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Barnegat Bay

The Barnegat Bay/Little Egg Harbor (BB/LEH) estuary is suffering from eutrophication issues due to the over-enrichment of nutrients from watershed sources as well as atmospheric sources. Impacts to BB/LEH include reduced submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), algae blooms, infestations by parasitic epiphytes, loss or drastic deterioration of shellfish populations, and alteration of the Bay’s fish communities.

[+ ZOOM] Barnegat Bay salt marsh at Cattus Island Park © PPA

The number one cause of pollution in New Jersey's waterways is phosphorus and nitrogen, two substances found in inorganic fertilizers that run off lawns with stormwater. Fertilizer runoff is not only destroying important water resources, right now it is literally killing Barnegat Bay, one of the state's most important estuaries, ecosystems, and watersheds.

This comes at tremendous public health, environmental and economic costs from loss of shellfish, jellyfish and algae explosions, fish kills, and increased water treatment and rates - all of which damage New Jersey's multi-billion dollar tourism and fishing industries.

This Star-Ledger article and video have more information about this issue and these possible legislative initiatives.

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