Rumson-Fair Haven Regional students Tyler Lubin, left, and Noah Tucker will present their research at a public discussion of Navesink River pollution, hosted at Oceanic Library on September 22. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

The state of the Navesink River — a centerpiece of local life here on the greater Red Bank Green, and the subject of numerous news stories here in 2016 — will be the topic on the evening of Thursday, September 22, when Rumson’s Oceanic Free Library hosts a public-invited panel discussion and Q&A session on the recent environmental issues affecting the waterway.

As reported here and in numerous other recent stories on redbankgreen, unacceptably high levels of bacterial pollution prompted the state’s Department of Environmental Protection to issue a ban on the harvesting of shellfish from a significant area of the river — and spurred inquiries that included a public meeting presented by Clean Ocean Action (COA), a special conference of local mayors, and even an effort to employ canine helpers in determining sources of contamination.

The situation also commanded the attention of a couple of juniors at Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School — and next Thursday at 6:30 p.m., Tyler Lubin and Noah Tucker will be sharing the research that they’ve assembled over the course of the summer, during the third and latest in a series of free community forums at the library.

The river Navesink has had a prominent place in the lives of the two Fair Haven teens, now in their senior year at R-FH. Noah (an experienced crew rower) and Tyler (a recreational boater on the river) made waves locally when they inaugurated an ongoing Go Fund Me campaign. Their “Save the Navesink” crowdsourcing endeavor is aimed at purchasing temporary filters, designed to block fecal coliform-contaminated runoff from entering storm drains at various points along the riverfront.

In addition to the student activists, the community discussion will feature input from the Sandy Hook-based COA, as well as NJ Sea Grant Consortium, Monmouth Conservation, and Stevens Institute of Technology. Stated purpose of the event is to provide information on the effect of the Navesink’s water quality on marine life and recreation, as well as possible causes of the pollution and recommended solutions for alleviating and preventing further contamination.

While there is no advance reservation required for the September 22 event, seating is limited, and attendees are invited to call (732)842-2692 for additional information.