This lady of the sky left the cage in full flight as if shot out of a cannon. The green band on the right leg reads, H 52. she is a large 3 year old female, born locally, with no guarantee she will remain anywhere in NJ. Sky is the limit to her future travels.
The X-ray revealed the three year old female eagle’s ulna, broken in three places. Her prognosis was uncertain, as her bone could not be pinned because some healing had already taken place. My heart sank at the news, this would be the third eagle rescue in which I was involved, where two of the three rescued birds had to be euthanized despite appearing very healthy; this feisty eagle looked to be another failed effort.
I was beginning to feel more like the messenger of death, than a rescuer.
The good news was the preliminary field diagnosis of possible lead poisoning tested negative. She was a large female and otherwise appeared healthy with a feisty attitude and voracious appetite. All that could be done was to wrap her wing and hope for the best; a case of tincture of time and scientific neglect. The prospect of hope was slim, but glowed brightly, compared to the absence of all hope in the other rescues.
The weight of the effort to locate her and affect a rescue, given her location amid a steep grade and blow downs covered in wild underbrush, personalized the physical and emotional expenditure. Her survival was as important to me as it was for the species. What a joy it would be to see the shadow of her wings pass over the earth! A symbol of hope and undiminished spirit flying across the heavenly regime of open sky.
This injured eagle was in a difficult location to capture. Her condition and behavior had to be evaluated before making an attempt to reach and constrain her, without doing further injury. The mottled plumage, color of eyes and beak, indicated she was a three-year-old eagle.
Every few weeks from her capture on May second, I would text Cathy at Raptor Trust for an update. Hope was still holding as the eagle remained full of spirit, despite confinement, her was appetite undiminished and notably voracious. Imagine a creature whose domain was the heavens, now confined to a flightless cage. Taking an unavoidable anthropomorphic view, what sustained mental gymnastics would it take to survive that unimaginable confinement? This eagle is a role model for adaptability and emphasizes the critical importance of undiminished spirit in the face of adversity. Hope on a wing and a prayer.
Her wings were eventually unwrapped when it was certain the fractures healed; the next step was to release her into a flight cage. This would be a test of the strength of her healed wing and a final determination of her fate. There is always some feather loss during treatment, so that would delay her recovery further. Her appetite was insatiable as she ate her way back to health and the heavens where she might rule for the next thirty years.
On the afternoon of September 18, 2024, I got a call from Cathy at Raptor Trust and in cooperation with endangered species director, Kathy Clark, told to come get the eagle and release it near where it was rescued. So September 19, I drove to Raptor Trust and loaded the caged eagle in the back seat of my truck for the long awaited release.
On the way to Raptor Trust what song comes on the radio? Englebert Humperdinck singing, “Please release me, let me go”. The hair stood up on the back of my neck! Eagle magic?
The negative outcome experienced on previous rescues, made this release especially meaningful in a very personal way. This lady of the sky left the cage in full flight as if shot out of a cannon. Eagles will dive from a perch to catch air under their wings, as she took off from ground level; she needed a long runway to get airborne. She flew parallel to the ground for about 200 yards and then quickly disappeared in the tree line along the stream. I was hoping she would land on a high perch where I could confirm a successful release, no such luck. I took about 20 minutes to get back to the truck and drive in the direction she flew, to park on the other side of the treeline. I waited for half an hour and finally gave up, leaving her to her fate. Just as I started the truck, her majesty did a fly by directly over me! By the time I unbuckled my seat belt, grabbed the camera, and stepped out of the truck, she was gone. What the heck just happened? More eagle magic! It is no wonder why so many cultures hold the eagle in high esteem.
Nothing official, but this eagle convinced me her name was, Angela.
Angie has been banded for identification with a silver federal band on her left leg and a green anodized aluminum band on her right leg. The green band can easily be read with binoculars or a good camera. Be on the lookout for H52. If you see her, report her to the state AND let me know. People who band birds celebrate any time a band has been reported. It is almost like putting a note in a bottle and tossing it out to sea. What are the chances of a response? Note from the images she still has that immature mottled plumage, orange eyes and dark beak. In a year or two the white head and tail will be more prominent; eyes and beak will turn yellow. Her life expectancy can be 30 years or more, so make sure you tell your kids and grandkids to keep an eye out for Angie and tell her story to their kids. We collectively wish her a long and healthy life, and long may her shadow glide across the earth wherever she may go.
