March 15, 2022

2019 Water Quality Network Annual Report

by S-FX.com

Science Maker club installation

The Barnegat Bay Partnership’s 2019 Water Quality Network Annual Report is now available to view and download.

During the 2019 sampling year, the BBP collected near real-time water quality data at three continuous water quality monitoring stations to assist and support regulatory decision making, research, trend assessment, and other uses by the public.

Water Quality Continuous Monitoring Station

These stations, located within three distinct areas of the Barnegat Bay–Little Egg Harbor complex, provided data every 15 minutes from December 2018 through December 2019. A total of 616,088 measurements of salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, water depth and pH were collected. The station located in Beach Haven also provided 4,802 measurements of dissolved carbon dioxide to aid researchers in monitoring changes in, and understanding the effects of, coastal acidification within Barnegat Bay.

The ability to collect continuous water quality data helps determine both current condition and trends, which may assist with restoring coastal ecosystems and protecting public health. The BBP’s 2021 Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) states, “Without the proper quantity and caliber of data, it is difficult to accurately determine the true issues, and if any actions taken are addressing the problems.” The BBP’s three continuous water quality stations enhance and expand the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s (NJDEP’s) continuous water quality monitoring network (https://njdep.rutgers.edu/continuous/) and provide the only coastal acidification sensors within Barnegat Bay.

In 2019, the program improved upon its quality control processes in order to provide more accurate and reliable data to stakeholders. Additionally, a new mounting frame and track system for deploying the coastal acidification sensors was built and installed with the assistance of the Ocean County College Maker’s Club and the Berkeley Township Underwater Search and Rescue Squad. This system has proven to be sturdier than the previous deployment methodology; thus, the BBP is confident that this will result in longer duration deployments and more consistent data in the future.

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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.

 

2019 Water Quality Network Annual Report

The Barnegat Bay Partnership’s 2019 Water Quality Network Annual Report is now available to view and download.

During the 2019 sampling year, the BBP collected near real-time water quality data at three continuous water quality monitoring stations to assist and support regulatory decision making, research, trend assessment, and other uses by the public.

Water Quality Continuous Monitoring Station

These stations, located within three distinct areas of the Barnegat Bay–Little Egg Harbor complex, provided data every 15 minutes from December 2018 through December 2019. A total of 616,088 measurements of salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, water depth and pH were collected. The station located in Beach Haven also provided 4,802 measurements of dissolved carbon dioxide to aid researchers in monitoring changes in, and understanding the effects of, coastal acidification within Barnegat Bay.

The ability to collect continuous water quality data helps determine both current condition and trends, which may assist with restoring coastal ecosystems and protecting public health. The BBP’s 2021 Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) states, “Without the proper quantity and caliber of data, it is difficult to accurately determine the true issues, and if any actions taken are addressing the problems.” The BBP’s three continuous water quality stations enhance and expand the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s (NJDEP’s) continuous water quality monitoring network (https://njdep.rutgers.edu/continuous/) and provide the only coastal acidification sensors within Barnegat Bay.

In 2019, the program improved upon its quality control processes in order to provide more accurate and reliable data to stakeholders. Additionally, a new mounting frame and track system for deploying the coastal acidification sensors was built and installed with the assistance of the Ocean County College Maker’s Club and the Berkeley Township Underwater Search and Rescue Squad. This system has proven to be sturdier than the previous deployment methodology; thus, the BBP is confident that this will result in longer duration deployments and more consistent data in the future.

Contact 2019 Water Quality Network Annual ReportContact 2019 Water Quality Network Annual Report
Science Maker club installation