Ocean County is located in the outer Atlantic Coastal Plain, the largest of the five physiographic provinces of New Jersey. The topography of the county is gently undulating terrain with low relief. Elevations range from 0 to 225 feet (0 to 675 m). The highest elevations occur in Plumsted Township. A major ridgeline in the western portion of the County separates drainage to the Atlantic Ocean and to Delaware Bay. Although located in Ocean County, Crosswicks/Rancocas Creek and the Mount Misery Brook flow to the Delaware River. The Oswego River flows to the Mullica River. The remaining rivers, creeks, and streams in Ocean County flow to Barnegat Bay. Few areas of steep slope are found in the county, with most slopes being 5% or less. Approximately 5% of the land has slopes of 10% or more (Ocean County Planning Board, 1988).

An accurate characterization of the watershed and estuary requires a description of the existing land uses throughout the geographic areas that drain to the Barnegat Bay-Little Egg Harbor estuary. The term "land use" describes any activity or use which occurs either directly on the land or within structures erected on the land. A study of land-use data and population projections is necessary to estimate future land-use growth needs. Future projections must be made using environmental resource data in order to determine where development can be accommodated without harming environmentally sensitive areas, such as wetlands, stream corridors, groundwater aquifers, and seasonal high water table areas.

Ecological changes in the estuary appear to be closely coupled to temporal changes in land use within the watershed. Barnegat Bay currently exists in a relatively eutrophic state, as evidenced by high phytoplankton and chlorphyll a concentrations, and elevated water column turbidity during the summer (Seitzinger and Piling, 1993). High nutrient inputs from residential runoff and farmfields lead to increased algal blooms, elevated water column turbidity, changes in species composition, loss of submerged aquatic vegetation, and oxygen depletion which can decimate aquatic species. Little is known about the source and concentrations of halogenated hydrocarbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and trace metals in the estuary. These compounds are toxic to marine and estuarine organisms above threshold concentrations and they can destroy habitats and species. Pathogens, like bacteria and viruses, can threaten human health through ingestion from eating contaminated seafood or from swimming in affected waters (Kennish, 1998). Clean water is essential for continued human health, quality of life and maintenance of species biodiversity.

The Barnegat Bay watershed lies almost entirely within Ocean County. An exception is the portion of southern Monmouth County within the Metedeconk River drainage basin which discharges to the Barnegat Bay. Ocean County is the second largest county in the state, and one of four New Jersey counties which is located along the Atlantic Coast.

Ocean County was officially formed in 1850, and since that time, the county population has steadily increased. Population growth in the county was greatest during the period from 1950 to 1990, with the decade from 1960 to 1970 experiencing a 92.6% increase in numbers (Ocean County Planning Board, 1988). The 1990 population statistics show that the population is concentrated in the northeastern and central municipalities and along the barrier island. Dover Township leads the county in population with 85,436 residents estimated in 1998, followed by Brick, Lakewood, Manchester, Jackson, Berkeley, Lacey, Point Pleasant, and Little Egg Harbor. Stafford, Barnegat, and Beachwood are the next three most populated areas. The remainder of the county has experienced little or no growth in recent years (Ocean County, Department of Planning, 1998).

Age-restricted adult communities have continued to flourish and are responsible for the growth of the older age groups in the county. The median age in 1990 was 38.5 compared to 35.5 years in 1980. Of a total population of 433,203 people in 1990 (Ocean County Department of Planning, 1998), there were 204,181 males and 229,022 females. Dover and Berkeley led the county in residents over 60 years of age. Dover, Brick, Lakewood, and Jackson had the most residents between ages 40 and 60. Overall population density was 740.93 persons per square mile of land area in 1998. The highest year-round population densities are in Seaside Heights and Point Pleasant, both with over 5,000 residents per square mile of land area. The lowest population densities are in Lacey, Ocean, Plumsted, Eagleswood, Mantoloking, Harvey Cedars, and Barnegat Light, all around or below 1,000 persons per square mile of land area (Ocean County Department of Planning, 1998).

Rapid population growth has resulted in a great increase in Ocean County housing stock. The total units of housing in 1990 were 219,863, up from 173,532 in 1980. Of these units, 168,147 were occupied year-round, and 51,716 were occupied for only part of the year. In 1990, 35,017 units were used seasonally. As in the past, single family detached housing is the largest category, with 113,267 units in 1990. Duplex and multi-family housing totaled 20,496 units, and mobile homes or trailers totaled 4,834 units.

The County Planning Board approved 565 subdivision and site plan applications in 1998 for a total of 4,053 new lots, primarily residential. Most of the new lots were located in Jackson, Lakewood, Dover, and Brick Townships.

Ocean County currently has a total of 79 adult communities with a total of 56,200 units/lots. The largest of these is Crestwood Village (I-VI), with 6,500 units/lots in Manchester Township. The next largest is Holiday City at Berkeley - I and II, with 3,250 units/lots in Berkeley Township. Towns having adult communities are: Barnegat, Berkeley, Brick, Dover, Eagleswood, Jackson, Lacey, Lakewood, Little Egg Harbor, Manchester, Plumsted, Stafford, and Tuckerton.

