Essay and photos by Joe Mish unless otherwise noted
A yellow, curled autumn leaf or a Kevlar canoe; both are more than capable of transporting a traveler and their imagination through the autumn scenery along the South Branch of the Raritan and reveal a glimpse of the hidden, natural world. Photo by Lindsay May Mish
The trim yellow canoe quietly slipped through the standing leaf littered water with each stroke of the paddle. Eventually, the leaves would accumulate on the bow to create a gurgling sound and slow forward progress. A quick backstroke and turn of the bow cleared the leaves at the expense of energy exerted and time.
Autumn had arrived and the interchangeable term, fall, took on a practical meaning as the air was aflutter with falling leaves that carpeted the water’s surface.
Leaves were not the only thing suddenly falling to earth. During an early morning paddle when all was silent and calm, a nearby, unexpected loud splash, sent shockwaves through my body. It sounded as if someone threw a rock in my direction with mal intent. In reality, it was a black walnut falling into the water. The large green billiard ball sized walnut enclosed husk is quite a formidable bludgeon, whose striking force is magnified when it hits the water.
Peak autumn color is often enhanced by a pre-dawn gold infused mist covering the river when early October teases with the cold nights and warm sunny days. Drifting quietly downstream into the mist feels as if riding the current into the primordial past when the earth was just being formed. An alarmed great blue heron completes the experience as it reflects its paradactyl ancestry in size and form.
Some of the best fall scenery is along the rivers and canals where calm water mirrors the golden foliage and extends linearly to a vanishing point or disappears beyond a curve. This draws you deeper into the scene to a place where imagination, memories and time mingle with autumnal color. A place where the traveler will lose their way and wander aimlessly without the need to reach a destination.
The rays of the midday sun are captured by the water arguing with the rocks and stones of the exposed riverbed and turned into bright sparkling diamonds; a perfect complement to the blaze of fall foliage which lines the river’s banks. The white faceted diamonds lay like a necklace against the sky-blue décolletage reflected in the smooth water above and downstream of the turbulence.
Sitting at the river’s edge watching fallen leaves float by, it is impossible to not imagine yourself aboard a curled yellow leaf traveling on the energy of the current and at the whim of an errant breeze. Through no effort of your own, you travel as an observer on a downriver cruise, unburdened by schedule or destination. It is as if you parted your conscious mind from reality, to set your imagination free. You look down to see the shadow of your leaf racing along the stony riverbed. Then spin around at the edge of an eddy and pass over a bed of long lime green grass swaying seductively in the current. Riding a smooth wave over a submerged rock, the sky appears for an instant. Pure white fluffy clouds parade against an azure, blue sky which disappears and reappears in the openings within the green and golden-brown foliage of a sycamore tree.
Each fallen leaf is a post-it-note created by autumn and distributed far and wide by the river’s current. Each colorful courier declares a friendly reminder of the inevitable change of seasons.
The autumn is truly a time of wonder, as daylight dims and shadows lengthen, while leaves magically turn brilliant colors. Like an emergency generator being triggered when the lights go out, the fall colors appear and flash a visual warning that winter’s icy emissary will arrive before the celestial clock officially declares winter’s arrival.
The seasons are tracked to the second by the predictable positions of the stars and planets. The stability of their celestial dance amid the chaos of the heavens is beyond comprehension, as the fall color is a reminder that our existence is at the mercy of the stars. A single scarlet leaf pasted to the sidewalk after a rain validates our heavenly origins.
October is the last comfort station before the final trek through the darkest days, as we stumble along to find the light switch on the first day of winter. The energy of brilliant fall color restores the spirit when the lights go out and power us through to the birth of light in December, when the shrinking light begins to grow.
