Ewing Environ RSRC Inventory 2005

EWING
MERCER COUNTY, NEW JERSEY
prepared by:
Delaware Valley
Regional Planning
Commission
with:
The Environmental
Commission of
Ewing Township
MARCH 2005
EWING
prepared by:
Delaware Valley
Regional Planning
Commission
with:
The Environmental
Commission of
Ewing Township
MARCH 2005
Created in 1965, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission
(DVRPC) is an interstate, intercounty and intercity agency that provides
continuing, comprehensive and coordinated planning to shape a vision for
the future growth of the Delaware Valley region. The region includes
Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties, as well as the City
of Philadelphia, in Pennsylvania; and Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and
Mercer counties in New Jersey. DVRPC provides technical assistance
and services; conducts high priority studies that respond to the requests
and demands of member state and local governments; fosters cooperation
among various constituents to forge a consensus on diverse regional
issues; determines and meets the needs of the private sector; and
practices public outreach efforts to promote two-way communication and
public awareness of regional issues and the Commission.
Our logo is adapted from the official DVRPC seal, and is designed as a
stylized image of the Delaware Valley. The outer ring symbolizes the
region as a whole, while the diagonal bar signifies the Delaware River.
The two adjoining crescents represent the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey.
DVRPC is funded by a variety of funding sources including federal grants

from the U.S. Department of Transportation=s Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA), the
Pennsylvania and New Jersey departments of transportation, as well as
by DVRPC=s state and local member governments. The authors,
however, are solely responsible for its findings and conclusions, which
may not represent the official views or policies of the funding agencies.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................................ 5
INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................... 6
BRIEF TOWNSHIP HISTORY.................................................................................................. 7
EWING TOWNSHIP LOCATION, SIZE, AND LAND USE................................................ 11
NATURAL RESOURCES ......................................................................................................... 16
PHYSIOGRAPHY.................................................................................................................... 16
The Piedmont Plateau ........................................................................................................... 16
Geologic Outcrops ................................................................................................................ 16
Radon .................................................................................................................................... 17
TOPOGRAPHY AND SURFACE LANDSCAPES ................................................................ 18
SOILS ....................................................................................................................................... 19
Soil Series ............................................................................................................................. 20
Matapeake......................................................................................................................... 20
Bucks ................................................................................................................................. 20
Quakertown....................................................................................................................... 20
Udorthents......................................................................................................................... 21
Urban Land....................................................................................................................... 21
Birdsboro .......................................................................................................................... 21
Sassafras ........................................................................................................................... 21
Readington and Abbottstown ............................................................................................ 21
STEEP SLOPES ....................................................................................................................... 26
SURFACE WATER RESOURCES ......................................................................................... 28
Watersheds............................................................................................................................ 28
Alexauken Creek / Moore Creek / Jacob’s Creek............................................................. 29
Assunpink Creek................................................................................................................ 29
Streams.................................................................................................................................. 29
Delaware River ..................................................................................................................... 30
Lakes ..................................................................................................................................... 33
Wetlands ............................................................................................................................... 33
Agricultural Wetlands....................................................................................................... 33
Vernal Ponds......................................................................................................................... 34
Flood Hazard Areas .............................................................................................................. 36
Surface Water Quality........................................................................................................... 38
Ewing Township Stream Water Quality............................................................................ 39
New Jersey’s Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report................... 39
Causes of Water Quality Impairments.................................................................................. 42
Stormwater Runoff and Impervious Cover ....................................................................... 42
Inadequate Stream Buffers................................................................................................ 42
Point Sources of Pollution ................................................................................................ 45
GROUNDWATER ................................................................................................................... 47
Aquifers................................................................................................................................. 47
Drinking Water Supply......................................................................................................... 48
Wellhead Protection Areas and Water Supply Wells ........................................................... 50
Groundwater Recharge ......................................................................................................... 50
BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES................................................................................................... 53
NATURAL VEGETATION..................................................................................................... 53
Wetlands ............................................................................................................................... 54
Upland Forests ...................................................................................................................... 55
Grasslands and Agricultural Lands....................................................................................... 55
LANDSCAPE PROJECT PRIORITY HABITATS................................................................. 57
Landscape Project Data on Wetland Habitat ........................................................................ 59
Landscape Project Data on Upland Forest Habitat ............................................................... 59
Landscape Project Data on Grassland Species Habitat......................................................... 59
ANIMAL COMMUNITIES ..................................................................................................... 60
Invertebrates.......................................................................................................................... 60
Vertebrates ............................................................................................................................ 61
Mammals........................................................................................................................... 61
Deer Management in New Jersey ..................................................................................... 61
Fish ................................................................................................................................... 62
Birds.................................................................................................................................. 63
Common Reptiles and Amphibians ................................................................................... 63
Rare and Endangered Vertebrates.................................................................................... 64
NJ NATURAL HERITAGE DATABASE AND NATURAL HERITAGE PRIORITY SITES
................................................................................................................................................... 65
THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT................................................................................................. 67
DEMOGRAPHICS ................................................................................................................... 67
TRANSPORTATION............................................................................................................... 67
TOWNSHIP UTILITIES .......................................................................................................... 68
Drinking Water ..................................................................................................................... 68
Sewer..................................................................................................................................... 68
PARKS AND RECREATION.................................................................................................. 68
HISTORIC RESOURCES ........................................................................................................ 72
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES ................................................................................................... 75
KNOWN CONTAMINATED SITES ...................................................................................... 75
Groundwater Contamination................................................................................................. 79
TRENTON MERCER AIRPORT ............................................................................................ 84
SOURCES OF INFORMATION .............................................................................................. 86
GLOSSARY OF ACRONYMS ................................................................................................. 92
CITATIONS ................................................................................................................................ 93
CONTACTS AND RESOURCES ............................................................................................. 94
APPENDICES
APPENDIX A: Vertebrate Animals Known, Probable, or Possible in the Township of Ewing
APPENDIX B: List of Animal and Plant Species found in Washington Crossing State Park, NJ
APPENDIX C: Deer Tolerant/Resistant Native Plants of the Bowman’s Hill Wildlife Preserve
APPENDIX D: Cautions and Restrictions on Natural Heritage Data
2
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Ewing Township General Land Use & Land Cover Classes......................................... 11
Table 2: Ewing Township Specific Land Use (1995/97) NOT updated to 2002......................... 12
Table 3: DVRPC 2000 Land Use, updated to 2002..................................................................... 14
Table 4: Agricultural Values for Ewing Soils.............................................................................. 19
Table 5: Ewing Township Soils................................................................................................... 22
Table 6: Soil Limitations for Development ................................................................................. 24
Table 7: Watersheds in Ewing Township .................................................................................... 28
Table 8: Ewing Township Streams .............................................................................................. 30
Table 9: Flood Hazard Area Acreage .......................................................................................... 36
Table 10: Water Quality Classifications of Streams in Ewing Township ................................... 39
Table 11: Water Quality of Nontidal Waters in the Region ........................................................ 40
Table 12: Acreage of Impervious Surface in Ewing ................................................................... 42
Table 13: New Jersey Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NJPDES) Permits .................. 46
Table 14: Noncommunity Wells in or around Ewing Township................................................. 48
Table 15: Ewing Township Natural Vegetation .......................................................................... 54
Table 16: Landscape Project Habitat Rankings – Acreage in Ewing Township ......................... 57
Table 17: Rare Wildlife Species or Habitat in Ewing Township................................................. 66
Table 18: Rare Plant Species and Natural Communities ............................................................. 66
Table 19: Historic Sites in Ewing Township ............................................................................... 74
Table 20: Known Contaminated Sites in Ewing Township & Region ........................................ 76
Table 21: Sites with CEA and CKE Area Designations……………………………………… 80
3
LIST OF MAPS
Map 1: Ewing Township .............................................................................................................. 10

Map 2: NJDEP Land Cover (1995/97) - Updated to 2002 ........................................................... 13
Map 3: DVRPC 2000 Land Use - Updated to 2002 .................................................................... 15
Map 4: Soils .................................................................................................................................. 25
Map 5: Steep Slopes...................................................................................................................... 27
Map 6: Watersheds ....................................................................................................................... 31
Map 7: Stream Order .................................................................................................................... 32
Map 8: Surface Water, Wetlands, and Vernal Ponds.................................................................... 35
Map 9: Flood Hazard Areas.......................................................................................................... 37
Map 10: Water Quality – Nontidal Waters ................................................................................... 41
Map 11: Impervious Surface......................................................................................................... 44
Map 12: Geologic Outcrops and Water Supply Wells.................................................................. 49
Map 13: Groundwater Recharge................................................................................................... 52
Map 14: Natural Vegetation (1995/1997)..................................................................................... 56
Map 15: Landscape Project Habitat Priorities .............................................................................. 58
Map 16: Sewer Service Area ........................................................................................................ 69
Map 17: Protected Lands (2003)................................................................................................... 70
Map 18: Known Contaminated Sites (2001) ................................................................................ 82
Map 19: Sites with CEA and CKE Area Designations ………………………………………….83
4
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Many thanks are due to the organizations that provided funding for this Environmental Resource
Inventory for the Township of Ewing. They are:
· The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, Office of Smart Growth

· The Township of Ewing
· The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, Open Space and
Greenways Program
Township Committee, Township of Ewing

Mayor Wendell Pribila
President Les Summiel
Vice President Kathleen Wollert
Councilman Donald Apai
Councilman Jack Ball
Councilman Bert Steinmann
The impetus for the creation of the document, and its guidance and review, came from the Ewing
Township Environmental Commission.
The Ewing Township Environmental Commission

Pete Boughton
W. Scott Butterfield
Lee Farnham, Secretary
Erin Indelicato, Chair
Karl Muessig
Randall Phillips
Rus Staniec, Vice Chair
The following DVRPC staff members made significant contributions to this report:
Patty Elkis – Project Manager

Suzanne McCarthy – Senior Environmental Planner
Chris Pollard – GIS Analyst
Billy Swiatek – (DVRPC Intern) – GIS Analyst
Jessica Tump (DVRPC Intern) – Research Assistant
Becky Maule – cover design
Carl Barbee – printing and production
Special appreciation and thanks is extended to Ewing Township Environmental Commission

member Lee Farnham for shepherding the ERI process through from beginning to end, for
supplying the data included in Appendices B and C, and for organizing all of the meetings on the
ERI. Appreciation is also extended to staff at various New Jersey state offices who provided
information for this inventory.
5
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of an Environmental Resource Inventory (ERI), also called a Natural Resource
Inventory (NRI), is to identify and describe the natural resources of a community. A
community’s natural resources – its soil, water, air, forests, fields, and waterways – are
fundamental to its character. They are the foundation for its economic success and its quality of
life. The protection and wise use of those resources is essential for the public health, safety, and
welfare of current and future residents.
The Environmental Resource Inventory serves numerous fundamental purposes. To begin with,
the ERI provides the baseline documentation of the community’s environmental resources,
which in turn serves as the foundation for the Conservation Element of the Master Plan and the
development of goals and strategies to preserve, conserve, and utilize the township’s natural
resources. Having baseline documentation also allows the municipality to measure and evaluate
resource protection, and make changes to policies, procedures and actions, as needed. In
addition, the Conservation Element can shape the land use element of the Master Plan, by
identifying areas appropriate for various land uses and densities of development. The
combination of an ERI and Conservation Element can also provide the basis for implementing
natural resource protection ordinances. Furthermore, the ERI can be used regularly by both the
Environmental Commission and the Planning Board to evaluate subdivision and land
development plans for their impacts to the environment, and the ERI can be used by developers
in designing site plans to better conform to sites’ environmental features.
In the past, Ewing Township’s natural resources made the township an agricultural community.
In addition, its position along the Delaware River and its transportation network made the area an
important industrial and commercial center in the 19th and 20th centuries. Today, Ewing
Township is almost entirely developed. Documentation of its resources has become a necessity,
especially if it is to support residents of the future. Ewing’s remaining forest and wetlands,
which provide significant habitat for endangered and threatened plants and animals, will be vital
to the continued health of the community and the enjoyment of its citizenry.
Preparing an Environmental Resource Inventory requires gathering all the existing information
that can be found about the community’s resources, and presenting it in a form that is usable by a
broad audience. The Inventory reflects a particular moment in time, and it is assumed that it will
be updated as new data becomes available.
Numerous documents and reports were utilized in preparing the Environmental Resource
Inventory for Ewing Township. These references are listed at the end of this document. The
maps and data relating to Ewing Township’s natural resources are primarily derived from the
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Geographic Information System mapping,
and from The Landscape Project produced by the Endangered and Nongame Species Program of
the New Jersey Fish and Wildlife Division.
6
BRIEF TOWNSHIP HISTORY
There is an excellent history of Ewing Township on the Ewing Township website:
http://www.ewingtwp.net. It is excerpted below with minor additions.
Although Ewing Township was officially established in 1834, the history of the region ranges
back thousands of years. The earliest inhabitants of the land area today known as Ewing
Township were the Lenape Indians. These migratory people ranged throughout New Jersey
along the banks of the Delaware River, and the township’s many creeks provided rich natural
resources for hunting, fishing, pottery-making, and simple farming.
Early Native American communities relied on the township’s natural resources until the arrival
of Europeans. Indeed, most pre-European settlements were associated with stream corridors.
The Lenape Indians were the original owners of the land, but by 1801, nearly a century after the
arrival of the first settlers, they had sold virtually all of their land to the settlers and moved from
the area.
When the region was first settled by European colonists around 1699, it was part of Hopewell
Township, and continued under that name until the City of Trenton was established in 1719.
From 1719 until 1834, the area was named Trenton Township. On February 22, 1834, the name
was changed from Trenton Township to Ewing Township in honor of Charles Ewing, who was
posthumously honored for his work as Chief Justice of the New Jersey State Supreme Court
from 1824-1832.
Ewing was settled by a mixture of European and American colonists. Emigrants from Long
Island and the East Jersey Province were largely of English and Scotch ancestry, with a
sprinkling of Welsh, Dutch and French Huguenots. Other English families came from Burlington
County and the New England colonies.
Thomas Hutchinson and Daniel Cox are thought to be two of the first settlers in Ewing. Daniel
Cox bought 30,000 acres, the original area of Hopewell Township, and sold large parcels to other
settlers. Thomas Hutchinson arrived in 1687 from England. He had a 5,000-acre plantation.
Today Ewing Township occupies a total area of 15.6 square miles (9,960 acres). Of this amount,
15.29 miles is land, including marshland, and 0.31 miles is water.
Religion played a prominent role in the lives of the people who lived in the region. In 1702, a
group formed an Anglican Church on what are today the grounds of the Trenton Psychiatric
Hospital between Stuyvesant Avenue and Sullivan Way. The church has long since disappeared,
but a small cemetery remains. In 1708, Andrew Lockart deeded land on Scotch Road for the
establishment of a Presbyterian Church to fulfill the religious needs of the early settlers. Their
first services were held under two large oak trees, one of which is still standing. The
congregation has erected four church buildings: the first of logs in 1712, the second a frame
church in 1728, the third of brick in 1795, and the present stone structure in 1867, all on the same
site. The adjacent cemetery contains the graves of many Revolutionary soldiers. Prior to 1823
when the Reverend Eli Field Cooley became the first full-time pastor, several congregations
shared their ministers. At various times the congregation had been led by supply ministers, the
7
most historically famous being the Reverend John Witherspoon, president of the College of New
Jersey (now Princeton University) and signer of the Declaration of Independence.
The populace of Ewing (Trenton) Township was sympathetic to the American cause during the
Revolution, and many served in the war. General George Washington, after ferrying the
American army across the Delaware River on Christmas morning, December 25, 1776, marched
his troops down Bear Tavern Road to attack the Hessian mercenary forces stationed in Trenton.
In the early years of settlement, Ewing was chiefly a woodland area; however, after the
Revolution, Ewing embarked upon a long period of agricultural growth and activity. In 1844,
historians Barber and Howe described the township as having some of the richest soil in New
Jersey. Early development was in the form of small hamlets scattered throughout the township,
including Birmingham (now known as West Trenton), Ewing, Ewingville, and Greensburg (now
Wilburtha). Most of these hamlets were located on the main transportation routes through the
township: on roads such as Scotch Road or Pennington Road, on the Delaware & Raritan Canal,
or near ferries across the Delaware River.
By the early 20th century, Trenton had become a major industrial center, and the population of
the city rapidly increased. The areas of Ewing adjacent to Trenton began to take on urban
characteristics, absorbing the population overflow from the city. Many Trenton residents
discovered the advantages of living in Ewing, and the township began to change from an
agricultural to a residential community. Trains and streetcars enabled people to live further from
the center of Trenton. Areas such as Homecrest, Prospect Heights, Prospect Park, and Weber
Park were established near the borders of the City of Trenton, some of the earliest “suburban”
developments in Ewing.
Despite the early development of the streetcar suburbs, Ewing grew slowly in the first quarter of
the 20th century: by 1920 the population of the township stood at 3,500. The area remained
predominantly rural in nature until just prior to World War II, when new industries would begin
a long period of growth and development for the township. With the construction of the General
Motors plant in 1938 and the employment opportunities that accompanied it, new communities
such as Glendale and Fernwood began to be built. By 1940, only 20 years later, the township’s
population had almost tripled to 10,146.
Important industries were attracted to the area by the proximity of the Reading Railroad.
Companies such as Homasote, Roller Bearing, Winner Manufacturing, Nassau China, and Heath
Lumber benefited from this major transportation system, and some even installed spurs
connecting to the main rail line.
During World War II, factories in the area devoted themselves wholeheartedly to the war effort.
General Motors became Eastern Aircraft, and made a critical contribution to the war effort
through the production of the Navy Avenger Torpedo Bomber. Assemblies from other plants on
the East Coast were transported via the Reading Railroad to the Ewing plant, where they joined
Ewing-fabricated sections in final assembly. Bombers off the line were sent to the Skillman (now
Trenton-Mercer) airport, where they were tested before delivery to the navy.
8
After World War II, Ewing Township grew rapidly, reflected by the construction of a variety of
housing, including Parkway Village, Moss Homes, Wynnwood Manor and Fleetwood Village.
Later subdivisions include Hampton Hill, Hillwood Manor, Sherbrooke, Hickory Hills and
Village on the Green. By 1960, the population of the township had grown to 26,828.
Through the years, the State of New Jersey has established a number of important institutions in
Ewing Township. These include the Trenton Psychiatric Hospital, The College of New Jersey
(formerly Trenton State College), Marie Katzenbach New Jersey School for the Deaf, and the
State Department of Transportation complex. Another significant governmental installation was
the Naval Air Warfare Center on Parkway Avenue, which developed many major aeronautical
defense weapons, such as the cruise missile, for the US Navy.
Today Ewing has become an ethnically and socially diverse community of residents. According
to the 2000 census, the population of the township stood at 35,707, and is expected to rise to
39,000 by 2025. The economy of the township is strongly rooted in government, light
manufacturing and education. With easy access to both Philadelphia and New York, the
township remains a viable business center. It continues to function as a corridor for the vital
components of air, rail and land transportation, including the Trenton-Mercer Airport and
Interstate 95.
Under the initiative of the new Mayor-Council form of government, established in 1995, the
township is now preparing to review and define several areas for redevelopment and community
renewal. This initiative will maximize the potential for future growth, and help the township
meet the challenges of the 21st century. Ewing remains a vital community in Mercer County and
Central New Jersey for growth, opportunity and progress; and although much changed from its
agrarian roots, its character remains intact for future generations in neighborhoods, people, and
special places.
West Trenton Train Station
9
Source : NJDEP,NJDOT,DVRPC.
This map was developed using New Jersey Ewing Township,
Department of Environmental Protection
Map 1: Ewing Township Geographic Information System digital data, Mercer County,
but this secondary product has not been New Jersey
HOPEWELL verified by NJDEP and is not state-authorized.
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EWING TOWNSHIP LOCATION, SIZE, AND LAND USE
Ewing is an incorporated township located in the west of Mercer County, New Jersey. Three
communities bound the township within Mercer County: Hopewell Township to the north,
Lawrence Township to the east, and the City of Trenton to the south. Jacobs Creek and its
tributary, Ewing Creek, form a portion of the northern boundary. Ewing’s western boundary is
the Delaware River, which forms the dividing line between Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Ewing Township occupies 9,960 acres or 15.6 square miles situated in the Piedmont section of
New Jersey. It is in a region that continues to be mostly rural to the north, in Hopewell
Township, and very developed to the south, in Trenton. Most land within the township is
occupied by residential development or industrial and commercial facilities. This development
arose, in part, because of Ewing’s proximity to the Philadelphia and New York City metropolitan
areas and easy access to major highways. Residential development in the last three decades has
been extending north, across the border, into Hopewell Township.
The information in the tables that follow (Tables 1, 2, and 3) are derived from two main sources:
the NJDEP 95/97 Land Use and Land Cover Map and the DVRPC 2000 Land Use Map. The
NJDEP map was originally compiled using infrared ortho-photography to map vegetation and
development. The DVRPC map was derived from interpretations of ortho-digital aerial
photography. In 2002 NJDEP updated its infrared ortho-photography images. These images
became available to the public in 2004. As a result, the maps and the tables below reflect
updates that were made to the original maps, based on review of the 2002 ortho-photography.
Table 2 has not been updated, given the specific nature of the data.
Table 1: Ewing Township General Land Use & Land Cover Classes
(1995/97 updated to 2002)
95/97 - 2000 Change

General Land Classes 95/97 Acres % of land (95/97) 2002 Acres % of land (2002) in Acres
Agriculture 695 7% 687 7% -8
Barren Land 68 1% 51 1% -17
Forest 1445 15% 1366 14% -79
Urban 7092 71% 7197 72% 105
Water 216 2% 216 2% 0
Wetlands 444 4% 443 4% -1
Total 9960 100% 9960 100%
Source: NJDEP
11
Table 2: Ewing Township Specific Land Use (1995/97) NOT updated to 2002
Land Use Category Acres Percent
Residential, single unit, medium density 2327 23.35%
Other urban or built-up land 1132 11.37%
Residential, single unit, low density 960 9.64%
Commercial/Services 875 8.79%
Deciduous forest (>50% crown closure) 837 8.40%
Cropland and pastureland 673 6.75%
Recreational land 444 4.46%
Transportation/communications/utilities 369 3.70%
Deciduous wooded wetlands 346 3.48%
Residential, high density, multiple dwelling 319 3.21%
Industrial 284 2.85%
Old field (<25% brush covered) 208 2.08%
Residential, rural, single unit 208 2.08%
Deciduous brush/shrubland 206 2.06%
Streams and canals 181 1.81%
Mixed deciduous/coniferous brush/shrubland 130 1.31%
Athletic fields (schools) 129 1.29%
Transitional areas 50 0.51%
Deciduous forest (10-50% crown closure) 40 0.41%
Military reservations 38 0.38%
Deciduous scrub/shrub wetlands 37 0.37%
Artificial lakes 22 0.23%
Altered lands 18 0.18%
Disturbed wetlands (modified) 17 0.17%
Confined feeding operations 14 0.14%
Coniferous brush/shrubland 14 0.14%
Herbaceous wetlands 14 0.14%
Natural lakes 13 0.13%
Agricultural wetlands (modified) 9 0.09%
Other agriculture 8 0.08%
Managed wetland in maintained lawn greenspace 7 0.07%
Former agricultural wetland (becoming shrubby, not built-up) 7 0.07%
Mixed urban or built-up land 7 0.07%
Mixed forest (>50% coniferous with 10%-50% crown closure) 5 0.05%
Wetland rights-of-way (modified) 4 0.04%
Coniferous forest (>50% crown closure) 3 0.03%
Coniferous forest (10-50% crown closure) 2 0.02%
Mixed forest (>50% Deciduous with > 50% crown closure) 1 0.01%
Managed wetland in built-up maintained recreational area 1 0.01%
Mixed scrub/shrub wetlands (deciduous dominant) 1 0.01%
Total 9960 100%

