The Great Swamp Watershed Association, coordinator of the Streamways Project, was formed in 1981 to encourage environmentally sound land-management policies and practices within the Great Swamp watershed. Spanning 55 square miles, the watershed comprises the area whose streams and rainfall drain into the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge and exit as the Passaic River. Ten municipalities lie entirely or partially within the watershed: Bernardsville; Bernards, Harding, and Long Hill Townships; Madison Borough; Chatham Township; Mendham Borough and Township; Morris Township; and Morristown.

Because the watershed spans multiple communities in Morris and Somerset Counties, the Watershed Association has been striving over the last two decades to stimulate a regional, collaborative approach to land-use planning and open-space preservation. The organization's most ambitious effort to date has been the preparation of Saving Space: The Great Swamp Watershed Greenway and Open Space Plan. Since the publication of this award-winning plan, we’ve been working with numerous collaborators to implement it. This Streamways Project is one such implementation effort.

More broadly, our programs and projects fall into three categories:

Our technical services include monitoring water quality and quantity in the streams of the watershed; assessing the impact of further land development, using the computer-based Geographical Information System (GIS) for mapping and analysis; and offering legal and design guidance to help resolve local planning and zoning disputes.

Our educational services include helping developers learn about more effective stormwater management techniques; conducting environmental education programs in local schools; and creating a 23-acre outdoor learning site for students and local residents.

Our community services include preserving open space through the acquisition of land and conservation easements; serving as an environmental advocate before local government bodies; maintaining a web site focused on local issues and events; and offering a wide variety of programs for the public and our 2,500 members.