To many of us the natural beauty of our streams and rivers can be as important as the fishing. In our densely-populated area, time spent in pristine surroundings has a very special value.
The thousands of members of New Jersey’s eight TU chapters devote countless hours to preserving the aesthetic quality of our waters. Our annual clean-ups have removed tons of trash and debris from such streams as the Toms River, Flat Brook, Rockaway River, South Branch of the Raritan, Musconetcong River, Upper Passaic River, Saddle River, the Paulinskill and the Pequannock River.
Our efforts not only enhance your days afield but also help to preserve good relations with private landowners along these waters.
Of course, keeping water clean means more than just picking up trash. TU carries out and funds a variety of scientific monitoring programs to guard against the invisible threat of pollution.
New Jersey TU members procured more than $24,000 for monitoring work on the South Branch of the Raritan. Currently, we are involved in a large-scale study of Van Campens Brook to help us preserve and enhance this unique wild trout stream. Other programs including electro-shock surveys, creel surveys, invertebrate sampling, and oxygen- and pH testing that are conducted on a variety of waters year-round.
New Jersey’s environmental regulations protect our streams from deforestation, channel alterations, and other destructive practices. In this area, TU members serve a vital role as watchdogs on the water. We work closely with the Division of Fish & Wildlife to guard against abuse of our resources.