According to the 1990 Census, Ocean County had 186,404 homes connected to a public water system or private water company. There are a total of 30,495 drilled wells, with the largest number of these in Lacey Township (7,607), Jackson Township (4,959), Berkeley Township (3,375), Dover Township (3,113), Manchester Township (2,450), Stafford Township (2,362), Plumsted Township (1,449), Ocean Township (1,291), Lakewood Township (1,263), and Little Egg Harbor Township (1,026). Berkeley, Dover, Jackson, Lacey, Lakewood, Manchester, Ocean, Plumsted and Stafford Townships all had hundreds of wells each.

In 1990, Ocean County had 193,899 homes connected to public sewer and 25,405 homes with septic tanks or cesspools. An additional 559 homes had other means of sewerage disposal. The following municipalities have the largest number of septic systems in the county: Jackson (6,122), Manchester (5,987), Lakewood (2,885), Berkeley (2,190), Plumsted (2,054), and Stafford (1,766) (Ocean County Department of Planning, 1998).

As of 1997, Ocean County had a potential labor force of 211,299 residents. Of these residents, 199,958 were employed. The 1997 unemployment rate for the county was 5.4%.

The health care industry is the fastest growing employment sector and the top employer in Ocean County. The greatest number of jobs in the county are professional, paraprofessional, and technical occupations (e.g., engineers, accountants, architects, physical scientists, computer analysts, social scientists, lawyers, teachers, librarians, health practitioners, writers, and editors). The next category with the most employees consists of service occupations, followed by administrative support and clerical occupations, including secretarial and general office workers. Marketing and sales comprise the fourth largest category, with the construction industry being the fifth greatest employer (Ocean County Department of Planning, 1998). Residents hold the bulk of the jobs available in the county, with 9,968 employees commuting from Monmouth County and 2,099 commuting from Burlington County. Ocean County residents also commute to Monmouth County (33,142), Middlesex County (9,629), Atlantic County (4,703), and New York (4,454).

Ocean County has 197 marinas with a total of 15,368 slips. The municipalities having the most marinas are: Brick (25 marinas), Dover (19 marinas), Lacey (18 marinas), and Tuckerton (17 marinas) (Ocean County Department of Planning, 1998).

The Ocean County Planning Board and State Department of Commerce have tabulated the following economic statistics, which provide an idea of how tourism and recreation are related to good water quality:

• In 1997, there were 21,347,305 pounds (960,629 kg) of finfish and 19,724,768 pounds (887,615 kg) of shellfish harvested by vessels with a port landing in Ocean County .

• In 1995, 920,700 travelers rented shore units.

• Barrier island rental unit expenditures were $238 million in 1995.

• Tourist industry jobs totaled 45,000 in 1995.

• Contribution of tourism jobs to the payroll in Ocean County was $631 million in 1995.

• Tourist dollars expended in Ocean County amounted $1.71 billion in 1995.

New Jersey residents are the largest market for Ocean County rentals, along with visitors from New York and Pennsylvania. It is obvious that clean water is a high priority for the continuation of the healthy tourist economy enjoyed by Ocean County, since most of the recreational uses are connected to bay and ocean water quality.

The economic value of New Jersey's natural resources exceeds that of Maryland, a much larger Mid-Atlantic State (Savits, undated). This is evident from the data provided below:

The Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972 produced the Water Quality Management Program (WQMP), more commonly known as the "208" plan. This program promoted regional or "areawide" planning aimed at cleaning up or maintaining water quality to meet the national goal of fishable and swimmable waters by 1983. Section 208 federal grants were available from the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency to establish water quality management planning in each state.

Under the WQMP, the Ocean County Utilities Authority is the designated management agency for wastewater treatment. Federal and state acts require that all sewerage facility plans are in conformance with the WQMP, and all permits issued under the New Jersey Pollutant Discharge Elimination System must also conform to this plan.

In 1973, three new regional publicly-owned wastewater treatment plants were proposed for Ocean County. These plants eventually supplanted 39 public or privately owned and operated wastewater treatment plants that discharged to surface water bodies, including Barnegat Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. As a result of these actions, bay water quality significantly improved during the past two decades.

In 1977, the Clean Water Act was passed by the U. S. Congress to protect, restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the nation’s waters. The objective of the act was to attain a level of water quality that provides for the protection and propagation of fish, shellfish and wildlife, and provides for recreation in and on the water by 1983, and to eliminate the discharge of pollutants into navigable waters by 1985. Among the many areas regulated by the Clean Water Act are the effluent limitations for the Section 307 Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit (in New Jersey, NJPDES Permits issued by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for surface water and ground water discharges), and Discharge of Dredged or Fill Materials (Section 404 Permits administered by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers).

