Regulatory agencies seek to control the effects of storm water through the use of best management practices.

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Caroline Merritt
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1 Pond Restoration Report BACKGROUND: Urban storm water can cause flooding and soil erosion. Storm water runoff carries chemical and disease-carrying pollutants and contaminated soil into our surface waters. Urban storm water control and managing storm water quality are priorities in the State of New Jersey. This emphasis is reflected in the State's municipal land use planning requirements. Regulatory agencies seek to control the effects of storm water through the use of best management practices. A key element of watershed management of storm runoff is retention of water to manage the rate of runoff and to promote the settling out of suspended solids. Current regulations of the State of New Jersey require over-sizing of storm water retention basins to allow for settling of suspended solids. This results in the need for basin maintenance and dredging of the collected sediment. Suspended solids are managed better by keeping them out of runoff through the use of erosion control measures, which may be hard engineered structures, such as concrete or riprap aprons and flood walls, or bioengineered systems, which involves using living plants either alone or in combination with hard structures, to create a self-sustaining community of soil and native plants. This plant association can be robust enough to stay together while anchoring the soil against erosion at the same time. This technology has been in use for generations, and it is being promoted by the Natural Resource Conservation Service and Americorps for urban ponds and watershed management projects. Bioengineered erosion control solutions are cheaper to install and maintain than concrete or steel structures. The materials used are readily available, and the native shrubs, flowers, and warm season grasses used for vegetation promote the establishment of an appropriate natural habitat for the animal community. Once established, the structure is quite stable, and does not require routine maintenance, except after flooding. THE PROJECT: A man-made pond, which is a key element to the Green Acres park, was severely impacted by erosion and bank slumping from floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes. Mitigation of the flood damage by excavation of the sediment produced a ragged scar devoid of

2 shoreline habitat, and vulnerable to additional erosion. Soft engineering technology was selected to restore the pond. The grant portion of the project involves the removal of debris from the pond, installation of erosion control matting, and planting of native grasses, aquatic plants, and shrubbery. A maintenance manual is also being prepared. High school and Boy Scout and Girl Scout groups participated in the demonstration project along with several other Borough organizations, notably the North Plainfield Recreation Commission, which manages the use of the park. Part of the project plan was to get the Recreation Commission to take ownership of the larger plan of which the grant funded project is a part. In this way revenues generated by the Recreation Commission could be used to offset the pond maintenance costs. PROJECT STATUS: A detailed engineering plan of the current and restored pond contours was prepared for use during restoration, and in April 2000 contractors cleared flood debris from the pond. This debris consisted of branches and other vegetative matter, benches and other park equipment, and sloughed soil. This native soil was a silty-sand and little structural integrity. The excavated soil was spread thinly over the park above the 100 year floodline. The original contours of the pond were restored approximately by acquiring approximately 400 cubic yards of a soil containing rock and about 40% clay from a construction site in Greenbrook, NJ. Porchetta Construction Company provided the soil, charging us only for transportation and installation. The soil above the waterline was seeded with a native grass mixture, "Reclamation Mix," from National Seed in New Brunswick. The composition is shown in Attachment #. To protect the seed from erosion over the winter and to improve contact with the soil an erosion blanket was installed over the seeded area. (North American Green SC150)

3 Pinelands Nursezy Catalog Allegheny Serviceberry Arrowwood Viburnum Atlantic White Cedar Bald Cypress Bankers Dwarf Willow Black Chokeben:y Black Gum Black Willow Boxelder Button bush Cranberrybush Viburnum Elderberry Gray Birch Green Ash Groundsel Tree Highbush Blueberry High Tide Bush Inkbem Holly Ironwood Meadowsweet Nanny berry Pin Oak Pussy Willow Red Chokeberry Red Maple Red Twig Dogwood River Birch Shadblow Serviceberry Silky Dogwood Silver Maple TREES AND SHRUBS RECOMMENDED FOR MEDIUM TO DRY SITES Bayberry Beach Plum Bearberry Bear Oak Black Chen:y Blackhaw Viburnum Blackjack Oak Black Oak Chestnut Oak Eastern Red Cedar Flowering Dogwood Fragrant Sumac Franklinia Gray Birch Gray Dogwood Hackben:y Loblolly Pine Lowbush Blueberry Mountain Laurel New Jersey Tea Persimmon Pitch Pine Virginia Pine Virginia Creeper TREES AND SHRUBS NATIVE TO THE NJ PINE BARRENS Atlantic White Cedar American Cranben:y Bayberry Beach Plum Bearberry Bear Oak Black Chokeben:y Black Gum Blackjack Oak Black Oak Black Willow Button bush Chestnut Oak Eastern Red Cedar SALT TOLERANT TREES AND SHRUBS Allegheny Serviceberrv(B) Flowering Dogwood Gray Birch Highbush Blueberrv Inkben:y Holly Lowbush Bluebeny Mountain Laurel Persimmon Pitch Pine Red Chokebeny Red Maple Sassafras Scarlet Oak Shadblow Serviceberry Sheep Laurel Buttonbush (B) Smooth Alder Speckled Alder Spicebush Streamco Willow Steeplebush Swamp Azalea Swamp Rose Swamp White Oak Sweetbay Magnolia Sweetgum Sweet Pepperbush Sycamore Virginia Sweetspire Wax Myrtle Willow Oak Winterberry Holly Red Oak Rugosa Rose Sassafras Scarlet Oak Shortleaf Pine Smooth Sumac Southern Red Oak Staghorn Sumac Tulip Poplar White Ash White Oak Winged Sumac Witchhazel Shortleaf Pine Smooth Alder Southern Red Oak Staggerbush Steeplebush Swamp Azalea Sweetbay Magnolia Sweet Pepperbush Virginia Creeper Virginia Pine Virginia Sweetspire Wax Myrtle Winged Sumac Winterben:y Holly Red Chokeben:y (B) ~.. jl

