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Merrill Creek Reservior

Business Information
Name of Organization: 
Merrill Creek Reservior
Organization Type: 
Other
Business Description: 
Merrill Creek Reservoir is a 650-acre reservoir surrounded by a 290-acre Environmental Preserve and 2000 additional acres of woods and fields. Its basic purpose is to provide stored water that can be released to the Delaware River to make up for the evaporative water usage at certain electric generating units in times of low flow in the river. In addition to that basic purpose, Merrill Creek Reservoir provides a tranquil setting of water and land that allows people to interact with the natural environment through use of our hiking trails and fishing access.
Contact Person: 
John Parke
Title: 
Environmental Specialist
Business Location: 
Merrill Creek Reservior
34 Merrill Creek Road
07882 Washington , NJ
United States
40° 44' 20.0112" N, 75° 5' 29.184" W
See map: Google Maps
Phone: 
908-454-1213
Email: 
jparke@merrillcreek.com
Number of Employees: 
13
Website: 
https://merrillcreek.com/
Renewal Date: 
Thursday, February 16, 2023
Management and Leadership
Annual Environmental Goals
Description of Action: 
Implement NJDEP Approved Forest Stewardship Plan according to practice implementation schedule. All sustainable ecological forest stewardship practices listed in schedule are performed on an annual basis and have been completed to date according to said schedule.
Upload Document(PDF Only): 
PDF icon FSP and FSP schdule for MCR.pdf
Energy
Energy Efficiency
Description of Action: 
Replacement of incandescent and/or mercury vapor lighting at I/O Tower with LED lighting. Project was approved for partial reimbursement through JCP&L’s Energy Solutions for Business Prescriptive/Custom Program. Project# 003762-MERRILL CREEK RESERVOIR - OLA# 2695000-MERRILL CREEK RESERVOIR
kWh Saved: 
2,532
Upload Document (PDF Only): 
PDF icon MCR-JCPL Energy Soluation Program project workbook copy.pdf
Certification Programs
Certification Programs Other
Description of Action: 
2024 Winner of NJ Govenor's Environmental Excellence Award for Healthy Ecosystems and Habitat
Upload Document(PDF Only): 
PDF icon 2024-12-11 New Jersey’s Merrill Creek Reservoir Earns Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award.pdf
Environmental & Community Restoration
Environmental Restoration Project
Description of Action: 
Merrill Creek Reservoir performs active ecological forestry practices under the guidance of a State approved Forest Stewardship Plan. Each year a different conservation practice is implemented which include but is not limited too invasive exotic vegetation controls, timber stand improvement, and habitat restoration.
Acres Saved: 
1,737
Environmental Success
Description of Action: 
MCR conducts a hawk watch at the property know as the "Scott's Mountain Hawk Watch" Volunteers gather at the Merrill Creek Reservoir’s Inlet/Outlet Tower parking lot, located off of Fox Farm Road, during migration season to count hawks as they pass overhead. The raptors will migrate from late summer through the end of November with peak numbers expected from mid September through mid October. Historically, the days with the most number of birds are those following a cold front with northerly winds. The record number of broad-winged hawks counted at Merrill Creek in one day was a staggering 18,000. The data that is gathered each year is compiled and submitted to the Hawk Migration Association of North America (HMANA). This organization is committed to the conservation of raptors through scientific research. This research includes establishing hawk watches throughout North America so that the hawks can be counted as they migrate south each Fall. The data collected from the annual hawk watch not only goes to the HMANA, but is shared with NJDFW as well as the general public through MCR's website and social media. This provides educational experiences for our visitors and followers on social media.
Environmental & Community Restoration Other
Description of Action: 
Over the year, MCR has taken on numerous wildlife restoration projects, including native grassland restorations for grassland dependent species, wetland and stream buffer restorations and pollinator gardens and planting. With the use of a MCR volunteer groups the projects have thrived. With use of volunteers to help install last year alone MCR saved over $41,256 in labor costs (cost based on number of hours volunteers put in and the latest volunteer rate for 2022 in NJ is listed at $32.39). Not only was there a cost savings, but volunteers also received training and education on the habitat projects here at MCR and provided them with materials and a sense of purpose to be better community environmental stewards.
Acres Saved: 
15
Money Saved: 
41,256
Community
Serve Customers with Disabilities
Description of Action: 
MCR has installed a barrier free fishing access dock at the property. As well as (with the help of a local scout group) created a barrier free trail. Our visitor center is also equipped with handicap access restroom facilities and our educational displays are also barrier free. Our hunting club at MCR also sponsors and runs an annual fishing tournament at the property for the The Arc of Warren County. The Arc helps people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities. For this tournament the reservoir staff and hunting club members mentor an ARC participant for the day assisting them with fishing activates.
Adopt a Cause or Project in your Community
Description of Action: 
MCR has partnered with the NJ Youth Corps of Phillipsburg to engage their students with trainings for environmental data collection at MCR through both water quality data measurements as well as rare species survey work (specifically for State listed turtles at the property). By partnering with a local community group we are helping to enhance their curriculum with projects here at the property as well as empowering the students at NJYCP to learn about how they can be better environmental stewards while also learning work and social skill sets in the environmental field
Other
Other
Description of Action: 
MCR improved fish habitat at the property by creating underwater structure via repurposing an invasive woody species, autumn olive, cut from our native grassland restorations, and creating 78 “spider blocks” with them, along with utilizing logs generated from forest stewardship activities to build 17 “fish-cribs”, both were deployed into the reservoir. These activities for fish habitat improvement were discussed first with NJDFW personnel. Typically, when constructing Spider Blocks, PVC tubes or plastic pipes are cemented into concrete block to create weighted vertical structure. However, MCR is using the non-native invasive woody vegetation species Autumn Olive, in place of the plastic tubes/pipes as the vertical structure. By using natural materials rather than plastics, we are removing the risk of plastics in the reservoir off-gassing or releasing microplastics into the water over time, while still proving better underwater structure for fish, macroinvertebrates, and other aquatic organisms to use for shelter or foraging areas
Upload Document(PDF Only): 
PDF icon fish cribs MCR.pdf
Finished Application: 
1
required_descriptions: 
5
Member Since: 
Thursday, February 16, 2023

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