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Hydrologic Conditions in the Upper Rockaway River Basin

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HYDROLOGIC CONDITIONS IN THE UPPER ROCKAWAY RIVER BASIN, NEW JERSEY, 1984-86 By F.L. Schaefer, P.T. Harte, J.A. Smith, and B.A. Kurtz U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Water-Resources Investigations Report 91-4169 Prepared in cooperation with the NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND ENERGY West Trenton, New Jersey 1993 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MANUEL LUJAN, JR., 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 Federal Center Suite 206 Box 25425 810 Bear Tavern Road Denver, CO 80225 West Trenton, NJ 08628 CONTENTS Page Abstract............................................................. 1 Introduction......................................................... 3 Purpose and scope............................................... 3 Previous studies................................................ 3 Site-numbering system........................................... 4 Acknowledgments................................................. 4 Description of study area............................................ 4 Climate and precipitation....................................... 7 Geohydrologic setting........................................... 7 Bedrock geology............................................ 7 Glacial deposits........................................... 9 Geohydrology............................................... 13 Water use....................................................... 13 Methods of study..................................................... 14 Ground-water levels............................................. 14 Surface-water measurements...................................... 18 Water quality................................................... 20 Ground water............................................... 20 Surface water.............................................. 23 Streambed material.............................................. 23 Stream biology.................................................. 26 Hydrologic conditions................................................ 28 Ground water.................................................... 28 Surface water................................................... 30 Water quality................................................... 36 Ground water............................................... 36 Surface water.............................................. 41 Base flow and stormflow............................... 41 Seasonal variations................................... 42 Chemical quality of streambed material.......................... 43 Stream biology.................................................. 44 Summary.............................................................. 46 References cited..................................................... 49 Appendix A. Macroinvertebrate statistics for the upper Rockaway River basin, May-November 1985.................................... 93 ILLUSTRATIONS (Plates follow text in case) Plate 1. Water levels and ground-water flow in the valley-fill aquifer system of the upper Rockaway River basin, New Jersey, 1986. la. Altitude of water table and general direction of ground- water flow in the unconfined valley-fill aquifer, June-August 1986. Ib. Altitude of potentiometric surface and general direction of ground-water flow in the confined valley-fill aquifer, June-August 1986. iii ILLUSTRATIONS--Continued Page Plate 2. Stream discharge and physical and chemical quality of surface water and streambed material in the upper Rockaway River basin, New Jersey, 1984-86. 2a. Water-quality profiles of the Rockaway River and tributaries during base-flow conditions, October 16-17, 1984. 2b. Monthly discharge and water quality at two streamflow- gaging stations on the Rockaway River, April 1985- March 1986. 2c. Chemical-quality profiles of streambed material in the Rockaway River, August 14-16, 1985. Figure 1. Map showing location of Rockaway River basin, New Jersey. 5 2. Photographs showing selected views of the Rockaway River. 6 3. Graphs showing monthly average precipitation during the study period compared to 30-year average (1951-80) at Boonton, Morris Plains, Oak Ridge Reservoir, and West Wharton rain-gaging stations...................... 8 4-11. Maps showing: 4. Generalized bedrock geology of the upper Rockaway River basin and physiographic provinces of New Jersey............................................ 12 5. Locations of major ground-water withdrawals from the valley-fill aquifers.......................... 15 6. Locations of ground-water-level measurement sites and approximate extent of the valley-fill aquifer system.................................... 17 7. Locations of surface-water measurement sites........ 19 8. Locations of ground-water-quality sampling sites.... 21 9. Locations of surface-water-quality sampling sites... 24 10. Locations of streambed sampling sites............... 25 11. Locations of stream-biology sampling sites.......... 27 12. Hydrographs of water levels in observation wells in the study area, March 1985-September 1986.................. 29 13. Streamflow hydrographs showing daily mean discharge of the Rockaway River at the Berkshire Valley and above Reservoir at Boonton gaging stations, water years 1985-86................................................ 31 14. Graph showing annual mean discharge of the Rockaway River at the above Reservoir at Boonton (01380500) streamflow-gaging station.............................. 32 15. Flow-duration curves of daily discharge of the Rockaway River at the above Reservoir at Boonton (01380500) streamflow-gaging station.............................. 34 16. Map showing losing stream reaches identified in the upper Rockaway River basin during four seepage runs.... 35 17-19. Trilinear diagrams of major-ion chemistry of water samples from the: 17. Unconfined valley-fill aquifer...................... 37 18. Confined valley-fill aquifer........................ 38 IV ILLUSTRATIONS - - Continued Page Figure 19. Bedrock aquifers.................................... 39 20. Graphs showing (a) population density, (b) species- diversity index, and (c) equitability index for macro- invertebrates in the Rockaway River, May-November 1985. 45 TABLES Table 1. Stratigraphic, lithologic, and geohydrologic character­ istics of geologic units in the Rockaway River basin.... 10 2. Diversions from reservoirs and withdrawals from aquifers for public water supplies in the upper Rockaway River basin................................................... 16 3. Well-site and -construction data for selected wells in the upper Rockaway River basin.......................... 54 4. Summary of ground-water levels in observation wells measured bimonthly in the upper Rockaway River basin, May 1985-August 1986.................................... 58 5. Ground-water levels in manually measured wells in the upper Rockaway River basin, 1985-86..................... 59 6. Surface-water stage in the upper Rockaway River basin, 1984-86................................................. 65 7. Summary of instantaneous-discharge measurements in the upper Rockaway River basin.............................. 66 8. Results of analyses of ground-water samples from the upper Rockaway River basin for physical characteristics and dissolved major inorganic ions, 1985-86............. 76 9. Results of analyses of ground-water samples from the upper Rockaway River basin for dissolved trace elements and compounds, 1985-86.................................. 78 10. Results of analyses of ground-water samples from the upper Rockaway River basin for dissolved nutrients and organic compounds, 1985-86.............................. 80 11. Presence of volatile organic compounds in ground-water samples from the upper Rockaway River basin, 1985-86.... 82 12. Results of analyses of surface-water samples from the upper Rockaway River basin for physical characteristics and dissolved major inorganic ions, 1984-86............. 84 13. Results of analyses of surface-water samples from the upper Rockaway River basin for dissolved trace elements and compounds, 1984-86 .................................. 86 14. Results of analyses of surface-water samples from the upper Rockaway River basin for dissolved nutrients and organic compounds, 1984-86.............................. 88 15. Concentrations of selected trace elements on sieved streambed material (less than 63-micrometer diameter) from the upper Rockaway River basin, August 14-16, 1985.................................................... 90 16. Concentrations of selected chlorinated organic compounds and organic carbon on sieved streambed material (less than 63-micrometer diameter) from the upper Rockaway River basin, August 14-16, 1985......................... 91 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 foot per mile 0.1894 meter per kilometer (ft/mi) square foot (ft 2 ) 0.09294 square meter square mile (mi 2 ) 2.590 square kilometer cubic foot per second 0.02832 cubic meter per second (ft»/s) cubic foot per second 0.01093 cubic meter per second per square mile per square kilometer [(ftVs)/mi 2 ] gallon per minute (gal/min) 0.06309 liter per second million gallons (Mgal) 3,785 cubic meters million gallons per day 0.04381 cubic meter per second (Mgal/d) Temperature Conversion Temperature in degrees Celsius
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