FLOODPLAIN RESTORATION IN RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS ... · floodplain restoration in residential...

RUTGERS COOPERATIVE EXTENSION

STATEN ISLAND

JERSEY CITY

BROOKLYN

NEWARK

ELIZABETH

MANHATTAN

SAYREVILLE

KEYPORT

MIDDLETOWN

Arthur KillRaritan River

Raritan Bay

New York Bay

Jamaica Bay

Sandy Hook

LINDEN

WOODBRIDGE

BUY-OUT AREA INWOODBRIDGE TOWNSHIP

WOODBRIDGE TOWNSHIP

IN THE FLOOD ZONE:F L O O D P L A I N R E S T O R A T I O N I N R E S I D E N T I A L N E I G H B O R H O O D S D A M A G E D B Y S U P E R S T O R M S A N D Y



STATEN ISLAND

JERSEY CITY

BROOKLYN

NEWARK

ELIZABETH

MANHATTAN

SAYREVILLE

KEYPORT

MIDDLETOWN

Arthur KillRaritan River

Raritan Bay

New York Bay

Jamaica Bay

Sandy Hook

LINDEN

WOODBRIDGE

LOCATION OF BLUE ACRES PROPERTIES

Woodbridge Township


SEWAREN NEIGHBORHOOD

New

Jers

ey T

urnp

ike

North Jersey Coast Train Line

Rahw

ay A

venu

e

Avenel Street

Arthur Kill

Woodbridge Creek

Woodbridge Avenue

East Summit Avenue

Sew

aren

Ave

nue

South Robert Street

Dunlop Drive

Arbor Street

Vernon Street

Crampton Avenue

Trinity Lane

Bam

ford

Ave

nue

Von Vetchen Avenue

Claire Avenue

Port Reading Avenue

Homestead Avenue

Edgerton Boulevard

Rah

way

Ave

nue

Tha

yer

Ave

nue

Matthew Jago School

Woodbridge Creek Tributary

Smith Creek

Heards Brook

AVENEL NEIGHBORHOOD

100 YEAR FLOOD ZONE500 YEAR FLOOD ZONE

BLUE ACRES BUY-OUT PROPERTIESBUILDINGS REMAINING IN THE FLOODPLAIN

WATSON-CRAMPTONNEIGHBORHOOD

W O O D B R I D G E T O W N S H I P :

• 5 neighborhoods in the 100 year f lood hazard zone

• ~198 Blue Acres propert ies


• Voluntar y part ic ipat ion by those res idents who wish to leave the f loodplain

• State purchases f lood-prone res ident ia l propert ies at fa i r market value

• Property becomes publ ic open space , with a l l permanent structures removed

B L U E A C R E S P R O G R A M


• State-owned land

• But municipal i t ies responsible for maintenance and management

• Often located adjacent to and within remaining res ident ia l neighborhoods

• Often maintained as lawn

• Municipal i t ies need a way to maintain Blue Acres propert ies whi le reducing mowing manhours and increas ing ecosystem ser v ices

B L U E A C R E S P R O P E R T I E S :M A I N T E N A N C E A N D M A N A G E M E N T R E S P O N S I B I L I T I E S


• Protect safety and health of res idents

• Increase res i l iency to severe storm events by restor ing the natural f unct ion of the f loodplain

• Reduce mowing manhours for the municipal i ty

• Improve wi ldl i fe habitat and increase biodivers i ty

• Promote storage and inf i l t rat ion of stormwater

• Enhance recreat ional opportunit ies

F L O O D P L A I N R E S T O R A T I O N G O A L S


• 549 of the state ’s 565 municipal i t ies af fected (2013 Nat ional F lood Insurance Program Pol ic ies and Cla ims Stat ist ics for New Jersey)

• often in res ident ia l neighborhoods

• 1 ,582 f lood events in NJ between 1950 - 2012 (NOAA)

• Hurr icane F loyd ( 1999) , Hurr icane Ivan (2004) , Hurr icane I rene (2011 ) and Superstorm Sandy (2012) among many others

• but a lso s imply prolonged per iods of ra in ( 1996 , 1997 , 2000, 2004, 2005, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2010 , 2011 , 2011 , 2011 , 2012 etc . )

• $29.4 bi l l ion in damages and 30,000 propert ies damaged or destroyed in Superstorm Sandy alone

