See the Story Map page to take a walk down the Whale Pond Brook watershed with Michael Davenport, a former Ocean Township Environmental Commissioner and NJ DEP employee created this story map for us. It won 2nd place in the 32nd Annual GIS Mapping Contest for NJ DEP.
Do you know the state tree of New jersey?
Where can you go to get out of the sun? Why is the sidewalk so hot? Where is the shade?
All gone along with the trees!
The trees. They make the shade, cool the air, produce fruit, keep the air clean and are home to birds, pollinators and insects.
They are G-d’s gift to man. Should we just take down as many as we can? Should we ignore their gifts to us? It is up to us.
What will your choices be and what will they do to our future? Your choices will make a difference to our children and future generations.
We can choose to make a difference now.
M. Goldstein, concerned citizen
Bob Sandberg’s soul mate, sister, nephew and grand niece joined members of the Shore Group of the Sierra Club and trustees of the Whale Pond Brook Watershed Association as we installed a copper weathervane at Ross Lake Park. Bob, who loved sailing, would be honored to know that a sailboat to help steer the way has been dedicated to him for his leadership spirit. Bob was a coast guard veteran and would say ‘cool beans’ when he liked something. We hope he’s saying that now.
This year, 2023 – 2024, the Long Branch Environmental Commission will be working to enhance our stormwater ordinance. We want to build upon the energy created when Long Branch added some additional green enhancements to their local stormwater ordinance. Together we are making a difference in the amount of stormwater runoff in our watersheds.
Our next step is to help our towns amend the newly adopted ordinance by adding the ‘redevelopment’ enhancement. The Watershed Institute’s sample ordinance definition of redevelopment follows:
“Redevelopment” means an activity that results in the creation, addition, or replacement of impervious surface area on an already developed site. Redevelopment includes, but is not limited to: the expansion of a building footprint; addition or replacement of a structure or a portion of a structure regardless of footprint; and replacement of impervious surface area that is not part of a routine maintenance activity. If a project is considered to be a redevelopment project, all new impervious cover, whether created by adding to or replacing impervious cover that was in existence before the redevelopment occurs, shall be considered in calculating the requirements for stormwater management. However, any such new impervious cover that will drain into an existing stormwater best management practice that is to remain after the redevelopment and that meets current stormwater management requirements shall be deducted from the total amount of impervious surface that must be treated by new stormwater best management practices. In the case of a redevelopment project, the pre-developed land cover shall be considered to be wooded.
For example, if you have an old strip mall that is being redeveloped, we want the developer to follow the green infrastructure guidelines as if this were a new development.
Since most of our towns are mostly built up, redevelopment will predominate. Send this definition to your municipal engineer. If you want help, contact: faithtei@aol.com
Ross Lake Park September 2023 was showing off its fall beauty, getting ready for the Monmouth County Native Plant Society Garden Tour. Tropical Storm Ophelia put an end to that. We wanted you to get a glimpse of what you would have seen.
We are excited to show our Ross Lake Journal for the month of September! Written by Carin Sharp, this journal details the parks transition into the fall, the different people we have met at the park, and their stories. We encourage & welcome everyone to come and enjoy the beauty of the park while the weather gets cooler!
The parks address is: 19 Elinore Avenue, Long Branch NJ. We hope to see new/ returning visitors at the park & if anyone takes any pictures of the park send it to us on instagram @whalepondwatershednj to have your picture featured on our account!
Please register for the event on the Urban Coast Institute’s website by clicking here. Attendees will be provided a link to the webinar upon registering.
Please join us for a free expert panel discussion on how stormwater pollution and flooding affects the health of local water bodies. The event is being hosted by the Whale Pond Brook Watershed Association in partnership with Clean Ocean Action, the Long Branch Green Team, the Monmouth University Urban Coast Institute, and the New Jersey Chapter of the Sierra Club.
Sophie Glovier, municipal policy specialist for the Watershed Institute, will discuss steps residents can take to combat stormwater runoff pollution in their towns.
Dr. Jason Adolf, Monmouth University endowed associate professor in marine science, will share observations from current research on the linkages between rainfall and microbial pollution at surfing beaches near outflow pipes and storm drains in Asbury Park, Deal and Long Branch.
