By Maddie Feaster / Upper Delaware Watershed Project Manager (NJ/PA)

Based on the outcomes from a February 2026 workshop with representatives from all NJ Trout Unlimited Chapters.

Priority Water: Flat Brook Watershed

Five-year Vision Statement: Over the next five years, TU and partners will work to ensure the FlatBrook Watershed persists as a stronghold for native brook trout populations. TU plans to conserve native brook trout by reconnecting habitat patches through barrier removal, reducing bank erosion, improving degraded stream sections, as well as increasing canopy cover for thermal refuge. TU will invest efforts in public outreach to educate communities about the use and value of habitat restoration projects and land conservation to enhance recreational opportunities for future generations and protect the most intact brook trout subwatershed in New Jersey.

Five-year Conservation Goals

1. Reconnect streams to allow fish passage, specifically native brook trout and improved flood resilience and public safety.

2. Improve land use protection to mitigate stream degradation and adverse water quality effects.

3. Evaluate areas where trout populations are marginal, reduce thermal impacts and mitigate habitat degradation to native trout and reduce pollution impacts from road runoff.

4. Restore riparian buffers to improve bank stabilization, reduce erosion, sedimentation and invasive species colonization.

5. Educate the public and advocate for coldwater conservation while promoting habitat enhancement work to benefit all users of the resource as well as downstream and upstream communities.

6. Build capacity for stream monitoring and data collection to protect coldwater streams from the potential threats of proposed land use and development.

7. Develop partnerships and identify funding sources to aid in the implementation of conservation projects.

Primary Conservation Strategies

1. Replace undersized stream crossings, remove man-made dams that are barriers to aquatic organism passage (AOP) and restore degraded stream sections. Implement projects that will provide AOP for all life stages of native trout, increase diversity of habitat, mitigate flood risks and restore the flow and function of rivers. Use available resources, including the FlatBrook Conservation Portfolio & Restoration Plan to prioritize barrier removal projects in allopatric streams. Educate private and public owners of stream crossings and dams about improved flood resiliency, public safety and economic benefits of removing failing infrastructure.

2. Coordinate education efforts with local groups about shared goals to conserve and protect land from external entities. Advocate for conservation easements and encourage town buffer ordinances to protect coldwater habitats by engaging local officials and land trusts.

3. Improve thermal impacts to native trout populations through continued temperature monitoring, increasing forest canopy to shade streams and increasing groundwater retention through strategic wood addition. Advocate for stormwater improvements in upstream communities to reduce thermal pollution caused by runoff from impervious surfaces.

4. Remove invasive plants and expand vegetative buffers with native trees, shrubs and pollinator-friendly species along tributaries to stabilize streambanks, reduce erosion and flooding and provide cooler water temperatures for native trout. Host tree planting events with the local community to give residents first-hand experience in the use and value of habitat enhancement work.

5. Plan meetings, events, river walks and presentations to a variety of stakeholders, including landowners, municipalities, state park staff, youth groups and recreation users about the benefits of stream connectivity, strategic wood addition projects, and riparian plantings. 

Encourage local schools and youth groups to participate in water quality sampling, watershed education and ‘Trout in the Classroom.’ 

Update education kiosks in partnership with the Native Fish Coalition to include TU’s restoration plans and upcoming events in the watershed.

6. Use evolving technological advances for continued water quality monitoring in the watershed. Coordinate with New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

(NJDEP) Fish & Wildlife, local TU chapters and NJTU Council for water quality oversight and implement continuous monitoring at strategic locations (ex. pre/post project data).

Efforts will include fish, macroinvertebrate and water quality monitoring, as well as habitat and spawning surveys. TU will gather robust documentation to protect high quality streamsections from increased development and ensure stream classifications (Trout Production, FW2-TP) are sustained.

7. Foster relationships with local nonprofits, property owners, decisionmakers and public land management agencies to communicate the importance of preserving and protecting this brook trout fishery. Continue to track and identify upcoming funding opportunities throughout the state to advance project implementation.

Current Partners

• Private engineering firms

• State and Federal Agencies: New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP)

• Fish & Wildlife, NJDEP Bureau of Environmental, Analysis, Restoration and Standards

• Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

• NJ School of Conservation

• Ridge and Valley Conservancy

• The Nature Conservancy’s Freshwater Restoration Team

• Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture (EBTJV)

• Friends of the Upper Delaware River (FUDR)

• Great Waters

Potential Partners and Affected Communities

• Flat Brook Watershed Partnership

• Native Fish Coalition

• NJ Corporate Wetlands

• NJ Watershed Ambassadors

• U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Partnership Program

• The Watershed Institute

• Foodshed Alliance

• American Rivers

• EPA: How’s My Waterway (See link below)

• Community Groups

• Academic Institutions (Rutgers University)

• No National Park NGO

Decisionmakers

• New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP)

• Army Corps of Engineers

• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

• New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT)

• Local Municipalities

• Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC)

• County Planning Departments

• Soil Conservation Districts

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service