Watershed Management Area 14
Mullica

Watershed Management Area 14 includes watersheds draining portions of the Pinelands of New Jersey. Major rivers include the Mullica, the Wading River, Nochescatauxin Brook, Atsion Creek, the Bass River, Batsto River, Nescochaque Creek, Landing Creek, Hammonton Creek and the Oswego River. The area lies in Burlington, Atlantic and Ocean Counties and includes the following watersheds: Mullica River, Mechescatauxin Creek, Wading River, Atsion Creek, Batsto River and Doughty Creek.

The Mullica River and tributaries are considered the primary drainage system for the Pinelands. The total area of the drainage basin (Mullica River and tributaries) is some 561 square miles. Major tributaries within the watershed include the Wading River, Nochescatauxin Brook, Atsion Creek, the Bass River, Batsto River, Nesocochaque Creek, Landing Creek, Hammonton Creek and the Oswego River. The Mullica River empties into Great Bay, a large estuarine system. The population centers are Winslow, Galloway and Hammonton.

About 80 percent of this watershed consists of state parks and forests, with the remainder being agricultural and developed areas. Of the approximately 7 NJPDES permitted discharges here, roughly half are municipal/institutional and half are industrial/commercial. The streams are classified FW-Pinelands Waters, FW-1, FW-2 Nontrout and SE-1. Much of these waterways are incorporated in the New Jersey Wild and Scenic River System.

For additional information on the Mullica Watershed Management Area, please contact:

Harold Nebling, WMA 14 Area Manager
Harold.Nebling@dep.state.nj.us
(609) 633-1989

Or visit the projects web site at www.nj.gov/pinelands/mullica

Watershed Management Area 14 Map
Watershed Management Area 14 Factsheet (PDF Format)

Watershed Plans
None at the present time

Priority Segment for Restoration
Hammonton Lake and headwaters

TMDL Implementation Priorities
Lake Absegami Eutrophication
Hammonton Lake Eutrophication

Active Projects

	Stormwater Basin Retrofit Projects for Increasing Recharge and Improving Water Quality Pinelands Commission Evaluation and assessment of selected stormwater basins to restore infiltration and improve water quality treatment throughout the watershed.
	Bass River Township Wastewater Management Plan Bass River Township This project will provide for development of a Wastewater Management Plan for Bass River Township.
	Decentralized Wastewater Management in the Mullica and other Pinelands Watersheds Pinelands Commission This pilot project will evaluate the effectiveness of five advanced alternative on-site wastewater treatment systems that provide enhanced nitrate-nitrogen removal prior to discharge to the high quality aquifers within the Pinelands. At the conclusion of the pilot project a BMP Manual for Onsite/Decentralized Wastewater Systems and Model Ordinances will be compiled to serve as a tool to all municipalities that may be required to control non-point source pollution through the use of onsite/decentralized wastewater system management.

WMA 15 Partnerships
Hammonton Borough
Jacques Cousteau National Research Reserve
New Jersey Clean Vessel Act Program
Pinelands Commission
Rutgers University

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