The great waters of Northwest New Jersey are special: they sustain farms and vineyards; supply wild trout and weekend visitors; and leave us with unforgettable memories of the outdoors. Our main streets and property values rely on this natural beauty, while downstream, millions of households depend on us for clean drinking water.

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Sadly, year after year, the danger of losing these precious waters, and the character of the natural lands around them, grows. The effects of poorly planned development, flooding, and toxic chemicals increasingly cloud our lakes, choke our fish, and make waters unsafe for people and pets. The fixes for these problems, much like the problems themselves, are interconnected: the care we take as property owners and visitors to keep our waters clean must be matched by leaders working together across the region on smarter ways to build and to care for open spaces. 

 

Make no mistake, we’ve made great strides over the past few years, particularly with local leadership working on smarter zoning, sensible development, and land preservation. But there is still much more we can do individually, regionally, and working together with the state of New Jersey.

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Take a look at the issue briefs below to get a snapshot of the unique challenges facing our great waters and some actionable solutions.

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