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New Meadowlands Stadium Project Preliminary Environmental Impact Statement

4.4 Floodplains

4.4.1 Existing Conditions

A floodplain is defined as any land area susceptible to being inundated by flood waters

from any source (44 CFR 59). The 100-year floodplain is the area of land inundated by a

flood event that has a one percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given

year. A large portion of the HMD is located in the 100-year floodplain of the Hackensack

River, as mapped by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Many

developed areas in the HMD are located in floodplains and are vulnerable to extreme

tidal flooding events (USACE and USEPA, 1995).

Flooding in the HMD can be caused by either extreme rainfall events (fluvial flooding) or

by abnormally high tidal water levels (tidal flooding) resulting from storms such as

hurricanes. The major sources that contribute to regional flooding include tidal flows that

enter the Hackensack River from Newark Bay and, to a minor degree, fluvial

(freshwater) flows from areas within the Hackensack River watersheds. These

freshwater flows consist primarily of stormwater runoff from land within the watershed,

but also include groundwater baseflow. Given the intensity of development within the

HMD, however, the groundwater component of the freshwater flows is less significant

due to the higher impervious land coverage and resulting lower groundwater infiltration

in the area. Previous hydrodynamic modeling conducted as part of the Special Area

Management Plan Draft EIS (SAMP DEIS) for the area indicated that the greatest flows

to the lower Hackensack River in the vicinity of the Project Area are attributed to tidal

flows from Newark Bay (USACE and USEPA, 1995).

According to the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) for Bergen County the

Project Area is located almost entirely within the 100-year floodplain (Zone AE) of

Berry’s Creek and Berry’s Creek Canal, which empty into the Hackensack River

downstream of the site (Figure 4-10) (FEMA, 2005). The FEMA FIRM and Flood

Insurance Study (FIS) for Bergen County indicate that the floodplain elevations for the

100-year and 500-year frequency storms vary throughout the Project Area (FEMA,

2005). The elevations range from 8.4 to 8.6 feet for the 100-year frequency storm and

9.0 to 9.1 feet for the 500-year frequency storm.

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4.4.2 Impacts and Mitigation

The Stadium Project’s stormwater management system has been designed to provide

adequate collection and conveyance of site stormwater runoff for localized fluvial storm

events (Langan, 2006a). Stormwater runoff within the majority of the Project Area will

enter the NJSEA lagoon system. The lagoon system will continue to provide the

necessary stormwater management for runoff from the Project Area. The proposed

stormwater management plan is discussed in more detail in Section 4.10.2.1. The

Stormwater Management Report for the Stadium Project is provided in Appendix C.

The Stadium Project will require the placement of fill in the 100-year floodplain for site

grading and construction of Project structures. The first floor elevation of the Stadium,

Ancillary Development, and Giants Training Facility will be 11 feet NGVD, approximately

2 feet above the 100-year flood elevation. The 100-year floodplain in the Project Area is

governed by tidal flooding. Therefore, the placement of fill in the 100-year floodplain for

the Stadium Project is anticipated to have a negligible effect on current flooding

conditions and overall floodplain storage volume within the Berry’s Creek and Berry’s

Creek Canal floodplain and the greater Hackensack River floodplain. In accordance with

NJDEP policies, potential reductions in the flood storage volume resulting from

development within a 100-year tidal floodplain are minor in comparison to the

magnitude and extent of the 100-year tidal flood. As such, no additional mitigation is

proposed for potential impacts to the floodplain in the Project Area.

As the site design progresses, additional analyses will be conducted to confirm that

placing fill within the 100-year floodplain will not affect floodplain elevations upstream or

downstream of the Project Area. A Stream Encroachment Permit Application will be

submitted to NJDEP for the activities proposed within the floodplain as part of the

Stadium Project. No regulated activities will occur within the floodplain prior to the

receipt of a Stream Encroachment Permit from the NJDEP.

4.5 Tidelands


Tidelands, or riparian lands, are those lands now or formerly flowed by the mean high

water tide, that are held in trust by the State unless released by a tidelands instrument

such as a grant, lease, or license (N.J.A.C. 7:7E-1.1 et seq.). Lands formerly flowed by

the mean high water tide as well as tideland conveyances are shown on a series of

tideland maps prepared by the State of New Jersey. Tidelands in and around the

Project Area are shown on NJDEP Tideland maps 714-2160, and 714-2166, 721-2160,

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and 721-2166. A composite of these four Tidelands maps is provided in Figure 4-11, the

Tidelands Composite Map.

A tidelands grant was issued by the State of New Jersey to the NJSEA in 1973 for

riparian interests for the Meadowlands Sports Complex property. On January 19, 1982,

the State of New Jersey and the NJSEA executed an amendment to the 1973 Contract

of Sale between the State of New Jersey and the NJSEA wherein the State conveyed

its interests in all currently and formerly flowed tidelands within the Meadowlands

Sports Complex Property (Liber S-6, Pages 21-25) (Appendix D).