In 1987, Congress established the National Estuary Program, which recognizes the vital importance of the natural ecology of wetlands, tidal marshes and estuaries to fish and wildlife resources. The National Estuary Program seeks to maintain the health and ecological integrity of estuaries. The Barnegat Bay Estuary Program was added to the National Estuary Program in 1995. This program will evaluate the environmental, recreational and commercial needs of the bay and develop recommendations for water quality improvements.

The State of New Jersey has taken a regulatory approach to the protection of coastal lands and other environmentally sensitive areas. Ocean County is directly affected by these regulations because of its location in the coastal zone, the Pinelands, and the large amount of tidal and freshwater wetlands.

Tidal, or coastal wetlands, are defined as low lands subject to tidal action, whose surface is at or below an elevation of 1 ft (.3 m) above local extreme high water, and which are capable of supporting certain listed types of vegetation (Goldshore, 1979). A significant amount of tidal marshes in Ocean County has been lost to development during the past century. For example, marshes have been converted to lagoon developments, which feature dredged channels for boat traffic and fill for adjacent residential development. Tidal wetlands are considered to be unsuitable for development because the marsh soils are wet, exhibit low bearing capacity, and are subject to seasonal high water table fluctuations, coastal flooding, and storms.

The Wetlands Act of 1970 (N.J.S.A. 13:9A-1 et seq.) was adopted to regulate the construction of structures and the draining, dredging, excavation, or deposition of material in any coastal wetlands. A Tidal Wetlands Permit is required for the cultivation and harvesting of naturally occurring agricultural or horitcultural products. It is also required for minor projects, including excavation of small boat mooring slips, maintenance or repair of bridges, roads, highways or the facilities of any utility or municipality, and construction of catwalks, piers, docks, landings, and observation decks. Permits also regulate the installation of utilities, excavation of boat channels and mooring basins, construction of impoundments, construction of sea walls, diversion of water, use of pesticides, driving a mechanical conveyance on wetlands, and excavation and filling, or the construction of any structure.

Tideland grants, leases and/or licenses are required for the use of state-owned riparian lands. The state ownership of land flowed by the tide originates with the Public Trust Doctrine. New Jersey's title to these lands is as trustee for the public, and their utilization and alienation are subject to limitations imposed by the Public Trust Doctrine.

In December 1998, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection published a Coastal Zone Management Rule proposal to revise Sub-chapter 5 of the rules and replace the existing criteria for determining acceptable development intensities in the Coastal Zone with new criteria based on the State Development and Redevelopment Plan. The new criteria assigns limits on impervious surface coverage and forest preservation based on planning areas and designated centers. The proposed rules are being rewritten because of public comments, and are scheduled for implementation in 1999 or early 2000.

The Waterfront Development Act (N.J.S.A. 12:5-3) was initially enacted in 1914 and amended in 1975. The focus of this statute is the preservation and enhancement of navigable waterways for purposes of marine commerce through regulation of waterfront development. It applies to all the waterfronts of all coastal waterways in the state, with the exception of upland areas regulated by the CAFRA Rules. A Waterfront Development Permit is required for all development activities in the area 100 ft (160 km) above to 500 ft (800 km) below the mean high water line. Developments up to 500 ft (800 km) from the mean high water line in the Coastal Zone, but outside of the CAFRA area, are also regulated by this statute.

Since July of 1988, all development activities in freshwater wetlands need a permit from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) pursuant to the Freshwater Wetlands Protection Act (N.J.S.A. 13:9B-1 et seq.) and the Freshwater Wetlands Protection Act Rules (N.J.A.C. 7:7A-1 et seq.). Prior to 1988, freshwater wetlands were under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which still regulates the majority of wetlands throughout the United States. An NJDEP permit is needed prior to: (1) engaging in the removal, excavation, disturbance or dredging of soil, sand, gravel or aggregate material of any kind; (2) the drainage or disturbance of the water level or water table; (3) the dumping, discharging or filling with any materials; (4) the driving of pilings; (5) the placing of obstructions; and (6) and the destruction of plant life which would alter the character of a freshwater wetland or transition area, including the cutting of trees. New Jersey issues statewide general permits for such activities as filling isolated wetlands (SGP-6), minor road crossings (SGP-10), and stormwater outfalls (SGP-11, which requires water quality pre-treatment of runoff prior to discharge to surface waters). Impacts that affect more than 1 ac (.4 ha) must be mitigated by the creation of new wetlands on the project site at a ratio of 2:1. The use of watershed mitigation banks to offset wetlands losses has gained acceptance in New Jersey and other parts of the country.

The New Jersey Flood Hazard Area Control Act Rules (N.J.A.C. 7:13-1 et seq.) regulate construction within, and proximate to non-tidal flood hazard areas in order to minimize potential on and offsite damage to public or private property, to protect and enhance the public’s health and welfare by minimizing the degradation of water quality from point and non-point pollution sources discharging into the flood hazard area, and to protect wildlife and fisheries by preserving and enhancing water quality and the environment associated with the flood hazard area. A stream encroachment permit is required for the construction, installation or alteration of any structure or permanent fill along, in or across, the channel or flood plain of any non-tidal watercourse, or the discharge or alteration of any non-tidal watercourse.

