HYDROLOGIC CONDITIONS in the JACOBS CREEK, STONY BROOK, and BEDEN BROOK DRAINAGE BASINS, WEST-CENTRAL NEW JERSEY, 1986-88 By
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HYDROLOGIC CONDITIONS IN THE JACOBS CREEK, STONY BROOK, AND BEDEN BROOK DRAINAGE BASINS, WEST-CENTRAL NEW JERSEY, 1986-88 By Eric Jacobsen, Mark A. Hardy, and Barbara A. Kurtz U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Water-Resources Investigations Report 91-4164 Prepared in cooperation with the NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND ENERGY West Trenton, New Jersey 1993 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BRUCE BABBITT, Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Dallas L. Peck, Director For additional information Copies of this report can be write to: purchased from: District Chief U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Geological Survey Books and Open-File Reports Section Mountain View Office Park Box 25425 Suite 206 Federal Center 810 Bear Tavern Road Denver, CO 80225 West Trenton, NJ 08628 CONTENTS Page Abstract.............................................................. 1 Introduction.......................................................... 2 Purpose and scope................................................ 2 Previous studies................................................. 2 Acknowledgments.................................................. 2 Description of study area............................................. 4 Location and setting............................................. 4 Climate.......................................................... 4 Geology.......................................................... 6 Hydrogeology..................................................... 6 Methods of investigation.............................................. 8 Ground water..................................................... 8 Water levels................................................ 8 Water quality............................................... 8 Surface water.................................................... 10 Discharge................................................... 10 Water chemistry............................................. 10 Trace elements and organic compounds in bottom sediments.... 13 Benthic macroinvertebrates.................................. 15 Ground water.......................................................... 15 Water levels...................................................... 15 Water quality.................................................... 16 Inorganic constituents...................................... 16 Nitrogen.................................................... 19 Organic constituents........................................ 19 Surface water......................................................... 20 Discharge. ...................................................... 20 Flow-duration curves of Stony Brook.............................. 20 Water quality.................................................... 23 Jacobs Creek................................................ 23 Major ions and field measurements...................... 23 Nitrogen and phosphorus ................................ 23 Trace elements in bottom sediments and surface waters.. 23 Organic compounds in bottom sediments ................. 26 Macroinvertebrate diversities and population densities. 28 Stony Brook................................................. 28 Major ions and field measurements...................... 28 Nitrogen and phosphorus ................................ 31 Trace elements in bottom sediments and surface waters.. 31 Organic compounds in bottom sediments.................. 33 Macroinvertebrate diversities and population densities. 33 Beden Brook................................................. 35 Major ions and field measurements...................... 35 Nitrogen and phosphorus ................................ 38 Trace elements in bottom sediments and surface waters.. 38 Organic compounds in bottom sediments.................. 40 Macroinvertebrate diversities and population densities. 40 Summary and conclusions............................................... 40 References cited...................................................... 46 iii ILLUSTRATIONS Page Plate 1. Map showing well locations and water levels in the study area, west-central New Jersey, 1987.................. in pocket Figure 1. Map showing location of study area in west-central New Jersey.............................................. 3 2. Graph of average monthly precipitation, 1951-80, and monthly total precipitation for water years 1987 and 1988, New Brunswick, N.J. .............................. 5 3. Map showing generalized bedrock geology and boundaries of the Jacobs Creek, Stony Brook, and Beden Brook drainage basins......................................... 7 4. Map showing locations of ground-water-quality sampling sites in the Jacobs Creek, Stony Brook, and Beden Brook drainage basins......................................... 9 5. Map showing locations of low-flow stream-gaging sites in the Jacobs Creek, Stony Brook, and Beden Brook drainage basins.................................................. 11 6. Map showing locations of stream-sampling sites in the Jacobs Creek, Stony Brook, and Beden Brook drainage bas ins.................................................. 14 7. Hydrographs of water levels in observation wells in the Passaic Formation....................................... 17 8. Piper diagrams showing percentage distribution of major cations and anions in ground-water samples from wells in the: (A) Passaic Formation, and (B) Stockton and Lockatong Formations and diabase dikes.................. 18 9. Hydrograph showing daily mean discharge of Stony Brook at Princeton, N.J. (station 01401000)...................... 21 10. Flow-duration curves of mean daily discharge at Stony Brook at Princeton, N.J. (station 01401000)............. 22 11. Piper diagram showing percentage distribution of major anions and cations in surface-water samples from Jacobs Creek................................................... 24 12. Histograms showing concentrations of (A) dissolved nitrogen and (B) dissolved phosphorus in surface-water samples from Jacobs Creek............................... 25 13. Histograms showing macroinvertebrate species diversity and population densities at sampling sites on Jacobs Creek................................................... 29 14. Piper diagram showing percentage distribution of major anions and cations in surface-water samples from Stony Brook................................................... 30 15. Histograms showing concentrations of (A) dissolved nitrogen and (B) dissolved phosphorus in surface-water samples from Stony Brook................................ 32 16. Histograms of macroinvertebrate species diversity and population densities at sampling sites on Stony Brook... 36 17. Piper diagram showing percentage distribution of major anions and cations in surface-water samples from Beden Brook................................................... 37 IV ILLUSTRATIONS - -Continued Page Figure 18. Histograms showing concentrations of (A) dissolved nitrogen and (B) dissolved phosphorus in surface-water samples from Beden Brook................................ 39 19. Histograms of macroinvertebrate species diversity and population densities at sampling sites on Beden Brook... 42 TABLES Table 1. Station numbers corresponding to site numbers shown on figure 5................................................ 12 2. Locations, well-construction, and hydrogeologic data for wells in the study area................................. 50 3. Results of chemical analyses of ground-water samples....... 54 4. Discharge and drainage area at surface-water measurement sites on Jacobs Creek, Stony Brook, and Beden Brook..... 63 5. Location, drainage area, and periods of record for streamflow-measurement sites on Jacobs Creek, Stony Brook, and Beden Brook............................ 66 6. Results of chemical analyses of surface-water samples from monitoring sites on Jacobs Creek, Stony Brook, and Beden Brook............................................. 73 7. Results of chemical analyses of low-flow water samples from sites on Jacobs Creek, Stony Brook, and Beden Brook............................................. 76 8. Percentages and concentrations of trace elements on bottom sediments less than 63 microns in diameter at sites on Jacobs Creek, Stony Brook, and Beden Brook.............. 78 9. Ratio of concentrations of organic compounds to concentra tion of total organic carbon in bottom sediments in Jacobs Creek............................................ 27 10. Concentrations of organic compounds on unsorted bottom sediments at sites on Jacobs Creek, Stony Brook, and Beden Brook............................................. 80 11. Statistical summary of results of biological analyses of stream samples from sites on Jacobs Creek, Stony Brook, and Beden Brook, 1987................................... 90 12. Ratio of concentrations of organic compounds to concentra tion of total organic carbon in bottom sediments in Stony Brook............................................. 34 13. Ratio of concentrations of organic compounds to concentra tion of total organic carbon in bottom sediments in Beden Brook............................................. 41 v CONVERSION FACTORS AND VERTICAL DATUM Multiply By To obtain inch (in.) 25.4 millimeter foot (ft) 0.3048 meter mile (mi) 1.609 kilometer square foot (ft2 ) 0.0929 square meter square mile (mi 2 ) 2.590 square kilometer cubic foot per second (ft3 /s) 0.02832 cubic meter per second Temperature Conversion degree Fahrenheit (°F) °C - 5/9 x (°F-32) degree Celsius (°C) Sea level: In this report "sea level" refers to the National Geodetic