With the issuance of a tidelands grant by the State for the entire Meadowlands Sports

Complex property in 1982, the State relinquished any tidelands interest in the Sports

Complex property including those lands within the Project Area. The Stadium Project

does not involve any work or improvements outside the boundaries of the

Meadowlands Sports Complex. No work is proposed within any existing tidally flowed

wetland or waterway. Therefore, no tideland instruments are necessary for the Stadium

Project.

4.6 Vegetation


Although highly developed, the HMD is an urban area that provides diverse habitats for

wildlife and plant life in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan region (Kiviat and

MacDonald, 2004). Wetlands make up approximately 8,400 acres of the HMD and

include brackish and freshwater marshes dominated by the common reed (Phragmites

australis), cordgrass (Spartina) marshes, and hardwood swamps (NJMC, 2004; Kiviat

and MacDonald, 2004). Upland habitats are found on bedrock and wetland fill with the

majority of vegetated upland areas in the HMD found on inactive solid waste disposal

sites that have become re-vegetated. Vegetation in these areas, typical of early to mid-

stages of field succession, is dominated by herbaceous plants and small shrubs and

trees that are described as opportunistic, reproducing quickly and in large quantities to

rapidly colonize disturbed areas. The mixture of wetland and upland habitats in the

HMD gives rise to a diversity of plant life. Few undeveloped areas remain in the HMD

today that are not wetlands, open water areas, or filled and contaminated uplands

(NJMC, 2004).

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Prior to development of the Meadowlands Sports Complex in the early 1970s, over 60%

of the Meadowlands Sports Complex property was comprised of wetland and upland

areas vegetated by common reed (Jack McCormick & Associates, 1972 and USACE,

1975). The construction of the Meadowlands Sports Complex during the 1970s

eliminated most of the wetlands on the property except for the 130-acre tidal marsh

(Walden Swamp) associated with Berry’s Creek on the West Site of the Sports Complex

and the remnants of the Cedar Creek tidal system on the East Site. The majority of

these wetland areas are dominated by common reed (NJSEA, 2004 and USACE, 2004).

With the issuance of a USACE Section 404 Permit for the Xanadu Project, the

Meadowlands Xanadu developer was granted authority to fill approximately 7.6 acres of

the wetland areas associated with Cedar Creek (NJSEA, 2004).

Today, parking lots, roadways, and buildings cover the majority of the Meadowlands

Sports Complex property. The majority of the upland vegetated areas in the Sports

Complex consist mainly of maintained lawn and landscaped areas around the perimeter

of the property as well as landscaped traffic islands.

More than 95% of the Project Area is developed with impervious surfaces including

buildings, roadways, and parking areas (see Figures 2-5, 4-12 and 4-13). The Project

Area lacks any naturally vegetated areas and only contains maintained lawns and

landscaped islands within the parking areas and along internal roadways. The largest

vegetated area is the grassed infield area located along Route 120 (Figure 2-5). Trees

that have been planted in the Project Area include White Oak (Quercus alba), Northern

White Pine (Pinus strobus), Austrian Pine (Pinus nigra), Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum),

Eastern Cottonwood (Populos deltoids) and Black Cherry (Prunus serotina).


Due to the already developed nature of the site, the Stadium Project will not result in a

significant impact to existing vegetation. The Stadium Project does not require the

filling or disturbance of any wetlands. However, some small grassed infield areas along

Route 120 will be lost as a result of the Project.

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Figure 4-12. A view from the South Connector Road bridge over Route 120 looking north at the

Project Area.

Figure 4-13. A view looking at a typical landscaped traffic island located next to Giants Stadium.

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The Stadium Project proposes to provide landscaping around the new building, the

revised traffic island areas, and along major entrance roads. The landscape design is

discussed in more detail in Section 4.18. Native tree species have been used in the

landscape plans and include shade trees such as Green Ash, Oak, and White Fringetree

planted in open lawn strips. Pedestrian circulation paths will be flanked by trees such as

Red Maple and Dogwood trees (NM Stadco, 2006). Plaza areas are also planned

surrounding the new Stadium and will be ringed by built-in planter and fencing

assemblies that will incorporate shade trees such as Lacebark Elm and Red Maple. The

planter assemblies will be designed to provide pedestrian seating areas under the shade

trees and serve as the connection between the parking fields, the new Stadium, and the

Ancillary Development. Soil erosion and sediment control measures implemented

during construction will limit potential sedimentation impacts to downstream vegetated

areas. No existing vegetated buffers adjacent to wetlands will be impacted by the

Stadium Project.

4.7 Wildlife


The HMD is one of the largest contiguous blocks of open space in the New York/New

Jersey metropolitan area. Studies of wildlife within the HMD have documented a wide

variety of amphibians, reptiles, fish, birds, and mammals including 31 species of fish, 15

species of reptiles, 10 species of amphibians, 24 species of mammals, and more than

250 species of birds (HMDC, 1989; USEPA and USACE, 1995; Kane and Githens, 1997).

