USGS Science in New Jersey

10/14/2025

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Operations in the Absence of Appropriations

09/29/2025

Yesterday, World Rivers Day, is recognized to foster awareness for the essential benefits provide us and encourage the continued monitoring and conservation of these wonderful resources.

Featured here is hydrographer Sally Carullo prepping to collect data for a discharge measurement at 01482100 Delaware River at Del Mem Bridge at Wilmington DE. Discharge is a common river parameter that is closely monitored which tells us the flow rate of water through an area of the river over a specific period of time.

Data like , , , etc. provides valuable insight on the health of a river, as well as the potential impact on its surrounding . This information is crucial for management 🚰 and engineers creating -resistant infrastructure 🏙️.

The Delaware River Basin serves the need of over 14 million people. Organizations like the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Office of the Delaware River Master ( ) exist to ensure that these resources continue to meet the needs of the public. ℹ️ To learn more about the monitoring and conservation of the visit https://ow.ly/NrfT50X35PB

🔗 For information on additional river monitoring in NJ, visit the USGS National water Dashboard https://ow.ly/sA7W50X35Py

📈 01482100 Monitoring Location page: https://ow.ly/OGRw50X35PC

09/26/2025

To close out National Estuaries Week, we are highlighting the 24-hour sampling efforts made by both the and USGS Science in New York earlier this month.

The sampling took place from the mouths of the Passaic and Hackensack rivers through the Newark Bay and Kill Van Kull. These are areas where fresh water from the meet and mix with salt water from the , making it part of the NY/NJ Harbor . 🌉

These areas are some of the most heavily trafficked waterways in the Port of & 🚢, making it more susceptible to poor from chemical spills, sewer outflows and runoff. 🏭🛢️⚠️

All of these factors influence the (DO) levels in the water column, which plays an important role in function in these estuaries.

The results of this project, along with the higher awareness promoted during , allow for more effective coordination in regularity and restoration efforts of these estuaries!

Interested in this study? 📝 Check out pt.1 which took place on the Arthur Kill! https://ny.water.usgs.gov/maps/arthurkillwaterquality/

ℹ️Want to learn more about estuary science in NJ? Check out the NJ Tide Network at https://www.usgs.gov/centers/new-jersey-water-science-center/science/new-jersey-tide-network

📸Photos provided by USGS NJWSC hydrographer Jonathan Suchy

09/22/2025

Pumpkin spice is in the air….

The season of Fall is often welcomed with flannel shirts, fun festivities, pumpkin flavored everything, and aesthetic views as the leaves turn an array of vibrant colors 🍂🍁. For hydrographers, however, it also means piles of leaves falling into and affecting how water flows past a control.

A control is simply a physical barrier in the that directly influences the stage-discharge relationship (i.e. water level and flow). When the stability of a control changes – from growth of vegetation, fallen trees, damage to infrastructure, etc. – it is critical that we record and analyze these changes to deliver the most accurate data possible. Recognizing and understanding these relationships makes for effective water resource management and control. 📈

Seen here are photos 🖼️ taken from 01379500 Passaic River near Chatham, NJ. The top photo is during the Fall season, and the bottom photo during the Summer season. You can see how all the fallen leaves pile up on the control. While there are other factors affecting the in these two examples, such as how much rain has fallen around that time, the leaves directly affect the relationship between the elevation of the river and how much flow there is (discharge). The leaves cause the elevation of the to rise upstream of the control while the discharge in the stream remains the same.

Next time you admire the views of colorful leaves blanketed over a creek or stream, take a closer look 🔎 to see how the flow of water changes around them. If you want to become a real expert , check out our webcams at https://apps.usgs.gov/hivis?state=NJ

09/18/2025

🕵️💦 has aimed to stress the importance of protecting water resources since its inception in 2003. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has gages to monitor the conditions of rivers, streams, estuaries, and other water bodies across the country.

The collects high-quality hydrologic data 📉 and conducts unbiased research 🔬 to support water-resource needs of the state.

👨‍🔬👩‍🔬 scientists Pat Bowen, Liam Kenefic, Leif Olson, and Lucas Sirotniak are a few of the many staff contributing to this cause every day, seen here working at a well for a packer test at the former Naval Air Warfare center in West Trenton, NJ.

