Take the Barnegat Bay Buddy Challenge

RELEASE: July 11, 2008 – Volume XL, No. 28

To many Jersey Shore lovers, it is known simply as the “The Bay” - that great body of water on the opposite side of the barrier island from the ocean beach. To those who know it well, Barnegat Bay is rich in history and nature, a treasure hidden in the shadow of the more obvious charms of the ocean shore. It is also facing big environmental threats.

More than one-third of the 660-square mile Barnegat Bay Watershed is now developed, including an estimated 2,000 acres of low-lying woodlands that link ground water to surface waters like streams and rivers. Sandy Pine Barrens soils in the watershed absorb exceptional amounts of water – up to 22 inches in some cases – but development compresses the sandy soil into something more akin to concrete. Combined with the actual paving that comes with development, much of the water that should be filtering through those woodlands now runs off directly into the streams feeding Barnegat Bay.

Along the way, rainwater picks up excess nitrogen and other nutrients from things like lawn fertilizers. High levels of these pollutants in the Bay cause algae blooms that smother native sea grass beds, harm native fish, promote the growth of invasive species and generally alter the ecosystem.

In 1995, the Trust for Public Land published The Century Plan: A Study of One Hundred Conservation Sites in the Barnegat Bay Watershed, a report that galvanized land conservation efforts. Since then, many important open lands have been preserved along the Barnegat Bay waterfront. But as our understanding of watersheds has grown, it has become clear that the best way to protect water quality may be to preserve priority tracts farther inland – the sandy-soiled woodlands and stream corridors.

The most effective preservation programs combine land acquisition with sound land use planning. Critical to protecting the Bay are local planning and zoning rules that protect sensitive stream corridors and woodlands, building codes that minimize soil compaction, and innovative controls for stormwater runoff.

While these kinds of solutions need action and cooperation among government agencies, average New Jersey citizens can help, too. That’s why Clean Ocean Action and Save Barnegat Bay have launched their “Barnegat Bay Buddy Challenge.” Watershed residents are encouraged to voluntarily reduce nitrogen pollution on their own properties and in their daily lives. Something as simple as switching to an environmentally-friendly fertilizer can improve the Bay’s health.

Of course, what’s happening in the Barnegat Bay Watershed is also happening in other watersheds throughout this state we’re in. Though pollution may vary depending on location and other factors, the combination of overdevelopment and stormwater runoff is a lethal one-two punch. Integrated solutions - including land conservation, sound planning, strict pollution controls and individual citizen action - can turn the tide.

For more information about becoming a Barnegat Bay Buddy, visit the websites www.cleanoceanaction.org and www.savebarnegatbay.org. And I hope you’ll contact me at info@njconservation.org, or visit NJCF’s website at www.njconservation.org, for more information about conserving New Jersey’s precious land and natural resources.

Return to SWI Columns