TheThe LowerLower HackensackHackensack River:River: WhatWhat DoesDoes ContinuousContinuous 2424 hourhour MonitoringMonitoring TellTell Us?Us?

Joseph Grzyb Environmental Chemist Meadowlands Environmental Research Institute AbstractAbstract • The lower Hackensack River has a legacy of pollution that goes b ack more than 100 years. Today, over 20 million people live in its watershed which supports one of the highest population densities and industrial infrastructure footp rint in the country. The lower Hackensack River is tidally influenced from and by freshwater discharges from two water treatment facilities and 20 miles upriver from the Oradell Dam. These factors, along with industrial and r esidential runoff during storms, greatly affect the . Understanding h ow these factors impact the spatial and temporal patterns of water quality is cru cial for managing this resource and the wildlife associated with it. The New Jerse y Meadowlands Commission (NJMC) operates a distributed network of sensors that continuously monitors the water quality of the lower Hackensack River and mak es this information available in real time. Currently there are water quality monitors strategically placed at 4 locations measuring water depth, disso lved oxygen, conductivity, salinity, pH, temperature, and . This stu dy will show a few phenomena recorded by the monitoring system that illustrate the spatial and temporal effects on water quality by the man made discharges and natural events affecting the . Our monitoring activity has shown for exa mple that after a significant storm or discharge of fresh water from the Dam it ta kes 1 – 2 weeks for the river to return to its brackish baseline. Similarly, daily t idal pulses as always associated with increase turbidity and decrease oxygen levels al so greatly affected by temperature. Due to the increased temperatures and the unusua l amount of rainfall in June and July of 2009, the dissolved oxygen concentr ation fell below the criteria a couple times in August and September. Water level on the other hand is significantly affected by freezing temperatures and sea surge ev ents from tropical storms. ObjectivesObjectives

•• Summarize a year of hourly water quality measurements from four locations on the Lower Hackensack River.

•• Show seasonal and spatial differences in salinity, dissolved oxygen, and temperature.

•• Show how natural effects (tide cycle) and man made effects (dam discharges) affect water quality of the lower estuary. Data points per parameter and site January 2009 and January 2010. Dissolved Site Temperature Oxygen pH Turbidity Salinity Conductivity Depth

Kearny 7562 7258 6771 7498 7562 7562 8051

Berry ’s Creek 8984 5887 8932 8780 8997 9002 8896

Mill Creek 6885 6089 6794 6366 6796 6851 8762

FDU 7126 6616 7126 6159 7126 7126 7126

FDU

10.3 km

2.74 km Mill Creek

Berry’s Creek

Weather Station

7.72 km Kearny Average Max, Min, and Median of the parameters measured between January 2009 and January 2010 for each station. Kearny Temperature DO pH Turbidity Salinity Conductivity Depth

Average 15.64 7.39 7.63 17.84 11.89 19.31 1.63

Max 29.45 14.04 8.21 173.70 21.82 34.64 6.13

Min 1.17 3.01 7.30 3.60 3.72 6.78 -4.71

Median 15.31 8.53 7.76 88.65 12.77 20.71 0.71

Berry ’s Creek Temperature DO pH Turbidity Salinity Conductivity Depth Average 13.11 5.58 7.36 44.06 7.01 12.21 0.46

Max 29.85 21.83 8.57 493.30 16.50 26.87 5.14

Min -0.98 2.01 6.43 4.70 1.01 2.004 -3.77

Median 14.435 11.92 7.50 249 8.76 14.437 0.68

Mill Creek Temperature DO pH Turbidity Salinity Conductivity Depth

Average 17.28 5.21 7.39 86.51 5.53 9.65 0.35

Max 33.31 18.35 8.73 594.80 15.36 25.37 5.08

Min 0.85 2.02 6.62 5.30 1.12 1.508 -4.23

Median 17.08 10.34 7.68 300.05 8.24 13.44 0.43

FDU Temperature DO pH Turbidity Salinity Conductivity Depth

Average 15.88 8.11 7.95 48.66 0.73 1.43 -0.04

Max 29.51 25.8 9.94 393.40 3.64 6.62 4.83

Min -0.1 2.02 7.06 5.10 0.09 0.20 -6.81

Median 14.705 14.0 8.50 199.25 1.865 3.41 -0.99 Seasonal Patterns of Temperature

Kearny Temperature Berry's Creek Temperature 35 35 Kearny Temperatures (C) Berry's Creek Temperature (C) 30 30