In 1975, standards for soil erosion and sediment control were promulgated pursuant to the Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Act (N.J.S.A. 4:24-3 and 4:24-42) and the Standards for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control in New Jersey (N.J.A.C. 2:90-1.1 et seq.). Municipalities and all other public agencies are required to condition development approvals on the Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Certification approval from the local Soil Conservation District for projects disturbing more than 5,000 S.F. of land. Certification is also required for demolition of structures, construction of parking lots and public facilities, operation of mining or quarrying activities, and clearing or grading of land for purposes other than agriculture or horticulture. Single family dwellings are excluded unless they are part of a project involving two or more single family units. The Ocean County Soil Conservation District has been an active participant in environmental issues affecting Ocean County.

The primary function of the Ocean County Planning Board is development review. By statute, the Planning Board reviews development applications for their impacts on county roads and drainage facilities. The review process helps to ensure that developments are constructed according to adopted regulations and design standards. The Department of Planning works with the Planning Board on a number of regional issues and administers a number of programs for the county. The Ocean County Department of Planning also collects statistical data for use by county residents. Demographics, such as employment figures, population estimates, residential building permits, and subdivision and site plan approvals are analyzed to generate economic indicators. Planning Board activities also include involvement in the following matters.

The Ocean County Planning Board serves as the Negotiating Entity for the Cross-Acceptance process of the State Development and Redevelopment Plan. This process is conducted every three years to achieve consistency between the State Plan and local land use plans. The Ocean County Cross-Acceptance Report was forwarded to the Office of State Planning in September 1998. Several Center Designation Petitions were contained in this report. A joint Center Designation Petition was submitted by the Borough of Tuckerton and the Townships of Little Egg Harbor and Eagleswood, in an effort to plan jointly for the future development of the southern portion of Ocean County. Other center petitions were submitted by Jackson Township, Ocean Township and Seaside Heights Borough. Two certified Centers exist in Ocean County: Manahawkin in Stafford Township and New Egypt in Plumsted Township.

The Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders is the designated Water Quality Management Planning Agency for Ocean County and the portion of Monmouth County located within the Metedeconk River drainage basin. In August 1998, Ocean County received final approval from the NJDEP for the Northern Planning Area Water Quality Management Plan. The plan covers portions of all of the 9 municipalities in northern Ocean County and southern Monmouth County and permits the expansion of the Northern Water Pollution Control Facility of the Ocean County Utilities Authority from 28 million gallons per day (106.4 million liters per day) to 32 million gallons per day (121 million liters per day). Mapping associated with the Wastewater Management Plan for the Southern Planning Area has been incorporated into the county’s Geographic Information System (GIS) and is ready for review by local agencies prior to submission to the NJDEP for approval.

The Ocean County Planning Board has been involved in potable water supply projects related to maintenance of potable water supply in the county. In 1987, the County Planning Board commissioned the study of water supply issues, prepared by CDM Associates. Based on this study, over 70% of the public wells and most domestic wells obtained potable water from the shallow Cohansey and Kirkwood aquifers. These aquifers are susceptible to contamination from surface activities due to their shallow depth and the existence of well-drained soils. Saltwater intrusion was another threat to public potable water supply along the barrier islands of Ocean County. An investigation of groundwater quality in the county found that many private wells contained low levels of organics, below drinking water quality limits. "Organic contamination forced the closing of nearly 100 drinking wells in Jackson Township in 1972" (Hess, 1993). The county assisted residents experiencing well water contamination in obtaining compensation through the State Spill Fund Compensation Program. This program has reimbursed eligible residents of Ocean County for expenses incurred in resolving domestic well contamination. The county also studied recharge areas of public water supply wells and wellfields in Brick, Dover, Manchester, Lacey, and Stafford Townships to determine possible pollution sources to the wells. In conjunction with this Wellhead Protection Demonstration Project, a computer listing of over 300 known potential contamination sites was assimilated into the county’s GIS.

In 1979, the New Jersey Solid Waste Management Act required Ocean County to develop a plan for management and disposal of solid waste generated within the county. The original Ocean County District Solid Waste Management Plan was adopted in 1979 by the Board of Chosen Freeholders and amended through 1987. A Recycling Plan was also adopted in 1987. Ocean County became the first county in the state to receive full certification under the New Jersey Recycling Act. In 1990, a Department of Solid Waste was established in the county by the Board of Chosen Freeholders in 1990.

Ocean County's solid waste management program consists of two primary elements. A private state-of-the-art landfill, the Ocean County Landfill Corporation in Manchester Township, receives the county’s nonrecyclable waste. Secondly, the county has a very successful and aggressive recycling program that includes the operation of the Ocean County Recyclable Materials Processing Facility. The county owns and operates two Recycling Centers. The Northern Recycling Center is located on New Hampshire Avenue in Lakewood Township. The Southern Recycling Center is located near the State Motor Vehicle Inspection Station at the intersection of Recovery and Hay Roads (off Route 72) in Manahawkin, Stafford Township. These facilities handle household battery recycling, waste oil recycling, antifreeze recycling, tire recycling, phone book recycling, empty paint can recycling, as well as leaves, brush, and other vegetative waste. Compost and mulch are available to county residents at these locations. County residents recycled 48.8% of generated waste in 1997 (McKeon, 1999).

