The Musconetcong Watershed Association's (MWA) role in educating local officials and residents and protecting and restoring the Musconetcong Watershed is more important than ever.  MWA recognizes that in order to meet its mission it is imperative to build a permanent structure;  a River Resource Center will ensure the continued viability of their preservation, education, and stewardship efforts. 

A 2001 Environmental Education Feasibility study conducted by the Heritage Conservancy concluded that there is a large potential market (200,000 school age children within 50 miles) for environmental education programs. The River Resource Center offers great potential to educate the residents of all the limestone valleys of northwest New Jersey about how the region’s unique geology influences natural and cultural resources.

The River Resource Center will be a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified "green" building.  It will provide examples of sustainable building practices such as composting toilets, pervious pavement, and the use of passive solar. All of these sustainable practices will be on display to educate the public about cost- effective and environmentally sound solutions that can be applied to other building projects in the region.

In 1998 the Musconetcong Watershed Association acquired the Asbury Gristmill and surrounding property from the Riddle family, founders of the Asbury Graphite Mills, Inc.  The property is included in the Asbury Historic District, and includes a mill originally erected in 1863 as a water-powered gristmill, dam, and a small concrete block storehouse.  MWA partnered with the Heritage Conservancy to develop plans to expand the Association’s programs and services in the Musconetcong watershed and surrounding region by renovating the small storehouse for use as a River Resource Center.  The center will include an administrative office, library, and meeting room.

The MWA plans to renovate the 2,150 square foot storehouse building, adapting it into a meeting hall with office and support space to base the association’s programs. These include environmental and outdoor educational programs, municipal government outreach, workshops and seminars for the public, stream cleanups, and projects such as stream bank restoration, well-testing and water quality monitoring. The headquarters will also be a beginning point for river-based recreation activities like canoeing, kayaking, hiking, and fishing.

The River Resource Center building renovation will include a complete refurbishment inside and outside the structure, composting toilets, riparian restoration, and pervious paving for visitor parking. In addition, MWA will design and build the River Resource Center to achieve the US Green Building Council’s LEED certification.  

A "green" building will enhance the mission of the MWA by providing a physical example and model of the organization's mission to protect the watershed. MWA's vision is to provide a model for homeowners and small businesses to demonstrate how applying green building and landscaping principles can be practical and cost-effective and how it can be incorporated into any project.

The Musconetcong Watershed Association is seeking $123,000 to complete this project. 

If you are interested in contributing less than $25,000 to this important project, please visit the Musconetcong Watershed Association website by clicking here.