Natural Resource Inventory of Crosswicks Creek in
Chesterfield, NJ
Executive Summary
(This is the Executive Summary of a very large study that
is available in its entirety at the Municipal Building.)
AMEC Earth & Environmental, Inc on behalf of
the Chesterfield Township Environmental Commission conducted a Natural
Resource Inventory (NRI) of the Crosswicks Creek watershed within the
municipal boundaries of Chesterfield Township (the "study area"), with
particular emphasis on the Crosswicks Creek riparian corridor. The
objective of this study was to develop an NRI that could serve as an
amendment or supplement to an existing planning document, The Crosswicks
Creek/Doctors Creek Watershed Greenway Plan (FX Browne 2004). This
amendment was needed to fill the Greenways Plan's Data gap for Chesterfield
Township.
The focus of the NRI was (1) natural and
physical resource identification and (2) the evaluation of public access
feasibility to Crosswicks Creek. The scope of the project included the
compilation and organization of municipal landowner records, an on-water
stream survey of the entire main channel within the municipality, a
pedestrian survey of properties abutting Crosswicks Creek, the analysis of
existing natural and physical resources data, and an evaluation of public
access feasibility at select locations along the riparian corridor.
The study was conducted from January 2006 to June 2006 with such assistance
from the Chesterfield Environmental Commission and the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (USFWS)
The Crosswicks Creek watershed is situated in
the Costal Plain physiographic province with sediments that are
predominantly Cretaceous sand, silt, and clay. The bedrock geology of
the study area is composed of the Merchantville, Woodbury,
Englishtown, Marshalltown, Wenonah, Mount Laurel and Cohansey Formations;
the surficial geology is composed of Pensauken Formation, Marshalltown
Formation, Colluvium and Alluvium Units, and Alluvium. The study area
is underlain by 54 soil mapping units belonging to 19 soil series across
nine soil associations. These soil series are Adelphia, Colemantown,
Collington, Donlonton, Fallsington, Fluvaquents, Freehold, Holmdel,
Keansburg, Keyport, Kresson, Manahawkin, Pemberton, Pits, Sassafras,
Shrewsbury, Tinton, Urban and Woodstown.
The study identified 280 plant species across
76 plant families along the riparian corridor. When combined with
existing vegetation data reported by Rogers and Golden (1976) and Stein
(1992), a total of 400 plant species across 96 plant families are documented
for the entire Township. A small portion of a high
significance-ranked NJDEP Natural Heritage Priority Site is located around
the Extonville Road bridge area; the majority of this site is located in
neighboring Monmouth County to the east. The NJDEP Natural Heritage
Program did not report any listed plant species to be documented in the
study area.
The NJDEP i-Map data indicates the following
resources are present within the study area: forested habitat for
priority concern species (i.e. hermit thrush, Catharus guttata)
suitable forested wetland habitat, suitable emergent wetland habitat,
suitable emergent wetland habitat, and grassland habitat for priority
concern species (i.e. eastern box turtle, Yerapene carolina). A
small bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) foraging area is also
mapped around the Iron Bridge Road area. Similarly, the results of the
inquiries by AMRC to the NJDEP and the USFWS indicated the occurrence of
eastern box turtles and occasional bald eagles within the study area.
An evaluation of public and private
properties abutting the Crosswicks Creek suggests that a Township-owned
parcel identified as Block 106, Lot 17 one of a few likely candidate
properties for the development of a public access point. The physical
characteristics of this parcel coupled with its location with respect to a
remnant ice house dam, present an amenable set of conditions for a
canoe/kayak launch and a passive recreation/resting area. However, the
volume and speed of motor vehicle traffic around the property entrance will
require some consideration with regards to maintaining public safety.
Alternatives include the establishment of a public access easement via
adjacent private property(ies).
In addition to the Township-owned parcel, a
small number of private properties may also be considered for the
development of a public access point. These properties are listed in
the entire study at the Municipal Building.
In summary, the findings of the NRI indicate that the
largely undeveloped Crosswicks Creek watershed within Chesterfield Township
serves as an important greenway link between similarly undeveloped areas to
the east and the ecologically-important Hamilton-Trenton-Bordentown marsh to
the west. The ecological value of this undeveloped watershed in
Chesterfield is further increased by the amount of land that is farmland
preserved and safe from development. Maintaining the integrity of this
greenway through preservation, conservation and public education and
involvement is paramount.
