Reappraisal Report Of Shellfish Growing Area BB1 Northern .

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NJ Department of Environmental ProtectionWater Monitoring and StandardsMarine Water MonitoringReappraisal Report of Shellfish Growing Area BB1Northern Barnegat BayDecember 2014Data from January 1, 2010 - June 30, 2014NJ Department of Environmental ProtectionBob Martin, CommissionerState of New JerseyChris Christie, GovernorKim Guadagno, Lt. Governori

Reappraisal Report of Shellfish Growing Area BB1Northern Barnegat BayNew Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP)Water Resources Management (WMM)Dan Kennedy, Assistant CommissionerWater Monitoring and Standards (WM&S)Pat Gardner, DirectorBureau of Marine Water Monitoring (BMWM)Bruce Friedman, ChiefDecember 2014Data from January 1, 2010 - June 30, 2014Report prepared by:Tracy Fay, Principal BiologistThis report was written under the direction of NJDEP WM&S administration. Special acknowledgment is given to the BoatCaptains, the laboratory staff, and the technical and support staff.Cover Photo – Herbert Street Bridge (photo by Tracy Fay)ii

Table of ContentsEXECUTIVE SUMMARY .1DESCRIPTION OF GROWING AREA .2Location & Description. 2Growing Area Classification Summary . 2Evaluation of Biological Resources . 4SHORELINE SURVEY: EVALUATION OF POTENTIAL POLLUTION SOURCES .4Land Use . 5Surface and Ground Water Discharges . 6Marinas . 6Spills, Unpermitted Discharges, and Closures. 7Stormwater Discharges . 8WATER QUALITY STUDIES .9Sampling Strategy . 9Bacteriological Quality . 10Compliance with NSSP Criteria . 10Rainfall Effects . 11Seasonal Effects . 12RELATED STUDIES .13Nutrients. 13Phytoplankton . 13Bathing Beaches. 13Toxic Monitoring . 13CONCLUSIONS .14RECOMMENDATIONS.14LITERATURE CITED .16APPENDICES .17iii

EXECUTIVE SUMMARYThe Northern Barnegat Bay is made up of the waters from Bay Head to Seaside Heights, which includes theMetedeconk River and the northern portion of the Barnegat Bay. The sampling strategy for this area isSystematic Random Sampling and there are currently 73 stations sampled in this growing area. Data wasanalyzed from January 1, 2010 through June 30, 2014 for fecal coliform. Two sampling stations in theNorthern Barnegat Bay area (BB1) are not in compliance with the National Shellfish Sanitation Program’s(NSSP) classification criteria.Currently, the headwaters of the Metedeconk River down past Sandy Point and Beaver Dam Creek areclassified as Prohibited, and the remaining waters of Metedeconk River down to the Herbert Street Bridgeare classified as Special Restricted (see adjacent figure). A portion of the waters south of the Herbert StreetBridge are classified as Seasonal (Nov-Apr) before thewaters turn to an Approved section of the Barnegat Bay.Kettle Creek and Silver Bay are classified as SpecialRestricted, with buffers of Seasonal (Nov-Apr) waters beforethe waters turn to Approved in the Barnegat Bay. Many ofthe small coves along the shoreline, like Haven’s Cove, andLong Island Cove are classified as Seasonal (Nov – Apr).However, some of the more southern coves, like ApplegateCove, Shelter Cove, and Goose Creek are classified asSpecial Restricted. The eastern portion of the Barnegat Bayfrom above Gap Cove to the Tunney/Mathis Bridge is alsoclassified as Special Restricted. Between this SpecialRestricted area on the eastern shore and the SpecialRestricted area of Goose Creek there is a section of Seasonal(Nov-Apr) waters. This growing area ends at the TunneyMathis Bridge, where the Central Barnegat Bay begins.Apart from marina buffers and lagoon, the rest of theBarnegat Bay in this growing area is classified as Approved.There are no direct discharges into the waters of theNorthern Barnegat Bay.The current shellfish growing area classification in theNorthern Barnegat Bay will be modified as a result ofstation 1615A not meeting the NSSP criteria. An estimated128.7 acres around Middle Sedge Island will be suspendeduntil the area can be reclassified in regulation (see adjacentfigure and the “Recommendations” section of this reportfor more information).The 503 acres in the Metedeconk River that wererecommended for an upgrade in the previous SanitarySurvey report are still awaiting a regulatory update1

