Watersheds
A watershed is the area of land that drains into a body of water such as a river, lake, stream or bay. It is made up of the waterway and the entire land area that drains into it.
What does a watershed do? It collects surface waters and filters out impurities and harmful chemicals so that when the water is absorbed into the ground, it is in a cleaner state. Watersheds provide for healthier drinking water for us all.
The primary watersheds that we monitor are Oldman's Creek, Alloway Creek, Stow Creek, the Maurice River, the Cohansey River and the Salem River.
Our water monitors perform monthly surveys to check levels of the four compounds listed below. We will soon begin conducting biological assessments in addition to our chemical surveys.
dissolved oxygen levels reflect the waterway's ability to sustain fish and other aquatic life.
pH levels tell us whether water is acidic or alkaline. Low pH levels are harmful to most aquatic organisms and can speed the leaching of heavy metals harmful to fish.
nitrate exists as a gas in waterways. High levels of nitrate cause algae blooms and decrease the amount of dissolved oxygen in the body of water.
phosphate in excessive amounts reduces oxygen levels in the waterway and increases carbon dioxide levels.
Over the ten-year period that we have been conducting water surveys, all of Salem County's waterways have shown impairment, with one or more of these compounds at harmful levels.
Mary Elmer Lake,
Elmer
DEP Watershed Management Area 17
Memorial Lake, Woodstown
Hawks Bridge
