SOUTHAMPTON — A private, nonprofit organization dedicated to saving the Pinelands of New Jersey has gotten a hold of the recently released Cape May County water-supply study and doesn’t like what it could mean for the Pinelands.
The Pinelands National Reserve encompasses approximately 1.1 million acres covering portions of seven counties and all or parts of 56 municipalities. Local municipalities in the Pinelands include Dennis Township, Upper Township and Woodbine.
In its Pinelands Watch newsletter, the Pinelands Preservation Alliance (PPA) noted that this county and a majority of the Pinelands share water supply aquifers and “water levels in most of these aquifers are declining because of unsustainable usage.”
“Removing too much water places the ecology, economy and natural environment of the Pinelands and Cape May County at risk,” the newsletter stated.
The newsletter praised the release of the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) study “Future Water-Supply Scenarios, Cape May County, New Jersey, 2003-2050,” which considered ways to minimize adverse impacts on water sources and maintain ecological functions. The study also considered potential impacts of saltwater intrusion; water-level declines of aquifers; premature drying of seasonal wetlands; delayed recovery of water levels in the water-table aquifer and reduced streamflow, the newsletter stated.
“The findings of the study indicate what many people have suspected all along, that Cape May County has some serious challenges ahead with regards to water supply sustainablility and ecological health,” according to the newsletter.
The USGS report predicts that unless some mitigating options are taken water levels could drop up to .7 feet, water flow in streams could decrease between 3 and 26 percent and saltwater intrusion could extend up to 7,100 feet inland, contaminating wells used by Lower Township and the Wildwoods.
According to the report, the following practices would need to be implemented to meet water supply needs and minimize ecological damage:
• Increasing water conservation and reducing future growth in demand
• Relocating public supply wells to the interior of the county to lessen the impact of saltwater intrusion
• Using multiple aquifers to minimize any one aquifer from being overly stressed by pumping
• Locating wells further apart to reduce the amount of water level decline
• Making greater use of treated wastewater
• Storing water in select aquifers during the off-peak season
• Using more desalination
• Adjusting the pricing of water to encourage greater water conservation.
• Obtain a copy of the report from the United States
For those who are concerned about the county water supply problems and potential impacts on the Pinelands, the newsletter suggested correspondence with county freeholders, at 4 Moore Road, Cape May Court House, NJ, 08210.
The news letter suggested asking freeholders to reconstitute the Water Resources Coordinating Council, an entity that coordinated and supported regional water supply initiatives that has not met in years, as well as to charge the county planning department with making new county-wide growth and conservation plans, and work with the municipalities, to reduce future development and water demand.
Click here to visit the Herald’s Public Records page to read the Pinelands Alliance Newsletter as well as the county Water Supply Study.
Contact Hart at (609) 886-8600 Ext 35 or at: jhart@cmcherald.com
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