Saturday, February 11, 2017

Alloway Creek Watershed Wetland Restoration Site, NJ



ABOUT THE PARK:
PSEG Estuary Enhancement Program - PSEG
Alloway Creek Watershed Wetland Restoration Site Overview - PSEG
Nuclear plant emergency information?  You'll see why in a minute.

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 39.52255, -75.50758
Parking lot on the right almost at the end of Money Island Road.  Money Island Road is pretty chunked up with potholes but doable with maneuvering around and over them.

TRAIL MAP:
Alloway Creek Watershed Public Use Map - PSEG
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HIKE DISTANCE:
Commercial Township Wetlands Restoration Site - 4 miles
     hiked together with (19 mile drive)
Cohansey River Watershed Wetland Restoration Site - 1 mile
     hiked together with (27 mile drive)
Alloway Creek Watershed Wetland Restoration Site - 1.5 miles

THE HIKE:
Starting out on the trail.
The trail immediately goes through a power cut with the Salem Nuclear Power Plant off to the left.
And looking back towards the parking lot, a fake owl on top of the sirens.  It's about the only wildlife we would see on this hike.
What marshes are supposed to look like with invasive phragmites gone.
The trail forks right ...
... then right again to ...
... a bird blind.
It would have been too difficult to get into with the wheelchair but there were no birds anyway.
Lots to sniff.
At an observation platform Shawnee was taken out of her wheelchair to render her immobile so she would not roll herself over or into the marshes.
Waiting patiently.
I had one heck of a time figuring out this bridge but finally found it - the Reedy Point Bridge on Route 9 in Delaware.
And to the left, a full view of the nuclear power plant, where, incidentally, actor Bruce Willis once worked as a security guard, according to Wikipedia.
A view of the trail from the observation platform.
Completing the loop.
Heading back towards the power cut.
A turkey vulture.
He apparently decided to make himself comfortable.
Back at the parking lot.
And a close look at that lazy turkey vulture.
There is another observation deck a short distance farther along Money Island Road but the road surface was so bad with no way to get around the potholes so I aborted that part of the plan.

Cohansey River Watershed Wetland Restoration Site, NJ



ABOUT THE PARK:
PSEG Estuary Enhancement Program - PSEG
Cohansey River Watershed Site - PSEG

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 39.37061, -75.29234
Large parking lot but because it boat launch parking, it probably fills up in the summer.

TRAIL MAP:
Cohansey River Watershed Site Public Use Map - PSEG
Powered by Wikiloc


HIKE DISTANCE:
Commercial Township Wetlands Restoration Site - 4 miles
     hiked together with (19 mile drive)
Cohansey River Watershed Wetland Restoration Site - 1 mile
     hiked together with (27 mile drive)
Alloway Creek Watershed Wetland Restoration Site - 1.5 miles


THE HIKE:
The nature trail starts at the far left corner of the parking lot.
Interpretive signs throughout.
Robins were the only wildlife seen.  Everyone else was over at the Commercial Township site.
The nature trail is only about half a mile long so when it came out on to the boat ramp access road, we turned right and followed that.
Cohansey River
Heading back to the parking lot.