Restoring Our Coastal Lakes

Stephen J. Souza, Ph.D. Princeton Hydro, LLC

1108 Old York Road Ringoes, NJ 08551 ssouza@princetonhydro.com

What Makes These Lakes So Unique

Origin History Setting Demographics Hydrology

The Shared Problems

Impaired water quality
Bacteria Nutrients Turbidity Petroleum hydrocarbons

Infilling and loss of depth Algae and weed blooms Impacted riparian zone Floatables

Root Cause of Problems

Intensive watershed development Improper / inadequate stormwater mgmt Sanitary/stormwater cross-connections Filling and alteration of riparian areas Lack of waterfowl mgmt

Restoration Strategies
Dredging Stormwater management Shoreline restoration Waterfowl management Identification and correction of illicit connections Aquatic weed and algae control
Before you begin need to define the problem and make sure root causes properly identified and quantified.

Key to Successful Lake Restoration

Dont Just Treat The Dont Just Treat The Symptom.Correct the Symptom.Correct the Cause Cause

Putting The Plan Into Action

Properly define problems (cause/effect)
Need to formulate restoration plan using sound, technically robust data Avoid reactive management

Galvanize local commitment

Need to establish community support

Get fiscal planning and funding in place

Local, State and County

Create shared services and inter-local agreements Stick to itwill take time, money and resources

The Fixes For Our Coastal Lakes

Implement regional stormwater management Dredge out accumulated silt Reduce influx of floatables Reduce bacteria loading Control aquatic weed and algae infestations Restore native shoreline and riparian plants Limit use of lakes by Canada geese

Regional Stormwater Management

Goal Reduce nutrient and sediment loading Emphasize recharge and infiltration Use pocket BMPs Retrofit existing infrastructure Reduce stream erosion and restore incised streams

For The Coastal Lake Watersheds Need To Be Creative

Require SWM for redevelopment sites Use MSWMO mitigation for noncompliance Reduce volume Use small footprint BMPs Locate basins in primary source subwatersheds Get support of NJDOT

Dredging
Streamline permit process Establish regional disposal areas Create dedicated pool of funding grants or revolving loans

Sediment Control
Identify and correct erosion problem sites Enforce erosion control ordinances and laws Reduce volume of runoff Repair eroding stream channels Re-establish riparian vegetation

Floatable Control
Educate and get message out there Retrofit catch basins (Ecogrates) Commit to maintenance

Reduce Weed and Algae Impacts

Reduce nutrient loading
Better stormwater mgmt Waterfowl mgmt Lakeside buffers & nomow zones

Algae treatments Weed control

Reducing Bacteria Loading

Fix leaking sanitary lines & CSOs Locate and correct Illegal cross-connections Get aggressive with goose control Enforce pet waste management

Shoreline Restoration
Replace invasive nonnative plants w/ native riparian plants Re-establish emergent wetland plants Create no-mow zone, avoid clearing to lakes edge

Shoreline Restoration
Replace invasive nonnative plants w/ native riparian plants Re-establish emergent wetland plants Create no-mow zone, avoid clearing to lakes edge

Controlling and Managing Geese

Do not feed! Deter use of lake and adjacent lands
Egg addling Boarder collies Shoreline plantings No-mow zones Fencing

Goose Control and Management

1 Septic System

In Summary
Coastal lakes are important resources
History, recreational potential, aesthetics

Most problems linked to intensity of watershed development

Poor stormwater management

Key problems
Nutrient loading - Invasive weeds and intense algae blooms Sediment loading Infilling and critical loss of water depth

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In Summary
Before you begin identify the root cause of problems Develop a technically sound database for use in planning and decision making Prepare plan of action
Prioritize actions Create implementation schedule Galvanize commitment to execute plan Get funding in place

In Summary
Enact watershed management emphasizing stormwater controls (quality, volume, recharge)
Nutrients Sediments Floatables Bacteria

Implement in-lake restoration

Dredging Shoreline stabilization Weed and algae control

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Thanks - Questions
Stephen J. Souza, Ph.D. Princeton Hydro, LLC
1108 Old York Rd. Ringoes, NJ 08551 908.237.5660 ssouza@princetonhydro.com

1998-2008 1998-2008 1998

10
YEARS OF EXCELLENCE

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