by LRWP Outreach Monitoring Coordinator Jocelyn Palomino
The Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership and Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Middlesex County run a volunteer pathogens monitoring program from May to September every summer along the Raritan River. We collect water quality samples at non-bathing public access beach sites, provide our samples to the Interstate Environmental Commission for analysis in their laboratory, and report the results to the public on Friday afternoons.
Our water quality samples taken on September 7, 2023 show Enterococcus bacteria levels exceed the EPA federal water quality standard at only one of our sites this week. Problem sites are indicated by red frowns on the map and chart which includes our most upstream site: Riverside Park (Piscataway). Green smiles on the chart and map indicate sites with bacteria levels safe for recreation and include: Rutgers Boathouse (New Brunswick), Edison Boat Basin (Edison), Ken Buchanan Waterfront Park (Sayreville), South Amboy Waterfront Park (South Amboy), and 2nd Street Park (Perth Amboy).
Enterococcus and Fecal Coliform levels are used as indicators for the possible presence of disease-causing bacteria in recreational waters. Such pathogens may pose health risks to people fishing and swimming in a water body. Possible sources of bacteria include Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs), improperly functioning wastewater treatment plants, leaking septic systems, and stormwater run off.
Our goal in reporting these results is to give area residents an understanding of potential health risks related to primary contact (touching) the water during water based recreation. Always be sure to wash thoroughly after any recreational activities and have a safe weekend on the Raritan!
Low tide at our first site in Piscataway as Genevieve retrieves our samples for the week, Photo Credit: Heather Fenyk
Keep an eye out for our stickers posted at all our monitoring locations with a QR code leading directly to our weekly results, Photo Credit: Heather Fenyk
Special thanks to Genevieve Ehasz and Heather Fenyk for taking care of our sampling this week! Photo Credit: Heather Fenyk
by LRWP Outreach Monitoring Coordinator Jocelyn Palomino
Happy September! We are now in our final month of the volunteer pathogens monitoring program for this summer. We collect water quality samples at non-bathing public access beach sites along the Raritan River, provide our samples to the Interstate Environmental Commission for analysis in their laboratory, and report the results to the public on Friday afternoons.
For your Labor Day weekend plans, please take into consideration the data from our water quality samples taken on August 31, 2023 which show Enterococcus bacteria levels exceed the EPA federal water quality standard at two of our sites this week. Problem sites are indicated by red frowns on the map and chart which includes: Riverside Park (Piscataway) and Rutgers Boathouse (New Brunswick). Green smiles on the chart and map indicate sites with bacteria levels safe for recreation and include: Edison Boat Basin (Edison), Ken Buchanan Waterfront Park (Sayreville), South Amboy Waterfront Park (South Amboy), and 2nd Street Park (Perth Amboy).
Enterococcus and Fecal Coliform levels are used as indicators for the possible presence of disease-causing bacteria in recreational waters. Such pathogens may pose health risks to people fishing and swimming in a water body. Possible sources of bacteria include Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs), improperly functioning wastewater treatment plants, leaking septic systems, and stormwater run off.
Our goal in reporting these results is to give area residents an understanding of potential health risks related to primary contact (touching) the water during water based recreation. Always be sure to wash thoroughly after any recreational activities and have a safe weekend on the Raritan!
High tide flooded the dock at the Rutgers Boathouse and kept a few volunteers from reaching the sampling point, at least we took pictures in the meantime! Photo Credit: Jocelyn Palomino
This week, Colleen brought along a very special guest, her son Josh! He did an excellent job helping his mom collect the data off the YSI on our sampling run yesterday, Photo Credit: Jocelyn Palomino
A shot of our Sayreville site, a beautiful morning for monitoring, Photo Credit: Jocelyn Palomino
After all these months, Colleen has become a pro at managing all the monitoring equipment in the water, Photo Credit: Michele Bakacs
As always, big thanks to the volunteers who came out this week: Irene Riegner, Frank Dahl, Middlesex County Agent Michele Bakacs, Genevieve Ehasz, Josh L. and Colleen Georges! Photo Credit: Colleen Georges
By LRWP Monitoring Outreach Coordinator Jocelyn Palomino
The Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership and Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Middlesex County run a volunteer pathogens monitoring program from May to September every Summer. On Thursdays we collect water quality samples at 6 non-bathing public access beaches along the Raritan River, provide our samples to the Interstate Environmental Commission lab for analysis, and report the results for the public on Friday afternoons. Water quality results for September 8, 2022 for two of our sites suggest exceedance of federal EPA threshold for Enterococci at two of our sites: Riverside Park (Piscataway) and Edison Boathouse (Edison). This is indicated by the red frowns on the map – primary contact with waters at these locations is not recommended. The “green smileys” represent the sites with pathogen levels that are below the standard for primary contact recreation: Rutgers Boathouse (New Brunswick), Ken Buchanan Waterfront Park (Edison), South Amboy Waterfront Park (South Amboy), and 2nd St. Park (Perth Amboy).
