Locations

The Paulins Kill and Musconetcong River are among the largest tributaries in New Jersey that drain to the Delaware River; these and the cluster’s other sub-watersheds capture a mixture of conditions representative of the Delaware’s more pristine headwaters as well as the heavily altered downstream portions further south in the basin. The entire New Jersey Highlands covers 1,343 square miles of the nationally significant Appalachian Highlands. It is part of the larger, federally designated Highlands Region that stretches from Pennsylvania to Connecticut, which contains one of the largest concentrations of intact forest on the east coast.

The New Jersey Highlands region is a vital source of drinking water for millions of people in the state, and in 2004, New Jersey adopted the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act to systematically protect and improve the quality and availability of its waters. The New Jersey Highlands Cluster covers 690 square miles of this region, which represents the watersheds in New Jersey that drain into the Delaware River. The cluster is immediately south of the Poconos, with the Kittatinny Ridge as its northern boundary. Inhabited for more than 12,000 years, this region has been actively mined, logged and farmed for over 300 years, and cities and towns have grown alongside its rivers and lakes. Nevertheless, forests and wetlands cover more than half of the land in the New Jersey Highlands, and their preservation has been a focus of leading conservation organizations for several decades.

Why it’s Important

The rivers, lakes, and trails of the New Jersey Highlands are among the most popular recreation spots in the region. Many rare species make their homes here. Significant open space and high-quality trout streams contribute to the expansive vistas and ample recreational opportunities in these watersheds.

The New Jersey Highlands also provide drinking water for 6.2 million people, the majority of whom live outside the region. Most Highlands residents draw their water from private and community wells, making groundwater quality just as important as surface water quality. Groundwater quality, while typically good in the areas, is vulnerable to contamination in shallow wells. Despite its relative health, development and agriculture are stressing the natural system. Increased volumes of stormwater flow off tilled lands and hard surfaces like roads and rooftops, carrying pollutants that cause water quality and aquatic life to decline.

Run-off from lawns, leaky septic systems, and illicit septic connections also send significant amounts of pollutants such as fecal matter into the streams. Deforestation worsens the problem. With fewer trees, especially along shorelines and in headwater areas, the ecosystem has less capacity to filter pollutants, absorb stormwater, and minimize floods. Wildlife loses habitat, and fish struggle in streams with warm water that is clouded with sediment. As remnants of early waterpower and supply systems, dams are also disrupting in-stream habitat. Just as connected habitat in forested corridors is important, the connectivity of upstream and downstream reaches in a river is essential for the survival of both mussels and migratory fish like American shad.