Site ID: BE01
Clinton Town, Hunterdon County
Stream Category: FW2-TM (Category 2, Trout Maintenance)
Site monitors Beaver Brook subwatershed. (HUC: 02030105020050)
The site is located upstream from the Leigh Street bridge, adjacent to the Clinton municipal building parking lot.
What is being monitored at this site?
Each June, Raritan Headwaters scientists and volunteers visit 72 stream sites in the North and South Branch Raritan Watershed Region (WMA8) of New Jersey to collect data on the health of our streams. Data collected includes a sample of benthic macroinvertebrates (used to calculate the High Gradient Macroinvertebrate Index;HGMI score), an assessment of the habitat in and around the stream, and chemical conditions in the water. Chemical parameters include dissolved oxygen, phosphate, chloride, specific conductance, nitrate, turbidity, pH, and temperature. The HGMI is used by the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) to determine if the site is meeting state and national water quality standards under the Clean Water Act. Click here to learn more about our stream monitoring program and water quality reports.
Select a parameter below to view annual data. Hover over the chart to get more information.
The HGMI at BE01 has been biologically impaired the past few years. This site is located within an agriculturally rich section of our watershed, which means that run off from farm fields as well as lack of riparian buffers are likely negatively impacting the water quality of this stream. The biggest water quality issue that we found at this site was high levels of phosphates in the water. Most of the anthropogenic phosphates in streams comes from agricultural fertilizers and animal waste, stormwater run-off, wastewater treatment plants, and septic systems. High levels of nutrients such as phosphates and nitrates cause an overgrowth of bacteria and algae and eventually result in oxygen depletion. Most of the chloride in freshwater streams comes from run-off of road salts into waterways during the winter months. Chloride can also leach into the groundwater and find its way back to the surface water later in the year, meaning that chloride can remain high even when road salting isn’t active. BMPs for agricultural areas and improved road salt management are recommended to address these problems.
Many people take clean water for granted, but we know it takes vigilance and hard work to protect the water in our rivers, streams and homes.
And we can’t do it alone. We need your help to ensure that everyone within our reach has access to safe, clean water that is swimmable, fishable and, above all, drinkable.
State of Our Watershed 2024 Report A Watershed Tool for Local Leaders Presenters: Samantha LaRocca, Well Test Program Manager Benjamin
Brownfields- Navigating Remediation & Redevelopment A Watershed Tools for Local Leaders Webinar Presenters Cailyn L Bruno, PG, LSRP Director of
In an era of unpredictable weather patterns and increasing urban development, managing stormwater effectively is more critical than ever. Traditional
What are RHA’s recommendations for avoiding exposure to E. coli in our streams? When planning to swim, boat or fish
The Upper Raritan River watershed region is known for its scenic countryside – rivers, streams, forests, farms, and villages –
Septic Smarts-Responsible Management A Watershed Tools for Local Leaders Webinar Presenters Samantha LaRocca, RHA Well Testing Program Manager Kristen