What a pleasure to announce the successful release, 9.19.24. 3 year old female, NJ green band H52
Author Joe Mish has been running wild in New Jersey since childhood when he found ways to escape his mother’s watchful eyes. He continues to trek the swamps, rivers and thickets seeking to share, with the residents and visitors, all of the state’s natural beauty hidden within full view. To read more of his writing and view more of his gorgeous photographs visit Winter Bear Rising, his wordpress blog. Joe’s series “Nature on the Raritan, Hidden in Plain View” runs monthly as part of the LRWP “Voices of the Watershed” series. Writing and photos used with permission from the author.
Starting January 2026, as our contribution to the celebration of the semiquincentennial, the Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership (LRWP) Boat Build Team will “launch” a new year-long project: crafting a facsimile of the historic American Star four-oared gig. The original American Star was presented as a gift to General Lafayette on his last visit to the United States in 1825 and remains to this day a part of Lafayette’s museum collections within his family estate some 30 miles south of Paris, France. The vessel is the only known surviving example of “lightly built American small craft” of its period, which Lafayette referred to as an example of the “ingenuity of American mechanics.”
The original American Star was built as a racing boat in Brooklyn, NY by brothers John and William Chambers shortly before 1820. It’s design was a modification of the common “Whitehall” rowboats that aided transport and communication, and which were integral to the growth of New York City. These boats “gathered in greatest numbers in a basin under the Battery wall at the foot of Whitehall Street” and thus acquired their name. The American Star, however, was designed for a different purpose: “The lines of the American Star show a hull slimmed and lengthened for speed, with flat sheer and scant freeboard — the evolution from workboat to race boat well advanced.”
When the Captain of the British frigate Hussar challenged New York City’s Whitehallers to a “sham-fight” against the British vessel Dart, which was purported to have won in the Thames and in the West Indies, the American Star was chosen for the event. On December 9, 1824, with “50,000 spectators lining the wharves and the Battery,” the American Star and the Dart raced between the Battery and Hoboken Point, a distance of some four miles. The American Star was victorious, finishing some “300 to 400 yards ahead of the Dart. Time: 22 minutes.” Both crews were cheered by the audience, and it was reported that “victors and vanquished strove to outdo each other in exchange of compliments and amenities.” Never did a contest of this sort end more happily and with more good feeling on either side, an accurate reflection of the state of the political and economic climate.
LRWP’s replica boat, to be named Raritan Star, will be built from a pattern shared by Mystic Seaport Museum. We aim to complete the vessel to get it on-water by July 4, and in Autumn 2026 our Raritan Star will be deployed in Raritan Bay in a friendly reenactment of the 1824 race vs. a Whitehall racing vessel built by NYC’s Village Community Boat House.
The last pathogen monitoring session of the month took place on Thursday, August 28th. 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 28, 2025 show Enterococcus bacteria levels exceeding the EPA federal water quality standard of 104 cfu/100mL at two of our monitoring sites this week. Problem sites would be indicated by red frowns on the map and chart which includes: Riverside Park (Piscataway) and Rutgers Boat House (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 Township), 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.
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!
Two white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) sprint through Riverside Park. Photo credit: J.M. Meyer.
The range of the Chesapeake blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) extends far beyond the Chesapeake Bay. This deceased specimen was spotted floating in the Raritan River by Riverside Park, Piscataway. Photo credit: J.M. Meyer.
Beautiful weather draws Perth Amboy residents to recreate along the shore of the Raritan River at 2nd Street Park. Photo credit: J.M. Meyer.
The LRWP appreciates all of the hard work Ashley has put in this summer, and we wish her well as she returns to Rutgers for the fall semester! Photo credit: J.M. Meyer.
The first pathogen monitoring session of the month took place on Thursday, August 8th. 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, we were so pleased that Piscataway Council Members Laura Leibowitz and Sarah Rashid joined us for our monitoring session at Riverside Park. Ultimately, we’ll need the help of talented leaders like Laura and Sarah in order to find ways of solving the challenges presented by non-point pollutants in our community.
Our lab results for water quality samples taken on Thursday, August 8, 2025 show Enterococcus bacteria levels exceeding the EPA federal water quality standard of 104 cfu/100mL at two of our monitoring sites this week. Problem sites would be indicated by red frowns on the map and chart which includes: Riverside Park (Piscataway) and Rutgers Boat House (New Brunswick). Green smiles on the chart and map indicate the sites with bacteria levels safe for recreation, and include the following: Edison Boat Launch (Edison Township), Ken Buchanan Waterfront Park (Sayreville), Raritan Bay Waterfront Park (South Amboy), and 2nd Street Park (Perth Amboy).
