OFFICIAL SITE OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY

A Wreck Pond Watershed Restoration web site will be developed into a single source of information on the status of the project to be used by all entities involved in Wreck Pond including the public.  The site will house all research and studies identified in Action Item 1 as well as a searchable custom database with all monitoring data.  The site will also spatially display monitoring data on an interactive GIS map.  The site assists in the coordination of activities, educational events and monitors progress.

Completed Milestone:

• Web site and interactive GIS map with all monitoring data has been completed.

Next Steps:

• The web site will be updated on an annual basis to incorporate new data and progress will be updated as needed.

Ownership:
NJ Department of Environmental Protection

Implementation:
Ongoing

Municipalities within the Wreck Pond Watershed (Spring Lake, Sea Girt, Wall Township, and Spring Lake Heights) have supplied the Department with sanitary sewer and storm sewer system maps (including location of stormwater outfalls and any stormwater Best Management Practices) for their entire municipally owned system.  In addition, the municipalities have supplied the Department with engineering reports summarizing results of inspections, video taping or smoke testing of the systems to determine its integrity and function.

Any gaps identified in mapping, inspection or assessment shall be resolved.

Action item goal is to identify areas within the storm sewer and/or sanitary sewer system that are failing, leaking, broken or otherwise not functioning as designed and have them repaired and/or replaced.  Funding opportunities (grants, loans or partial grants/loan blends) will be identified in Action Item 7.  A secondary goal is to have complete GIS coverage of the watershed’s sanitary and stormwater infrastructure (including Manufactured Treatment Devices) and to use this tool to identify areas within the system which may be contributing to the impairment.

Completed Milestone:

• All four municipalities have submitted sanitary and storm sewer system maps.
• Spring Lake received a US Environmental Protection Agency grant ($198,000) to conduct the infrastructure assessment of their sanitary and storm sewer systems in Spring Lake and Sea Girt areas that drain to Wreck Pond and Baltimore Blvd.  This included cleaning, video, GPS and GIS of the system as well as identifying suspected illicit connections, and an engineering report with prioritized list of sanitary and storm sewer repairs and replacements in Spring Lake and Sea Girt.
• Under the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s FFY2013 Clean Water Priority System Intended Use Plan and Project Priority List, the Wreck Pond area was identified to receive loans up to $525,000 in principal forgiveness to local government units to repair and/or replace sanitary and stormwater sewers that are identified during the infrastructure assessment as having leaks and cracks.
• Using the above loan, Spring Lake sanitary and storm sewer system improvements were completed in the spring of 2015.

Next Steps:

• Spring Lake and Sea Girt continue to maintain prioritized lists of sanitary and storm sewer improvements, completing improvements as funding becomes available.

Ownership:
Spring Lake, Sea Girt, Wall Township, and Spring Lake Heights

Implementation:
Ongoing

Sewer laterals carry sanitary waste from private homes to the municipal sanitary sewer and are the responsibility of the individual homeowner.  It is suspected that many of the older homes in Sea Girt and Spring Lake have broken or cracked laterals.  Sewage from these laterals leak into the sandy soil and easily infiltrate, during storm events, into broken, cracked or poorly grouted storm sewer pipes.  While the municipality is responsible for repairs to the municipal separate storm sewer, homeowners are liable for the cost of replacing broken laterals.

Action item goal is to identify and repair broken laterals, prioritizing suspected problem areas such as Ocean Ave in Spring Lake and Baltimore Blvd. in Sea Girt.  Once broken laterals are identified, homeowners may be directed to repair or replace broken laterals at their own expense or municipalities may consider pass through funding using outside sources.

Completed Milestone:

• Spring Lake received a US Environmental Protection Agency grant ($198,000) to conduct the infrastructure assessment of their sanitary and storm sewer systems in Spring Lake and Sea Girt areas that drain to Wreck Pond and Baltimore Blvd.  This included cleaning, video, GPS and GIS of the system as well as identifying suspected illicit connections, and an engineering report with prioritized list of sanitary and storm sewer repairs and replacements in Spring Lake and Sea Girt.
• Under the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s FFY2013 Clean Water Priority System Intended Use Plan and Project Priority List, the Wreck Pond area was identified to receive loans up to $525,000 in principal forgiveness to local government units to repair and/or replace sanitary and stormwater sewers that are identified during the infrastructure assessment as having leaks and cracks.
• Using the above loan, Spring Lake sanitary and storm sewer system improvements were completed in the spring of 2015.

