Stop by through January 30 to see paddles on display. Or better yet, register on our events page to join a build on Wednesday evenings or Saturday mornings: https://lowerraritanwatershed.org/events/  

Water Quality Monitoring: Stream Assessments

With thanks to the eyes and ears of dozens of wonderful volunteers, we wrapped up the 6th year of our Streamkeeper “stream adoption” program. Through this on-going program, Streamkeepers monitor the streams and tributaries that feed the Raritan River and provide data that helps us understand threats to our waterways, giving us insight into how to prioritize locations for clean-ups, restoration, and more. Covid made clear the need for more remote educational materials, and this year we produced the first of eleven instructional videos on the “how-tos” of stream monitoring (in English and Spanish). Please let us know if you can support this important educational outreach effort, we seek sponsorship of $300 per video to complete the series.

MS4 Stormwater Management Assistance Program

We love working with municipal partners in Highland Park and New Brunswick to improve water quality, reduce pollutant flows, and meet federal educational requirements for Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) mandated under the Clean Water Act. This included creating municipal stormwater management webpages, the “Soak Up the Rain” newsletter for municipal residents, coordinating clean-ups, rain barrel builds, stream assessments, and continuing education for K-12 educators and others.

Looking forward to 2023…Watershed Restoration

Trash Traps. In 2023, in partnership with the Borough of Dunellen and with settlement funds from the Cornell Dubilier Superfund site, we will implement a “Trash Trap” litter collection device in the Green Brook downstream from the Plainfield Transfer Station. Installation will coincide with development of metrics to assess device impact on plastics and trash reduction, and we welcome volunteers to join us for clean-up days for these assessments. South River Ecosystem Restoration. We are nearing completion of engineered design for restoration of a 165-acre coastal eco-park along the South River and now seek funds for project implementation. Clean-ups: Lots of clean-ups on the calendar for 2023 including in Franklin Township, New Brunswick, Highland Park, and Dunellen!

“The trip on the lower Raritan really moved me. I especially felt it the next day when I was driving over the parkway bridge, which I’ve done hundreds or possibly thousands of times since I was a kid…but this time was was different. I think there was always somewhat of a cringe feeling when I saw all the industry there, the smoke/steam, a blighted landscape…but when I was on the bridge after the boat ride, I looked over and felt, Oh! I know that place now! That’s where the eagles and osprey and herons and egret are, all that rich biodiversity and some beautiful marshland that I’d just realized was right there! And I seriously felt something shift in my heart – it was definitely a visceral shift – almost like the Grinch when his heart grew – and I knew I was a different (richer, happier, more hopeful) person now. It was such a wonderful surprise to feel all of this! Thank you and the LRWP for providing this experience to us, and for all you to care for the natural world.”

-Jacki Dickert, photographer

Recreational Access to the Raritan

Studio course with Rutgers. Spring 2023 the LRWP will partner on a graduate studio through which students will put Disability Justice at the center of strategic partnership and planning to improve recreational accessibility for the New Brunswick, Rutgers, and larger communities. The projects include: 1) initial concept development for a “Missing Link Bridge” connecting the New Brunswick Boyd Park waterfront to the D&R Canal and increasing access to an additional 70+ miles of trail; and 2) integrating Universal Access and landscape management design (soil erosion control) for a planned accessible path through the Rutgers Ecological Preserve. These projects have been prioritized for implementation as part of the “Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment for the Cornell Dubilier Electronics, Inc. Superfund Site,” by the Cornell-Dubilier Electronics, Inc. Trustee Council.

General Environmental Education & Outreach

As always, we welcome community members to join for water quality monitoring, trips on the Rutgers Research Vessel, moonlight paddles on the Raritan, “hidden streams” walking tours, environmental education, clean-ups, rain barrel builds, and so much more. Events listings are on our website: https://lowerraritanwatershed.org/events/

With gratitude for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Heather Fenyk, Ph.D., AICP/PP

Board President & Founder