{"id":33,"date":"2011-12-19T19:13:05","date_gmt":"2011-12-19T19:13:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/meri.njmeadowlands.gov\/mesic\/?page_id=33"},"modified":"2018-08-06T20:12:46","modified_gmt":"2018-08-06T20:12:46","slug":"site-descriptions","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/meri.njmeadowlands.gov\/mesic\/sections\/site-descriptions\/","title":{"rendered":"SECTION 1: SITE DESCRIPTIONS"},"content":{"rendered":"
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1.0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Introduction<\/a><\/h2>\n

A resolution of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, dated April 15, 1999, identified environmental restoration within the Hudson-Raritan Estuary (HRE), including the creation and enhancement of aquatic, wetland, and adjacent upland habitats as specific areas of interest. In response, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers \u2013 New York District (USACE-NYD) initiated a reconnaissance study to identify and inventory water resources and sediment-related problems and needs in the HRE. The study was performed under the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Civil Works Program. Problems were evaluated to identify potential environmental restoration projects in the HRE that met the criteria for federal involvement and that had strong sponsor\/local support.<\/p>\n

On April 23, 2003, the District Engineer from the USACE-NYD and the Executive Director for the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission (NJMC) (the non-federal sponsor), endorsed the Project Management Plan (PMP) for the Ecosystem Restoration Study (ERS) for the Hudson-Raritan Estuary \u2013 Hackensack Meadowlands, New Jersey (Meadowlands). The purpose of the PMP was to describe the process that will be undertaken during the Meadowlands Feasibility Study (Meadowlands FS). The Meadowlands FS will determine the feasibility of environmental restoration and protection projects relating to water resources, wildlife habitat, and sediment quality within the Meadowlands, and culminate in recommendations for USACE-NYD project implementation, while also providing recommendations for programs or projects to be implemented by other agencies or local stakeholders. This watershed approach will also result in a working tool for the Meadowlands that will be incorporated into ongoing efforts, including the larger Hudson-Raritan Estuary Feasibility Study, with a view towards a comprehensive ecosystem restoration approach.<\/p>\n

The USACE-NYD and NJMC, in coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), identified two primary issues to be addressed in the Meadowlands FS:<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span> A single comprehensive Meadowlands-wide analysis of ecosystem restoration opportunities to be used as an implementation plan for future restoration with in the Meadowlands, including but not limited to analysis and recommended solutions to salt marsh restoration, infrastructure encroachments on tidal flow, water management control structures, contaminated sediment impacts on biota, impact of brownfield sites on coastal habitat, benthic habitat restoration, and refuse landfill impacts on coastal habitat; and<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span> Initial ecosystem restoration efforts at specific sites identified as Tier-1 (i.e. priority) restoration sites.<\/p>\n

Concentrating on these needs, the PMP identified numerous potential restoration actions and sites based on a literature review, agency coordination, and field investigations.<\/p>\n

To facilitate and focus the scope of work development associated with the Meadowlands FS, this Meadowlands Environmental Site Information Compilation (MESIC) was conducted to identify and catalog available, relevant data. The existing data is organized in this report to facilitate a determination of data gaps and needs, so that a strategy can be created for the substantial data collection effort required for the Meadowlands FS. It is anticipated that the MESIC will serve to advance the Meadowlands FS and eliminate duplication of data previously collected and recorded.<\/p>\n

1.1\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Purpose<\/a><\/h2>\n

The two primary purposes for the MESIC are: 1) to form a baseline of available, relevant information on the various technical areas for each of the MESIC sites, and 2) to facilitate the coordination of potential restoration-related actions within the Meadowlands with the involved regional stakeholders and public.<\/p>\n

1.2 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Description<\/a><\/h2>\n

The MESIC was conducted in full coordination with the USACE-NYD, the NJMC, and the USFWS. The data investigation centered on 50 sites within the Meadowlands, but also included data relevant to the Meadowlands as a wetland complex, so a \u201cMeadowlands-wide\u201d category was included. The 50 sites were selected based upon four site categories.<\/p>\n