Joe Mish has always lived in sight of New Jersey’s Raritan River. His early years were spent roaming clay banks, streams, tidal creeks and swamps of the Lower Raritan near Crab Island. Now living upstream on the Raritan’s South Branch, he photographs New Jersey’s natural treasures hidden in plain view, sharing them in his column “Along the South Branch” in The Branchburg News, on his own blog page, and via the Lower Raritan River Partnership’s website. Many of his photos appear in Judy Auer Shaw’s The Raritan River: Our Landscape, Our Legacy. Joe also has images published in Northeast Sporting Journal, Maine Outdoors and History of Willowood. A graduate of Rutgers Cook College, Joe is a regular on Super Aging Today radio program as a nature photojournalist. Retired from Johnson and Johnson where he worked in Clinical Research and Pharmacology, Joe paddles local rivers throughout the year to see what surprises nature has to offer when no one else is looking.
The final pathogen monitoring session of the month took place on Thursday, September 24th. Each week during the summer, from May to October, the Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership and Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Middlesex County run a volunteer-based monitoring program along the Raritan River. We collect water quality samples at six 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. Our mission is to share this data with the community and partners to ensure the safe use of the Raritan River for all.
Our lab results for water quality samples taken on Thursday, September 24th, 2026, show Enterococcus bacteria levels exceeding the EPA federal water quality standard of 104 cfu/100mL at four of our regular monitoring sites this week. The problem sites are indicated by the red frown on the map and chart and include Riverside Park (Piscataway), Rutgers Boat House (New Brunswick), Edison Boat Basin (Edison), and Second Street Park (Perth Amboy).
Green smiles on the chart and map indicate the sites with bacteria levels safe for recreation and include the following: Ken Buchanan Waterfront Park (Sayreville), and Raritan Bay Waterfront Park (South Amboy).
Pathogens/Enterococci levels are used as indicators of the possible presence of disease-causing bacteria in recreational waters. Such pathogens may pose health risks to people coming in primary contact with the water (touching) through recreational activities like fishing, kayaking or swimming in a water body. Possible sources of bacteria include Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs), improperly functioning wastewater treatment plants, stormwater runoff, leaking septic systems, animal carcasses, pet waste, wildlife waste, and runoff from manure storage areas.
In order to better understand why Riverside Park, Piscataway has been our worst performing site over the past six years, we have started sampling at new sites in the vicinity. On September 17th, we sampled the Raritan River at Lock 11, South Bound Brook for a fifth time since we started pathogens monitoring this season. The lab analysis produced 43 enterococci cfu per 100mL which meets the EPA federal water quality standard of 104 cfu/100mL.
Our goal in reporting these results is to give residents a better understanding of the potential health risks related to primary contact during water-based recreation. If you are planning on recreating on the Raritan this weekend, make sure to stay safe and wash up after any activities!
This time of year, many members of our watershed celebrate the festival that marks the birth of Ganesha. All hindu festivals are based on the position of Sun, Moon, stars, and constellations, and they therefore do not fall on specific dates in the 12 month Gregorian calendar. On his birthday, Ganesha comes down to earth and stays for nine days — during this time he witnesses the lives of his devotees and their personal difficulties. On the 10th day, he is taken in a procession with music and submerged in a river (or even a pond, lake, or beach). This act signifies various things: 1) Impermanence of material things. 2) The dissolution of physical form and merging into Universal Conciousness, and 3) The statue of Ganesha is believed to take away the household’s troubles and obstacles, leaving behind peace and prosperity until Ganesha returns the following year. Thank you, Lakshmi, for the excellent explanation this relatively recent Raritan phenomena.
Strong potential for stormwater storage and rain garden in this unused corner of the Edison Boat Basin. If the asphalt in this section were removed, the water could percolate into the ground instead of serving as a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
Lakshmi and Art collect litter from Ken Buchanan Waterfront Park. In the background, you can see the old power plant being torn down. — Photo by Olesya Nabokova.
Here’s a photo from last week showing the demo of the old plant.
The impending nor’easter causes some of the highest waves of the season in Raritan Bay. Wind also suffused the water with oxygen — a very important part of estuary ecosystems. — Photo by Olesya Nabokova.
In Perth Amboy, we saw them combing the beach for trash using a tractor. Art and the team used lower-tech methods of picking up litter. — Photo by Olesya Nabokova.
