Development of the Hydroecological Integrity Assessment Process for Determining Environmental Flows for New Jersey Streams
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In cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Development of the Hydroecological Integrity Assessment Process for Determining Environmental Flows for New Jersey Streams Scientific Investigations Report 2007-5206 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Cover. Dunnfield Creek in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Warren County, New Jersey. Photograph by Jason Lewis, U.S. Geological Survey. Development of the Hydroecological Integrity Assessment Process for Determining Environmental Flows for New Jersey Streams By Jonathan G. Kennen, James A. Henriksen, and Steven P. Nieswand In cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Scientific Investigations Report 2007-5206 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior DIRK KEMPTHORNE, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Mark D. Myers, Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2007 For product and ordering information: World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS For more information on the USGS--the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment: World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted materials contained within this report. Suggested citation: Kennen, J.G., Henriksen, J.A., and Nieswand, S.P., 2007, Development of the Hydroecological Integrity Assessment Process for Determining Environmental Flows for New Jersey Streams: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investiga- tions Report 2007-5206, 55 p. iii Contents Abstract ...........................................................................................................................................................1 Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................1 Background............................................................................................................................................2 Purpose and scope ...............................................................................................................................2 Study area description .........................................................................................................................2 Technical Advisory Committee Activities .........................................................................................4 Comparison of 10 Environmental Flow Methods ....................................................................5 Examination of Two Environmental Flow Methods ................................................................5 Development of the Hydroecological Integrity Assessment Process ..................................................9 Conceptualization .................................................................................................................................9 Software .................................................................................................................................................9 Methods................................................................................................................................................10 Hydrologic Index Tool ................................................................................................................10 Stream Classification Processes ............................................................................................10 Selection of Streams and Period of Record .................................................................12 Clustering of Streams .......................................................................................................12 Development of the New Jersey Stream Classification Tool (NJSCT) ....................13 Application of the Hydroecological Integrity Assessment Process ...................................................13 Establishing a Hydrologic Baseline .................................................................................................14 Examples of New Jersey Hydroecological Assessment Tool (NJHAT) Application ...............15 Example A....................................................................................................................................15 Example B....................................................................................................................................19 Developing Environmental Flow Standards ............................................................................................24 Summary and Conclusions .........................................................................................................................25 Acknowledgments .......................................................................................................................................25 References Cited..........................................................................................................................................25 Appendix 1. Members of the Technical Advisory Committee ...........................................................29 Appendix 2. Review of seminal ecological concepts .........................................................................30 Appendix 3. Distinctive characteristics of the four stream classes in New Jersey .....................37 Appendix 4. Stream class and characteristics of gaging stations representing relatively unimpaired basins used to classify New Jersey streams .......................................................38 Appendix 5. Verification results for the 171 hydrologic indices .......................................................40 Appendix 6. Hydrologic indices with the largest absolute loading for each of the statistically significant principal component axes for each stream type in the nine sub-components of the flow regime ...........................................................................................47 Appendix 7. Definitions of the 171 hydrologic indices. ......................................................................48 iv Figures 1. Maps showing location of physiographic regions and streamflow sites used to classify the primary stream classes in New Jersey ..........................................................3 2. Graph showing time series of daily flow, minimum flow, and 25th- and 75th-percentile flow ranges for the South Branch Raritan River (USGS station 01396500), New Jersey, with flows for three environmental flow methods: Aquatic Base Flow (ABF), Range of Variation Approach (RVA), and 7-day, 10-year low flow (7Q10) ...............8 3. Diagram showing steps taken to develop and apply the Hydroecological Integrity Assessment Process (HIP) ..........................................................................................................9 4–19. Graphs showing— 4. Monthly maximum daily mean streamflow for time periods before and after regionalization of a wastewater facility, water years 1964–2003 ..............................15 5. Monthly mean streamflow for time periods before and after regionalization of a wastewater facility, water years 1964–2003..........................................................16 6. Monthly minimum daily mean streamflow for time periods before and after regionalization of a wastewater facility, water years 1964–2003 ..............................16 7. Maximum monthly streamflow for time periods before and after regionalization of a wastewater facility, water years 1964–2003..........................................................17 8. Median monthly streamflows for time periods before and after regionalization of a wastewater facility, water years 1964–2003..........................................................18 9. Minimum monthly streamflows for time periods before and after regionalization of a wastewater facility, water years 1964–2003..........................................................18 10. The calculated value and the 25th- and 75th-percentile values of selected hydrologic indices pre- and post-regionalization ........................................................19 11. Monthly maximum daily mean streamflow for water years 1924–2003 ....................19 12. Monthly mean streamflow for water years 1924–2003................................................19 13. Monthly minimum daily mean streamflow for water years 1924–2003 .....................19 14. Hydrograph showing two diversion scenarios with baseline daily flow conditions for water year 2000 (diversions of 5 and 50 ft3 with an environmental passing flow of 25 ft3) .............................................................................20 15. Hydrograph showing two diversion scenarios with baseline daily flow conditions for water year 2000 (diversions of 25 and 50 ft3 with environmental passing flows of 25 and 10 ft3, respectively) .................................................................21 16. Maximum monthly flows for four flow-diversion scenarios for water years 1924–2003 ......................................................................................................21 17. Median monthly flows for four flow-diversion scenarios