The Pequannock River Coalition plans to use a $14,100 award to aid three projects that focus on protecting the river, which is a major water supply stream.The recent award is from the Watershed Institute of Pennington, which oversees a fund to aid local watershed groups. The fund is supported by the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Ross Kushner, executive director of the non-profit Pequannock River Coalition, said the award money will help create a willow tree nursery at the Glenburn Estate in Riverdale that would provide saplings for riverbank restoration; build an interpretive hiking trail in Pequannock's Aquatic Park, to complement a new canoe and kayaking "water trail"; and do a scientific study of area stream flows to determine the "danger zone" between healthy and polluted waters.

In addition, the Watershed Institute gave Hackensack Riverkeeper a $5,208 award to fund a public workshop on environmental effects of the state's Category 1 -- most critical -- designation of many North Jersey streams. And it awarded the environmental group Skylands CLEAN $4,000 to help replace lost shade trees along West Brook, a trout stream in Ringwood.

-- Jan Barry

Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.