Last updated: January 4, 2021
Article
Water Quality | A Look at the Water Quality of the Musconetcong River
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Wild and Scenic River |
Reporting Cycle |
Miles by Water Quality Classification |
Listed Impairments |
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Musconetcong |
2014 |
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Water Temperature; Escherichia coli; Fecal Coliform; Arsenic; pH |
Wild and Scenic Rivers, like all rivers, are protected under the Clean Water Act, which requires states to establish water quality standards for waters within their jurisdiction. Every two years, states are required to report whether these standards are being met. In 2018, NPS compiled information from the most recent state assessments to identify the water quality status of all designated Wild and Scenic Rivers. Based on the information available at the time, NPS determined that roughly 44% of all Wild and Scenic River miles did not meet their water quality standards, with temperature, mercury, and metals being the most common causes of impairment. Want to learn more about Wild and Scenic River water quality? Read the full report found on the rivers.gov website here.
The Musconetcong Wild and Scenic River has seen several success stories in the watershed over the last few years. The removal of dams along the river have allowed for the rapid return of shad to the waterway. More information on the return of the shad may be found on the NJ Fish and Wildlife and Musconetcong Watershed Association websites.
The Musconetcong Watershed Association (MWA) has a citizen (community) science water quality monitoring program that has run for more than a decade, the River Watcher Water Quality Monitoring Program. River Watcher volunteer water quality teams apply a variety of tests to assess the health of the Musconetcong River. Four times per year volunteers test water chemistry and take physical measurements at five locations on the River. Each year they also evaluate the physical habitat and collect aquatic organisms (called benthic macroinvertebrates) because the invertebrates indicate the presence of pollutants and changes in the River environment over time. Together these tests provide MWA with important information about local water quality and general ecosystem health. Each year data are reported to the Musconetcong River Management Council and to the public. In 2015, data were released in a new format: the Musconetcong Water Quality Report Card. After over a decade of monitoring and restoration projects, look for assessments of the Musconetcong River water quality coming soon to the MWA website.