Suitable levels for primary contact should not exceed 104 cfu/100mL. Per the EPA, Pathogens/Enterococci levels are used as indicators of the possible presence of disease-causing bacteria in recreational waters. Possible sources of bacteria include Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs), improperly functioning wastewater treatment ps, stormwater runoff, leaking septic systems, animal carcasses, and runoff from manure storage areas. Such pathogens may pose health risks to people fishing and swimming in a water body. As always, if you choose to recreate on the Raritan this weekend, stay safe and please be sure to wash your hands!
Big thanks to our partners, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Middlesex County and Interstate
A great picture of Cristian Sanlatte from Fahrenfeld Lab and Michele Bakacs from Rutgers Cooperative Extension monitoring the beautiful Riverside Park, Photo Credit: Andrew Gehman
Andrew Gehman and our crew posing at the Ken Buchanan Waterfront Park , Photo Credits: Michele Bakacs
While our crew finished the post-calibration of the monitoring equipment before handing off the samples. Raritan Riverkeeper Bill Schultz pulled up to chat with the team , Photo Credits: Andrew Gehman
Since Summer 2019 the Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership and Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Middlesex County have conducted pathogens monitoring for Fecal Coliform and Enterococcus at six non-swimming public beach access sites along the Lower Raritan during the warmer months.
In this video, filmed as part of a public outreach session on 3.24.2022, we present a summary of data and findings for 2019-2021 monitoring, including analysis results of genetic source. We also share information about our monitoring plans for Summer 2022, including our partnership with the EPA.
Raritan River Pathogens Monitoring 2021 is a wrap!
HUGE gratitude to our amazing team, all our partners, and especially our volunteers. We could not do this without: Michele Bakacs & Rutgers Cooperative Extension, Jessica Bonamusa & Interstate Environmental Commission, Priscilla Oliveria & The Watershed Institute, Jason Acevedo, Frank Dahl, Dorina Cardinale, Andrew Gehman, Janet Kenny Sacklow, Julisa Collado and extra special thanks to our wonderful Spanish language outreach coordinator Jocelyn Palomino!!
Pathogens results for our final day of sampling, Thursday September 23 are as follows:
More flotsam/jetsam from Hurricane Ida. Here we see part of Piscatway’s runaway dock.
Other parts made it 5 miles downstream, and got lodged under the Route 1 Bridge! Photo credit: Monica Orso
We will miss our time in the field. Stay tuned for a results recap in December once we’ve had a chance to finish data entry and analysis.
Our wonderful Outreach Coordinator Jocelyn Palomino, and Rutgers CRSSA Steward Jason Acevedo were the backbone of our 2021 monitoring program. THANK YOU Jocelyn & Jason!!!
Middlesex County Extension Agent Michele Bakacs explains shoreline restoration to our group.
Many thanks to everyone who joined the LRWP and Middlesex County Water Resources Association for a picnic and tour of green infrastructure and detention basins in Middlesex County!
Rutgers County Extension Agent Michele Bakacs and Rutgers Doctoral Student and plant expert Kate Douthat provided guidance as we explored several sites in Middlesex County’s Thompson Park (Monroe Township), a retention basin retrofit site in Monmouth County, and a new rain garden at Spotswood Middle School.
A BioBlitz is an event that focuses on finding and identifying as many species as possible in a specific area over a short period of time. At a BioBlitz, scientists, families, students, teachers, and other community members work together to get a snapshot of an area’s biodiversity.
On June
8 the Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership (LRWP) and partners including the
Americorps Watershed Ambassadors Program, New Brunswick Environmental
Commission, North Brunswick Environmental Commission, and Elmwood Cemetery will
host a day long BioBlitz of Elmwood Cemetery in North Brunswick.
Elmwood
Cemetery is a special forested habitat refuge nestled between the urban New and
North Brunswick communities. The Cemetery was established in 1868 as a “Victorian
Garden Cemetery” during the rural cemetery movement, and to this day all of
Elmwood’s lanes and paths are lined with evergreens and flowering native trees.
Cemetery managers are building on this legacy of careful planning and land
protections to secure Arboretum accreditation, which will allow them to further
advance the planting, study, and conservation of woody plants and trees in
the area.
