Like all streams and rivers,
Under natural conditions, only about 10 percent
of rain and snow-melt run
Development
changes the land surface from soil/vegetation to
pavement and roofs that are impervious to water.
On developed land with lots of impervious
surfaces, rain and snow-melt cannot soak into
soil, and much more water runs off directly into
streams. This disrupts the ecology of streams
and also worsens flooding and erosion of stream
banks. 
Furthermore, as it flows across roads and
parking lots, stormwater runoff often picks up
pollutants such as oil, trash and dirt. This
so-called "nonpoint
source pollution" is
now the number one water pollution problem in
the So, the quality of water in the River depends on the kind and intensity of activities on the land in the River's watershed.
You can can do some
simple things to minimize runoff and nonpoint
source pollution. Proper
home landscaping can reduce both
runoff and pollution. You could install a
"rain
garden" or a "rain
barrel" on your property to catch runoff and
let it soak into the ground. Motor
vehicles are a big source of runoff pollution --
good vehicle care. Proper
pet waste management The New Jersey
Department of Environmental Protection has
more tips for preventing stormwater runoff
pollution. Group action and public policies are also critical to protect the environment and our quality of life. The best way to know what actions and policies are needed and how you can support them is to join an environmental organization. At the municipal level in New Jersey, environmental commissions advise local governments and act as watchdogs for environmental problems and opportunities. They inform elected officials and the public, serve on committees, research issues, develop educational programs and advocate for sound environmental policies. Check to see if your town has a environmental commission on the web site of the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions (ANJEC). To join or help the commission, contact your Town Hall and ask for the name and phone number of the chair or contact the ANJEC Resource Center at 973-539-7547 or resourcecenter@anjec.org. If your town does not have an environmental commission, contact ANJEC for help in forming one. ANJEC has created several booklets to help towns and individuals protect our waters. Click on a title below to read.
It's also a great idea to join your local river or watershed protection group -- click here for a list.
There are several government efforts underway to protect and restore the
Passaic.
The Lower Passaic River Restoration Project
is a partnership of federal
and New Jersey agencies designed to cleanup contaminated sediments, improve
water quality, restore degraded shorelines, restore and create new habitats and
enhance human use along a 17-mile stretch of the lower Passaic and in several
tributaries from Dundee Dam near Garfield, to Newark Bay. TGhe Corps of Engineers has a Hudson-Raritan Estuary Study which has produced a
Comprehensive
Restoration Plan for the Hudson-Raritan Estuary.