
Raritan River Initiatives
The Raritan River has a rich history, which includes strong ties to Rutgers University. A number of entities from across the university are collaborating to transform the Raritan Basin into an interactive field laboratory that enhances the student experience, encourages and supports transdisciplinary research, and addresses real-world concerns of regional stakeholders.
Sustainable Raritan River Initiative (SRRI)
Rutgers University launched the Sustainable Raritan River Initiative (“SRRI”) in 2009 to bring together concerned scientists, environmentalists, engineers, businesses, community leaders and governmental entities to craft an agenda that meets the goals of the U.S. Clean Water Act to restore and preserve New Jersey’s Raritan River, its tributaries and its bay.
The Initiative, a joint program of the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy (EJB) and the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS), partners with other Rutgers schools, centers and programs to ensure the best contributions from the sciences, planning and policy. The Initiative conducts conferences and topical workshops, provides technical assistance, and develops anchor projects that raise the profile of the Raritan River. Jeanne Herb and Richard G. Lathrop, Jr., serve as co-leaders of the Sustainable Raritan River Initiative.
Rutgers Raritan River Consortium (R3C)
R3C is a collaborative effort at Rutgers University’s New Brunswick-Piscataway campus that recognizes the critical value of the Raritan and its environs to the social, economic and ecological integrity of the region that Rutgers calls home. Our mission is to utilize Rutgers’ proximity to the Raritan to inform university-based education, research and scholarship and to apply our efforts, in collaboration with Raritan partners, to advance improvements in regional planning, policy and decision-making that positively affect the ecology and economy of the Raritan region. Read more in the 2016 Public Announcement.
Johnson Family Chair in Water Resources and Watershed Ecology (JFC)
On December 15, 2015, the Rutgers Board of Governors appointed Richard G. Lathrop Jr., professor of environmental monitoring at the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, as the inaugural holder of the Johnson Family Chair in Water Resources and Watershed Ecology.
Besides his teaching responsibilities, Lathrop, a professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources, is the faculty director of the Rutgers Ecological Preserve. over 350 acres, the preserve features several streams that feed into the Raritan River and numerous public hiking and biking trails. He also directs the Grant F. Walton Center for Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis, whose mission is to promote the development and application of geospatial information science and technology to address issues in the environment, natural resources and agriculture.
For more information, contact Rick Lathrop at lathrop@crssa.rutgers.edu or (848) 932-1580.
Resources & Updates
Raritan Basin with Transportation Routes
The Lower Raritan – WMA09
Watershed Management Area 9 (WMA09) covers the main stem of the Raritan River, the South River, and the Lawrence Brook. The main stem of the Raritan spans from the confluence of the North Branch and the South Branch to the Raritan Bay. The watershed includes parts of...
Take the "Don't Waste Our Space" Survey
Please complete the “Don’t Waste Our Space” Survey. On the one year anniversary of its Illegal Dumping Initiative, NJDEP is conducting a survey to understand people's perception of illegal dumping issues on State lands. The data collected from this survey will be used...
Raritan Watershed Management Areas
The Millstone and Stony Brook – WMA10
Watershed Management Area 10 (WMA10) includes the Millstone River and its tributaries. The Millstone River is a tributary of the Raritan River. WMA10 includes parts of Hunterdon, Somerset, Middlesex, Mercer, and Monmouth counties. Land use in the area is mainly...
Middlesex Greenway HIA Final Report Issued by NJHIC
The Middlesex Greenway is a rails-to-trails project within the communities of Metuchen, Edison, and Woodbridge in Middlesex County, NJ. Situated on an abandoned portion of Lehigh Valley rail corridor, the completed portion of the Greenway is a 3.5 mile long, 42-acre...
Location of the Raritan Basin in New Jersey
First Woodbridge Homes Demolished in DEP’s Blue Acres Program
The first Woodbridge demolitions in the post-Sandy Blue Acres residential property buyout program occurred the week of March 18, marking another major milestone in the state's continuing efforts to move homeowners out of harm's way. Sayreville, South River, East...
New Permit System Requires Long-term CSO Discharge Reduction Plans and Enhanced Public Outreach
The Christie Administration is taking steps to improve water quality in urban areas by requiring sewerage system operators to reduce a type of pollution to waterways known as combined sewer discharges, Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Bob...