Clove Acres Lake/Clove Brook Watershed Restoration Plan

318 Pages·2009·16.17 MB·English

by  Joanne Fariello

WALLKILL RIVER WATERSHED
MANAGEMENT GROUP

Clove Acres Lake / Clove Brook
Watershed Restoration Plan
NJDEP Project RP05-090

November 2008

Prepared By:

Ernest Hofer, PE Nathaniel Sajdak
Watershed Specialist Watershed Coordinator

WALLKILL RIVER WATERSHED MANAGEMENT GROUP
Sussex County Municipal Utilities Authority
34 South Route 94

Lafayette, New Jersey 07848

973-579-6998
www.wallkillriver.org
Acknowledgements

The developed Restoration Plan for the Clove Brook Watershed, including Clove Acres Lake /
Lakeshed was developed with significant services from Princeton Hydro, LLC regarding the
conducted Clove Acres Lake Characterization and Lakeshed assessments as well as input and
support from many community contributors. The Wallkill River Watershed Management Group
(WRWMG) wishes to acknowledge the following individuals and organizations for their help and
valuable assistance in the development of the Clove Brook Watershed Restoration Plan:

• Chris Mikolajczyk and Dr. Fred Lubnow of Princeton Hydro, LLC
• Dana Cartwright, Kim Cenno, and Marco Al-Ebus of the New Jersey Department of
Environmental Protection (NJDEP)
• David Kunz and Sara Weinrich of the Sussex County Office of Geographical
Information Systems
• Jeff Card of the Sussex Borough Department of Public Works
• Kent Hardmeyer of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
• Frank Hennion of the New Jersey Forest Service
• Edward Henry of United States Fish & Wildlife Service, Wallkill River National
Wildlife Refuge
• Steve Komar of the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Sussex County
• Wini Straub of the Sussex County Soil Conservation District
• John Hatzelis of the Sussex County Municipal Utilities Authority (SCMUA)
• Board of Commissioners, Sussex County Municipal Utilities Authority

Acknowledgements are also due to Patricia Kehrberger and Brian George of HydroQual, Inc. for
technical support and stream flow measurements, to Harvey Klein of Garden State Laboratories for
analytical services, and to John Nugent, Angelo Baron, and Joseph Kinney of the SCMUA
Wastewater Treatment Facility for supplying the necessary stream instrumentation devices,
calibration and laboratory support services.

Funding was provided by a Grant from the NJDEP and extensive in-kind services and support from
the Sussex County Municipal Utilities Authority (SCMUA) and the SCMUA Board of
Commissioners.

Profile of the Wallkill River Watershed Management Group (WRWMG)

In 1994, the Sussex County Board of Chosen Freeholders designated SCMUA as the lead agency to
develop a Wallkill River Watershed Management Plan. As a result, in March 2000, the NJDEP
awarded a contract to the SCMUA to facilitate the Wallkill River Watershed Management Project
and bring together local stakeholders to work in partnership to develop a plan to insure the
restoration, maintenance and enhancement of the waterways within the Watershed. Over the past
eight years, unique stakeholder partnerships have been established and a strong sense of
stewardship towards the watershed has been generated. Most importantly, the stakeholders have
formed the WRWMG. The key roles of the WRWMG are to:
1. Raise watershed awareness and promote environmental stewardship
2. Generate stakeholder participation in watershed management initiatives
3. Conduct water quality monitoring of local watershed surface waters
4. Drive efforts for potential “on the ground” watershed restoration projects
5. Serve as a Watershed management and water quality liaison for the public residents,
municipal officials, and county government organizations
i
Table of Contents

Section Subject Page

Acknowledgements i

Profile of the Wallkill River i
Watershed Management
Group (WRWMG)

Executive Summary 1

Project Description
Introduction 10

Background 10

Project / Watershed Objectives 13

Translation of Project / Watershed Goals into 16
Management Objectives

Clove Acres Lake / Clove Brook - Key 2009 – 2012 18
Implementation Projects

Subwatershed Characteristics
Land Use / Land Cover 20

Watershed GIS Maps 21

Portion of Each Municipality’s Acreage 23
Within the Clove Acres Lake / Lakeshed /
Clove Brook Subwatershed as a Percent of
the Municipality’s Total Acreage

Portion of Each Municipality’s Acreage 23
Within the Clove Acres Lake / Lakeshed /
Clove Brook Subwatershed as a Percent of
the Total Subwatershed Acreage