The third pathogen monitoring session of the month took place on Thursday, September 17th. Each week during the summer, from May to October, the Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership and Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Middlesex County run a volunteer-based monitoring program along the Raritan River. We collect water quality samples at six 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. Our mission is to share this data with the community and partners to ensure the safe use of the Raritan River for all.
Our lab results for water quality samples taken on Thursday, September 17th, 2026, show Enterococcus bacteria levels exceeding the EPA federal water quality standard of 104 cfu/100mL at one of our regular monitoring sites this week. The problem sites are indicated by the red frown on the map and chart and include Riverside Park (Piscataway).
Green smiles on the chart and map indicate the sites with bacteria levels safe for recreation and include the following: Rutgers Boathouse (New Brunswick), Edison Boat Basin (Edison),Ken Buchanan Waterfront Park (Sayreville),Raritan Bay Waterfront Park (South Amboy), and 2nd Street Park (Perth Amboy).
Pathogens/Enterococci levels are used as indicators of the possible presence of disease-causing bacteria in recreational waters. Such pathogens may pose health risks to people coming in primary contact with the water (touching) through recreational activities like fishing, kayaking or swimming in a water body. Possible sources of bacteria include Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs), improperly functioning wastewater treatment plants, stormwater runoff, leaking septic systems, animal carcasses, pet waste, wildlife waste, and runoff from manure storage areas.
In order to better understand why Riverside Park, Piscataway has been our worst performing site over the past six years, we have started sampling at new sites in the vicinity. On September 17th, we sampled the Raritan River at Lock 11, South Bound Brook for a fifth time since we started pathogens monitoring this season. The lab analysis produced 43 enterococci cfu per 100mL which meets the EPA federal water quality standard of 104 cfu/100mL.
Our goal in reporting these results is to give residents a better understanding of the potential health risks related to primary contact during water-based recreation. If you are planning on recreating on the Raritan this weekend, make sure to stay safe and wash up after any activities!
Paula and Olesya prepare to collect data from the sonde in New Brunswick. Photo by Doreen Camardi.
One of the most weirdest landscaping trends of the past ten years is the incompetent use of herbicide. Here’s evidence of a ‘technician’ dribbling herbicide across the Delaware & Raritan Canal State Park.
Yellow eels were once a common source of food in our region. This particular eel died of unknown causes, but was found floating among the flotsam at Edison Boat Basin.
Same eel, different photographer. Photo by Art Allgauer.
Volunteer Arthur Allgauer observed that they have finished lead and asbestos remediation and started dismantling the old power plant in Sayreville.
Art and Doreen record YSI data in South Amboy. Photo by Olesya Nabakova.
Human behavior is so interesting. Here’s evidence of someone enjoying the beach, and then leaving their trash behind. Why don’t they just dispose of the trash in the provided waste bins?
John, Doreen, Art, and Olesya celebrate the end of this week’s water monitoring in Perth Amboy.
Due to the combined sewer outfalls in Perth Amboy, we always find sanitary wipes in Perth Amboy.
The first pathogen monitoring session of the month took place on Thursday, September 10th. Each week during the summer, from May to October, the Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership and Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Middlesex County run a volunteer-based monitoring program along the Raritan River. We collect water quality samples at six 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. Our mission is to share this data with the community and partners to ensure the safe use of the Raritan River for all.
Our lab results for water quality samples taken on Thursday, September 10th, 2026, show Enterococcus bacteria levels exceeding the EPA federal water quality standard of 104 cfu/100mL at three of our regular monitoring sites this week. The problem sites are indicated by the red frown on the map and chart and include Riverside Park (Piscataway), Edison Boat Basin(Edison), and 2nd Street Park (Perth Amboy).
Green smiles on the chart and map indicate the sites with bacteria levels safe for recreation and include the following: Rutgers Boathouse (New Brunswick), Ken Buchanan Waterfront Park (Sayreville),Raritan Bay Waterfront Park (South Amboy).
Pathogens/Enterococci levels are used as indicators of the possible presence of disease-causing bacteria in recreational waters. Such pathogens may pose health risks to people coming in primary contact with the water (touching) through recreational activities like fishing, kayaking or swimming in a water body. Possible sources of bacteria include Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs), improperly functioning wastewater treatment plants, stormwater runoff, leaking septic systems, animal carcasses, pet waste, wildlife waste, and runoff from manure storage areas.