The 8,500 acres of wetlands and waterways within the HMD provide critical habitat for

many species including waterfowl, wading birds, shorebirds, raptors, anadromous fish,

estuarine fish, and terrapin turtles (USACE, 2004). In particular, bird species diversity

within the HMD, including resident, migrant, breeding, and wintering birds, is supported

by the large expanses of estuarine marshes interspersed with freshwater and upland

habitats (Kiviat and MacDonald, 2004).

Many species rely on the 900 acres of undeveloped uplands located within the HMD.

The wildlife that utilize these upland areas can be described as opportunistic and include

species typical of urban environments. Mice, voles, rabbits, finches, sparrows, crickets,

and grasshoppers are generally found at the bottom of the food chain in the upland

habitat of the HMD. Mammalian carnivores include foxes, weasels, feral dogs and cats,

and bird carnivores such as hawks, buzzards, and owls. Omnivores found in the upland

areas (typically in more forested suburban areas) include squirrels, chipmunks, skunks,

and raccoons. Deer have been observed in the HMD on occasion but are considered 4-41


“accidental” visitors given the limited number of open corridors that connect with

forested areas outside of the HMD and the small size of the remaining open areas

within the HMD.

As discussed in Section 4.6, parking areas, roadways, and buildings cover the majority

of the Meadowlands Sports Complex property. The majority of the vegetated upland

areas in the Sports Complex consist mainly of maintained lawn and landscaped areas

around the perimeter of the property, which support a limited number of wildlife

species. A 130-acre tidal marsh (Walden Swamp) associated with Berry’s Creek is

located along the western boundary of the Sports Complex Property. The remnants of

the Cedar Creek tidal system located on the East Site of the Sports Complex provide

habitat for wetland species. The Meadowlands Xanadu Redevelopment Project

received permits in 2004/2005 to fill approximately 7.69 acres of wetlands and open

waters on the East Site. Mitigation for these impacts was required to be performed off-

site in Secaucus by the USACE and NJDEP permits.

As shown in the aerial and site photographs (Figures 2-5, 4-12, and 4-13, respectively),

the Project Area is covered with impervious surfaces and small landscaped areas that

provide little or no natural wildlife habitat. The area primarily supports urban adapted

species such as gulls, squirrels, and rats.

In 2003, a wildlife survey was conducted on the Meadowlands Sports Complex for the

Meadowlands Xanadu Redevelopment Project (Langan, 2003). The survey did not find

any state-listed threatened or endangered species within the Meadowlands Xanadu

Redevelopment Project Site, which is located adjacent to the western boundary of the

Meadowlands Stadium Project Area. However, a pair of Black-crowned Night Heron

(Nycticorax nycticorax), a state-listed endangered species for breeding populations only,

were observed on several occasions within and adjacent to Lagoon No. 3. Lagoon No.

3 is located just southeast of the Meadowlands Stadium Project Area and north of NJ

Route 3 and west of NJ Route 120.

Requests were sent to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National

Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the NJDEP National Heritage Program (NHP), and the

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to confirm that there are no element occurrence

records for threatened, endangered, or rare species, significant natural communities or

other significant habitats in or within the immediate vicinity of the Project Area. In a

letter dated July 24, 2006, NMFS indicated that there are no endangered or threatened

species or Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) in the Project Area (Appendix A). In a letter

dated July 21, 2006, the NJDEP NHP did not have records for any rare wildlife species,

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plant species, or ecological communities on the Project Area (Appendix A). However,

the NJDEP NHP did identify colonial waterbird foraging habitat, yellow-crowned night-

heron foraging habitat, and a northern harrier occurrence within a ¼ mile of the Project

Area. The NJDEP Landscape Project Map, provided in Figure 4-14, indicates the

location of the emergent wetlands within the vicinity of the Project Area that provide

suitable habitat for state-threatened species, including the yellow-crowned night-heron

and colonial waterbirds. Additionally, in a letter dated August 11, 2006, the USFWS

determined that, with the exception of occasional, transient bald eagles, no other

federally-listed or proposed endangered flora or fauna are known to occur within the

vicinity of the Project Area (Appendix A).


The wildlife in the HMD utilize two distinct habitat types: valuable wetland and open

water habitat, and highly disturbed upland sites. The Project Area does not contain any

wetland or open water habitat. Therefore, no direct impact to any valuable wildlife

habitat is anticipated as a result of the Stadium Project. The wildlife species that utilize

the disturbed upland areas in the Project Area are tolerant, urban-adapted species that

are highly mobile, allowing them to relocate to other nearby urban environments during

construction activities for the Stadium Project. Upon completion of the Stadium Project,

many of these tolerant, urban-adapted species will likely return to the Project Area.

Appropriate sediment and erosion control measures will be implemented to reduce the

migration of potential sediment off the Project Area during construction and minimize

potential impacts to the nearby wetlands and tidal waters that provide habitat for various

wildlife species. No construction activities are proposed in Lagoon No. 3, where Black-

crowned Night Herons have previously been observed. Therefore, no impacts to

threatened or endangered species are expected as a result of the Stadium Project.

No wildlife habitat mitigation is proposed due to the lack of any valuable wildlife habitat

in the Project Area.

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