By Jim Waltman##M:[more]##
Like a barometer warning of a coming storm, our rivers are the best indicator of the pressure we place on our ecological systems and how we are treating the environment. With this week’s rain fresh in our minds, there’s no better time than now to shine a spotlight on the ailing condition of our home river — the Millstone River.
A source of drinking water for hundreds of thousands of households and businesses, thanks to its confluence with the Raritan River immediately before the intake of New Jersey American Water’s facility in Manville, the Millstone River is threatened by a variety of factors.
From heightened levels of bacteria to polluted runoff and other threats from development, our data show there is an urgent and pressing need for action to improve the health of the Millstone.
The good news is that challenges facing the Millstone are not insurmountable — our river is not inflicted with the same level of heavy industrial contamination that plagues some parts of our state. Can the Millstone River be restored? Absolutely. But everyone needs to be part of the solution. Here’s how:
Change our habits. Rain and snowmelt running off our lawns, driveways, parking lots and other hard surfaces account for 60 percent of pollution to lakes, rivers and streams, according to the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
Storm drains discharge fertilizers, pesticides, motor oils, solvents and other contaminants that wash off the landscape directly to the Millstone and its tributaries without treatment.
The Watershed Association’s River-Friendly program can help you be part of the solution. We work with homeowners, businesses, schools and golf courses to reduce polluted runoff, conserve water and improve wildlife habitat.
Protect stream buffers. One of the best ways to help the Millstone is to protect and restore vegetated buffers along our waterways. Stream buffers filter sediments and pollutants before they reach the water, provide cooling shade for fish and other aquatic life, and protect against flooding.
The Watershed Association works with municipalities to adopt ordinances that protect streams from development and tree clearing. To date, nine towns in our region have adopted such measures and three others protect streams through other means. Check our website (www.thewatershed.org) to find out if your town has taken action to protect streams.
Improve septic/sewer maintenance. Aging sewer lines and poorly maintained septic systems can leak E. coli and other bacteria into our streams. The Watershed Association has monitored for bacteria in two tributaries to the Millstone River — Heathcote Brook and Duck Pond Run — and is working on solutions to this problem. Regular septic and sewer system maintenance can help prevent pollution.
Restore ailing tributaries. Like arteries to our heart, the Millstone River is only as healthy as its tributaries. We are restoring habitat for fish and other organisms by restoring a meandering flow to the stream with a “first in New Jersey” system of logs and boulders. Innovative projects like this can help ensure that water flowing to the Millstone is as healthy as possible.
Use redevelopment as a restoration opportunity. Redevelopment projects like the Princeton Junction train station in West Windsor, and the University Medical Center at Princeton’s move to the FMC site in Plainsboro provide opportunities to retrofit past developments built long before today’s more stringent stormwater regulations. We must set the bar high with these projects, requiring that their net environmental effect be cleaner water
Jim Waltman is executive director of the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association in Pennington. Since 1949 the Watershed Association has worked to protect water and the environment through science, education, conservation and advocacy.