In order to better understand why Riverside Park, Piscataway has been our worst performing site over the past six years, we have started sampling at new sites in the vicinity. On September 10th, we sampled the Raritan River at the Queen’s Bridge, Bound Brook for a fifth time since we started pathogens monitoring this season. The lab analysis produced 290 enterococci cfu per 100mL which fails to meet the EPA federal water quality standard of 104 cfu/100mL. This site has now failed the test every week we’ve tested it! That said, it’s numbers remain far below what we tend to see at Riverside Park, Piscataway.
Our goal in reporting these results is to give residents a better understanding of the potential health risks related to primary contact during water-based recreation. If you are planning on recreating on the Raritan this weekend, make sure to stay safe and wash up after any activities!
In collaboration with the New Brunswick Parks Department, we helped this volunteer honey locust reach six feet in height in just a couple of short months. Special thanks to Mike Orsini for his leadership on this project, and throughout the pathogens monitoring season!
The good news? The ebbing tide left enabled us to pick up seventeen gallons of plastic trash off the shore in Edison. The bad news? The ebbing tide left seventeen gallons of plastic trash on the shore in Edison…
Olesya deftly takes a one-handed photo of John recording measurements from the sonde in South Amboy.
Whereas South Amboy was once again our cleanest site, Perth Amboy’s fecal colony forming units proved too numerous to count. In addition, the team noticed baby wipes dangling from the outfall pipe, and a fluorescent pool next to the grossest piece of infrastructure in Middlesex County. Interestingly, despite the weird color, the salinity and pH of the pool matched that of the surrounding waters.
Written by Olesya Nabokova, Rutgers Environmental Steward Program Participant
Thursday mornings begin early for the pathogen monitoring team. By 7:30 a.m., we are already at Riverside Park — the first of six sampling sites. These mornings are usually remarkably beautiful, filled with early sunlight, the quiet murmur of the river, crisp air, and the warm and inspiring atmosphere created by a group of enthusiastic people.
Art, Ashley, Endurance, Olesya, and Mike at Riverside Park, Piscataway.
All of them come from very different backgrounds, including LRWP representatives, Rutgers students, and simply concerned and engaged members of the community, but we are all driven by a common purpose. And this blend of people is easily the most inspiring part of the experience.
I first learned about LRWP pathogens monitoring while enrolled in the Rutgers Environmental Steward (RES) program. As an ecologist, I wanted to understand the environmental characteristics of the region my family had just moved to, and find ways to contribute to addressing its environmental challenges. RES provides exactly that opportunity: it empowers volunteers with the knowledge and tools to tackle pressing environmental issues across New Jersey. Through expert-led training and hands-on learning, Stewards discover how to promote sustainable climate solutions and drive meaningful change, both in their personal lives and within their communities.
To graduate, every Steward completes a certification project addressing a specific environmental issue in their community. You can design your own project with support from a coordinator or choose an existing initiative from a host organization. I was particularly drawn to LRWP pathogens monitoring of the Lower Raritan River.
At first glance, this work may sound like simply collecting water samples. In reality, it goes much deeper. Only volunteers who have completed the required training and hands-on practice are permitted to collect samples and conduct field measurements of water-quality parameters such as pH, dissolved oxygen, algal pigments, salinity, and temperature. Standardized procedures are carefully followed, and monitoring equipment is thoroughly calibrated.
Susana and Olesya record measurements from the YSI Sonde, including temperature, pH, and salinity.
In addition to water-quality measurements, the team conducts a Visual Habitat Assessment, documenting conditions such as weather and tide at the time of sampling, water color and odor, human activities, animals present in the waterbody, and other observations. While on-site, we also remove trash from the shoreline and the water.
But one of the most critical parts of our work is community outreach. We chat with passersby about what we are doing and why this data matters. We show them where to find our weekly results online, helping the public make informed, safe decisions about swimming, kayaking, or boating at different spots along the river.