Our BioBlitz will include public talks by expert naturalists about local natural history, and a chance for the public to work with these experts in an active survey of mammals, fish, plants, insects, aquatic invertebrates, birds and fungi. Our expert scientists will be stationed at various locations at Elmwood Cemetery to help participants engage in unique research. These scientists are our “team leaders.” We use teams to help organize the science and logistics so that we get as accurate a count as possible of the biodiversity of the area.
Our Expert Scientists:
Brionna Primiani (mammals), Wildlife Specialist with New Jersey Wildlife Services
Chuck Sedor (fish), New Jersey’s Division of Fish and Wildlife in the Bureau of Freshwater Fisheries
Michele Bakacs (plants), Cooperative Extension of Middlesex County
Trisha Nichols (insects), Philadelphia Insectarium and Butterfly Pavilion
Von Scully (aquatic invertebrates) NJ Watershed Ambassadors
Laurie Gneiding (birds), NJDEP Ornithologist/Ecologist; NJ Audubon Society
Randy Hemminghaus (fungi), The New Jersey Mycological Association
Join the LRWP and Middlesex County Water Resources Association on July 15 for a picnic and tour of green infrastructure and detention basins in Middlesex County with Rutgers County Extension Agent Michele Bakacs and Rutgers Doctoral Student and plant expert Kate Douthat.
We will gather promptly at 10 AM in Middlesex County’s Thompson Park (Monroe Township) to learn about the lake buffer restoration at that site. More information on this project is available on the Freehold Soil Conservation District project webpage. This area is also part of the Watershed Protection and Restoration Plan for the Manalapan Brook Watershed one of the southernmost sub-watersheds in the Lower Raritan watershed.
We will then travel by van and car to tour detention basin retrofits for improved stormwater capture, return to Thompson Park for a group picnic, and those who wish to can continue on to visit the rain garden at the Spotswood Middle School.
A BioBlitz is an event that focuses on finding and identifying as many species as possible in a specific area over a short period of time. At a BioBlitz, scientists, families, students, teachers, and other community members work together to get a snapshot of an area’s biodiversity.
On June 8 the LRWP and partners including the Americorps Watershed Ambassadors Program, New Brunswick Environmental Commission, North Brunswick Environmental Commission, and Elmwood Cemetery will host our inaugural BioBlitz of Elmwood Cemetery in North Brunswick!
Elmwood Cemetery is a special forested habitat refuge nestled between the urban New and North Brunswick communities. The Cemetery was established in 1868 as a “Victorian Garden Cemetery” during the rural cemetery movement, and to this day all of Elmwood’s lanes and paths are lined with evergreens and flowering native trees. Cemetery managers are building on this legacy of careful planning and land protections to secure Arboretum accreditation, which will allow them to further advance the planting, study, and conservation of woody plants and trees in the area. Elmwood is located at 425 Georges Rd, North Brunswick Township, NJ 08902.
Our BioBlitz will run from 5:30AM-2PM and include public talks by expert naturalists about local natural history, and a chance for the public to work with these experts in an active survey of mammals, fish, plants, insects, aquatic invertebrates, birds and fungi.
5:30AM – Check-in opens
6:00AM – Birds
7:00AM – Mammals
8AM – Plants
9AM – Aquatic Invertebrates, Insects
10AM – Fish, Fungi
11:30AM – Procession of Species to Elmwood Office lawn
12:00PM – Data reports, lunch, conversation
2PM – Wrap up
Our Expert Scientists:
Aquatic Invertebrates: Von Scully, Erin Dempsey, Jen Helminski with NJ Watershed Ambassadors Birds: Laurie Gneiding, NJDEP Ornithologist/Ecologist for Environmentally Sensitive Areas Fish: Chuck Sedor with NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife, Bureau of Freshwater Fisheries Fungi: Randy Hemminghaus and Nancy Addotta with the NJ Mycological Association Insects: Trisha Nichols with the Philadelphia Insectarium Butterfly Pavilion Mammals: Brionna Primiani with NJ Wildlife Services Plants/Trees: Michele Bakacs with Middlesex County EARTH Center – Rutgers Cooperative Extension
Please register to be part of one of these species teams!
It looks like Hurricane Florence may extend her tentacles up the New Jersey coast during World Water Monitoring Day. This would put a damper on a waterfront water quality monitoring demo.
Unfortunately we are CANCELLING our September 18 event.
Plan to join us next year to celebrate World Water Monitoring Day, or stop by the Raritan River Festival on September 30th for monitoring demonstrations of dissolved oxygen, temperature, phosphorus, turbidity, nutrients and nitrogen.
World Water Monitoring Day, established in 2003, is a global initiative designed inspire people around the world to test their local water quality and encourage action to protect water.