This test falls within a 30-year project at the former Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC) in West Trenton, studying groundwater contaminants in fractured rock aquifers associated with industrial 🏭 activities that pose long-term hazards to . ⚠️🚱

These studies have helped the Navy efficiently monitor the ongoing natural attenuation of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and PFAS (perfluorinated substances) and improve the pump-and-treat system to remove contaminants and contain impacted groundwater.

ℹ️ Learn more about the project at https://www.usgs.gov/centers/new-jersey-water-science-center/science/contaminant-fate-and-transport-studies-fractured

Photo 1: USGS well site 401613074483501 210792-- 103D-TH
Photo 2: USGS well site 401617074483202 210796-- 101D-TH
Photos by USGS NJWSC scientist Alex Fiore

09/16/2025

September is National Preparedness Month ( ). The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) offers tools and resources that can make a big difference in being prepared…

1. Open the National Water Dashboard ( ).
2. Choose “Use my location” 📍 for Area of Interest.
3. Select a gage near you.
4. Click on WaterAlert 💧🚨 in the upper right-hand corner.
5. Sign in or create an account.
6. Select a water condition in which you have an interest.
7. Set your thresholds by typing in a value. You can see what values have been recorded in the past to get a better idea. 📊
8. Select a frequency for your alert.
9. Click “Create Alert.” WaterAlert will send you a notification 📥 when water conditions match your thresholds.

🔗 USGS User Guide: https://accounts.waterdata.usgs.gov/wateralert/user-guide/

ℹ️National Preparedness Month Resources: https://www.ready.gov/september

09/10/2025

New product alert!!

In some regions experiencing fish die-offs, tire dust has been identified as a contributing factor as it contains a chemical known as 6PPD-quinone.

🚗 6PPD-quinone is an ozone transformation product of the antioxidant 6PPD used to reduce degradation of rubber in tires and other rubber products

🌧️Elevated concentrations of 6PPD-quinone in urban streams have been observed after precipitation events due to stormwater runoff

☣️Exposures to this compound have been connected to mortality in western coho salmon

👨‍🔬🤝👩‍🔬 USGS chemists, hydrologists, toxicologists, geographers, and biologists are working together to understand more about the sources, movement, and fate and effects of this contaminant

The USGS Environmental Health Program's Geospatial Analyses and Applications Team created a web mapping tool 🌐🗺️ summarizing potential sources of 6PPD-quinone to the environment overlaid with potentially vulnerable fish species nationwide. The tool allows users to interact with a U.S.-wide relative heat index developed using known and suspected 6PPD-quinone sources.

This web application also provides background information on 6PPD-quinone, its importance, and other research on the subject. 🔬

The heat index has already been used to prioritize sampling areas in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and the Pacific Northwest, with an upcoming focus on the Delaware River Basin.

🔗 Discover this USGS tool on 6PPD-quinone and its impact on aquatic life! Given the enormous dataset, an effective strategy is to zoom in and explore the map - https://geonarrative.usgs.gov/6ppdqsourcedashboard/.

📈 Data release: https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/item/686fceeed4be025ce526c342

ℹ️ Learn more: https://www.usgs.gov/programs/environmental-health-program/science/6ppd-quinone

USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center

09/08/2025

Today we are celebrating of data at 01411000 Great Egg Harbor River at Folsom NJ! 🎊🎉🎈

Data at this continuous discharge gaging station started in September of 1925 and is still operating today! The gage was relocated in 1941. If you look closely at the differences between the second and third photos, you can see that the bridge and the control, or feature influencing the stage-discharge relationship, have moved relative to the gage. In this case, the control is a constructed feature in the river. When looking downstream, the gage is located on the right bank in 1934 and on the left bank after 1941!

The maximum discharge recorded at this site to date is 1,440 ft^3/s on September 3, 1940!

If you look closely at photo two you will also notice the antique cars 🚘 employees used to drive. Can you guess what type of car that is? Drop a comment if you know!

🔗Explore data for this site at: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/USGS-01411000/ =continuous-00065-0&period=P7D

09/05/2025

After New Jersey received substantial tides from Hurricane Erin passing in late August, the New Jersey Tide Network ( ) visited its collection of Tidal Crest Stage Gages, or TCSGs, to capture any peak elevations from the storm. So how exactly does a work…?