Mike searches for plastic trash amid the debris deposited at Edison Boat Basin.
Throughout every stage of this work, I am constantly inspired by my teammates. They are ready to collect samples in pouring rain or under the blazing sun. They remove dozens of gallons of trash from the shoreline.
They have an impressive knowledge of the local flora, fauna, and environmental and historical features of the region. And they are generous in sharing that knowledge with others. Perhaps what inspires me most is that the team does not simply observe the problems we encounter – it takes action. For instance, when signs of a possible leak or overflow from a combined sewer system (including a characteristic odor and large amounts of discarded baby wipes along the shoreline) were noticed, LRWP representatives followed up with local authorities to report the issue. On another occasion, when we found trees along the riverbank that had been damaged during lawn mowing, the team carefully tended them over the following few weeks and helped protect regrowth from further harm.
After coordinating with Eddy, the Boyd Park maintenance lead in New Brunswick, the team installed a series of tree guards around a series of honey locusts. The trees grew four feet in one season. Mature trees reduce the strain on storm water systems and protect the ground from excessive solar heat.
It is largely thanks to people like these – caring, dedicated, and deeply committed to their community – that this experience has been so meaningful to me. I am especially grateful to Heather Fenyk, LRWP’s Executive Director, for her leadership and guidance; to Dr. John Meyer for the thoughtful way he organizes each sampling session, generously shares his knowledge, and navigates all unexpected situations with remarkable patience and tact; and to my RES coordinator, Michele Bakacs, for introducing me to this opportunity. For me, this is exactly what environmental stewardship looks like in practice: science, community, and a genuine commitment to the place we all share.
Olesya and Mike display seven gallons of trash recovered from Sayreville.
The first pathogen monitoring session of the month took place on Thursday, September 3rd. Each week during the summer, from May to October, the Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership and Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Middlesex County run a volunteer-based monitoring program along the Raritan River. We collect water quality samples at six 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. Our mission is to share this data with the community and partners to ensure the safe use of the Raritan River for all.
This week, our sites received one to three inches in the 24 hours prior to water monitoring. This tends to flush feces into the water, and our results reflect this fundamental connection between precipitation and water quality.
Our lab results for water quality samples taken on Thursday, September 3rd, 2026, show Enterococcus bacteria levels exceeding the EPA federal water quality standard of 104 cfu/100mL at five of our regular monitoring sites this week. The problem sites are indicated by the red frown on the map and chart and include Riverside Park (Piscataway), Rutgers Boathouse (New Brunswick), Edison Boat Basin(Edison), Ken Buchanan Waterfront Park (Sayreville), and 2nd Street Park (Perth Amboy).
Green smiles on the chart and map indicate the sites with bacteria levels safe for recreation and include the following: Raritan Bay Waterfront Park (South Amboy).
Pathogens/Enterococci levels are used as indicators of the possible presence of disease-causing bacteria in recreational waters. Such pathogens may pose health risks to people coming in primary contact with the water (touching) through recreational activities like fishing, kayaking or swimming in a water body. Possible sources of bacteria include Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs), improperly functioning wastewater treatment plants, stormwater runoff, leaking septic systems, animal carcasses, pet waste, wildlife waste, and runoff from manure storage areas.
In order to better understand why Riverside Park, Piscataway has been our worst performing site over the past six years, we have started sampling at new sites in the vicinity. On September 3rd, we sampled the D&R Canal at Demott Lane for a fourth time since we started pathogens monitoring this season. The lab analysis produced 246 enterococci cfu per 100mL which fails to meet the EPA federal water quality standard of 104 cfu/100mL. For the first time, this site has failed the test!
Our goal in reporting these results is to give residents a better understanding of the potential health risks related to primary contact during water-based recreation. If you are planning on recreating on the Raritan this weekend, make sure to stay safe and wash up after any activities!
Art gallantly wades into the water next to the Combined Sewer Outfall in Perth Amboy. You can see a sanitary wipe in the foreground.
Nothing says “welcome to the park” like a Natural Green Lawn Care pesticide flag. The problem with spraying glyphosates and nitrogen fertilizer near the river bank is that much of it washes into the stream, damaging aquatic ecology. Spraying riverbanks is bad for the taxpayer and bad for the environment.