F L O O D D A M A G E


• Many res ident ia l neighborhoods bui l t over wetlands and f loodplains

• Many wetlands converted to farmland (an est imated 90% of human-caused wetland destruct ion in the U.S . ) (T iner 2005)

• Increased imper vious cover and stormwater runof f cause addit ional stream and wetland degradat ion

• Reduced inf i l t rat ion and groundwater recharge due to development

• Water st i l l needs somewhere to go

F L O O D I N G I N T H E C O N T E X T O F W E T L A N D D E S T R U C T I O N


Hurr icane I rene , News 12 New Jersey

Crampton Avenue



• Increas ing extremes :

• More f requent large storm events

• More f looding

• Yet a lso more drought

• Changing plant ranges

• Disturbance and stress = More opportunit ies for invas ive species

• Sea level r i se

• Changes to wetland and f loodplain extents and character ist ics

C L I M A T E C H A N G E













KAYAK LAUNCH AND EAST HEARDS BROOK PARK

SALT MARSH

FLOODPLAIN RESTORATION:

RECREATION:

HIGH MARSH EDGE

FLOOD STORAGE AND STORMWATER WETLANDS

SCRUB SHRUB

FLOODPLAIN FOREST

BIOSWALES

POCKET PARKS

BORDER PLANTING

MEADOW

Claire Avenue

Brookfield Avenue

Heards Brook

Woo

dbri

dge

Cre

ek

Crampton Avenue

Wat

son

Aven

ue

Wat

son

Aven

ue

Bam

ford

Ave

nue

Gar

den

Aven

ue

Alm

on A

venu

e

Ald

en S

tree

t

Rah

way

Ave

nue

Bam

ford

Ave

nue

Lew

is Street

Vesp

er A

venu

e

Pear

l Ave

nue

Hei

delb

erg

Ave.

Von Vetchen Avenue

Trinity Lane

Port Reading Avenue

Restoring the Heards Brook riverbank allows existing park space to be expanded. A kayak launch can also provide new ways of enjoying Woodbridge open space.

A unique hilltop within the Watson-Crampton neighborhood can be augmented with small trees and shrubs while providing an elevated pathway and look-out opportunity across the salt marsh.

Forested areas can provide shaded pathways and flood and wind protection while acting as a sound and sight buffer from the nearby New Jersey Turnpike.

Existing swales and concrete channels that convey stormwater runoff can be converted into bioswales to treat stormwater as part of the open space network.

Individual buy-out properties can be converted into park space to increase public amenities in each neighborhood. A variety of designs are available to community members.

A formal tree border frames remaining residential properties while creating entraceways into the restoration zone.

A system of small berms and depressions within meadow open space can store flood water and treat stormwater runoff.

Flowering meadows provide a low-maintenance management strategy for the Township while creating open sight lines that integrate with residential properties.

Transitional areas between forested and salt marsh habitats can be planted with salt-tolerant high marsh plants to manage invasive species and erosion.

Saline marsh areas provide flood protection while enhancing tidal habitats in Woodbridge Township and allowing residents an opportunity to enjoy nature.

BOARDWALKS AND TRAILSTrails and boardwalks connect park space and residential areas while providing walking opportunities through flowering meadows and a variety of natural habitats.

New Jers

ey T

urnpik

e

East Heards Brook Park

Kayak Launch


BEFORE: AFTER:

Warm-season meadow


PRIVATE PROPERTY FLOOD STORAGEAND STORMWATERWETLAND

MOWN BUFFER MEADOW TRAIL BIOSWALE FLOODPLAIN FOREST


BEFORE: AFTER:

Pocket Parks


• Blue Acres Propert ies are an emergent opportunity for urban forestr y and modif ied f loodplain forest establ ishment

• Dead trees in urban contexts = Previously unavai lable habitat opportunit ies for wi ldl i fe

• Blue Acres s i tes throughout NJ are in need of long-term management plans

F U T U R E M A N A G E M E N T N E E D S


Woodbridge Township :

• John E . McCormac - Mayor

U.S . F ish and Wildl i fe Ser v ice

Rutgers Cooperat ive Extension:

• Brooke Maslo , Ph .D - Wi ldl i fe Extension Special ist

• Jeremiah Bergstrom, LLA - Senior Project Manager

• Tekla Pont ius-Courtney - Staf f Designer

P R O J E C T T E A M A N D P A R T N E R S

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