United States

Environmental Protection

Agency

Success Story

Reinvigorating the Use of the Elizabeth

River in Elizabeth, New Jersey 

In Elizabeth, NJ a partnership between EPA and the National Park Service is helping to 

transform an urban waterway into a community asset.

Hig h lig h t s

The Elizabeth River, a river which 

poses unique challenges for the City 

of Elizabeth, New Jersey, will soon 

become a focal point for those who 

live in, work in, and visit the state’s 

oldest city. 

The foundations of the River Trail 

project are built upon input from 

stakeholders and the community.

A trail is being planned adjacent 

to these urban waters which will 

restore natural beauty, become 

an avenue for pedestrian traffic, 

and provide recreational and 

educational activities. The one-mile 

river trail accentuates the profound 

Elizabeth history with artwork from 

local artists.

Contacts: U.S. EPA Region 2 (212) 637-3000 or visit the EPA Brownfields Web site at: www.epa.gov/brownfields

Stakeholders laying 

out their thoughts on 

the River Trail at the 

Design Charette

EPA’s Brownfields and Land Revitalization program and the National Park 

Service Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance (RTCA) Program have had 

a successful 12 year partnership with Groundwork USA. Groundwork USA is 

a network of independent non-profit organizations called Groundwork Trusts 

focused on stabilizing and revitalizing their communities through projects and 

programs that improve their environment, economy and quality of life. 

Similar to the community led efforts of the Brownfields Program, the Urban 

Waters initiative is an effort to restore and protect urban water bodies and 

adjacent lands. The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) goal is to 

integrate and leverage existing programs to foster increased understanding 

and a sense of ownership of waters and surrounding land in communities 
across the country. This is especially important as 

urban waters impact large populations and can 

influence far-reaching land-use decisions. 

Project Motivation

The Groundwork Program, initiated by the National 

Park Service in Partnership with EPA’s Brownfields 

Program, came to Elizabeth in Union County in 2002, 

to address the improvement of the City of Elizabeth’s 

brownfield properties and enhance the city’s sense of 

community. 

Part of the goal for the nonprofit was to echo the vision 

of the National Park Service RTCA Program and EPA, 

and bring the population closer to its heritage of “urban 

waters” by designing and constructing a river trail. 

The Elizabeth River Trail Project began in 2003 and 

quickly became a focal point of the only Groundwork 

Trust in the State of New Jersey. Groundwork Elizabeth 

has assembled a large support structure to help with 

planning and construction of the trail. Currently, the trail 

is in its final New Jersey Department of Environmental 

Protection (NJDEP) permitting stages, and the program 

has overcome a number of unforeseen challenges, 

such as permitting setbacks and archeologic 

discoveries, which have taken years to solve.

History of Elizabeth and its River 

The original land use along the river was agricultural, 

but by the middle of the 19th century had become 

highly industrialized. One of the more prominent 

manufacturers was the Singer Sewing Machine 

Company, which produced thousands of sewing 

machines each year. Housed in block long textile 

style buildings, the company at one point employed 

thousands of full time workers. By the 1980s global 

competition had a significant impact on the company’s 

profits and Singer closed down its operation in 

Elizabeth. Several other businesses, which had enjoyed 

successful manufacturing operations in the city, also 

vacated the area. This exodus of manufacturers 

left behind many structures, known as brownfields, 

and Elizabeth began to stockpile inventory of such 

vacancies. With jobs lost and buildings left vacant, 

Elizabeth soon had to deal with the challenges of a 

distressed urban area.

As a consequence of urban growth, the Elizabeth River, 

which had once served as an irrigator for a multitude 

of successful farms along its banks, became more 

of a problem as farms turned to paved streets. From 

the middle of the 1800s, the river would often flood its 

banks during rainstorms. 

The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) 

identified the City of Elizabeth as a targeted flood area; 

it was funded for flood control improvements in the 

Flood Control Act of 1965. USACE channelized the 

parts of the Elizabeth River that ran through the most 

densely populated parts of the city and built walls and 

dirt berms to contain the potentially devastating effects 

of river flooding. During the construction of the 1970s 

and 1980s, USACE continually tested the water quality 

and sediments and found that little contamination and 

pollution had affected the river’s health in the long term. 

