Greatwatersnj

02/05/2024

Do you hunger for some peace and quiet after weeks of post-holiday madness?

Are you hankering to escape the stale, dehydrated atmosphere of your indoor environment and get out into the fresh air?

Want to fit a little more cardio and strength training into your week?

Every considered winter kayaking?

No, seriously--now is a great time to paddle the Great Waters of New Jersey! You’ll relish the serenity of NJ’s finest recreational waters in winter, enjoy some unique opportunities to explore nature, and breathe the fresh, clean air of the Highlands. Like all winter activities, the key is being prepared. Staying safe and warm are paramount for cold-weather paddling, so be sure to visit one of NWNJ’s several trusted local recreational outfitters before you go. They can help you prep for a safe and enjoyable adventure.

Once you’re outfitted and ready to go, visit the Great Waters NJ website. There, you can explore each of the Highland’s seven watersheds and access recreational user maps to find a great spot to put in!

02/02/2024

02/01/2024

Celebrating the life and legacy of Brigadier General Charles Young. In 1903, then-Captain Young became the first African American superintendent of a US national park when he and his troops were tasked to manage Sequoia National Park in Northern California. To learn more about General Young and his inspiring life and career, visit https://buff.ly/3oVjvcx.

01/30/2024

Northwestern NJ's recreational waters are the finest in the state. They are a priceless natural resource and enrich the lives of millions of state residents--locals and visitors alike--and have been doing it for generations. Do you love these beautiful lakes, rivers, and streams? Then visit https://buff.ly/3v0bZns and find out if they're getting the level of protection they deserve. Then take action! Make sure your local officials understand the true value of our Great Waters to you, your family, and your community. And share your concerns about the quality of these recreational treasures with the NJDEP at https://buff.ly/2RPrWvu.

01/29/2024

Got a case of the mid-winter Monday Blues? Well, we’ve got the cure: start planning a weekend angling expedition in Northwestern New Jersey! Don’t let cold temperatures keep you from enjoying a great day on the water—all you need is some extra preparation, the right gear, a thermos of hot soup, and (of course) the ideal fishing spot. Check with one of our region’s many outdoor recreational outfitters for tips on how to prepare for a safe and enjoyable adventure. As for the perfect spot to spend your day, try the Blewett Tract on the Big Flat Brook. Or the Musconetcong River below Saxton Falls. To locate these areas, or any other public fishing access point in the Highlands, visit https://buff.ly/3HZrSx5.

Now, don’t you feel better?

01/17/2024

The hills and valleys of the Jersey Highlands are laced with some 500 miles of trails that are beautiful in every season of the year, but with snow on the ground they're almost magical!
Whether you like to saunter on two legs or four legs, your perfect trail is out there and it's waiting for you.

01/16/2024

Every year, millions of NJ residents—locals and visitors alike—visit the rivers, lakes, streams and landscapes of Northwest New Jersey for outdoor fun. Our Great Waters make a critical contribution to the regional economy and support thousands of jobs. So given how important these precious waters and the natural lands that surround them are, you would think that the NJDEP is doing everything it can to protect them, right?

Wrong.

Even though it has clear authority to so, the NJDEP does not recognize “waters of exceptional recreational significance” in making permit decisions. That’s right. The NJDEP does not consider a lake, stream, or river’s recreational significance when deciding if a warehouse, manufacturing facility, or sewer plant can be built nearby.

The waters that you and your family love to swim, paddle, fish, and tube in should have all the protection they deserve. To learn more, visit https://buff.ly/3v0bZns. Then take action! Ask your local officials if they’re doing their part to ensure the quality of your local recreational waters. And be sure to sign the Great Waters petition and tell the NJDEP they need to do more to keep the Great Waters of NJ great both now and for generations to come.

01/09/2024

The wooded slopes, rolling hills, and winding valleys of Northwestern New Jersey provide recreational fun for millions, and make a hefty contribution to the regional economy. But did you know that they also supply drinking water for 70% of New Jersey's residents? It’s true!

Over 6 million residents, thousands of homes, hundreds of schools, and dozens of hospitals—not to mention restaurants, public buildings, and summer camps—all rely on water that comes from the headwater streams and underground springs of the NJ Highlands.

To learn more about where your drinking water comes from--and whether or not it's protected as well as it should be (spoiler alert: it's not!), please visit https://buff.ly/3sWdjXf.

01/08/2024

Don’t let the frosty air and shorter days keep you from enjoying our Great Waters! The forest trails and rolling rivers of the NJ Highlands take on a whole new character in the bleak mid-winter, and they’re out there waiting to be explored. Visit the Great Waters NJ website and find the perfect place to have a winter adventure of your own!

01/04/2024

If you live in Northwestern New Jersey, the rock under your feet can have a profound effect on the quality of your local water.

That’s because the limestone and dolomite beneath our hills and lining our valleys are a special kind of stone known as carbonate rock. Carbonate rock can become porous over time, forming subsurface holes, channels, and passages. These features allow runoff to easily pe*****te the soil layer, and carry this groundwater directly into nearby lakes, streams, and rivers. Along the way, the same water is tapped from above by household wells. When this groundwater is cool and clean, everyone benefits—there’s plenty of fresh water for drinking, irrigating crops, and for recreation. When this groundwater is contaminated by things like harmful chemicals, warm stormwater runoff, or septic waste, we all pay the price—sinking property values, added household expenses, and higher taxes to pay for water treatment.

And yet, when it comes to building in areas where this porous bedrock is found, the NJDEP does not follow any special rules. Because most of NJ’s carbonate rock is found in the Highlands Region, this places our water at risk.

To learn more about how the bedrock below your feet affects the quality of the water you drink and fish, swim, and paddle in, visit https://buff.ly/3NyUO4X. Then take action! First, make sure your municipality is doing every thing it can to protect the carbonate rock areas in your community. Then let the NJDEP know it should be doing more to ensure the quality of our water by signing the Great Waters NJ petition at https://buff.ly/3nbqvab. With your help, we can keep the exceptional waters of the Highlands safe and clean for generations to come! ’sKeepItThisWay

01/03/2024

You might not be able to visit Middle Earth, but you can wander the hills, valleys, mountains and rivers of Northwestern New Jersey--which is the next best thing!