The Meadowlands: Wetland Revived
Photo of the Meadowlands from Lyndhurst by Eric Koppel via Wikimedia Commons
By Imri Campbell
Last summer, tens of thousands of soccer fans from around the world traveled to MetLife Stadium in New Jersey for the FIFA World Cup. For many, it was their first glimpse of the Meadowlands —a landscape of highways, warehouses and stadium lights.
But these extensive wetlands, spanning 14 municipalities, are also a remarkable environmental success story.
Long before MetLife Stadium and the American Dream Mall, the Meadowlands consisted of an expansive network of tidal marshes, creeks and wetlands that supported a diverse array of wildlife.
According to the Meadowlands Research & Restoration Institute (MRRI), rapid industrialization during the 20th century turned much of the landscape into landfills and dumping grounds. The resulting pollution led many to believe the Meadowlands were beyond saving.
The MRRI is the research and scientific arm of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA), the state agency that holds the land lease for the Meadowlands, an area that’s larger than Manhattan. Ecologists at the MRRI have spent more than two decades monitoring the health of the Hackensack River and its surrounding wetlands.
Wetlands function as unique ecosystems, so restoration involves much more than simply moving soil or redirecting water, said Teresa Doss, Co-Director of Environmental Science at the NJSEA.
"They're not quite land, they're not quite water—they're that in-between thing," Doss said. "You can make a hole in the ground and it can fill with water, but that doesn't make it a wetland.”
Before a damaged wetland can truly recover, scientists must understand the conditions that allow plants, wildlife and natural processes to thrive. Working alongside the NJSEA, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and federal agencies, MRRI has helped guide one of the region's largest ecological restoration projects. The initiative has included closing and capping former landfills, improving water quality in the Hackensack River and restoring natural tidal flow to damaged marshes.
Each season, researchers collect water samples from more than 10 locations along the Hackensack River, measuring dissolved oxygen, salinity, nutrients and other indicators of water quality to monitor the marshes' recovery. The data helps scientists evaluate restoration projects and identify where future work is needed.
Doss said successful restoration begins with understanding "what caused [a site] to be impacted, what continues to create stress on the environment and how you can alleviate that stress to allow it to become more resilient."
Hudson County Director of Sustainability Amanda Nesheiwat said the restoration efforts have benefited both wildlife and people. Healthy wetlands filter pollutants from the water and absorb stormwater during heavy rains, helping to reduce flood risks for surrounding communities.
They also provide outdoor classrooms for students, research opportunities for universities and recreational spaces where residents can experience nature just minutes from one of the nation's largest metropolitan areas through a series of trails that are open to the public
Nesheiwat believes many people underestimate the Meadowlands' role in protecting the region.
"Even if you've never stepped foot in the Meadowlands, it is working every day to protect you,” she said. “It's one of the most valuable pieces of living infrastructure in our region.”
Imri Campbell is a first year student at Ithaca College and participated in CivicStory’s cummer newsroom.