The Collaborative set goals for a regional approach, embraced by state and federal organizations and implemented at the local and county level:
Improved water quality and management of water quantity
Habitat Restoration
Public Access
Site Remediation and Pollution Prevention
Balanced Redevelopment
http://www.blueraritan.org/
The Raritan Basin covers over 1,100 square miles of the state of New Jersey and is the largest river basin entirely contained the state, supplying water, recreation, and transportation for more than one million residents in seven counties.
The Raritan River itself is formed from the confluence of its North and South Branches in Branchburg, Somerset County. From there, it flows eastward past Manville where the Millstone River enters, then into Middlesex County past New Brunswick and Edison on its way to the Raritan Bay. Its major tributaries include the Green Brook, the Lawrence Brook, the Millstone River and the South River, with over fourteen smaller tributaries. The health of the river is central to quality of life in the region. Approximately 1.2 million people live in the Raritan River Basin. Over 600,000 people work here, and millions drink its waters or use it for recreation. It supports important biological diversity, and has acted as a trade route throughout its history. The impacts of industrial uses and urbanization must be managed while addressing the quantity and quality of water in times of drought and flood.
Today, the Raritan suffers from pollutants in stormwater runoff from farms and urban development; nitrogen, phosphorus and other discharges from wastewater treatment plants; and contamination from past and presently operating industrial facilities built along its shores. The U.S. Clean Water Act and NJDEP regulations have long sought to regulate or control the uses of the River and development along its shores, but their efforts have not been able to remedy the legacy of past transgressions. Developing a shared vision, commitment and agenda for the future is a high priority.
