development and water resources in the pinelands area

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Development and Water Resources in the Pinelands AreaDaniel J. Van Abs, PhD, PP/AICPAssociate Research ProfessorRutgers University, Department of Human EcologyTeam: Oliver Stringham, Yuling GaoTechnical Support : New Jersey Future, Pinelands Preservation AllianceThis presentation is drawn from a recent report prepared for New Jersey Future. I would like to acknowledge my Rutgers team, and also the contributions to this report from Nick Dickerson and Tim Evans of New Jersey Future, and Dr. Amy Karpati and Rich Bizub of the Pinelands Preservation Alliance. Chris Sturm of New Jersey Future was the project manager.1New Jersey Future ProjectFunded by the William Penn FoundationMain Question: What lessons can be learned from the water resources impacts of historic and recent development in three Pinelands growth areas?Synthesis and Analysis no field work

Funding for the study came from the William Penn Foundation. The project focused on collecting and assessing existing information, in part with the aid of spreadsheet and GIS analyses. We did not conduct any field work due to budget limitations. The key question is shown on the slide.2Project AreasMedford/Medford Lakes/Evesham - SuburbanHammonton Historic Town CenterTuckerton/Little Egg Harbor Coastal VillageNot all within Pinelands Area

New Jersey Future selected three project areas, as shown here. Each represented a significantly different development pattern. Medford and Evesham Townships are both fairly typical suburban municipalities on the edge of the Pinelands ecosystem. Medford Lakes developed as a residential lakes community, while Hammonton is an historic agricultural area town center. Tuckerton, on the east coast, is an historic fishing and boat-building community. Both it and Little Egg Harbor now have extensive lagoon developments that were hit hard during Hurricane Sandy.3What We AssessedDemographicsLand use/land coverImpervious surfacesRiparian areasFlood prone areasForest areasWetland areasGround water rechargeProtected landsWater qualityWater availabilityWater infrastructureBuild-out potential

We assessed a large number of water-related issues associated with land uses and land cover, along with water quality, availability and infrastructure. New Jersey Future provided demographic information and build-out analyses, while the Pinelands Preservation Alliance used a new USGS water modeling tool to assess wetland impacts of water withdrawals.4Watershed & Municipal Focus

The report is primarily focused on HUC14 subwatersheds as the basis for assessment, as is appropriate for water resources issues. However, we also looked at municipality statistics where appropriate, such as for demographics. The Hammonton area map shows clearly that the town is truly a town center, surrounded by agriculture and forests. Impervious trends in the three project areas, in the upper right, show gradual increases between 1995 and 2007, with the highest overall levels in Medford Lakes. The lower right graph shows just one subwatershed in the Medford/Evesham project area, where large amounts of forests shifted to urban land in the periods from 1986-1995 and 2002-2007, but not during the two intermediate periods.5Evidence of Development

In this map set, we show the Pinelands Management Areas relative to the pre-1995 and post-1995 impervious surfaces for Hammonton. The darker pink areas are newer low-density impervious surfaces, while the dark brown are higher-density developments. Clearly much of the new impervious cover is within the Pinelands Town area, but some is not, indicating that some types of development were still possible in the more stringent Pinelands Development Areas.6Forest Losses

This map set shows forest losses, with the pink and red being losses from 1986 on. Some of these losses are to the north, outside of the Pinelands Area, but significant losses occur in the Rural Development Area, showing how low density development still eliminates significant forested areas.7Water Quality and AvailabilityQualityGround and surface water quality harmed by land usesSW pH, nutrients, arsenic and mercury are common issuesGW Nitrates, sodium chloride, contaminated sitesAvailabilityWe know what goes in (recharge)We know flows in many streamsWe know what is usedBut how much use is too much?We compiled available information on water quality, showing clearly that the growth areas result in degradation of both ground and surface water quality. Again, many of these impacts could predate the Pinelands Comprehensive Management Plan, but still need to be addressed. Regarding water availability, New Jersey is now grappling with the question of how the use of unconfined, or surficial, aquifers can be used without damaging the water table levels and surface water flows on which wetland, ponds, lakes and stream ecosystems depend. This issue is referred to as ecological flow goals, which to date have only been implemented in the New Jersey Highlands Regional Master Plan, and even there only to a limited extent. NJDEP and the Pinelands Commission staff are reportedly looking into how recent Pinelands Commission, USGS and NJDEP work should be used to address this issue.8Wetlands Impacts?

Figure 4-3. Wetlands Impacts from Current Aquifer Withdrawals: Hammonton Target Area (Source: Pinelands Preservation Alliance)Here is one map from the Pinelands Preservation Alliance using a USGS modeling tool. Hammonton is shown because they, of the three project areas, are most reliant on surficial aquifers. The results here show large scale lowering of the water table in wetlands areas from these uses, at levels considered a concern based on Pinelands Commission research. However, agencies have questioned whether this model is appropriate for this use.9Utility CapacityMedford/Evesham Critical Area #2 restrictionsHammonton Water allocation restrictions and move to GW discharge for STPTuckerton/Little Egg Harbor deep aquifer, but export sewageAll utilities: repair and replacement costsSewer service areas regulated by Pinelands Commission and NJDEP

Utility capacity issues exist in some way for all areas. Local aquifer supplies are restricted for the Medford/Evesham area, while Hammontons use of the surficial aquifers also has hit regulatory limits. Medford/Evesham sewage treatment plans appear to have sufficient capacity, while Hammonton is engaged in a major project to shift their discharge from surface water to ground water, and Tuckerton/Little Egg Harbor export all of their sewage to Ocean County, which increases local water availability effects. However, all of them face significant future costs to maintain and replace their water infrastructure systems.10Key RecommendationsWater Withdrawals New standards related to ecological impactsWater Quality Expand beyond focus on nitrates in Pinelands CMPRestoration Use redevelopment as a means of achieving restorationWatershed Plans Address watersheds that straddle Pinelands boundariesGrowth Area Plans address aggregate impacts of planned land uses

The report makes a number of recommendations for consideration by state agencies, counties and municipalities. The slide shows five of them, focused on better management of water withdrawals, a broader set of water quality objectives, the use of redevelopment efforts as a tool for environmental restoration, and the need for more planning to better manage the water resources impacts of growth areas.11Next StepsNew Jersey Future recommendationsDiscuss with agenciesImplement over time as possible

www.njfuture.org/research-publications/research-reports/growing-smart-water-wise/

New Jersey Future took the results of our report, consulted with a number of organizations and governments, and developed their recommendations for consideration. They are now in the process of discussing them with the relevant entities.12Contact Information Daniel J. Van Abs, PhD, PP/AICPAssociate Research Professor for Water, Society & EnvironmentDepartment of Human EcologySchool of Environmental & Biological SciencesRutgers-The State University of New Jersey55 Dudley Road, New Brunswick, NJ 08903vanabs@sebs.rutgers.eduhttp://humanecology.rutgers.edu/faculty.asp?fid=101