Watershed Management Area 7
Arthur Kill

Watershed Management Area 7 includes large portions of Essex, Union and Middlesex Counties.

The mainstem of the Rahway River is 24 miles long, flowing from Union into the Arthur Kill near Linden and is tidal from the Pennsylvania Railroad Bridge at Rahway down to the mouth. Major tributaries include the East Branch Rahway River, Woodbrige River and Robinson's Branch and major impoundments are the Middlesex Reservoir, Orange Reservoir, Lower and Upper Echo Lakes and Diamond Mill Pond. The Elizabeth River is 11 miles long, much of it channelized for flood control purposes. Land uses in the Rahway and Elizabeth Watersheds are principally residential, commercial and industrial. There are 50 NJPDES permitted discharges and 12 biological monitoring stations in these watersheds.

For additional information on the Arthur Kill Watershed Management Area, please contact:

Michele Bakacs, WMA 7 Area Manager
Michele.Bakacs@dep.state.nj.us
(609) 292-9274

Watershed Management Area 7 Map

Watershed Plans
Robinson's Branch (under development)

Priority Segment for Restoration
Elizabeth River West Branch (non-tidal)

TMDL Implementation Priorities
Echo Lake Eutrophication

Active Projects

	Regional Stormwater Management Plan for Robinson's Branch, Union and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey Rutgers University This project will develop an effective Regional Stormwater management plan for the Robinson’s Branch that addresses both water quality and quantity problems. A characterization and assessment of the drainage area will be completed, and using that data, issues such as mitigation of increased volume and rates of runoff due to new and existing development and the impact of these increases on the waterways will be addressed. project utilized Best Management Practices (BMPs) to infiltrate stormwater, reduce non-point source pollution, reduce soil erosion and restore habitat for nat
	Warinanco Park Lake and Lagoon Restoration Project Union County Warinanco Park Lake is a 7.5 acre impoundment located in Warinanco Park in the Borough of Roselle. This project includes the implementation of the recommendations presented in the Warinanco Park Lake and Lagoon Watershed Management Plan and will include construction of shoreline stabilization measures and implementation of a water quality monitoring program. The goals of this project are to reduce shoreline erosion at the lake, reduce the sediments and nutrients that enter the lake and to document the reduction of nonpoint source pollution.
	Phase 2 - Streambank Stabilization and Riparian Buffer Restoration of Robinson's Branch, Rahway River Watershed, Union County Rahway River Association The Robinson’s Branch suffers from severely eroded streambanks and a degraded riparian buffer. This project will stabilize 1,500 linear feet of eroded streambank within the City of Rahway using soil bioengineering techniques for urban strams. Invasive species will be replaced with native species to enhance the riparian buffer.
	South Branch of the Rahway River - Channel Restoration/Protection, Erosion Stabilization Project Middlesex County The project is intended to define specific solutions to the ongoing streambank and slope erosion that is occurring in the South Branch of the Rahway River and its tributaries within Middlesex County. A segment of the South Branch of the Rahway within Merrill County Park will be addressed using native vegetation and soil bioengineering techniques.

WMA 7 Partnerships
Elizabeth River/Arthur Kill Watershed Association
Kean University
Rahway River Association
Union County Department of Parks

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