Musconetcong Water Quality Report Card

The Musconetcong
Watershed Association
Water Quality Report Card 2015
Willow Street
Lake Hopatcong
Lake Musconetcong
Route 57
Point Mountain Bridge
Mt. Joy Rd
Stream
Municipal
Boundary
0
2.5
5
Miles
10
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The Musconetcong Watershed
Introduction
We live in a region that is well known for its
clean water for drinking as well as excellent
industrial, agricultural and recreational opportunities. If we want to maintain and improve
water quality, we need to work together to
keep our rivers, lakes and streams healthy and
to return to a more natural state. The Musconetcong Watershed Association (MWA) Water
Quality Program is pleased to release our first
Watershed Report Card, which provides a
snapshot of the health of our watershed. The
report card was designed, with funding from
the Watershed Institute and in partnership with
the Lake Hopatcong Foundation, to help the
watershed’s 25 municipalities and their citizens
understand how to protect and improve their
water resources. The information provided is
based on quarterly data collected in April, July,
October of 2014 and January 2015 by MWA
River Watchers, a group of dedicated citizen
scientists. In general, the data from sampling
sites shows that we have good water quality,
but some areas need more attention.
site has indicators as to whether the measurements show optimal, sub-optimal, marginal or
poor conditions.
About the Watershed Report Card
For more information about the MWA, visit our
website at www.musconetcong.org.
The new Watershed Report Card is divided
into two sections. The first section describes
four indicators of water quality: summer water
temperatures, average nitrates, habitat and
aquatic life. This section also addresses how
this information is important to both wildlife
and our families, and what you can do to help
improve water quality. The second section
contains an evaluation of four River Watcher
sites where data was collected in 2014. Each
About the Watershed
The Musconetcong watershed has a drainage
area of 158 square miles and includes many
lakes and tributaries—most notably Lake Hopatcong, the largest freshwater body in New
Jersey, covering an astounding 4 square miles.
The Musconetcong River stretches 42 miles
from its headwaters at Lake Hopatcong to the
Delaware River in Riegelsville, NJ. The entire
watershed has been the focus of preservation,
protection, and restoration, and is one of the
few watersheds in New Jersey showing a
clear improvement in water quality over the
past decades.
The MWA works to maintain and improve
the health of the river through education, river
restoration projects and advocacy during
decision-making.
Technical information about methods and quality
assurance can be found on the MWA website at
www.musconetcong.org/waterquality.php.
Information about water quality in Lake Hopatcong
can be found at www.lakehopatcongfoundation.org
Temperature
In a healthy forested watershed, temperatures
rise in the spring; snow melts and is absorbed
by the soil. The soil slowly releases the cool
water into our rivers and lakes. When we
remove forests and trees next to the river and
replace them with unshaded lawns and pavement, the water can’t be absorbed; it heats up
and runs off into local waterways. Too much
warm water running into our local rivers and
lakes harms our families and local wildlife.
How? Both water quantity and quality are
affected by rising temperatures. Warm water
evaporates more quickly than cool water,
resulting in less water in our lakes and rivers.
This limits the amount of water we have available to use and also make it difficult for fish and
other aquatic animals to reach smaller water
bodies that provide refuge from predators.
When water temperatures are high, water
quality is lowered in ways that harm both
people and the organisms that live in our river
and lakes. Warm water allows pollutants to
combine to form toxic compounds that harm
us, but it also lowers the amount of oxygen
in the water that aquatic organisms need to
survive. Most aquatic creatures in our watershed thrive in water temperatures below 65°F.
Above 72°F, many species stop breeding.
When temperatures rise to 77°F—even if it’s
only for a few hours—these species will die.
Many of these aquatic organisms filter out
pollutants and breakdown debris in our lakes
and rivers that support our drinking water
sources. Without them, water treatment costs
can become very expensive.
Water temperature is an early signal that
local lakes and streams are having a problem.
We can work together to fix it before it affects
drinking water supplies and the health of
our families. The Musconetcong Watershed
Association and Lake Hopatcong Foundation
work with local organizations public agencies
and private landowners to reduce pavement
near the river and lakes.
What You Can Do to Help
Maintain shade and low
temperature by leaving a
wide strip of native trees,
shrubs and tall plants
along the river.
