Little Pond Brook

[Rusty Spinner]

We had another meeting with the East Jersey TU conservation committee and chapter president last night. We worked out tasks needed to be completed before we focus on individual projects, but discussed were: landowner outreach, invasive plant removal, native plantings, culvert assessments, electro fishing, water chemistry monitoring, water temperature monitoring, and eventually, a series of stream restoration project focused on the impairments identified in this exploratory period we are working through. Good stuff and both the local TU chapter and the NJ state board for the Native Fish Coalition (NFC) are fully on board to work together.

 

[Pete]

When I started this topic in April, I made a similar post in the "Great Oak Park, Oakland NJ" Facebook group. Much to my surprise, it got deleted. At the time I suspected the post might merely be considered premature.

I hope you guys are keeping Mike Guadagnino in the loop, and getting his input, with your plans for the lower brook, including those culverts.

 

[Rusty Spinner]

When I started this topic in April, I made a similar post in the "Great Oak Park, Oakland NJ" Facebook group. Much to my surprise, it got deleted. At the time I suspected the post might merely be considered premature.

I hope you guys are keeping Mike Guadagnino in the loop, and getting his input, with your plans for the lower brook, including those culverts.

I don't know who Mike is, so safe to say he's not in the loop. yet. But we are just starting our landowner outreach and then our stakeholder outreach after that. I'm guessing he has some input on the Park for the town? I know a group was formed and one of the EJTU guys was involved with them early on when the Borough first obtained the two parcels that make up that park.

 

[Pete]

I don't know who Mike is, so safe to say he's not in the loop. yet. But we are just starting our landowner outreach and then our stakeholder outreach after that. I'm guessing he has some input on the Park for the town? I know a group was formed and one of the EJTU guys was involved with them early on when the Borough first obtained the two parcels that make up that park.

Mike is the Oakland Recreation Commissioner, and the head of the committee that oversees Great Oak Park. I'm pretty sure that Rich worked with him and the park committee when he was still the EJTU conservation guy.... I saw Rich there during one of the first clean-ups. They appeared to be taking his advice about leaving enough greenery to keep the brook in the shade.

If/when you approach Oakland, they'll probably get him involved.

Mike's a nice guy, and a tireless worker, but can have a short fuse if he thinks someone is stepping on his toes.

 

[Rusty Spinner]

Mike is the Oakland Recreation Commissioner, and the head of the committee that oversees Great Oak Park. I'm pretty sure that Rich worked with him and the park committee when he was still the EJTU conservation guy.... I saw Rich there during one of the first clean-ups. They appeared to be taking his advice about leaving enough greenery to keep the brook in the shade.

If/when you approach Oakland, they'll probably get him involved.

Mike's a nice guy, and a tireless worker, but can have a short fuse if he thinks someone is stepping on his toes.

Good to know. Rich remains on the EJTU conservation committee and is making that outreach. I have been working with the borough Administrator and your OEM coordinator and soon with your Mayor. Aaron Jasper and I spent much of yesterday with Justin Rozema, Division fisheries biologist, exploring the entire stream including all three branches and several smaller tributaries. We GPSed all sorts of sites from old dams to culverts that need daylighting, and we formulated plans for culvert assessments and for HOBO data loggers to measure water temps throughout this spring fed system. So far, only one tributary seems to not be spring fed, but all the other threads are nice and cold right now and much warmer in winter than most streams due to the spring influences. We also had to chase a bear out of the area, and he showed zero signs of caring we were there. But we learned a lot about areas we hadn't visited yet. We also made contact with the restaurant owner that owns Portabellas and the banquet hall plus the one office building just upstream of Great Oak Park.