Current land uses along the banks of the river are 

parks, public facilities such as schools and hospitals, 

retail businesses, brownfields, remaining industrial 

areas, and residences.

Partners and Funding

Groundwork Elizabeth administrates the Elizabeth 

River Trail Project. The organization works with a 

variety of community volunteers and public and private 

partners, including EPA’s Office of Brownfields and 

Land Revitalization, the National Park Service, the City 

of Elizabeth, and Union County. The project received 

funding from several entities. With the assistance New 

Jersey Senators and Congressional representation, 

Groundwork funding was written in the Transportation 

Act of 2006 receiving $340,000 over five years. The 

Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders leveraged 

$500,000 towards the design and construction of 

the program soon afterwards. Through the NJDEP’s 

Green Acres Program, the program was afforded more 

funds with which to build the trail and demonstrate the 

historical significance of the river and the city. 

Contacts: U.S. EPA Region 2 (212) 637-3000 or visit the EPA Brownfields Web site at: www.epa.gov/brownfields
Art Connects River and Community

The National Recreational Trails Program funded 

artwork along the trail which was completed in 2009. 

Dario Scholis, a local artist and resident of Elizabeth, 

worked with Groundwork to design historic slides, 

which are reused recycled signage from Union County 

to portray the city’s rich history. The slides have 

already been installed adjacent to the trail location. The 

community appreciates the artwork, which is positioned 

on iron fencing put in place during the USACE flood 

control project. Some of the slides portray two of the 

signers of the Declaration of Independence, who 

lived in Elizabeth. Others show the manufacturing 

companies which have come and gone along the river’s 

shores. One of the more popular slides is of Frederic 

Law Olmsted, the founding father of Landscape 

Architecture, who is best remembered as the architect 

for Central Park in New York. Mr. Olmsted was 

commissioned by Union County in the early 1900s to 

design the concepts for most of Union County’s parks 

including the location of the future River Trail. 

Ongoing Project Success

The construction of the project has been delayed due 

to necessary authorization and permitting from various 

entities within local, state and federal governments for 

the last seven years. Also, a two-year archeological 

investigation 

discovered pottery 

shards from the 

colonial era. Even 

with these hurdles, 

the City of Elizabeth 

is close to its dream 

of “bringing back 

nature to the city and 

having a river trail 

to do it by,” said Mr. 

Phillips. Stakeholders 

and community 

members attended the Vision Planning Charette in 

2006, and the city has hosted events such as River 

Awareness Day. The river trail will be adjacent to the 

high school and the city’s only hospital. This proximity 

offers high school students the opportunity to take 

coursework about the river’s dynamics, environment, 

and ecology. Hospital patients will be able to step 

outside and rehabilitate in fresh air surrounded by 

beautiful scenery. The community will benefit from nonmotorized boat launches, fishing holes, educational and 

scenic overlooks, walking trails, and historic artwork.

Along the Elizabeth River Trail is 

Dario Scholis’ artwork, funded by the 

National Recreational Trails Grant Program

The City of Elizabeth is working with another nonprofit, 

the Elizabeth Development Company, to address 

approximately 200 brownfields sites that have known 

contamination and active case numbers through the 

NJDEP. Groundwork Elizabeth, as a partner with the 

city, county and EPA, has significantly restored the 

city’s charm, its attraction as a business destination, 

and improved the quality of life for its residents and 

visitors. Groundwork Elizabeth’s efforts to build the trail, 

which began in 2003, are soon to be realized. Design is 

completed, final permitting is underway, and bidding for 

construction of paths, boat ramps, and other amenities 

should begin in 2011. 

The trail will afford the public another way to get around 

the city, and it will educate, entertain and engage the 

public by providing a sense of place along an urban 

waterway. The community’s desire of returning a place 

of nature to its city is about to come true.

According to 

Jonathon Philips, 

Executive Director of 

Groundwork Elizabeth, 

“A project with so 

many challenges 

is that much more 

rewarding in the end.”