Next Steps:

• Spring Lake and Sea Girt continue to maintain prioritized lists of sanitary and storm sewer improvements, completing improvements as funding becomes available.

Ownership:
Spring Lake, Sea Girt, Wall Township, and Spring Lake Heights

Implementation:
Ongoing

A thorough review and assessment of all monitoring data collected (Action Item 1) shall be completed.  Monitoring points and data will be displayed on a GIS map of the watershed along with sanitary sewer and storm sewer systems (Action Items 2 & 3).  Any gaps in monitoring data will become part of a monitoring plan.  All existing data evaluated and future monitoring will build on prior studies. Use proven techniques such as optical brighteners, antibiotic resistance and coliphage and new techniques such as Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) to identify sources of bacteria.

Action item goal is to design and implement intensive monitoring based on existing data and pollution source surveys (Action Item 7).  Data needed includes quality, quantity, salinity (mixing) and hydrologic response.  A clear understanding of how the watershed responds (during storm events) including the time of travel of stormwater from the upper watershed to the ocean outfall and the bacterial load during the duration of the event.  This data will help determine the extent of the impairment within the watershed.  Implement corrective actions and follow-up monitoring to determine effectiveness of corrective actions.

Completed Milestone:

• All data submitted to date has been reviewed, assessed, evaluated, and displayed on the interactive GIS map including sanitary sewer system.
• 12/2013 – Bureau of Marine Water Monitoring conducted several rounds of sampling (influent/effluent) the Manufactured Treatment Devices (MTDs) in Spring Lake and Sea Girt and the discharge from Essex Ave to assess the effects of redirecting Spring Lake’s discharge directly to the Atlantic Ocean (and no longer discharging to Wreck Pond).
• 2/2012 – A gap in data was identified and Storm Study was completed for Spring Lake Heights.
• 3/2013 – Bureau of Marine Water Monitoring completed a 48 hour storm study monitoring bacteria and total suspended solids every 30 minutes at 6 stations, and grabbed 4 beach samples and one additional outfall sample every 12 hours in addition to analyzing for salinity, dissolved oxygen, specific conductivity, pH and temperature with the YSI meter at the 6 automatic sampling stations.  A spatial analysis, inverse distance weighting has been conducted on this data.
• 2012/2013 – Bureau of Marine Water Monitoring began collecting wet weather monitoring after every rain event at the 4 wreck pond beach stations, the wreck pond outfall (inside the pond) and Ocean Ave outfall (inside the pond), as well as Baltimore Blvd Outfall and the 3 beach stations surrounding Baltimore Blvd Outfall.
• 2014 – Wreck Pond Beach Rainfall Precautionary Closure Policy lifted and replaced with wet weather monitoring at the 4 Wreck Pond beaches surrounding the outfall.  A precautionary closure policy was implemented to close the 4 Wreck Pond beaches during discharge from Wreck Pond through the emergency spillway.

Next Steps:

• Identify additional gaps in data, if any.

Ownership:
NJ Department of Environmental Protection
Spring Lake, Sea Girt, Wall Township, and Spring Lake Heights

Implementation:
Continue to implement the precautionary closure policy during Wreck Pond’s emergency spillway discharge.

Potential funding sources shall be identified such as EPA (EPA CARE grants), Section 319(h) watershed restoration grants, Clean Water NJ funds, Infrastructure Trust loan/grant to fund capital improvements (sanitary and storm sewer upgrades – Action Item 3), replacement and repair of sewer laterals (Action Item 4), infrastructure inspection (video of sanitary sewer lines and laterals), and education and outreach (Action Item 8).  Green Acres funding could potentially be used for purchase of stream buffers in upper watershed (Action Item 7).

Eligibility for 319 funds is partly contingent on the Wreck Pond Brook Watershed Regional Plan/Watershed Based Implementation Plan being approved by NJDEP – Division of Water Monitoring and Standards, Bureau of Environmental Analysis, Restoration and Standards.  A goal of Action Item 6 is to ensure that the restoration plan is approved.

