News
October 18th Rivers Conference: Register Today!
Wednesday, July 17, 2024

 

Join us in Hackettstown on Friday, October 18 for the 6th annual Northwest New Jersey Rivers Conference; the forum for better connecting community, ecotourism & environment surrounding Northwest New Jersey’s rivers.

AmeriCorps NJ Watershed Ambassadors Graduate from Program
Thursday, July 11, 2024

 

The 2023-2024 class of AmeriCorps NJ Watershed Ambassadors celebrated their graduation from the program at Monmouth Battlefield State Park on Wednesday. Each graduate completed at least 1700 hours of service in their assigned watershed and was

AmeriCorps NJ Watershed Ambassador Recruitment is Now Open!
Tuesday, June 25, 2024

 

 

The New Jersey Watershed Ambassadors Program is an environmental stewardship-oriented AmeriCorps program designed to raise awareness about water concerns. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has hosted the program si

Tree Planting in Paulins Kill Watershed Lake Communities is Underway
Monday, June 10, 2024

 

 

The SCMUA-Wallkill River Watershed Management Group has been working in 6 different lake communities in the Paulins Kill Watershed to enhance the tree canopy that was lost because of the infestation of the emerald ash borer. Because ash tree

High Point Students Plant Trees at Papakating Park
Tuesday, May 28, 2024

 

 

A.P. environmental science students worked with the SCMUA-Wallkill River Watershed Management Group and the AmeriCorps NJ Watershed Ambassador Program to plant 250 trees and shrubs in Papakating Park in Wantage Township. During their field trip, the students

SCAR Plants Trees at Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge
Thursday, May 09, 2024

 

 

The Sussex County Association of Realtors partnered with the SCMUA-Wallkill River Watershed Management Group, Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge, and the AmeriCorps NJ Watershed Ambassador Program to plant 250 native trees and shrubs on Wallkill River

Town of Newton Hosts Arbor Day Tree Planting Event
Tuesday, May 07, 2024

 

A new balled and burlapped elm tree was planted at Newton’s Recycling Center in honor of Arbor Day.

Barefoot University Students Install Floating Islands at Swartswood State Park
Thursday, May 02, 2024

 

Homeschooled students who are part of the Barefoot University program recently worked with the SCMUA-Wallkill River Watershed Management Group and the staff at Swartswood State Park to install 2 floating treatment wetlands in the lake.

Sparta Environmental Commission Plans Arbor Day Event at the Sparta Glen
Friday, April 26, 2024

 

The Sparta Environmental Commission partnered with the SCMUA-Wallkill River Watershed Management Group to plan an Arbor Day educational event for Sparta Middle School life science students. Through grant funding provided by ANJEC (Association of New Jer

Volunteers Plant Trees at Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge
Wednesday, April 24, 2024

 

 

Members of the Friends of the Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge and students from Princeton, NJ recently worked with the staff at the Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge and the SCMUA-Wallkill River Watershed Management Group to plant trees along

SCMUA and Wallkill River Watershed Management Group Hosts Earth Day Event
Monday, April 22, 2024

 

 

On Friday 4/19, the Sussex County Municipal Utilities Authority (SCMUA) and the Wallkill River Watershed Management Group hosted its 17th annual Earth Day Celebration at the Sussex County Municipal Utilities Authority in Lafayette. The event welcomed 214 Susse

Hamburg School Cleans Up Litter with AmeriCorps NJ Watershed Ambassador
Monday, April 22, 2024

 

To celebrate Earth Day, the 5th-8th grade students in the Hamburg School Environmental Club worked with the Wallkill River Watershed AmeriCorps NJ Watershed Ambassador to clean up litter around the school's campus.

AmeriCorps NJ Watershed Ambassador Hosts Wantage Township Litter Clean-Up
Saturday, April 20, 2024

 

 

The AmeriCorps NJ Watershed Ambassador for the Wallkill River Watershed recently partnered with the Wantage Township Open Space Committee and Wantage Township Clean Communities to host a litter clean-up at Papakating Park and neighboring Berry Road. V

A.P. Environmental Science Students Plant Trees Along Wallkill River
Thursday, April 18, 2024

 

 

Lara Lovett’s A.P. environmental science students at Sparta High School recently worked with the SCMUA-Wallkill River Watershed Management Group to plant trees along the Wallkill River. The planting parcel is owned by the Sparta Board

AmeriCorps NJ Watershed Ambassador Partners with Sparta Environmental Commission
Monday, April 08, 2024

 

 

The Sparta Township Environmental Commission partnered with the AmeriCorps NJ Watershed Ambassador Program to host a rain barrel workshop at the Sparta Township Municipal Building on April 6, 2024. 14 residents attended the rain barrel training and learned ho

Celebrating the Solar Eclipse at Sparta Middle School
Monday, April 08, 2024

 

 

Kristine Rogers of the SCMUA-Wallkill River Watershed Management Group was asked to participate in the Sparta Middle School Solar Eclipse Celebration on April 8th. 211 middle school students attended the event to watch the solar eclipse and vis