Source: NJDEP
12
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HOPEWELL Delaware Valley
updated to 2002 Regional Planning Commission
. March 2005
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Table 3: DVRPC 2000 Land Use, updated to 2002
2000 - 2002
Change in
Land Use Description 2000 Acres % of Land (2000) 2002 Acres % of Land (2002) Acres
Agriculture 738 7.41% 738 7.41% 0
Commercial 715 7.18% 715 7.18% 0
Community Services 484 4.86% 484 4.86% 0
Manufacturing: Heavy Industrial 38 0.38% 38 0.38% 0
Manufacturing: Light Industrial 165 1.66% 165 1.66% 0
Parking: Commercial 207 2.08% 207 2.08% 0
Parking: Community Services 85 0.86% 85 0.86% 0
Parking: Heavy Manufacturing 5 0.05% 5 0.05% 0
Parking: Light Manufacturing 37 0.38% 37 0.38% 0
Parking: Multi-Family 41 0.41% 41 0.41% 0
Parking: Recreation 12 0.12% 12 0.12% 0
Parking: Transportation 22 0.22% 22 0.22% 0
Recreation 553 5.55% 553 5.55% 0
Residential: Multi-Family 214 2.15% 219 2.20% 5
Residential: Row Home 7 0.07% 7 0.07% 0
Residential: Single-Family Detached 3714 37.32% 3730 37.48% 16
Transportation 640 6.43% 640 6.43% 0
Utility 2 0.02% 2 0.02% 0
Vacant 460 4.62% 441 4.43% -19
Water 228 2.29% 228 2.29% 0
Wooded 1593 16.00% 1591 15.99% -2
Total 9960 100% 9960 100%
Source: DVRPC
Gold Run
14
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Map 3: DVRPC 2000 Land Use Delaware Valley
HOPEWELL Regional Planning Commission
updated to 2002 . March 2005
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NATURAL RESOURCES
PHYSIOGRAPHY
Physiography is the study of a location in relation to its underlying
geology. Four physiographic provinces characterize New Jersey. The
rocky terrain of the Appalachian Province is at one extreme and the
sands of the coast are at the other extreme. Ewing Township is located
in the Piedmont Plateau, the most central of the four provinces in New
Jersey.
The dividing line between Northern New Jersey and Southern New
Jersey is the fall line, a drop in land level that separates the Piedmont
Plateau from the Atlantic Coastal Plain. The fall line runs nearly
parallel with U.S. Route 1 from Trenton to New York City and has
numerous waterfalls marking its course. It is a boundary between the
older, consolidated rock in the north and the younger, less consolidated
rock, mostly gravels and sands, in the south. Ewing Township is
situated just north of U.S. Route 1, on the northern side of the fall line,
in the Piedmont Plateau.
The Piedmont Plateau
The Piedmont Plateau extends from Massachusetts to Georgia and occupies nearly 1,500 square
miles or one-fifth (20%) of New Jersey’s total land area. In New Jersey, the Piedmont formation
is primarily composed of sandstone, shale, and argillite. Generally, the rocks in this area are
more susceptible to erosion than the rocks to the north, in the Highlands physiographic province.
The soils of the Piedmont Plateau are rich and well watered and the topography is gently rolling.
Geologic Outcrops
Three rock formations outcrop in Ewing Township: the Stockton Formation, the Lockatong
Formation, and the Brunswick Formation. The two most prominent rock formations are the
Stockton Formation, found in the southern portion of the township, and the Lockatong
Formation, found in the northern portion of the township. The New Brunswick formation
occupies a small area of Ewing, in the north of the township.
During the early Triassic Period, which began about 225 million years ago and lasted for
approximately 30 million years, a large basin was formed in New Jersey, called the Newark
Basin. Uplands, called the Eastern Uplands, formed the basin’s eastern edge and the Highlands
formed the basin’s western edge. Sediments from the Eastern Uplands were deposited in the
basin, forming the Stockton Formation. The Stockton Formation is composed of sandstone and
gets its name from the sandstone quarries of Stockton, NJ, where the sandstone came to be
16
known as “brownstone.” Brownstone was shipped by canal to urban areas and used as a building
material around the turn of the twentieth century.
In the mid to late Triassic Period, shallow lakes formed in the Newark Basin, where fine-grained
sediments commingled with dissolved materials to form a rock known as argillite. The largest
lake may have covered an area 25 miles wide by 90 miles long. As the lakes in the basin
successively dried up and reformed over half-million year cycles, muddy deltaic sediments were
transported by rivers from the Highlands and deposited in the area. This alternation of lake
sediments and deltaic muds gave rise to the mixed layers of argillites, mudstones and shales that
make up the Lockatong Formation.
Mercer County is relatively unique in the occurrence of argillitic rocks of the Lockatong
Formation. They are restricted to a small portion of the Piedmont in Mercer County and in
adjacent Bucks and Montgomery counties in Pennsylvania. In Ewing the Lockatong outcrops in
the northern third of the township. Argillite is an excellent building stone that can last for
centuries and preserves fossils such as dinosaur footprints.
Many of the rock layers in the Lockatong are dark gray to black, rich in carbon, and naturally
elevated in metals including uranium. The radioactive decay of uranium and its daughter
products may cause elevated levels of radon gases in homes – a health concern.
Radon
Radon is a radioactive gas that comes from the natural decay of uranium found in nearly all soils.
It is invisible, odorless, and tasteless. It moves up through the ground to the air above, and into
all types of homes through cracks and other holes in foundations. A buildup of radon-
contaminated air within a home can pose a long-term health hazard to residents, specifically for
lung cancer. The only method of detection is to conduct a test of the air within a home.
Fortunately, radon testing is simple and inexpensive, and elevated levels can readily be lowered.
If radon levels are high in a home, NJDEP suggests that the homeowners take the following
actions: (1) prevent radon from entering the house by repairing cracks and insulation; and (2)
dilute radon concentrations currently in the house. Radon mitigation systems can be installed at
an average cost of $1,200, and NJDEP provides a list of certified businesses that offer both
testing and mitigation services.
NJDEP classifies townships into three categories as to the risk of having high radon levels.
Ewing Township is listed as a Tier 1 municipality with high risk of having high radon levels in
homes. Tier 3 is the lowest level. NJDEP estimates that the average radon level found in a
Ewing home is 4.93 picocuries per liter in the air. The level at which homeowners should take
immediate action is 4.0 picocuries per liters in the air. The adjacent townships of Lawrence and
Hopewell also have high average levels of 6.24 and 4.18p/Ci/l, respectively.
17
TOPOGRAPHY AND SURFACE LANDSCAPES
Ewing Township is an average-sized municipality in Mercer County, with just under 10,000
acres. The topography of the township is relatively mild, with gentle slopes, flat areas, and
occasional steep slopes along the Delaware River tributaries. Most wetlands in the township are
located in the east, primarily along the Shabakunk Creek. Upland forest is found to the west,
along the Delaware and Raritan Canal and small stream corridors, and to the east, along the
Shabakunk Creek. A gently rising landscape lies between the watersheds. The landscape on
Ewing’s northern side, in Hopewell Township, supports gently rolling farmland. The landscape
to the south is urban, merging seamlessly with the City of Trenton.
The upland area is characterized by rich soils that once supported forests of mixed oak, hickory,
yellow poplar, and ash. The streams have steep gradients, as in most of central and northern New
Jersey, with rocky bottoms and high stream velocities. Smaller streams flowing to the larger
channels form connecting networks of wetland marsh.
Ewing Township’s highest elevation is found northwest of the Mercer County Airport, on the
grounds of the Mountain View Golf Course. It is approximately 220 feet above Mean Sea Level
(USA). Generally, high elevations occur between watershed boundaries. See Map 6:
Watersheds. The lowest elevation, located near the Delaware River, is 40 feet above Mean Sea
Level.
Rapids on the Delaware River
18
SOILS
Soil is the foundation for all land uses. A region’s soil defines what vegetation is possible,
influencing agricultural uses. It also determines how land can be developed for other purposes.
Soil is a natural resource that cannot be replenished on the human time scale.
Ewing’s soils are predominantly silty, shaley, or stony soils. The township’s soils consist of 27
series types and 60 variations within those series (excluding Water), as identified by the US
Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. These are listed in Table
5: Ewing Township Soils and shown on Map 4: Soils.
Ewing’s soils are rich in agricultural value. Forty-seven percent (47%) of the soils in Ewing
Township are considered Prime Farmlands (P-1). Prime Farmlands are lands that have the best
combination of physical and chemical characteristics for producing food, feed, forage, fiber, and
oilseed crops. They can sustain high yields of crops when managed with correct farming
methods. Prime Farmlands are not excessively erodible or saturated with water for long periods
of time and do not flood frequently.
Farmlands of Statewide Importance (S-1) occupy twenty-six percent (26%) of the township
surface. These soils are close in quality to Prime Farmland and can sustain high yields of crops
when correctly managed with favorable conditions. Only one percent (1%) of Ewing’s soils falls
into the remaining classification, Farmland of Local Importance (L-1). Farmland of Local
Importance are soils that can support the production of high-value, regional, indigenous,
horticultural crops like tomatoes, sweet corn, blueberries, strawberries, cranberries, and peaches.
See Table 4: Agricultural Values for Ewing Soils below for the acreage of each of these
categories of farmland. 1
Table 4: Agricultural Values for Ewing Soils
Designation Type Area (In Acres) Percent

P-1 Prime Farmland 4,639 47%
S-1
Statewide Importance 2,620 26%
L-1
Local Importance 103 1%
Other Soil Wet soils, pits, steep

slopes, etc. 2,388 24%
Water
Water 195 2%
Totals 9945 100%
Source: NJ Farmlands Inventory, NJ Natural Resources Conservation Service
1
See New Jersey Soils of Statewide Importance, New Jersey Natural Resources Conservation Service, September 24, 1990,
available online at www.nj.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/soils/njfarmindex.html.
19
Soil Series
Several soil series appear more frequently in Ewing Township than others, and are briefly
described below.2
Matapeake Capability Units
Of Ewing’s soils, 16.2% are in the Matapeake series.

These soils tend to be very deep and well drained, with I – Soils have few limitations that restrict
slopes ranging from 0-30 percent. They have moderate their use.
to moderately slow permeability and surface runoff is
II – Soils have moderate limitations that
also moderate. Almost all Matapeake soil was once
reduce the choice of plants or that require
cultivated. Commonly grown crops include corn, moderate conservation practices.
soybeans, and small grains. Oaks dominate the native
vegetation and some cutover areas have loblolly, III – Soils have severe limitations that
Virginia, or shortleaf pine. (Capability Units I, II, and reduce the choice of plants, require very
III, depending on variation) careful management, or both.
IV – Soils have very severe limitations that

Bucks reduce the choice of plants, require very
careful management, or both.
Nearly 16% of Ewing’s soils are in the Bucks series.
Bucks soils are deep, well-drained soils, located on V – Soils are not likely to erode but have
upland divides and rolling slopes. Their surface runoff other limitations, impractical to remove, that
is moderate and their permeability is moderate or limit their use largely to pasture, woodland,
moderately slow. Much of the soil has been cleared of or wildlife habitat.
mixed oaks, yellow-poplar, hickory and ash.
VI – Soils have severe limitations that make
Agriculturally, it was used mostly for growing corn,
them generally unsuited to cultivation and
small grains, soybeans, hay, pasture, and to a small limit their use largely to pasture, woodland,
extent for vegetables, fruits, and nursery plants. or wildlife habitat.
(Capability Units I, II, and III, depending on variation)
VII – Soils have very severe limitations that
Quakertown make them unsuited to cultivation and that
restrict their use largely to pasture,
There is 12.4% of Quakertown series soils in Ewing. woodland, or wildlife habitat.
These soils are deep, well drained, and located on
uplands. They have an undulating topography and VIII – Soils and landforms have limitations
slopes ranging from 2-18 percent. Their surface runoff that preclude their use for commercial plants
and restrict their use to recreation, wildlife,
is moderate and their permeability is moderately slow.
water supply, or to aesthetic purposes.
Most of this type of soil has been cleared for growing
corn, small grain, and grasses. Vegetation native to this
soil includes oak, hickory, yellow poplar, and ash.
(Capability Units II, III, and IV, depending on
variation)
2
Soil Conservation Service. Soil Survey of Mercer County New Jersey, USDA and New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station,
January 1972.
20
Udorthents
This series consists of somewhat poorly drained to very poorly drained soils that have been
altered mainly by filling. This type of soil is located mainly in low areas, such as depressions
and drainage ways. (On-site investigation is needed to determine the suitability of this unit for
any use.)
Urban Land
The Urban Land series consists of cut and filled land that is mostly developed. The land is used
for residential, commercial, industrial, or highway purposes. Typically 70 percent of the original
soil horizon has been destroyed in these areas. There are moderate limitations for woodland or
wildlife, and severe limitations for crops. Urban land is very impermeable and low in fertility
where the original soil is removed. However, where the original soil is moved from one area to
another area, the soil has moderate but slow permeability, due to compaction of the soil during
construction (Capability Unit Unclassified)
Birdsboro
Birdsboro soils are very deep and well to moderately well drained. Commonly they are found on
sloping stream terraces, with slopes ranging from 0-15 percent. Their permeability is moderate
and their runoff is slow to rapid. A large percentage of this soil was used for agriculture. Mixed
hardwood forests are found on the remaining wooded areas. (Capability Units II, III, and IV,
depending on variation.)
Sassafras
Sassafras soils are usually found on sandy flats along the Delaware River. Slopes can range
from nearly level to very steep. These soils can support vegetation consisting of mixed oaks and
scattered pines. They are considered farmland of statewide importance. Sassafras soils are easy
to work, have a low natural fertility, and respond to fertilization. (Capability Units I, II, and III,
depending on variation.)
Readington and Abbottstown
Readington soils are deep or very deep, moderately well drained soils that have slopes ranging
from 0-15 percent. They are located on concave, nearly level to sloping lower hillsides, upland
flats, drainageways, and stream heads. Their permeability is moderately slow. At one time,
approximately 85 percent of this series was used for cropland. Woodland areas have oak-
hickory mixed hardwoods. Abbottstown series are deep, somewhat poorly drained soils. They
are also located on concave upland flats, depressions, and drainageways. Slopes range from 0-15
percent and their permeability is slow. Runoff is moderate on nearly level slopes, high on gentle
slopes, and very high on strongly sloping or moderately steep areas. Like Readington,
approximately 85 percent of this series was, or continues to be used for, cropland and pasture.
Wooded areas consist mostly of hardwoods, mainly hickory and oak. (Capability Unit III)
21
Soil characteristics can severely restrict the use of sites for construction and development. Table
6: Soil Limitations for Development records the soils and their possible limitations for building
foundations and septic systems. As indicated in the table, the township has some soils that are
severely limited for on-site septic systems. Septic systems require soils that have a low water
table, below five feet, and slow permeability to allow for proper drainage of wastewater. High
water tables, five feet or less from the surface, create a potential for erosion, wet basements,
alteration of plant life, and early frost for agricultural crops.
Table 5: Ewing Township Soils
Mercer Percentage
County Soil SSURGO Ewing of all Soils
Survey Code Soil Code Soil Name Acres (%) Designations *
BbB BhmB Birdsboro loam, 3 to 8 percent slopes 16 0.16% P-1
BbB2 BhmB2 Birdsboro loam, 3 to 8 percent slopes, eroded 6 0.06% P-1
BbC2 BhmC2 Birdsboro loam, 8 to 15 percent slopes, eroded 94 0.94% S-1
BdB BhnB Birdsboro silt loam, 3 to 8 percent slopes 8 0.08% P-1
BnB BhrsB Birdsboro Variant soils, sandy subsoil, 3 to 8 percent slopes 139 1.40% P-1
BnC BhrsC Birdsboro Variant soils, sandy subsoil, 8 to 15 percent slopes 258 2.59% S-1
BoB BhsgB Birdsboro Variant soils, gravelly solum, 0 to 8 percent slopes 103 1.03% L-1
Bt Boy Bowmansville silt loam 207 2.09% S-1
BuA BucA Bucks silt loam, 0 to 3 percent slopes 56 0.56% P-1
BuB BucB Bucks silt loam, 3 to 8 percent slopes 1023 10.29% P-1
BuB2 BucB2 Bucks silt loam, 3 to 8 percent slopes, eroded 247 2.48% P-1
BuC BucC Bucks silt loam, 8 to 15 percent slopes 55 0.55% S-1
BuC2 BucC2 Bucks silt loam, 8 to 15 percent slopes, eroded 210 2.12% S-1
CdA ChcA Chalfont silt loam, 0 to 3 percent slopes 22 0.22% S-1
CdB ChcB Chalfont silt loam, 3 to 8 percent slopes 91 0.91% S-1
CdC2 ChcC2 Chalfont silt loam, 8 to 15 percent slopes, eroded 92 0.93% S-1
Doylestown silt loam and Reaville Variant silt loam, 0 to 3
DgA DOZA percent slopes 111 1.11% L-1
Doylestown silt loam and Reaville Variant silt loam, 3 to 8
DgB DOZB percent slopes 19 0.19% L-1
DwB DRWB Dragston and Woodstown sandy loams, 0 to 5 percent slopes 22 0.22% P-1
Ek EkbA Elkton silt loam, 0 to 2 percent slopes 195 1.96% S-1
Ae Fmht Fluvaquents, loamy, frequently flooded 39 0.39% NA
Km GASB Galloway Variant soils, 0 to 5 percent slopes 28 0.28% NA
LcC2 LbnC2 Lansdale channery loam, 8 to 15 percent slopes, eroded 4 0.04% S-1
LcD2 LbnD2 Lansdale channery loam, 15 to 25 percent slopes 7 0.07% NA
Lk LenB Lenoir-Keyport silt loams, 0 to 5 percent slopes 29 0.29% S-1
Fm Mba Marsh, fresh water 3 0.03% NA
MoA MbpA Matapeake loam, 0 to 2 percent slopes 143 1.44% P-1
MoB MbpB Matapeake loam, 2 to 5 percent slopes 1394 14.02% P-1
MoC2 MbpC2 Matapeake loam, 5 to 10 percent slopes, eroded 78 0.78% S-1
Mq MBYA Mattapex and Bertie loams, 0 to 2 percent slopes 685 6.89% S-1
Ot Oth Othello silt loam 25 0.25% S-1
PeB PeoB Penn channery silt loam, 3 to 8 percent slopes 39 0.40% NA
22
PeC PeoC Penn channery silt loam, 8 to 15 percent slopes 30 0.30% S-1
PeD PeoD Penn channery silt loam, 15 to 25 percent slopes 109 1.10% NA
Pg PHG Pits, sand and gravel 112 1.13% NA
QkB QukB Quakertown silt loam, 3 to 8 percent slopes 721 7.25% P-1
QkB2 QukB2 Quakertown silt loam, 3 to 8 percent slopes, eroded 153 1.54% P-1
QkC QukC Quakertown silt loam, 8 to 15 percent slopes 130 1.31% S-1
QkC2 QukC2 Quakertown silt loam, 8 to 15 percent slopes, eroded 169 1.70% S-1
QuB QumB Quakertown channery silt loam, 3 to 8 percent slopes 1 0.01% P-1
Quakertown channery silt loam, 15 to 25 percent slopes,
QuD2 QumD2 eroded 60 0.60% NA
RaA REFA Readington and Abbottstown silt loams, 0 to 3 percent slopes 55 0.55% P-1
RaB REFB Readington and Abbottstown silt loams, 3 to 8 percent slopes 221 2.22% P-1
Readington and Abbottstown silt loams, 3 to 8 percent
RaB2 REFB2 slopes, eroded 32 0.33% P-1
Readington and Abbottstown silt loams, 8 to 15 percent
RaC2 REFC2 slopes, eroded 0 0.00% S-1
ReA RehA Reaville silt loam, 0 to 3 percent slopes 7 0.07% S-1
ReB RehB Reaville silt loam, 3 to 8 percent slopes 10 0.10% S-1
ReC2 RehC2 Reaville silt loam, 8 to 15 percent slopes, eroded 11 0.11% S-1
Ro Ror Rowland silt loam 45 0.45% NA
SdE SaaE Sandy and silty land, steep 3 0.03% NA
SrB SacB Sassafras sandy loam, 2 to 5 percent slopes 16 0.16% P-1
SrC SacC Sassafras sandy loam, 5 to 10 percent slopes 9 0.09% S-1
SrC2 SacC2 Sassafras sandy loam, 5 to 10 percent slopes, eroded 209 2.10% S-1
SsB SadB Sassafras gravelly sandy loam, 2 to 5 percent slopes 237 2.39% P-1
To ThoA Tioga fine sandy loam, 0 to 3 percent slopes 148 1.49% P-1
Ct Udt Udorthents, bedrock substratum 571 5.74% NA
Cg Udu Udorthents, gravelly substratum 152 1.52% NA
Cu Udv Udorthents, stratified substratum 293 2.95% NA
Cf Udx Udorthents, clayey substratum 103 1.04% NA
U UR Urban land 709 7.12% NA
w Water Water 196 1.96% NA
TOTAL ACRES 9960 100.00%

Source: NJDEP (based on Soil Survey of Mercer County)
*Explanation of Designations
P–1 Prime Farmland
S–1
Statewide Importance
L–1
Local Importance
Land not appropriate for farming, e.g.
NA eroded, very steep slopes, pits permanently
wet soils, water, etc.
23
Table 6: Soil Limitations for Development
Building
Building with without Septic
Soil Series Soil Codes Acreage basement basement Systems Limitations
BhmB, BhmB2, BhC2,
BhnB, BhrsB, BhrsC,
Birdsboro BhsgB 623.24 B A C 2,3
Bowmansville Boy 207.47 C C C 1
BucA, BucB, BucB2,

Bucks BucC, BucC2 1590.66 B A C 2,3
Chalfont ChcA, ChcB, ChcC2 205.05 C C C 1,2,3
Doylestown DOZA, DOZB 129.89 C C C 1
Dragston and
Woodstown DRWB 21.51 C B C 1
Elkton EkbA 194.53 C C C 1
Fluvaquents Fmht 39.18 C C C 1
Galloway GASB 28.34 B A B 1
Lansdale LbnC2, LbnD2 11.35 A A C 3,2
Lenoir-Keyport LenB 28.89 B B C 1
Matapeake MbpA, MbpB, MbpC2 1614.46 A A B 3

Mattapex MBYA 685.01 B B C 1
Othello Oth 25.03 C B C 1
Penn PeoB, PeoC, PeoD 178.02 B A C 2,3
QukB, QukB2, QukC,

Quakertown QukC2, QumB, QumD2 1235.57 B A C 2,3
Readington and REFA, REFB, REFB2,
Abbottstown REFC2 308.09 B A C 1,2,3
Reaville RehA, RehB, RehC2 28.75 C B C 1,2,3
Rowland Ror 45 C C C 1
SacB, SacC, SacC2,
Sassafras SadB 471.15 A A A N/A
Tioga ThoA 148.21 A A A 1
Udorthants Udt, Udu, Udv, Udx 1118.28 C C C 1
Urban land UR 694.22 A A A N/A
Key to Land Use Implications Key to Limitations

A = Slight. Little or no limitation(s) or easily corrected by 1: High water table
use of normal equipment and design techniques. (0 to 3 feet)
B = Moderate. Presence of some limitation, which normally 2: Shallow depth to bedrock
can be overcome by careful design and management at (less than 5 feet)
somewhat greater cost.
C = Severe. Limitations that, normally, cannot be 3: Strongly sloping
overcome without exceptional, complex, or costly measures. (15% or over)
Source: Soil Survey of Mercer County
24
HOPEWELL 0 0.25 0.5 1
Miles
Map 4: Soils Ror Delaware Valley
DOZA Regional Planning Commission
REFB2 March 2005
Ewing Creek PeoB
RehC2 Boy QukB2
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Source : NJDEP,NJDOT, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 29

Boy DRWB MbpC2 QumD2 SacC Natural Resources Conservation Service,DVRPC.

