WATERSHED FACTS

  • A drainage area of 31 square miles
  • Includes Walnut Brook, First, Second and Third Neshanic River and the Neshanic River main branch immediately above the Back Brook entrance into the Neshanic River.
  • Located in Hunterdon County
  • Includes parts of Delaware Township, East Amwell Township, Flemington Borough and Raritan Township
  • A tributary to the South Branch of the Raritan River
  • A part of the Delaware and Raritan Water Supply System that provides drinking water to more than 1.5 million New Jersey residents
  • 40 percent of agricultural lands, the highest in the Raritan Basin
  • Overall water quality classified as one of the worst in the Raritan Basin
  • Frequent exceedances on the phosphorus and fecal coliform water quality standards
  • Does not support swimming and fishing because of bacterial contamination
  • Requires an 87 percent of reduction in nonpoint source bacteria loads throughout the watershed by the NJDEP-adopted Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for fecal coliform.
  • a TMDL for total nutrients, including phosphorus is being developed by NJDEP.