Help Clean Up Litter at Wantage's Papakating Park
Thursday, April 04, 2024

 

Celebrate Earth Week by helping to clean up litter at Papakating Park in Wantage Township with the AmeriCorps NJ Watershed Ambassador for the Wallkill River Watershed. To register, visit: https://www.e

Hardyston Elementary School Participates in SCMUA-WRWMG’s TreeHabilitate Program
Wednesday, March 27, 2024

 

Hardyston Township second graders worked with Kristine Rogers from the SCMUA-Wallkill River Watershed Management Group to learn about the many benefits of trees for both people and the natural environment. The SCMUA-WRWMG’s TreeHabilitate program fosters greater understanding about how trees can be used to rehabilitate our watershe

Pollinator Seeding Begins at SCMUA Wastewater Treatment Plant
Thursday, March 21, 2024

 

A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service representative is installing a 3-acre pollinator planting at the SCMUA’s Paullins Kill Water Treatment Facility in Frankford Township. The seed was donated to the project by the USFWS-Partners for Fi

AmeriCorps NJ Watershed Ambassador Rain Barrel Workshop is a Big Success!
Monday, March 18, 2024

 

The SCMUA-WRWMG’s AmeriCorps NJ Watershed Ambassador for the Wallkill River Watershed recently hosted a rain barrel workshop in partnership with Wawayanda State Park that taught participants about the water conservation benefits of installing a rain bar

Halsted Middle School Celebrates “Leap of Kindness Day” with a Litter Clean-Up
Thursday, February 29, 2024

 

To celebrate “Leap of Kindness Day” on Leap Day 2024, Halsted Middle School students enrolled in the C2C (Choose 2 Connect) after school enrichment program worked with the SCMUA-Wallkill River Watershed Management Group and the Foodshed Alliance to conduc

Make Your Own Rain Barrel at Sparta Town Hall
Wednesday, February 21, 2024

 

 

Interested in Making Your Own Rain Barrel? Come to Wawayanda State Park March 16th
Tuesday, February 20, 2024

 

  

 

Road Salt Threatens Stream Health
Friday, February 02, 2024

 

Worried about the overapplication of road salt on our rivers and streams? Join the NJ Salt Watch study this winter so we can have a better understanding of the magnitude of the road salt problem in NJ. Visit this website to request your road salt monitoring test

Come on a Winter Hike on February 17!
Wednesday, January 17, 2024

 

Join the Foodshed Alliance/Paulins Kill Watershed Program on a winter hike through Hyper Humus.  All are welcome.

Happy National Bird Day!
Friday, January 05, 2024

 

This #NationalBirdDay, pay close attention to our feathered friends! Birds are not only a huge part of our ecosystem, but they are also critical indicators of our planet’s environmental health. To learn more about the vital role that birds play v

Happy New Year from the WRWMG!
Wednesday, January 03, 2024

 

The Wallkill River Watershed Management Group wishes you and your family a happy and healthy start to 2024! We loo

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from WRWMG!
Monday, December 18, 2023

  

All of us at the Wallkill River Watershed Management Group wish you a joyous holiday season and happy and healthy start to 2024!

2023 Year in Review
Friday, December 08, 2023

 

Here's a look back at what the SCMUA-WRWMG was able to accomplish over the past year!

Volunteer and Community Engagement

SCMUA-WRWMG Installs New Rain Garden/Porous Asphalt Sign at Halsted Middle School
Friday, December 08, 2023

 

The SCMUA-WRWMG and its AmeriCorps NJ Watershed Ambassador installed a new interpretive sign at Halsted Middle School.  The sign will educate students, parents, and teachers about the benefits of rain gardens and porous asphalt for managing stormwater runo

Happy World Soil Day!
Tuesday, December 05, 2023


Why should we care about soil on #WorldSoilDay? Healthy soil ensures a steady supply of food, preserves clean water, increases biodiversity, and mitigates the effect

AmeriCorps NJ Watershed Ambassadors Participate in Riparian Reforestation Training Day
Tuesday, November 21, 2023

 

The entire class of AmeriCorps NJ Watershed Ambassadors worked with the Wallkill River Watershed Management Group as part of a riparian reforestation training day hosted at the SCMUA’s Paulinskill Water Treatment Facility. The Watershed Ambassado

Floodplain Reforestation Tree Tubes Recycled on “America Recycles Day”
Wednesday, November 15, 2023

 

The SCMUA-Wallkill River Watershed Management Group is excited to be celebrating “America Recycles Day” by sending out its first shipment of tree tubes to be recycled. The tree tubes were installed around each tree that the Wallkill River Watershed M

Sussex Tech Students Visit Paulinskill Water Treatment Plant and Restoration Site
Thursday, November 09, 2023

 

Sussex County Technical School students worked with the SCMUA-WRWMG to learn about the watershed restoration practices installed at the Paulinskill Water Treatment Facility. They also went on a wastewater treatment plant tour and learned about th

Newton Middle School Students Make Porous Pavers
Thursday, November 02, 2023

 