Mike grabbed more than five gallons of plastic and Styrofoam from the New Brunswick boat ramp. If we have to capitalize ‘Styrofoam’, maybe Dow Jones ought to capitalize our cleanups.
In New Brunswick, the pigeons carefully observed the water monitoring team. We tried to talk to the pigeons about volunteering for the Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership, but they ignored every entreaty. Some fowl folks have no sense of civic duty.
Taxpayer Mike Orsini has noticed that the beach in South Amboy suffers from runoff near the paved surfaces. With enough rainfall on impervious surfaces, the water quickly picks up enough energy to carry away the sand. An easy, affordable solution would be to install a swale to catch and filter the rainwater.
Before each session, the team charges the YSI and calibrates the sensors. Here, we can see the screen for calibrating pH, especially in the high (base) range of 10. That number is similar to bleach, and we have thankfully never encountered that in the Raritan.
The final pathogen monitoring session of the month took place on Thursday, August 27th. Each week during the summer, from May to October, the Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership and Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Middlesex County run a volunteer-based monitoring program along the Raritan River. We collect water quality samples at six 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. Our mission is to share this data with the community and partners to ensure the safe use of the Raritan River for all.
Our lab results for water quality samples taken on Thursday, August 27th, 2026, show Enterococcus bacteria levels exceeding the EPA federal water quality standard of 104 cfu/100mL at two of our regular monitoring sites this week. The problem sites are indicated by the red frown on the map and chart and include Riverside Park (Piscataway) and Edison Boat Basin.
Green smiles on the chart and map indicate the sites with bacteria levels safe for recreation and include the following: Rutgers Boat House (New Brunswick), Ken Buchanan Waterfront Park (Sayreville), 2nd Street Park (Perth Amboy), and South Amboy Waterfront Park.
A note of caution about all our sites: a strong thunderstorm swept through the area after we completed pathogens monitoring on Thursday, and this often flushes enterococci and fecal into the river. Thus, if we had tested on Friday instead of Thursday, we suspect these sites may have failed to meet the EPA standard for primary contact.
Pathogens/Enterococci levels are used as indicators of the possible presence of disease-causing bacteria in recreational waters. Such pathogens may pose health risks to people coming in primary contact with the water (touching) through recreational activities like fishing, kayaking or swimming in a water body. Possible sources of bacteria include Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs), improperly functioning wastewater treatment plants, stormwater runoff, leaking septic systems, animal carcasses, pet waste, wildlife waste, and runoff from manure storage areas.
In order to better understand why Riverside Park, Piscataway has been our worst performing site over the past six years, we have started sampling at new sites in the vicinity. On August 27th, we sampled the Raritan Canal Lock 5, Somerset County for a fourth time since we started pathogens monitoring this season. The lab analysis produced 120 enterococci cfu per 100mL which fails to meet the EPA federal water quality standard of 104 cfu/100mL. For the first time, a canal site has failed the test!
Our goal in reporting these results is to give residents a better understanding of the potential health risks related to primary contact during water-based recreation. If you are planning on recreating on the Raritan this weekend, make sure to stay safe and wash up after any activities!
Mike Orsini captured this photo of Riverside Park, Piscataway, from the far shore. From this angle, you can better understand how the plastic ‘floating docks’ along the Raritan are designed to rise and fall with the waters.The large steel piers hold the dock in place.
The asphalt boat ramp at Piscataway is starting to erode away and slide into the river due to stormwater runoff from the parking lot. There are some easy fixes for this, like small settlement ponds, rip rap stone, and rain gardens.
In this photo from Olesya Nabakova, we see Endurance, Ashley, and Paula record results from the sonde. In the background, Mike and John collect trash on the far shore of the canal. This image looks quiet, but the roar of Lock 5 was quite loud.
The team was captivated by the mushrooms that sprang up in a circle around a honey locust tree in New Brunswick. Photo by Olesya Nabakova.
