[AndyS]

Rescuing the Raritan River

Dams are a particular problem on the Raritan River and its tributaries, with hundreds in place. The closest dam to the mouth of the Raritan is located just 20 miles from the Raritan Bay, with two more located less than 10 miles upriver. Thanks in part to these dams, the shad count in the largest river in the state is almost negligible.

But it's not just the dams. It wasn't all that long ago that the Raritan was polluted by the industrial sites and military arsenals that lined its banks.

“Twenty-two years ago, the river still caught fire,” said Bob Spiegel, executive director of the Edison Wetlands Association. “Everybody looked at the river as a place to dump your waste. For a very long time people said it was a dead river.”

“American Cyanamid used to dump all their dyes in the river. It used to run red,” remembered Still, who grew up near the defunct chemical company in Bridgewater, located along the Raritan. “Now there are all these kayak trips and people are building houses and docks along there. Oh yeah, it fires me up. It’s just mind-blowing.

Still’s enthusiasm is shared by the environmental advocates who made it happen.

Spiegel, who says the Raritan is being used for recreation by a record number of people, names the restoration of shad as a priority for his organization. Over the past two decades, his association has worked with the DEP to vastly reduce the amount of contaminants that leak from “dozens and dozens” of industrial and postindustrial sites along the lower banks of the river. He feels water quality has improved so tremendously that he and his cleanup partners are ready to encourage the establishment of green businesses and a river tourism industry in the communities that dot the lower Raritan.

“These fish are coming back: herring, eel, smelt, striped bass . . . All of these are very important, as they’re going to have a direct impact on the ability of the estuary to come back,” he said. “First and foremost, they’ll be major economic force in this area, where there can be billions and billions of dollars spent to fish. It’s a very scenic area and they will stimulate economies when people come to buy bait and tackle and patronize the amenities that are here.”