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 Welcome” Introduces Incoming Rutgers Students to Raritan River
The Raritan River is often overlooked in courses taught at Rutgers New Brunswick, yet it provides ample opportunities for research and discussion. Last fall, Dr. Jean Marie Hartman, Associate Professor at the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, taught an...
Rutgers and Baykeeper Study Microplastic Pollution in the Raritan River
Microplastic is small - the size of a grain of sand or smaller. This emerging pollution is now found all over the world, including the Raritan River. The plastic comes from clothing fibers, packing materials like Styrofoam, and abrasive personal care products like...
GPS & Drone Workshops co-sponsored by CRSSA
Are you interested in learning how to use your smartphone or tablet as a GPS or GIS data collector while you’re out in the field? Are you curious about Drone Mapping? Join us on Monday, December 11th and Tuesday, December 12th for informative and interactive day long...
R3C Goals, Objectives and Strategies
Rutgers Raritan River Consortium ("R3C" or "Consortium") 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...
Weston Mill Dam Removed from Millstone River
The Department of Environmental Protection – in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association and other partners – is removing the obsolete Weston Mill Dam on the...
Fish Can’t Walk Around Dams
Dr. Olaf Jensen (Rutgers Marine and Coastal Sciences) was one of the guest speakers at the August 10, 2017 riverside ceremony to mark the commencement of removing the Weston Mill Dam (see related post). Dr. Jensen spoke about the resilience of fish species but noted...
Rutgers 2030 Plan Elements Focus of Graduate Planning Studio
This Fall 2017 studio focused on environmental, conceptual design, regulatory and health and safety aspects of planning two components of Rutgers 2030: Rutgers University Physical Master Plan – the Raritan River boardwalk and the bicycle/pedestrian bridge across the...
Restoring the Manalapan, Video 3
The third video in a series on Restoring the Manalapan Brook is now available. This video focuses on shoreline restoration along a lake or pond. Manalapan Lake in Middlesex County’s Thompson Park received an ecological makeover this past fall when 600 feet of bare...
Fish Cam
Have you ever wondered what a fish ladder looks like underwater? From April to late June, 2017, Rutgers Professor Olaf Jensen and his research team were able to see that view through a streaming camera system at the Island Farm Weir fish ladder. Their goal was to help...