When group began, Harry Truman had been president for a little over three years
By John Tredrea, Staff Writer
The runaway popularity of the Milton Berle show was prompting a lot of folks to get their first television, rabbit ears and all. Harry Truman had been president for a little over three years, since two unthinkable explosions had ended a world war that claimed over 50 million lives, including 20 million in Russia and 6 million by genocide.
The Dodgers were still in Brooklyn, and, with Jackie Robinson and Duke Snider, would play (and be defeated again by) the Yankees, with Joe DiMaggio and Yogi Berra, in the World Series that fall.
A lanky 14-year-old boy named Elvis Presley, five years away from making his first record, was settling into Memphis, Tenn., where he had moved with his parents from Tupelo, Miss., a year earlier.
It was 1949, and it would be a long time, nearly 20 years, before one heard much public discussion about the need for clean water in streams, ponds, lakes and oceans, and the need to clean up the water that was, well, dirty.
But the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association (SB-MWA) already was on the scene, saying water quality was a vital issue and trying to steer public policy toward cleaner water. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the SB-MWA, which has its headquarters, and a 860-plus acre nature reserve, in eastern Hopewell Township, off Titus Mill Road. The SB-MWA’s longevity, and its always increasing activity and influence, clearly seem to make it one of the vanguard environmental organizations in the country.
The association is a member-supported nonprofit organization that works to protect the 265-square-mile region drained by the Stony Brook and the Millstone River.
Hopewell Township still was very much an agricultural community when a small group of local people banded together to form the SB-MWA. Minimizing soil erosion and sound land-use practices were the first issues targeted by the group. Over the years, the association’s voice has become a key, respected component of many public policy debates and decisions. For instance, two weeks ago the Hopewell Valley League of Women Votes hosted a forum on the controversial regulations of the state Council on Affordable Housing (COAH). The four speakers at that event were a professional planner, a minister, a Hopewell Township committeeman, who also is an economist; and Jim Waltman, executive director of the SB-MWA.
”Over a span of six decades, the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association has embarked on an amazing journey,” Mr. Waltman said. “One of the very first watershed associations in the nation, we evolved from a dedicated handful of concerned citizens into the largest watershed association in New Jersey, if not the country. Today, we continue to be your organization on the front lines protecting your water and your environment in central New Jersey.
”This year marks an important milestone for the Watershed Association. Throughout 2009 we will be celebrating 60 years of protecting clean water and the environment in central New Jersey,” Mr. Waltman said.
To learn more about the group’s 60th anniversary activities, visit www.thewatershed.org/, call 737-3735 or pay a visit to 31 Titus Mill Road. There you’ll find the association’s administrative headquarters, the Buttinger Nature Center, and enough trails for hours of fine hiking, some of it right along the Stony Brook.
Jeff Hoagland, the SB-MWA’s education director, has been working for the association for more than 20 years. He said: “I think the Watershed Association nicely fits the ‘think globally, act locally’ motto. As our programs continue to grow and evolve, we continually think not only how this will impact our constituency, but how our approach can help others outside the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed. Various staff members have made, and continue to make presentations demonstrating tried-and-true conservation and sustainable techniques at statewide and even national conferences, such as the national River Rally.”
Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes added his congratulations. “The Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association has reached an extraordinary milestone — its 60th anniversary of protecting the environment. The watershed began this work decades before it was widely understood how important it is. Mercer County is proud to partner with the Watershed Association as it continues to strive to protect our waterways, our soil, and our natural environment. Congratulations to everyone associated with this great organization on a truly historic anniversary.”
The Valley’s three mayors had hearty words of praise for the association on its 60th anniversary.
”The Watershed Association is our environmental champion,” Hopewell Township Mayor Vanessa Sandom said. “For 60 years they’ve been right there on the front lines, advocating for sound environmental policies at the state and local level, fighting development that threatens clean drinking water and the land we love, and working with municipalities like Hopewell Township to preserve and protect clean water and the environment for generations to come. They are our local source for environmental education, inspiring the next generation through programs with our schools, summer camp, and offering a wide range of programs for the public year-round.”
Mayor Sandom added: “The Watershed Association’s scientific knowledge is critically important. Research and data collected by the Watershed Association and its StreamWatch volunteers help fill the gap for the state Department of Environmental Protection and keeps citizens and officials informed about the health of our area waterways. And with its 860-acre reserve right here in Hopewell Township, the watershed serves as a model for us all on how to conserve and protect our natural resources. Above all else, the Watershed Association is a vibrant part of the fabric of our community. Whether through wonderful events like the Butterfly Festival, or outreach at a restoration project or stream cleanup, the watershed helps bring our community together in the effort to protect our water and environment.”
Hopewell Borough Paul Anzano said: “On the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the watershed, we should all be thankful and appreciative of this wonderful natural asset and of those who had the foresight to dedicate and nurture these properties. The residents of Hopewell Valley have and will continue to enjoy the many benefits provided by the existence of the watershed and of the dedicated people who help preserve it, who educate all of us regarding its significance and help plan for its future.”
”Congratulations to the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association on your 60th anniversary. The work you perform on behalf of the citizens of not only Pennington Borough and the Hopewell Valley, but the rest of the State of New Jersey is truly critical in addressing the environmental implications of any regulations implemented by the state and federal governments. Under the leadership of James Waltman, we are especially appreciative of your efforts to represent the best interests of Pennington and the Hopewell Valley regarding the recent COAH regulations and their impact on our communities,” Pennington Mayor Tony Persichilli said.