Many ‘organism identification’ apps will not try to identify mushrooms because it is too easy to mistake poisonous mushrooms with edible mushrooms.
Mike has become the relentless litter gatherer of our group. Here he sweeps the shore in Edison. The five gallon buckets help us measure how much we have cleaned up. Photo by Olesya Nabokova.
Paula, Endurance, Olesya, and Ashley record the sonde results after ‘tagging’ LRWP in the sands of South Amboy.
Mike became the ‘Burger King’ of South Amboy after finding a paper crown in the parking lot. A fact that regularly amazes the team is how many people leave their litter behind.Photo by Olesya Nabokova.
Runoff from the boat ramp in Perth Amboy is eroding the beach and exposing a gravel subsurface, as well as buried baby wipes and sanitary products from the nearby combined sewer outfall.
A dead juvenile seagull on the beach in Perth Amboy.
After the water monitoring session, Mike, Ashley, Paula, Endurance and John said ‘farewell’ to August by viewing the Raritan River from downtown New Brunswick.
We also wish Ashley and Endurance a spectacular ‘good luck’ as they head into another semester at Rutgers! They contributed tremendously to the success of this year’s pathogens monitoring program, and we can’t wait to see what they do next! The Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership is so thankful to have such tremendous and dedicated group!
The third pathogen monitoring session of the month took place on Thursday, August 20th. Each week during the summer, from May to October, the Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership and Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Middlesex County run a volunteer-based monitoring program along the Raritan River. We collect water quality samples at six 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. Our mission is to share this data with the community and partners to ensure the safe use of the Raritan River for all.
Our lab results for water quality samples taken on Thursday, August 20th, 2026, show Enterococcus bacteria levels exceeding the EPA federal water quality standard of 104 cfu/100mL at two of our regular monitoring sites this week. The problem sites are indicated by the red frown on the map and chart and include Riverside Park (Piscataway) and Ken Buchanan Waterfront Park (Sayreville).
Green smiles on the chart and map indicate the sites with bacteria levels safe for recreation and include the following: Rutgers Boat House (New Brunswick), Edison Boat Basin (Edison), 2nd Street Park (Perth Amboy), and South Amboy Waterfront Park.
A note of caution about Edison and New Brunswick: a strong thunderstorm swept through the area after we completed pathogens monitoring on Thursday, and this often flushes enterococci and fecal into the river. Thus, if we had tested on Friday instead of Thursday, we suspect these sites may have failed to meet the EPA standard for primary contact.
Pathogens/Enterococci levels are used as indicators of the possible presence of disease-causing bacteria in recreational waters. Such pathogens may pose health risks to people coming in primary contact with the water (touching) through recreational activities like fishing, kayaking or swimming in a water body. Possible sources of bacteria include Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs), improperly functioning wastewater treatment plants, stormwater runoff, leaking septic systems, animal carcasses, pet waste, wildlife waste, and runoff from manure storage areas.
In order to better understand why Riverside Park, Piscataway has been our worst performing site over the past six years, we have started sampling at new sites in the vicinity. On August 20th, we sampled the Raritan Canal Lock 11, South Bound Brook for a fourth time since we started pathogens monitoring this season. The lab analysis produced 22 enterococci cfu per 100mL which is well below the EPA federal water quality standard of 104 cfu/100mL. Again, this site passed the test, as it has every week that we’ve tested it.
Our goal in reporting these results is to give residents a better understanding of the potential health risks related to primary contact during water-based recreation. If you are planning on recreating on the Raritan this weekend, make sure to stay safe and wash up after any activities!
We began with a beautiful, sun shiny day in Piscataway.
Including the basketball, Olesya and Mike picked up about seven gallons of trash in Sayreville.
A fisherman in South Amboy reels in a small spot croaker (Leiostomus xanthurus) from Raritan Bay.
Endurance is a senior at Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey—New Brunswick, majoring in Cell Biology and Neuroscience. This summer, she wanted to be involved in public service and community engagement which led her to apply for the 2026 Rutgers Scarlet Service Internship Program. Even though she did not know which organization she would end up interning with, she knew she wanted to do something that would require her to apply the knowledge she acquired in her coursework out on the field. After a rigorous interview process with five non-profit organizations, she matched with the Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership!