Completed Milestone:

• A lack of water quality benefits determined at Ridgewood Rd and permitting hurdles at Keller’s Pond preclude the continuation of these projects.
• NJDOT conducted restoration of three culvert outfalls along Route 34 in Wall Township: including replacing headwall, removing silt, sediment & debris from streambed and outfall area, removing vegetative overgrowth, restoring slopes to original grade using rip-rap, and stabilizing disturbed areas with seed, mulch & topsoil matting.
• Monmouth County Division of Public Works & Engineering has amended their CBT and 1985 Wastewater Grant to contract with Najarian Associates to write the Wreck Pond Brook Watershed Restoration Implementation Plan.  The Plan was approved by the Department in July 2015.
• US Fish & Wildlife received a $2 Million Hurricane Sandy Department of Interior Grant to improve aquatic conductivity in Wreck Pond.  The priority project is to install a secondary outfall pipe with a sluice gate.
• Spring Lake sold three borough properties and have committed to spending the proceeds towards restoration of Wreck Pond.
• DEP has committed to spending the remainder of a Wreck Pond Corporate Business Tax grant on the second outfall pipe and other restoration efforts at Wreck Pond.
• The Department awarded Spring Lake a US Department of Housing and Urban Development, Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery Program, Flood Hazard Risk Reduction and Resiliency Grant to fund the remaining portion of the 2nd outfall, berm, living shoreline and dredging projects at Wreck Pond.

Next Steps:

• Select new projects within the watershed in the Wreck Pond Brook Watershed Restoration Implementation Plan and apply for 319 funding.

Ownership:
NJ Department of Environmental Protection
NJDOT
Wreck Pond Brook Watershed Committee
Monmouth County Division of Public Works & Engineering
Najarian Associates
Spring Lake, Sea Girt, Wall Township, and Spring Lake Heights
US Fish & Wildlife Service

Implementation:
Select new projects and apply for 319 funding winter/spring 2016

One of the most important factors that can affect the quality of a surface-water body is the land use within its watershed. Using GIS satellite imagery, existing GIS Land Use Coverage layers and ground truthing (pollution source surveys), identify land uses and how those land uses may contribute to impairment of the Wreck Pond Watershed.  Identify and inspect Animal Feeding Operations (horse, cattle, and poultry farms) to ensure proper nutrient management plans are in effect.  Use GIS to identify parcels of open space available to preserve stream buffers in the upper watershed.

Completed Milestones:

• Existing GIS coverage provided by Monmouth County Office of GIS
• Aerial assessment of the watershed
• The Wreck Pond Watershed Restoration Implementation Plan identifies possible sites for stream bank restoration, and stormwater management.

Next Steps: 

• Rutgers Cooperative Extension to re-inspect AFOs within watershed and evaluate manure handling practices.

Ownership:
Rutgers Cooperative Extension
Monmouth County Office of GIS
Freehold Soil Conservation District
NJ Department of Environmental Protection

Implementation:
Ongoing

Develop and expand a public education and outreach program within the watershed to target permanent residents, summer residents and vacationers.  Effectively communicate impacts of non-point source pollution and how individual’s actions affect water quality.  Leverage the Wreck Pond Brook Watershed Committee’s existing public education campaign.  Apply for EPA’s CARE grant.  Work with municipalities to post educational information on beaches and pass out information with beach badges.  Accelerate public education campaign for summer 2013.

Completed Milestones:

• An Education and Outreach Plan has been completed.
• Watershed Ambassador conducted 7 school presentations and teacher training in 2012.
• NJDEP, Rutgers Cooperative Extension and Clean Ocean Action have conducted three build a rain barrel workshops that include Stormwater Pollution Prevention Workshop Seminars (June 2012, March 2013 and July 2013).
• NJDEP, Clean Ocean Action and Watershed Ambassadors conducted a Watershed Wellness (clean-up) Day in all four municipalities (March 2013).
• Wreck Pond walking tour and watershed demonstration (June2013).
• Clean Ocean Action completed a Wreck Pond awareness program (Wreck Pond Pals).
• American Littoral Society completed a Restoring Wreck Pond pamphlet on the current projects.

Next Steps:

• Continue outreach activities with the residents of the surrounding communities.

Ownership:
NJ Department of Environmental Protection – Clean Water NJ
Clean Ocean Action
Rutgers Cooperative Extension
AmeriCorps Watershed Ambassador
Wreck Pond Brook Watershed Education Committee

Implementation:
Ongoing

Identify and implement watershed restoration and water quality/quantity projects to improve overall water quality within the Wreck Pond Watershed.  Projects should address one or more of the following pollutants of concern: pathogens/bacteria, suspended solids, nutrients and/or quantity.