4 American Holly (C) Arrowwood Viburnum(C) Bayberry CB) Beach Plum CC) Bearberry (C) Black Chokeberry (B) Black Gum (C) Blackhaw Viburnum (C) Eastern Red Cedar (C) Elderberry (C) Groundsel Tree (A) Hackberry (C) Highbush Blueberry (B) High Tide Bush CCl Inkberry (B) Pitch Pine (C) A-tolerant of infrequent flooding with slightly salty water B-tolerant of salty soil and water C-tolerant of salt spray rwm:"l< ' :il""'_f'""/...,._~-. ~"~""'~/....,... ~~~~flf}f.*...- "'-~lt\i:~.c f.--f4jte49hj?'f}/~-,~~~ ~ ~... d HERBACEOUS PLANTS Rugosa Rose (B) Shadblow Servicebenv(B) Smooth Sumac (C) Spicebush (B) Staghorn Sumac (C) Sweetbay Magnolia (B) Sweet Pepperbush (B) Wax Myrtle (B) Winged Sumac (C)... "~~..,...,...'\~~ ~~~-~-~-:. F".~; r:»w~, 1IP!:-':"~;;K therbaceouswetlandplants~thornamentalflowers Blue Flag Iris Blue Lobelia Cardinal Flower Duck Potato Joe Pve Weed Lizard Tail Monkey Flower New England Aster New York Aster New York Ironweed Pick ere I weed Seaside Goldenrod SALT TOLERANT HERBACEOUS WETLAND PLANTS Spatterdock Swamp Milkweed Swamp Rose Mallow Turtlehead Yellow Iris Arrow Arum CS) Hard-stem Bulrush (S) Smooth Cordgrass M Big Cordgrass CM) Narrow leaf Cattail (M) Soft-stem Bulrush (S) Bitter Panicgrass CVl Olneys Three-square CMl Spatterdock (S) Blackgrass CV) Pickerelweed CS) Spike Grass (V) Blue Flag Iris (S) Praire Cordgrass (S) Swamp Rose Mallow (M) Canada Rush (S) Salt-marsh Bulrush (V) Sweet flag (M) Common Three Square (M) Salt Meadow Cordgrass (V) Switchgrass CM) S =Slightly Tolerant M =Moderately Tolerant V =Very Tolerant HERBACEOUS PLANTS SUITABLE FOR PERMANENT INUNDATION Blue-Joint Grass (A) Arrow Arum (B) Bayonet Rush CD) Blueflag Iris (A) Broadleaf Cattail (B) Common Three Square(A) Duck Potato (C) Fox Sedge CAl Green Bulrush CA) Hard-stem Bulrush (D) Lesser Burreed (A) Lizard Tail CB) NarrowleafCattail (B) Olneys Three-square (A) A= Up to.5' B =Up to 1' C =Up to 2' D =Up to 3' Pickerelweed (B) Reed Canary Grass CAl River Bulrush (B) Soft-stem Bulrush (B) Spatterdock CD) Swamp Rose Mallow(A) Sweet Flag (A) Yellow Iris CAl ~' '~?; +;; ',I; "'t 1 HERBACEOUSPLANTSTHATTOLERATESOMESHADE Arrow Arum Fox Sedge Awl-Fruited Sedge Lizard's Tail Blueflag Iris New England Aster Cardinal Flower Pickerelweed Cinnnamon Fern Rice cutgrass Common Burreed River Bulrush Duck Potato Royal Fern Fowl Mannagrass Sensitive Fern Soft Rush Spatterdock Sweet Flag Tussock Sedge White grass Wood reedgrass Virginia wild rye ~,

