Projects & Programs - Keep the Rain from the Drain

Green Infrastructure Planning and Implementation for Secaucus, NJ

Project description:

This project was developed to help the Town of Secaucus reduce the impacts of stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces. The impervious cover assessment (ICA) identifies the amount of impervious cover in Secaucus and the runoff volume associated with impervious cover for the New Jersey water quality design storm, 2-year design storm, 10-year design storm, and 100-year design storm. This assessment provides the number of acres that should be disconnected to realize a significant reduction in runoff and pollutant loads.

In addition, an impervious cover reduction action plan (RAP) has also been completed for Secaucus. An impervious cover reduction action plan is meant to provide the municipality with a blueprint for implementing green infrastructure practices that will reduce the impact of stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces. These projects can be implemented by a wide variety of people such as Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, school groups, faith-based groups, social groups, watershed groups, and other community groups. Additionally, development projects that are in need of providing off-site compensation for stormwater impacts can use the projects in this plan as a starting point. The municipality can quickly convert this impervious cover reduction action plan into a stormwater mitigation plan and incorporate it into the municipal stormwater control ordinance.

Links are provided to the impervious cover assessment (ICA), impervious cover reduction action plan (RAP), feasibility study, and RAP web map completed to date for Secaucus.

The second part of this project will be to design and implement two green infrastructure projects.  Green infrastructure projects will include one or more of the green infrastructure practices proposed in the plans and shown in the Green Infrastructure Guidance Manual for New Jersey (e.g., rain gardens, bioswales, downspout planters, stormwater planters, cisterns, permeable pavement, tree filter boxes, and green roofs).  The idea is for the Secaucus Department of Public Works (DPW) to help install these two green infrastructure projects.  This will help reduce installation costs and will train the DPW workers on how to install green infrastructure projects so they can continue to build projects into the future.


Water Resources Program at Rutgers NJAES