Land Parcels Bordering the Clove Acres Lake 25
and the Clove Brook

Important Project Information Regarding Clove 27
Acres Lake

Waterways / Streams / Restoration Plan Impaired 28
Sections

Soils 31

ii
Topography 35

Threatened and Endangered Species 35

Papakating Creek Watershed Precipitation: 36
Years 2002 - 2008 (first half)

Restoration Plan Drivers
NJDEP-Related TMDLs and 2002, 2004 / 2006 36
Integrated Lists

NJDEP Surface Water Quality Standards 37

Papakating Creek Watershed: 2007 Proposed / 37
2008 Adopted C1 Waterbodies

Chemical Databases
Quality Assurance Project Plan 39

Augmented Sampling: Selection of Water Quality 39
Parameters

Total Phosphorus Databases: NJDEP / USGS / 42
WRWMG / HydroQual, Inc / Princeton Hydro,
LLC and Princeton Hydro’s Findings and
Recommendations

Assessment of Chemical
Sampling Findings
Overall Findings 46

Parameter Sampling Trend Charts - Assessment 47

Parameter Sampling Box Plot Charts - 48
Assessment

Project Plan Pollutant
Assessments and Goals
Total Phosphorus Pollutant Budgets 49

Tracking Effectiveness of Implementation 50
Projects Towards Achievement of Targeted
Reduction Goals

Restoration Control Measures
Background 51

Recommended Management Plan 52

Key Field Findings Regarding Nonpoint Sources 58
of Total Phosphorus

Project Ranking and Prioritization Methodology 59
iii
Summary Table: Identified Restoration and 59
Protection Plan Considerations and Potential
Pollutant Sources Based on Detailed Field Surveys

Leading Management 69
Strategies for Addressing
Nonpoint Pollutant Sources

Momentum Sustainability - Accomplishing the 69
Goals

Consideration for Establishing a Papakating 71
Creek and Clove Brook Advisory Panel

Consideration for Establishing an Agricultural 72
Leadership and Support Panel

Consideration for Establishing a Municipality 74
Advisory Panel

Targeted Actions for Municipalities 75

Best Management Practices Tool Box 76

Existing Implemented and Relevant Municipal 78
Ordinances

Pollutant Source Tracking Assessment - Total 80
Phosphorus

Overall Summary of Field Findings 81

HUC 14: 02020007020060 (Colesville and 81
Sussex Borough plus nearby areas)

Supplementary Pollutant Reduction Strategies 84

Project Implementation Agricultural Funding 85
Contacts / Sources

Education and Outreach Plan 88

Project Schedules 92

Keys for Restoration Plan 92
Success

Post-Monitoring Plan 93
Objectives
Monitoring Plan Elements
Plan Management Policy: Adaptive Style
Development of Long-term Monitoring
iv
Charting of Metrics
Monitoring of Organizational Structure and
Resource Needs
Development of a Long-Term Funding Plan
Conduct Program Assessments
Development of a Communication Plan

Linkage to the Sussex Country 95
Strategic Growth Plan and the
Sussex Country Agriculture
Development Board

Acronyms, Abbreviations, and 96
Definitions

References 101

Appendices 104

Tables

Table 1 Project Goals Linked to the Causes and Sources of Impacts to 16
Management Objectives

Table 2 Clove Acres Lake / Clove Brook Key 2009 - 2012 18
Implementation Projects

Table 3 HUC 14 Watershed Name Identifiers 20

Table 4 Papakating Creek Watershed Land Use Classifications / HUC 22
14 Areas

Table 5 Percentage of Each Municipality’s Land Area That Falls 23
Within the Clove Acres Lake / Lakeshed and Clove Brook
Subwatershed

Table 6 Percentage of Each Municipality’s Land Area Within the 23
Clove Acres Lake / Lakeshed and Clove Brook Subwatershed
as a Percentage of the Subwatershed Acreage

Table 7 Size Distribution of Parcels Bordering Clove Acres Lake and 25
the Clove Brook

Table 8 Stream Lengths Within the Clove Brook Sub-basin HUC 14 28

Table 9 2002 / 2004 / 2006Integrated Lists: Clove Brook Watershed 28
Waterbodies / Impairments / Segment Descriptions

Table 10 Analysis of Sussex County Soil Samples 31
v
Table 11 Types and Characteristics of Soils Found Within the 32
Papakating Creek / Clove Brook Watershed

