The state has earmarked $450,000 to help agricultural landowners protect the Upper Cohansey River and Upper Salem River watersheds.
Funds will be awarded in the form of a grant to the project’s sponsor, the New Jersey Audubon Society, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
The money comes from the DEP’s Water Quality Restoration Grants for Nonpoint Source Pollution program, the state said in an announcement Thursday. This helps municipalities, nonprofits, academic institutions and other partners to develop projects that enhance protection of waterways in their communities.
Stormwater runoff, also known as nonpoint source pollution, is the most significant issue affecting the quality of water in the state’s lakes, rivers, streams and estuaries, the DEP said in announcing this grant on Thursday. The stormwater runoff contains nutrients such as lawn and agricultural fertilizers that can cause excessive algae blooms that deprive waterways of dissolved oxygen needed by aquatic life. Algae blooms also impair the aesthetic value of waterways, diminishing recreational enjoyment.
The areas being targeted through the grant are in Salem and Cumberland counties in heavily agricultural areas.