BucA EkbA Oth REFA SacC2 This map was developed using New Jersey
BucB Fmht PHG REFB SadB Geographic Information System digital data,
BucB2 GASB PeoB REFB2 ThoA but this secondary product has not been
verified by NJDEP and is not state-authorized.
STEEP SLOPES
Only a small percentage of Ewing Township has slopes of over 10% (the percent of vertical rise
to horizontal distance). However, the steepest slopes are very steep indeed – ranging from 40%
to 60% along Jacobs Creek. Steep slopes are found mainly around Jacobs Creek and to a lesser
extent around the smaller Delaware River tributaries. Most of these slopes are well vegetated.
In some locations development has occurred on the edge of very steep slopes. In these instances,
it is important that natural buffers and other storm water best-management practices are used to
separate the slope from the development and prevent runoff from eroding the slope.
In general, development of steep slope areas is inadvisable because it can result in soil
instability, erosion, sedimentation of the stream below, increased stormwater runoff and
flooding. This causes habitat destruction and potential damage to property. Erosion on steep
slopes is especially prevalent where excessive tree removal has taken place.
Most of Ewing’s slopes are made up of Quakertown series soils found in the Piedmont section of
the country. These soils are deep, well drained, and located on uplands. They have an
undulating topography and slopes ranging from 2-18 percent. Their surface runoff is moderate
and their permeability is moderately slow. Vegetation native to this soil includes oak, hickory,
yellow poplar, and ash.
Steep Slopes by Jacobs Creek
26
Slope = 0% - 9.99%
Map 5: Steep Slopes HOPEWELL Slope = 10% - 14.99%
Slope = 15% - 19.99%
Slope >= 20%
Ewing Creek
637
647
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Delaware Valley Department of Environmental Protection Me

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March 2005 verified by NJDEP and is not state-authorized. cks nty

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SURFACE WATER RESOURCES
Most of Ewing’s land drains to the Delaware River by way of two main, stream systems – the
Jacob’s Creek system and the Shabakunk Creek system. Jacob’s Creek is located on the
northwestern end of the township and Shabakunk Creek is located toward the center and eastern
part of the township. Certain tributaries of both Jacob’s Creek and Shabakunk Creek are wholly
contained within Ewing’s boundaries. Drainage also occurs by way of four small tributaries to
the Delaware River; three are small, unnamed tributaries and the fourth is named Gold Run.
Watersheds
A watershed is all the land that drains to a particular waterway such as a river, stream, lake, or
wetland. The boundaries of a watershed are defined by the high points in the terrain, such as
hills and ridges. A watershed includes not only the water body or waterway itself, but also the
entire land area that drains to it. Large watersheds are made up of smaller ones, down to the
catchment level of a local site. So, for example, the Delaware River watershed is made up of
many smaller watersheds, such as the Shabakunk Creek. The Shabakunk Creek watershed, in
turn, is formed of several subwatersheds, consisting of the land that drains to a major section or
branch of the creek or to a large, branching tributary. These subwatersheds can be further
subdivided into smaller ones, each surrounding the smaller tributaries that flow to the larger
channel, and so on down to the catchment level. Watersheds are natural ecological units, where
soil, water, air, plants, and animals interact in a complex relationship.
The Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) is a numerical identification code given to every drainage
system in the United States by the U.S. Geological Survey. Hydrologic Unit Codes begin with a
number representing the largest drainage area. For example, the first level divides the entire
country into 21 major drainage areas. From there, numbers are added as the defined area
becomes smaller. The numbers to the right represent the most local watershed. HUC-11 codes
are 11 digit numbers applied to a part of a drainage area that is approximately 40 square miles in
size. Ewing Township falls into two HUC-11 watersheds, the Alexauken Creek/Moore
Creek/Jacobs Creek watershed, and the Assunpink Creek Watershed (below Shipetauken Creek).
HUC-11 watersheds are further subdivided into HUC-14 subwatersheds, with the identification
number for each one having 14 digits. There are five HUC-14 watersheds in Ewing, listed in
Table 7. See Map 6: Watersheds and Map 7: Stream Order.
Table 7: Watersheds in Ewing Township
USGS Watershed
Code (HUC 11 Stream Acreage within % of Ewing
Watershed Number) Classification Ewing land HUC14
Alexauken Ck / Moore Ck / Jacobs Ck 2040105210 FW2-NT 3983 40% 02040105210080
Alexauken Ck / Moore Ck / Jacobs Ck 2040105210 FW2-NT 906 9% 02040105210070
Assunpink Creek (below Shipetaukin Ck) 2040105240 FW2-NT 2983 30% 02040105240020
28
Alexauken Creek / Moore Creek / Jacob’s Creek
The Alexauken Creek/Moore Creek/Jacob’s Creek watershed is a complex system of streams

that drains a total of 63 square miles of land. It crosses two counties – Hunterdon and Mercer
counties, and six municipalities – West Amwell, Hopewell, Hamilton, and Ewing townships; the
boroughs of Stockton and Pennington; and the city of Lambertville. The watershed covers
approximately one quarter of New Jersey Watershed Management Area 11. In Ewing, this
watershed occupies 4,889 acres.
Jacob’s Creek and its tributary, Ewing Creek, are the main creeks within the Alexauken
Creek/Moore Creek/Jacob’s Creek watershed, in Ewing Township. Jacob’s Creek begins in
Hopewell Township, at two locations, both near Harbourton Road. From these starting points,
the creek flows southeast, through Hopewell Township, into Ewing Township, to form a small
portion of the border between the two townships. Finally, it empties into the Delaware River,
near Jacob’s Creek Road, in Ewing Township.
Assunpink Creek
The Assunpink Creek watershed covers an area of 91 square miles. Of this area, 5,070 acres are
located within Ewing Township. The Shabakunk Creek, a main waterway in Ewing, is part of
the Assunpink Creek watershed. It has two branches, an east branch and a west branch. The east
branch of the Shabakunk begins at two points. One point is located in Hopewell Township, near
the Twin Pine Airport. The other point is located in Lawrence Township, near the intersection of
Federal City Road and Keefe Road. The west branch begins at various points near the Trenton-
Mercer Airport. The east and the west branch of the Shabakunk converge in Lawrence
Township, near Notre Dame High School, on Lawrence Road. Ultimately, all tributaries to the
Shabakunk Creek empty into the Assunpink Creek, located at the border of Lawrence and
Hamilton townships. The Assunpink Creek eventually drains into the Delaware River in the City
of Trenton.
Streams
In Ewing Township, there are a total of 25 stream miles flowing across the land. A few of the
streams are considered to be headwater streams. That is, they are the initial sections of stream
channels with no contributing tributaries (first order streams), or they are stream channels formed
from only one branching section of tributaries above them (second order streams). The
headwaters are where a stream is “born,” and actually begins to flow. In Ewing Township, 24
miles of the total 25 miles of streams are first or second order streams, or headwaters.
These headwaters are of particular importance because they tend to contain a diversity of aquatic
species and their condition affects the water quality found downstream. They are also the most
vulnerable to human intrusion. They drain only a small area of land, usually no larger than one
square mile (640 acres). First and second order streams are narrow and often shallow, and are
characterized by relatively small base flows. This makes them subject to greater temperature
fluctuations, especially when forested buffers on their banks are removed. They are also easily
29
oversilted by sediment-laden runoff and their water quality can be rapidly degraded. In addition,
first order streams are greatly affected by changes in the local water table because they are fed by
groundwater sources. Headwaters are important sites for the aquatic life that is at the base of the
food chain, and often serve as spawning or nursery areas for fish.
Delaware River
Ewing Township is located on one of the Northeast’s greatest natural resources, the Delaware
River. The Delaware River is the longest un-damned river east of the Mississippi, flowing for
330 miles, and provides drinking water for nearly 15 million people, equivalent to 5% of the
country’s population. The Delaware River Basin covers 13,539 square miles in four states: New
York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. Three quarters of the non-tidal Delaware River
are designated as “Wild and Scenic” by the U.S. National Park Service. The lower section of the
Delaware River’s “Wild and Scenic” designation begins just above Ewing Township, at
Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania and extends to the Delaware River Gap. The river’s head of
tide is located at Trenton, just below Ewing, and the tidal portion of the river and the Delaware
Bay, together known as the Delaware Estuary, is included in the National Estuary Program, a
project set up to protect estuarine systems of national significance.
Table 8: Ewing Township Streams

Stream Order Miles
First Order streams (smallest) 13
Second Order streams 11
Third Order streams 1
Total 25
Source: NJDEP
Ewing Creek
30
Miles
Map 6: Watersheds 0 0.25 0.5 1
HOPEWELL
02040105210070 Delaware Valley
Regional Planning Commission
02040105210050 March 2005
Ewin g Creek
637
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Assunpink Creek (below Shipetaukin Ck) verified by NJDEP and is not state-authorized.
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0 0.25 0.5 1
Map 7: Stream Order
Delaware Valley
March 2005
HOPEWELL .
Ewing Creek
637
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Lakes
There are two major lakes in Ewing Township: Lake Ceva and Lake Sylva. These open bodies
of water are permanent waters and were created by damming Shabakunk Creek. Although they
are classified as true lakes by federal and state maps, these lakes are man-made impoundments.
Lake Sylva covers 10.6 acres and Lake Ceva covers 6.4 acres. There are also a few unnamed
ponds located in Ewing Township. There are no recreational use lakes in Ewing Township.
See Map 8: Surface Water, Wetlands, and Vernal Ponds.
Wetlands
Wetlands support unique communities that serve as natural water filters and as incubators for
many beneficial species. The term “wetland” is applied to areas where water meets the soil
surface and supports a particular biological community. Under normal circumstances, wetlands
are those areas that support a prevalence of defined wetland plants on a wetland soil. The US
Fish & Wildlife Service designates all large vascular plants as wetland (hydric), non-wetland
(non-hydric) or in-between (facultative). Wetland soils, also known as hydric soils, are areas
where the land is saturated for at least seven consecutive days during the growing season. The
source of water for a wetland can be a stream or lake edge, as well as groundwater that rises
close to the land surface.
New Jersey protects freshwater wetlands under the New Jersey Freshwater Wetlands Protection
Act Rules: N.J.A.C.7:7A. The law also protects transition areas or “buffers” around freshwater
wetlands. The New Jersey freshwater wetlands maps provide guidance on where wetlands are
found in New Jersey, but they are not the final word. Only an official determination from DEP,
called a “letter of interpretation” (LOI), can determine for sure if there are freshwater wetlands
on a property. An LOI verifies the presence, absence, or boundaries of freshwater wetlands and
transition areas on a site. Activities permitted to occur within wetlands are very limited and
permits are required for most of them. Additional information on wetlands rules and permits is
available through NJDEP and on its website under “landuse.” See Sources of Information.
Ewing Township has freshwater wetlands along all of its stream corridors, with the majority of
its wetlands found around Shabakunk Creek. Wetlands of all types total 443 acres within the
township. Of this total, 346 acres are wooded wetlands, 38 acres are scrub/shrub wetlands, 14
acres are herbaceous wetlands, and 45 acres are modified wetlands. See Map 8: Surface
Water, Wetlands, and Vernal Ponds. A more detailed description of wetland areas is found in
the Biological Resources section, under “Wetlands,” page 54.
Agricultural Wetlands
Agricultural wetlands occupy only a very small amount of acreage (9 acres) in Ewing Township.
These “quasi-wetlands” are found scattered as small sites. Agricultural wetlands are lands under
cultivation that are modified former wetland areas, but which still exhibit evidence of soil
33
saturation in aerial infrared photo surveys. See Map 8: Surface Water, Wetlands, and Vernal
Ponds.
The Natural Resources Conservation Service sponsors the Wetlands Reserve Program, a
voluntary program that offers landowners a chance to receive payments for restoring and
protecting wetlands on their properties. This program provides technical and financial assistance
to eligible landowners who can enroll eligible lands through permanent easements, 30-year
easements, or restoration cost-share agreements.
Vernal Ponds
Vernal ponds are bodies of water that appear following snow melt and during spring rains but
which disappear or are dry during the rest of the year. They are highly important sites for certain
rare species of amphibians. Particular types of frogs and salamanders will only breed in vernal
ponds (obligate breeders), which provide their offspring with a measure of protection because the
pond’s impermanence prevents residence by predators who would consume the eggs and young.
Vernal ponds are so intermittent that their existence as wetlands has frequently not been
recognized. Consequently, many of them have disappeared from the landscape, or have been
substantially damaged. This, in turn, is a principal cause of the decline of their obligate
amphibian species.
The New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife has been conducting a Vernal Pool Survey project
since 2001, to identify, map, and certify vernal ponds through the state. Once a vernal pond is
certified, regulations require that a 75-foot buffer be maintained around the pond. NJDEP’s
Division of Land Use Regulation oversees this designation and restricts development around
vernal ponds by denying construction permits. Local municipalities can provide additional
protection by instituting restrictive zoning or negotiating conservation easements on the land
surrounding the pond.
The state has identified one vernal pond in Ewing Township, located near the Trenton Mercer
Airport between the airport and Interstate 95. A survey of the pond is needed to determine what
species are present and, indeed, if the pond is still in existence as a natural habitat. This site was
not surveyed by mid-2004. See Map 8: Surface Water, Wetlands, and Vernal Ponds.
A pond by the Marie Katzenbach

New Jersey School for the Deaf
34

Miles
0 0.25 0.5 1
Map 8: Surface Water,

Delaware Valley
Wetlands,
and Vernal Ponds
HOPEWELL . March 2005
Ewing Creek
637

647 Bull
Run
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ad
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e
c
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Pro
Rivers and Streams Trenton City

Yardley DE
L AW
AR
ER 206
Lakes
et
Source : NJDEP, NJ Fish and Wildlife, NJDOT,

IVE
R
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n
Wetlands Department of Environmental Protection

ou
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rC 29
Agricultural Wetlands verified by NJDEP and is not state-authorized.
Bu
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sC
ou
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Flood Hazard Areas
Flood hazard areas are defined as the combination of the 100-year floodplains and the adjacent
flood fringe areas that help to hold and carry excess water during overflow of the normal stream
channel. The 100-year floodplains are defined as the land area that will be inundated by the
overflow of water resulting from a 100-year flood (a flood that has a 1% chance of occurring in
any given year).
Parts of a Flood Hazard Area
Flood hazard areas require protection in order to prevent serious loss to residents. Equally
important is the preservation of the environmentally sensitive aquatic communities that exist in
these flood hazard areas, as well as in the stream corridors themselves. These communities are
often the first link in the food chain of the aquatic ecosystem. In addition, floodplain areas serve
the function of removing and mitigating various pollutants, through the uptake by their
vegetation of excess chemical loads in the water and by the filtering of sediments generally. All
efforts to maintain these flood hazard areas will help to preserve the flood-carrying capacity of
the streams and their water quality.
In New Jersey and throughout the country, building in areas subject to flooding is regulated to
protect lives, property, and the environment. New Jersey regulates construction in the flood
plain under the Flood Hazard Area Control Act, N.I.S.A. 58:16A-50 et seq., and its
implementing rules at N.J.A.C. 7:13. Activities that are proposed to occur in a flood hazard area
will require issuance of a stream encroachment permit or a letter of non-applicability from the
NJDEP. Additional information on floodplain activities is available from NJDEP and from its
website under “Landuse.” See Sources of Information.
Ten percent (10%) of Ewing Township’s land is characterized as flood hazard area, principally
surrounding Gold Run and Shabakunk Creek, and along the Delaware River. See Map 9: Flood
Hazard Areas.
Table 9: Flood Hazard Area Acreage
Category Acres
Area inundated by 100-year flooding 1032
Source: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
36
Miles
0 0.25 0.5 1
Map 9: Flood Hazard Areas HOPEWELL Delaware Valley
March 2005
Ewin g Creek
637
.
647
Bull
Run
d
Reed Road
Ro a
ad
d
oa
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579
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G
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to n
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MAKEFIELD 579 622 Nort h

sid
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R
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re
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ar s
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tA nk
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Sh
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LA
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Source : FEMA, NJDEP,NJDOT,DVRPC.
alh
rc 29
C
100-Year Floodplain This map was developed using New Jersey Bu er C

Department of Environmental Protection cks ou
n ty
Geographic Information System digital data, Co
un
500-Year Floodplain but this secondary product has not been ty
Surface Water Quality
Water quality standards are established by federal and state governments to ensure that water is
suitable for its intended use. The Federal Clean Water Act (P.L. 95-217) requires that wherever
possible the water-quality standards provide water suitable for fish, shellfish, and wildlife to
thrive and reproduce and for people to swim and boat. All waterbodies in New Jersey are
classified by NJDEP as either freshwater (FW), pinelands water (PL), saline estuarine water (SE)
or saline coastal water (SC). Freshwater is further broken down into freshwater that originates
and is wholly within federal or state parks, forests, or fish and wildlife lands (FW1) and all other
freshwater (FW2). The water quality for each of these groups must be able to support designated
uses that are assigned to each waterbody classification (see Surface Water Qualtiy Standards
N.J.A.C. 7:9B-1.12). In addition to being classified as FW1 and FW2, fresh waterbodies are
classified as trout-producing (TP), trout-maintaining (TM) or nontrout waters (NT). Each of
these classifications may also be subject to different water quality standards.
The determination of whether or not water quality is sufficient to meet a waterbody’s designated
use(s) is based on numerous surface water quality parameters. Some examples of surface water
quality parameters include fecal coliform, dissolved oxygen, pH, phosphorous, and toxic
substances (see N.J.A.C. 7:9B-1.14). NJDEP also evaluates water quality by examining the
health of aquatic life in a stream. NJDEP operates two water quality monitoriong networks: the
Ambient Surface Water Monitoring Network (ASWM) and the Ambient Biomonitoring Network
(AMNET). NJDEP runs the ASWM network in cooperation with United States Geological
Society (USGS). This network contains 115 stations and monitors for nutrients (i.e.,
phosphorous and nitrogen), bacteria, dissolved oxygen, metals, sediments, chemicals, and other
parameters. AMNET, which is administered solely by NJDEP, evaluates the health of in-stream
benthic (bottom-dwelling) macroinvertebrate communities (aquatic life) as a biological indicator
of water quality. This network includes 820 monitoring stations located throughout the state.
Each station is sampled once every five years. The first round of sampling for all stations took
place between 1992 and 1996, the second round occurred between 1997 and 2001, and a third
round is currently taking place.
All the creeks in Ewing are classified as FW2–NT, which means that they are freshwater streams
that are not trout producing or trout maintaining water. According to NJDEP rules, FW2-NT
waters must provide for (1) the maintenance, migration and propagation of the natural and
established biota; (2) primary and secondary contact recreation (i.e., swimming and boating); (3)
industrial and agricultural water supply; (4) public potable water supply after conventional
filtration and disinfections; and (5) any other reasonable uses. See Table 10: Water Quality
Classifications of Streams in Ewing Township.
38
Table 10: Water Quality Classifications of Streams in Ewing Township
Streams Classification
Shabakunk Creek FW 2 – NT
Jacob’s Creek FW 2 – NT
Ewing Creek FW 2 – NT
Gold Run FW 2 – NT
Source: NJDEP
Ewing Township Stream Water Quality
There are five AMNET sites within Ewing Township or along its borders. NJDEP sampled each
of the five AMNET sites in January 1993, in January 1998, and again in 2003. Ewing’s AMNET
stations are listed in Table 11: Water Quality of Non-tidal Waters in the Region and are
depicted on Map 10: Water Quality – Nontidal Waters. Note that results of the 2003
sampling have not been mapped, and therefore do not appear on Map 10, although they are
included in the 2004 Integrated List of Waterbodies, and Table 11, which is explained below.
New Jersey’s Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report
The Federal Clean Water Act under Section 303(d) requires states to identify “Impaired Waters”
where specific designated uses are not fully supported. Accordingly, NJDEP prepares a biennial
list of impaired waters – the 303(d) List. The Federal Clean Water Act also requires states to
periodically assess and report on the quality of all their waters, not just impaired waters. This
biennial water quality report is entitled New Jersey’s Water Quality Inventory Report (also
known as the 305(b) Report). However, in 2002, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) recommended that states integrate their Water Quality Inventory Report [305(b)] and their
Impaired Waterbodies List [303(d)]. Following EPA’s guidance, NJDEP combined the 303(d)
List and the 305(b) Report into a single document called the 2002 Integrated List of
Waterbodies. NJDEP is now preparing to finalize and release the 2004 Integrated List of
Waterbodies. The Integrated List of Waterbodies (for both 2002 and 2004) includes five
sublists. Sublists 1 through 4 comprise what was formerly the 305(b) Report. Sublist 5 is the
303(d) List.
There are three AMNET stations in Ewing Township and two stations just outside Ewing
Township. The three stations located directly in Ewing Township are AN0103, AN0106, and
AN0107. According to the most recent 1997/1998 data, stations AN0106 and AN0107 are non-
impaired. Station AN0103 was moderately impaired in 1992/1993, but became non-impaired in
1997/1998. Station AN0113, located in Hopewell Township, was severely impaired in
1992/1993, but improved by 1997/1998, so that it was only moderately impaired. Station
AN0114, located in Lawrence Township, was moderately impaired, both in 1992/1993 and in
1997/1998. This station is also placed on Sublist 5 (303(d) List) in the 2004 Integrated Water
Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report.
39
NJDEP has issued guidance for associating stream segments with monitoring stations. Based on
this guidance the following waters in Ewing are impaired for aquatic life:
· The east branch of the Shabakunk and all of its tributaries.
There is currently no known water quality monitoring taking place on the west branch of the
Shabakunk.
For impaired waters (waters on Sublist 5), the state is required to establish total maximum daily
loads (TMDLs). A TMDL represents the assimilative or carrying capacity of a waterbody,
taking into consideration point and nonpoint sources of the pollutant of concern, natural
background conditions and surface water withdrawls. A TMDL quantifies the amount of a
pollutant a waterbody can assimilate without violating a state’s water quality standards. A
TMDL is intended to reduce pollutant loads so that a waterbody can meet its surface water
quality standards.
Table 11: Water Quality of Nontidal Waters in the Region
Macroinvertebrate Assessments
1993 NJ 1998 NJ
Impairment Impairment
Site ID Water Body Location Municipality On 2004 Sublist Score Score
Bull Run Road and Hopewell
AN0113 Shabakunk Creek Federal City Road Township 3 3 15
Bear Tavern Road and
AN0103 Ewing Creek Jacobs Creek Road Ewing Township 1 18 30
Jacobs Creek Road and
AN0106 Jacobs Creek Route 29 Ewing Township 1 24 24
Route 206 and Eggerts Lawrence
AN0114 Shabakunk Creek Crossing Township 5 (Low Priority) 15 18
Route 29 and Lower
AN0107 Gold Run Ferry Road Ewing Township 1 24 24
Sources:
NJDEP - Bureau of Freshwater and Biological Monitoring "Upper Delaware River Drainage Basin 1997-1998 Benthic
Macroinvertebrate Data"
NJ DEP - New Jersey 2004 Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report (includes 305(b) Report & 303 (d) List)
NJ Impairment Biological Assessment