Build driveways and
sidewalks out of bricks,
stones or pavers to reduce runoff by allowing
water to pass through
and into the soil.
Help local organizations
plant more trees and
shrubs along waterways
Wash your car on the
lawn rather than on
the hot pavement to
reduce runoff.
Nitrates
It’s very important to keep nitrates out of our
lakes and streams because these toxic compounds can affect the health of our families,
pets, and livestock, as well as wildlife. We
can keep nitrates out of the river and lakes by
using less fertilizer on lawns or farm fields,
maintaining our septic systems, and leaving
a buffer of native plants, shrubs and trees at
the edge of our waterways.
Due to our local geology, the water from
our river and lake mixes with groundwater
that feeds both municipal and private wells.
So when nitrates get into these water bodies,
it affects drinking water.
When people drink water contaminated
with levels of nitrates over 10 milligrams/liter,
they can become seriously ill with a condition called methemoglobinemia or “blue baby
syndrome.” People who have low stomach
acidity (pregnant women and babies) may have
difficulty breathing and sometimes risk death.
When you see rapid algae growth in Lake
Hopatcong, the Musconetcong River and
other bodies of water in the watershed, high
levels of nitrates from fertilizers or septic
systems may be concentrating in the water.
When algae grow quickly, it absorbs the
oxygen dissolved in the water that fish and
other organisms need to breathe, resulting in
large numbers of fish dying. Not only does
it affect recreational fishing, boating, farming
and wildlife, it can also make neighborhoods
near waterbodies less attractive.
The Musconetcong River and Lake Hopatcong normally have low natural nitrate
levels below 2 milligrams per liter (2 mg/l).
The MWA has found low, but increasing
levels in some parts of the river. This may be
a sign of fertilizer overuse or leaking septic
tanks. MWA will closely watch nitrate
levels in the river for the next few years.
What You Can Do to Help
Test your well water for
nitrates and bacteria at
least once per year by a
certified lab. If your water
is supplied by the town,
you may request a report
that shows nitrate levels.
Maintain your septic system.
Have a professional service check
and pump it every three years.
Mow less often and use less
fertilizer. Ask your local nursery
how to replace your lawn with
native shrubs and plants—they
don’t need fertilizer and require
less water!
Aquatic Life
Detecting the presence or absence of some
animals that live in our rivers, streams and lakes
can help us protect our own health. When
we find these organisms in large numbers we
know that what we are doing on the land isn’t
affecting the waterway; when they are missing
we know that something is wrong. We can
use this information to make sure we have
clean water for drinking and other uses like
recreation, agriculture or manufacturing.
These creatures, called benthic macroinvertebrates, are tiny insects, mollusks, and
crustaceans that live in the bottom of rivers
and lakes. They live by eating algae on rocks,
shredding dead leaves, filtering out particles
to eat, or eating other macroinvertebrates. All
other plants and animals in the area around the
river depend on these creatures in some way.
Without them, our rivers and lakes don’t work
properly.
The Aquatic Life score reflects how what
we do on the land affects stream health. Clean,
healthy streams surrounded by forested land
with low impervious cover can support a variety
of organisms; these areas have Aquatic Life
scores above 21.When a stream becomes polluted, or if impervious surface increases on the
land, the score goes down until the problem is
corrected. Poor scores below 11 indicate that
what we are doing on the land could affect our
health, and should be addressed immediately.
The MWA and LHF work to ensure that
people know what kinds of activities affect life
in the water so we can all make better decisions.
What You Can Do to Help
Sweep walkways to
remove debris. Spraying
walkways with water
washes debris into
storm drains, and adds
sediment to the bottom
of rivers and lakes
Cut down on pollution
by disposing of household chemicals properly.
Don’t pour them into
waterways or down any
storm drains.
Pile compost, mulch,
leaves, soil or other debris
away from the river edge.
Stormwater can wash
loose materials into the
river and smother aquatic
organisms.
Plant native trees and
shrubs along the river banks
and shorelines. They will
provide cool shade and food
for macroinvertebrates.
Habitat
A healthy stream in our watershed provides
habitat for many different kinds of organisms. The bottom has layers of rocks to hide
in; banks are covered with native plants with
leaves to eat, and there are shallow, deep, fast
and slow areas that provide conditions to
suit all different types of aquatic life.
