Teaneck Creek Restoration

PROJECT STATUS

Planning

Design

Construction

Completed

Bergen County Department of Parks’ ecological restoration of the Teaneck Creek section of Overpeck County Park wrapped up successfully in October 2022. After two years of restoration efforts, the site is healing from the damage done by three hundred years of draining, ditching, and development which led the property to become a fragmented, invasive-filled wetland, dominated by Phragmites and Japanese Knotweed.

For more information about the current status of the park, visit the Overpeck County Park webpage.

PROJECT BACKGROUND

In the early 1900s, the 46-acre property was meant to become a landfill. A clay material was placed on the property to serve as a base liner for the landfill, and while the landfill was never built, the clay material was never removed. In 1951, the Township of Teaneck transferred the property to Bergen County for the creation of a public park and recreation area in 1951. As a result of this past human disturbance, the natural hydrology of the site was disrupted, resulting in the colonization of invasive plant species on the property.

Through a partnership that started in 2001, the non-profit Teaneck Creek Conservancy has organized citizen volunteers to care for the park while providing passive recreation and environmental education programs with a unique emphasis on Eco-Art community projects.

Project Information

Budget: $5.6 million

Location: Overpeck County Park, Area I
20 Puffin Way
Teaneck, NJ 07666

In 2007, the County and Conservancy teamed with Rutgers University to develop a conceptual restoration plan for the park, focusing on improving the quality of wildlife habitat on the site. Thus began the effort to complete the first wetlands restoration in New Jersey, and create Bergen County's first wetlands park.

This ecological restoration will enhance the site’s natural resources, increase biodiversity, mitigate the erosive forces of stormwater throughout the site, improve public access to the park and visitor experience, improve community health and well-being, and educate the public about the Park’s habitat and ecology. The actions will result in the restoration of freshwater wetlands within the Park, removal of debris from publicly accessible areas, and a greater diversity of plants and animals. Regenerative Stormwater Conveyance techniques will be used to repair eroded outfalls into the park to protect both natural areas and infrastructure such as nature trails from flooding, erosion, and degradation.

PROJECT TIMELINE

Fall 2018	Final design for the project is completed by Biohabitats, Inc.
July 15, 2020	Board of Commissioners awards construction contract to SumCo Eco-Contracting, LLC. (Reso #456-20)
August 2020	Construction begins
Spring 2022	Planting begins
October 19, 2022	Ribbon cutting ceremony

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Beginning in 2007, the Department of Parks, the Conservancy and Rutgers University held several planning and community meetings to engage community residents to formulate vision of the wetlands and habitat restoration project for this park. These meetings were followed by two formal public events.

Winter 2017: The Bergen County Board of Commissioners conducted a public hearing to obtain comments from the public on the County’s grant application to the New Jersey Green Acres Program.

July 2018: The Department of Parks conducted a public meeting to present the 80% completed habitat restoration design plans for public discussion.

February 2021: Project Background, Project Design, Project Updates presentation

February 2022: Project and Planting Update presentation