newton creek watershed photo documentation project
TRANSCRIPT
Click icon to add picture
Newton Creek Watershed Photo Documentation Project - 2016
Words of wisdom from Audubon, NJ baseball field
Project objective:•To look in the “nooks and crannies” and other out-of-the-way sections of the watershed to photo-document sources of non-point source pollution.• Identify some potential solutions.
Trash in creek and no riparian buffer to filter pollutants from land before reaching Newton Creek. – R02
Newton Creek, outside of the popular parks, is general abused and apparently a low priority. – R02
Nichols Pond near Newton Lake Collingswood – receives sewage overflow during heavy rains – R03
Sewage overflows flows into Newton during storms adding nutrients and bacteria and reducing area real estate values and quality of life. – R03
Peters Creek/the Gully near E. Atlantic Ave - source of foamy discharge from stormwater pipe needs investigation. – R07
Fertilizers, raw sewage, improperly disposed of lawn care waste all contribute to algal blooms and loss of recreational value of a county resource. – R03
Fish kills at Crystal Lake and through-out the watershed are a common occurrence
Old concrete roadbed disposed of near floodplain should be removed – R07
Volunteers from Haddon Township and Collingswood high schools, the Center for Aquatic Sciences in Camden and Rowan University received basic watershed and stormwater education, as well as how to geo-tag their photos taken with their own smartphones.
Base map used by volunteers. “Stream reaches” are marked as “R01” through “R30”.
Peters Creek/the Gully - vegetation planting could provide water quality enhancements – R07
Peters Creek partially piped underground in “the Gully.” – R07
Direct discharge of stormwater into Peter’s Creek. - R07
Stormwater inlet from Nicholson Rd. townhouses drains directly to Peters Creek. – R07
Nicholson Rd. townhouses stormwater runoff is eroding the embankment taking sediment to Peters Creek. – R07
Peters Creek flowing under utility right-of-way. – R07
Stormwater inlet drains oil, gas, antifreeze, road salt and grit from parking lot directly into lake. – R06
Stormwater outfall control structure appears to have been tampered with resulting in more untreated runoff from entering Peters Creek at a quicker rate. – R07
Street runoff from Haddon Heights into Haddon Lake. – R16
Stormwater outfall pipe drains Oaklyn neighborhoods. – R07
Make-shift retaining wall installed decades ago allowed filling of natural floodplain – R07
Drainage from Graisbury section of Haddon Twp flows into Saddler’s Run. –R02
Paul VI High School outfall erodes Saddlers Woods with sediment load ending up in Newton Lake. – R02
Residential property owners improperly dispose of lawn and leaf debris. – R02
Decomposition of lawn debris adds excess nutrients to Saddlers Run, then to Newton Lake where algal blooms and low dissolved oxygen are “fixed” with chemical applications and aeration. – R02
Lawn and leaf debris near Oaklyn DPW dumped improperly. – R07
PSE&G parking lot adjacent to Nicholson Rd. – R07
PSE&G parking lot causing erosion which then flows into Peter’s Creek where sedimentation and algal blooms are a public concern. – R07
PSE&G erosion. Another view. – R07
Stormwater drainage pipe near Kendall Blvd, Oaklyn, drains into utility right-of-way. – R07
Soap suds bubble-up through parking lot near car wash in Haddon Township. – R03
Riparian buffer cut behind Acme Markets, Cuthbert Blvd, Haddon Twp. – R02
Riparian buffer cutting near Acme. Different view. Buffers filter pollutants and absorb nutrients. – R02
Drainage from Acme parking lot flows directly into Newton Creek. – R02
Riparian buffer provides water quality and flood reduction benefits. Cutting here at Haddon Heights Park appears to be unwarranted. – R15
Riparian buffer in Haddon Heights Park could be restored especially if up-stream in-puts were reduced. – R15
Stormwater direct discharge into Newton Creek South Branch in Haddon Heights Park. – R15
Further downstream accelerated erosion degrades usable open space with sediment load going to Haddon Lake. – R15
Stream velocity during storm events erodes base of pedestrian bridge. – R15
12,000 sf. riparian buffer cut reportedly so people could view water better. - R04
Active recreational use leaves hillside exposed sending dirt into Newton Lake. – R03
The volunteers also found some natural beauty and some areas that appear to be in relatively good health. This forested buffer provides many water quality benefits. - R07
A tranquil, well-used hiking trail in a forested riparian area. – R07
Some erosion and invasive plants, but generally, this forested buffer in “ the Gully” near E. Atlantic Ave., provides water quality and natural flood control benefits. - R07
Community gardens where urban farmers wonder if tidal Newton Creek is clean enough for crop irrigation. – R27
Tidal mud flats along Newton are largely inaccessible and in need of restoration. – R27
Riparian buffers provide habitat. – R03
Healthy riparian buffer, but county cuts more frequently than recommended. – R03
Sediment collection chamber near Cuthbert Blvd. gets long over-due maintenance. – R03
Litter clean-ups is one piece of the puzzle. – R20
Rain gardens reduce pollution loading in Peters Creek. – R07
Rain garden increases infiltration of stormwater back into the ground and not direct discharge into Saddler’s Run. – R02
Click icon to add picture
For more information, contactthe Delaware Riverkeeper
Network215.369.1188
www.delawareriverkeeper.org