Assist Monmouth County with the implementation of plans to dredge parts of the Wreck Pond Watershed and identify other areas for localized dredging.  Investigate the feasibility and cost of larger scale dredging project and sources of funding.  Further study the sediments in Wreck Pond and whether they contribute to elevated bacteria levels.  Investigate whether dredging would help in the restoration of the watershed.

Completed Milestones:

• Monmouth County Division of Public Works & Engineering successfully completed phase one dredging project of Wreck Pond west of RT 71.
• Monmouth County Division of Public Works & Engineering successfully completed phase two dredging project of Wreck Pond between the outfall and 1st Ave Bridge.
• Met with Stony Brook Millstone Watershed Association to discuss successes within their watershed.
• Conducted extensive site investigations at Keller’s Pond and Ridgewood Road project sites to ascertain the viability of the projects.
• Met with the Freehold Soil Conservation District (FSCD) to discuss stream assessments that had been completed for Wreck Pond Brook Watershed in 2005.  FSCD provided NJDEP with a prioritized list of stream bank restoration sites based on their assessment, property owners and accessibility, and a list of all stormwater basins locations in the watershed.
• Monmouth County Division of Public Works & Engineering has amended their CBT and 1985 Wastewater Grant to contract with Najarian Associates and Avakian Engineering to construct a conceptual design of a living shoreline and berm along the north bank of Wreck Pond.
• Monmouth County Division of Public Works & Engineering began phase three dredging project of Wreck Pond to the west of the 1st Ave. Bridge.
• Monmouth County Division of Public Works & Engineering has submitted the permit application for phase four dredging by the outfall.
• The second outfall project has been designed, permitted, and contract awarded.  Contractor has ordered equipment and will begin onsite construction in December 2015.  The second outfall will allow restore a more natural tidal flow, flushing the pond twice a day, improving water quality.  It will also improve fish passage for river herring and American eel.
• The living shoreline and vegetative berm is in the design and permitting application phase.  The project will improve water quality by settling sediments and filtering pollutants, and provide shallow water habitat and shoreline access to wildlife.

Next Steps:

• Complete dredging phase 3 and 4.
• Complete construction of the second outfall and sluice gate.
• Submit application for Living Shoreline and Berm along the north bank of Wreck Pond.

Ownership:
Monmouth County Division of Public Works & Engineering
FSCD
Najarian Associates
Avakian Engineering
Spring Lake, Sea Girt, Wall Township, and Spring Lake Heights
NJ Department of Environmental Protection
US Fish & Wildlife Services
American Littoral Society

Implementation:
Complete phase 3 and 4 dredging of Wreck Pond in 2015.
Complete construction of the second outfall and sluice gate in March 2016.
A pilot section of the living shoreline and vegetative berm will be constructed in spring of 2016.  The remainder of the project will be constructed in spring of 2017.

Superstorm Sandy breached the sand dune revealing an emergency spillway for Wreck Pond.  The emergency spillway eliminates the need for a permanent pump system.  A DEP Beach and Dune Maintenance Permit and Emergency Authorization allows for temporary excavation and re-grading of sand to the east of the spillway in an emergency flooding situation.  The emergency spillway is able to discharge the water from the pond when it reaches an elevation of 2.5 feet above sea level.  This alleviates flooding.  During a coastal surge it is necessary to prevent the ocean tidal water from filling the pond.  Spring Lake is exploring a sluice gate to prevent the coastal surge.  Spring Lake and NJDEP are also exploring the incorporation of a berm around certain areas of Wreck Pond of 18”-2’ to prevent flooding as part of the living shoreline project.

Completed Milestones:

• Spring Lake received an emergency permit from NJDEP to rebuild the Brown Ave dune with a filtered, soil compacted core.
• Spring Lake has excavated and regarded the beach to the east of the emergency spillway several times since October 2012 to alleviate flooding in accordance with their Dune and Beach Maintenance Permit.
• Spring Lake installed a sluice gate on the existing outfall structure to prohibit coastal surge during predicted risk flooding storms.
• Monmouth County Division of Public Works & Engineering has amended their CBT and 1985 Wastewater Grant to contract with Najarian Associates and Avakian Engineering to construct a conceptual design of a living shoreline and berm along the north bank of Wreck Pond.
• The second outfall project has been designed, permitted, and contract awarded.  Contractor has ordered equipment and will begin onsite construction in December 2015.  The second outfall will more than double the discharge capacity and the sluice gate will allow for temporary lowering of the Wreck Pond prior to storm events.
• The living shoreline and vegetative berm is in the design and permitting application phase.  The project will increase the flood storage capacity of Wreck Pond.Next Steps:
  • Complete construction of the second outfall and sluice gate.
  • Submit application for Living Shoreline and Berm along the north bank of Wreck Pond.

