Projects & Programs - Keep the Rain from the Drain

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation ~ Incorporating Green Infrastructure Resiliency in the Raritan River Basin

Background:

The Raritan River Basin is approximately 1,100 square miles in size and contains portions of seven counties and 98 municipalities. Based upon a preliminary land cover analysis of the entire basin, the basin contains approximately 140 square miles of impervious cover or 89,482 acres of impervious cover. For the New Jersey water quality design storm of 1.25 inches of rain over two-hours, approximately three billion gallons of stormwater flows across these impervious surfaces in the design storm. Assuming an annual rainfall of 44 inches, approximately 107 billion gallons of stormwater drains from these impervious surfaces per year. As our climate changes, New Jersey can expect more intense storms and more annual rainfall, which will result in more flooding and higher risk for residents and businesses within the Raritan River Basin. Better management of stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces will help municipalities in the Raritan River Basin become more resilient.

Project description:

This project will lay the foundation to reduce future flooding impacts from the impervious surfaces in the Raritan River Basin, improve water quality, enhance wildlife habitat, and increase resiliency. This project will complete impervious cover assessments and reduction action plans for 54 municipalities within the Raritan River Basin. The project will produce a guidance document for municipalities on "How-To" implement green infrastructure strategies to reduce the impact of stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces on water quality. This project will review a sampling of local ordinances and master plans to determine how to incorporate impervious cover reduction strategies into such plans and ordinances. This project also will install "climate resilient" green infrastructure practices in the Basin to reduce the water quality and flooding impact of impervious surfaces, helping to move these 54 municipalities towards climate resiliency.

This project will implement climate resilient green infrastructure practices that will treat five (5) to ten (10) acres of impervious surfaces, capturing 68 to 136 million gallons of stormwater annually. More importantly, the project will provide 54 municipalities with plans that contain projects that could treat an additional 50 acres of impervious surfaces in the Raritan River Basin. This project will empower communities to change policy and take action.

Project location:

Click here for a detailed map and tables identifying the location of the 54 municipalities within the Raritan River Basin.

map

In the news:

Beautiful Garden at Governor Livingston HS Serves a Practical Purpose - TAP into Berkeley Heights, 8/11/2017
Gov. Livingston High School New Rain Garden Works to Reduce Stormwater Flooding - TAP into Berkeley Heights, 9/7/2016
Schools focus on technology, environment - North South Brunswick Sentinel, 9/17/2015
Rain gardens welcome Parkview students back to school - TAP into Milltown/Spotswood, 9/1/2015
Project plans to prevent groundwater pollution - Sentinel North South Brunswick, 12/4/2014

Project deliverables:

Resources - E-learning Tools and Green Infrastructure Guidance Manual:

Click here to access "Understanding Your Impervious Cover Assessment (ICA) Report" E-learning tool.

Click here to access "Impervious Cover Assessment (ICA) and Impervious Cover Reduction Action Plan: The Answer to All Your Problems" E-learning tool.

Click here to access the "Green Infrastructure Guidance Manual."

Click here to access "Ideas and Resources for Implementing Green Infrastructure in Your Community - Planning documents, programs, and ordinances" E-learning tool.

Reports and Web Maps:

Impervious Cover Assessments (ICAs), Impervious Cover Reduction Action Plans (RAPs), and RAP web maps for each of the 54 municipalities within the Raritan River Basin:

HUNTERDON COUNTY
Delaware Twp ICA RAP RAP web map	Franklin Twp *ICA* *RAP* *RAP web map*
East Amwell Twp ICA RAP RAP web map	Raritan Twp *ICA* *RAP* *RAP web map*
Flemington Boro *ICA* *RAP* *RAP web map*	Readington Twp *ICA* *RAP* *RAP web map*
MIDDLESEX COUNTY
Dunellen Boro *ICA* *RAP* *RAP web map*	North Brunswick Twp ICA RAP RAP web map
East Brunswick Twp ICA RAP RAP web map	Old Bridge Twp *ICA* *RAP* *RAP web map*
Edison Twp *ICA* *RAP* *RAP web map*	Perth Amboy City ICA RAP RAP web map *Green Infrastructure Opportunities* for the CSO 16 Sewershed, 12/2021
Helmetta Boro *ICA* *RAP* *RAP web map*	Piscataway Twp *ICA* *RAP* *RAP web map*
Highland Park Boro *ICA* *RAP* *RAP web map*	Sayreville Boro *ICA* *RAP* *RAP web map*
Jamesburg Boro ICA RAP RAP web map	South Amboy City *ICA* *RAP* *RAP web map*
Metuchen Boro *ICA* *RAP* *RAP web map*	South Brunswick Twp ICA RAP RAP web map
Middlesex Boro *ICA* *RAP* *RAP web map*	South Plainfield Boro *ICA* *RAP* *RAP web map*
Milltown Boro ICA RAP RAP web map	South River Boro *ICA* *RAP* *RAP web map*
Monroe Twp *ICA* *RAP* *RAP web map*	Spotswood Boro *ICA* *RAP* *RAP web map*
New Brunswick City ICA RAP RAP web map	Woodbridge Twp *ICA* *RAP* *RAP web map*
MONMOUTH COUNTY
Englishtown Boro *ICA* *RAP* *RAP web map*	Manalapan Twp *ICA* *RAP* *RAP web map*
Freehold Boro *ICA* *RAP* *RAP web map*	Marlboro Twp *ICA* *RAP* *RAP web map*
Freehold Twp *ICA* RAP *RAP web map*	Millstone Twp *ICA* *RAP* *RAP web map*
SOMERSET COUNTY
Bound Brook Boro *ICA* *RAP* *RAP web map*	North Plainfield Boro ICA RAP RAP web map
Branchburg Twp *ICA* *RAP* *RAP web map*	Raritan Boro *ICA* *RAP* *RAP web map*
Bridgewater Twp *ICA* *RAP* *RAP web map*	Somerville Boro *ICA* *RAP* *RAP web map*
Franklin Twp *ICA* *RAP* *RAP web map*	South Bound Brook Boro *ICA* *RAP* *RAP web map*
Green Brook Twp *ICA* *RAP* *RAP web map*	Warren Twp *ICA* *RAP* *RAP web map*
Hillsborough Twp ICA RAP RAP web map	Watchung Boro *ICA* *RAP* *RAP web map*
Manville Boro *ICA* *RAP* *RAP web map*
UNION COUNTY
Berkeley Heights Twp *ICA* *RAP* *RAP web map*	Scotch Plains Twp ICA RAP RAP web map
Fanwood Boro *ICA* *RAP* *RAP web map*	Springfield Twp *ICA* *RAP* *RAP web map*
Mountainside Boro *ICA* *RAP* *RAP web map*	Summit City *ICA* *RAP* *RAP web map*
Plainfield City *ICA* *RAP* *RAP web map*

Installed Practices:

The following map identifies the climate resilent green infrastructure practices installed within the Raritan River Basin as part of this project.

Project funding source:

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Hurricane Sandy Coastal Resiliency Competitive Grants Program

Contacts:

Christopher C. Obropta, Ph.D., P.E.
Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Sciences
Associate Extension Specialist in Water Resources
Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program
14 College Farm Road
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Phone: 848-932-5711/Fax:732-932-8644
obropta@envsci.rutgers.edu

Sara Mellor
Program Associate
Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program
14 College Farm Road
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Phone: 848-932-6747/Fax:732-932-8644
saramellor@envsci.rutgers.edu

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Projects & Programs - Keep the Rain from the Drain

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation ~ Incorporating Green Infrastructure Resiliency in the Raritan River Basin