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Based upon the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protections (NJDEP) latest evaluation, of the 2,870 assessed river miles, 2,187 river miles (76%) did not meet the surface water quality standards for at least one parameter. As a result of these evaluations, New Jersey is required to develop numerous TMDLs for some very complex systems.

Rutgers Universitys Cook College, the Land Grant College of New Jersey, has formed an Advisory Panel to provide technical assistance to the NJDEP in their development of TMDLs. This multidisciplinary and multi-institutional panel has included scientists, engineers and an environmental lawyer from Rutgers University, Stevens Institute of Technology, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Rowan University and Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. The members are selected based on their background and experience in dealing with TMDL related processes, including lake, stream, and estuary modeling, water quality monitoring, nonpoint source modeling and ecological systems studies. The panel is sponsored by the NJDEP Division of Watershed Management as an integral part of a project, whose objective is to ensure the availability of clean water and healthy aquatic ecosystems through system-level watershed analysis, planning and management efforts. The NJDEP develops technical approaches to restore impaired waterbodies for each of the states watershed management areas. The panel reviews these technical approaches, as well as proposals solicited for related research and technical support, and offers formal recommendations to the Department. The outcome is TMDL development that is based on sound science and TMDL development that is more readily accepted by the stakeholders.