Update on the Fish Kill in the
Navesink and Shrewsbury Rivers
26 JUNE 2021 | TheJournalNJ.com
BY LORI DRAZ
This April, several months ahead of when the
water had warmed up, homeowners and businesses
on the Navesink and Shrewsbury Rivers
were coping with the shocking sight of thousands of
the beach. The cause was mystifying.
-
tremely abundant member of the herring family
primarily harvested for bait and non-food commercial
purposes. In a recent report from the New Jersey
Department of Environmental Protection, the cause is
bacterium called vibrio anguillarum. The NJDEP adds
that bunker appear to be the only species impacted.
springtime water temperatures which may suppress
and dense schooling nature which increases transmission
of the bacterium.
Jody Sackett, of the Rumson Environmental
Commission, said, “Menhaden are a more environmentally
sensitive species, and function like the canary
in the coal mine to warn us of problems in our
are developing early, due to nutrient pollution stemming
from sewer, septic and storm water runoff, as
well as climate change.” Sackett, a lifelong environmentalist,
Photo by Kristen Hall
has a bachelor’s degree in aquatic environments from Allegheny
College and a master’s in environmental sciences from the Ohio University.
She is also an educator and program administrator for the NJ Sea
Grant Consortium.
She continued, “Part of the problem is excessive stormwater runoff.
Rainwater picks up trash, bacteria, heavy metals, lawn chemicals or fertilizers
and other contaminants along the way to storm sewers, which carry
this water directly into the nearest receiving waterway.”
Sackett recommends homeowners reduce their use of landscaping
fertilizers, which can over-enrich waterways and encourage algae and
bacterial blooms that impact aquatic life.
She also recommends using simple green infrastructure to stop or
slow the stormwater runoff. Green infrastructure comes in various forms
– bioswales, rain gardens, permeable pavements and other bioretention
systems. A rain garden or bioswale is just a shallow indentation in the
ground which is planted with vegetation that collects rainfall runoffs, allowing
the rainwater to slowly percolate through the soil to the groundwater.
Planting sturdy native species in the bioswale translates into a
pretty garden and nearly maintenance-free rain gardens that also reduce
Other green infrastructure techniques include disconnecting gutter
downspouts and installing rain barrels or a bioswale to catch the heavy
house always helps too, or interspersing pavement with small mini-rain
gardens, bioswales, trees, or planter boxes to catch rainwater before it
enters the waterways.
Sackett added, “Rumson will be incorporating green infrastructure
to better manage our stormwater and create healthier suburban and
aquatic environments. Please take a minute when you see a rain garden
or bioswale or permeable pavement and admire how its simple beauty is
making Rumson and the communities a cleaner place to live.”
The NJDEP also says menhaden are typically not eaten by people or
bird or wildlife species are being impacted by this bacterium. It is safe to
This bacterium is generally not known to be harmful to humans.
should be avoided as a precaution. Handling of dead or unhealthy ap-
is necessary for disposal purposes, wear appropriate protection, including
gloves.
Menhaden die-offs are expected to continue in the near term. The
NJDEP will continue to provide information to local governments and
and become part of the nutrient cycle in affected waterways. To report a
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