The NJ DEP has secured an agreement that will open up a large stretch of the Raritan River for fish spawning as compensation for the public for harm to natural resources caused by past pollution at a refinery and three polymer plants that were operated by or affiliated with the El Paso Corp.
The removal of the dams, financed and carried out by El Paso, will open up a nearly 10-mile stretch of the middle and upper Raritan to fish migrations for the first time in more than a century, at the same time expanding recreational opportunities along the river.
The settlement marks an important first step in what the DEP hopes will become an even broader effort to enhance fish passage or remove additional dams in the Raritan and its tributaries, including the Millstone River.
The fish to benefit most from the removal of the dams are American shad, American eel, herring, and striped bass. These species once migrated in prodigious numbers through the gravelly shallows of the upper Raritan, most to spawn. Additionally, the dam removal will make it easier for kayakers, canoeists, and other lovers of the outdoors to enjoy the river system which has been undergoing a steady and impressive ecological comeback over the years.
For more details on the settlement and the stretches of river involved, visit
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0010.htm on the DEP website.