When upstream areas are disturbed, such
as when impervious cover increases, or the
flow is disrupted, downstream areas can
change quickly. These changes can destroy
wildlife habitat downstream, but can also
harm our communities: lower water quality
and quantity, damage to bridges, roads,
nearby houses and businesses can also be
costly to repair. By observing habitat health
we can also gather information to protect
our communities as well as protect wildlife.
MWA uses a survey to determine whether
stream habitat health is optimal, suboptimal,
marginal or poor. This visual habitat survey
allows us to score various aspects of stream
health. Each aspect provides a clue about
stream habitat health that can be used to
inform community decisions. For example
when bank stability of a site receives a low
score, it indicates that the bank is losing
soil quickly. Soil loss on banks affects the
habitat of the aquatic plants and animals,
but bank instability also makes bridges and
roads unsafe, and can make nearby houses
and businesses vulnerable to flooding. So
the score of each aspect, as well as the total
Habitat Assessment Score, can be used to
identify a problem and avoid a costly crisis
for both river wildlife and our citizens.
What You Can Do to Help
Keep trees and shrubs
along lakes and river
banks. Cutting trees,
shrubs, and other roots
that stabilize banks
can lead to bank collapse
and property loss.
Leave your lawn long
near the bank. Long
grasses can help keep
soil from eroding into
the river.
Leave rocks and boulders in waterways; they
stabilize the stream and
provide habitat.
Consult with a professional
engineer before moving large
rocks in a stream. Changes
to streams can damage downstream properties, roads
and bridges.
Willow Street
Roxbury Township, Morris County
Category
Result
Assessment
Temperature
Average
Nitrate
Aquatic
Life Score
Habitat
Score
74°F
1 mg/l
21
145
Optimal
Sub-Optimal
Summer Water
Marginal
Sub-Optimal
What’s Reducing
Water Quality?
Water Temperature
Sediment in
Habitat Score
What’s Supporting
Water Quality?
Preserved land on the
Sussex County Side
This site is in a quiet residential neighborhood on the east side of the river, about one
mile downstream of the Lake Hopatcong dam and about 500 feet upstream of where the
Musconetcong River enters Lake Musconetcong. The west side of the stream is forested
parkland. The water level is affected by changes in flow at the Lake Hopatcong dam.
Aquatic Life scores were Sub-optimal in 2014, with 24% of the sample containing
sensitive organisms. Summer water temperatures are marginal for this site; they meet
the criteria for Trout Maintenance Waters, but are above the “rolling average” criteria
for these waters. Nitrate meets the state criteria. A large amount of sediment at this site
was noted. River Watchers report that fishermen build a weir here every year, which
raises the water level about two feet immediately upstream. The weir slows upstream
flow which causes sediment to build up, and contributes to higher water temperatures
and low dissolved oxygen levels. The area around the site is 60% urban and has 27%
impervious cover.
Route 57
Hackettstown, Warren County
Category
Result
Assessment
Temperature
Average
Nitrate
Aquatic
Life Score
Habitat
Score
72°F
1 mg/l
19
106
Optimal
Sub-Optimal
Summer Water
Sub-Optimal
Marginal
What’s Reducing
Water Quality?
Water Temperature
Poor riparian buffer
Impervious cover
What’s Supporting
Water Quality?
Some riparian buffer
upstream on farm
fields
The Route 57 site is behind the Dairy Queen in Hackettstown, near a bustling
highway. Historically this section of the river was known as a great trout stream.
The Warren County side of the river is highly developed with occasional trees and
no riparian buffer; the Morris County side has agricultural fields with a narrow
riparian buffer less than 50 feet wide. Aquatic Life scores were Sub-optimal in 2014.
Nitrates met the water quality criteria. Temperatures just met the criteria for Trout
Maintenance waters in summer, but dissolved oxygen levels were low at this time.
The Habitat Score was in the Marginal range.
This site has severely eroded banks on the Warren County side. The land
owner reports that a small weir at the site is slowing the water and sediment is
building up behind it, widening the river. The area around this site is 50% urban
and 25% impervious cover.
Point Mountain Bridge
Hackettstown, Warren County
Category
Result
Assessment
Temperature
Average
Nitrate
Aquatic
Life Score
Habitat
Score
65.3°F
2 mg/l
26
159
Sub-optimal
Optimal
Summer Water
Optimal
Sub-optimal
What’s Reducing
Water Quality?
