Soil Conservation Districts review and certify soil erosion and sediment control plans under the NJ Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Act (N.J.S.A. 4:24-39 et seq.). During review, Districts require pre- and post- development hydrologic and hydraulic site conditions to be examined in an effort to minimize erosion during and after construction. In 1986, Hunter K. Birkhead, P.E. (ret.) the NJ Department of Agriculture (NJDA) Erosion Control Engineer at that time, recognized the value of the hydrologic and hydraulic data being submitted to Districts for permit review by consulting engineers. Mr. Birkhead instituted a statewide uniform data collection procedure to condense hydrologic data, as well as stormwater management basin data onto a summary form. The form is submitted to Districts for each proposed stormwater management basin on the project, as well as copies of the site plans and stormwater management reports.
While summary forms have been collected since the mid-1980s, it was in 2007 that the electronic web-based database was created by NJ Department of Agriculture State Soil Conservation Committee and Rutgers University Center for Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis, with grant funding from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. The site is a collaborative effort between NJDA State Soil Conservation Committee and New Jersey’s fourteen Soil Conservation Districts. Since then, close to 13,000 summary forms containing land use and hydrologic design data have been uploaded. The ‘H&H Database’ stores design data for completed stormwater management basins, as well as images of the site plans, and most recently, the stormwater management report, which includes maintenance inspections for individual basins. The database is the sole source of detailed stormwater management basin data for the state of New Jersey. This information is meant to be used by anyone, including design engineers, municipal planners, environmental groups, and the general public.
At Ocean County Soil Conservation District this program is supported and maintained by interns from different universities, under the supervision of District employees. Interns have the opportunity to put into practice their acquired knowledge by entering data into the system as basins within the county are constructed. This program also allows students to gain new knowledge about the different development projects that the District reviews and certifies. For example, several types of stormwater basins such as infiltration, detention, bioretention and wet pond basins are uploaded into the database. Interns also become familiar with the function of the different stormwater management features, such as conduit outlet protection, outlet control structures, and emergency spillways. The H&H Database provides a great opportunity for young professionals to learn about the Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Program, as well as New Jersey stormwater management designs and best practices.
Visit our website to explore internship opportunities with the Ocean County Soil Conservation District.