2016 State of Barnegat Bay report

[46er]

The report for the bay, located within the Pinelands Reserve, is not good.

http://bbp.ocean.edu/pages/386.asp

 

[PineBarrens Advocate]

I found some of the report to be rather encouraging (Dissolved Oxygen levels, Turbidity, Temperature/PH, Freshwater Macroinvertebrates, Bathing Beach closures, Estuarine Fish communities and newly protected lands) were all listed as "good" or at least average.

Runoff from lawn fertilizer seems to be problem, but a problem that can be solved. "Eutrophication due to high nutrient loading - remains the bays most serious challenge".

It also appears as though they feel that they made a breakthrough scientifically in identifying/quantifying issues.....cautiously optimistic on this report. Thanks for posting.

 

[46er]

I attended the meeting, optimistic is not a term I would use. To summarize the conclusions;

The past five years in Barnegat Bay have been ones of


change and upheaval. While the short-term environmental

impacts of Superstorm Sandy have come into focus,

we must continue to invest in monitoring and research

to understand the long-term effects of Sandy and our

changing climate on the bay’s natural resources. What is


clear from the indicators discussed in this State of the Bay

Report, however, is that the most worrisome challenges

identified in previous reports remain unchanged. Population

growth within the watershed continues to drive the

conversion of open space into urban land, reducing terrestrial

habitats and the natural ability of the watershed

to recharge groundwater and filter nutrients. Combined

with unchecked withdrawals of water for human use,

we are altering the amount, composition, and timing

of fresh water entering the estuary. The negative effects

of urbanization can be seen throughout the bay; thus,

we must do more to reduce the bay’s excessive nutrient

loads and address other sources of turbidity if we are to

address its dissolved oxygen and turbidity impairments,

nuisance algal blooms, degraded tidal wetlands, and

reduced seagrass biomass.

There is some good news in this State of the Bay Report

as well. Open space acquisitions by Ocean County, the

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the

US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Trust for Public Land,

and other non-governmental organizations from 2010-

2015 surpassed those of the previous five years, despite a

slowdown as we focused on recovering from Superstorm

Sandy. Closures of bathing beaches within the watershed

due to pathogens and other contaminants generally

declined, in large part due to a multi-agency working

group which came together to tackle the recurring beach

closures at Beachwood Beach. Fish communities in the

northern and central parts of the bay are diverse, and hard

clams, while still at very low levels, have rebounded compared

to the decimated levels found in the early 2000’s.