Passaic River Coalition (PRC)

Passaic River Coalition

Guardians and Stewards of the Passaic River Watershed
330 Speedwell Ave, Morristown, NJ (973) 532-9830

Riverfront Parks

Cleaning and Greening the Lower Passaic River

The Passaic River Coalition began work with municipalities bordering the tidal Passaic River, in Bergen, Essex and Union counties in the early 1980s. Both sides of the river have a history of development and contamination near and in the river. On the Essex County side, Route 21 creates a major barrier to river access. The PRC has been active for decades, working with federal and state agencies, counties and municipalities on both sides of the river. In 1984 the PRC created a detailed photographic survey of derelict docks and boats that would eventually be targeted for removal by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as part of its debris removal project to protect river and harbor boat traffic and public safety.

More importantly to water quality, the PRC has been involved in the dioxin contamination case (Diamond Shamrock site) that led to the Lower Passaic River being designated a Superfund site. We have long served on the Community Advisory Group (CAG) and submitted detailed comments to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency urging faster and successful implementation of the cleanup. USEPA has decided that the first eight miles from Newark Bay will be improved through partial dredging of contaminated sediments and stabilization of the river bed and bank to avoid remobilization of any remaining contamination. Final decisions haven’t been selected yet for the second section, up to Dundee Dam, as of 2023. While we have hopes for the future, the very lengthy and contentious process has resulted in little actual cleanup to date; primarily closure of the Diamond Shamrock site and dredging of contamination from one site in Lyndhurst. This project remains a high priority.

Another major source of contamination to the Lower Passaic River are the many combined sewer overflows (CSOs) in Paterson, Newark, Kearny, East Newark, and Harrison, and the many thousands of stormwater outfalls alone both the Lower Passaic River and all upstream areas. The PRC has been active in local and state efforts to reduce CSOs since the 1980s; the work is far from done but recent efforts by the NJ Department of Environmental Protection have ensured that planning is now well advanced, with implementation to begin in 2024 and continuing for many years under new NJPDES permits (i.e., water pollution control permits). NJDEP is also improving controls on municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s), later than hoped but at least moving forward. In both cases, infrastructure decisions made over the last 150 years will take decades to correct. 

Riverfront Parks in Newark

The PRC also has strongly supported efforts to increase public access to the river in Newark. The PRC helped lobby for federal appropriations and other funding to create the Joseph G. Minish Passaic River Waterfront Park and Historic Area project, which is located along the west bank of the Passaic River between Bridge and Brill Streets in the City of Newark; it was designed in three phases by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which constructed Phase 1, consisting of new bulkheads, restored riverbanks, and wetlands. Newark then completed Riverbank Park, a wonderful facility that includes a floating dock facility, which is bordered to the east (downstream) by the Essex County Riverfront Park. The primary planning, design and implementation of these facilities were by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Newark and Essex County; the PRC is pleased to have assisted in advocacy for funding.

Passaic River
Restoration Project

On the east side of the river, the PRC has been more directly involved in parks planning. We formed the Passaic River Restoration Project (PRRP) as a collaborative with Bergen County, Hudson County and eight municipalities: Garfield, Wallington, East Rutherford, Rutherford, Lyndhurst, North Arlington, Kearny and Harrison. Robert Myers of North Arlington served as initial chair of the PRRP, and the Passaic River Coalition was successful in getting funding from the NJ Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Coastal Resource, for the development of three plans. The first plan (1982) was for the initial members of Rutherford, Lyndhurst, North Arlington and Kearny. The second plan (1984) added East Rutherford and Wallington, while the third plan completed the effort with the addition of Garfield and Harrison.

The municipalities then used funding from the NJDEP Green Acres Program, county open space trust funds and municipal resources to purchase new park land, restore existing parks, and create recreational facilities. These three plans and additional municipal and county efforts resulted in many high-quality amenities for local residents along the Passaic River. From upstream to downstream, these include the Garfield linear park and river walkway stretching south from Dundee Dam toward the Monroe Street bridge, a new park along Carlton Avenue in East Rutherford, restoration of the Rutherford Yacht Club building and property for use by the Nereid Boat Club, acquisition by the PRC and Lyndhurst of a number of parcels for eventual use as a linear park, and several new linear parks and park improvements along the river in Kearny.

