Bass River Township, New Jersey
Bass River Township is a township at the southeastern tip of Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The township bears a shoreline fronting both the Bass River and the Great Bay. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 1,355, a decrease of 88 from the 2010 census count of 1,443, which in turn had reflected a decline of 67 from the 1,510 counted in the 2000 census. The township and all of Burlington County is a part of the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden combined statistical area and the Delaware Valley. Bass River is traversed by the Garden State Parkway.
Bass River was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 30, 1864, from portions of Little Egg Harbor Township and Washington Township.
The township's name originated from the Bass River, a tributary of the Mullica River, that was in turn named for Jeremiah Basse, who served as governor of both West Jersey and East Jersey.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 78.41 square miles, including 75.12 square miles of land and 3.29 square miles of water.Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Allens Bridge, Bass River State Forest, Calico, Charcoal Landing, Doctors Point, Frogtown, Harrisville, High Bridge, Leektown, Martha, Merrygold, Munion Field, New Gretna, Oak Island, Oswego Lake, Sim Place, State Forest and Wading River.
The township borders Washington Township and Woodland Township in Burlington County; Galloway Township and Port Republic in Atlantic County; and both Barnegat Township and Little Egg Harbor Township in Ocean County.
The township is one of 56 South Jersey municipalities that are included within the New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve, a protected natural area of unique ecology covering, that has been classified as a United States Biosphere Reserve and established by Congress in 1978 as the nation's first National Reserve. All of the township is included in either the state-designated Pinelands area or the Pinelands National Reserve, which includes portions of Burlington County, along with areas in Atlantic, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Ocean counties.
Demographics
2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 1,443 people, 522 households, and 407 families in the township. The population density was. There were 587 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup was 97.37% White, 0.28% Black or African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.76% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.35% from other races, and 1.11% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.12% of the population.Of the 522 households, 28.4% had children under the age of 18; 60.7% were married couples living together; 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present and 22.0% were non-families. Of all households, 15.5% were made up of individuals and 5.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.09.
20.2% of the population were under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 23.3% from 25 to 44, 33.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.0 years. For every 100 females, the population had 104.4 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 101.0 males.
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that median household income was $64,185 and the median family income was $66,364. Males had a median income of $50,625 versus $48,950 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $24,440. About 9.4% of families and 12.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.5% of those under age 18 and 27.8% of those age 65 or over.
2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census, there were 1,510 people, 548 households, and 409 families residing in the township. The population density was. There were 602 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the township was 98.87% White, 0.07% African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 0.13% from other races, and 0.73% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.19% of the population.There were 548 households, out of which 35.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.1% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.2% were non-families. 19.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.15.
In the township the population was spread out, with 26.8% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.6 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $47,469, and the median income for a family was $51,167. Males had a median income of $35,179 versus $27,222 for females. The per capita income for the township was $20,382. About 2.4% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.5% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Local government
Since 1972, Bass River Township has been governed under the Walsh Act by a three-member commission. The township is one of 30 municipalities statewide that use the commission form of government. The governing body is comprised of three commissioners, who are elected at-large in non-partisan elections held every four years as part of the May municipal election to serve four-year terms of office on a concurrent basis. Each of the Commissioners is appointed to serve as the head of a designated department. The commissioners choose a mayor, who presides over meetings but has no executive role.and continuing through May 15, 2028, members of the Bass River Township Board of Commissioners are
Mayor William R. Adams,
Deputy Mayor Louis Bourguignon and
Jane Allen.
In June 2024, Jane Allen was appointed to fill the seat vacated by Nicholas Capriglione when he resigned at the reorganization meeting held the previous month; Allen will serve on an interim basis until the November 2025 general election, when voters will choose a candidate to serve the remainder of the term of office.
Bass River Township's municipal court, which it shares with neighboring Washington Township, is located in New Gretna.
Emergency services
Like other municipalities in New Jersey without a local police department, Bass River Township is served by troopers from the New Jersey State Police Troop C which maintains a barrack in Tuckerton. The New Jersey State Park Police, which operates a station in Washington Township, is responsible for any matters occurring within state forests.The New Gretna Volunteer Fire Company provides fire protection for all of Bass River Township. Additionally the Fire Company provides rescue services and operates an EMS First Response vehicle for medical emergencies.
Bass River Township is served by Galloway Township EMS, which also provides primary 911 emergency medical services for the residents of Galloway Township, New Jersey, Port Republic, New Jersey and Egg Harbor City, New Jersey, as well as the campus of Stockton University.
Federal, state, and county representation
Bass River Township is located in the 3rd Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 8th state legislative district.Politics
Education
The Bass River Township School District served students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade at Bass River Township Elementary School. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 106 students and 12.8 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 8.3:1. In the 2016–2017 school year, Bass River had the 10th-smallest enrollment of any school district in the state, with 102 students.The Bass River Township Elementary School was closed and students from the township began attending the schools of the Little Egg Harbor Township School District in the 2020–21 school year. As of the 2021–22 school year, the district, comprised of three schools, had an enrollment of 1,672 students and 156.7 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 10.7:1. Schools in the district are
Robert C. Wood Sr. Early Childhood Center with 281 students in pre-kindergarten,
George J. Mitchell Elementary School with 611 students in kindergarten through third grade and
Frog Pond Elementary School with 780 students in grades 4 to 6.
Public school students in seventh through twelfth grades attend the schools of the Pinelands Regional School District, which also serves students from Eagleswood Township, Little Egg Harbor Township and Tuckerton Borough. Schools in the district are
Pinelands Regional Junior High School with 532 students in grades 7–8 and
Pinelands Regional High School with 1,070 students in grades 9–12. The district's board of education is comprised of nine members directly elected by the residents of the constituent municipalities to three-year terms on a staggered basis, with three seats up for election each year. Seats on the high school district's board of education are allocated based on the population of the constituent municipalities, with one seat allocated to Bass River Township.
Students from Bass River Township, and from all of Burlington County, are eligible to attend the Burlington County Institute of Technology, a countywide public school district that serves the vocational and technical education needs of students at the high school and post-secondary level at its campuses in Medford and Westampton Township.