5 < -- "',, North Plainfield Green Acres Pond Restoration Project Reclaim Natural Grass Mixture 22.48% o/o 17.42% 14.58% 6.89% 4.99% 0.81 % 12.82% 0.49 o/o Pure Seed Little Bluestem Warwick Hard Fescue Indian grass Side Oats Gramma Big Bluestem Switchgrass Other Crop Seed Inert Matter Weed Seed Germination 73 % + 20 % Dormant 90% 64 % + 29 % Dormant 64% + 10% Dormant 57%+ 37% Dormant 73% + 19% Dormant Lot Number Cost: $11/ lb. National Seed 18B Jules Lane New Brunswick, NJ Test Date 6/00 Formulator's Recommended Application Rate: lbs./acre to soil with a ph of about 5.5 to 6.5. Actually applied 8lbs./7,722 sq. ft. (45lbs./acre), seeded on Sunday 10/1/00. Soil ph was 5.5. Covered with North American Green Erosion Blanket (SC150BN) on 10/1/00; it rained on Wednesday 10/4/00, wetting the seed.

6 Report on Green Acres Pond Service Project March 18, 2001 On Sunday, March 18, 2001, The North Plainfield Environmental Commission conducted a Spring inspection of the Green Acres Pond restoration project begun in NPEC was joined by 3 North Plainfield students in sprucing up after the winter wear and tear. Environmental Commission Members were: Hany Allen Olu Songonuga Skip Hansen Students included: Akilah Campbell Jasmine Campbell Sean Sobel The crew straightened and reattached the erosion matting which had lifted during the winter. Care was taken to minimize disturbance of the native grass lying dormant beneath the matting. These warm season grasses are not expected to sprout till later in the Spring. There was no sprouting visible at this season. An inspection was made of the 80 native shrubs planted last November. About 10 were lost due to the ravages of winter, traffic, and wildlife. About seventy 24" stakes, painted in international orange were driven into the ground near the plants to warn the mowers and others to protect the shrubs. Once everything takes hold, no maintenance of grass or shrubs will be required, except after floods or damage. Part of Akilah Campbell's service project is to label trees and shrubs for educational purposes. To this end the crew identified several trees and shrubs to have labels made. Trees identified were: red maple, silver maple, pin oak, white ash, and black locust. Shrubs selected were those native species planted for this project, namely: red-osier dogwood (Comus sericea), serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis), winterberry (Ilex verticillata), and nannyberry (Viburnum lentago). The crew worked for about 3-4 hours.

7 .. U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR VEGETATIVE COVER ON SUPERFUND SITES IN NEW JERSEY Rationale The vegetative cover on landfills or Superfund sites is often the last and least discussed aspect of the creation of the fmal cap. The vegetation on the cap must provide immediate soil stabilization, but over the long term it could offer other values. In the past, landfill caps have, been vegetated with a monoculture of cool-season turf grasses such as tall fescue (Kentucky 31 ). This species provides quick cover that can stabilize soils, but requires regular mowing and periodic fertilizing to maintain plant vigor. Tall fescue provides little food or cover for grassland birds or other wildlife, and it underutilizes land that could be productive as wildlife habitat. In addition to high maintenance requirements, this grass also has an endophytic fungus that is detrimental to wildlife browsing on it or eating its seeds. The continued use of tall fescue is of considerable concern when the Breeding Bird Survey notes declining populations of many grassland birds (e.g., field sparrow (Spizella pusilla), grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum), and Henslow's sparrow (A. henslowii)). However, there are alternative strategies that will produce a vegetative cover that can stabilize the soil, provide habitat for a wide range of wildlife, and have lower maintenance costs than what is currently used. By striving for a diverse grassland community, habitat can be provided for several species of grassland birds that are in decline. The objective for the vegetative cover on most sites should be to: ( 1) stabilize the soils; (2) provide a structurally diverse grassland habitat for birds and other wildlife; (3) provide a low maintenance long-term plant community; and, (4) establish plant species native to New Jersey, whose seeds are available commercially. The Service recommends that the cap be planted with the mix described below that includes native warm- and cool-season grasses. Cool-season grasses grow and flower in the early and cooler part of the summer, warm-season grasses grow in the later and warmer part of the summer. Warm-season grasses are better adapted to poor soils and drier conditions, making them well suited for landfill caps. Warm-season grasses have a different photosynthetic pathway that enables them to be more efficient in their use of water and nutrients during. photosynthesis. While warm-season grasses do require some mowing/haying to prevent invasion by woody species and to maintain plant vigor, the grasses can often be managed on a 3-year mowing rotation. Conversely, Kentucky 31 requires mowing and fertilization at least twice a year. Thus, the long term mowing cost of Kentucky 31 is 6 times the cost of mowing a warmseason grass community.