  Ownership:
  Spring Lake Borough
  Avakian Engineering
  Monmouth County Division of Public Works & Engineering
  Najarian Associates
  NJ Department of Environmental Protection
  US Fish & Wildlife Services
  American Littoral Society

  Implementation:
  Complete construction of the second outfall and sluice gate in March 2016.
  A pilot section of the living shoreline and vegetative berm will be constructed in spring of 2016.  The remainder of the project will be constructed in spring of 2017.

Investigate the effects of the extension of the Wreck pond outfall on the tidal flow and mixing within Wreck Pond.  Study whether the change had a detrimental effect on pond health and whether changes to promote more tidal influence and mixing would improve conditions and help restore the water body.  The existing outlet structure may restrict flows into, and out of, the watershed.  This delayed response prevents rapid mixing of stormwater with the ocean during and after a rain event and results in negative water quality from the storm to impact localized beaches over a longer time period (48-72 hours).

The action item goal is to restore a natural tidal exchange between Atlantic Ocean, Wreck Pond, Black Creek, and other appropriate areas of the watershed while balancing the need for flood protection, including analyzing the effectiveness of the outfall structure.

Completed Milestones:

• The 2013 US Army Corps of Engineers Wreck Pond Feasibility Study to restore the ecosystem and prevent coastal flooding has ceased due to a change in future conditions as a result of the second outfall project.  The study will continue as an ecological restoration only study, and is on hold until funding can be secured.
• The second outfall project has been designed, permitted, and contract awarded.  Contractor has ordered equipment and will begin onsite construction in December 2015.  The additional of a second outfall will increase natural tidal flow, flushing the pond twice a day and improving water quality.

Next Steps:

• Complete construction of the second outfall and sluice gate.
• Secure funding for US Army Corps of Engineers Feasibility Study.

Ownership:
Bureau of Marine Water Monitoring, Office of Engineering and Construction
U.S. Army Corp. of Engineers
Monmouth County Division of Public Works & Engineering
Spring Lake Borough
Avakian Engineering
NJ Department of Environmental Protection
US Fish & Wildlife Services
American Littoral Society

Implementation:
Complete construction of the second outfall and sluice gate in March 2016.

Improve communications within the Department to ensure all Division’s with a stake in the Wreck Pond watershed restoration efforts have a clear vision and understanding of the Commissioner’s goal of improving water quality within the Watershed and to resolve impairments contributing to the regular closings of beaches to recreational bathing in Sea Girt and Spring Lake.

Improve communications, involvement and establish partnerships with the four municipalities within the Wreck Pond Watershed (Spring Lake, Sea Girt, Wall Township, and Spring Lake Heights).  Work through the Office of Local Government Assistance to establish relationships with Mayors and Administrators to ensure that we all share the same environmental outcome for their local resource.  Continue to update and communicate progress to Senator Singer, Assemblyman Kean and Assemblyman Rible’s office through Deputy Chief of Staff.

Improve communications and establish partnerships with external stakeholders, including Wreck Pond Brook Watershed Committee, Clean Ocean Action, Monmouth County Planning Board, Rutgers University, Army Corp of Engineers, consultants, Freehold Soil Conservation District, Monmouth University,  Monmouth County Health Department, Monmouth Regional Health Department, NJ DOT, and local residents to clearly and transparently communicate our regional watershed approach with one vision and one goal: to improve water quality.

Completed Milestones:

• Monthly meetings with Wreck Pond Brook Watershed Committee and local residents.
• Regular meetings with Borough Administrators and reps.
• Improved internal coordination with Land Use Management on site specific projects

Next Steps:

• Continue to communicate with all internal and external stakeholders on a regular basis.
• Continue to ensure all internal DEP stakeholders are working together and clearly understand the Commissioner’s goal.  Work with DEP programs to ensure water quality projects are cost effective, are able to be permitted, and will achieve the desired environmental outcome.

Ownership:
NJ Department of Environmental Protection

Implementation:
Ongoing