Score 2004 Sublist Biological Assessment
0-6 Severely Impaired 1 Fully attaining standards
9-21 Moderately Impaired 3 Insufficient Data
24-30 Non-impaired 5 Impaired
Source: NJDEP
Stream surveys by local organizations are much needed, along with regular monitoring of water
quality on all of a community’s waterways. Knowing the actual condition of streams and stream
banks, and planning for their improvement, requires fuller surveys and more frequent monitoring
than the state can provide. The state only monitors main channels and only does biological
assessments on a five-year cycle.
40
Source : NJDEP, NJ Fish and Wildlife, NJDOT,
Map 10: Water Quality - Nontidal Waters Department of Environmental Protection
HOPEWELL but this secondary product has not been
AN0103

Ewing Creek
637 Bull
647 Run
Ro ad
r
AN0113
c
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d
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0 0.25 0.5 1
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Delaware Valley
)XOO$WWDLQPHQW Regional Planning Commission
. March 2005
Causes of Water Quality Impairments
Stormwater Runoff and Impervious Cover
Stormwater runoff and other nonpoint source pollution (pollution coming from a wide variety of
sources rather than from a single point such as a discharge pipe) have the largest effect on the
water quality and channel health of streams in Ewing. These sources are also the most difficult
to identify and remediate because they are diffuse, widespread, and cumulative in their effect.
Most nonpoint source pollution in the three watersheds is known to derive from stormwater
drainage off paved surfaces such as streets, commercial/industrial areas, and residential sites
(with and without detention basins), and from agricultural fields that lack adequate vegetative
buffers. Some of this runoff comes to the waterways from similar sources in upstream townships
and some of it derives from Ewing land uses.
The volume of runoff that is carried to a stream also impacts stream channel condition.
Increased volume usually results from increased impervious surface within a subwatershed. As
an area becomes developed, more stormwater is directed to the streams from neighborhood storm
drains, residential and commercial stormwater facilities, and road drainage. In general, scientists
have found that levels of impervious cover of 10% or more within a subwatershed are directly
linked to increased stormwater runoff, enlargement of stream channels, increased streambank
erosion, lower dry weather flows, high stream temperatures, lower water quality, and declines in
aquatic wildlife diversity. When impervious cover reaches 25% to 30%, streams are found to be
severely degraded. See Map 11: Impervious Surface.
Table 12: Acreage of Impervious Surface in Ewing
Impervious Surface Acres

Less Than 5% 3,692
5 - 10% 987
10 - 25% 1,100
Greater Than 25% 4,181
Total 9,960
Inadequate Stream Buffers
The stream buffer is the region immediately beyond the banks of a stream that serves to limit the
entrance of sediment, pollutants, and nutrients into the stream itself. Stream buffers are quite
effective at filtering substances washing off the land. The vegetation of the buffer traps sediment
and can actually utilize (uptake) a percentage of the nutrients flowing from lawns and farm
fields. When forested, a stream buffer promotes bank stability and serves as a major control of
water temperature. The buffer region also serves as a green corridor for wildlife to move
between larger forested habitat areas. This greenway can be utilized for recreation by residents
as well, through trails, bikeways, and access points to the water for fishing and canoe/kayak
launching.
42
The importance of a healthy, intact buffer zone (also referred to as a “riparian corridor”) has
been well documented scientifically over the past 20 years, especially for headwater streams.
There is less agreement and much continuing research on the appropriate minimum width of a
buffer. In literature on this issue, a recommended minimum buffer width of 100 feet is most
common, with differing activities permitted in each of three zones within the buffer. Buffers of
up to 300 feet are recommended for wildlife corridors and potential passive recreational use,
such as walking trails.
The New Jersey Freshwater Wetlands Protection Act (N.J.A.C. 7:7A) incorporates buffer
requirements into its wetland protection regulations. The width of the “transition zone”
extending beyond a wetland is determined by the value of the wetland, based on its current use
and on the documented presence/absence of threatened or endangered species. Municipalities
may not establish buffers on wetlands that exceed those required by the state statute. However,
the municipality can make certain that those limits are accurate through its review of the
wetlands delineation process, and it can also monitor use of the land within the transition area
and take action against encroachments.
Restoration of stream buffers on agricultural lands is supported by various programs of the US

Department of Agriculture and the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, such as the
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), administered by the United States Department of
Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA). This program compensates farming
landowners for the loss of land being converted to a buffer or other habitat. It also funds or
directly creates new buffers where they are absent. Programs such as the Environmental Quality
Incentive Program (EQIP), administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
of USDA, encourage the “due care” management of agricultural lands, involving the proper
levels of fertilizer and pesticide applications to farmland. It funds up to 75% of the costs of
eligible conservation practices. These are all programs in which individual landowners volunteer
to take part.
Jones Farm
43
Miles
0 0.25 0.5 1
Map 11: Impervious Surface
HOPEWELL Delaware Valley
based on NJDEP Land Use 1995/97 Regional Planning Commission
. March 2005
Ewing Creek
637
647
Bull
Run
d
d
Ro
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ad
oa
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d
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se
611
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r
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ad LAWRENCE
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by impervious suface ER
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206
et
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ou
10% - 25% This map was developed using New Jersey w

alh

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Greater Than 25% verified by NJDEP and is not state-authorized.
va
nia
Point Sources of Pollution
Point sources of pollution, which come from a single source or “point” such as an industrial pipe
discharge, are regulated by NJDEP through the New Jersey Pollution Discharge Elimination
System (NJPDES). New Jersey created NJPDES in response to the Federal Clean Water Act of
1972 (P.L.95-217), which mandated that each state develop water quality standards and regulate
the amount of pollution entering water bodies. The Act classified all water pollution into one of
two categories: “point source” pollution and “nonpoint source” pollution, but only required states
to regulate point sources.
NJDEP, through the Division of Water Quality and the Bureau of Point Source Permitting,
administers the NJPDES program (N.J.A.C. 7:14A). Under NJPDES, any facility discharging
domestic or industrial wastewater directly into surface or ground water must apply for and
obtain a permit for discharging. Rather than creating individually tailored permits for each and
every facility, the Division of Water Quality uses scientific standards to create and issue
general permits for different categories of dischargers. Permits are available and required for
surface water, groundwater, storm water, combined sewer overflow, and residual discharges.
NJDEP enforces the terms of NJPDES permits by visiting discharging facilities and conducting
water quality, biological, and toxicological analyses, and thermal impact and cooling water
assessments.
Under the Open Public Records Act (OPRA) of 2002 (N.J.A.C.10:1B), a list of active NJPDES
permits is available. As of September 30, 2004, sixteen NJPDES permits were issued to
individual facilities in Ewing Township. These are shown in Table 13: Ewing Township
NJPDES Permits.
Since the adoption of the Federal Clean Water Act in 1972 and the implementation of NJPDES
in subsequent years, water pollution from point sources has decreased drastically. NJDEP is now
focusing on nonpoint sources of water pollution, which have increased as farmlands and
forestlands are covered over with impervious materials like concrete, asphalt, and buildings.
Delaware River
45
Table 13: New Jersey Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NJPDES) Permits
NJPDES Discharge
Effective Expiration Document Street Address
Permit PI Number Facility Name Category Municipality
Start Date Date Status Line1
Number Description
Roller Bearing,
NJ0034321 46384 8/1/00 7/31/03 Stormwater Expired 370 Sullivan Way Ewing Twp
Inc.
Homasote Basic Industrial
NJG0117943 46452 6/1/02 5/31/07 Approved Lower Ferry Road Ewing Twp
Company Stormwater
Mercer City Basic Industrial Dover & Stokes
NJG0119032 48538 6/1/02 5/31/07 Approved Ewing Twp
Transfer Station Stormwater Avenues
CNJ Power General Permit
NJG0128198 49268 House/Cogen 12/1/03 11/30/08 GW Petro Prod Approved Metzger Drive Ewing Twp
Plant Cleanup
Parkway Avenue
Basic Industrial
NJG0131440 49531 Air Hangar Inc. 6/1/02 5/31/07 Approved Entrance (Mercer Ewing Twp
Stormwater
County Airport)
General Permit
Mobil Service 1590 Parkside
NJG0134171 49747 12/1/03 11/30/08 GW Petro Prod Approved Ewing Twp
Station Avenue
Cleanup
Kinetics Basic Industrial
NJG0143251 194796 5/21/03 5/31/07 Approved 140 Stokes Avenue Ewing Twp
Industries Inc. Stormwater
Basic Industrial
NJG0143707 195210 Stires Bus Co. 6/16/03 5/31/07 Approved 24 Euchner Lane Ewing Twp
Stormwater
Process
Basic Industrial 1013 Whitehead
NJG0145301 197136 Research 9/29/03 5/31/07 Approved Ewing Twp
Stormwater Road
Products
Basic Industrial 25 Princess Diana
NJG0145513 202689 E M Boehm Inc. 9/23/03 5/31/07 Approved Ewing Twp
Stormwater Lane
All Carbide
Basic Industrial
NJG0146269 214650 Tool Services 1/20/04 5/31/07 Approved 559 Howell Ewing Twp
Stormwater
Inc.
NJDOC Central Public Complex
Whittlesey Road and
NJG0151912 222714 Reception & 4/1/04 2/28/09 Stormwater Approved Ewing Twp
Stuyvesant Avenue
Reassignment General Permit
Public Complex
NJDOT Ewing 1035 Parkway
NJG0152358 222775 4/1/04 2/28/09 Stormwater Approved Ewing Twp
Complex Avenue
General Permit
Public Complex
The College of
NJG0153435 223003 4/1/04 2/28/09 Stormwater Approved Pennington Road Ewing Twp
New Jersey
General Permit
Tier A
Ewing Municipal
NJG0154393 191114 4/1/04 2/28/09 Approved 2 Jake Garzio Drive Ewing Twp
Township Stormwater
General Permit
Pfizer Aviation
Basic Industrial 1001 Jack Stephan
NJG0155616 229399 Facility-Hanger 6/2/04 5/31/07 Approved Ewing Twp
Stormwater Way
1001
Source: NJDEP OPRA database
46
GROUNDWATER
Aquifers
Ewing is located in the Newark Basin, a part of the Piedmont Plateau that extends from the
Hudson River Valley to the divide between the Schuylkill and Susquehanna rivers in
Pennsylvania. The geology of the Newark Basin is composed of four sedimentary rock
formations, three igneous rock formations, and diabase intrusives. The predominate aquifers
within the basin are called, collectively, the Newark Group and consist of the Passaic Formation,
the Stockton Formation, and the Lockatong Formation. Together, these three bedrock aquifers
provide ninety-five percent (95%) of the Newark Basin’s water. The Stockton Formation and
Lockatong Formation make up the majority of Ewing’s geology.
Water from bedrock aquifers is drawn from fractures, or networks

of fractures, in the rock. Shallow parts of bedrock aquifers are
generally unconfined, meaning they are not bounded by confining
layers made of lower permeable materials, while deeper sections
may be semi-confined or fully confined. Confining beds help
slow the entry of any surface contaminants into the groundwater.
Most water in the Newark Group is found within 200 to 300 feet
of the land’s surface. Indeed, sixty-five percent (65%) of all water
is drawn from within 200 feet of the surface and eighty-five percent Fractures in Rock
Source: USGS
(85%) of all water is drawn from within 300 feet of the surface.
Below 500 feet, there are fewer and smaller fractures in the rock, thus storing less groundwater.
The Stockton Formation is composed of the oldest sediments in the Newark Basin. The bottom
half of the formation contains medium-to course-grained sandstones and conglomerates, while
the upper half of the formation contains fine-grained sandstone and shale. Most water in the
Stockton Formation is found within 500 feet of the land’s surface in weathered and
interconnected fractures. The water is frequently located in unconfined places, although, locally,
it may be found in semi-confined areas, depending on the layers of shale. The Stockton
Formation is one of the most productive aquifers in this region. It can yield as much as 1,500
gallons of water per minute.
The Lockatong Formation is composed of less erodable rock. Therefore, of the three formations,
it is the poorest for storing water. The rock has both low permeability and porosity, and the
fractures are widely spaced and tight.
The water quality of the Newark Basin aquifers tends to be satisfactory. Large portions of the
aquifers are unconfined, or close to the surface of the land. Therefore, they are more susceptible
to local contamination. Moreover, the groundwater is generally hard, containing more minerals
than are found in surface water.
47
Drinking Water Supply
Almost all of Ewing Township receives its drinking water from the Trenton Water Works, which
obtains its water from the Delaware River. In addition, there are nine noncommunity wells
located in or near the border of Ewing Township, and several community supply wells located
nearby in Lawrence. All have Well Head Protection Areas that have been delineated by the
state. These areas are shown on Map 12: Geologic Outcrops and Water Supply Wells, and
additional data on the noncommunity supply wells within Ewing or close to it are provided in
Table 14 below. Table 14 includes all noncommunity wells on record with NJDEP. According
to members of the Ewing Planning Board, there are probably additional noncommunity wells in
Ewing that are not included in this list.
Table 14: Noncommunity Wells in or around Ewing Township
Well ID # Owner Aquifer Depth

1102303 Club 88 Bar Stockton Formation 250
1102307 Faridy Thorne Maddish PA Lockatong Formation 250
1106339 Medallion Care Center Brunswick Aquifer 350
1106341 Hopewell Valley Industrial Park Brunswick Aquifer 103
1106354 Pennington Road Partners Lockatong Formation 250
1106362 Camelot Nursery School Lockatong Formation 95
1106382 Sincak Office Park Brunswick Aquifer 170
1106395 Princeton Community Church Lockatong Formation 250
1107323 Children's Express Stockton Formation 100
Source: NJDEP
Newark Basin Rock Formation

Source: USGS
48

1106341
Map 12: Geologic Outcrops 1106339
1106382
1106354
and Water Supply Wells HOPEWELL
1106395

2808874
1106362
1102307 1107323

Ewing Creek
2813277
637
647

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verified by NJDEP and is not state-authorized. Mercer County Bedrock Aquifers
spe
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NJ Public Non-Community Supply Well
ia
Pro
Brunswick Aquifer Well Head Protection Area Tiers

Yardley Miles DE
L AW Trenton City
0 0.25 0.5 1 AR Lockatong Formation 206
2 year time of travel of water to the well
ER
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St
Delaware Valley
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Igneous and Metamorphic Rocks 12 year time of travel of water to the well
alh
March 2005
C
.
Wellhead Protection Areas and Water Supply Wells
All community and noncommunity supply wells in and around Ewing draw from the Stockton
Formation, the Lockatong Formation, or the Brunswick Aquifer, as identified in Table 14. Any
other private wells that might be in existence would draw from one of these formations as well,
but there is no comprehensive inventory of private wells – their depth or condition – available to
municipalities. The recently enacted (2002) Private Well Testing Act requires state-certified
laboratory water testing in order to sell a residential property that obtains its water from a well.
This will not identify what aquifers are being drawn upon by private wells, but it will eventually
provide better documentation of the quality of drinking water from private wells in an area.
As part of its Well Head Protection Program Plan,

issued in 1991, the New Jersey Department of Delineating a Wellhead Protection
Environmental Protection has delineated Well Head Area (WHPA)
Protection Areas (WHPAs) around community and A WHPA consists of three tiers, each
noncommunity wells. A WHPA is the area from based on time of travel to the well:
which a well draws its water within a specified time Tier 1 = two years
frame. Once delineated, these areas become a priority Tier 2 = five years
for efforts to prevent and clean up groundwater Tier 3 = twelve years
contamination. Other components of the Well Head Calculation of the tier boundaries is
Protection Plan include implementing best based on findings of how long specific
management practices to protect groundwater, land contaminants can survive in
use planning, and education to promote public groundwater, how much time would be
awareness of groundwater resources. required for specific remedies to be
undertaken, and on the likelihood of
natural dilution over distance. The tiers
Once WHPAs are delineated, potential pollution are shown as rings around a well, with
sources may be managed by owners or municipalities, the groundwater direction of travel
in relation to the tier locations. Protection of land and factored in to create plume–like shapes.
restrictions on activities within wellhead zones,
relating to uses that generate contaminants, and to the
storage, disposal, or handling of hazardous materials are important for maintaining the quality of
water in wellhead areas.
Groundwater Recharge
Recharge of groundwater is an important issue in New Jersey because of the dependence on

aquifers for drinking supply and for agricultural and industrial use. The amount of rainwater that
actually enters an aquifer is a function of many factors, including the nature and structure of the
aquifer itself. The amount of precipitation that infiltrates the soil and reaches the saturated zone
to become groundwater – the recharge of the aquifer – is also dependent on climatic conditions,
the nature of the soil, and the vegetation of an area.
The New Jersey Geological Survey has developed a methodology for evaluating land areas for
their ability to transmit water to the subsurface, using precipitation records, soil surveys, and
land use/land cover data. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has used this
methodology to map and rank land areas throughout the state as to groundwater potential.
50
Recharge is equivalent to the amount of precipitation that will reach the water table in an area
with a particular combination of soils and land use. It is expressed as inches per year.
In Ewing, lands with recharge of 11 to 14 inches per year, the highest in the township, are found
in scattered patches, with the greatest concentration in the area between the R3 West Trenton rail
line and Lower Ferry Road, around Lake Ceva, between the R3 rail line and Wilburtha Road,
and along Interstate 95. In the case of Ewing, the recharge is to the Stockton Formation and the
Lockatong Formation aquifers. See Map 13: Groundwater Recharge.
On these high recharge lands, the amount of paving and other impervious cover has the most
detrimental impact, although they are also usually the places that are most suitable for building
because they are on well-drained soils. Conversely, these are also regions where the dilution of
substances from septic systems, such as nitrates, may require a larger land area because the soils
are usually more “porous.” For example, minimum average lot sizes of 2 to 4 acres are often
needed for proper nitrate dilution from septic systems in areas having 10 or more inches per year
of groundwater recharge.
This area around Lake Ceva has high groundwater recharge
51
0 - 1 inches/year
Map 13: Groundwater Recharge 2 - 6 inches/year
HOPEWELL 7 - 10 inches/year
11 - 14 inches/year
Ewing Creek
637
647
Bull
Run
d
d
Reed Road
a
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Yardley
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DE 206
LA
et
Miles WA \
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re
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0 0.25 0.5 1 Source : NJDEP,NJDOT,DVRPC.
St
I VE
This map was developed using New Jersey R
un

lho
Delaware Valley
Ca
Geographic Information System digital data, 29

Regional Planning Commission but this secondary product has not been

. March 2005 verified by NJDEP and is not state-authorized.
BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES
When a community decides to protect wildlife and habitat, they choose to protect biodiversity,
which enables many species, including humans, to thrive and live healthy lives. Biodiversity
refers to the variety of genetic material within a species population, the variety of species (plants,
animals, microorganisms) within a habitat, and the variety of ecosystems within a given region.3
Biodiversity facilitates adaptation and evolution, improving a species’ chance of survival as the
environment changes. A diversity of plant and animal species is also necessary to maintain
healthy human environments, working landscapes, and productive ecosystems. Lower
organisms, many not well known, contribute to nutrient cycling, decomposition of organic
matter, soil rehabilitation, pest and disease regulation, pollination, and water filtering. Once
biodiversity declines, it is extremely hard for an ecosystem to recover or replace species.
Scientists have discovered and named somewhere between 1.5 and 1.8 million plant and animal
species in the world. Of these, only 4,000 are mammals and 9,500 are birds. Over half of all
known species are insects. Far more species, possibly ten to twenty times the number of known
species, are unknown to science. Alarmingly, this great diversity of species is now diminishing
at an unprecedented rate. Researchers generally agree that the extinction rate is now
catastrophically high, somewhere between one thousand and ten thousand times the rate before
human beings began to exert significant pressure on the environment. Given these trends, and
barring significant increases in conservation efforts, approximately one-half of the world’s
species will be gone by the end of this century.
Ewing contains various types of ecosystems. Ecosystems are made up of abiotic factors (air,
water, rocks, energy) and biotic factors (plants, animals, and microorganisms). Upland forest is
the most abundant type of natural ecosystem in Ewing and grasslands are the second most
common ecosystem in Ewing. Along Ewing’s stream corridors and lakeshores are wetlands,
which support plants that require constantly saturated soils; and within and around waterbodies
are submerged communities, which require persistent standing water.
NATURAL VEGETATION
Vegetation is controlled by many factors, the most important of which are climate and soils.
Ewing’s climate is a cool temperate type associated with a coastal, permanently humid-warm
summer condition. Rainfall in the region averages 44-46 inches per year.4
Ewing’s natural vegetation types, along with human-influenced types of land cover, have been
tabulated and mapped by NJDEP’s 1995/97 land cover analysis. This data, based on infrared
aerial photography, is the most recent available. The designation of a particular land cover as a
vegetation type is based on definitions provided by the Anderson Land Use Classification
3
Commonwealth of Australia. Department of the Environment, Sport and Territories. “Biodiversity Series Paper
No. 1: Biodiversity and its value.” 1993.
4
United States Department of Agriculture. Natural Resource Conservation Center. New Jersey Precipitation
Data/Maps. ftp://ftp.ftw.nrcs.usda.gov/pub/ams/prism/maps/nj.pdf
53
System, created by the U.S. Geological Survey. New infrared aerial photography was taken in
2002. However, analysis of this photography has not yet been completed. Updated NJDEP land
cover maps are expected to be available in 2005. See Map 14: Natural Vegetation (1995/97).
Table 15: Ewing Township Natural Vegetation
% of Total Natural
Land Use Acres Vegetation Land Area
Deciduous Forest 877 45.6%
Coniferous Forest 5 0.3%
Mixed Deciduous/Coniferous Forest 6 0.3%
Brushland/Shrubland 558 29.0%
Lakes 35 1.8%
Interior Wetlands 398 20.7%
Modified Wetlands 45 2.3%
Total 1924 100%

