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The state’s natural water bodies are used for swimming, fishing, and as a source of drinking water. But in New Jersey, where the water must meet federal and state water quality standards for such uses, more than 75 percent of water bodies tested do not adequately meet water quality standards.
Water originates as precipitation and moves through a watershed, an area that is naturally defined by the slope of the land that directs the water toward a specific body of water. The quality of the water in is a direct result of land stewardship practices of the municipalities and county governments along its route.
Local government, however, is not always able to improve water quality in their watershed, especially when the watershed crosses municipal boundaries. That’s where the Rutgers’ Cooperative Extension’s Water Resources Program comes in. The program is funded by the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station and has received major grants from state and federal government.
“We have the best potential for truly making a difference in New Jersey’s water quality by combining research, education, and community outreach," said Christopher Obropta, an extension specialist at Rutgers who leads the program. Obropta, who is also a professor at the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in environmental sciences and bioresource engineering, and involves his students in projects in watersheds throughout New Jersey.
“The research of environmental scientists and engineers, who gather data that policymakers use to make science-based decisions, is the basis of the program. At the same time, these scientists are guiding students who become self-sufficient as the water quality experts of tomorrow,” Obropta said. “Together, with cooperative extension, the faculty and students inform residents about what they need to do to improve water quality in their own neighborhoods.”
Rutgers’ water resources program recently completed three regional storm water management plans affecting more than 20 municipalities in four counties. Each of the plans – under review by the respective communities – contains measures to reduce flooding, decrease pollution, and promote groundwater recharge.
One such plan involved working with nine municipalities, two counties, and several nongovernmental organizations addressed impairments in the Robinson’s Branch Watershed, a tributary to the Rahway River. The water resources program teamed up with Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County to launch “Stormwater Management in Your Backyard,” a program in which 30 “master gardeners” were taught how to build rain gardens, specially constructed gardens to collect rainwater. The rainwater is slowly filtered into the ground, thereby removing pollutants that would otherwise enter the local water supply. The master gardeners are, in turn, teaching local residents to build these gardens to protect water quality in their towns.
Similar efforts are being completed in the Troy Brook Watershed in Morris County and the Pompeston Creek Watershed in Burlington County. In the Troy Brook Watershed, the water resources program’s recommendations will annually reduce phosphorus by 700 pounds, nitrogen by 7,000 pounds, and suspended solids by 50,000 pounds. Practices recommended by the program also will virtually eliminate flooding in the Troy Brook.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, pleased with the results of the watershed management programs, is providing support for additional projects throughout the state.