Halsted Middle School students enrolled in the C2C after school program recently worked with Kristine Rogers (WRWMG Education and Outreach Specialist) in a hands-on lab where they experimented with cement, pebbles, and playground sand to decide which materials should b

COMMISSIONER LATOURETTE CONGRATULATES NJ CORPORATE WETLANDS RESTORATION PARTNERSHIP ON ITS 20th ANNIVERSARY
Thursday, October 26, 2023

 

TRENTON – As climate change continues to adversely affect wetlands across the globe, New Jersey must continue to advance efforts at restoring and enhancing these critical ecosystems, Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette said today to mark the 20th anniversary of the New Jersey Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership (

Sussex County Technical School Gets New Rain Garden
Wednesday, October 25, 2023


The SCMUA-Wallkill River Watershed Management Group worked with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to install a new rain garden along White Lake Road on the campus

Watershed Director Presents at Virtual Rutgers Workshop
Friday, October 13, 2023

 

Nathaniel Sajdak recently presented about the success of the WRWMG’s new floating treatment wetlands stormwater management installations at Kemah Lake and Lake Owassa as part of a webinar series organized by Rutgers Water Resources Program.

5th Annual Northwest NJ Rivers Conference Hosted at Centenary University
Monday, October 02, 2023

 

This weekend, the 5th annual Northwest NJ Rivers Conference returned to Centenary University’s Lackland Center in Hackettstown. The event was planned as part of the Delaware River Watershed Initiative by staff from the Wallkill River Watershed

SCMUA-WRWMG Welcomes New AmeriCorps NJ Watershed Ambassador
Monday, September 25, 2023

 

SCMUA-WRWMG Welcomes Ethan Melniczik as the 2023-2024 AmeriCorps NJ Watershed Ambassador for the Wallkill River Watershed

Ethan is available to work with your class or volunteer group. If you have ideas for how to partner on a l

Sussex County Day Draws a Huge Crowd!
Monday, September 18, 2023

 

 

Kristine Rogers (WRWMG Education and Outreach Specialist) and Dawn Latincsics (SCMUA Recycling Coordinator) attended the 2023 Sussex County Day at the Fairgrounds on Sunday. Residents from across the county learned about the work of the SCMUA-W

Halsted Middle School 6th Graders Clean-Up Memory Park
Friday, September 15, 2023

 

The entire class of Newton 6th grade students participated in a litter clean-up at Memory Park using clean-up supplies provided by Sussex County Clean Communities. This clean-up is one of many being organized in different towns in the Paulins Kill Watershed this fall.

Floating Treatment Wetlands Installed at Fairview Lake
Monday, September 11, 2023

 

 

The SCMUA-Wallkill River Watershed Management Group worked with Fairview Lake YMCA staff, board members, and local homeowners to install 3 floating treatment wetlands in Fairview Lake. The islands were paid for by a grant from the NJ Corporate Wetla

Come Learn About Funding Programs to Support Birds, Pollinators, and Other Wildlife!
Sunday, September 10, 2023

 

SCMUA-WRWMG Installs Beaver Dam Analogs in Paulins Kill Wetlands
Thursday, September 07, 2023

 

 

The SCMUA-WRWMG worked with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge staff to construct 2 beaver dam analogs on wetlands property owned by the Sussex County Municipal Utilities Authority. Beaver dam analogs are artificial b

Princeton University Freshmen Install Floating Treatment Wetlands with SCMUA-WRWMG
Saturday, September 02, 2023

 

 

24 Princeton University students from across the United States and around the world ventured to the Princeton-Blairstown Center in Hardwick, NJ to install floating treatment wetlands to improve the health of Bass Lake in the Paulins Kill Watershed. The students wer

SCMUA-WRWMG Awarded New Grant to Restore Culver Lake Golf Course
Friday, September 01, 2023

 

WILMINGTON, DELAWARE – The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) today announced 36 grant awards totaling over $14.9 million to improve wildlife habitat, enhance resilience to changing climatic conditions, and engage communities throughout the Delaware River watershed in conservation activities. Funding includes more than $4.5 million

Contractors Complete Tree Trench and Porous Asphalt Projects
Thursday, August 31, 2023

 

New porous asphalt and tree trench projects have been installed on the campus of Halsted Middle School in Newton, NJ using grant funding that the SCMUA-Wallkill River Watershed Management Group secured from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

High Point High School Rain Garden Underway
Monday, August 21, 2023

 

 

The SCMUA-WRWMG, Rutgers Water Resources Program, and Wantage Excavating broke ground on a new rain garden project at High Point High School in Wantage. The project will manage the stormwater runoff from the school’s paved parking lot, helping to kee

SCMUA Hosts Ribbon Cutting Ceremony to Celebrate Completion of Landfill Construction Project
Tuesday, August 15, 2023

 

Local officials and SCMUA staff gathered at the SCMUA’s Solid Waste Facility to commemorate the completion of the landfill expansion project. The event consisted of a ribbon cutting ceremony, bus tours around the landfill, and breakfast for all attendees.