The Ocean County planning staff participates on the New Jersey Clean Vessel Act (CVA) Steering Committee. As part of the Clean Vessel Act Program, the first mobile pumpout boat in New Jersey began operation in central Barnegat Bay in 1998. The boat is moored off Island Beach State Park and is operated by the Borough of Seaside Park. Its efforts are concentrated in the Tice’s Shoal area. As of March 1999, 47 pumpout units had been installed at Ocean County marinas, with another 14 pending applications in the Clean Vessel Act Grant Program (McKeon, 1999).

The Planning Department provides staff support to the Ocean County Natural Lands Trust Fund Program. This fund, approved by the voters of Ocean County in November 1997, will be used to acquire undeveloped land from willing sellers and maintain it in a natural state. The goal of this fund is the protection of water supplies, critical habitats, and environmentally sensitive land. A total of 530 ac (215 ha) have been preserved under the program as of April 1999 (McKeon, 1999).

The Planning Department staff works with the Ocean County Agriculture Development Board to administer the Farmland Preservation Program in Ocean County. This program is part of a larger statewide effort to preserve large tracts of agricutural land in New Jersey. Agriculture is preserved through the acquisition of development easements on farms and not through the direct purchase of property. The property owner retains ownership of the land and pays taxes on the agricultural value. To date, 12 farms totaling 1,705 ac (690 ha), have been preserved in Plumsted Township (Ocean County Department of Planning, 1998).

Ocean County contains 33 municipalities within the Barnegat Bay-Little Egg Harbor watershed. Local development in New Jersey is governed by the Municipal Land Use Law (N.J.S.A. 40:55D-1 et. seq.) The purpose of the act is to guide the appropriate use or development of all municipal lands in the state. The act gives municipalities the power to zone in an attempt to provide appropriate locations for a variety of agricultural, residential, recreational, commercial, and industrial uses as well as open space, both public and private, according to the respective environmental requirements. Among the goals of the act are:

"...to promote conservation of historic sites and districts, open space, energy resources, and valuable natural resources in the state and to prevent urban sprawl and degradation of the environment through improper use of land."

The Municipal Land Use Law, under 40:55D-28b, states that a Master Plan shall include at least a land-use plan, and defines the contents of the land-use plan as:

"a) taking into account and stating its relationship to a statement of objectives, principles, assumptions, policies and standards upon which the constituent proposals for the physical, economic and social development of the municipality are based; taking into account the other Master Plan elements; and taking into account natural conditions, including but not necessarily limited to, topography, soil conditions, water supply, drainage, flood plain areas, marshes and woodlands; and

b) showing the existing and proposed location, extent and intensity of development of land to be used in the future for varying types of residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, recreational, educational and other public and private purposes or combination of purposes; and stating the relationship thereof to the existing and any proposed zone plan and zoning ordinance; and

c) including a statement of the standards of population density and development intensity recommended for the municipality."

A Conservation Plan element is also required:

"…providing for the preservation, conservation, and utilization of natural resources, including, to the extent appropriate, energy, open space, water supply, forests, soil, marshes, wetlands, harbors, rivers and other waters, fisheries, endangered or threatened species (of) wildlife and other resources, and which systematically analyzes the impact of each other component and element of the Master Plan on the present and future preservation, conservation and utilization of those resources."

Public involvement is an essential element of the Master Plan development process. Master Plans determine the general arrangement and development intensity of future land uses in New Jersey’s municipalities, with input from the residents. It is necessary to update Master Plans every six years.

Development in Ocean County has traditionally occurred along the coastal beaches and in the corridor formed by the Garden State Parkway and U. S. Route 9. Major interchanges along the Garden State Parkway have allowed easy access along east-west corridors, such as County Route 526, County Route 528, State Highway 37, and State Highway 72. The northern portion of the county is experiencing more development since construction of Interstate 195, which provides transportation access to the employment areas in and around Trenton to the west, and Monmouth County to the northeast. The communities along the coastal beaches in Ocean County are primarily developed, and the beaches continue to be the focal point of seasonal visitors to the area (Ocean County Department of Planning, 1998).

Three development regions have been identified within Ocean County: (1) the coastal beaches; (2) the bay corridor; and (3) the western inland area (Ocean County 208 Project, 1978). Development in Ocean County has traditionally been focused along the coastal beaches and in urban and suburban areas along the bay corridor. The inland areas west of the Garden State Parkway that are within the Pinelands area are sparsely developed, due to the influence of the Pinelands Comprehensive Management Plan. Areas west of the Garden State Parkway in the northern portion of the county in Lakewood Township have been more densely developed in the past 15 years due to the Lakewood Industrial Park and various retirement communities. Jackson Township will be undergoing more development due to the completion of Interstate I-195, which travels in a northeast-west direction across the northern portion of Ocean County.