Contacts: U.S. EPA Region 2 (212) 637-3000 or visit the EPA Brownfields Web site at: www.epa.gov/brownfields
URBAN WATERS

Urban environments, particularly in underserved communities, are typically characterized by paved or covered 

“impervious” surfaces, working waterfronts with industrial facilities, abandoned industrial sites, and other 

underutilized or contaminated lands. These characteristics, in combination with aging and inadequate storm 

water management infrastructure, generate excess and untreated runoff that transports sewage and hazardous 

wastes into local water bodies. Urban patterns of historical development often make waterways inaccessible to 

adjacent neighborhoods. Lack of access to waterways limits the ability of communities to connect and participate 

in restoring waterways as healthy living ecosystems and reap the benefits of living close to the water in the city. 

Addressing these issues to ensure healthy and accessible urban waters can help grow local businesses and 

enhance educational, recreational and social opportunities in nearby communities. 

EPA is learning from community efforts already underway and supporting communities as active participants in 

the restoration and protection of urban waters. EPA works to increase access to waterways, which promotes a 

sense of public ownership of water resources and integrates environmental goals with other pressing priorities like 

economic development, education, job creation, and greenspace creation and preservation.

URBAN WATERS RESOURCES

www.epa.gov/urbanwaters 

Watershed Planning and Management

•	 Managing Wet Weather with Green Infrastructure -

cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/home.cfm?program_id=298

•	 Directory of EPA Watershed Publications -

water.epa.gov/type/watersheds/publications.cfm

•	 Key EPA Water Internet Tools Course -

www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/wacademy/epatools 

•	 Watershed Central and Wiki - wiki.epa.gov/watershed2

Water Quality and Pollution Prevention

•	 EPA Enforcement and Compliance History Online -

www.epa-echo.gov/echo 

•	 Nonpoint Source Pollution -

www.epa.gov/owow_keep/NPS/index.html

•	 Water Quality Assessment Tools and Models -

water.epa.gov/scitech/datait/models/index.cfm

Community Information

•	 Groundwork USA - www.groundworkusa.org

•	 National Park Service Rivers and Trails Program -

www.nps.gov/ncrc/programs/rtca 

•	 Adopt Your Watershed -

www.epa.gov/owow_keep/adopt/index.html

•	 Community Culture and the Environment A Guide to

Understanding a Sense of Place - www.epa.gov/care/

library/community_culture.pdf

•	 EPA Smart Growth - www.epa.gov/smartgrowth 

•	 Surf Your Watershed - cfpub.epa.gov/surf/locate/index.cfm

Outreach Development

•	 Coastal Urban Waters Toolkit -

www.epa.gov/owow/oceans/debris 

•	 Getting In Step: A Guide for Conducting Watershed

Outreach Campaigns - 

www.epa.gov/owow/nps/toolbox/guide.htm

•	 Non-Point Source Toolbox - www.epa.gov/nps/toolbox

Funding

•	 Brownfields Grants to Support Assessment/Cleanup

of Contaminated Property, Environmental Workforce 

Development and Job Training Grants, and Targeted 

Brownfields Assessments - 

www.epa.gov/brownfields/grant_info/index.htm

•	 Catalog of Federal Funding Sources for Watershed

Protection - cfpub.epa.gov/fedfund

•	 Sustainable Finance Website -

www.epa.gov/owow/funding/trainings.html

•	 Watershed Funding Resource Directory -

water.epa.gov/aboutow/owow/funding.cfm

Case Studies

•	 Case Studies for Stormwater Management on

Compacted, Contaminated Soils in Dense Urban Areas - 

www.epa.gov/brownfields/tools/swcs0408.pdf

•	 Urban Agriculture on Brownfields Website -

www.epa.gov/brownfields/urbanag 

•	 Targeted Watershed Grant Case Studies -

water.epa.gov/grants_funding/twg/initiative_index.cfm

For more information on the Elizabeth River Trail Project, and on other brownfield related Groundwork projects, 

contact Groundwork Elizabeth at 908-289-0262, or visit the Groundwork Elizabeth web site at: www.groundworkelizabeth.com 

Brownfields Success Story

Groundwork Elizabeth

Elizabeth River Trail Project

Solid Waste 

and Emergency 

Response (5105T)

EPA 560-F-11-025 

April 2011

www.epa.gov/brownfields