Sampling in New Brunswick was conducted 100m further downstream than usual, at the Boyd Park boat ramp instead of Rutgers Boat House. The water at the ramp is stagnant and immediately downstream of an outfall, and those factors may have contributed to the unusually high amount of Enterococci recorded at LR2 this week.
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, and runoff from manure storage areas.
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!
At Riverside Park, we were thrilled that Piscataway Council Members Laura Leibowitz and Sarah Rashid joined us for the water monitoring session! Special thanks to volunteers Ashley Fritz (in waders), Amy Hahn, Art, and Rose — and yes, that’s Jocelyn on the far right! She covered down on water monitoring duties so that Dr. John could lead a nature walk for our partners at CoLab. Thank you, everyone! Photo credit: — Heather Fenyk.
Ashley wears gloves while collecting a sample at Riverside Park to prevent contamination and keep herself safe. Photo credit: Rose Lawless.
Debris and oily film float atop stagnant water in New Brunswick. Photo credit: Rose Lawless.
Blockades at Rutgers Boat House forced volunteers to move the sampling location for New Brunswick this week. Photo credit: Rose Lawless.
Art’s volunteer spirit compels him to pick up litter in Edison. Photo credit: Rose Lawless.
Families recreate on the shore of the Raritan River in Perth Amboy and watch the boats. Photo credit: Rose Lawless.
The LRWP and SEWA volunteers went out to the litter trap in the Green Brook today, July 6, 2025, to conduct a litter tally after a devastating storm in the area knocked down trees, took out power, and resulted in fatalities. The water was low, with minimal trash flows. Huge thanks to Dr. Johnny and our SEWA International Central Jersey youth partners! Learn more about the litter trap initiative here. And learn more about the LRWP’s litter tally project with SEWA here.
Gone are the cows and barbed wire fences along the river, as land use has again changed, the only constant is the presence of the river and even the river has a mind to meander.
A thin round object, consistent with the appearance of a large coin protruded out of the eroded river bank. Closer inspection revealed light blue specs, suggesting copper content. It sure looked and felt like an old coin, its face severely eroded with traces of letters or numbers left to the imagination. Eventually the discovery was tentatively identified as a British half pence, from the mid eighteenth century. Its condition made it practically worthless, except for its historic value as a link to the past life of the river and its surrounding land.
That coin was a reminder of generations past and what their view of the river may have been. Each iteration was defined by the evolving cultural perspective each generation owned. Looking through time at any given layer begs a comparison to current views, and the realization that today’s view is dynamic and changing before our eyes. Though a period may be categorically defined, the transition is the real story, as it gives insight to the collective response under different economic and social pressures.
Each layer of time uncovered, is incomplete without considering the impact of the preceding layer until we arrive at the time the river itself was formed post glacial retreat. As the land sought equilibrium though violent undulations, it changed the gradient of the river’s path and adjusted its character. Critically important were the soil conditions created, which set the stage for a succession of thriving biological communities.
Amazingly, an early life form was discovered near Neshanic Station, where an unrecognized dinosaur tail bone was found and used as a doorstop. Stegomus arcuatus jerseyensis, was a large armored reptile with an alligator-like body, long stout legs, and an opossum-shaped head. Obviously, flora, fauna, climate, which favored this creature went through a series of changes, which no longer supported its existence.
There are ‘moments’ of stability as far as climate, flora, fauna, and associated life forms, and within each seemingly static pause, a culturally driven perspective is applied.
Aptly named, ‘moose-elk’, roamed the wilds of the vast eastern woodlands. This specimen found in New Jersey stands tall at the NJ state museum, in Trenton.
In the days before mills and their dams were built, migratory fisheries were of critical economic importance to those who lived along the river. When the first mill dam was built on the lower Raritan, thus blocking the fish migrations, the upstream residents burned down the mill.
Damming previously unimpeded rivers with grist and textile mills presented an economic opportunity for some, and ended a legacy lifestyle for others. This is an ongoing pattern of change along our rivers.
Amazingly, the gears of Holcomb’s mill, circa 1711, on the South branch of the Raritan, was made of wood! The mill dam has deteriorated and almost vanished.
In the seventeenth century, 1682, Somerset county had placed a bounty on wolves and fox. It is hard to imagine the environment required to sustain a population of wolves in central NJ. Fox were always present, and now coyotes have moved in. Biologists believed the appearance of coyotes was favored by the vast agricultural community and would disappear when the farms were sold off. That conclusion proved to be invalid as the adaptability of coyotes to the changing environment was grossly underestimated.