Source: NJDEP (1995/97 Land Cover)
Wetlands
Wetlands are defined as areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or ground waters at a
frequency to support vegetation suited for life in saturated soils.5 New Jersey’s wetlands are
located around the numerous interior stream systems, and along coastal rivers and bays. NJDEP
classifies wetlands with naturally occurring vegetation into two major categories: (1) coastal
wetlands, wetlands associated with tidal portions of the Delaware River system and waterways
draining into the Atlantic Ocean; and (2) interior wetlands, wetlands found in nontidal lowlands
associated with waterways, and isolated wetlands surrounded by uplands. NJDEP also identifies
modified wetlands, which are areas that have been altered by human activities and do not support
typical natural wetland vegetation, but which do show signs of soil saturation on aerial infrared
surveys.
Wetlands are a critical ecological resource, supporting both terrestrial and aquatic animals and
boasting biological productivities far greater than those found on dry land. Wetlands play a vital
role in maintaining water quality by cleaning surface and ground waters. The ecological
importance of wetlands, however, has not always been appreciated. For over three centuries
people drained, dredged, filled and leveled wetlands to make room for development and
agriculture. Although the pace of wetland destruction has slowed markedly in the past three
decades, human activities have destroyed approximately 115 million of the original 221 million
acres of wetlands in the United States since the beginning of European settlement.
5
NJDEP. “Anderson Land Use Classification System.” Originally derived from “A Land Use and Land Cover
Classification System for Use with Remote Sensor Data” U. S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 964, 1976.
54
The location and type of vegetation are key features for classifying wetlands. Virtually all
wetlands in Ewing Township are found in association with the major streams and their
tributaries. Freshwater, deciduous wooded wetlands, particularly along the main channel of the
Shabakunk Creek, are the dominant category of wetlands in the township. These wetlands are
“palustrine” wetlands (stream-associated, versus “lacustrine” or lake-associated) and are usually
covered with deciduous trees or shrubs, although some evergreen trees or shrubs may be present.
Shrubs are also the dominant plants where wetlands are recovering from past impacts. See Map
8: Surface Water, Wetlands, and Vernal Ponds.
In Ewing, modified wetlands encompass agricultural wetlands, former agricultural wetlands,

disturbed wetlands and wetlands that occur in maintained greenspaces such as open lawns, golf
courses, and storm water swales. Modified wetlands differ from non-modified wetlands in that
they do not support the typical natural wetland vegetation found in analogous unaltered natural
areas, although they do exhibit evidence of soil saturation. In total, modified wetlands occupy
just 45 acres or approximately 2 percent of Ewing’s total land area.
Upland Forests
Upland areas are those locations without water at or near the soil surface. Upland forests are
located on drainage divides, terraces and slopes where water is not the controlling factor.
Almost all of Ewing’s upland forests have been cleared and converted to farms or residential or
commercial development. The remaining uplands are relegated to a few remnants along stream
corridors or are patchy woodlands associated with large farms or parks.
Approximately 46%, or 888 acres, of Ewing’s vegetation is upland forest, according to the
1995/97 land cover analysis prepared by the New Jersey Department of Environmental
Protection. This data is the most recent available based on infrared aerial photography. See
Map 14: Natural Vegetation (1995/97).
Grasslands and Agricultural Lands
A small percentage of Ewing consists of brush or shrubland, principally in the form of fallow
fields, pasture, and old fields. Old fields are lands that were cleared or disturbed at one time and
then abandoned. Following abandonment, perennial herbs and grasses succeed to become the
dominant species for a length of time from 3 to 20 years. Later, woody plants begin to take over.
This habitat is visible especially along wood edges, roadsides, and in landscapes where mowing
is infrequent and where woody plants are not yet the dominant vegetation. This habitat, along
with agricultural cropland, constitutes “grassland” habitat utilized by species that forage or nest
on open land.
In Ewing, 558 acres, or 29%, of the natural vegetation is classed as brushland or shrubland, as of
the 1995/97 land cover analysis by NJDEP. See Map 14: Natural Vegetation (1995/97).
55
Miles
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based on NJDEP Land Use 1995/97 HOPEWELL Regional Planning Commission
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LANDSCAPE PROJECT PRIORITY HABITATS
The Landscape Project, developed by the Endangered and Nongame Species Program of the
NJDEP Division of Fish & Wildlife, documents the value of various types of habitats within
New Jersey. It then ranks these habitats as to their importance. The highest ranking goes to
habitat areas where there has been a documented occurrence of one or more species that are on
either the federal or the state Threatened and Endangered Species lists and where there is a
sufficient amount of habitat type to sustain these species (“critical habitat”). A second category
includes habitats that have documented occurrences of species of special concern in New Jersey.
Another rank consists of lands with habitat deemed suitable for species that are included in the
higher categories but for which there are no documented occurrences or sightings (“suitable
habitat”).
Landscape Project data for Ewing Township identifies locations with the most important habitats
for wildlife and categorizes them as either “critical habitat” (the highest) or as “suitable habitat.”
It is important to preserve both levels of habitat, in order to maintain the diversity of species that
still exists in the township.
The Landscape Project data is based on mid-1990s information. It should be noted that since this
time, Ewing Township has developed a significant portion of its critical habitat. For example,
the new commercial development along the Shabakunk Creek, between Spruce Street and
Eggerts Crossing Road, is situated on land listed in the table below as critical habitat. The
acreage listed in Table 16: Landscape Project Habitat Rankings – Acreage in Ewing
Township has not been adjusted to reflect these new developments on landscape priority
habitats. See Map 15: Landscape Project Habitat Priorities.
Table 16: Landscape Project Habitat Rankings – Acreage in Ewing Township

% of Total
Landscape % of Total
Subtotals by Project Township
Type Rank Acres Category Acreage Acreage
Emergent Wetlands Suitable Habitat 52.16 69 8% 1%
Critical Habitat 16.87
Grasslands Suitable Habitat 494.97 533 58% 5%

Upland Forest Suitable Habitat 0.94 217 24% 2%

Forested Wetlands Suitable Habitat 62.65 99 11% 1%

Total Landscape Project
Acres 918.78 100% 9%
Total Township Acres 9,959.31

Source: NJDEP
57
Map 15: Landscape Project Department of Environmental Protection
HOPEWELL but this secondary product has not been
Habitat Priorities based on NJDEP Land Use 1995/97
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Landscape Project Data on Wetland Habitat
The Landscape Project divides wetland habitats into two types – forested and emergent wetlands.
They can also be home to various rare amphibians (frogs and salamanders). Emergent wetlands
are marshy areas characterized by low-growing shrubs and herbaceous plants in standing water,
usually. They can be tidal or nontidal. Animal species that can be found there include
endangered turtles, rare fish, mollusks, crustaceans, and insects.
About 32% of the wetland acreage in Ewing that is ranked as critical (the highest value) is
emergent wetland (17 acres). Forested wetlands make up the other 68% of wetlands ranked at
the highest level (36 acres). Emergent wetlands ranked at the suitable habitat level occupy 52
acres and forested wetlands ranked at the suitable habitat level occupy 63 acres. Nearly all
critical and suitable wetlands are located along the Shabakunk Creek.
Landscape Project Data on Upland Forest Habitat
The Landscape Project has ranked upland forests in the same manner as wetlands. What remains
of Ewing’s highest ranked “critical habitat” upland forests are also found along the Shabakunk
Creek. Critical upland habitat constituted 217 acres when the Landscape Project was originally
conducted – however, much of this land has since been developed for commercial uses. One
acre was ranked at the suitable level.
Landscape Project Data on Grassland Species Habitat
Nearly all of the land ranked as critical habitat for grassland-dependent species is located along
the Shabakunk Creek (38 acres). Land rated at the lower level, as “suitable habitat” (495 acres),
is located in the western part of the township, mainly in the areas with remaining farmland. This
includes the open fields between Interstate 95 and West Upper Ferry Road and also, the fields
between the West Trenton rail line and Wilburtha Road. Examples of grassland-dependent
species that use this kind of habitat for nesting or feeding include various grassland birds.
Grassland Species Habitat
59
ANIMAL COMMUNITIES
Although no comprehensive inventory of the different animal species within New Jersey, Mercer
County, or Ewing Township exists, there are records of sightings, biological studies of range,
and assessment of endangered and threatened status. Using federal, state, scientific, and
nonprofit sources, it is possible to identify and describe known and possible animal communities
of Ewing Township. A list of animal and plant species from New Jersey’s Washington Crossing
State Park, which is located just north of Ewing in Hopewell Township on the Delaware River, is
provided in Appendix B. According to a resource specialist at the park, the list generally applies
to Ewing Township.6
Invertebrates
Invertebrates are the basis of a healthy environment and are part of every food chain – either as
food for amphibians and fish, or as a part of nutrient cycling systems that create and maintain
fertile soils. Though they are the most abundant animal life forms, once extinct they are the
hardest species to replace.
Invertebrates consist of insects (beetles, butterflies, moths, ants, termites, bees, wasps, and
others), arachnids (spiders, ticks and mites), crustaceans (crayfish, microscopic copepods),
mollusks (mussels, clams, snails and slugs), and worms.
Macroinvertebrates are invertebrates that are visible to the naked eye but smaller than 50
millimeters. Benthic (bottom dwelling) macroinvertebrate communities provide a basis for
ecological monitoring and are relatively simple to collect from shallow stream bottoms.
Monitoring the presence of macroinvertebrates reveals the effect of pollutants over a long period
of time. The Ambient Biomonitoring Network (AMNET) surveys streams for macroinvertebrate
communities, which indicate certain levels of water quality, as was discussed in the Surface
Water Quality section of this document.
There are nine endangered invertebrate species (two beetle species, four butterfly species, and
three mussel species) and eight threatened invertebrate species (three butterfly species and five
mussel species) in the State of New Jersey. Of particular interest are mussels; at one time
freshwater mussels were abundant in the Delaware River and its tributaries and a major food
source for native peoples. Unfortunately, due to over-harvesting, especially in the Delaware Bay
in the 19th century, and destruction of suitable aquatic habitats by dams and pollution, the native
mussel population has sharply declined and shows no signs of rebounding. Of those species on
the New Jersey Endangered and Threatened list, one, the dwarf wedgemussel, is listed as
endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act.
6
E-mail correspondence with Wayne Henderek, Resource Interpretive Specialist, Washington Crossing State Park.
11/20/04.
60
Vertebrates
Vertebrates are less numerous than invertebrates but their larger size makes them much more
visible, and thus better studied and recorded. Fish species are fairly well documented, as are
mammals. Birds that nest in the township are known, but migrants that depend on Ewing’s wet
forests as stopover sites in which to rest and feed are not as thoroughly inventoried.
Mammals
Mammals appear to be abundant because they tend to be larger and live in habitats also ideal for
human development. There are over 500 mammal species in New Jersey, of which only nine are
listed as endangered and none are listed as threatened by the state. Some common mammals
found in Ewing Township include cottontail rabbits, eastern gray squirrels, skunks, little brown
bats, and raccoons.
Deer Management in New Jersey
While many residents prize the presence of mammalian life, certain mammals often come into
conflict with humans in suburban areas. The white-tailed deer presents a classic case of this
conundrum. Indeed, the argument over whether New Jersey has too many, just enough, or not
enough deer often causes controversy. On one hand, there is inherent value in New Jersey’s deer
population; deer are a beloved symbol of wildlife, a visible subject for wildlife education and
research, a part of human recreation activities like wildlife watching and hunting, and they can
be a food source for carnivores and humans. On the other hand, conflicts often arise when
humans and deer compete for the same space. According to the US Department of Agriculture,
deer cause more damage to agricultural crops than any other vertebrate wildlife species, and
farmers in densely human-populated areas appear to be the most effected. Additionally, deer can
devastate the understory of forests through overgrazing, destroying the local ecosystem. Finally,
as most motorists are well aware, collisions between deer and automobiles frequently result in
serious damage.
Controlling deer numbers has become increasingly difficult in New Jersey for numerous reasons,
including: (1) there are no natural deer predators, only humans; (2) suburban development
patterns are spreading into rural areas; (3) some communities pass ordinances prohibiting
hunting; (4) hunters have less access to land inhabited by deer; (5) some public and private
groups oppose deer hunting; and (6) hunters are leaving the state to hunt in nearby states.
To minimize human-deer conflicts, the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station recommends
both lethal and nonlethal deer management options for community-based deer management
programs. For example, municipalities can extend the hunting season, issue depredation permits
to private landowners, engage in sharpshooting, and employ traps and euthanasia to reduce deer
numbers. Alternately, communities and private landowners can choose to apply more costly,
nonlethal deer management strategies such as installing reflectors and reducing speed limits on
rural roads to decrease deer-vehicle collisions, modifying habitat by planting bad tasting plants
on commercial and residential properties, using taste-based and odor-based repellents, and
61
employing traps and translocation techniques. For a list of deer tolerant/resistant plants native to
the Ewing Township vicinity, please see Appendix C.
While current deer problems should be addressed, it is important to note that New Jersey’s
white-tailed deer population has actually remained relatively stable throughout the state over the
past decade and that increasing conflicts between deer and human populations arise as suburban
communities spread into once rural areas. The most effective way then to avoid a continuing
expansion of conflicts between deer and humans is to preserve the wild habitats to which deer
naturally belong.
N.J. DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

FRESHWATER FISH ADVISORIES
Fishing provides enjoyable and relaxing recreation and many people
like to eat the fish they catch. Fish are an excellent source of
protein, minerals and vitamins, are low in fat and cholesterol, and
play an important role in maintaining a healthy, well-balanced diet.
However, certain fish may contain toxic chemicals, such as

polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins, and mercury, which
accumulate in water and aquatic life. Chemical contaminants such
as dioxin and PCBs are classified by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency as probably cancer-causing substances in
humans. Elevated levels of mercury can pose health risks to the
Deer in Banchoff Park human nervous system. Infants, children, pregnant women, nursing
mothers, and women of childbearing age are considered to be at
higher risk from contaminants in fish than other members of the
Fish general public. Since 1982, NJDEP catches fish at numerous
sampling stations throughout the state and tests for contaminant
levels, adopting advisories to guide residents on safe consumption
When European settlers arrived in present-day practices.
Mercer County, they encountered Native
NJDEP issued a fish advisory in 2004 for the following species of
Americans who regularly fished along the fish in Mercer County: American Eel, Striped Bass, Channel
inland streams and gathered mussels in the Catfish, Bluefish, Striped Bass, White Perch, Channel Catfish,
Delaware River. Due to the unintended White Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Chain Pickerel. Recreational
fishermen and women should regularly check for local fish
consequences of urban development, industrial advisories on NJDEP’s Division of Science, Research and
advancement, and mechanized agriculture, the Technology website:
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/dsr/njmainfish.htm/.
amount and diversity of aquatic life has
decreased dramatically throughout most of New U.S. EPA GENERAL CONSUMPTION GUIDELINES
Jersey. - If possible, eat smaller amounts of several different types
of fish rather than a large amount of one type that may be
high in contaminants. Consume species of fish that have
The New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, lower levels of contaminants, such as fluke or flounder.
- Smaller fish of a species will usually have lower chemical
under the Bureau of Freshwater Fisheries, levels than larger fish in the same location because
monitors and actively aids the propagation, contaminants tend to build up in the fish over time. It is
protection, and management of the state’s advisable to eat smaller fish (of legal size) more often
than larger fish.
freshwater fisheries. The bureau raises several
million fish for stocking in suitable waterbodies,
and conducts research and management surveys.
Based on survey data supplied by the bureau,
Ewing’s freshwater streams may contain the following fish: blacknose dace, american eel,
banded killfish, tadpole madtom, tessellated darter, spottail shiner, common shiner, golden
62
shiner, satinfin shiner, creek chub, white sucker, pumpkin seed, bluegill, largemouth bass, brown
trout, stonecat, redbreast sunfish, green sunfish, common carp, creek chubsucker.
Birds
There are over 500 species of birds in New Jersey, which is an exceptional number given the
state’s small size. New Jersey is an important location for migratory birds heading south for
winter. Not only is the state an important “rest stop” for birds migrating to warmer climates in
Central and South America, the New Jersey Atlantic Coast and the Delaware Bay are the termini
for three to four major North American flyways (established migratory air route).
Additionally, the State of New Jersey now has a “resident” Canada goose population of
approximately 100,000 birds that no longer migrate to more southern locales, and may double in
the next 5 to 10 years. While geese are a valuable component of the urban/suburban
environment, providing enjoyable wildlife opportunities for the public, they can also cause
property and environmental damage. Goose droppings that wash into lakes during storm events
can elevate coliform bacteria to unhealthy levels, closing lakes to swimming. Goose droppings
limit human use of grassy areas in parks; and because geese can be quite aggressive during the
nesting season, they can also injure humans.
However, removing geese or preventing them from residing in park areas is a difficult task.
Because geese move freely, the most effective management solutions are best conducted at the
community level. Canada geese are protected
by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, therefore a
management program may require the US FEDERAL ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT*
Department of Agriculture’s approval and An “Endangered” species is in danger of extinction throughout
all or a significant portion of its range.
permits. Management techniques include
planting shrubby vegetation around streams, A “Threatened” species is one that is likely to become
lakes, and ponds to block waterfowl access; endangered in the near future.
discouraging humans from feeding geese; and NEW JERSEY ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT**
removing geese eggs and replacing with decoys. An “Endangered” species is in danger of immediate extinction
within the state due to one of several factors: loss or
degradation of habitat, over-exploitation, predation,
Common Reptiles and Amphibians competition, disease, or environmental pollution.
Reptiles can be quite elusive when surveys A “Threatened” species is one that may become endangered if
environment conditions continue to deteriorate. It is vulnerable
attempt to document them. Some species, such due to one of several factors: small population size, restricted
as the endangered bog turtle, have been range, narrow habitat affinities, or significant population
documented in Ewing. Amphibians of some decline.
types are abundant, such as bullfrogs. Other A species of “Special Concern” is one that warrants special
species are rare because they depend on vernal attention because of the evidence of population decline,
ponds, as was discussed in the Surface Waters – environmental deterioration, or habitat modification that would
result in becoming Threatened. Special Concern status also
Vernal Ponds section of this document. extends to species whose population size is unknown or
unstudied.
* Definitions adapted from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, “Listing a

Species as Threatened or Endangered: Section 4 of the Endangered
Species Act.” Washington, DC: February 2001.
** Definitions adapted from N.J. Division of Fish, Game, and Wildlife,
Endangered and Non-game Species Program, “Status Definition.”
Trenton, NJ: April 2002.
63
Rare and Endangered Vertebrates
According to the Natural Heritage Database and the Landscape Project, a small number of rare
wildlife has been sighted in Ewing Township over the course of 100 years. Brief descriptions of
the species and their preferred habitats, provided by the New Jersey Fish and Wildlife Service,
follow.
The Bog Turtle (Clemmys muhlenbergii) is an endangered species in many eastern states,
including New Jersey, and is listed as threatened on the federal list. It is the smallest native
species of its type in the United States. Bog turtles lay their eggs in stream banks and cover them
with vegetation for protection. These turtles are one of the most difficult animals to find, as they
are rare, elusive, and often dwelling on swamp bottoms where they bury themselves in several
inches of mud to escape predators. Suitable habitats are dwindling as wetlands are destroyed for
human settlement or by pollution. The greatest numbers of bog turtles in the nation are found in
the wetland areas of agricultural lands in northwestern and southwestern New Jersey.
The Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) is a member of the Accipiter family – woodland hawks
that prey on smaller birds – and is especially adapted to fly through dense cover chasing prey. In
New Jersey, Cooper’s hawks breed in remote wooded wetlands dominated by red maple or black
gum. Adjacent upland pine or mixed oak/pine forests usually provide a buffer for nesting hawks.
These hawks generally nest in forests composed of trees 30 years or older creating a closed
canopy. On average, a hawk will place his or her nest more than a third of a mile away from the
nearest human inhabitant. While other raptor species were threatened due to hunting practices
and predator elimination, Cooper’s hawk populations were not threatened until widespread
suburbanization. Additionally, the pesticide DDT impaired many bird species’ reproduction and
contributed to declining populations from the 1950s to 1970s. Populations began to recover due
to the nationwide ban of DDT in 1972 coupled with the reforestation of old fields throughout
New Jersey. The hawk was listed as endangered in 1974 and downgraded to threatened in 1999
on the state list. The loss of large, contiguous forests remains a threat to this species and
warrants the continued protection of Cooper’s hawk nesting habitats.
See:
· Appendix A for a list of Vertebrate Animals Known, Probable or Possible in Ewing Township.
· Appendix B for a list of Animal and Plant Species found in Washington Crossing State Park,
New Jersey. (This park is just upstream the Delaware River from Ewing Township, and many of
the species found there are likely to also be found in Ewing.)
· Appendix C for a list of Deer Tolerant/Resistance Native Plants from Bowman’s Hill Wildlife
Preserve.
· Table 17 for a list of Rare Wildlife Species or Habitat in Ewing Township Presently Recorded in
the NJ Natural Heritage Database for Ewing Township.
· Table 18 for a list of Rare Plant Species and Natural Communities Presently Recorded in the NJ
Natural Heritage Database for Ewing Township.
64
NJ NATURAL HERITAGE DATABASE AND NATURAL HERITAGE
PRIORITY SITES
Natural Heritage Priority (NHP) sites are areas designated by the New Jersey Division of Parks
and Forestry’s Office of Natural Lands Management as critically important remaining habitat for
rare species and as exemplary natural communities within the state. These areas are to be
considered as top priorities for the preservation of biological diversity in New Jersey.
Designation as a Natural Heritage Priority site does not carry any specific requirements or
restrictions on the land. Rather, the designation is made because of the high value of a site from
a biological and diversity standpoint. Owners of NHP sites are encouraged to become informed
stewards of the property and to consider working with the local community or nonprofit groups
to preserve the land permanently.
NHP designations are based on the records of the Natural Heritage Database, which lists
documented sightings of endangered and threatened species. Information on particular sites may
also be provided by the Nature Conservancy or by the NJDEP Endangered and Nongame Species
Program, especially through the latter agency’s Landscape Project. There are 410 Natural
Heritage Priority Sites in the state of New Jersey. None of them are located in Ewing Township.
The Natural Heritage Database lists several species of threatened and endangered plants and
animals, or rare natural communities that have been found in areas of Ewing Township. The
recorded sightings for the plants (only) are shown on topographic maps. These indicate where
the sightings occurred, although the map information is deliberately nonspecific. The locations
with the most rare plants and natural communities are in the northwest and southwest corners of
the township. Natural Heritage individual records of animals have been incorporated into the
Landscape Project, but plant listings are not a basis for that modeling.
It is important to note that the Natural Heritage Database lists primarily those sightings that have
been submitted to it, along with some ecological community data. It incorporates both
historically and recently documented sightings. Areas without sightings may never have been
surveyed. Conversely, land use in areas with sightings may have changed considerably over
recent years, and the species once found there may be gone. Local surveys to update the
database, and regular consultation of records before any development is approved are two
measures that would help to increase threatened and endangered species’ protections. See
“Cautions and Restrictions on Natural Heritage Data,” located in Appendix D.
65
Table 17: Rare Wildlife Species or Habitat in Ewing Township
Common Name Scientific Name Federal Status State Status State Rank
clubtail dragonfly Gomphus septima NA NA S1
common map turtle Graptemys geographica NA Undetermined S3
Cooper's hawk Accipiter cooperii NA Threatened SB3, S4N
eastern box turtle Terrapene carolina NA Special Concern S5B
Fowler's toad Bufo woodhousii fowleri NA Special Concern S4
shortnose sturgeon Acipenser brevirostrum LE Endangered S3
wood turtle Clemmys insculpta NA Threatened S3
Yellow lampmussel Lampsilis cariosa NA Threatened S1
S1 Critically imperiled in NJ because of extreme rarity (5 or fewer occurrences or very few remaining individuals or acres)
S3 Rare in state with 21 to 100 occurrences (plant species in this category have only 21 to 50 occurrences)
S4 Apparently secure in state, with many occurrences
S5 Demonstrably secure in state and essentially ineradicable under present conditions
N Refers to the nonbreeding population of the element in the state
B Refers to the breeding population of the element in the state
LE Taxa formally listed as endangered
NA Data not available
Source: NJDEP, NJ Natural Heritage Database – see Appendix D for Cautions and Restrictions
Table 18: Rare Plant Species and Natural Communities
Scientific Name Common Name Federal Status NJ Status State Rank
Vascular Plants
Agastache nepetoides yellow giant-hyssop NA NA S2
Crataegus chrysocarpa Var. fireberry hawthorn NA NA S1
Ellisia nyctelea aunt lucy NA Endangered S1
Potamogeton vaginatus sheathed pondweed NA NA SH
Critically imperiled in NJ because of extreme rarity (5 or fewer occurrences or very few remaining
S1 individual acres).
S2 Imperiled in NJ because of rarity ( 6-20 occurrences).
Rare in state with 21 to 50 occurrences. Includes elements that are widely distributed but with small
S3 populations/acreage, or with restricted distribution but locally abundant.
Elements of historical occurrence in NJ. Despite some searching of historical occurrences and/or
SH potential habitat, no existent occurrences are known.
NA Data not available
Source: NJDEP, NJ Natural Heritage Database – see Appendix D for Cautions and Restrictions
66
THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
DEMOGRAPHICS
The 1990 US Census listed a population of 34,185 residents for Ewing Township. By the 2000
Census it grew to 35,707, an increase of 4.5%. DVRPC forecasts 36,370 residents for Ewing
Township by 2005; 37,030 by 2010; and 39,020 by 2025. The number of jobs in Ewing
Township, according to DVRPC’s adjustment of the 2000 Census count is 28,437. DVRPC’s
proposed employment forecasts for Ewing for 2005, 2010, 2020 and 2030 are 28,031; 27,619;
27,209; and 25,620 respectively. The township’s forecasted employment change from 2000 to
2030 is –2,853 jobs, or a 10% decrease in employment.
TRANSPORTATION
Ewing has always been at the center of good transportation, in comparison to many communities
in southern New Jersey. Its transportation, especially commercial transport, has utilized every
significant mode; from the days of water travel as the only practical conveyance, to the
construction of rail lines (still in operation), to the 20th century’s modern highways.
The modern transportation corridors that serve Ewing have also fostered much of its past and
current growth. These corridors include Interstate 95, U.S. highway Route 206, and state routes
29 and 31. U.S. highway Route 206 enters Ewing from the southwest and makes its way north,
heading slightly east, toward Princeton. Route 31 comes from Trenton, enters from the south,
and continues north through the township. Route 29 also comes from Trenton, in the south, and
travels north, following the path of the Delaware River. Interstate 95 was built in the 1960s. It
comes from Pennsylvania, crosses over the Delaware River, and begins its route through New
Jersey in Ewing. Two exits are located in Ewing Township, exits 1 and 2. Another three exits -
exits 3, 4, and 5 - are all very near to Ewing’s northern border.
County roads within the township include routes 579, 634, 637, 647, 611, 636, and 622. These
roads provide access and connections within the township and are remnants of past land uses that
connected farming centers of activity. Smaller roads in the township are a mixture of old rural
lanes and newer subdivision streets.
In addition to excellent roadways, Ewing Township also benefits from the R3 West Trenton
Regional Rail Line. Presently, New Jersey Transit is doing a feasibility study, looking at the
potential for passenger service to New York, via the West Trenton line, connecting to the Raritan
Valley Line.
67
TOWNSHIP UTILITIES
Drinking Water
Almost all of Ewing Township receives its drinking water from the Trenton Water Works, which
obtains its water from the Delaware River. Two noncommunity wells serve businesses in the
township. There may be other private wells located throughout the township, but they were not
part of NJDEP’s database. See Map 12 and pages 47-49.
Sewer
Sewerage service is provided through the Ewing-Lawrence Sewage Authority, which operates a
treatment plant, located at 600 Whitehead Road in Lawrenceville, and discharges into the
Assunpink Creek. The approved sewer service area is shown on Map 16. Township officials
suspect malfunctioning septic systems just outside of the sewer service area in neighboring
Hopewell Township.
PARKS AND RECREATION

