Water Resources of the New Jersey Part of the Ramapo River Basin GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 1974 Prepared in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Conservation and Economic Development, Division of Water Policy and Supply Water Resources of the New Jersey Part of the Ramapo River Basin By JOHN VECCHIOLI and E. G. MILLER GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 1974 Prepared in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Conservation and Economic Development, Division of Water Policy and Supply UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1973 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR ROGERS C. B. MORTON, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY V. E. McKelvey, Director Library of Congress catalog-card No. 72-600358 For sale bv the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402 - Price $2.20 Stock Number 2401-02417 CONTENTS Page Abstract.................................................................................................................. 1 Introduction............................................................................................ ............ 2 Purpose and scope of report.............................................................. 2 Acknowledgments.......................................................................................... 3 Previous studies............................................................................................. 3 Geography...................................................................................................... 4 Geology .. ......_...................................... ................................... 6 Precambrian rocks................................................................................ 6 Paleozoic rocks....................................................................................... 7 Triassic rocks......................................................................................... 7 Quaternary rocks.................................................................................. 9 Geohydrology......................................................................................................... 11 Hydrologic budget........................................................................................ 11 Availability of surface water...................................................................... 11 Sources.................................................................................................... 11 Principal stream...................................................................... ... 12 Major tributaries.......................................................................... 12 Streamflow characteristics.................................................................. 13 Availability of ground water........................................................... .. 20 Water-bearing properties of the rocks.............................................. 21 Gneiss.................................................................................... .. .. 21 Brunswick Formation................................................................... 27 Watchung Basalt .................................................................... 30 Quaternary deposits...................................................................... 30 Sustained ground-water yield in upland areas.... .. .. 31 Ground-water demand ........................................... ................... 34 Water quality....... ................................................................................... 36 Ground-water quality............... ..................................................... 39 Surface-water quality.... ................................................................... 40 Induced river infiltration..................................................................................... 49 Water-bearing character of the stratified drift in the Ramapo River valley................................................................................................ 49 Well-field history.....-........................................................................... 52 Recharge to the stratified drift . ....... 56 Hydraulic continuity between the stratified drift and the river........ 57 Ground-water-level profiles.................... .......................................... 58 Fluctuations in stream stage and ground-water level................ 58 Seasonal temperature variations of ground water and surface water................................................................................................... 61 Pumping-test analysis .................................................................. 64 Water-quality comparisons................................................................. 65 Seepage losses ......... .................................................................... 66 Limitations to the supply............................................................................. 68 Summary................................................................................................................. 72 References cited..................................................................................................... 75 in IV CONTENTS ILLUSTRATIONS [Plates are in pocket] PLATE 1. Map showing streamflow data, Ramapo River basin, New Jersey and New York. 2. Map showing diagrammatic comparison of the chemical quality at high base flow and low base flow, Ramapo River, New Jersey and New York. 3. Geologic sections and logs showing the lithology and thick­ ness of the stratified drift in the New Jersey part of the Ramapo River valley. 4. Bar graphs of discharge, showing where and when seepage losses were observed, Ramapo River, New Jersey. Page FIGURE 1. Index map showing location of the Ramapo River basin within the Passaic River drainage system....... 5 2. Generalized geologic map of northeastern New Jersey and adjacent part of New York..................................... 8 3. Average duration curve of daily flow at Ramapo River near Mahwah, N.J., for the years 1902-6 and 1922-64 and flow-duration curves for the wettest and driest years of record......................................... .. 14 4. Low-flow-frequency curves for Ramapo River near Mahwah, N.J., 1923-66............................................. 15 5. Flood-frequency curve for Ramapo River near Mah­ wah, N.J., 1922-67 ..................................................... 16 6. Double-mass curve of runoff at Ramapo River near Mahwah and Ramapo River at Pompton Lakes, N.J., 1922-66.-......... ............................................................... 18 7. Graph showing base-flow relations for Darlington Brook at Darlington and Bear Swamp Brook near Oakland compared with those for Hohokus Brook at Hohokus, 1963-67.. 19 8. Map of the New Jersey part of the Ramapo River basin, showing locations of the selected wells de­ scribed in table 1 . .. .... .. 26 9. Graphs showing relation of depth to yield and specific capacity of wells tapping the Brunswick Formation 29 10. Graph showing ground-water pumpage for public supply in the New Jersey part of the Ramapo River basin, 1957-66...................................................................... 35 11. Map showing distribution of ground-water pumpage for public supply in the New Jersey part of the Ramapo River basin.......................................................... 37 12. Diagrammatic comparison of the mean chemical qual­ ity of water from the major aquifers in the New Jersey part of the Ramapo River basin..................... 40 13-16. Graphs showing: 13. Minimum, median, and maximum quality characteristics of water from the major CONTENTS FIGURES 13-16. Graphs Continued aquifers in the New Jersey part of the Ramapo River basin...................................... 41 14. Relation between dissolved solids and dis­ charge of Ramapo River near Mahwah and Ramapo River at Pompton Lakes.................. 42 15. Relation between hardness of water and dis­ charge of Ramapo River near Mahwah and Ramapo River at Pompton Lakes................. 44 16. Comparison of median quality characteristics at high and low base flow of streams drain­ ing Precambrian rocks with those draining Triassic and Quaternary rocks....................... 45 17. Diagrammatic comparison of chemical quality of water from Darlington Brook with that from Bear Swamp Brook at low base flow, July 1, 1964................................ 47 18. Diagrammatic comparison of changes in chemical qual­ ity of streamflow at Ramapo River near Mahwah with those at Ramapo River at Pompton Lakes dur­ ing the spring and summer period of 1964.................. 48 19-29. Graphs showing: 19. Relation between stream discharge and sedi­ ment load at Ramapo River near Mahwah, N.J., March 1964 to February 1965............. 50 20. Mean monthly water temperatures of Ramapo River near Mahwah and of Ramapo River at Pompton Lakes, based on random sam­ pling from 1930 to 1967.............................. 51 21. Monthly pumpage from the Mahwah "Ford" well field, average monthly static water level in wells 1 and 4, Ramapo River dis­ charge at gage near Mahwah and precipita­ tion at Mahwah, 1955-67 . 54 22. Evaluation of yield of Mahwah Water De­ partment "Ford" well field, 1960-66.... ... 56 23. Daily pumpage from the Mahwah "Ford" well field, highest daily water level in observa­ tion well (No. 22), and synthesized mean daily stage of the Ramapo River opposite the well field, 1964 ....................................