News
SCMUA-WRWMG Kicks Off Emerald Ash Borer Tree Replacement Program
Thursday, June 01, 2023

 

The Wallkill River Watershed Management Group has begun distributing and planting native trees for homeowners from the Paulins Kill lake communities who participated in the emerald ash borer informational workshop organized by the WRWMG. The newly p

SCMUA-WRWMG Conducts Maintenance at Wallkill Reforestation Site
Tuesday, May 30, 2023

 

The SCMUA-Wallkill River Watershed Management Group removed tree tubes and stakes from the Wallkill River reforestation site near Sparta High School. Some of the trees are getting so large that they are beginning to shade the river and cool the water t

Merriam Avenue School Students Work at Memory Park Rain Garden
Thursday, May 25, 2023

 

 

Students in the Recycling Club at Merriam Avenue School in Newton worked with the SCMUA-Wallkill River Watershed Management Group to conduct spring maintenance on the Memory Park rain garden. Students helped to pull weeds and clear dead

McKeown Students Mulch Rain Garden
Wednesday, May 24, 2023

 

 

McKeown Elementary School 5th and 6th grade students worked alongside the SCMUA-Wallkill River Watershed Management Group to spread a fresh layer of mulch on the school’s rain garden. The current 6th graders were only in Kindergarten when the

Long Pond Students Build Rain Garden
Thursday, May 18, 2023

 

 

6th grade students from Long Pond School worked with the SCMUA-Wallkill River Watershed Management Group, Rutgers Water Resources Program, and the Andover Department of Public Works to construct a rain garden on their school grounds. The garden w

Construction of Long Pond Rain Garden Begins
Tuesday, May 16, 2023

 

The Andover DPW began excavating the Long Pond School rain garden. The garden will be planted by students later this week and is intended to reduce the volume of polluted stormwater runoff entering the Pequest River.

Hamburg School Environmental Club Learns about Impact of Water Pollution
Tuesday, May 16, 2023

 

Middle school students in the Hamburg School Environmental Club worked with the SCMUA-WRWMG’s Education Specialist to learn about watersheds and the impact of “people pollutants” like fertilizer, pesticide, road salt, litter, and motor oil have on Su

Lake Owassa Residents Perform Maintenance on Floating Treatment Wetland
Friday, May 12, 2023

 

Lake Owassa homeowners recently worked with the SCMUA-WRWMG to conduct annual maintenance on the floating treatment wetlands that was deployed at Lake Owassa in September. The volunteers replaced damaged goose fencing and reattached the cables that

SCMUA-WRWMG Helps Install Homeowner Rain Garden on Culver Lake
Thursday, May 11, 2023

 

The SCMUA-WRWMG recently helped to install a homeowner rain garden at Culver Lake that was designed as part of the SCMUA-WRWMG’s rain garden rebate program in partnership with Rutgers Water Resources Program. The garden was planted with native flowers and shr

Halsted Middle School Students Clean Up Memory Park
Tuesday, May 09, 2023

 

 

The entire 6th grade class at Halsted Middle School in Newton, NJ participated in a litter clean-up at Memory Park. A total of 4 bags of garbage and 4 bags of recycling were removed from the park using gloves, garbage bags, and litter grabbers provided by S

Save the Date for the 5th Annual Rivers Conference!
Wednesday, May 03, 2023

 

Registration is now open for this year’s Northwest New Jersey Rivers Conference on September 30 at the Lackland Center in Hackettstown. The 2023 Conference commemorates the 25th anniversary of the Governor’s Report on the New Jersey Outdo

Newton Middle School Students Assist with Rain Garden Maintenance
Tuesday, April 25, 2023

 

Halsted Middle School students who participate in the Choose 2 Connect (C2C) after school enrichment program worked with the SCMUA-WRWMG on spring maintenance for their school’s rain garden that was installed in July 2019.

 

Sparta Earth Day Fair is a Huge Success!
Monday, April 24, 2023

 

 

Sparta Environmental Commission and Sparta Middle School organized an Earth Day Fair on Saturday, April 22nd outside of the Sparta Municipal Building for Sussex County families to celebrate Earth Day. The event consisted of a series of 12 different exhibit

16th Annual Earth Day Event Hosted at SCMUA!
Friday, April 21, 2023

 

 

In celebration of Earth Day, the Sussex County Municipal Utilities Authority (SCMUA) and the Wallkill River Watershed Management Group (WRWMG) hosted the sixteenth annual Earth Day Event on April 20th at the Solid Waste Disposal & Recycling Facilities in Lafayet

Senior Citizens Learn about Aquatic Insects for Stream Health
Monday, April 17, 2023


The WRWMG Education Specialist worked with senior citizens at Juniper Village as part of a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) lab where the residents

Celebrate Earth Day with the SCMUA-Wallkill River Watershed Management Group!
Tuesday, April 11, 2023

 