When the economy shifted from reliance on the rivers, they were still of value to livestock and dairy farmers, providing water for the herds. In one generation, environmental regulations put many farms out of business by restricting the handling of manure and prohibiting cattle from entering streams. Some days the local dairy herd provided a slalom course for my canoe as I wove my way through the herd, brisket deep in the cool water of the South Branch. Today, no cows can be found in or near the river, just remnants of barbed wire fencing embedded deep within the rings of scarred trees once used as fence posts.
Today’s river is centered on recreation as well as providing potable water, serving sewerage treatment plants, and continuing its ancient legacy as a receptacle for refuse. Organizations such as the Central Jersey Stream Team and Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership do their best to gather public support to keep our rivers clean and monitor emerging and legacy pollutants. Looking clean does not equate to the absence of pollutants. Consult the fish consumption warning in your state!
Statements from a Rutgers University president in the 1930s proclaiming the need to clear up the polluted river, have a hollow ring, as 75 years later the same refrain is heard about the same river. Generational priorities change the focus, while looking through the same glass. Industry and profits are replaced with real estate and profits, each contributing different pollutants, many of which live beyond the lifespan of their source.
The high population density in New Jersey stresses the environment and alters the standing cultural view of open space and rivers. The eventual compromise serves as the engine of change.
There is a tenant of wildlife biology referred to as, ‘carrying capacity’, where the local environment can only support a calculated number of a given species before it collapses. Theory exempts humans from this rule based on the belief humans are independence of nature, intelligent and have the technology to overcome nature; a flawed assumption which has often lead to environmental disaster.
Theories aside, peeling back the layers of past perspectives, creates a map for the future, displaying pitfalls, successes, and the realization that science is only true for a moment.
But the river was not always so commonplace. There was a time, and not 300 years ago, when it was unique and thought a wild, wild strea,. no one had been to its head; no one knew how far it travelled. It was then a deeper stream with its waters undimmed by surface drainage from farms. there were no farms. The small open spaces on the meadows were planted with Indian maize; but all the rest of the land was forest. Huge pines grew along the shale cliffs; oak and chestnut and hickory grew in the uplands. There were no towns or bridges or railways or wagon roads. Indian trails ran across the land from river to river, Indian tepees were pitched under the great trees in the meadows, and Indian canoes glanced along the surface of the River. The white man had not yet come, the land was unflayed, the forest and streams were in their pristine beauty. And then……
Author Joe Mish has been running wild in New Jersey since childhood when he found ways to escape his mother’s watchful eyes. He continues to trek the swamps, rivers and thickets seeking to share, with the residents and visitors, all of the state’s natural beauty hidden within full view. To read more of his writing and view more of his gorgeous photographs visit Winter Bear Rising, his wordpress blog. Joe’s series “Nature on the Raritan, Hidden in Plain View” runs monthly as part of the LRWP “Voices of the Watershed” series. Writing and photos used with permission from the author.
Out of respect for the Fourth of July, this week’s Pathogen Monitoring session occurred on Tuesday, July 2nd instead of a Thursday. 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 Tuesday, July 2, 2025 show Enterococcus bacteria levels exceeding the EPA federal water quality standard of 104 cfu/100mL at two of our monitoring 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 the sites with bacteria levels safe for recreation, and include the following: Raritan Bay Waterfront Park (South Amboy), Ken Buchanan Waterfront Park (Sayreville), Edison Boat Launch (Edison Township), 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, and runoff from manure storage areas.
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 Fourth of July weekend, make sure to stay safe and wash up after any activities!
Goose droppings await the next rainstorm at the Rutgers Boat House in New Brunswick. The Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership advocates for growing taller and more robust riparian plants to discourage goose activity. — Photo credit Ashley Fritz.
An oily sheen with metallic flakes and brown effluvia floats down Mill Brook near the Edison Boat Basin. — Photo credit J.M. Meyer.
A fisherman’s catch at Edison Boat Basin includes a ray-finned fish and blue crabs. — Photo credit Nilesh Bhat.
Nilesh, Ashley, and Vani run the post-testing calibration on the YSI sonde. The YSI sonde is the instrument we use to measure salinity, acidity, oxygen saturation, and other variables. — Photo credit J.M. Meyer.
Summer is the peak season for water-based recreation and relaxation. Unfortunately, it is also the peak season for Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs). Understanding and being able to recognize this natural phenomena is important to keeping you, your pets, and your local watersheds safe.
HABs occur when excess amounts of phosphorus enter a water body, usually by stormwater runoff carrying fertilizers and animal waste, or by faulty septic and sewer systems. Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, take advantage of the extra nutrients and their populations explode in number.
