The Raritan River We Know and Love

By Judy Shaw, Ph.D., Urban Environmental Planner,
Watershed Policy Coordinator, Author

New Jersey: Upper Raritan Basin, Hunterdon County, Tewksbury Township, Oldwick, aerial view of countryside at sunrise from hot-air balloon,

USA: New Jersey, Upper Raritan River Basin, Upper Raritan Watershed Association (URWA) BioBlitz on May 21, 2011, sign for rain garden

USA: New Jersey, Upper Raritan River Basin, Mt. Olive Township, Budd Lake (town), Sandshore Road views of Budd Lake at sunset, (Budd Lake is headwaters of South Branch of the Raritan River), kayaker silhouette with dock in foreground

New Jersey: Upper Raritan Basin, Hunterdon County, Tewksbury Township, Califon, River Road, South Branch of Raritan River, man fly fishing in river for heritage trout among fallen fall foliage,

New Jersey: Upper Raritan Basin, Hunterdon County, Tewksbury Township, Mountainville, sunflower (‘Helianthus annus’) with tiger swallowtail butterfly (‘Pterourus glaucus’),

The Raritan River, a long unsung treasure of New Jersey, was high on the list of special places for No Water No Life Founder and Director, Alison Jones. She lived in this NWNL case-study watershed all through her childhood and much of her adulthood. Thanks to documentary efforts by Alison and other Raritan stewards, the Raritan has risen in the esteem of many.

I had the pleasure of working with her and the many organizations that dedicate themselves to restoring and protecting this river. My recently-published book, The Raritan River: Our Landscape, Our Legacy, contains her images and those of many others who clearly love this river and this region.

The book presents the story of key organizations and their leaders by region, so everyone can appreciate their hard work and dedication to the protection of the watershed. The beautiful banks of over 2000 miles of tributaries moved many area photographers and artists to capture its magical nature.

The book offers New Jersey people across the country to say, “Hey. This is the New Jersey we know and love. It’s more than a turnpike and heavy industry. It’s beautiful and it’s really special.”

Since I retired from Rutgers University in December as the Founding Director of the Edward J. Bloustein School’s Sustainable Raritan Initiative, I’ve had the pleasure of seeing the stewardship torch pass brightly on to the many who care as much as I did. So, get out and enjoy your natural treasures and capture the wonder in photos or paintings. You’ll be glad you did!

–Blog Post Written By Judy Shaw, NWNL Advisor