Celebrate Earth Day by bringing your entire family out to the Sparta Municipal Building to participate in the 1st annual Earth Day Fair, a FREE outdoor event for children and adults!  Participate in Kids' Corner activities, see live demonstrations, and

WRWMG Education Specialist Educates Girl Scouts about Trees
Monday, April 03, 2023


The Wallkill Valley Girl Scouts recently worked with Kristine Rogers, the Wallkill River Watershed Management Group’s (WRWMG) Education and Outreach Specialist, as part of the WRWMG’s TreeHabilitate Program that is aimed at educating youth about the benefits of trees for st

Lake Residents Learn about Rain Gardens
Wednesday, March 22, 2023

 

Paulins Kill Watershed lake community residents attended a virtual training hosted by the SCMUA-Wallkill River Watershed Management Group and Rutgers Water Resources Program to learn about the benefits of rain gardens for stormwater management. Atten

Come to the Culver Lake Earth Day Clean-Up
Monday, March 20, 2023

 

WRWMG Hosts Emerald Ash Borer Workshop
Friday, March 10, 2023

 

 

The SCMUA – WRWMG hosted an Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) Virtual Training Workshop as part of a new series of community outreach programs funded by its existing Paulins Kill Lakes Initiative

Wallkill Valley Girl Scouts Participate in Road Salt Study
Monday, February 06, 2023

 

Middle school Girl Scouts from the Wallkill Valley Service Unit worked with the WRWMG Education Specialist as part of a statewide road salt study being conducted with the NJ Watershed Watch Network. This winter, the girls will be testing different streams and lakes throughout the Wallkill River Watershed to assess how much road salt enters local

Tree Tube Recycling Underway in Lafayette
Friday, January 20, 2023

 

The WRWMG has been capitalizing on the mild winter weather by continuing to process the plastic tree tubes that have been installed on each of its saplings within the 4-miles reforestation corridor. The tree tubes are designed to remain on the young tr

Happy New Year!
Tuesday, January 03, 2023

 

Wishing you and your family a happy and healthy start to 2023 from all of us at the WRWMG!

2022 Year in Review
Thursday, December 22, 2022

 

 

Volunteer and Community Engagement

• In 2022, the SCMUA-WRWMG worked with 677 volunteers who contributed a total of 1192 volunteer hours. Vo

Season's Greetings from the WRWMG!
Wednesday, December 21, 2022

 

 

All of us at the Wallkill River Watershed Management Group wish you and your families a joyous holiday season and healthy and happy start to 2023!

Check out this barred owl using the Paulins Kill reforestation corridor!
Tuesday, December 13, 2022

 

While conducting maintenance at the reforestation corridor in Lafayette, we spotted this barred owl using our trees!  Looks like we are successfully creating wildlife habitat!

WRWMG Continues Paulins Kill Reforestation Corridor Maintenance Activities
Friday, December 09, 2022


The WRWMG has been performing fall maintenance activities at its floodplain reforestation sites within the Paulins Kill Watershed. As part of this effort, the

Sussex County Scouts Clean Up Memory Park
Monday, December 05, 2022

 

 

A group of local scouts worked with the WRWMG’s Education and Outreach Specialist to organize a litter clean-up at Newton’s Memory Park. In total, the 12 volunteers were able to collect 9 bags of garbage and 6 bags of recycling from the park.

This Thanksgiving, Be Grateful for the Delaware!
Wednesday, November 23, 2022

 

Photo Credit: Jim Wright/TNC/LightHawk

The Delaware River Water Gap is home to more than 150 miles of trails. That’s 150 reasons to be #Grateful4theDelaware. Check out a new trail this weekend with your

Sussex Tech Students Volunteer at SCMUA Restoration Site
Tuesday, November 22, 2022


20 environmental science students from Sussex County Technical School recently worked with the Wallkill River Watershed Management Group to plant trees at the SC

Celebrate “Take a Hike Day”
Thursday, November 17, 2022

 

Sussex County is home to some of the best hiking trails in NJ. This Take a Hike Day, check out some new hiking trails in our area. Here is a list of the Top 10 hiking locations in NJ: https://www.njhiking.com/top-10-hikes-nj/

SCCC Environmental Science Students Learn About SCMUA
Thursday, November 17, 2022

 

Sussex County Community College (SCCC) environmental science students learned about the Sussex County Municipal Utilities Authority’s landfill/recycling center, wastewater treatment plant, and watershed program during a series of presentations conducted on campus. At the end of November, SCCC students will be also be taking a first-hand tou

WRWMG Celebrates “America Recycles Day” with New TerraCycle Partnership
Tuesday, November 15, 2022

 

Did you know that each year over 1 million sea birds and animals are killed from ingesting plastic? On #AmericaRecyclesDay we want to highlight the damage caused by plastic in our waterways. What are YOU going to do to stop this?