Altogether, there are approximately 631 acres of parkland in Ewing Township. About 355 acres
are municipal open space lands reserved as parkland, active recreation fields, natural resource
protection and farmland scattered around the township. The state protects 80 acres of land
located along the banks of the Delaware and Raritan Canal, and there is one county park, the
Mountain View Golf Club, which has 196 acres in Ewing located to the northwest of the
Trenton-Mercer County Airport. In addition, approximately 261 acres of farmland known as
Knight Farm, owned and operated by the New Jersey Department of Corrections, were preserved
by Governor Christine Todd Whitman on October 21, 1999 by Executive Order. See Map 17:
Protected Lands 2003.
There are four main municipal parks in Ewing Township: Moody Park, John S. Watson Park,
Banchoff Park, and the Municipal Complex Park. Moody Park is 32 acres in size and located
between Parkside Avenue at Buttonwood Drive. John S. Watson Park is located off of Upper
Ferry Road, on 66 acres. Banchoff Park is situated on 70 acres, off of Mountain View Road.
The Municipal Complex Park is 40 acres and located next to the municipal building, on Upper
Ferry Road.
Many of the parks listed above have ball and soccer fields, basketball courts, tennis courts,
barbeque facilities, hiking and biking trails, and playground equipment. Two of the parks,
Banchoff Park and Municipal Complex Park, are relatively new and were financed with funds
from the New Jersey Green Acres Program.
68
Map 16: Sewer Service Area
HOPEWELL
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Municipal

Knights Farm: Preserved by Governor’s Executive Order in 1999
The pond at Banchoff Park
Ewing Township has a unique location on two major greenways, the Delaware and Raritan Canal
and the Delaware River. The Delaware and Raritan Canal was built between 1830 and 1834 and
created the final link in the intercoastal waterway that extended from Massachusetts to Georgia.
In 1871 the Pennsylvania Railroad leased the canal, resulting in the decline of coal transport.
Due to the success of the railroads, the canal ceased operations in 1932. By 1934 the state of
New Jersey took over the canal to use it for water supply. Some portions became filled in to
become a part of the state’s expanding highway system. By the 1970’s, the canal was being
heavily used for recreation, and citizen activists promoted the need to save the canal from total
destruction. In 1973, the canal and it remaining structures were entered into the National
Register of Historic Places, and by 1974, the state established the Delaware and Raritan Canal
State Park. In 1992 the park’s trail system was designated a National Recreation Trail.
Today the D and R Canal State Park is 70 miles long, including the feeder canal portion, which
parallels the Delaware River from above Frenchtown south to Bordentown (passing through
Ewing Township), and the main canal portion, which runs from Trenton to New Brunswick. The
canal provides canoeing, jogging, hiking, biking, fishing, horseback riding, picnicking and
camping opportunities. The path along the main canal portion is part of the East Coast
Greenway, an urban equivalent to the Appalachian Trail, and is planned to extend from Maine to
Florida. Fish including bass, sunfish, catfish, pickerel and perch occupy the canal’s water year-
round, and in the spring the canal is stocked with trout. Fishing is allowed along the entire canal.
There are two canoe rental sites, in Griggstown and Princeton, and numerous launch sites, with
the nearest to Ewing located in Lambertville. In addition, there are four bike rental spots and one
campground, Bull’s Island, located 7 miles north of Lambertville. The canal park is also an
important wildlife corridor. Recent bird surveys revealed 160 species, with 90 thought to nest in
the park. Furthermore, the D & R canal is a source of public water, pumping out about 75
million gallons per day.
Ewing is also located on the Delaware River, another major greenway and natural and
recreational resource. There are hiking, boating, fishing, canoeing, tubing, birding and biking
opportunities along various parts of the Delaware River, as well as scenic vistas from a few
access points within Ewing. As a result of clean-ups of the river, shad and other species are
increasing in number, bringing more people back to the river for shad festivals and other events.
71
Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park
HISTORIC RESOURCES
Ewing Township hosts half a dozen places on the National and State Registers of Historic Places,
as well as six more sites given a State Historic Preservation Officer Opinion (SHPO Opinion),
and numerous other sites of local importance on the township’s own Historic Register. See
Table 19: Historic Sites in Ewing Township.
Protection of historic structures and education about them is primarily run by two organizations
in Ewing: the Ewing Township Historic Preservation Commission, a municipal board, and the
Ewing Township Historic Preservation Society, a private group. The Ewing Township Historic
Preservation Society maintains the Benjamin Temple House, a historic house dating back to
colonial times, which also serves as its headquarters. The society displays its permanent
collection of artifacts and memorabilia, and hosts temporary exhibits of special themes. The
historic building also houses the society’s local history and genealogy library, including historic
maps, photographs, and letters pertaining to the history of Ewing Township.
The brief township history provided in the beginning of the ERI describes some of what has
taken place in the township over the last several hundred years, and Table 19 lists important
historic resources in the township. However, the mere existence of these places, as well as
preserving them in their historic context, should not be taken for granted. In fact, many historic
structures have either been demolished to make room for newer buildings, have fallen into
disrepair due to lack of maintenance and investments, or still stand but have lost their integrity
due to inappropriate alterations and/or inappropriate surrounding development. Similarly, many
potentially significant archaeological artifacts may never be excavated and interpreted because
they have been paved over.
72
Yet, it is largely the historic structures in their landscape (whether that be an urban historic
district, historic industrial complex, or farm structures in their agrarian setting) that provide
places with their unique character and identity. Combined with a clean environment, good
recreational opportunities, a solid economy and well-designed development, historic preservation
efforts are extremely important toward maintaining a township’s unique identity, attracting
people, boosting community pride, and stimulating interest and investment.
There are various mechanisms to enhance historic preservation from the federal down to the
local level. At the federal level, placing sites and districts on the National Register of Historic
Places affords them added consideration in the planning for federally assisted projects, and
makes properties eligible for certain tax benefits and grant programs. It does not, however,
prevent properties from being altered or demolished. Local historic districts, on the other hand,
can be created by municipalities to preserve significant historic sites by regulating the erection,
alteration, restoration, and demolition of buildings within the historic district. Historical
commissions are government bodies that oversee historic preservation planning and decision
making in their communities, and the establishment of these commissions is typically the first
step in implementing local preservation efforts.
Benjamin Temple House Hill’s Hollow House
73
Table 19: Historic Sites in Ewing Township
Site Name Address Designation
Aeronautical Turbine Laboratory Complex Historic District Naval Air Warfare Center, Parkway Avenue SHPO
Anthony Cook Farmhouse 1189 Parkside Avenue TR
Benjamin Temple House 27 Federal City Road TR
Burt / Hendrickson / Atchley Farmstead Pennington Road SHPO
David Howell House 2 Peck Avenue TR
Delaware and Raritan Canal Historic District Entire Canal Bed and 100 feet to either side of center line NR, SR
Ewingville School 440 Ewingville Road TR
Fish-Howell House 481 Grand Avenue TR
Green-Reading House 107 Wilburtha Road NR, SR
Hill's Hollow 26 Wilburtha Road TR
Nathanial Lanning House 2051 Pennington Road TR
NJ State Highway Department Laboratory, Building 18 999 Parkway Avenue SHPO
Odd Fellows Home 1001 Pennington Avenue SHPO, COE
Quarry Workman's Houses Off Wilburtha Road TR
Reading-Knight Farmhouse NJ State Hog Farm, Wilburtha Road TR
Spafford Bergen House 2061 Pennington Road TR
St. Michael's Cemetary NJ State Psychiatric Hospital, Sullivan Way TR
State Police Log Cabin NJ State Police, Dept. of Law and Public Safety, Trooper Drive TR
Temple-Ryan Farmhouse 27 Federal City Road NR, SR
The Scudder-Reeder House 295 West Upper Ferry Road TR
Tindall-Lanning House 2071 Pennington Road TR
Traction RR Bridge Trolley line over the West Branch of the Shabakunk SHPO
Trenton Bath House Jewish Community Center, 999 Lower Ferry Road NR, SR, TR
Trenton Psychiatric Hospital District 7717 Stuyvesant Avenue SHPO
West Trenton Railroad Station 400 Sullivan Way NR, SR, TR
William Green House Trenton State College Campus, Green Lane NR, SR, TR
Wilmot House 9 Wilburtha Road TR
SHPO: This is an opinion of eligibility issued by the State Historic Preservation Officer. It is in response to a federally funded activity that will
have an effect on historic properties not listed on the National Register.
NR: This abbreviation indicates that a property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
SR: This abbreviation indicates that a property is listed on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places (State Register).
COE: A Certification of Eligibility is issued by the New Jersey State Historic Preservation Officer. For properties not already listed on the New
Jersey Register of Historic Places, a COE satisfies a prerequisite to apply for funds from the New Jersey Historic Trust, as well as several county
preservation funding programs.
TR: Ewing Township Historic Register
74
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
KNOWN CONTAMINATED SITES

There are sixty-six known contaminated sites in Ewing Township and an additional six known
contaminated sites located very close to Ewing, along its border within the City of Trenton. See
Table 20: Known Contaminated Sites in Ewing Township & Region on the following page.
See also Map 18: Known Contaminated Sites.
The New Jersey Known Contaminated Sites List includes former factory sites, landfills, locations
of current or former leaking underground storage tanks, sites where chemicals or wastes were
once routinely discharged, and places where accidents have resulted in spills and pollution.
Contamination may have affected soil, groundwater, surface water, or a combination of site
conditions. The most dangerous sites, from a human health standpoint, are listed as Superfund
sites. Superfund sites are eligible for federal cleanup funds. Other sites are handled by state or
individual programs, or through private funds.
There was one site identified as a potential Superfund site in Ewing Township: Kenny’s
Cleaners. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a Superfund site is
any land in the United States that has been contaminated by hazardous waste and identified by
the Environmental Protection Agency as a candidate for cleanup because it poses a risk to human
health and/or the environment. Kenny’s Cleaners is located at 1680 Pennington Road and was
identified for assessment in 1996. According to the Superfund Info System website, there was
also a preliminary assessment in 1996, but no subsequent site inspections. The site is not
currently listed on the National Priorities List (NPL), meaning that it is not considered a
Superfund site, and will not receive Superfund Trust funds for site remediation. The EPA states
that the NPL is a list of the worst hazardous waste sites that have been identified by Superfund.
Any site on the NPL is eligible for cleanup using Superfund Trust money. This information was
retrieved using the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability
Information System (CERCLIS). CERCLIS is the national database and management system
EPA uses to track activities at hazardous waste sites considered for cleanup under the
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), also
known as Superfund. See Table 20: Known Contaminated Sites in Ewing Township & Region.
In addition to Kenny’s Cleaners, there are eight sites with high levels of contamination, either at
the C3 level or at the D level. The D level often means the site has been designated a Superfund
site, however both of the D level sites in Ewing do not appear in the Superfund database
(CERCLIS).
75
Table 20: Known Contaminated Sites in Ewing Township & Region
Lead Remedial
Site ID Name Address Town Status Status Date Agency* Level**
Amoco Service Station - Ewing
NJL600045660 Ewing Township 1496 Pennington Road Township Active 3/12/92 BUST C2
Ewing Township Board Ewing
NJL600059067 of Education 220 Ewingville Road Township Active 8/30/93 BUST C2
Ewing Township Road Ewing
NJL800046088 Department 401 4th Street Township Active 11/23/94 BUST C2
Ewing
NJL600146567 Ewing TV 1760 N Olden Avenue Township Pending 3/22/96 BFO-S C2
Exxon Service Station - Ewing
NJD986607976 Ewing Township 1500 Pennington Road Township Active 3/24/94 BUST C2
Exxon Service Station - 53 Grand Avenue & Upper Ewing
NJD986596922 West Trenton Ferry Road Township Active 2/23/00 BUST C2
Ewing
NJL500042585 Fitzpack Incorporated 310 Dryden Avenue Township Active 1/18/95 BFO-IN B
General Motors
Corporation - Fisher Ewing
NJD002353951 Body Division 1445 Parkway Avenue Township Active 4/21/92 BCM C3
Ground Water Ewing
NJL000069369 Contamination Claflin & St. Paul Avenues Township Active 3/30/94 BSM NA
Ground Water Ewing
NJL000030981 Contamination Harding Street Township Active 2/26/96 BSM NA
Ground Water Brenwal & Central & Florence Ewing
NJL000072793 Contamination Avenues Township Pending 9/24/99 BFO-CA C3
H&B Enterprise Ewing
NJL500014105 Corporation 1150 Southard Street Township NFA-A 9/21/93 BFO-IN B
Hess Service Station - Ewing
NJP000776807 Ewing Township 1513 Princeton Avenue Township Active 5/9/94 BUST C2
Hess Service Station - Ewing
NJD986601433 Ewing Township 1517 North Olden Avenue Exit Township Active 10/21/91 BUST C2
Ewing
NJD011788130 Hough Petroleum 340 4th Street Township NFA-A 6/30/00 BUST C2
Incarnation Roman Ewing
NJL000060772 Catholic Church 1545 Pennington Road Township NFA-A 9/11/97 BUST C1
Jewish Community Ewing
NJL800012734 Center 999 Lower Ferry Road Township Active 10/8/93 BFO-IN C1
Ewing
NJD035677939 Kenny’s Cleaners 1680 Pennington Road Township Active 9/28/99 BFMCR C1
Ewing
NJL800534265 Lost River Golf 1471 Prospect Street Township Active 9/22/99 BFO-S C1
Ewing
NJD153781182 Mercer County Airport 300 Scotch Road Township Active 1/24/01 BUST C2
Mercer County Public Scotch Road (Mercer County Ewing
NJL600199566 Works Airport) Township Active 9/8/92 BUST C2
Mini mall Ewing Ewing
NJL000058800 Township 1879 N Olden Avenue Township Active 7/24/96 BUST C2
Mobil Service Station - West Upper Ferry Road & Ewing
NJD986605723 Ewing Township Grand Avenue Township Active 3/10/93 BUST C2
Mobil Service Station - Spruce Street & Parkside Ewing
NJD986606788 Ewing Township Avenue Township Active 10/5/89 BUST C2
Mobil Service Station - Ewing
NJD986606606 Ewing Township 2085 Pennington Road Township Active 2/8/89 BUST C2
Mobil Service Station - North Olden Avenue & Prospect Ewing
NJD986585529 Ewing Township Street Township Active 8/18/88 BUST C2
Mobil Service Station - Ewing
NJD986611234 Ewing Township Parkway& Olden Avenues Township Active 2/23/90 BUST C2
NJD982536344 Morris Wheeler & 82 TO 90 Stokes Avenue Ewing Active 12/5/89 BFO-S C1
76
Company Incorporated Township
Nassau Chemical Ewing
NJD986601110 Corporation 4 Jane Street Township NFA 3/8/00 BEECRA D
National Beer Ewing
NJL000056622 Distributors 100C Lexington Avenue Township Active 12/23/94 BUST C2
Naval Air Warfare
Center - Aircraft Ewing
NJ9170022694 Division 1440 Parkway Avenue Township Active 2/11/93 BCM D
NJ Department of
Military & Veterans Ewing
NJL600004444 Affairs Mercer County Airport Township Pending 4/1/92 BFMCR C1
NJ Manufacturers Ewing
NJD981077670 Insurance Company 301 Sullivan Way Township Active 7/1/94 BFO-S C2
NJ State Police Ewing
NJD980762157 Headquarters River Road Township Active 3/16/92 BFO-S C1
Ewing
NJL800396616 NJDOT Fernwood 950 Parkway Avenue Township Active 3/5/99 BFO-S C1
NJDOT Fernwood Ewing
NJD980769764 Building 2 951 Parkway Avenue Township Active 4/8/98 BFO-S C2
Ewing
NJL000053488 Pelican Pools 1757 North Olden Avenue Township Active 8/15/94 BFO-S C2
Petroleum Products Ewing
NJD054740378 Company 300 Stokes Avenue Township NFA-E 6/6/00 BEECRA C3
Pierce Roberts Rubber Ewing
NJL800593881 Company 1450 Heath Avenue Township Active 3/10/00 BFO-S C1
Ewing
NJL600134340 Private Residence Southard & Hammitt Streets Township Active 10/2/00 BUST C2
Ewing
NJL800011470 Private Residence 250 Claflin Avenue Township Pending 1/9/01 BFO-CA C1
Ewing
NJL800011454 Private Residence 18 St. Paul Avenue Township Pending 8/25/93 BFO-CA C1
Ewing
NJL800011488 Private Residence 171 Upland Avenue Township Pending 5/13/94 BFO-CA C1
Ewing
NJL800011496 Private Residence 175 Upland Avenue Township Pending 8/25/93 BFO-CA C1
Ewing
NJL800057705 Private Residence 1716 Olden Avenue North Township Active 1/4/01 BUST C2
Ewing
NJL800470874 Private Residence 31 Main Boulavard Township Active 8/25/93 BFO-S C1
Ewing
NJL800538779 Private Residence 2 Beth Ann Way Township Active 2/8/00 BFO-S C1
Ewing
NJL800554727 Private Residence 9 Colleen Circle Township Active 7/13/00 BFO-S C2
Ewing
Ewing
NJL800606246 Private Residence 30 Malaga Drive Township Active 1/8/01 BFO-S C2
Ewing
Ewing
NJL800611451 Private Residence 15 Hilltop Road Township Active 2/13/01 BFO-S C1
Ewing
NJL800618761 Private Residence 8 David Drive Township Active 4/5/00 BFO-S C1
Ewing
NJL800507311 Private Residence 1200 Southard Street Township Active 12/29/99 BFO-S NA
Rhein Chemie Ewing
NJD002502466 Corporation 1008 Whitehead Road Exit Township NFA-A 2/20/91 BUST C2
Roller Bearing Company Ewing
NJD002325991 of America 400 Sullivan Way Township Active 11/13/91 BEECRA D
77
Ryder Truck Rental Ewing
NJD132387457 Incorporated 230 4th Street Township Active 3/1/94 BUST C2
Ewing
NJL800449845 Scozzari & Sons Inc. 1441 Heath Avenue Township Active 12/16/98 BFO-S C1
Route 31 & North Olden Ewing
NJL600186894 Seven Eleven Store Avenue Township Active 11/1/91 BUST C2
Ewing
NJL800528085 Sierra Office Park 380 Scotch Road, Building 2 Township NFA-A 12/29/00 BUST NA
Ewing
NJL000061200 Solomons Service Center 804 River Road Township Pending 7/1/94 BFMCR C1
Sunoco Service Station - Ewing
NJD000701243 Ewing Township 2098 Pennington RD Township Active 8/17/89 BUST C2
Texaco Service Station - Ewing
NJL000052977 Ewing Township 2095 Pennington Road Township Active 8/21/89 BUST C2
Trenton Printing Ewing
NJD986579159 Company 1201 Southard Street Township NFA 2/3/95 BEECRA C3
Ewing
NJD030315980 Trenton State College Route 31 (Pennington Road) Township Active 6/3/94 BUST C2
Ewing
NJL000075887 Trentypo Incorporated 304 Stokes Avenue Township Pending 3/16/00 BFO-CA C2
NJL600246987 Carrols Service Center Grand & Railroad Avenue Trenton City Active 1/8/98 BUST C2
NJL600145338 Faigle Properties 328 Stokes Avenue Trenton City Active 10/5/91 BUST C2
Grant Company
NJL600003438 Incorporated 45 Lexington Avenue Trenton City Active 1/6/95 BUST C2
Nexus Properties
NJL600204507 Incorporated 1621 N Olden Avenue Trenton City Active 6/1/00 BFO-S C1
NJ DOT Fernwood
NJL000011205 Garage 1035 Parkway Avenue Trenton City Active 3/8/95 BCM C3
Waters & Bugbee
NJL600013106 Incorporated 314 Dickenson Street Trenton City NFA-A 3/16/00 BUST C2
Source: NJDEP
A case manager is assigned to every Known Contaminated Site case and can provide further information on each site. The
Case Manager can be reached by contacting NJDEP’s Site Remediation Program’s lead agency, which is listed in the table
for each site. Go to http://www.state.nj.us/dep/srp/kcs-nj/Mercer/index.html for contact information or call 1-800-253-
5647.
Naval Air Warfare Center
78
Status Lead Agencies
Code Meaning Initials Full Name
NFA–A No further action for a BCM Bureau of Case Management
partial area of a site BEECRA Bureau of Environmental Evaluation,
NFA No further action Cleanup and Responsibility Assessment
Pending A site identified as BFCM Bureau of Federal Case Management
pending assignment to BFO Bureau of Field Operations
the Division of BFO–CA Bur. of Field Operations – Case Assignment
Publicly Funded Site Section
Remediation will BFO–S Bur. of Field Operations – Southern
eventually be BFO-IN Bur. of Field Operations – Initial Notice
scheduled for BFMCR Bur. of Fund Management, Compliance and
remediation with Recovery
public funds, by BUST Bureau of Underground Storage Tanks
NJDEP, based on the
threat to human health
and the environment
posed by the site in
relation to other sites
awaiting publicly
funded action
Explanation of Remedial Levels

