Mercer Designs Green Infrastructure Into County Parking Lot

MERCER COUNTY, NJ —To prevent stormwater runoff that causes debris to go into local lakes, streams and rivers, the Mercer County government has designed green infrastructure into a county parking lot.

Green infrastructure has been designed into a parking lot repaving project at John A. Roebling Memorial Park in Hamilton.

The park is home to the Tulpehaking Nature Center, which houses the Park Commission’s Environmental Education Department.

The stormwater from its parking lot drains directly into Spring Lake and the park’s surrounding freshwater tidal marsh.

“As the Park Commission and Mercer County invest in improvements to our park system, we strive to do so in an environmentally conscious way,” Park Commission Executive Director Aaron T. Watson said. “We know that as stewards of over 10,000 acres of open space in the county, our decisions should improve both the quality of life for residents and the environment as a whole.”

Roebling Park is located within the 3,000-acre Abbott Marshlands, the northernmost freshwater tidal marsh in the Delaware River watershed.

The marshlands attract rare wildlife such as river otter, American eel, and bald eagle. It is also an important stopover for migratory birds along the Atlantic flyway.

In recent years, stormwater runoff has eroded portions of the existing parking lot and has made Spring Lake less appealing for fishing and boating.

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