Development has occurred in a north-south direction along the coastal beaches and the U. S. Route 9/Garden State Parkway corridor. Major interchanges along the Parkway have enabled secondary east-west corridors to be developed. These areas are along County Routes 526 and 528 from Brick Township to Lakewood, along State Highway Route 37 from Dover Township to Manchester Township and Lakehurst Borough, and along State Highway Route 72 from Beach Haven West to Manahawkin and Ocean Acres in Stafford Township.

The coastal beach extends from Point Pleasant Beach south to Long Beach Township in a generally continuous strip of development, which is interrupted by Island Beach State Park, Barnegat Inlet, and Barnegat Lighthouse State Park. The coastal strip includes Island Beach and Long Beach Island, barrier islands which extend the full length of Ocean County. Existing development is primarily composed of commercial, commercial recreation, seasonal, and year-round residential housing.

The bay corridor extends north-south between Barnegat Bay on the east and the Garden State Parkway on the west. This area includes many of the county’s older population centers, such as Point Pleasant, Toms River, Forked River, Barnegat, Waretown, and Tuckerton. This area is now heavily populated, and most of the county’s development since 1960 has occurred in the bay corridor, with the bulk of the development north of Toms River. Development in the bay corridor has included major new subdivisions, senior citizen developments, thousand of lagoon homes and commercial development in shopping center strips along major highways.

This inland region is still sparsely developed and includes vast areas of vacant and wooded land under the protection of the Pinelands Comprehensive Management Plan, and county, state and federal publicly owned land. The northwest section, in Plumsted Township, is the principal agricultural area in Ocean County. The publicly owned lands include Lakehurst Naval Air Station, Fort Dix Military Reservation, Greenwood Forest Fish and Wildlife Management Area, Colliers Mills Fish and Wildlife Management Area, Robert J. Miller Airpark and Recreation Area, and other smaller tracts. Traditional development centers in the inland region include Lakewood, Lakehurst, Cassville in Jackson Township, and New Egypt in Plumsted Township. More recently, development has occurred in northwestern Dover, Manchester, and Jackson Township (Ocean County 208 Project, 1978; Ocean County Planning Board, 1988; Ocean County Department of Planning, 1998).

Development patterns in Ocean County have affected the lower reaches of most of the subwatersheds in the county. The upper reaches of the subwatershed streams have experienced less development than the lower reaches, and they have not had as direct an impact on bay water quality as the more developed areas of the watershed. The regulatory effects of the Pinelands Comprehensive Management Plan have had a direct effect on the development patterns west of the Garden State Parkway in Ocean County.

A subwatershed is a watershed management unit used to describe watersheds and their smaller segments. The terms "watershed" and "subwatershed" are not inter-changeable. The term "watershed" is used to describe the broader management area, while the term "subwatershed" is used to refer to smaller areas where specific actions for watershed protection can be defined. Each subwatershed contains a network of small stream channels known as headwater streams.

Stream classification provides a spatial connection between the stream and its watershed. A network of streams drain each watershed. Streams are classified according to their order in the overall network. A stream without tributaries or branches is defined as a first-order stream. When two first-order streams combine, a second-order stream is created, and so on. Headwater streams are defined as first- and second-order streams, and are good indicators of watershed quality (Caraco et al., 1998).

The largest watershed management unit is the basin. A basin drains to a major receiving water, such as a large river or estuary. Basin drainage areas usually exceed several thousand square miles and often include major portions of a single state. For instance, the Atlantic Coast drainage basin includes every region in New Jersey which drains to the Atlantic Ocean, including the Passaic region and the Raritan region, along with the Atlantic Coast region. A subbasin extends over several hundred square miles and is composed of a group of watersheds, (e.g., the Barnegat Bay watershed, the Monmouth County watershed, the Mullica and Wading River watersheds, and the Cape May watersheds). The smallest management unit is the catchment, which is the area that drains an individual development site to its first intersection with a stream.

Principal streams within Ocean County include the Metedeconk River, Toms River, Kettle Creek, Forked River, Cedar Creek, Oyster Creek, Mill Creek, and Westecunk Creek. River patterns in Ocean County are dendritic, with stream flow derived in large part from base flow discharge. Stream beds are narrow and flood plains are wide. Stream velocity is slow due to the flat topography (Ocean County 208 Project, 1978).

The Barnegat Bay-Little Egg Harbor watershed is comprised of several subwatersheds which have experienced varying degrees of development.

The North Branch of the Metedeconk River borders Howell Township and flows through southern Freehold Township in the southern portion of Monmouth County, which is within the Barnegat Bay watershed. Haystack Brook, in southern Howell is a principal tributary of the North Branch of the Metedeconk River. Tributaries of Hay Stack Brook include Ground Hog Brook, Muddy Ford Brook, and Dick’s Brook. The South Branch of the Metedeconk River also originates in and flows through southern Freehold Township.

