Watershed Management Area 5
Hackensack, Hudson, Pascack

Watershed Management Area 5 has a drainage area of approximately 165 square miles, which includes parts of Hudson and Bergen Counties. WMA 5 is comprised of three watersheds: Hackensack River Watershed, Hudson River Watershed and Pascack Brook Watershed.

Although WMA 5 is the most populated of all the WMAs, approximately 50% of the land is still undeveloped, with more than 30% residential development. The remaining developed land is commercial/industrial use. Much of the lower Hackensack River Watershed is tidal marsh known as the Hackensack Meadowlands. The Meadowlands are home to more than 700 plant and animal species including several rare and threatened species. The Hackensack Meadowlands Development Commission (HMDC) was created by an act of the New Jersey Legislature in 1968 and was passed into law in January 1969. The act gave the HMDC three mandates; environmental protection, economic development and solid waste management. HMDC district size is 19,730 acres, 32 square miles and is located in the Hackensack River Watershed.

For additional information on the Hackensack, Hudson and Pascack Watershed Management Area, please contact:

Michele Bakacs, WMA 5 Area Manager
Michele.Bakacs@dep.state.nj.us
(609) 292-9247

Watershed Management Area 5 Map
Watershed Management Area 5 Factsheet (PDF Format)

Watershed Plans
WMA 5 Characterization and Assessment
Tenakill Brook (under development)
Musquapink Brook (under development)

Priority Segment for Restoration
Tenakill Brook headwater to confluence with Oradell Reservoir

TMDL Implementation Priorities
Tenakill Brook Fecal TMDL

Active Projects

	Section 319(h) NPS Grant: Demarest Park Shoreline Restoration and Stormwater BMP Project Town of Demarest This project will stabilize 1600 linear feet of degraded shoreline around Demarest Pond along the Tenakill Brook and provide public access to the lake. The restoration will help reduce the harmful populations of waterfowl and a shoreline buffer will be installed using native vegetation and bioengineering techniques. Additionally, the project will reduce sediment and pollutant loading to the lake by retrofitting existing stormwater outfalls.
	Section 319(h) NPS Grant: Tenakill Brook Watershed Restoration and Protection Plan Rutgers University The goal of this project is to improve the water quality of the Tenakill Brook by developing a Watershed Restoration plan that achieves the required TMDL reductions and reduces the NPS pollutant loading that is contributing to the aquatic life impairment so that water quality standards may be met. The plan will define specific projects, both structural and nonstructural, that will be needed to achieve pollutant removals. Rutgers is working closely with the WMA 5 Public Advisory Committee on this project.
	Section 319(h) NPS Grant: Musquapink Brook Watershed Restoration and Protection Plan Rutgers University The goal of this project is to improved the water quality of the Musquapsink Brook by developing a Watershed Restoration Plan that achieves the required TMDL reductions and reduces the NPS pollutant loading that is contributing to the aquatic life and phosphorus surface water quality impairments so that water quality standards may be met. The plan will define specific projects, both structural and nonstructural, that will be needed to achieve pollutant removals. Rutgers is working closely with the WMA 5 Public Advisory Committee on this project.

WMA 5 Partnerships
Bergen Swan
New Jersey Meadowlands Commission
Northeast New Jersey Watershed Alliance
PSE&G
Palisades Interstate Park Commission
United Water

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