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
9th Annual Sustainable Raritan River Conference
State of the Raritan Status and trends from across the region, where do we go from here? Friday, June 9, 2017 Douglass Student Center, New Brunswick, NJ 9th Annual Sustainable Raritan Conference and Awards Ceremony Our 2017 conference showcased a series of status and...
Advanced Environmental Geomatics Students Explore the Lower Raritan
In Spring 2017, Dr. Richard Lathrop's Advanced Environmental Geomatics class explored the Lower Raritan River from the R/V Rutgers. In addition to robust data collection and visualization, several of the students -- Chris Wanter, Alexandria Ambrose, Steven Weber and...
Stakeholder Engagement for NJDEP 2016 Integrated Water Quality Report
The Sustainable Raritan River Initiative (SRRI) collaborated with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Water Monitoring and Standards (NJDEP) in their effort to engage stakeholders and seek public comment in the development of the 2016...
State of the Raritan Conference and Awards Ceremony – 9th Annual Conference and Awards Ceremony
State of the Raritan Status and trends from across the region, where do we go from here? Friday, June 9, 2017 Douglass Student Center, New Brunswick, NJ 9th Annual Sustainable Raritan Conference and Awards Ceremony Our 2017 conference showcased a series of...
Bloustein MPP Students Explore Water Quality Policy for the Raritan
Six Master of Public Policy students at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy spent the 2017 Spring semester exploring policies that positively and negatively impact water quality in the Raritan River region. The result of their work is...
Perth Amboy SWIM works with RU Cooperative Extension on Green Infrastructure Solutions
Perth Amboy has over 50 percent impervious cover and faces issues with flooding and combined sewer overflows (CSOs). In 2015, the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program (RCE) and the City of Perth Amboy formed Perth Amboy SWIM (“StormWater...
RU Extension Service works with Woodbridge on Plan to Increase Storm Resilience
Rutgers Cooperative Extension has been working with Woodbridge Township on the development of an Open Space and Floodplain Restoration Plan. According to a 2016 Northeast Regional Extension Conference presentation, the plan will improve resilience to storms, protect...
Hydrologic Model Evaluates Effects of Green Infrastructure on Floods in the Raritan
Dr. Qizhong (George) Guo and Mr. Carlos Correa from Rutgers Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, developed a hydrologic model to evaluate the effects of green infrastructure on flood mitigation in the Raritan River. The model...
Rutgers Geology Museum Hosts a Raritan River Field Trip
On April 8, 2017, the Rutgers Geology Museum partnered with members of the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences to organize a field trip on the Raritan River for New Jersey families. The trip addressed the history and science of the Raritan River, providing...