
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
6th Annual Sustainable Raritan River Conference
Valuing Natural Capital and Ecosystem Services Friday, June 13, 2014 Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning & Public Policy Rutgers University 59 Biel Road, New Brunswick, NJ 08901 Cook Campus Center, Rutgers University The 6th Annual Sustainable Raritan River...
Red Root Creek Wetlands and Restoration Plan
Sixteen graduate students participated in this Spring 2014 Studio through the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy to develop a conceptual design for restoration of degraded wetlands in a working waterfront along the Raritan River on the Woodbridge/Edison...
Fish Smart, Eat Smart
Fish Smart, Eat Smart A guide to Health Advisories for Eating Fish and Crabs Caught in New Jersey Waters New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection New Jersey Department of Health View Report (PDF)
The Sustainable Raritan River Mini-Conference
The Sustainable Raritan River Mini-Conference Duke Farms Coach Barn Hillsborough Thursday, December 5, 2013 This conference started with a guided bird walk and ended with a tour of the wetlands restoration work along the Raritan River. Packed in-between were a film on...
Nevius Street Dam Removal
Part 1: http://youtu.be/4_BbGp9BrWo Part 2: http://youtu.be/7sxRNuxWf-Y
5th Annual Sustainable Raritan River Conference
Fishable and Swimmable: The Clean Water Act at 40 Tuesday, June 11, 2013 Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning & Public Policy Rutgers University 33 Livingston Avenue New Brunswick, NJ 08901 The 5th Annual Sustainable Raritan River Conference was all about Water!...
Building Bridges: Connecting Classrooms and Communities
Building Bridges: Connecting Classrooms and Communities Civic Square Building Wednesday, May 22 Interested in citizen science in your community? Join the Sustainable Raritan River Initiative for an environmental conversation and pizza to gain the answers to the...
Reducing Invasives, Retaining our Trees Workshop
Reducing Invasives, Retaining our Trees February 20, 2013 Duke Farms, Hillsborough, NJ Professional CEUs available Managing Open Space and Tree Canopies Duke Farms, Hillsborough Experts from across the region will present a panel on reducing invasives...
Regenerative Approach to River Road Corridor, Raritan Township
This Fall, 2012, studio focused on a regenerative vision planning approach for an underutilized and difficult to access portion of waterfront along the South Branch of the Raritan River in Raritan Township (Hunterdon County). The studio's assignment was to develop a...