SETTING OF THE RARITAN RIVER BASIN A Technical Report for the Raritan Basin Watershed Management Project New Jersey Water Supply Authority July 2000 II NJ Water Supply Authority 07/24/00 SETTING OF THE RARITAN RIVER BASIN TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................................................v Summary...................................................................................................................................................................... 1 Basin Summary .................................................................................................................................................... 1 Watershed Management Area Summaries......................................................................................................... 1 Upper Raritan Watershed Management Area (WMA 8)........................................................................ 1 Lower Raritan Watershed Management Area (WMA 9)........................................................................ 1 Millstone Watershed Management Area (WMA 10) .............................................................................. 2 Location........................................................................................................................................................................ 2 Topography, Geology and Soils ................................................................................................................................. 3 Topography........................................................................................................................................................... 3 Geology ................................................................................................................................................................. 3 Soils ....................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Soil Surveys .......................................................................................................................................................... 6 Surface Water Hydrology............................................................................................................................................ 7 Ground Water Hydrology ............................................................................................................................................ 8 Aquifers ................................................................................................................................................................. 9 Climate ....................................................................................................................................................................... 10 Precipitation Patterns.......................................................................................................................................... 10 Temperature Variability ...................................................................................................................................... 12 Land Use .................................................................................................................................................................... 13 Historic Land Use Patterns................................................................................................................................. 13 III NJ Water Supply Authority 07/24/00 Modern Trends.................................................................................................................................................... 14 Farmland ............................................................................................................................................................. 16 Open Space ........................................................................................................................................................ 17 Vegetation and Wildlife....................................................................................................................................... 18 Wetlands ............................................................................................................................................................. 20 Population .................................................................................................................................................................. 21 Historic Trends 1930-1990................................................................................................................................. 21 Present Conditions ............................................................................................................................................. 21 Housing Trends................................................................................................................................................... 21 Employment Trends ........................................................................................................................................... 22 Income................................................................................................................................................................. 22 Future Trends ............................................................................................................................................................ 23 Population Projections........................................................................................................................................ 23 Future Centers and Redevelopment ................................................................................................................. 23 Conclusions................................................................................................................................................................ 24 Glossary of Terms ..................................................................................................................................................... 24 Common Acronyms................................................................................................................................................... 25 References................................................................................................................................................................. 26 List of Tables Table 1 - Summary of Geological Features of the Raritan Basin.............................................................................. 5 Table 2 - Precipitation Averages for the Raritan Basin............................................................................................ 11 Table 3 - Comparison of Land Use Types 1986-1995 for the Raritan Basin ......................................................... 15 Table 4 - Comparison of Land Use Types 1986-1995 (by WMA)........................................................................... 16 Table 5 - Agriculture Census for the Seven Counties of the Raritan Basin............................................................ 17 Table 6 - Open Space Land Areas ........................................................................................................................... 18 Table 7 - Median Incomes for the Seven Counties of the Raritan Basin................................................................ 23 IV NJ Water Supply Authority 07/24/00 List of Figures Follows Page 1 Location of the Raritan Basin within New Jersey................................................................................................ 2 2 Political Geography of the Raritan Basin............................................................................................................. 2 3 Water Regions, WMAs and Watersheds within New Jersey ............................................................................. 2 4 Municipalities and Road Network within the Raritan Basin ................................................................................ 2 5 Topography and Major Landforms within the Raritan Basin .............................................................................. 3 6 Geological Map of New Jersey ............................................................................................................................ 4 7 Major and Minor Aquifers within the Raritan Basin............................................................................................. 4 8 Soil Associations within the Raritan Basin........................................................................................................... 5 9 Hydrological Soil Groupings within the Raritan Basin......................................................................................... 7 10 Surface Water Hydrology within the Raritan Basin............................................................................................. 7 11 Monitoring Stations and Stream Flows within the Raritan Basin ....................................................................... 8 12 Precipitation within the Raritan Basin ................................................................................................................ 11 13 Mean Temperature within the Raritan Basin....................................................................................................