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Important Bird and Birding Areas
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Hyper Humus Marshes
Sussex CountyCoordinates: N 41.06883
W 74.72373
Skylands: Appalachian MountainsArea: 2,448 Acres Habitat: Primarily nontidal wetlands with upland forest, open water and riparian habitatSite Description: Hyper Humus Marshes is located near Lafayette in Sussex County and is bordered by the Paulinskill Valley Trail on the north, the Sussex Branch Trail and Hicks Avenue on the east, the Town of Newton on the south and the uplands east of Route 206 on the west. The State of New Jersey’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) acquired the site in 2005, now called the Paulinskill River Hyper-Humus Wildlife Management Area (WMA). Most of site is composed of freshwater forested and emergent wetlands fed by the Paulinskill River and numerous permanent springs. The site contains several cattail marshes and large ponds originally created in the 1900s by a peat and humus mining operation belonging to the Hyper Humus Company. Before the US Environmental Protection Agency halted the practice of peat mining more than a decade ago, the site was stripped of its trees and mined for the nutrient-rich, decaying plant matter and detritus for sale to the nursery trade. This site includes the Hyper Humus Fen Natural Heritage Priority Site, a limestone fen dominated by herbaceous and scrub-shrub vegetation. The limestone fen is a rare ecosystem with mineral-rich wetlands usually associated with limestone bedrock.
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| Sora | Steve Byland |
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Birds: The network of forested wetland, extensive marsh and open water habitats allow a diversity of birds to utilize the Paulinskill River Hyper-Humus WMA. More than 200 species have been recorded at the site. The site provides valuable breeding habitats for state-endangered American Bitterns, Pied-billed Grebes and Red-shouldered Hawks as well as state-threatened Barred Owls and Long-eared Owls. The site also hosts a full complement of breeding marsh birds including Common Moorhens, Marsh Wrens, King and Virginia Rails, and Sora. The area is an excellent staging area for hundreds of migrating waterfowl and shorebirds in spring and fall.Conservation: The primary threats to this site are changes in hydrology and water quality, invasive plant species and overabundant deer. Nonpoint source pollution from adjacent residential lands can degrade water quality. Inputs from a sewage treatment facility located upstream from the site are also a concern. Nearby development should consider the proximity to this wetland and the potential for altering water both above and below ground. In addition, terrestrial buffers should be maintained to filter water flowing into the wetland and provide nesting and foraging habitat for wildlife. Privately-owned portions of adjacent to this site should also be prioritized for acquisition and habitat restoration. Invasive species, including Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii), common reed (Phragmites australis) and autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata) reduce habitat structure and outcompete native plant species. Overabundant deer have also reduced habitat structure by browsing heavily on native plants. The BLM and Army Corp of Engineers are currently developing a management plan for the Paulinskill River Hyper-Humus WMA in which several of the impoundments will be managed for waterfowl. The BLM is also conducting an inventory of the site to assist with plan development.Additional Information: Site Report
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| Hyper Humus Marsh | John Parke |
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