For more information or questions, contact Faith Teitelbaum at faithteitel@gmail.com.
To register, click here.
Kansas City has become a national leader in stormwater management by combining green infrastructure and digital technology! Read about why we should push for Stormwater Utility near us!
PROBLEM WITH COMBINED SEWERS
Sewers are buried 8 ft underground which creates the perfect out of sight out of mind illusion. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, there are 748 U.S. cities with combined sewer systems, totaling more than 9,000 raw-sewage outfalls, discharging an estimated 850 billion gallons of untreated sewage into U.S. waterways annually (Features, Sidewalk Talk. “The Future of Stormwater Management Runs through Kansas City”).
THE FUTURE OF STORMWATER MANAGEMENT RUNS THROUGH KANSAS CITY
During heavy rainfalls, stormwater runoff enters the city’s aging combined sewer system, where it mixes with raw sewage, fills the pipe beyond its capacity, and discharges its overflow through those outfalls and straight into the Blue River. It pollutes riverbanks, parks, beaches, marine life, and drinking water on the Missouri and Mississippi rivers.
KANSAS CITY’S UNIQUE SOLUTION
Kansas City created the unique solution called Smart Sewer Program. Smart Sewer Program: combining green infrastructure to soak up excess rainfall and monitor the rain flow using digital technology. The solution lies in working with the water and not against it. As Kansas City is experiencing more extreme rainfall than it did 10 years ago, the sewer discharge is declining thanks to this program!
USING GREENERY TO CAPTURE RAINFALL
To help alleviate the amount of rainfall flowing into sewage systems above ground installations such as rain gardens, bioswales, planted medians, curb bump-outs, and street tree plantings with deep soil cells were introduced. This helped to gather, retain, and use stormwater while also keeping it from overwhelming the sewer system. These solutions soak up rainfall like a sponge.
CLOUD BASED TECHNOLOGY
Kansas City controls the volume of water in the Gardner Reservoir by using a valve that’s controlled by cloud connected sensors and local weather forecasts. If the reservoir is full and a storm is coming, the technology opens the valve to drain some water and closes it before the storm comes.
source: https://medium.com/sidewalk-talk/the-future-of-stormwater-management-runs-through-kansas-city-1c4b3dfe219b
ROSS LAKE JOURNAL: EARLY JULY
We are going native with our garden at Ross Lake Park. Local pollinators, such as butterflies, bees and birds are all adapted to native New Jersey plants. Their flowers are as varied as the pollinators that visit. This time of year brings scarlet bee balm, purple coneflowers, and moonbeam tickseed. Blazing stars send up flower covered spikes and the drooping white flowers of the sweet pepperbush attract with their sweet fragrance.
3. Moonbeam tickseed (Coreopsis)
4. Blazing star (Liatris)
5. Sweet pepperbush (Cethra)
What We Have to Offer
Whether it be trails, parks, brook preserves, a lake or a beach… we got it all! Check out all the awesome places to explore.
What are watersheds?
Watersheds are areas of land that channels rainfall and snowmelt to streams, creeks, and rivers eventually to outflow areas such as oceans, bays, or reservoirs. These bodies of water supply our drinking water, water for agriculture and manufacturing, and hosts some of our favorite recreational actives such as canoeing or fishing.
Why We Need Clean and Healthy Watersheds
Watersheds play an important part in sustaining life. Various forms of pollution, including runoff and erosion, can interfere with the health of watersheds. They are important to everyone and everything that uses and depends on water. Watersheds can provide critical services such as clean drinking water, productive fisheries, and outdoor recreation that support our economies, environment, and quality of life.
What you can do to help
Facts and Figures
A national water quality survey of the nation’s rivers and streams showed that 55% of the nation’s flowing waters are in poor biological condition (U.S. EPA, 2013).
Nearly 40% of fish in North American freshwater streams, rivers, and lakes are found to be vulnerable, threatened, or endangered; nearly twice as many as were included on the imperiled list from a similar survey conducted in 1989 (Jelks et al., 2008).
