Site Description

Site ID: NB10
Far Hills Township, Somerset County
Stream Category: FW2-NT (Category 2, Non-trout waters)
Site monitors Raritan River North Branch (including Mine Brook to Peapack Brook) subwatershed (HUC: 02030105060070)
The site is located upstream from Far Hills Fairgrounds. When parking, enter the fairgrounds from Peapack Road. Cross the fairgrounds to the wooded area adjacent to the stream. Walk upstream into the wooded area until you see a gravel deposition bar. The sampling riffle is just downstream of the gravel bar.

What is being monitored at this site?

• Biological and Visual Assessments (?)
• Chemical Testing (?)

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Water Quality Data

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.

Site Data for NB10

Threats and Recommendations

The HGMI at NB10 was found to be good in 2019, which means it was not biologically impaired. 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 bank erosion and stream bank vegetative protection. Maintaining an intact riparian buffer with a variety of trees and shrubs can help to improve the water quality of this site.

What Can You Do?

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.

• Support RHA
• Use Your Voice
• Become River Friendly
• Participate in Our Annual Stream Clean Up
• Join Our Stream Monitoring Team
• Other Ways to Help