Hydrogeology and Ground-Water Flow
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HYDROGEOLOGY AND GROUND-WATER FLOW, FRACTURED MESOZOIC STRUCTURAL-BASIN ROCKS, STONY BROOK, BEDEN BROOK, AND JACOBS CREEK DRAINAGE BASINS, WEST-CENTRAL NEW JERSEY by Jean C. Lewis-Brown and Eric Jacobsen U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Water-Resources Investigations Report 94-4147 APPALACHIAN VALLEYS-PIEDMONT REGIONAL AQUIFER-SYSTEMS ANALYSIS Wsst Trenton, New Jersey 1995 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BRUCE BABBITT, Secretary US. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Gordon P. Eaton, Director For additional information Copies of this report can be write to: purchased from: District Chief U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Geological Survey, WRD Earth Science Information Center 810 Bear Tavern Road Open-File Reports Section West Trenton, NJ 08628 Box 25286, MS 517 Denver Federal Center Denver, CO 80225 CONTENTS Page Abstract..........................................^ Introduction.......................................~^ Purpose and scope...................................................................................................................................... 2 Description of study area........................................................................................................................... 6 Location and extent...................................................................................................................... 6 Geologic setting............................................................................................................................ 6 Previous investigations............................................................................................................................10 Hydrogeology.......................................................................................................................................................... 10 Hydrogeologic framework.......................................................................................................................11 Hydraulic properties of aquifers............................................................................................................ 13 Spedfic capacity.......................................................................................................................... 15 Effect of lithology......................................................................................................... 15 Effect of depth............................................................................................................... 18 Transmissivity............................................................................................................................. 18 Storage coefficient....................................................................................................................... 18 Porosity........................................................................................................................................ 18 Ground-water flow.................................................................................................................................................20 Conceptual model of ground-water flow.............................................................................................. 20 Recharge and discharge areas................................................................................................... 23 Anisotropy of sedimentary aquifers........................................................................................ 24 Effect of diabase rocks................................................................................................................ 24 Source of water to wells............................................................................................................. 27 Simulation of ground-water flow........................................................................................................... 27 Description of digital model..................................................................................................... 27 Grid orientation and discretization........................................................................... 27 Boundary conditions................................................................................................... 29 Upper boundary and simulation of surface water................................... 29 Lateral boundaries......................................................................................... 31 Lower boundary............................................................................................32 Calibration of digital model...................................................................................................... 32 Water levels...................................................................................................................32 U.S. Geological Survey water-level data.................................................... 38 Well-completion-record data....................................................................... 39 Base flow....................................................................................................................... 40 Limitations of digital model..................................................................................................... 40 Prepumping water budgets..................................................................................................................... 41 Base flow and direct runoff .......................................................................................................41 Initial estimates ............................................................................................................41 Stony Brook drainage basin......................................................................... 41 Beden Brook and Jacobs Creek drainage basins .......................................44 Effect of anisotropy......................................................................................................44 Base-flow rates in the digital model.......................................................................... 45 Ground-water pumpage............................................................................................................45 Ground-water flow to and from adjoining drainage basins................................................48 Areal recharge............................................................................................................................. 49 Initial estimates............................................................................................................49 Effect of diabase rocks................................................................................................. 51 Effect of Hopewell Fault............................................................................................. 53 Areal recharge rates in the digital model................................................................. 53 CONTENTS-Continued Page Values of hydraulic conductivity and conductance from calibrated digital model........................ 53 Horizontal hydraulic conductivity in the direction of strike............................................... 55 Diabase rocks................................................................................................................55 Stockton Formation...................................................................................................... 55 Lockatong Formation..................................................................................................56 Passaic Formation........................................................................................................56 Fault zone...................................................................................................................... 56 Areas near streams.......................................................................................................56 Horizontal anisotropy ratio......................................................................................................57 Vertical hydraulic conductance................................................................................................ 57 Streambed hydraulic conductance...........................................................................................58 Vertical distribution of ground-water flow........................................................................................... 59 Summary and conclusions.....................................................................................................................................59 References cited.......................................................................................................................................................62 ILLUSTRATIONS Figures 1-4. Maps showing: 1. The Appalachian Valleys-Piedmont Regional Aquifer-Systems Analysis study area and physiographic provinces............................................................................. 3 2. Exposed Mesozoic basins in the eastern United States................................................... 4 3. Location of the study area.................................................................................................... 5 4. Geology of the study area, Stony Brook, Beden Brook, and Jacobs Creek drainage basins, west-central New Jersey................................................................................. 8 5. Generalized geologic section through the study area, Stony Brook, Beden Brook, and