25 25

20 20

15 15

10 10 Temperature (C) Temperature Temperature(C)

5 5

0 0

-5 Winter Spring Summer Fall Winter Spring Summer Fall Seasons Seasons

Mill Creek Temperature FDU Temperature 35 35 Mill Creek Temperature FDU Temperature (C) 30 30

25 25

20 20

15 15

10 10 Temperature Temperature (C) Temperature (C) Temperature

5 5

0 0

-5 Winter Spring Summer Fall Winter Spring Summer Fall Seasons Seasons Seasonal Patterns of Salinity

Kearny Salinity Berry's Creek Salinity 24 18 Kearny Salinity Berry's Creek Salinity 22 16 20 14 18 12 16 14 10

12 8

Salinity (ppt) Salinity 10 (ppt) Salinity 6 8 4 6 4 2 2 0 Winter Spring Summer Fall Winter Spring Summer Fall Season Seasons

Mill Creek Salinity FDU Salinity 18 4 Mill Creek Salinity FDU Salinity 16 3 14

12 2 10

8 1 Salinity (ppt) Salinity Salinity (ppt) Salinity 6 0 4

2

0 Winter Spring Summer Fall Winter Spring Summer Fall Seasons Seasons

*Summer rainfall was 7-8 inches more than normal in 2009. Seasonal Patterns of Dissolved Oxygen Kearny DO mg/L Berry's Creek DO mg/L 28 28 26 Kearny DO mg/L 26 DOmg/L 24 24 22 22 20 20 18 18 16 16 14 14 12 DO DO mg/L

DO DO mg/L 12 10 10 8 8 6 6 4 4 2 2 0 0 Winter Spring Summer Fall Winter Spring Summer Fall Seasons Season

Mill Creek DO mg/L FDU DO mg/L 28 28 26 DOmg/L 26 24 24 DO mg/L 22 22 20 20 18 18 16 16 14 14 12 DO mg/L DO

DO mg/L DO 12 10 10 8 8 6 6 4 4 2 2 0 0 Winter Spring Summer Fall Winter Spring Summer Fall Season Season DissolvedDissolved OxygenOxygen Average of all Stations Between January 2009 and January 2010

Average DO mg/L

28 26 DO mg/L 24 22 20 18 16 14 12 DO mg/L DO 10 8 6 Aquatic Stress Level (5.0 mg/L) 4 Criteria Level (4.0 mg/L) 2 0 Kearny Mill Creek FDU Stations EffectsEffects ofof TidalTidal AmplitudeAmplitude onon TurbidityTurbidity (1 month, Dec 14 – Jan 14)

Tide and Turbidity

6 1 2 0 5 5 F eet 4 Feet 7 Feet 4 1 0 0 3 2 8 0 1 0 - 1 6 0 - 2 Depth(ft) - 3 4 0 (NTU) Turbidity - 4 - 5 - 6 2 0 - 7 - 8 0 12/14/09 12/21/09 12/28/09 1/4/10 1/11/10

Turbidity(NTU) D a te K earny D epth (ft) TurbidityTurbidity relationshiprelationship betweenbetween KearnyKearny andand FDUFDU

Kearny vs FD U Turbidity 1 0 0 2 0 0

8 0 1 5 0

6 0

1 0 0 FDU Kearny 4 0

5 0 2 0

0 0 12/7/09 12/14/09 12/21/09 12/28/09 1/4/10 1/11 /1 0

K earny Turbidity D a te FD U Turbidity

• Up river, the turbidity is always higher than near the Newark Ba y. • Both Kearny and FDU follow the same pattern, but FDU has twice t he turbidity. OradellOradell DamDam andand FDUFDU StationStation