8 '... ~.;.~, Application of Seed Seeding should occur in early spring (April or May), but not be done during periods of severe drought, high winds, excessive moisture, frozen grounds, or other conditions that preclude satisfactory results. Applying fertilizer the first year is generally not recommended because the nitrogen encourages more competition from cool-season vegetation. However, if phosphorus levels are low, it can be applied {'rior to planting. Phosphorus helps stimulate root growth. Apply according to soil test results. During the second growing season, fertilizer may be applied at a 3: 1 nitrogen to phosphorus ratio in the early summer as the warm-season grasses initiate growth. For example, if 30 pounds of phosphorus is recommended, 90 pounds of nitrogen should also be applied. Seeding can be accomplished using a Brillion drill seeder or a 3,000 gallon hydroseeder. If a Brillion drill seeder is used, seed is to be planted no deeper than 114 inch. With a Brillion drill, the fluffy seed of the bluestems and Indiangrass should also be de bearded. Some seed suppliers sell debearded seed, but at a slightly higher cos~. (An option is to use a native grass drill [Truax or Tye] that has an auger in the seedbox to help the flow of the fluffy seeds.) After seeding with the drill, compact with a landroller, such as a cultipacker. With proper equipment, sowing seed and cultipacking in one operation is satisfactory. If a hydroseeder/mulcher is used, it should have a minimum 3,000 gallon capacity with two paddle agitators and one cutter agitator, for complete shredding of mulch and the capability of maintaining a homogeneous slurry. Recirculating type slurry agitation is not acceptable, since this type of agitation reduces seed viability. Hydroseeded areas should be tracked with a bulldozer or cultipacked for good seed to soil contact. Compacting equipment should be operated parallel to the land contours, a practice that will help retain rainwater and prevent erosion. Management of the Cap First growing season: The Canada wild rye, redtop, and the small grain will be the first plants to come up. The warm-season grasses (bluestems, switchgrass and Indiangrass) will establish roots during this season. The area should be mowe.d twice (mid May and mid June) to a height of 4 to 6 inches to reduce annual weed invasion and enable light to reach some of the warm-season grass seedlings. Second growing season: Mow once in March before regrowth. Third and subsequent growing seasons: Mow 1/3 of the site once a year and rotate so that each area of the site is mowed approximately once every 3 years. Mowing should not be done during the nesting season (April 15 - August 15)

9 c 0 I 0 ~ Green Acres Park Restoration NJDEP Grant Project North Plainfield Environmental Commission

10 The Hurricane Floyd Flood 1 1#1 ~...

11 Pond Flooded by Hurricane Floyd

12 East Edge Pond Before Project

13 West Edge Pond Before Project

14 SE Edge Pond Before Project (Note Outlet)

15 West Edge Pond Before Project Looking North

16 Reconstruction of West Edge

17 Reconstruction of West Edge 2

18 West Edge Reconstruction Looking North

19 West Edge Reconstruction Looking South

20 Pond Outlet After Reconstruction

21 Students Removing Debris

22 Seeding Native Grasses

23 Reclaim Native Seed Mixture 22.48% Pure Seed Little Bluestem Germination 73 % + 20 % Dormant 19.52% 17.42% Warwick Hard Fescue lndiangrass 90% 64 % + 29 % Dormant 14.58% Side Oats Gramma 64% + 10% Dormant 6.89% Big Bluestem 57%+ 37% Dormant 4.99 o/o Switchgrass 73% + 19% Dormant 0.81% /o 0.49 /o Other Crop Seed Inert Matter Weed Seed

24 The Mat Team

25 Installation of Mat

26 Installation of Mat

27 Mat on NW Edge

28 South & West Edge Completed Reconstruction Showing Mat

29 Watering the Project

30 Girl Scout Gold A ward Applicant

31 Eagle Scouts from Troop 235

32 Helpers Learning Planting Techniques

33 Red-Osier Dogwoods

34 Other Native Shrubs Planted Comus sericea (Red-osier Dogwood) Amelanchier canadensis (Serviceberry) I lex vertic illata (Winter berry) Viburnum lentago (Nannyberry)

35 Southwest Edge Showing Dogwoods & Forbs, Which Will Deter Canada Goose Nesting

Deep-rooted Native Plants Protect Water Quality. Cyndi Ross River Restoration Program Manager

Deep-rooted Native Plants Protect Water Quality Cyndi Ross River Restoration Program Manager 467 square miles of land 126 miles of river 48 communities 1.35 million people 4 main branches Main Upper Middle