With the LRWP she serves as a Pathogens Monitoring and Communications Intern, where she works with volunteers to collect hydrological samples and record hydrological field data. Under the supervision of Dr. John Meyer, Endurance is also in charge of writing weekly blog posts that include results from the Interstate Environmental Commission (IEC) lab analysis of the water samples and a narrative of the pathogens monitoring sessions. Additionally, she works together with the LRWP team and its volunteers of diverse backgrounds in coming up with possible solutions to tackle water quality and environmental safety issues to improve the health of the communities that surround the Lower Raritan.
We asked Endurance what she has learned through her internship:
“I have developed strong communication across lingual bridges, refined written and spoken science communication and have strengthened leadership, organizations and teamwork skills!”
Endurance shared that she is passionate about medicine and using scientific insights to enhance community wellbeing and says her work with LRWP has offered an early, hands-on glimpse into what community-engaged science looks like in practice.
You can read Endurance’s journal entries about her pathogens monitoring experiences here:
The second pathogen monitoring session of the month took place on Thursday, August 13th. Each week during the summer, from May to October, the Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership and Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Middlesex County run a volunteer-based monitoring program along the Raritan River. We collect water quality samples at six 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. Our mission is to share this data with the community and partners to ensure the safe use of the Raritan River for all.
Our lab results for water quality samples taken on Thursday, August 13th, 2026, show Enterococcus bacteria levels exceeding the EPA federal water quality standard of 104 cfu/100mL at one of our regular monitoring sites this week. The problem sites are indicated by the red frown on the map and chart and include Riverside Park (Piscataway) and Rutgers Boathouse (New Brunswick).
Green smiles on the chart and map indicate the sites with bacteria levels safe for recreation and include the following: Edison Boat Basin (Edison), Ken Buchanan Waterfront Park (Sayreville), 2nd Street Park (Perth Amboy), and South Amboy Waterfront Park.
A note of caution about Edison Boat Basin: enterococcus better correlates with disease causing bacteria, but the fecal coliform count in Perth Amboy was well above the EPA legacy standard of 200 colony-forming per milliliter.
Pathogens/Enterococci levels are used as indicators of the possible presence of disease-causing bacteria in recreational waters. Such pathogens may pose health risks to people coming in primary contact with the water (touching) through recreational activities like fishing, kayaking or swimming in a water body. Possible sources of bacteria include Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs), improperly functioning wastewater treatment plants, stormwater runoff, leaking septic systems, animal carcasses, pet waste, wildlife waste, and runoff from manure storage areas.
In order to better understand why Riverside Park, Piscataway has been our worst performing site over the past six years, we have started sampling at new sites in the vicinity . On August 13th, we sampled the Raritan River at Queen’s Bridge, Bound Brook for a fourth time since we started pathogens monitoring this season. The lab analysis produced 250 enterococci cfu per 100mL which is well above the EPA federal water quality standard of 104 cfu/100mL. Again, this site failed the test, as it has every week that we’ve tested it.
Our goal in reporting these results is to give residents a better understanding of the potential health risks related to primary contact during water-based recreation. If you are planning on recreating on the Raritan this weekend, make sure to stay safe and wash up after any activities!
Art gathers a sample at Riverside Park.
The sonde plunges into the water at Queen’s Bridge, Bound Brook.
A Bradford pear tree in full fruit. Photo by Mike Orsini.
The city of New Brunswick at high tide. To reach this point, the Raritan rose six feet in just six hours. Photo by Mike Orsini.
At high tide, the river begins to pool across the opening of the Rutgers boat dock in New Brunswick. Mike traverses the waterway to deploy the YSI sonde. Photo by J.M. Meyer.
A jet skier on the river near Edison Boat Basin. The Middlesex County landfill rises in the background. Photo by Mike Orsini.
The day before sampling, we saw a backhoe dig sediment out of a Combined Sewer Outfall in Perth Amboy. Without this constant maintenance, the sewage and stormwater in Perth Amboy overflow into 2nd street park.