Remedial
Explanation of Site Complexity
Level
A single-phase remedial action in emergency response; simple removal activities of contaminants; usually
B
no impact to soil or groundwater.
A remedial action with simple sites; one or two contaminants localized to soil and the immediate spill or
C1
discharge area.
A remedial action with more complicated contaminant discharges; multiple site spills and discharges; more
C2
than one contaminant, with both soil and groundwater impacted or threatened.
A multiphase remedial action with high complexity and threatening sites. Multiple contaminants some at
C3 high concentrations with unknown sources continuing to impact soils, groundwater, and possibly surface
waters and potable water resources. Dangerous for direct contact with contaminated soils.
D Same conditions as C3 except that D levels are also usually designated federal “Superfund Sites.”
ND Not designated
Groundwater Contamination
Seventeen contaminated sites in Ewing also experience groundwater contamination. These sites
are further restricted by a Classification Exception Area (CEA) or a Currently Known Extent
(CKE) area designation. A CEA can be established for a contaminated site’s aquifer if state
drinking water quality standards are not or will not be met due to: (1) natural groundwater
quality, (2) discharges from a NJPDES permitted site, or (3) pollution caused by human activity,
sometimes associated with a pollution remedy conducted under a NJDEP Administrative
Consent Order, within a contaminated site. A CEA designation suspends aquifer use in the
affected area until state drinking water standards are met. It is not a groundwater remedy; it is an
institutional control established in conjunction with an approved remedy. NJDEP may revise or
establish a CEA at any time to more accurately reflect the groundwater conditions using revised
79
data. If possible, NJDEP or the entity responsible for the remediation or monitoring of the site
(known as the Responsible Party) estimates the duration the CEA will remain in effect. Often
times, a responsible party applying for a NJPDES permit or submitting a remediation plan for a
contaminated site will also submit a CEA designation application, called a CEA Fact Sheet,
detailing the aquifer contamination. Four sites in Ewing Township are estimated to take 18 to 30
years to return to acceptable drinking water standards.
A CKE Area is a contaminated area within a drinking water well. Unfortunately, less
information is available about CKE Areas. There is one designated area in Ewing Township – in
Hillwood Lakes.
See Table 21: Sites with CEA and CKE Area Designations. Information about the dangers of
different types of pollutants found in aquifers or wells can be found at the Environmental
Defense Scorecard website: www.scorecard.org.
Table 21: Sites with CEA and CKE Area Designations

Area of Perimeter of
Date CEA Duration of CEA CEA Boundary
Site ID Name approved CEA (years) (square feet) Type of Contaminants (feet)
NJL000058800 Partricelli Mini Mall 6/19/97 Indeterminant 1,285 Benzene 130
Exxon Service Station #3-
NJD986596922 6625 7/23/97 Indeterminant 10,000 Benzene, Toluene, Xylenes 548
NJL000060772 Incarnation Church/School 9/11/97 Indeterminant 185,747 (none listed) 1,752
Benzene, Methyl Tertiary Butyl

Ether, Tentatively Identified
NJD153781182 Mercer County Airport 11/6/97 5 47,040 Compounds (TICs) 879

Ether, t-Butyl Alcohol, Lead
NJL600045660 Amoco Service Station 11/13/97 Indeterminant 17,195 (Pb) 546

Exxon Service Station #3- Ether, t-Butyl Alcohol, Lead
NJD986607976 9788 11/28/97 Indeterminant 46,262 (Pb) 884
Not available Power House Facilities 2/4/98 Indeterminant 70,079 (none listed) 1,014
Tentatively Identified
NJL000056622 National Beer Distributors 6/20/01 3 65,581 Compounds (TICs) 1,104
NJL800046088 Ewing Twp Road Department 2/24/99 20 35,513 Ether 718
NJL600134340 Private Property 3/6/00 17.8 578,585 Benzene 2,870

Ether, t-Butyl Alcohol,
Tentatively Identified
NJD011788130 Hough Petroleum 2/1/00 18 45,166 Compounds (TICs) 903

Ether, t-Butyl Alcohol,
naphthalne, Lead (Pb),
NJP000776807 Hess Service Station #30239 11/12/97 Indeterminant 30,228 Ethylbenzene 677
NJD980763452 Stoudt's Bus Service 2/25/99 9 28,383 Benzene, t-Butyl Alcohol, 741
80
Area of Perimeter of
Date CEA Duration of CEA CEA Boundary
Site ID Name approved CEA (years) (square feet) Type of Contaminants (feet)
Benzene, Vinyl Chloride, Lead

(Pb), Arsenic, Chromium,
Cadmium, Mercury, Volatile
Organic Contaminants,
Aluminum, barium, Iron,
NJ9170022694 Naval Air Warfare 6/6/00 30 1,675,930 Manganese, Nickel 8,506

Johnson & Johnson Flight Ether, Bis(2-
NJD153781182 Source 12/5/97 7 9,375 ethylhexyl)phthalate 466
NJL600013106 Wates & Bugbee, Inc 3/16/00 8 6,471 Ether, Xylenes 296
Date CKE Area of Perimeter of
was Duration of CKE CKE Boundary
Site ID Name approved CKE (years) (square feet) Type of Contaminants (feet)
Unknown Hillwood Lakes (Unknown) (not listed) 3,220,129 (none listed) 7,635
Source: NJDEP
81
HOPEWELL
Map 18: Known Contaminated Ardleigh Pond, Inc.
NJ DOT I-95 & Scotch Road

Ewing Creek
Sites (2001) 637

Sierra Office Park 151 Bull Run Road
647
Bull Mercer County Vocational School
R un
d
d
Bu
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a
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a
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rc
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ad
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n

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nue La e
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oad
31 Main Blvd.
31 Gr
DE
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L
d
Exxon Service Station Harding St. Ground Wtr Contamination
Ewing Twp. Board of Education

AW
Sco t
d
Ro a
AR
NJ State Police Headquarters R oa
General Motors Corp. (Fisher Body Div.)

Gra
Mobil Service Station
ER
rry
rry
n
e Theresa Street
LOWER
I VE
rF 250 Claflin Ave.
R
dA
pe
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MAKEFIELD t Up
ven
es Claflin Ave. Grnd Wtr Contamination

u
634
Low
W
e
R 18 St. Paul Ave.
s iv e et
Bu
a ll

Jewish Community Center Rhein Chemie Corp.
rR Carrolls Service Center

Stre 171 & 175 Upland Ave.

t to
sF 634 rset
ad
oa
d er e Kennys Cleaners Some
nw
d Mobil Service Station

o
Ro
ud dg
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a
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Pa
Roller Bearing Company of America NJDOT Fernwood Garage rk
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wa
NJDOT Fernwood

This map was developed using New Jersey Ewing Twp. Grd Wtr Contamination
y
ive
W ilbu
n

Av
ton
NJDOT Fernwood (Bldg 2)
Ru
en
re n
ld
Mobil Service Station
ue
Go
Incarnation RC Church
st T
verified by NJDEP and is not state-authorized. 622 Ewing Twp. Road Dept.
We
579 Nort h
Old en
Waters & Bugbee, Inc.
St Grant Co., Inc. Ave. 7-11 Store
R3
De
l aw uy
ve Ext. Exxon Service Station

NJ Manufactures Insurance Co. sa National Beer Distributors
Status a re
an nt

Ewing TV ek
Nassau eChemical Corp.

Av
Solomons Service Center dR en Amaco Service Station Cr
Su
ari
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nk
Sp
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lliv
Dan an

Pelican Pools 1716 Olden Ave. Northku
ba
Ca Mobil Service Station
r uc
an
iel
N Bra na
l ha
t
tS
yH s
eS
Pending
Wa
Yardley ighw

We
Penew Je y
tre
ay Nexus Properties, Inc.

tree

e
Lost River Golf

t
nsy rsey
l va
ct S
No Further Action n ia
spe
Fitzpak, Inc. Faigle Properties

ro
nu
Hess Service Station

P
Ave
Stouts Bus Service

Level of Site Complexity

Trentypo, Inc.
e

sid

Petroleum Products Company
rk
DE 206
Pa
B - A single phase remedial action in emergency response, LA

C3 - A multi-phase remedial action
et
WA with high complexity and Trenton City \

]
re
RE
simple removal activities of contaminants usually no threatening sites. Multiple contaminants some at high Morris Wheeler & Co., Inc.

St
RI V
E Gentry Holdings, Inc.
n

impact to soil or groundwater concentrations with unknown sources Rcontinuing to Trenton Printing Company
ou
impact soils, groundwater and possibly surface waters

alh
Trenton Housing Authority

C

C1 - A remedial action with simple sites, one or two and potable water resources. Dangerous for direct Sunoco Service Station

29
contaminants localized to soil and the immediate contact with contaminated soils.

spill or discharge area.
Miles
D - Same conditions as C3 except that D levels are also 147 Boudinot Street 0 0.25
NEW METHOD CLEANERS 1
C2 - A remedial action with more complicated contaminant usually designated Federal "Superfund Sites".

0.5 WILLIFORD DELI
discharges, multiple site spills and discharges, more
INDUSTRIAL METAL CLEANERS

than one contaminant, with both soil and groundwater

Delaware Valley WARREN BALDERSTON
Planning Commission
impacted or threatened. No Information Regional
March
2005 MONUMENT MEDICAL ARTS CENTER

.

Map 19: Sites with CEA & Classification Exception Area (CEA)

CKE Area Designations Currently Known Extent of Groundwater Contamination (CKE)

HOPEWELL

NJ Public Community Supply Well

Ardleigh NJ Public Non-Community Supply Well
Pond Inc
Ewing Creek

637
647
Bull
611
d
d
Run
a
R oad
oa
Johnson & Johnson
d
Ro
R
Flight Source
ty
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oa
i
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ree
lC
rs e
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ek
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ob
ad Mercer County Airport
Fe
Jac
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r
Vi
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o
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6 636 ille
32 Hillwood Lakes
2- Ro
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Un Lake Sylva g
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s Co
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n
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e
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à Warfare Center Carlton Av n
unty
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enu e Power House La rts
ad
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Facilities Eg
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31 re
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DE

L
ad
AW
d Exxon Service
Scotc
AR
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ER
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IV
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e
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et Str e
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e
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634 ers
n
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od
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ay
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e
Waters & Bugbee, Inc.
on
n
Wi
t
Av
LOWER
Ru
en
Hough Petroleum
ren
ld
Incarnation Church
ue
Go
MAKEFIELD
st T
622 Ewing Twp.
We
579 Exxon Stoudt’s
St
Service Station Bus Road Department Shell
R3
De
la
uy National Beer Patricelli
ue
wa ve Service Service
sa Distributors Mini Mall
en
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an Station
Av
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en
S
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S
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t
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c
Source : NJDEP,NJDOT,DVRPC. n ia Hess Hydrocarbon

This map was developed using New Jersey Service Technologies Inc.
spe
Department of Environmental Protection Station

Pro
Geographic Information System digital data, Trenton City

but this secondary product has not been DE
LA
verified by NJDEP and is not state-authorized. Yardley WA
RE 206 Exxon Service
RIV \
] Station
E R Comcast
Cable
Me
0 0.25 0.5 1
Snyder Property
Bu rcer
Miles ck C 29
s C oun
Brunswick Avenue
Delaware Valley ou ty Coal Gas (PSE&G)
Regional Planning Commission nty
. March 2005
TRENTON MERCER AIRPORT
The Trenton Mercer Airport is owned and operated by Mercer County, New Jersey. It is located
in Ewing Township, near the border with Hopewell Township, and between Interstate 95 and the
CSX rail line. The facility is composed of two main runways, a control tower, a two-gate
terminal, and various corporate storage and maintenance hangars. According to the county, the
existing 1970s terminal is outdated, and enhancements are needed to meet current and future
travel demands. Mercer County would like to upgrade the facility by constructing a new, two-
gate terminal, but not expand its capacity.
In 1997, the county hired DMJM + Harris, Inc. to conduct a preliminary study and present
airport expansion concepts. The study concluded that it would be more cost effective to construct
a new airport terminal, rather than renovate the existing terminal. In 1998, two alternatives were
considered. The first alternative involved construction of a two-gate, 44,000-square-foot facility
that could meet existing and future needs. The second alternative involved construction of a
four-gate, 64,000-square-foot terminal that could accommodate a low-fare/high-frequency
commercial air carrier. In both alternatives, the original terminal would remain and be used for
airport-related activities.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reviewed the expansion/upgrade alternatives and
decided a full environmental assessment was necessary. The final environmental assessment
was published in November of 2002. A copy of the report can be found on the Mercer County
website: www.mercercounty.org.
The environmental assessment focused on the 44,000-square-foot alternative and reviewed

possible environmental and socioeconomic impacts of such a scenario. A number of areas of
concern were evaluated: noise levels, land use and zoning impacts, social impacts, environmental
justice concerns, air and water quality standards, possible disruption to biotic communities,
historic or cultural resources, endangered or threatened species, wetland disturbance, solid waste
concerns, construction impacts, and consistency with federal, state and local master plans.
According to the report, noise levels would be within acceptable limits; there would be no land
use or zoning revisions needed; and the construction of a new airport terminal would not “induce
growth and development in the surrounding airport environs.” Low income or minority
populations would not be displaced, and increases in air emissions would not be worse than what
is considered acceptable.
Biotic communities would be affected. According to the assessment, 33.95 acres of currently
vegetated areas would be impacted. The impacted areas would include 28 acres of maintained
lawn, 4.33 acres of scrub-shrub, 1.55 acres of mixed upland hardwood forest, and 0.07 of
wetlands. There would be an increased amount of storm water runoff. However, to mitigate the
effects of this runoff, a storm water detention facility would be constructed to hold the runoff and
release it at a volume and rate that would not exceed pre-expansion levels.
At the time of this report, there were no approved plans for the Trenton Mercer Airport. There
continues to be a significant amount of controversy over any airport modifications. For
84
resources regarding the Trenton Mercer Airport, please refer to the Trenton Mercer Airport
section of the Works Cited section.
Trenton Mercer Airport Terminal
Source: Trenton Mercer Airport website <http://www.mercercounty.org/airport/index.htm>
85
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Contaminated Sites
Environmental Defense, 7 March 2005. www.scorecard.org
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Guidance Document for CEA and CKE
7 March 2005. http://www.nj.gov/dep/srp/guidance/cea
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Site Remediation Program: Mercer

County. 24 June 2004. <http://www.state.nj.us/dep/srp/kcs-nj/mercer/index.html>.
United States Environmental Protection Agency. Superfund. 24 June 2004.

<http://www.epa.gov/superfund/>.
General Reference
Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions (ANJEC). Acting Locally. Municipal

Tools for Environmental Protection. Mendham, NJ:ANJEC, 2002.
Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions (ANJEC). The Environmental Manual

for Municipal Officials. Mendham, NJ:ANJEC, 1998.
Franklin Township Environmental Commission. Environmental Resource Inventory for

Franklin Township, Gloucester County New Jersey. Phila. PA, DVRPC, February 4,
2002.
Honachefsky, William B. Ecologically Based Municipal Land Use Planning. Lewis Publishers
(CRC Press), Boca Raton, FL, 2000.
New Jersey Office of Information Technology. New Jersey Image Warehouse.

<http://njgin.nj.gov/OIT_IW/index.jsp>.
NJ Department of Environmental Protection

· www.state.nj.us/dep/gis – For Geographic Information System maps and table data.
· www.state.nj.us/dep/landuse – For information on wetlands and flood hazard area
regulations and permits.
· www.state.nj.us/dep/srp/kcs–nj/mercer/– To check the Known Contaminated Site List
pertaining to the township for periodic updates.
90
· www.state.nj.us/dep/srp/contacts – To reach the case manager for a Known
Contaminated Site.
· www.dbcrssa.rutgers.edu/ims/vernal – For mapping and data on Vernal Pools.
· www.state.nj.us/dep/dwq – To reach the Division of Water Quality.
· The Clean Water Book: Lifestyle Choices for Water Resource Protection, Trenton, NJ,
1997.
· Division of Water Quality, Bureau of Nonpoint Pollution Control. A Homeowner's
Manual for Septic Systems, 1999.
· www.nj.gov/dep/landuse/njac/njac.html - Land Use Regulation Program.
Soils/Geography/Geology
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection News Release “DEP Releases New Radon
Guidance to Help Remedial Efforts,” January 20, 2005.
Widmer, Kemble. The New Jersey Historical Series, Vol. 19: The Geology and Geography of
New Jersey. Princeton: D. Van Nostrand Company, 1964.
United States Department of Agriculture. Natural Resource Conservation Service. Technical

Resources. Soils. 5 August 2004. <http://www.nj.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/soils/>.
Mercer County Soil Conservation District. 5 August 2004. <http://mercerscd.org/>.
United States Department of Agriculture. Official Soils Series Descriptions. 5 August 2004.
<http://soils.usda.gov/technical/classification/osd/>.
United States Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service. Soil Survey of Mercer
County, New Jersey. Princeton: USDA, 1972.
Trenton Mercer Airport
Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission. Mercer County-Airport Region: Multi-Modal

Transportation Center Study – Phase I. September 2004.
DMJM + Harris, Inc. Final Environmental Assessment Trenton-Mercer Airport. November

2002. (As of January 21, 2005, the report could be accessed on the Mercer County
website <http://www.mercercounty.org/ea/final_index.htm>).
Mercer County, New Jersey. Trenton Mercer Airport. 6 January 2005.

<http://www.mercercounty.org/airport/airlines.htm>
P.L.A.N.E. (People Limiting Airport Noise and Expansion). 6 January 2005

<http://www.mercercounty.org/airport/airlines.htm>.
91
GLOSSARY OF ACRONYMS
AMNET Ambient Biomonitoring Network

ASWM Ambient Surface Water Monitoring Network
CERCLA Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act
CERCLIS Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability
Information System
CRP Conservation Reserve Program

DVRPC Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission
ELSA Ewing-Lawrence Sewage Authority
EPA Environmental Protection Agency (United States)
EQIP Environmental Quality Incentive Program
ERI Environmental Resource Inventory
FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency
FSA Farm Service Agency
HUC Hydrologic Unit Code
LOI Letter of Interpretation
NHP National Heritage Priority
NJDEP New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
NJDOT New Jersey Department of Transportation
NJPDES New Jersey Pollution Discharge Elimination System
NPL National Priorities List
NRCS Natural Resource Conservation Service
NRI Natural Resource Inventory
OPRA Open Public Records Act
TMDL Total Maximum Daily Load
USDA United States Department of Agriculture
USGS United States Geological Survey
WMA Watershed Management Area
92
CITATIONS
P.L. 93-205. Federal Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA).
P.L. 95-217. Federal Clean Water Act.
P.L. 96-510. Federal Comprehensive, Environmental Response, Compensations and Liability Act
of 1980 (CERCLA).
P.L. 105-312. Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.
N.J.S.A. 13:1B-15.151 et seq. New Jersey Endangered Plant Species Act.
N.J.S.A. 23:2A et seq. New Jersey Endangered and Nongame Species Conservation Act of 1973.
N.J.S.A. 58:10A-1 et seq. New Jersey Water Pollution Control Act.
N.J.S.A 58:16A-50 et seq. New Jersey Flood Hazard Area Control Act.
N.J.A.C. 7:7A et seq. New Jersey Freshwater Wetlands Protection Act Rules.
N.J.A.C 7:8 et seq. Stormwater Management Rules
N.J.A.C. 7:9B-1.12. New Jersey Surface Water Quality Standards.
N.J.A.C. 7:9E. Private Well Testing Act
N.J.A.C. 7:13 et seq. New Jersey Flood Hazard Area Control.
N.J.A.C. 7:14A-2 et seq. New Jersey Pollution Discharge Elimination System – General
Program Requirements.
N.J.A.C 7:15 et seq. Water Quality Management Planning Rule
N.J.A.C. 10:1B. Open Public Records Act of 2002
93
CONTACTS AND RESOURCES
Regional and State Affiliated Offices & WMA 11 Central Delaware

