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What is a "watershed"?
A watershed is a geographical area all of
whose streams flow into a single body of water. [more
information]
 What is the Great Swamp Watershed?
The Great Swamp Watershed is a region covering 55 square miles
(or 35,000 acres) in North Central New Jersey. It comprises the
headwaters of the Passaic River and the feeder streams Great Brook,
Black Brook, Loantaka Brook and Primrose Brook. Portions of it lie
in two counties and ten different municipalities. It includes the
Federal land known as the Great Swamp Wildlife Refuge as well as
Jockey Hollow National Historical Park. There are also two county
parks. [more information]
What is the Great Swamp Wildlife Refuge?
The Refuge is a federal wildlife refuge and sanctuary run by the
US Department of Fish & Wildlife. It comprises 7,500 acres
within the Watershed and was established in 1960. The Refuge is
divided into two parts: the Wilderness Area and the Management Area.
The Wilderness Area was designated as such by an act of Congress and
must remain untouched in perpetuity. The Management Area is actively
managed to provide a wildlife habitat. The federal government has an
on-going program to purchase land and add it to the management area.
What is the Great Swamp Watershed
Association (GSWA)?
The GSWA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit environmental organization set
up in 1981 to help protect the Watershed. Its mission is to ...THIS
IS ON WEBSITE... It maintains its headquarters in Madison, New
Jersey and currently has 2,500 members, a staff of 7 employees plus
a dedicated group of volunteers. [more
information]
What does GSWA do?
The work of the GSWA falls into three broad categories:
Technical services: These include monitoring water quality and
quantity in the streams of the watershed, assessing the impact of
land development, as well as offering legal and design guidance in
local planning issues and zoning disputes.
Educational services: These include helping developers learn more
about effective stormwater management techniques, helping teachers
bring environmental learning to life in the classroom, and providing
environmental information to students and local residents.
Community services: These include acquiring local land for
preservation, serving as environmental advocate before local
governmental bodies, and offering a wide variety of programs for the
public and our members. [more
information]
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