At WRWMG, we are starting a new partnership with TerraCycle to prop

Frankford Middle School Students Plant Trees on School Grounds
Tuesday, November 08, 2022

 

 

53 seventh grade students at Frankford Middle School worked with the WRWMG to plant 75 native trees and shrubs along a Paulins Kill River tributary that flows through their school grounds. The students came out during their science classes and each had a

New Rain Garden Installed at Culver Lake
Friday, November 04, 2022

 

The Wallkill River Watershed Management Group (WRWMG) worked with Cerbo’s Nursery to install a new homeowner rain garden at Culver Lake in Frankford Township. The rain garden was completed as part of the WRWMG’s homeowner rain garden installa

Pope John High School Students Install Additional Rain Garden
Friday, October 28, 2022

 

 

Pope John High School environmental science students worked with Rutgers Water Resources Program and the WRWMG to complete a rain garden planting on the school’s campus. 19 high school students and community volunteers helped to plant 650 native flo

WRWMG Education Specialist Presents in Trenton
Thursday, October 27, 2022

 

 

Kristine Rogers provided a project update at the quarterly meeting of the NJ Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership about the Cardinal Hayes High School planting that the Wallkill River Watershed Management Group hosted at the Wallkill River Nation

Watershed Ambassadors Plant Trees at SCMUA Property
Wednesday, October 26, 2022

 

 

The 2022-2023 class of AmeriCorps NJ Watershed Ambassadors worked with the Wallkill River Watershed Management Group to plant trees on the wastewater treatment plant property owned and operated by the Sussex County Municipal Utilities Authority. 200 t

Bronx, NY Students Plant Trees at Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge
Monday, October 24, 2022

 

 

Students from Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx, NY recently worked with the Wallkill River Watershed Management Group and the Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge staff to plant trees and shrubs along the Wallkill River. A total of 24

October 18: National Day Without the Delaware
Tuesday, October 18, 2022

 

Over 13 million people (approximately 4% of the nation's population) in 4 states - including New Jersey - rely on the waters of the Delaware River Basin for drinking, washing, and farming. We can’t go a #DayWithoutTheDelaware!

Floating Treatment Wetland Installation at Kemah Lake
Monday, October 03, 2022

 

 

The WRWMG installed 2 floating treatment wetlands at Kemah Lake this weekend with 5 volunteers from the lake community. Floating treatment wetlands are planted with native wetland plants that help take up nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen from t

Floating Treatment Wetlands Installed at Lake Owassa
Thursday, September 29, 2022

 

Using funding from the NJ Department of Environmental Protection, the WRWMG was able to purchase 2 floating treatment wetlands for Lake Owassa. The floating treatment wetlands are planted with native flowers and shrubs and are designed to help purify the lake. Pollutant

Newton 6th Graders Clean Up Memory Park
Friday, September 23, 2022

 

Halsted Middle School 6th graders helped to clean up litter from Memory Park to kick off the start of the new school year! In total, 5 bags of recycling and 3 bags of garbage were removed from Memory Park in Newton, helping to keep litter out of the Paulins Kill River.

WRWMG Watershed Director Presents at Stokes State Forest
Friday, September 23, 2022

 

The SCMUA-WRWMG’s Watershed Director (Nathaniel Sajdak) presented about working with your host agency to the new class of AmeriCorps NJ Watershed Ambassadors. This is the 23rd year of the AmeriCorps program, but Nathaniel was in the first class of AmeriCorps Ambassadors! Although the program requirements have changed since Nathaniel was a

Realtors Care Day Volunteer Event Hosted at Lafayette Park
Thursday, September 22, 2022

 

17 realtors, children, and community members worked with the WRWMG as part of the 1st annual Realtors Care Day organized by the Sussex County Association of Realtors. Participants help to build and paint bluebird and bat habitat boxes to be installed at

Wallkill Valley Girl Scouts Clean Up Wheatsworth Park
Wednesday, September 21, 2022

 

The WRWMG Education Specialist organized an after school litter clean-up at Wheatsworth Park for the Wallkill Valley Girl Scouts. The Girl Scouts collected 1 bag of garbage and 2 bags of recycling from the park, helping to keep the debris out of the Wallkill

Happy National Estuaries Week!
Tuesday, September 20, 2022

 

Did you know that estuaries like the #DelawareEstuary are lined with wetlands that strain stormwater runoff from the land, absorbing pollution from the water before it ever meets with rivers and bays!

Th

Northwest New Jersey Rivers Conference a Big Success!
Monday, September 19, 2022

 

The WRWMG’s Education Specialist served on the planning committee for the 4th annual Northwest New Jersey Rivers Conference alongside representatives of the New Jersey Highlands Coalition and the Musconetcong Watershed Association. The event was hosted at

Locals Learn about SCMUA-WRWMG at Sussex County Day
Sunday, September 18, 2022

 

Kristine Rogers (SCMUA-WRWMG Education Specialist) and Dawn Latincsics (SCMUA Recycling Coordinator) tabled at Sussex County Day at the Fairgrounds. Sussex County residents participated in this free event and learned more about recycling efforts and wat

Come to Sussex County Day this Sunday 9/18!
Friday, September 16, 2022