(N.J.A.C. 7:12). The headwaters of the river will remain Prohibited to around Eagle Point. Once adoptedinto regulation, just east of Eagle Point to the Herbert Street Bridge will be a Special Restricted shellfishclassification (see “Growing Area Classification Summary” and the prior report on BB1 for furtherinformation). Nevertheless, proposed classification changes are subject to change based on continual waterquality results.DESCRIPTION OF GROWING AREALocation & DescriptionThis growing area, Northern Barnegat Bay, is located in Ocean County and includes the waters ofMetedeconk River and the northern section of the Barnegat Bay. The Barnegat Bay estuary is about 64square miles and drains approximately 1,350-square miles (US Fish and Wildlife Service, 1997). Theaverage depth of the estuary is 5-feet; therefore, it is considered a shallow estuary (US Fish and WildlifeService, 1997). For the designation of shellfish growing areas, the waters of the entire Barnegat Bay arebroken up into northern, central, inlet, and southern sections. This growing area is referred to as theNorthern Barnegat Bay. The northern boundary is within the Point Pleasant Canal and the southernboundary is the Tunney/Mathis Bridge (see figure below).The Metedeconk River is a large waterway surrounded by urbanareas. There are many small tributaries that flow into theheadwaters of the Northern Barnegat Bay, which include BeaverDam Creek, Cedar Bridge Creek, and North Branch Creek.However, Toms River, which is located just south of thisgrowing area, is the greatest freshwater influence to the BarnegatBay (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1997). These freshwaterinputs mix with the salt water of the bay to create an estuary.The Barnegat Bay Inlet can be found just south of Island BeachState Park, approximately twelve miles southeast of the TunneyMathis Bridge. The inlet governs the tides in Barnegat Bay andprovides a tidal flush for the bay water.Eight municipalities surround this growing area; Toms RiverTownship, Brick Township, Point Pleasant Borough, Bay HeadBorough, Mantoloking Borough, Berkeley Township, LavalletteBorough, and Seaside Heights Borough.Growing Area Classification SummaryThis Northern Barnegat Bay growing area includes almost 11,000 acres of marine water. Water samples arecollected and analyzed, and then determinations are made on how the shellfish waters should be classified.2

The inland waters of Metedeconk River are Prohibitedfor harvesting shellfish.The eastern section ofMetedeconk River is Special Restricted.TheMetedeconk River is surrounded by urban land use and anumber of marinas. A portion of the waters south of theHerbert Street Bridge are classified as Seasonal (NovApr) before the waters turn to an Approved section of theBarnegat Bay. Kettle Creek and Silver Bay are classifiedas Special Restricted, with buffers of Seasonal (Nov-Apr)waters before the waters turn to Approved in theBarnegat Bay. Many of the small coves along theshoreline, like Haven’s Cove, and Long Island Cove areclassified as Seasonal (Nov – Apr). However, some ofthe more southern coves, like Applegate Cove, ShelterCove, and Goose Creek are classified as SpecialRestricted. The eastern portion of the Barnegat Bay fromabove Gap Cove to the Tunney/Mathis Bridge is alsoclassified as Special Restricted. Between this SpecialRestricted area on the eastern shore and the SpecialRestricted area of Goose Creek there is a section ofSeasonal (Nov-Apr) waters. This growing area ends atthe Tunney-Mathis Bridge, where the Central BarnegatBay begins. Apart from marina buffers, the rest of the Barnegat Bay in this growing area is classified asApproved (see above figure). All lagoons are classified as Prohibited.The last Sanitary Survey report analyzed data from May 1, 2006to April 30, 2010. This report recommended an upgrade for aportion of the Metedeconk River that is still pending a regulatoryupdate (N.J.A.C. 7:12). The headwaters of the river will remainProhibited to around Eagle Point. Once adopted into regulation,five-hundred three acres just east of Eagle Point to the HerbertStreet Bridge will become a Special Restricted shellfishclassification (see adjacent figure and the prior report on BB1 forfurther information). The western section of the Metedeconk willremain Prohibited, as well as Beaver Dam Creek, marinas, andthe lagoons. Nevertheless, proposed classification changes aresubject to change based on continual water quality results.The State of New Jersey Shellfish Growing Water ClassificationCharts (NJDEP) display the classification of this area; thisinformation can also be found on the Bureau of Marine .nj.us/dep/bmw/; the official classificationdescriptions can be found at N.J.A.C. 7:12.3