In addition, redevelopment projects (for instance, in Lyndhurst south of King’s Court) and redevelopment planning efforts (in Garfield, Kearny and Harrison) have provided or will provide for public access to the river. Bergen County in 2022 opened the $7 million Bergen County Rowing Center in the Riverside County Park in Lyndhurst, operated by the Passaic River Rowing Association. This new facility is testament to the ongoing cleanup and public enjoyment of the river in this area.

More recently, the PRC developed an update of the 1980s plans, published in 2015 as A River for the People: A Public Access Plan for the Lower Passaic River. This plan makes use of modern imaging and mapping technology to provide better information on the project area, successes since the 1980s plans, and potential improvements for the future. The plan also provides thoughts on how riverside commercial facilities can incorporate the river in their designs as a way of attracting customers and increasing public access to the river. The plan was funded by the Cooperating Parties Group.

Work continues within the planning area for the Passaic River Restoration Project. For example, in 2023, North Arlington is expected to receive $1 million in State funding for its Passaic River Walk & Park, and Rutherford will receive $5 million for its Memorial Park Field Renovations.

At the time of these plans, East Newark was not included because its entire small waterfront area was developed and actively used. That is no longer the case, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will be funding a five-acre waterfront park in East Newark, using Natural Resource Damage funds. The East Newark Riverside Park Project is expected to provide significant benefits by: converting hardened industrial land into forested areas and habitat for birds and pollinators; creating public pathways and an elevated walkway along the Passaic River; and allowing the public access to the river. The PRC strongly supports this project.

Paterson Parks

The Paterson riverfront historically was industrial, initially using water power from canals fed by the Passaic River just upstream of the Great Falls. Paterson and neighboring municipalities have limited access to the river for recreational purposes, due to intense historical development, including residential and commercial.  In several cases, parks near the river have no access to the river because roads were built in between. Upstream of the Great Falls, River Street Park, Westside Park, Veterans Memorial Park and Pennington Park are the three primary Paterson parks with direct access to the river.

There are two parks downstream of the Great Falls, on either side of the Passaic River. The Paterson Great Falls Historic Park is a unit of the National Park Service, commemorating the historic significance of Paterson’s early industrial history, beginning with the Society For Establishing Useful Manufactures (S.U.M.) formed with the involvement of Alexander Hamilton (then U.S. Treasurer) and others. The other major access point to the river is Paterson’s Mary Ellen Kramer Park. This park had been closed from World War 2 to the 1970s. Restoration and improvement of the park occurred at that time, but then the park again declined. It is here that the PRC had a direct role in improving public access to the river. The PRC served as the local fiscal agent for funding from the NJDEP Green Acres Program and Passaic County’s Open Space & Farmland Preservation Trust Fund, used in the design and restoration of the park. The Mary Ellen Kramer Park, named for a long-time Paterson advocate for the Great Falls Historic Park and historic and parks preservation in general, was re-dedicated to public use in August 2015. Mary Ellen Kramer Park has evolved into a premier viewing site of the Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park, a major Paterson landmark enjoyed by thousands. 

Little Falls Riverfront Park

Little Falls borders the Passaic River upstream of Paterson, with areas that are subject to frequent flooding. Homes have gone into foreclosure when owners could not afford to both restore their homes after floods and also pay mortgages. The Passaic River Coalition, in collaboration with the municipality, has been successful in receiving ownership of homes along Woodcliff Avenue, which were then removed to avoid future flood damages. The PRC has received funds from the River Network and Anheuser-Busch of Newark to landscape and restored these properties for public access to the river, with the assistance of Anheuser-Busch volunteers. This project has provided multiple benefits at low costs.