Politics & Government

Toms River to Participate in 'Bay Blitz' Today

Thousands of volunteers expected in watershed-wide effort

Volunteers from schools, government agencies and civic groups will clean up the Barnegat Bay watershed today, with locations such as the bayfront in Seaside Heights.

About 1,000 state Department of Environmental Protection staff members will join as many as 4,000 citizen volunteers in the second Barnegat Bay Blitz watershed trash and debris cleanup.

The first was held last October.

Find out what's happening in Toms Riverwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In Brick, cleanups will include a Metedeconk River cleanup sponsored by the Brick Township Municipal Utilities Authority, and a cleanup of the Tunes Brook Branch of Kettle Creek, organized by Air, Land and Sea Environmental Management Services.

"The Barnegat Bay Blitz is grassroots environmentalism at its finest," said DEP Commissioner Bob Martin.

Find out what's happening in Toms Riverwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Volunteers are expected from all 37 municipalities in the 660-square-mile watershed, which encompasses 33 municipalities in Ocean County and four in Monmouth County.

In addition to picking up trash, DEP staff will be doing field work, including identifying and taking GPS coordinates for unknown stormwater outfalls, assessing dozens of water bodies for algae blooms, helping three Eagle Scout candidates and Boy Scout Troop 177 from Egg Harbor Township install a footbridge along the Batona Trail in Bass River State Forest, and working with the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey in repairing terrapin turtle protection fences along a causeway in Little Egg Harbor.

DEP inspectors will also help municipalities review operations of stormwater control systems, such as catch basins, detention basins and constructed wetlands.

At 3 p.m., Martin will addresses volunteers and dignitaries at ceremony at Ocean County College applauding the efforts of the participants.

For more information on the Blitz, contact Brick team captain Robert Marcolina at 609-633-7237.


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