May 25, 2021

Volunteer for Paddle for the Edge

by S-FX.com

p4e paddle for the edge

Do you have a kayak, canoe, or stand-up paddleboard?  The Barnegat Bay Partnership is looking for paddling enthusiasts to help collect important data about the condition of shorelines along the Barnegat Bay. With many miles of shoreline, their scientists can’t do it alone – they need the help of volunteers like you!

First launched by the Barnegat Bay Partnership in 2015, Paddle for the Edge has become a popular annual event.  So far, volunteers have paddled 125 miles of shoreline and collected data at more than 6,500 locations using a smartphone app. The data provides important information about the state of the bay’s marshes and will help guide future research and restoration projects.

This summer’s Paddle for the Edge event will take place from July 3 to August 1.  Volunteer paddlers can spend just a few hours on the water anytime during these dates to record some basic information for this shoreline study.

Interested?  Visit our Paddle for the Edge webpage for details about how to register and receive a link to a virtual training video. After completing training and a Knowledge Check, volunteers will be assigned a section of shoreline to paddle during the collection dates.

If you have questions or need additional information, please email Shannon at Paddle4TheEdge@gmail.com.

BBP Paddle For The Edge Logo Final

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UNKNOWN

There is limited data available to quantify Wetland and Riparian Buffer Preservation, or updated data to quantify Wetland Acreage. The BBP has obtained funding and will begin assessment efforts for both targets, in the next few years.

 

 Hard Clam abundance has not been updated since 2012. Recovery of the stock will be guided by the Fishery Management Plan for Hard Clams, which is under development with the NJDEP, BBP, and other organizations. Reclam the Bay and other partners have continued to plant clams for restoration purposes. Continued plantings in strategic locations which maximize survival and reproduction is one strategy to pursue in the coming years. This work can use a model developed by Rutgers with BBP funding which identified areas where planted clams could have the greatest dispersal of their larvae and thus potentially maximally contribute to the recovery of the stock.

 Water Withdrawals were over the target in the 2021 report; USGS has not yet completed its latest update, so a definitive determination of status is not available. However, additional NJDEP data show that it is likely that we continue to not meet the target. Per capita water use has gone down, demonstrating the effectiveness of water-saving appliances and practices, but that decrease has been offset by population gains. 


IN PROGRESS

New maps quantifying Submerged Aquatic Vegetation extent were developed, but poor image clarity resulted in a high degree of uncertainty in the total acreage. NJDEP and Rutgers are working to resolve the uncertainty of these maps, and improve the total acreage estimate. Funding has also been obtained for further research and restoration activities. Several groups are developing potential restoration actions.

The USGS has completed the first phase of its study to identify minimum ecological flows in select Barnegat Bay tributaries. USGS scientists compared streamflow statistics between historical and current time periods to better understand trends in watershed flow conditions. This work provides a foundation for developing ecological flow targets in the Barnegat Bay watershed.  Similar to SAV extent, funding (approximately $450K) has been obtained by the BBP to complete the remaining phases necessary for threshold determination.

 

TARGETS ACHIEVED

No targets can be considered “Achieved” at this time.

 

NOT ACHIEVING

Several Public Swimming Beaches exceeded their safe swimming standards more frequently than during their baseline time period (2016-2018).

While most beaches are routinely safe for swimming, several problematic areas such as Beachwood, Hancock, Windward, and several lake beaches need track-down studies and restoration to pinpoint and address sources of bacteria.

Acres of Approved Shellfish Waters decreased from the last report. While this decrease was small, it represents a loss of previously approved waters. Similar to public beaches, track-down studies and restoration work are needed to pinpoint and address sources of bacteria.

 

Volunteer for Paddle for the Edge

Do you have a kayak, canoe, or stand-up paddleboard?  The Barnegat Bay Partnership is looking for paddling enthusiasts to help collect important data about the condition of shorelines along the Barnegat Bay. With many miles of shoreline, their scientists can’t do it alone – they need the help of volunteers like you!

First launched by the Barnegat Bay Partnership in 2015, Paddle for the Edge has become a popular annual event.  So far, volunteers have paddled 125 miles of shoreline and collected data at more than 6,500 locations using a smartphone app. The data provides important information about the state of the bay’s marshes and will help guide future research and restoration projects.

This summer’s Paddle for the Edge event will take place from July 3 to August 1.  Volunteer paddlers can spend just a few hours on the water anytime during these dates to record some basic information for this shoreline study.

Interested?  Visit our Paddle for the Edge webpage for details about how to register and receive a link to a virtual training video. After completing training and a Knowledge Check, volunteers will be assigned a section of shoreline to paddle during the collection dates.

If you have questions or need additional information, please email Shannon at Paddle4TheEdge@gmail.com.

BBP Paddle For The Edge Logo Final
Contact Volunteer for Paddle for the EdgeContact Volunteer for Paddle for the Edge
p4e paddle for the edge