Table 12 Data Trend Observations 46

Table 13 WRWMG Site “J” Box Plot Statistics 48

Table 14 Summary of Watershed Mitigation and Restoration Projects 59

Table 15 Conservation / Farming Protection Choices (Best Management 76
Practices Tool Box)

Table 16 Summary of Applicable / Status of Municipal Ordinances 78
Within the Clove Brook Subbasin

Table 17 List of Major Total Phosphorus Pollutant Sources 80

Table 18 Summary of HUC 14 Project Area Land Uses 81

Table 19 Agricultural Conservation Programs / Funding of Best 86
Management Practices

Figures

Figure 1 Sussex County Municipalities / WMA 02 Boundaries / 11
Papakating Creek Watershed HUC 14s

Figure 2 Papakating Creek Watershed and Clove Acres Lakeshed 15
Grant Project Area Breakdown

Figure 3 Clove Acres Lake / Lakeshed HUC 14 Identification 21

Figure 4 Municipalities Within the Clove Acres Lakeshed / Clove Brook 24
Watershed

Figure 5 Clove Brook Subwatershed - TP Impairment Status 29

Figure 6 Clove Brook Subwatershed – Pathogens Impairment Status 30

Figure 7 Papakating Creek Watershed Soils Breakdown 33

Figure 8 Soils Breakdown by Parcel for Sussex Borough 34

Figure 9 Papakating Creek Watershed Category 1 Stream Segments 38

Figure 10 WRWMG - Clove Acres Lake / Clove Brook Subwatershed 41
Chemical Sampling Locations
vi
Charts

Chart 1 Lot Sizes Bordering Clove Acres Lake / Clove Brook (Sussex 25
Borough) / Clove Brook (Wantage Township)

Chart 2 Lot Sizes Bordering Clove Acres Lake / Clove Brook (Sussex 26
Borough) / Clove Brook (Wantage Township) (re-scaled to
show greater detail for lot sizes greater than 10 acres)

Chart 3 Watershed Precipitation: Years 2002 - 2008 (first quarter) 36

Chart 4 Augmented Sampling Program for Total Phosphorus (Clove 47
Brook)

Chart 5 Clove Brook Augmented Sampling Site Statistics for Total 49
Phosphorus (Parallel Boxplots)

Chart 6 Papakating Creek Watershed (six HUC 14 subbasins) - Total 50
Phosphorus Annual Loading, Target Reduction Goal, and
Forecast Reduction Trend (Typical Example)

Chart 7 Clove Brook Subbasin (one HUC 14 subbasin) – Total 50
Phosphorus Annual Loading, Target Reduction Goal, and
Forecast Reduction Trend (Typical Example)

vii
Appendices

VOLUME I

I Recommended Implementation Projects (Top Priority)

I - 1 Streambank Stabilization and Restoration Along the Clove Brook
Near Brookside Park
I - 2 Installation of Stormwater Treatment Devices into Six Catch Basins
on Lakeshore Drive, along Clove Acres Lake
I - 3 Lakeside Riparian Restoration and Stabilization along the Route 23
Border of Clove Acres Lake
I - 4 Development and / or Updating of Agricultural Conservation Plans
for Active Farmland along the Clove Brook
I - 5 Establishment of the Wallkill River Watershed Management Group
as a Project Management - Oriented Implementation Entity for
Sussex County
I - 6 Implementation of Low-cost Riparian Buffer Projects on
Agricultural Lands
I - 7 Implementation of Fencing on Agricultural Lands to Minimize
Intrusion of Animals into Streams
I - 8 Implementation of Low-cost Projects to Remove Stream Debris
I - 9 Identification of Open Space Land Candidates
I - 10 Clove Acres lake – Recommendations from Princeton Hydro, LLC:
Broad Range of Lake / Tributary / Lakeshed Programs
I - 11 Development of an Education and Outreach Program for the
Clove Acres Lake / Clove Brook Watershed Restoration Plan

II GIS Non-point Pollutant-Modeling by SCOGIS and the WRWMG

III Preserved Farmland in the Clove Acres Lakeshed

IV Preserved Open Space in the Clove Acres Lakeshed

VOLUME II

WRWMG and Princeton Hydro Approved Project QAPPs

VOLUME III

Clove Acres Lake / Lakeshed Characterization Study and
Restoration Plan Prepared By Princeton Hydro, LLC

viii
ix