Evaluation of Biological ResourcesCommercially important shellfish native to New Jerseyinclude: hard clams (Mercenaria mercenaria), softclams (Mya arenaria), blue mussels (Mytilus edulis),eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica), ocean quahogs(Arctica islandica), surf clams (Spisula solidissima), seascallops (Placopecten magellanicus), and bay scallops(Aequipenctin irradians). According to the NSSP,scallops are considered shellfish except when the finalproduct form is the adductor muscle only (2013).The Northern Barnegat Bay area is not particularlyproductive at this time. An occurrence of hard clam andsoft clams were documented in this area in the 1980’sby NJDEP Fish, Game, & Wildlife (see above figure). There are higher densities of hard clams in thesouthern portion of Barnegat Bay due to the open water and sandflat areas. However, portions of northernBarnegat Bay are sometimes used for shellfish aquaculture, notably Swan Point and Good Luck Point.Factors that contribute to having a viable resource include: salinity, dissolved oxygen levels, bottomconditions, and predation.SHORELINE SURVEY: EVALUATION OF POTENTIAL POLLUTIONSOURCESBarnegat Bay has been a “No Discharge Zone” since 2003 and there are two sewage pumpout boatsavailable to recreational boaters in Northern Barnegat Bay (USEPA, 2003). The ‘Bay Saver’ and ‘BayDefender’ typically operate Memorial Day weekend through the end of September (OCDOP, 2014). Theseboats remove sewage from recreational boats with onboard tanks to prevent the emptying of waste directlyinto the waters of Barnegat Bay. Since 1998, over 900,000 gallons of concentrated effluent water have beenremoved from vessels with the Ocean County’s Pumpout Boat Program (2014).There are many marinas in this area, which have significant high use in the summer months due to the influxof tourists. Ortley Beach and surrounding areas are well-known tourist spots on the New Jersey shore duringthe summer. Therefore, the waters in the summertime have the potential to receive more pollutants due tofactors like increased population and recreational boating.Waterfowl are known to inhabit the Northern Barnegat Bay, especially during winter months. At low tidemany gulls, ducks, and geese occupy the sandbars and shoreline. Oftentimes, these waterfowl also nestwithin the wetlands. Bird waste can add to contamination of the waters, which can contribute to highcoliform values.Vegetation is an essential part of the marine ecosystem, offering habitat and nursery grounds for numerousspecies. In the Northern Barnegat Bay, the submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) is prevalent in shallowareas. Some of the most common species of SAV in New Jersey include widgeon grass (Ruppia maritima),sago pondweed (Potamogeton pectinatus), horned pondweed (Zannichellia palustris) and eelgrass (Zosteramarina).4

