New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Division of Coastal and Land Use Planning

Watershed Management Area 1 inlcudes portions of Sussex, Morris, Hunterdon, and all of Warren counties. It contains 54 Municipalities. This area, also known as the Upper Delaware River Watershed encompasses 746 square miles in the mountainous northwestern corner of the state, within the Valley and Ridge and Highlands physiographic provinces.

Within Area 1 there are six major drainage basins: Delaware River, Flat Brook, Paulins Kill, Pequest River, Lopatcong and Pohatcong River Drainage, and the Musconetcong River. These drainage basins flow in a southeasterly direction to the Delaware River, providing an outstanding recreational resource for trout production and maintenance, as well as habitat for an abundance of wildlife including threatened and endangered species.

Watershed Management Area 2: Wallkill

Watershed Management Area 2 is also known as the Wallkill River Watershed and includes 11 townships in Sussex County. The Wallkill River Watershed is unique in that its headwaters begin at Lake Mohawk in Sparta Township and then flow north into New York, eventually emptying into the Hudson River.

The Wallkill Watershed is approximately 208 square miles in area, and is comprised of a variety of land uses including rural and centralized residential development, agriculture, commercial, recreational and industrial usage. Also located within this watershed area is the Wallkill National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge watershed/wetlands complex provides migratory and nesting habitats for numerous birds and waterfowl and is home to several endangered species.

Within Area 2, there are 4 subwatersheds: the Wallkill River, Pochuck Creek, Papakating Creek and Rutgers Creek Tributaries.

Watershed Management Area 11, known as the Central Delaware Tributaries, affects the drainage in 24 municipalities within the counties of Hunterdon, Mercer and Monmouth. The predominant drainage funnels to the Delaware River or the D&R Canal. Watershed Management Area 11 covers approximately 272 square miles and is dominated by the Assunpink Creek and its tributaries to the south and much smaller creeks in the northern portions. Land uses in this area range from agricultural to urban, most notably in our State Capital, the City of Trenton. The land area has also been heavily impacted by suburban development. Population for this area over the past 10 years has greatly increased, with its development stressing water resources and impacting water quality.