In 2023, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) recorded HABs at 49 water bodies. Five of the six counties within the Raritan River Basin experienced HABs: Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Morris, and Somerset Counties.
HABs are associated with fish kills, massive die-offs of aquatic life due to low oxygen levels in the water or due to cyanotoxins released by cyanobacteria. Cyanotoxins can harm humans and pets, and are especially dangerous to children. Health effects in humans include abdominal pain, vomiting, fever, and muscle weakness. If you experience any of these or symptoms resembling an allergic reaction or the flu and believe you may have been exposed to a HAB, seek medical care. Depending on the length and severity of exposure, more serious health complications may include liver and kidney damage, respiratory paralysis, and death.
Protect yourself by staying up to date with advisories issued by the NJDEP. Monitoring occurs via daily flight reports and by local health authorities sampling suspected sites of HABs for laboratory analysis. This data can be interpreted in conjunction with reports from the Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership’s Pathogen Monitoring Program, conducted in partnership with Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Middlesex County and the Interstate Environmental Commission.
Each week, LRWP’s volunteers sample non-bathing beaches along the Raritan River to test for presence of fecal matter and disease causing bacterium, and report findings within 24 hours on the LRWP website, via the Rutgers Raritan River Hydrologic Observatory, and via the regional Community Water Quality Testing program coordinated by the Billion Oyster Project. This data is also uploaded to the US Environmental Protection Agency’s STORET (STOrage and RETrieval) and WQX (Water Quality Exchange) systems used for managing and sharing water quality monitoring data.
Surveillance flight data is color-coded according to µg/L of chlorophyll observed. Higher chlorophyll levels may indicate a HAB and warrant caution. On June 24, 2025 low chlorophyll levels were observed along parts of the Raritan River. Graphic by NJDEP.
There are four Recreational Guidance Advisory Levels depending on the amount of cytotoxins identified in the lab reports. If in doubt about what activities are safe, refrain from drinking, swimming, boating, fishing, or consuming fish products sourced from the water body in question.
Volunteer reporting saves lives! To identify HABs, the NJDEP recommends looking for “a layer of bright bluish‐green or white paint on the water surface. Other evidence of a potential cyanobacterial HAB could be discolored or pea‐green colored water, parallel streaks, or green dots/globs in the water.” If you believe you have spotted one, help keep others safe by reporting it to the NJDEP using their online form.
Water at the site of a HAB may be tinted blue-green, earning cyanobacteria the name “blue-green algae.” Photo by NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory.
The diverse appearances of HABs include cyanobacteria forming globs in the water. Photo by National Park Service.
You can reduce HABs through choices made away from the water, as well. The Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership has tips for reducing fertilizer usage and advocating for proper stormwater management. The NJDEP recommends growing native plants to create a riparian buffer can decrease the amount of rain that flows off your property, picking up pollutants before it enters your waterfront. Minimizing opportunities for stormwater runoff to carry pet waste and fertilizers into waterways minimizes the chance of a HAB occurring.
Summer is the season for swimming, not sickness. Be observant, educate others, and stay safe as you recreate!
HABs are not limited to one season or one type of water body. Whenever you recreating at the beach, a lake, or a river, be mindful of signs like this. Graphic by the NJDEP.
June flew by, and the last Pathogen Monitoring session of the month occured on Thursday, the 26th. Every Thursday 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 on Friday afternoons. 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, June 26, 2025 show Enterococcus bacteria levels exceeding the EPA federal water quality standard of 104 cfu/100mL at 3 of our monitoring sites this week. Problem sites are indicated by red frowns on the map and chart which includes: Rutgers Boathouse (New Brunswick), Raritan Bay Waterfront Park (South Amboy), 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: Riverside Park (Piscataway), Edison Boat Basin (Edison), and Ken Buchanan Waterfront Park (Sayreville).
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, and runoff from manure storage areas.
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!
The sonde nearly disappears below the water’s surface due to low clarity at Edison Boat Basin. Photo credit: J.M. Meyer.
A Heineken bottle floats amidst debris in the water near the Rutgers Boat House. Photo credit: J.M. Meyer.
Ashley keeps a firm grip on the sonde as she leans over the edge of the dock ramp at Riverside Park. Photo credit: J.M. Meyer.
Aquatic plants like algae thrive in the nutrient-rich waters by Riverside Park. Photo credit: J.M. Meyer.
American herring gulls (Larus smithsonianus) gather by the edge of the dock at Ken Buchanan Waterfront Park. Photo credit: Ashley Fritz.