This area was heavily influenced by Superstorm Sandy in October of2012. Since Superstorm Sandy there has been a lot of construction oncondominiums and residential homes and rebuilding of docks, bulkheadsand other structures at residential homes and commercial marinas (seeadjacent photo). There are still areas that have undergoing repairs orhave not been repaired (see Appendix for shoreline survey reports).Land UseThe majority of land use in this area is divided into wetlands, urban, andforested areas (see adjacent figure). Urban areas are found on the majority of the shoreline. The easterncoastline of the Barnegat Bay has high urban land use and endures a spike in population during the summermonths. Amongst the urban areas there are many marinas, which have significant high use in the summermonths due to the influx of tourists. Mantoloking Neck and Cattus Island County Park are wetland areas.Wetlands serve to purify water; organic and inorganic materials are removed for plant growth. Thecondition of the wetlands is very important to the health of the shellfish.Forested areas are intermittent in the NorthernBarnegat Bay growing area. Most of the forestedareas are inland and not located near the shoreline.Agricultural land use is even less frequent thanforested areas. The agricultural areas also tend to besituated inland.The back-bay waters make the Northern BarnegatBay area a suitable locale for lagoon communities. Alagoon is essentially a manmade canal, surrounded bybulkheaded properties, with access to the bay.Lagoon communities gradually became regulatedunder the Wetlands Act of 1970 (N.J.S.A. 13:9A). In1978, construction of lagoon communities wasgreatly restricted. Lagoon areas are laden withstormwater outfalls that often drain directly into thecanal water. Additionally, many homeowners havedocks, which are used to store their own boats.Although there are pump out stations at manymarinas, some boat owners will illegally dischargesanitary waste directly into the bay water. For thesereasons, all lagoons are classified as Prohibited. Thearea directly outside all lagoons are appropriatelyclassified as Prohibited, Seasonal (Nov - Apr),Seasonal (Jan - Apr), or Special Restricted.5

Surface and Ground Water DischargesA surface water discharge involves the release of treated effluent from various municipal and industrialfacilities directly into a river, stream, or the ocean. There are no known effluent discharges directly into theNorthern Barnegat Bay waters. The Ocean County Utilities Authority’s Northern Water Pollution ControlFacility (NWPCF) treats the domestic wastes and handles the sanitary wastewater to most of thesurrounding municipalities. This plant is located in Brick Township. The capacity of the plant is 32 milliongallons per day (OCUA, 2014). The NWPCF provides wastewater treatment service to Bay Head, Brick,Mantoloking, Point Pleasant Beach, Point Pleasant Borough, Lakewood & Jackson Township. Sewagefrom the Manasquan River Regional Sewage Authority is also treated by the facility. The facility sends thetreated effluent one mile into the Atlantic Ocean at a location east of Mantoloking Borough. As aprecautionary measure, the NSSP requires a closed safety zone, so ocean waters adjacent to the outfall lineare classified as Prohibited for the harvesting of shellfish for a distance of approximately one mile offshore(see growing area Atlantic Ocean: Central Region for more information). Although the ocean outfall line isnot within the confines of the Northern Barnegat Bay area; the pipeline runs through this growing area.Therefore, there is the potential for leaks and breaks in the line, which would affect the surrounding waters.The remaining communities (Toms River Township,Lavallette, and Seaside Heights), as well as manymunicipalities located in the Central Barnegat Bay (BB2)are served by the Ocean County Utilities Authority’sCentral Water Pollution Control Facility (CWPCF) inBayville. The capacity of the plant is 32 million gallonsper day (OCUA, 2014). This facility also discharges to theAtlantic Ocean approximately a mile offshore of IslandBeach State Park (see growing area Atlantic Ocean:Central Region for more information).According to New Jersey Pollutant Discharge EliminationSystem (NJPDES), there are a few facilities with an activeDischarge to Groundwater (DGW) permit in this area.Besides groundwater dischargers, septic systems areoccasionally used where public sewer lines areinaccessible (see adjacent figure). When a septic system’sleach field fails septic waste may pond on the ground’ssurface and can flow directly or be transported bystormwater to storm sewers and ultimately discharge tosurface water. Failing septic systems can be a significantlocalized source of bacteria.MarinasMarina facilities have the potential to affect the suitability of shellfish growing areas for the harvest ofshellfish. The biological and chemical contamination associated with marina facilities may be of publichealth significance. The Barnegat Bay was made a “No Discharge Zone” in 2003 (USEPA, 2003).Boating is a very popular summertime activity within Barnegat Bay. According to the BMWM’s latest6

marina survey, there are a total

Reappraisal Report of Shellfish Growing Area BB1 Northern Barnegat Bay December 2014 Data from January 1, 2010 - June 30, 2014 NJ Department of Environmental Protection Water Monitoring and Standards Marine Water Monitoring NJ Department of Environmental Protection Bob Martin, Commissioner State of New Jersey Chris Christie, Governor

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