Home > Managing A Watershed > Building Partnerships > Natural Lands Network > Category1

Association Recommendations Streams for Category 1 Upgrades
In November 2002 and January 2003, the NJDEP proposed significant amendments to the Surface Water Quality Standards (SWQS) to upgrade the water use classifications for several reservoirs and streams to Category One Waters, to reduce impacts to these waterways from future development.

The Stony Brook Millstone Watershed Association supports these proposed amendments, and based on the NJDEP criteria nominated six streams as potential candidates for Category One designation.  These Category One nominations include:

1. Honey Branch - entire length and tributaries, including Honey Lake
   
2. Beden Brook Headwaters
   
3. Stony Brook north of Baldwins Creek, including Baldwins Creek - entire length
   
4. Rock Brook - entire length and tributaries, including Cat Tail Brook
   
5. Roaring Brook and Cruser Brook - entire length (FW2-NT)
   
6. Six Mile Run and tributaries, including Nine Mile Run, Cross Brook, Steep Hill Brook and Middlebush Brook (FW2-NT)

If the NJDEP accepts these nominations, the state anti-degradation policies and a proposed 300-foot buffer will protect these six streams.

1. The anti-degradation policies assure that water quality is maintained at a level necessary to protect the intended use of the waters, and establishes more protective criteria for any new or expanded discharges to these waters;
   
2. NJDEP also proposed requirements for a 300-foot setback buffer on either side of the stream to protect Category One waters. This proposal was included in the new Stormwater rules (NJAC7: 8-5.5h). 

The 300-foot buffer proposed for Category One waters will minimize impacts from stormwater runoff, and provide floodwater storage, erosion control, ground water recharge, and maintain biological habitats and diversity.

What is a “Category One Water Body”?

Our nominations were carefully selected based on the NJDEP regulations outlined below that define Category One waters:

The Surface Water Quality Standards (SWQS) define “Category One Waters” as having aesthetic value, exceptional ecological significance, exceptional recreational significance, exceptional water supply significance or exceptional fisheries resources. Therefore, these waters require protection from measurable changes in their water quality characteristics, including clarity, color, scenic setting, and other characteristics (N.J.A.C. 7:9B-1.4)

These waters may include, but are not limited to:

1. Waters originating within Federal, State, county or municipal parks, forests, fish and wildlife lands, or other special holdings; and waters and their tributaries that flow through or border these lands.
   
2. Waters classified as Freshwater II trout production waters and their tributaries; or trout maintenance waters upstream of trout production waters; and
   
3. Shellfish waters of exceptional resource value.

Our Association supports the goal of NJDEP to maintain water quality to protect existing and designated uses. We applaud NJDEP’s recognition that the presence of threatened and endangered species or trout populations are considered to be important existing uses, which are intrinsic to our quality of life.

For more information follow these NJDEP links:

• Category One Waters
  
• Map of the Category One Nominations
  
• First round of streams that NJDEP accepted and proposed for C1
  Designation (April 2003) - http://www.nj.gov/dep/wmm/sgwqt/c1map.html
  
  
• Second round of streams that NJDEP accepted and proposed for C1
  Designation (October 2003) - http://www.nj.gov/dep/wmm/sgwqt/propC1map.html
  
• The NJDEP Surface Water Quality Standards Team (SWQS) is responsible for
  developing, adopting and administering the SWQS Program and the Category 1
  proposals.  For more information on Category 1 waters visit:
  http://www.nj.gov/dep/wmm/sgwqt/sgwqt.html