Raritan Riverkeeper Program
Raritan Riverkeeper is the citizen guardian of the Raritan River. The Raritan was once the poster child for polluted rivers, and industry and municipalities treated it as an open sewer. Today, thanks to the Clean Water Act and citizen groups like the Raritan Riverkeeper, the river is cleaner.
Of course, there is much work to be done. The Raritan is still the 14th most polluted waterway in the nation, with 20 federal Superfund sites and 200 state-registered toxic sites along its banks and the banks of its tributaries.
The Raritan Riverkeeper, as a program of Baykeeper, stops polluters, champions public access, and influences land use decisions. The Riverkeeper pursues opportunities for land preservation and habitat restoration, and partners with other groups to advocate for the Raritan River’s environmental importance, as well as its value as a recreational and cultural resource.
Raritan River Access Point Report
The Raritan Riverkeeper, with a grant from The Watershed Institute, recently completed a new a guide to access points on the Raritan River.
Rescuing the Raritan
On June 15, 2011 NJN Public Television aired Rescuing the River “The Raritan” a historic documentary about the ecological plight of the Raritan River. A film by Eric Schultz, narrated by Avery Brook, it focuses on the Lower Raritan, it’s toxic industrial past, polluted present, and possibilities for the future.
The Raritan River is a beautiful but troubled waterway in the heart of one of the most densely populated and developed states in the nation. While the story told here is specific to the Raritan, much of what’s seen speaks to the problems of industrialized rivers throughout the nation.
Resources
Raritan Riverkeeper Osprey Watch
Learn MoreRaritan Riverkeeper Stewardship
Learn MoreThe Raritan River Watershed
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