The Metedeconk River subwatershed includes the following Ocean County municipalities:

• A portion of Jackson Township

• A portion of Lakewood Township

• A portion of Brick Township

• A portion of Point Pleasant Boro

• A portion of Point Pleasant Beach Boro

• Bay Head

The Kettle Creek subwatershed contains the following municipalities:

• A portion of Lakewood Township

• A portion of Brick Township

• A portion of Dover Township

It is a densely developed subwatershed, primarily characterized by residential uses.

The Silver Bay subwatershed is located east of the Garden State Parkway and contains a portion of Dover Township, and a portion of Seaside Heights Borough. This area includes development adjacent to and surrounding Fischer Boulevard, which is densely developed with lagoons, residential housing, and commercial land uses, but which also contains Cattus Island County Park, a significant open space bordering the bay.

The Toms River subwatershed includes the Union Branch and Wrangle Brook/Jake’s Branch tributaries and the following municipalities:

• A portion of Jackson Township

• A portion of Manchester Township

• A portion of Dover Township

• A portion of Berkeley Township

• A portion of Lacey Township

• South Toms River Boro

• Beachwood Boro

• Pine Beach Boro

• A portion of Ocean Gate Boro

• Island Heights Boro

With the exception of Jackson Township, all of these municipalities are densely developed. Union Branch is bordered by Leisure Village West and Pine Lake Park, and flows into Pine Lake. Wrangle Brook flows through Holiday City at Berkeley, a large retirement community. The headwaters of Jakes Branch are located in an undeveloped area, but the lower portion of the tributary flows through South Toms River and Beachwood Boro. Working cranberry bogs are located above South Toms River on Jake’s Branch. Manchester (outside of the Pinelands), Dover, Berkeley, and Lacey Townships are continuing to grow. The Toms River watershed contains the Six Flags Great Adventure Theme Park and Safari. It also contains the Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area, the Francis Mills Park Preserve, the Butterfly Bogs Wildlife Management Area, the Jackson Forest Preserve, the State Forestry Station, Lakehurst Naval Air Engineering Center, the Manchester Wildlife Management Area, the Whiting Wildlife Management Area, and a portion of Lebanon State Forest. These areas provide significant acreage of forested land for watershed protection. A portion of the Toms River subwatershed is located in the New Jersey Pinelands. The lower portion of the Toms River subwatershed has experienced water quality problems associated with inadequate septic systems and stormwater runoff.

The Potters Creek subwatershed is located east of the Garden State Parkway and contains a portion of Berkeley Township and a portion of Ocean Gate Boro, both of which have dense residential development. Berkeley Township contains many lagoon developments.

The Cedar Creek subwatershed contains:

• A portion of Lacey Township

• A portion of Berkeley Township

• A portion of Manchester Township

This subwatershed contains a large percentage of undisturbed land west of the Garden State Parkway. Although these areas are continuing to develop east of the Garden State Parkway, Cedar Creek is protected to the west of the Garden State Parkway by Double Trouble State Park, which encompasses some of the headwaters of Cedar Creek. The Berkeley Township recreational area is located along Cedar Creek, and the Cedar Creek Golf Course provides open space adjacent to Cedar Creek. Lacey Township also contains the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area. Land west of the Garden State Parkway is in the New Jersey Pinelands.

This subwatershed is located within Lacey Township, east of the Garden State Parkway and east of U. S. Route 9. The immediate area is undeveloped; however, this subwatershed is surrounded by lagoon developments in Laurel Harbor, Murray Grove and Sunrise Beach.

The Forked River subwatershed contains a portion of Lacey Township and a portion of Ocean Township. The Forked River has three branches: (1) the Middle Branch, which is almost 100% forested and undisturbed; (2) the South Branch; and (3) the North Branch. The North Branch has three lakes east of the Garden State Parkway. Lacey Township continues to develop east of the Garden State Parkway. Ocean Township still has large areas of undeveloped land east of the Garden State Parkway. The land west of the Garden State Parkway in this subwatershed is undeveloped. It lies in the New Jersey Pinelands.

This subwatershed contains:

• A portion of Ocean Township

• A portion of Barnegat Township

• A portion of Stafford Township

These areas are less developed than the northern portion of the watershed. Most development here is located east of the Garden State Parkway. Wells Mills Park is located west of the Garden State Parkway off of County Route 532. Land located west of the Parkway is in the New Jersey Pinelands.

This subwatershed contains:

• A portion of Barnegat Township

• A portion of Stafford Township

• A portion of Little Egg Harbor Township

• Eagleswood Township

This subwatershed contains a portion of the Stafford Forge Wildlife Management Area, and a portion of the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge. The wildlife refuge is located north of Manahawkin Creek up to Double Creek Wide Place opposite Bay Shore Drive in Barnegat Township, and from Mill Creek south to Dinner Point. These areas are less developed from the bay west to Route 9, than other areas along the bay corridor. However, there is development in this watershed south of Manahawkin Creek and Route 72 in Beach Haven West, and west of the Garden State Parkway northeast of Route 72, between Route 72 and Straight Road. This area is located in the Pinelands Regional Growth Area.

