HYDROGEOLOGY OF THE REGION OF GREENWICH TOWNSHIP, GLOUCESTER COUNTY, NEW JERSEY By Cynthia Barton and Jane Kozinski U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Water-Resources Investigations Report 90-4198 Prepared in cooperation with GREENWICH TOWNSHIP, NEW JERSEY, and the NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION West Trenton, New Jersey 1991 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MANUEL LUJAN, JR., Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Dallas L. Peck, Director For additional information Copies ( )f this report can be write to: purchasesd from: District Chief U.S. Ge( )logical Survey U.S. Geological Survey Books at id Open-File Reports Section Mountain View Office Park Box 254^!5 810 Bear Tavern Road Denver '. ^ederal Center Suite 206 Denver , CO 80225 West Trenton. NJ 08698 CONTENTS Page Glossary........................................................... ix Abstract........................................................... 1 Introduction....................................................... 2 Purpose and scope............................................. 2 Previous investigations....................................... 4 Well-numbering system......................................... 4 Acknowledgments............................................... 5 Description of study area.......................................... 5 Location and physiography..................................... 5 Climate....................................................... 6 Methods of study................................................... 6 Hydrogeology.................................................. 6 Hydrologic conditions......................................... 11 Hydrogeology....................................................... 12 Upper Cenozoic deposits ....................................... 12 Englishtown aquifer system.................................... 14 Merchantville-Woodbury confining unit......................... 16 Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer system........................ 17 Upper aquifer............................................ 19 Confining unit between the upper and middle aquifers..... 20 Middle aquifer........................................... 20 Confining unit between the middle and lower aquifers..... 25 Lower aquifer............................................ 26 Bedrock....................................................... 27 Hydrologic conditions .............................................. 28 Surface water................................................. 28 Ground water.................................................. 30 Withdrawals.............................................. 30 Occurrence and flow...................................... 37 Water table......................................... 37 Englishtown aquifer system.......................... 38 Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer system.............. 39 Water-level fluctuations................................. 44 Water budget.................................................. 49 Ground-water recharge.................................... 50 River recharge........................................... 52 Lateral flow............................................. 53 Vertical leakage......................................... 54 Base flow, discharge to wetlands, and pumpage............ 54 Summary and conclusions ............................................ 56 References cited................................................... 59 in ILLUSTRATIONS Page Plate Maps showing: a. Locations of wells, traces of hydrogeologic and geophysical sections, and heads of tide of streams in the region of Greenwich Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey................ in pocket b. Approximate outcrops or subcrops of hydrogeo­ logic units in the region of Greenwich Town­ ship, Gloucester County, New Jersey.......... Hydrogeologic sections through the region of Greenwich Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey: a. Hydrogeologic section A-A' in pocket b. Hydrogeologic section B-B' c. Hydrogeologic section C-C' d. Hydrogeologic section D-D' Maps showing: a. Upper Cenozoic deposits in :he region of Greenwich Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey.................. in pocket b. Altitude of the top of the Merchantville- Woodbury confining unit in the region of Greenwich Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey........................................ Maps showing: a. Altitude of the top of the upper aquifer of the Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer system in the region of Greenwich Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey............................ in pocket b. Altitude of the top of the confining unit between the upper and middle aquifers of the Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer system in the region of Greenwich Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey............................ Maps showing: a. Altitude of the top of the upper part of the middle aquifer of the Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer system in the reg:.on of Greenwich Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey....... in pocket b. Altitude of the top of the confining unit dividing the middle aquifer of the Potomac- Raritan-Magothy aquifer system in the region of Greenwich Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey....................................... IV ILLUSTRATIONS - -Continued Page Plate 6. Maps showing: a. Altitude of the top of the lower part of the middle aquifer of the Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer system in the region of Greenwich Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey........ in pocket b. Altitude of the top of the confining unit between the middle and lower aquifers of the Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer system in the region of Greenwich Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey............................. 7. Maps showing: a. Altitude of the top of the lower aquifer of the Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer system in the region of Greenwich Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey............................. in pocket b. Configuration of the bedrock surface in the region of Greenwich Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey............................. 8. Maps showing: a. Distribution of ground-water withdrawals from the upper aquifer of the Potomac-Raritan- Magothy aquifer system in the region of Greenwich Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey, 1986 ................................... in pocket b. Distribution of ground-water withdrawals from the middle aquifer of the Potomac-Raritan- Magothy aquifer system in the region of Greenwich Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey, 1986................................... 9. Maps showing: a. Distribution of ground-water withdrawals from the lower aquifer of the Potomac-Raritan- Magothy aquifer system in the region of Greenwich Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey, 1986................................... in pocket b. Potentiometric surface of the Englishtown aquifer system in the region of Greenwich Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey, August to September 1986....................... 10. Map and diagram showing: a. Potentiometric surface of the upper aquifer of the Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer system in the region of Greenwich Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey, August to September 1986...in pocket b. Potentiometric surface of the undifferentiated and the lower part of the middle aquifer of the Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer system in the region of Greenwich Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey, August to September 1986... v ILLUSTRATIONS--Continued Page 11. Map and diagram showing: Potentiometric surface of the lower aquifer of the Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer system in the region of Greenwich Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey, August to September 1986., in pocket b. Analytical methods used to calculate lateral flow across boundaries of: the middle aquifer of the Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer system in the region of Greenwich Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey................. Figure 1 Map showing location of the region of Greenwich Town­ ship, Gloucester County, New Jcsrsey. 3 Graph showing annual precipitation at Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania, weather station, 1931-86............. 7 3. Idealized hydrogeologic sections illustrating ground- water flow in the region of Greenwich Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey........................ 15 a. From Tinicum Township, Pennsylvania, to Greenwich Township, New Jersey..... 15 b. From Chester, Pennsylvania, to Logan Township, New Jersey.................................. 15 Map showing distribution of ground-water withdrawals from upper Cenozoic deposits in the region of Greenwich Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey, 1986............... 35 Graphs showing ground-water withdrawals in the region of Greenwich Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey: a. Total ground-water use and ground-water use by type, 1956-86.......... 36 Seasonal fluctuations in ground-water use, 1983. 36 c. Total ground-water use and ground-water use by aquifer, Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer system, 1956-86....... 36 Water-level hydrographs of selected wells in the region of Greenwich Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey: a. Hydrograph of well 15-323, water years 1949-86. 45 b. Hydrograph of well 15-296, 1983....... 45 c. Hydrograph of well 15-620, May 31-June 4, 1986. 45 TABLES Table 1. Geologic and hydrogeologic units in the region of Greenwich Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey.. 2. Altitudes of the tops of aquifers and confining units in the region of Greenwich Towr.ship Gloucester County, New Jersey.......... 63 vi TABLES--Continued Page Table 3. Selected records of wells and borings used to determine the hydrogeologic framework of the region of