[Billfish715]

The section of the Green Brook that was cleaned up is far from the area that is stocked with trout. That section is next to the Weldon Quarry on the Watchung and Scotch Plains border. It is also a section that floods frequently. After it passes the quarry it passes under Route 22 and past the Blue Star Shopping Center. It then passes behind the former Sears parking lots and eventually through the downtown area of Plainfield. It forms the border between Plainfield and North Plainfield and then is joined by the Stony Brook which crosses under Route 22 as it drains from the Watchung area including Watchung and Best Lakes.

As it makes its way toward Middlesex, the Stony Brook runs very close to the businesses along a long stretch of Route 22. Route 22 along that stretch is one giant strip mall along both sides of the road. Imagine the amount of litter that those businesses generate. Imagine how many storm sewers drain into that brook. Imagine the amount of silt from the winter road treatments that filer into the waterway through the storm sewers.

By the time the Green Brook makes it to Middlesex it has picked up tons of debris and litter and silt, not to mention the amount of petroleum based runoff that drains into it. The length of the brook allows the pollution to dissipate in normal conditions, as we know, that area floods quite frequently. During those floods, all of that "stuff" is then overnight expressed to the Raritan where it becomes someone else's problem.

One final observation........I know the litter is a visual nuisance and source of major concern, but I wonder about the quality of the water. Does anyone ever do a water sample at these locations? I'd be afraid of what that might turn up but I guess those results might not be any different than other rivers or streams that pass through so many developed areas of N.J. The Rahway River comes to mind since it is also trout stocked.

Which trout stocked streams are facing the same problems?