New York/New Jersey Harbor Estuary

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New York/New Jersey Harbor Estuary

• By Danielle Knittle
• METEO 482

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Where is it?
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The Big Picture

• Part of Mid Atlantic hydrologic unit
• HUC 02
• Main watershed encompasses eastern NY, central
  and northern NJ, small portions of VT, MA, CT
• Covers about 16,300 mi2

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A Few Facts

• Designated an Estuary of National Significance in
  1988 by U.S. EPA
• 1987 Congress required the preparation of a
  restoration plan for the New York Bight, the
  ocean area extending approximately 100 miles
  beyond NY Harbor waters. Since the harbor and
  bight are linked by a larger ecosystem, the two
  plans were combined.
• 80 of estuarys tidal wetlands (300,000 acres)
  and 224,000 acres of the urban cores freshwater
  wetlands are gone
• Caused by human activities such as dredging and
  filling

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A Few Facts

• A monitoring group created by NY/NJ Harbor
  Estuary Program in 2002 now monitors dissolved
  oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorous, salinity, fecal
  coliform bacteria, and total suspended solids
• Area includes many tributaries and major rivers
  such as the Hudson, Hackensack, and Raritan

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Harbors Condition

• Industry, agriculture, sewage overflow, and
  individual practices all contribute
• Includes oil and gasoline from highway runoff,
  pesticides, fertilizers, floatable debris, and
  sediment from construction sites

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Harbors Condition

• Continuing fish consumption advisories
• Decline in certain fish and wading bird
  populations
• Shellfish beds remain closed
• Has been improvements in dissolved oxygen
  concentrations and reductions of nutrient loading
• Still remains a large inadequacy of available
  data to properly gauge the state of the estuary

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Beach Closure Trends
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Action Plan

• Five major areas of concern to be addressed
• Habitat Loss and Degradation
• Toxic Contamination/Dredged Material Management
• Pathogen Contamination
• Floatable Debris
• Nutrient and Organic Enrichment