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Riparian Restoration Projects Improve Water Quality in the Lower
Musconetcong River
Waterbody Improved
A loss of riparian buffers, combined with increased stormwater
runoff, led to elevated erosion rates and high sediment levels
in the lower Musconetcong River. As a result, 14 miles of the lower Musconetcong River was
placed on the 2010 New Jersey's Clean Water Act (CWA) section 303(d) list of impaired waters for
total suspended solids (TSS) on the basis of data collected between 2000 and 2004. The North
Jersey Resource Conservation & Development Council (NJRC&D) and Musconetcong Watershed
Association initiated riparian restoration projects along sections of Musconetcong River and its
tributaries, which improved water quality in the lower Musconetcong River. As a result of this
effort, the Musconetcong (below Warren Glen) assessment unit was delisted for TSS impairment
in the 2012 New Jersey Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report.
Problem
The Musconetcong River, a tributary of the Delaware
River, is approximately 42 miles long with a drain-
age area of about 158 square miles (Figure 1). The
Musconetcong River flows through parts of Sussex,
Morris, Warren and Hunterdon counties within the
Highlands region in northwestern New Jersey. This
area is an important recreational resource, character-
ized by rolling hills, agricultural operations and for-
ested areas. The Musconetcong River (below Warren
Glen) assessment unit, approximately 14.2 miles long
(HUC14 02040105160070-01), is classified as a trout
maintenance waterbody. This lower portion of the
Musconetcong River is dominated by forests, agricul-
tural operations and a significant amount of suburban
development along its corridor. Early characterization
efforts of this watershed indicated that a loss of ripar-
ian buffers throughout the watershed was negatively
affecting water quality. New Jersey's water quality
standards for the protection of aquatic life in trout
maintenance waters requires maximum TSS concen-
trations of less than 25 milligrams per liter (mg/L).
Data collected between 2000 and 2004 indicated that
this standard was not being met, leading to the place-
ment of this segment on New Jersey's 2010 CWA
section 303(d) list of impaired waters.
Legend
• Monitoring Station
A Musconetcong Projects
~	Musconetcong Below Warren Glen
~~ Musconetcong Watershed
~	Counties
Project Highlights
In 2000 the New Jersey Department of
Environmental Protection (NJDEP) launched a
statewide watershed initiative that supported
Figure 1. The Musconetcong River watershed is in
northern New Jersey. The Musconetcong (below Warren
Glen) assessment unit is at the base of the watershed.
and expanded local partnerships within each of
the state's 20 watershed management areas.
As part of this statewide initiative, a restoration
effort was targeted for the Musconetcong River
watershed. NJRC&D completed four riparian
restoration projects (e.g., riparian tree plantings)
in the Musconetcong River watershed between
October 2001 and May 2006 (Figure 2). A Watershed

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TSS Standard (25mq/L)
12/6/1999 4/19/2001 9/1/2002 1/4/2004 5/28/2005 10/10/2006 2/22/2008 7/6/2009 11/18/2010 4/1/2012
Sampling Date
Figure 2. A restoration project on Bowers Brook at
the M&M Mars Site in Hackettstown transformed
a low-quality, turf-grass riparian area (top photo, as
seen in September 2001) into a healthy, wildlife-
friendly riparian corridor (bottom photo, as seen in
July 2003).
Ambassador, stationed at the NJRC&D office,
assisted with implementing and maintaining ripar-
ian restoration projects, performing stream visual
assessments, and conducting numerous educa-
tional programs in the watershed These restoration
projects were part of a larger collaborative water-
shed approach that included watershed education
and outreach components to expand awareness in
the region. Partnership projects and community ser-
vice opportunities were instituted by the NJDEP's
AmeriCorps New Jersey Watershed Ambassadors
Program during this period.
Results
The restoration activities contributed to water quality
improvements. The NJDEP's ambient monitoring
data collected in the Musconetcong (below Warren
Glen) assessment unit between January 1, 2006,
Figure 3. The improvement in water quality can be seen In
sampling data from stations DRBCNJ0025 and 01457400
which show that all samples met the TSS criterion after
completion of the restoration projects in 2006.
and December 31, 2010, demonstrated that this
waterbody was meeting the TSS standard (25 mg/L).
The improvement in water quality can be seen in
sampling data from sampling stations DRBCNJ0025
and 01457400, which show a decreasing number of
samples exceeding the maximum allowable pollutant
concentration over time (Figure 3). As a resuit. New
Jersey removed the Musconetcong (below Warren
Glen) assessment unit from its 2012 list of impaired
waters for TSS.
Partners and Funding
In 2000 NJRC&D was awarded a $180,000 CWA
section 319(h) grant to initiate riparian buffer
restoration within the Musconetcong watershed.
In 2001 NJRC&D was awarded a $412,000 CWA
section 319(h) grant to implement riparian restora-
tion projects and create an open space acquisi-
tion program throughout the northwest section
of New Jersey (Upper Delaware Water Region).
This project involved the creation of a Riparian
Advisory Committee composed of various fed-
eral, state, county and local government officials;
representatives from the agricultural, lake and
educational communities; the Musconetcong
Watershed Association; and interested watershed
residents. Four riparian restoration projects were
completed between October 2001 and April 2006
in the Musconetcong River watershed at a cost of
approximately $160,000, which was a subset of the
2000 and 2001 grants. These restoration projects
were completed with assistance and volunteer
participation from local stakeholder participants and
the Musconetcong Watershed Association.
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Water
Washington, DC
EPA 841-F-15-001DDD
December 2015
For additional information contact:
Jay Springer, Supervisor
NJ Department of Environmental Protection
Division of Water Monitoring & Standards
jay.springer@dep.nj.gov • 609-633-1441

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