River Talk: Watersheds 101: The Importance of our Headwaters and Vegetated Buffers

Join the Musconetcong Watershed Association for our first IN-PERSON River Talk of 2023, which will take place on Tuesday, May 16, 7:00 - 8:30p.m. at our River Resource Center, located at 10 Maple Ave., Asbury, NJ 08802.

This presentation, led by Stroud Water Research Center's Dave Bressler and the MWA's Christa Reeves, will provide an overview of the science of watersheds with a focus on the Musconetcong River Watershed. Learn about headwaters, or the small streams that feed into and create larger river systems, as well as riparian buffers, the areas of vegetation along our streams and rivers. Through this presentation, you'll get to see how each of these is critical to water quality, mitigating stormwater and flooding, and overall river health throughout a watershed. Topics specific to the Musconetcong will include the MWA's 319(h) efforts, which centers on reducing nonpoint-source pollution, plus how our community-science-driven River Watchers program contributes to finding issues and informing solutions to reduce the impact of pollution to aquatic life and human health. Dave Bressler has been with Stroud Water Research Center for seven years.  He has an undergraduate degree in biology and anthropology and master’s degrees in water resources and science education.  At the Stroud Center, Dave supports community science across the Delaware River Basin. Prior to his work at the Stroud Center, he worked in private industry for 17 years supporting federal, state, and county government in freshwater science. Christa Reeves was born and raised in St. Petersburg, Florida and moved to Washington, New Jersey in 2011. She has always had an affinity for water, living a stone's throw from the Gulf of Mexico, and fell in love with the rivers in the region, so she went back to school to pursue a degree in science. She graduated from East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies with a focus in Stream Ecology and a minor in Geography with a focus in GIS. She is also a Certified Wetlands Delineator, from Rutgers University. Christa started with the MWA as a River Watcher in 2015 before transitioning into an intern role. Afterward, she was hired as the MWA's Water Quality Field Specialist, eventually being promoted to the position of Water Quality Program Coordinator in 2021. In addition to the MWA, she is also a Research Field Specialist for Northern Delaware Basin with Stroud Water Research Center as part of the EnviroDIY sensor project in coordination with the Delaware River Watershed Initiative.  Outside of MWA, she is the Vice President of the Lehigh Valley Chapter of the Pennsylvania Native Plant Society  Parking for this in-person River Talk is available at our River Resource Center, located at 10 Maple Ave., Asbury, NJ 08802, as well as across the street at our historic Asbury Mill, located at 476 Old Main St., Asbury, NJ 08802.  Space is limited for this event, so registration is required.  Please only register one person at a time.  If you have questions, please contact Ryan Jiorle, Community Engagement Coordinator for the MWA, at ryan@musconetcong.org, or call our office at (908) 537-7060.