Success Story
REINVIGORATINGTHE USE OF THE ELIZABETH
RIVER IN ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY
In Elizabeth, NJ a partnership between EPA and the National Park Service is helping to
transform an urban waterway into a community asset.
The Elizabeth River, a river which
poses unique challenges for the City
of Elizabeth, New Jersey, will soon
become a focal point for those who
live in, work in, and visit the state's
oldest city.
The foundations of the River Trail
project are built upon input from
stakeholders and the community.
A trail is being planned adjacent
to these urban waters which will
restore natural beauty, become
an avenue for pedestrian traffic,
and provide recreational and
educational activities. The one-mile
river trail accentuates the profound
Elizabeth history with artwork from
local artists.
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ERA'S Brownfields and Land Revitalization program and the National Park
Service Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance (RTCA) Program have had
a successful 12 year partnership with Groundwork USA. Groundwork USA is
a network of independent non-profit organizations called Groundwork Trusts
focused on stabilizing and revitalizing their communities through projects and
programs that improve their environment, economy and quality of life.
Similar to the community led efforts of the Brownfields Program, the Urban
Waters initiative is an effort to restore and protect urban water bodies and
adjacent lands. The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) goal is to
integrate and leverage existing programs to foster increased understanding
and a sense of ownership of waters and surrounding land in communities
ntacts: U.S. EPA Region 2 (212) 637-3000 or visit the EPA Brownfields Web site at: www.epa.gov/brownfields
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across the country. This is especially important as
urban waters impact large populations and can
influence far-reaching land-use decisions.
Project Motivation
The Groundwork Program, initiated by the National
Park Service in Partnership with EPA's Brownfields
Program, came to Elizabeth in Union County in 2002,
to address the improvement of the City of Elizabeth's
brownfield properties and enhance the city's sense of
community.
Part of the goal for the nonprofit was to echo the vision
of the National Park Service RTCA Program and EPA,
and bring the population closer to its heritage of "urban
waters" by designing and constructing a river trail.
The Elizabeth River Trail Project began in 2003 and
quickly became a focal point of the only Groundwork
Trust in the State of New Jersey. Groundwork Elizabeth
has assembled a large support structure to help with
planning and construction of the trail. Currently, the trail
is in its final New Jersey Department of Environmental
Protection (NJDEP) permitting stages, and the program
has overcome a number of unforeseen challenges,
such as permitting setbacks and archeologic
discoveries, which have taken years to solve.
History of Elizabeth and its River
The original land use along the river was agricultural,
but by the middle of the 19th century had become
highly industrialized. One of the more prominent
manufacturers was the Singer Sewing Machine
Company, which produced thousands of sewing
machines each year. Housed in block long textile
style buildings, the company at one point employed
thousands of full time workers. By the 1980s global
competition had a significant impact on the company's
profits and Singer closed down its operation in
Elizabeth. Several other businesses, which had enjoyed
successful manufacturing operations in the city, also
vacated the area. This exodus of manufacturers
left behind many structures, known as brownfields,
and Elizabeth began to stockpile inventory of such
vacancies. With jobs lost and buildings left vacant,
Elizabeth soon had to deal with the challenges of a
distressed urban area.
As a consequence of urban growth, the Elizabeth River,
which had once served as an irrigator for a multitude
of successful farms along its banks, became more
of a problem as farms turned to paved streets. From
the middle of the 1800s, the river would often flood its
banks during rainstorms.
ELIZABETH RIVER TRAIL
CONCEPT REDEVELOPMENT
The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USAGE)
identified the City of Elizabeth as a targeted flood area;
it was funded for flood control improvements in the
Flood Control Act of 1965. USAGE channelized the
parts of the Elizabeth River that ran through the most
densely populated parts of the city and built walls and
dirt berms to contain the potentially devastating effects
of river flooding. During the construction of the 1970s
and 1980s, USAGE continually tested the water quality
and sediments and found that little contamination and
pollution had affected the river's health in the long term.
Current land uses along the banks of the river are
parks, public facilities such as schools and hospitals,
retail businesses, brownfields, remaining industrial
areas, and residences.
Partners and Funding
Groundwork Elizabeth administrates the Elizabeth
River Trail Project. The organization works with a
variety of community volunteers and public and private
partners, including EPA's Office of Brownfields and
Land Revitalization, the National Park Service, the City
of Elizabeth, and Union County. The project received
funding from several entities. With the assistance New
Jersey Senators and Congressional representation,
Groundwork funding was written in the Transportation
Act of 2006 receiving $340,000 over five years. The
Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders leveraged
$500,000 towards the design and construction of
the program soon afterwards. Through the NJDEP's
Green Acres Program, the program was afforded more
funds with which to build the trail and demonstrate the
historical significance of the river and the city.
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Art Connects River and Community
The National Recreational Trails Program funded
artwork along the trail which was completed in 2009.
Dario Scholis, a local artist and resident of Elizabeth,
worked with Groundwork to design historic slides,
which are reused recycled signage from Union County
to portray the city's rich history. The slides have
already been installed adjacent to the trail location. The
community appreciates the artwork, which is positioned
on iron fencing put in place during the USAGE flood
control project. Some of the slides portray two of the
signers of the Declaration of Independence, who
lived in Elizabeth. Others show the manufacturing
companies which have come and gone along the river's
shores. One of the more popular slides is of Frederic
Law Olmsted, the founding father of Landscape
Architecture, who is best remembered as the architect
for Central Park in New York. Mr. Olmsted was
commissioned by Union County in the early 1900s to
design the concepts for most of Union County's parks
including the location of the future River Trail.