Oradell Dam and Reservoir

• The FDU Station is 8 kilometers away from the ~ 8 km and it is the station most affected by the discharge. During strong rain events Oradell Dam may Discharge 1600 cubic feet per secondFDU station for several hours or days The Effects of the Oradell Dam Discharge on Several Water Quality Parameters December 2009 – January 2010 TemperatureTemperature

Oradell Discharge Effects on Temperature 1800 10

1600 8 1400

1200 6 1000

800 4

600

2 (C) Temperature 400

200

Oradell ft/sec Discharge cubic Oradell 0 0 -2 12/14/09 12/21/09 12/28/09 1/4/10 1/11/10 1/18/10 1/25/10 Date Oradell Discharge Water Temperature TurbidityTurbidity

Effects of Oradell Discharge on FDU Turbidity

1800 400

1600

1400 300

1200

1000 200

800

600 100 Turbidity(NTU) OradellDischarge 400

200 0 0

12/14/09 12/21/09 12/28/09 1/4/10 1/11/10 1/18/10 1/25/10

Oradell Discharge Date Turbidity pHpH

Effects of Oradell Discharge on FDU pH 1800

1600 8.4

1400

1200 8.2

1000

800 8.0 pH

600

Oradell Discharge Oradell 400 7.8

200

0 7.6

12/14/09 12/21/09 12/28/09 1/4/10 1/11/10 1/18/10 1/25/10 Date Oradell Discharge pH DissolvedDissolved OxygenOxygen

Effects of Oradell Discharge on FDU Dissolved Oxygen

1800 13

1600

1400 12

1200

1000 11 800

600 DO mg/L 10 OradellDischarge 400

200

9 0

12/14/09 12/21/09 12/28/09 1/4/10 1/11/10 1/18/10 1/25/10 Date Oradell Discharge Dissolved Oxygen mg/L SalinitySalinity

Effects of Oradell Discharge on FDU Salinity 1800 1.4

1600 1.2 1400

1200 1.0

1000 0.8 800 0.6 600 Salinity (ppt) Salinity Oradell Discharge Oradell 400 0.4

200 0.2 0

0.0 12/14/09 12/21/09 12/28/09 1/4/10 1/11/10 1/18/10 1/25/10

Oradell Discharge Date Salinity (ppt) ConclusionsConclusions

•• OnlyOnly stationsstations nearnear waterwater treatmenttreatment facilitiesfacilities hadhad DODO belowbelow oror barelybarely aboveabove criteriacriteria duringduring thethe summersummer monthsmonths ConclusionsConclusions (cont.)(cont.)

•• HigherHigher thanthan averageaverage precipitationprecipitation (7(7 --88 inchesinches aboveabove normal)normal) hadhad aa significantsignificant effecteffect inin loweringlowering thethe overalloverall salinitysalinity ofof thethe estuaryestuary duringduring thethe summersummer monthsmonths ofof 20092009 ConclusionsConclusions (Cont.)(Cont.)

•• TidalTidal amplitudeamplitude waswas greatlygreatly correlatedcorrelated withwith turbidityturbidity •• HighHigh energyenergy OradellOradell DamDam dischargedischarge hashas aa significantsignificant effecteffect onon allall waterwater qualityquality parametersparameters measuredmeasured andand maymay contributecontribute toto thethe rere --suspensionsuspension ofof legacylegacy contaminantscontaminants inin thethe lowerlower estuaryestuary ConclusionsConclusions •• The distance from the source of discharge or tidal source (The Newark Bay) has huge effects on water quality parameters. •• Tidal amplitude, whether it is a spring tide or a neap tide, has major effects on the turbidity of the river. •• Sensor location can effect the data and results. Berry ’s Creek is shaded and Mill Creek is in full sunlight. Both Mill Creek and Berry ’s Creek Sensors are not located within the center of the river causing different results. •• By knowing the distances between stations and applying the data, we can calculate and assume the water quality at any point and time on the river. Questions?Questions?

•• WaterWater QualityQuality DataData forfor thethe HackensackHackensack RiverRiver inin thethe MeadowlandsMeadowlands isis availableavailable inin realreal --timetime at:at: •• http://merigis.njmeadowlands.gov/vdv/index.php •• [email protected]