Nitrate
Sediment
What’s Supporting
Water Quality?
Preserved land
upstream
Low impervious cover
The Point Mountain site is 50 feet downstream of a bridge connecting two areas
of open space. There is no development for at least one mile upstream, with agricultural fields upstream on the Warren County side with a steep riparian buffer
approximately 50 feet wide. Aquatic Life scores were Optimal in 2014; about 40%
of the sample contained very sensitive organisms. Nitrate levels averaged 1mg/l
in previous years, but are now 2mg/l; the NJDEP data also shows that nitrates have
risen. Summer temperatures and dissolved oxygen levels meet the criteria for waters
designated Trout Maintenance; this site is in a Trout Conservation Area. The area
around this site is 10% urban and has 2% impervious coverage.
Sediment in the river downstream of the bridge has been increasing in recent
years, and there is severe widening and erosion immediately upstream and downstream of the bridge. A stream restoration project was completed in 2015 in this
section of the river.
Mount Joy Road
Holland Township, Hunterdon County
Category
Result
Assessment
Temperature
Average
Nitrate
Aquatic
Life Score
Habitat
Score
65.3°F
1.5 mg/l
23
144
Optimal
Optimal
Summer Water
Optimal
Sub-Optimal
What’s Reducing
Water Quality?
Sediment
What’s Supporting
Water Quality?
Preserved land
upstream
Low impervious cover
This site is downstream from Finesville, and 1000 feet downstream of a 2011 dam
removal/restoration. There is limited development upstream of the site; 500 feet of
the Hunterdon County side of the river is protected by the state. The area around
this site is 15% urban with 4% impervious cover.
Biological assessment scores were Optimal in 2014, with 60% of the sample
containing sensitive organisms. Nitrates met the criteria and are Optimal for this site.
Summer temperatures and dissolved oxygen levels met the criteria for waters that are
designated Trout Maintenance. Sediment is moving through this site steadily and the
site is showing other improvements each year following the dam removal.
Conclusion
The Musconetcong Watershed Association
and its sister organization, the Lake Hopatcong
Foundation, are confident that water quality
improvements are possible in the watershed.
While reaching Optimal criteria for all of the
indicators is a long-term goal for all areas, for
some areas an interim goal may be necessary.
What can the community expect to achieve if
we all work together to make some of the
suggested changes?
also makes the businesses along this stretch
of river very vulnerable to flooding. Local
business owners are discussing ways of minimizing damage by planting native shrubs
and trees; the municipality can help by encouraging the owners and helping identify
funding sources, grants and potential partners.
Landowners can call the Musconetcong
Watershed Association for more information
and assistance.
Willow Street
Point Mountain Bridge
Because the Willow Street site is in a highly
developed area of the watershed with a great
deal of impervious surface that affects habitat
and aquatic life, we don’t expect this site to
reach Optimal conditions for Aquatic Life or
Habitat. However, if the weir located at the
site is removed and normal flows restored, we
can expect the stream channel to narrow and
vegetation on both banks to grow normally.
Vegetation planted on the stream bank will be
able to cool the water, lowering summer water
temperatures to at least Sub-optimal levels.
Removing the weir will also, in hot weather,
allow fish in shallow, warm areas to swim to
small upstream waterways that are cooled by
groundwater.
This site is already surrounded by a large
amount of open space; there is little that can
be done to restore this site. However, local
residents could make sure that they pump their
septic systems regularly and have their wells
tested once per year for bacteria and nitrates.
Some septic companies will put clients on a
regular three-year maintenance program that
can be beneficial. In addition, some of the
towns in this area have programs that provide
inexpensive well testing opportunities. Ask
your municipality for more information.
Route 57
Improving the riparian buffer and reducing
the amount of impervious cover near the river
could improve summer water temperatures
to Optimal and improve stream habitat to
Sub-optimal levels. The lack of riparian buffer
Mt Joy Road
This site has near Optimal conditions and is
unlikely to improve drastically. Municipalities
should continue to work with citizens and the
Musconetcong Watershed Association to
protect small tributaries and areas along the
river to ensure that this section of the river
remains healthy.