This subwatershed contains:

• a portion of Bass River Township (Burlington County)

• Little Egg Harbor Township

• Tuckerton Boro (a "Pinelands" town)

These areas are less developed than the northern portion of the watershed, and most development is located east of the Garden State Parkway. Residential development amounts to 8.8% of the watershed (902 ac; 365 ha), commercial development is at 1% (102 ac; 41 ha) and other urban is 0.5% (49 ac; 19.8 ha). Approximately 77.2% of the watershed is forested (7,904 ac; 3201 ha) and contains a portion of the Stafford Forge Wildlife Management Area, a portion of Bass River State Forest, and a portion of the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge. Land to the west of the Garden State Parkway is in the New Jersey Pinelands (Ocean County Department of Planning, 1998).

The barrier island communities from Bay Head Boro down to Holgate Boro are almost entirely developed and contribute stormwater runoff to the bay and freshwater inputs to wetlands. However, they are not located within the subwatershed of any landward stream.

To establish a watershed baseline, land-use planning should contain a description of the subwatersheds, as described above, as well as an estimate of existing development and future build-out, based on municipal master plan projections. Subwatersheds are small enough to perform watershed assessment tasks in a relatively short time frame. However, future projections for land zoned for development are also subject to fluctuation because of market and economic conditions, and may not occur exactly as projected.

(Lathrop et al., 1999)

Although Ocean County is the third fastest growing county in the state (behind Somerset and Hunterdon counties), it contains vast areas of open space as a result of implementation of the Pinelands Comprehensive Management Plan (45.4% of Ocean County) and other state regulations and open space initiatives described in this chapter. Despite the rapid population growth and development in Ocean County, there has been a large amount of protected open space. The area west of the Garden State Parkway contains large tracts of state land, forests, and wildlife management areas. Approximately 20,000 ac (8,100) of land east of the parkway are protected under the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge. New Jersey Fish, Game and Wildlife has a total of 69,607 ac (28,191 ha) in Ocean County. The Natural Lands Trust has preserved a total of 1,828 ac (740 ha) in Ocean County. New Jersey Parks and Forestry owns a total of 27,157 ac (10,999 ha) in Ocean County (Ocean County Department of Planning, 1998).

The County Farmland Preservation Program is preserving active farmland in the northwest portion of the county. To date, over 1,705 ac (691 ha) of productive farmland have been preserved outside of New Egypt in Plumsted Township. It must be noted, however, that this preserved farmland is not in the Barnegat Bay watershed, but lies in the Delaware River watershed. To date, no farmland has been preserved within the Barnegat Bay watershed. The Ocean County Department of Parks and Recreation maintains an active capital program for park land acquisition and development (over 4,100 ac; 1661 ha in 1999) to ensure that a variety of recreational opportunities is in close proximity to residents throughout the county. In 1997, the voters of Ocean County approved the Ocean County Natural Lands Trust Fund Program, which has acquired several undeveloped tracts for county open space.

Caraco, D., R. Claytor, P. Hinkle, H. Yeong Kwon, T. Schueler, C. Swann, S. Vysotsky and J. Zielinski. 1998. Rapid watershed planning handbook: a resource guide for urban subwatershed management. Technical Report, Center for Watershed Protection, Ellicott City, Maryland.

Goldshore, L. P. 1979. The New Jersey Riparian Rights Handbook, 2nd ed. State of New Jersey, County and Municipal Government Study Commission, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Trenton, New Jersey.

Hess, K. 1993. Environmental Site Assessment, Phase I: A Basic Guide. Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton, Florida.

Kennish, M. J. 1998. Data synthesis/characterization report support document. Technical Report, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Lathrop, R. G., J. A. Bognar, and A. C. Hendrickson. 1999. Data synthesis effort for the Barnegat Bay Estuary Program: habitat loss and alteration in the Barnegat Bay Region. Technical Report, Center for Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis, Cook College - Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey.

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. 1988. Comprehensive Master Plan. Department of Planning, Toms River, New Jersey.

Ocean County. 1998. Ocean County Data Book, 8th ed. Ocean County Planning Department, Toms River, New Jersey.

Ocean County 208 Project Planning Staff. 1978. Population, Land Use, and Environmental Resources. Technical Report, Ocean County and Southern Monmouth County, Toms River, New Jersey.

Pinelands Commission. 1980. Comprehensive Management Plan for the Pinelands National Reserve (National Parks and Recreation Act, 1978) and Pinelands Area (New Jersey Pinelands Protection Act, 1979), State of New Jersey. Technical Report, Pinelands Commission, New Lisbon, New Jersey.

Savitz, J. Undated. Pointless pollution: preventing polluted runoff and protecting America’s coasts. Technical Report, Coast Alliance, Washington, D.C.

Seitzinger, S.P. and I. E. Pilling. 1993. Eutrophication and nutrient loading in Barnegat Bay: sediment-water phosophorus dynamics. Report No. 92-33F, The Academy of Natural Science, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.