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Community Corner

R U Disconnected? Flood & Pollution Reduction for You & Your Community

Great Swamp Watershed Association (GSWA) presents R U Disconnected? Flood & Pollution Reduction for You & Your Community with Dr. Chris Obropta, Tuesday, October 15, 2013, 8:00 a.m.--9:30a.m.

New Jersey has several problems with its water resources. Many communities experience flooding even during small rain storms. Many of the state’s streams are polluted and are not fishable or swimmable. Stream banks erode and stream channels undercut roads, bridges, buildings, and other infrastructure. Development and redevelopment of the landscape exacerbates these problems; and, so too, do the effects of climate change as New Jersey faces more intense storm events.

Is there anything we can do? Yes! It’s a process called disconnecting, and it works because it directly addresses the problem of stormwater runoff—the biggest contributor to flooding and water pollution statewide. The disconnecting process is straightforward. Identify the impervious surfaces around you—the roadways, parking lots, buildings, and other non-porous surfaces—and then slow down all the fast-moving water flowing over them during rain falls and snow melts. There are some simple, cost-effective techniques out there that we all can use to put stormwater back into the ground—where it moves slowly and gets cleaned—instead of allowing it to rocket into nearby waterways.

Dr. Chris Obropta is the extension specialist in water resources for Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station’s (NJAES) Cooperative Extension. As administrator of the Extension’s Water Resources Program, he works throughout the state to help communities identify and address their water issues using sustainable and practical science-based solutions. He joins us for our first Breakfast Briefing of the Fall 2013 season to teach us more about how we can disconnect at home and in our communities, and how he and his team at Rutgers can help.

A continental breakfast will be served starting at 8:00 a.m. The presentation will begin at approximately 8:30 a.m.

Seating is limited, so registration is recommended. Register online at https://greatswamp.ejoinme.org/F13BrBrDisconnect or call 973-538-3500 x22.

GSWA members participate free. Non-member are asked to make of voluntary donation of $10/adult and $5/child (6 to 17 years old), or $35/family (includes 4). There is no suggested donation for children five and under.

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