Surface water quality

New Jersey contains a wide variety of water resources. Fresh water resources in the state include our rivers and streams, lakes, ponds, reservoirs, and freshwater wetlands. As a coastal state, New Jersey has the Atlantic Ocean as a saltwater resource along with brackish estuaries and tidal wetlands. New Jersey has adopted Surface Water Quality Standards (SWQS) to protect these water resources. The SWQS establish surface waters’ designated uses and specify surface water quality criteria (numeric and narrative) to protect those uses, along with specific implementation and other policies necessary to protect the State’s surface waters. Designated uses of surface waters of the State can be categorized as: aquatic life (general and trout), recreation, water supply (drinking, industrial, and agricultural), fish consumption, and shellfish harvest for consumption.