Ongoing Project Success
The construction of the project has been delayed due
to necessary authorization and permitting from various
entities within local, state and federal governments for
the last seven years. Also, a two-year archeological
investigation
discovered pottery
shards from the
colonial era. Even
with these hurdles,
the City of Elizabeth
is close to its dream
of "bringing back
nature to the city and
having a river trail
to do it by," said Mr.
Phillips. Stakeholders
and community
members attended the Vision Planning Charette in
2006, and the city has hosted events such as River
Awareness Day. The river trail will be adjacent to the
high school and the city's only hospital. This proximity
offers high school students the opportunity to take
coursework about the river's dynamics, environment,
and ecology. Hospital patients will be able to step
outside and rehabilitate in fresh air surrounded by
beautiful scenery. The community will benefit from non-
motorized boat launches, fishing holes, educational and
scenic overlooks, walking trails, and historic artwork.
According to
Jonathon Philips,
Executive Director of
Groundwork Elizabeth,
"A project with so
many challenges
is that much more
rewarding in the end."
The City of Elizabeth is working with another nonprofit,
the Elizabeth Development Company, to address
approximately 200 brownfields sites that have known
contamination and active case numbers through the
NJDER Groundwork Elizabeth, as a partner with the
city, county and EPA, has significantly restored the
city's charm, its attraction as a business destination,
and improved the quality of life for its residents and
visitors. Groundwork Elizabeth's efforts to build the trail,
which began in 2003, are soon to be realized. Design is
completed, final permitting is underway, and bidding for
construction of paths, boat ramps, and other amenities
should begin in 2011.
The trail will afford the public another way to get around
the city, and it will educate, entertain and engage the
public by providing a sense of place along an urban
waterway. The community's desire of returning a place
of nature to its city is about to come true.
ntacts: U.S. EPA Region 2 (212) 637-3000 or visit the EPA Brownfields Web site at: www.epa.gov/brownfields
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URBAN WATERS
Urban environments, particularly in underserved communities, are typically characterized by paved or covered
"impervious" surfaces, working waterfronts with industrial facilities, abandoned industrial sites, and other
underutilized or contaminated lands. These characteristics, in combination with aging and inadequate storm
water management infrastructure, generate excess and untreated runoff that transports sewage and hazardous
wastes into local water bodies. Urban patterns of historical development often make waterways inaccessible to
adjacent neighborhoods. Lack of access to waterways limits the ability of communities to connect and participate
in restoring waterways as healthy living ecosystems and reap the benefits of living close to the water in the city.
Addressing these issues to ensure healthy and accessible urban waters can help grow local businesses and
enhance educational, recreational and social opportunities in nearby communities.
EPA is learning from community efforts already underway and supporting communities as active participants in
the restoration and protection of urban waters. EPA works to increase access to waterways, which promotes a
sense of public ownership of water resources and integrates environmental goals with other pressing priorities like
economic development, education, job creation, and greenspace creation and preservation.
URBAN WATERS RESOURCES
www. epa.gov/urbanwaters
Watershed Planning and Management
• Managing Wet Weather with Green Infrastructure -
cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/home.cfm?program_id=298
• Directory of EPA Watershed Publications -
water.epa.gov/type/watersheds/publications.cfm
• Key EPA Water Internet Tools Course -
www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/wacademy/epatools
• Watershed Central and Wiki - wiki.epa.gov/watershed2
Water Quality and Pollution Prevention
• EPA Enforcement and Compliance History Online -
www. epa-echo.gov/echo
• Nonpoint Source Pollution -
www.epa.gov/owow_keep/NPS/index.html
• Water Quality Assessment Tools and Models -
water.epa.gov/scitech/datait/models/index.cfm
Community Information
• Groundwork USA - www.groundworkusa.org
• National Park Service Rivers and Trails Program -
www. nps. gov/ncrc/programs/rtca
• Adopt Your Watershed -
www.epa.gov/owow_keep/adopt/index.html
• Community Culture and the Environment A Guide to
Understanding a Sense of Place - www.epa.gov/care/
library/community_culture.pdf
• EPA Smart Growth - www.epa.gov/smartgrowth
• Surf Your Watershed - cfpub.epa.gov/surf/locate/index.cfm
Outreach Development
• Coastal Urban Waters Toolkit -
www. epa.gov/owow/oceans/debris
• Getting In Step: A Guide for Conducting Watershed
Outreach Campaigns -
www.epa.gov/owow/nps/toolbox/guide.htm
• Non-Point Source Toolbox - www.epa.gov/nps/toolbox
Funding
• Brownfields Grants to Support Assessment/Cleanup
of Contaminated Property, Environmental Workforce
Development and Job Training Grants, and Targeted
Brownfields Assessments -
www. epa.gov/brownfields/grant_info/index. htm
• Catalog of Federal Funding Sources for Watershed
Protection - cfpub.epa.gov/fedfund
• Sustainable Finance Website -
www.epa.gov/owow/funding/trainings.html
• Watershed Funding Resource Directory -
water.epa.gov/aboutow/owow/funding.cfm
Case Studies
• Case Studies for Stormwater Management on
Compacted, Contaminated Soils in Dense Urban Areas
www.epa.gov/brownfields/tools/swcs0408.pdf
• Urban Agriculture on Brownfields Website -
www.epa.gov/brownfields/urbanag
Targeted Watershed Grant Case Studies -
water.epa.gov/grants_funding/twg/initiative_index.cfm
For more information on the Elizabeth River Trail Project, and on other brownfield related Groundwork projects,
contact Groundwork Elizabeth at 908-289-0262, or visit the Groundwork Elizabeth web site at: www.groundworkelizabeth.com
Brownfields Success Story
Groundwork Elizabeth
Elizabeth River Trail Project
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5105T)
EPA560-F-11-025
Apr/12011
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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