Valerie Benesh
Organizations C/o the Delaware River Basin Commission
Valerie.benesh@drbc.state.nj.us
Delaware River Basin Commission 609-883-9500 ext. 246
P.O. Box 7360
West Trenton, NJ 08628-0360 New Jersey Department of
609/883-9500 Environmental Protection:
www.nj.gov/drbc/edweb/edweb.htm
· To report environmental incidents, abuses,
The DRBC is an inter-governmental and complaints, call 1-877-WARNDEP.
organization focused on managing the natural · For information on water quality, visit the
resources of the Delaware River, the longest un- Division of Water Quality at
dammed river east of the Mississippi, and its www.state.nj.us/dep/dwq or call 609/633-1208.
tributaries. · For information on the Private Well
Testing Act, visit www.state.nj.us/dep/pwta or
Delaware Valley Regional Planning call 1-866/4PW-TEST.
Commission (DVRPC) · For information on Certified Water Testing
111 S. Independence Mall East Laboratories in New Jersey, visit
Philadelphia, PA 19106 www.state.nj.us/dep/dwq/labcert.htm
215/592-1800 · Division of Fish & Wildlife:
www.dvrpc.org www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/
DVRPC is an interstate governmental · New Jersey Geological Survey:
organization, serving nine counties in the New Information on NJ geology, aquifers,
Jersey/Pennsylvania area. DVRPC works to foster groundwater, and wells.
regional cooperation between city, county, and state www.state.nj.us/dep/njgs.
governments and focuses on transportation, land use, · Office of Natural Lands Management.
environmental and economic development issues. Information on state management and planning
DVRPC also provides services and advice to member programs.
governments through planning. http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/natu
ral/
· Green Acres Program. Created in 1961,
New Jersey Watershed Ambassadors
this program works in concert with local
Program governments and nonprofits to protect,
AmeriCorps and NJ Department of preserve, and enhance New Jersey’s natural
Environmental Protection sponsor the Watershed environment and its historic, scenic, and
Ambassadors Program, employing individuals recreational resources for public use and
committed to environmental and watershed enjoyment. Through voter referendum, the
education. There are 20 ambassadors for the 20 state has authorized tens of millions of funding
Watershed Management Areas (WMAs) in New for preservation efforts.
Jersey. Ambassadors do school presentations on http://www.state.nj.us/dep/greenacres/
various watershed subjects, bring students out to
local water-bodies, and organize community New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure
members into River Assessment Teams (RATs) and Trust
Biological Assessment Teams (BATs). Ewing
Township falls in to WMA 11 – Central Delaware Dirk Hofman, Executive Director
Tributaries. Read more about the Watershed P.O. Box 440
Ambassadors Program at Trenton, NJ 08625
www.state.nj.us/dep/watershedmgt/. Following is the 609/219-8600
contact information for the Ambassadors serving The mission of the New Jersey Environmental
Ewing Township and Mercer County: Infrastructure Trust is to assist the people of New
Jersey in achieving a cleaner and healthier
94
environment by providing low-cost financing for the County Offices
construction of environmental infrastructure projects
that enhance and protect ground and surface water
resources, ensure the safety of drinking water
supplies, and make possible responsible and Mercer County 4-H
sustainable economic development. Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Mercer County
930 Spruce Street
New Jersey’s Landscape Project Trenton, NJ 08648-4584
609/989-6833
New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife -The www.mgofmc.org/rutgers.html
Endangered and Nongame Species Program An informal education program for school-age
PO Box 400 boys and girls, 4-H is the Youth Development
Trenton, NJ 08625-0400 Program of Rutgers Cooperative Extension of
609-292-9400 Gloucester County. Programs and activities are
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/ensp/landscape/ designed to provide youth with life skills such as
The Landscape Project, initiated in 1994, is a public speaking, leadership and citizenship. The
proactive, ecosystem-level approach to long-term “School Enrichment program” offers free classroom
protection of imperiled species and their habitat in presentations for grades K – 5 on some
New Jersey. Its goal is to protect New Jersey’s environmental topics. There are also 4–H curricular
biological diversity by maintaining and enhancing resources that can be found at www.n4hccs.org.
imperiled wildlife populations within healthy,
functioning ecosystems. Mercer County Park Commission
New Jersey’s Vernal Pools http://www.mercercounty.org/parks/index.htm

Grant F. Walton Center for Remote Sensing &
Spatial Analysis The Mercer County Park Commission began
Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences consolidating public land and acquiring more land in
Building the 1970s. Today, the county manages over 4,000
Cook College, Rutgers University acres of public facilities. County facilities include
14 College Farm Road four public golf courses, ice skating center, six indoor
New Brunswick, NJ, USA, 08901-8551 tennis courts, 26 outdoor tennis courts, the Howell
732/932-1582 Living History Farm (in Hopewell Township), the
http://www.crssa.rutgers.edu/projects/biodiv/ Mercer County Equestrian Center (in Hopewell
Township), Waterfront Park, and several other parks
The number of healthy ecologically intact vernal and picnic areas.
pools has declined significantly over the past several
decades in New Jersey as a result of development in
Mercer County Planning Division,
rural areas. The loss of this critical habitat has
consequently put the species that depend on vernal McDade Administration Building
pools for breeding habitat at risk. To stave off the 640 South Broad Street
destruction of vernal pools, NJDEP recently adopted PO Box 8068
regulations that afford them protection under the Trenton, NJ 08650-0068
State Freshwater Wetlands Protection Act. NJDEP 609/989-645
and ENSP need volunteers to survey vernal pools to http://www.mercercounty.org/planning/index.htm
protect imperiled species and their habitat. To learn The Planning Division creates the County Master
more about the vernal pools in your area, visit Plan, does transportation and environmental
Rutgers University’s CRSSA website, which assisted planning, and serves as the representative agency and
NJDEP in identifying vernal pools throughout the coordinator for regional and state planning projects.
state. It also does subdivision and site plan reviews, serves
as a data management resource center, and provides
mapping services and maps to other agencies and to
municipalities.
95
Mercer County Soil Conservation District Program (EQIP), a voluntary program that
encourages the "due care" management of
William F. Brash, Jr. agricultural lands, which involves the regulated use
District Director of fertilizer and pesticide applications to farmland.
508 Hughes Drive EQIP funds up to 75 percent of the costs of eligible
Hamilton Square, NJ 08690 conservation practices.
301 Hollydell Drive, Sewell, NJ 08080
609/598-9603 Township Resources
http://mercerscd.org/
Soil Conservation Districts are special-purpose
Ewing Township Municipal Offices
political subdivisions of the New Jersey Department
of Agriculture, and are charged with implementing 2 Jake Garzio Drive
natural resource conservation and assistance Ewing, NJ 08626
programs. The Mercer County Soil Conservation 609/883-2900
District provides conservation education, watershed http://www.ewingtwp.net/
planning, technical assistance, and regulatory
enforcement. The district provides educational Ewing Township Historical Preservation
opportunities to K-12 students through classroom Society
demonstrations, and participates in fairs and festivals.
Judith Peoples, President
Benjamin Temple House
Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Ewing, New Jersey
Mercer County 609/530-1220
930 Spruce Street 609/883-2455
Trenton, NJ 08648-4584 http://www.ethps.org/
609/989-6833
http://www.mgofmc.org/rutgers.html NonProfit Organizations and Institutions
Rutgers University, working with County
agencies, offers research-based information and Association of New Jersey
advice to improve people’s daily lives in the areas of Environmental Commissions
agriculture and resource management, family and
community health, programs for youth (4-H), and PO Box 157
home horticulture assistance. The Agricultural Mendham, NJ 07945
Extension Agent and the Master Gardeners program 971-539-7547
provide direct aid on gardening, pest problems, and http://www.anjec.org/
other matters. ANJEC is a statewide nonprofit organization
that assists the efforts of environmental commission,
local officials, interested citizens, private
Federal Resources
organizations, and government agencies. ANJEC
supports the protection of a community’s natural
USDA NRCS Service Center Office resources through smart growth and coordination
with the State Plan, open space preservation, water
Janice Reid, District Conservationist resource protection, and stewardship of urban
Freehold Service Center environments.
Monmouth Agriculture Building
4000 Kozloski Road, Suite D Delaware Riverkeeper Network
Freehold, NJ 07728
732/462-0075 P.O. Box 326
http://www.nj.nrcs.usda.gov/ Washington Crossing, PA 18977
215/369-1181
The Natural Resources Conservation Service www.delawareriverkeeper.org
(NRCS), a division with the U.S. Department of The Riverkeeper is a nonprofit, membership
Agriculture, provides technical assistance to private organization founded in 1988 to strengthen citizen
landowners in the conservation and management of protection of the Delaware River and its tributary
their soil, water, and other natural resources. NRCS watersheds. The organization works throughout the
administers the Environmental Quality Incentive entire 13,000-square-mile watershed area, which
96
includes portions of NY, NJ, PA, and DE. Programs Delaware and Raritan Greenway Land
include an advocacy program, restoration projects, Trust
volunteer-based monitoring programs, pollution
hotlines, and enforcement task force. Call 1-800-8- 1327 Canal Road
DELAWARE. Princeton, NJ 08540
609/924-4646
The College of New Jersey www.drgreenway.org
Department of Biology The D&R Greenway Land Trust is central
Biology Building P.O. Box 7718 New Jersey’s nonprofit land preservation
2000 Pennington Rd. organization, founded in 1989 through the
Ewing, NJ 08628-0718 collaboration of four active organizations: Stony
Phone: (609) 771-2371 Fax: (609) 637-5118 Brook-Millstone Watershed Association, Friends of
http://www.tcnj.edu/%7Ebiology/ Princeton Open Space, Regional Planning
A leading public institution, The College of New Partnership, and the Delaware & Raritan Canal
Jersey (TCNJ) combines liberal education with Commission. In recent years, land preservation work
professional preparation. TCNJ provides a expanded beyond the Delaware & Raritan Canal,
collaborative, learning-centered environment in throughout a 1,500-square-mile area including
which highly qualified and diverse faculty, staff, and Delaware, Raritan, and Millstone watersheds (all of
students integrate teaching, research, scholarship, Mercer County and parts of Hunterdon, Somerset,
creative activity, and community service. Through Middlesex, Burlington, and Monmouth counties).
intellectual, social, and cultural contributions, TCNJ The Land Trust’s main goal is to safeguard the water
enriches the lives of those in the campus community quality, environment and livability of our region by
and surrounding region. establishing greenways surrounding stream corridors,
headwaters, water recharge areas, and significant
ecosystems.
Richard Stockton College of New Jersey
Environmental Studies and Geology Program Assunpink Creek Watershed Association

Coordinator
PO Box 195 45 Ewingville Rd
Pomona, NJ 08240-0195 Ewing, NJ 08638-2713
Phone: (609) 652-4546 http://www.assunpinkcreekwa.org/
http://talon.stockton.edu/eyos/page.cfm?siteID=14&p The Assunpink Creek Watershed
ageID=83&program=ENVL Association is a grassroots organization of concerned
The Richard Stockton College of New citizens committed to the preservation of natural
Jersey and its Environmental Studies program is resources in the Assunpink watershed. It is an active
known for embracing southern New Jersey’s unique organization that uses citizen volunteers and
ecology and its extraordinary citizens and leaders. community organizing to address technical issues
Richard Stockton College funds large, long-term such as low stream flow, flooding, development and
research projects in the Pinelands area and facilitates increased stormwater runoff, groundwater resources,
short informational programs and academic courses and restoration of stream corridors. The association
for citizens regarding their local ecosystem. identifies land preservation as a significant action that
would preserve natural resources as well as restore
ecological health to the threatened watershed.
97
APPENDIX A: Vertebrate Animals Known or Probable in the Township of
Ewing
Species General Habitat Township Locations
Mammals
Opossum All Habitats Throughout
Short-tailed Shrew Woodlands Throughout
Eastern Mole Uplands Throughout
Star-nosed Mole Uplands Throughout, Occasional
Little Brown Bat Uplands Throughout
Eastern Pipistrel Uplands Throughout
Eastern Cottontail All Habitats Throughout, Common
Eastern Chipmunk Woodlands Throughout
Woodchuck Woodlands and Fields Throughout
Gray Squirrel Woodlands Throughout, Common
White-footed Mouse Woodlands Throughout
Jumping Mouse Fields Throughout
Meadow Vole Open Fields Throughout
Red-backed Vole Woodlands Throughout
Muskrat Wetlands Throughout
Brown Rat Wetlands, Homes, Farms Throughout
House Mouse Homes and Residential areas Throughout
Red Fox All Habitats Throughout
Raccoon All Habitats Throughout, Common
Long-tailed Weasel Wetlands Throughout
Striped Skunk Uplands Throughout, Common
White-tailed Deer All Habitats Throughout, Common
Mink Wetlands Throughout
Birds
Great–crested Cormorant Open Water Delaware River; Tidal waters
Great Blue Heron Open Marsh, Lake Edges Throughout
Great Egret Open Marsh, Lake Edges Throughout
Snowy Egret Open Marsh, Lake Edges Throughout
Green-backed Heron Open Marsh, Lake Edges Throughout
Mute Swan Open Water Large Lakes
Snow Goose Winter Migrant in Fields Open farms
Canada Goose Open Water, Fields Throughout, Common
Wood Duck Forested Wetlands Throughout
Blue-winged Teal Wetlands Winter Migrant
Green-winged Teal Wetlands Winter Migrant
Black Duck Marsh, Lakes Throughout
Mallard Wetlands Throughout
Gadwall Open Water Winter Migrant
Northern Shoveler Duck Open Water Winter Migrant
Ring-necked Duck Open Water Winter Migrant
Greater & Lesser Scaup Open Water Winter Migrant
Bufflehead Open Water Winter Migrant
98
Hooded Merganser Open Water Winter Migrant
Ruddy Duck Open Water Winter Migrant
Black Vulture Open fields Throughout
Turkey Vulture All Habitats Throughout
Osprey Open Water Lakes and Ponds
Northern harrier Open Fields Throughout
Sharp-shinned Hawk Woodlands Throughout
Cooper’s Hawk Woodlands Throughout
Broad-winged Hawk Open Fields Throughout
Red-tailed Hawk All Habitats Throughout
American Kestrel Open Fields Throughout
Ringed-neck Pheasant Old Fields, Farms Released; Throughout
Wild Turkey Woodlands Throughout
Bobwhite Old Field, Woodlands Throughout
Killdeer Bare Ground, Lake Edges Throughout
Lesser Yellowlegs Lake Edges Throughout
Solitary Sandpiper Lake Edges Throughout
Spotted Sandpiper Lake Edges Throughout
American Woodcock Wetland Forests Throughout
Laughing Gull Open Water, Parking Lots Summer Visitor
Ring-billed Gull Open Water, Parking Lots Throughout
Herring Gull Open Water, Dumps Winter Visitor
Rock Dove Houses and Bridges Throughout, Common
Mourning Dove Woodlands and Fields Throughout, Common
Black-billed Cuckoo Woodlands Occasional
Yellow-billed Cuckoo Woodlands Throughout
Barn Owl Farmland Throughout
Eastern Screech Owl Woodlands Throughout
Great Horned Owl Woodlands Throughout
Barred Owl Wetland Forests Wooded Wetlands
Saw-whet Owl Wetland Forests Wooded Wetlands
Common Nighthawk Upland Woodlands, Flat–roofed Buildings Summer Night Sky
Chimney Swift Bridges, House Chimneys Residential areas
Ruby-throated Hummingbird Woodlands and Fields Throughout
Belted Kingfisher Wetlands Throughout
Red-bellied Woodpecker Woodlands Throughout
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Woodlands Fall Migrant
Downy Woodpecker Woodlands Throughout
Hairy Woodpecker Woodlands Throughout
Northern Flicker Woodlands Throughout
Wood Pee-wee Woodlands Upland Woods
Eastern Phoebe Woodlands Throughout
Great Crested Flycatcher Woodlands Upland Woods
Eastern Kingbird Fields, Farmland Throughout
Purple Martin Open Fields, Wetlands Agricultural areas
Tree Swallow Wetlands Throughout
Barn Swallow Buildings, Bridges, Open Fields Throughout
Blue Jay Woodland, Parks, Residential Areas Throughout; Common
American Crow All Habitats Throughout, Common
Carolina Chickadee Woodlands Throughout, Common
Eastern Tufted Titmouse Woodlands Throughout, Common
99
White Breasted Nuthatch Woodlands Throughout
Brown Creeper Woodlands Throughout
Carolina Wren Woodland Edges, Yards Throughout, Common
House Wren Suburbs, Woodland Edges Throughout
Golden and Ruby crowned
Kinglets Woodlands Fall Migrant
Blue–gray Gnatcatcher Woodlands, Wetland Forests Throughout
Eastern Bluebird Woodland Edges Throughout
Wood Thrush Woodlands Throughout
American Robin All Habitats Throughout, Common
Catbird Woodland Edges, Yards Throughout
Mockingbird Hedgerows, Yards Throughout, Common
Brown Thrasher Woodlands Throughout
Cedar Waxwing Old Fields, Young Woodlands Throughout
European Starling All Habitats Residential areas; Pest
White-eyed Vireo Woodlands Throughout
Philadelphia Vireo Woodlands Migrant
Red-eyed Vireo Woodlands Wetland Forests
Yellow Warbler Upland Forest Throughout
Chestnut-side Warbler Woodlands Migrant
Black-throated Blue Warbler Woodlands Migrant
Yellow-rumped Warbler Woodlands Throughout
Pine Warbler Woodlands Throughout
Prairie Warbler Shrubby Areas Throughout
Palm Warbler Pine Woodlands Throughout
Black and White Warbler Pine Woodlands Migrant
Northern Parula warbler Woodlands Throughout
American Redstart Rich Woodlands Throughout
Ovenbird Woodlands Throughout
Common Yellowthroat Shrubby Areas Throughout
Scarlet Tanager Woodlands Throughout
Northern Cardinal Woodland Edges, Residential Areas Throughout; Common
Indigo Bunting Woodland Edges, Old Fields Throughout
Rufous–sided Towhee Pine Woodlands; Wetland Forests Throughout
Chipping Sparrow Woodlands, Suburbs Throughout
Field Sparrow Old Fields Throughout
Song Sparrow Old Fields Throughout
American Tree Sparrow Open Areas Throughout
White-throated Sparrow Woodlands, Suburban Feeders Winter Migrant
Dark-eyed Junco Woodlands Winter Migrant
Red-winged Blackbird Open Wetlands, Marsh Throughout
Common Grackle All Habitats Throughout; Common
Brown-headed Cowbird Open Areas Throughout; Pest
Orioles: Orchard and
Baltimore Woodlands, Edges Throughout
House Finch Open Areas, Old Fields Throughout
American Goldfinch Open Areas, Old Fields Throughout
House Sparrow Residential Areas, Old Fields Residential areas; Common
Reptiles
Bog Turtle Muddy Agricultural Fields/Wetlands Endangered
100
Common Snapping Turtle Ponds and Lakes Throughout
Stinkpot Turtle Wetlands Throughout
Spotted Turtle Freshwater Wetlands and Ponds Throughout
Eastern Box Turtle Uplands Throughout
Red-bellied Turtle Lakes and Ponds Throughout
Eastern Painted Turtle Lakes and Ponds Throughout
Northern Fence Lizard Uplands Throughout
Northern Water Snake Wetlands Throughout
Garter Snake All Habitats Throughout
Eastern Ribbon Snake Wetlands Throughout
Southern Ring-neck Snake Woodlands Throughout
Northern Black Racer Edge of Woodlands Throughout
Rough Green Snake Woodlands Throughout
Black Rat Snake All Habitats Throughout
Amphibians
Red-backed Salamander Woodlands Throughout
Fowler’s Toad Uplands Throughout
Spring Peeper Wetlands Throughout
Bull Frog Lakes and Ponds Throughout
Green Frogs Wetlands Throughout
Wood Frog Woodlands Throughout
Southern Leopard Frog Wetlands Throughout
Fish
Blacknose Dace Streams Jacobs Creek
American Eel Streams Jacobs Creek, Shabakunk
Danded Killfish Streams Jacobs Creek, Shabakunk
Tadpole Madtom Streams Jacobs Creek
Tessellated Darter Streams Jacobs Creek, Shabakunk
Spottail Shiner Streams Jacobs Creek, Shabakunk
Common Shiner Streams Jacobs Creek, Shabakunk
Golden Shiner Streams Jacobs Creek, shabakunk
Bridle Shiner Streams Shabakunk
Satinfin Shiner Streams Jacobs Creek
Creek Chub Streams Jacobs Creek, Shabakunk
White Sucker Streams Jacobs Creek, Shabakunk
Pumpkinseed Streams/Lakes Jacobs Creek, Shabakunk
Bluegill Streams Jacobs Creek
Largemouth Bass Streams Jacobs Creek
Brown Trout Streams Jacobs Creek
Stonecat Streams Jacobs Creek
Grass Pickerel Streams Shabakunk
Redbreast Sunfish Streams Jacobs Creek
Common Carp Streams Shabakunk
Green Sunfish Streams Shabakunk
Creek Shubsucker Streams Shabakunk
American Shad Streams Delaware River
Source: Modified from the Franklin Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey, Environmental Resource Inventory,
Compiled by Joseph Arsenault.
Fish Species Source: NJ DEP - Division of Fish and Wildlife - Bureau of Freshwater Fisheries
101
APPENDIX B: Plants and Animals of New Jersey’s Washington Crossing
State Park (located just north of Ewing Township on the Delaware River)
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
APPENDIX C: Deer Tolerant/Resistant Native Plants of the Bowman’s Hill
Wildlife Preserve
112
Appendix D:
113
Title of Report: Environmental Resource Inventory for Ewing Township,
Mercer County, New Jersey
Publication No.: 05008
Date Published: March 2005
Geographic Area Covered: Ewing Township, Mercer County,

New Jersey
Key Words: Environment, environmental resource inventory,

environmental commission, conservation, water
resources, natural resources, biological
resources, Ewing
ABSTRACT: This publication documents the natural and community resources of

Ewing Township, Mercer County, New Jersey. The natural resource information
includes descriptions, tables and maps of land use; soils; steep slopes; drinking water
wells; aquifers; watersheds; streams and lakes; wetlands, flood plains; impacts on water
resources; vegetation including forests and grasslands; animal communities; threatened
and endangered species; and contaminated sites. Community resources that are briefly
described include population, transportation, township utilities and services, protected
open space and historic resources. A short history of the township is also included.
Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission

8th Floor — The Bourse Building
111 South Independence Mall East
Philadelphia, PA 19106-2582
Phone: 215-592-1800
Fax: 215-592-9125
Internet: www.dvrpc.org
Staff contact: Patty Elkis, PP, AICP, Project Manager

Direct phone: 215-238-2838
E-mail: pelkis@dvrpc.org
114
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EWING

MERCER COUNTY, NEW JERSEY

DVRPC is funded by a variety of funding sources including federal grants

Map 1: Ewing Township .............................................................................................................. 10

· The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, Office of Smart Growth

Township Committee, Township of Ewing

The Ewing Township Environmental Commission

Patty Elkis – Project Manager

Special appreciation and thanks is extended to Ewing Township Environmental Commission

West Trenton Train Station

95/97 - 2000 Change

Total 9960 100% 9960 100%

Total 9960 100%

Land Use Categories nn r r a l a

This map was developed using New Jersey

Total 9960 100% 9960 100%

Land Use Categories 622 Nort h

Community Services Ne iel Bray Sh

Parking Trenton City

Residential:Multi-Family Vacant Source : NJDEP,NJDOT,DVRPC. Me

This map was developed using New Jersey

The Piedmont Plateau

Rapids on the Delaware River

Table 4: Agricultural Values for Ewing Soils

Designation Type Area (In Acres) Percent

Other Soil Wet soils, pits, steep

Source: NJ Farmlands Inventory, NJ Natural Resources Conservation Service

Matapeake Capability Units

Of Ewing’s soils, 16.2% are in the Matapeake series.

IV – Soils have very severe limitations that

Readington and Abbottstown

TOTAL ACRES 9960 100.00%

BucA, BucB, BucB2,

Matapeake MbpA, MbpB, MbpC2 1614.46 A A B 3

QukB, QukB2, QukC,

Key to Land Use Implications Key to Limitations

QukB 611 REFB DOZA

BhrsC REFB BucB2

BucB2 SacC2 SadB

Soil Types BhrsC

BhsgB MbpC2 Udv

BhmB BucC LbnC2 PeoC REFC2 UR Me UR

BhmB2 BucC2 LbnD2 PeoD RehA Udt rC Trenton City

BhrsB ChcC2 Mba QukC Ror Udx ER

BhrsC DOZA MbpA QukC2 SaaE Water

BhsgB DOZB MbpB QumB SacB

Source : NJDEP,NJDOT, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 29

Steep Slopes by Jacobs Creek

This map was developed using New Jersey

Delaware Valley Department of Environmental Protection Me

Geographic Information System digital data,

Regional Planning Commission rC

but this secondary product has not been Bu ou 29

Table 7: Watersheds in Ewing Township

The Alexauken Creek/Moore Creek/Jacob’s Creek watershed is a complex system of streams

Table 8: Ewing Township Streams

579 622 Nort h

Sub-Watershed (HUC 14)

This map was developed using New Jersey