1. A metal or wooden insert sits inside a pipe containing a basket filled with ground up cork at the bottom. This cork floats when the water rises and sticks to the insert when the water subsides, telling us exactly how high the highest tide reached.
2. The insert is held in place by a pin which sits in a groove at the top of the pipe. An exact elevation is determined for the height of this pin.
3. During an inspection, a hydrographer will remove the insert from the pipe and mark the highest cork line. Then, a measurement is taken from the top of the pin to that mark. This gives us an exact water level, also known as stage, with respect to a known reference height or datum, which in this case is our pin elevation. This tells us the water level of the highest tide since the previous inspection.
4. In preparation for more substantial storm events, additional storm sensors are attached to a metal piece at the base or “tail” of the insert at select locations to gather more accurate and continuous data.

🔗The USGS also provides a Coastal Change Hazards Portal (photo 7) which shows extreme water levels and other data on Hurricane Erin, along with present-day and future scenario coastal data: https://marine.usgs.gov/coastalchangehazardsportal/ui/item/N84rXru1

ℹ️To learn more about our TCSG network, coastal storm data and much more, visit: https://www.usgs.gov/centers/new-jersey-water-science-center/science/new-jersey-tide-network

Photo 1: 01476550 Delaware River near Gibbstown NJ (📸 NJWSC hydrographer Rob Schmidt)
Photos 2-3: 01464598 Delaware River at Burlington NJ (📸 NJWSC hydrographer Rob Schmidt)
Photo 4: 01409285 Little Egg Harbor at Beach Haven NJ (📸 NJWSC hydrographer Jen Closson)
Photo 5: 01393510 Elizabeth River at Linden NJ (📸 NJWSC hydrographer Rob Schmidt)
Photo 6: 01411175 Great Egg Harbor R at US 40 at Mays Landing NJ (📸 NJWSC hydrographer Sarah Collins)

09/02/2025

🎂🥳 Happy 60th birthday to the Delaware Water Gap! Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area in western NJ was established in 1965. 🏞️

In addition to the stunning views and great hiking, like the hike up Mt. Tammany on a section of the Appalachian Trail 🥾, you can also find a streamgage – 01440200 Delaware River near Delaware Water Gap PA.
🔗Find data for this gage at https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/USGS-01440200/ =continuous-00065-0&period=P7D

Photo: Staff gage in the Delaware River within the Delaware Water Gap, 2001

08/25/2025

In the spirit of 🌎💦📅, the wanted to shed some light on why hydrographers take measurements at our gages multiple times a year.

In this image, you can see the large amount of moss, algae, and debris on the water’s surface and in the water column. When this growth occurs upstream of the control, it could affect the quality of the data being recorded by our equipment.
🧑‍💻 Hydrographers check data at their sites every day for any signs of irregularity ❌. If there is reason to believe a gage is being influenced by external factors, hydrographers are on the scene taking measurements and maintaining their gages.🧰🛠️

ℹ️ As a result of this consistent dedication, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is able to provide dependable water data. See what the new Water Data for the Nation homepage 💧📲 has to offer at 🔗https://waterdata.usgs.gov/blog/intro-wdfn-home/?fbclid=PAQ0xDSwMZPJdleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABp396R8yoJQK8PeBv7awEMyBRfDYXCcK1WgQhBS6DsNmjrI1UMiXD2vDuSiTE_aem_tEfUI8onJqlLLo8VtpXxGw

Photo: Hydrographer Liam Kenefic waving 👋 at a USGS HIVIS camera during a routine visit to 01463740 Shabakunk C at Sylva Lake Dam at Ewingville NJ

08/25/2025

🎂🏞️Happy Birthday to the National Park Service!

Today we raise our water samples 🧪 to celebrate the founding of the National Park Service (NPS). On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the Organic Act, creating the . Today, 109 years later, the park service has grown to include 425 units, 9 of which are right here in NJ!

We want to take a moment to voice our appreciation for our collaborative NPS/USGS Water Quality Partnership 🤝. While the NPS nurtures and preserves the beautiful landscapes, we at the are honored to provide the scientific information needed to protect and restore water quality within the national parks.

📢 Shoutout to Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, NJ Pinelands, and Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park! These national parks are right here in NJ and are home to a few gages. We look forward to many more years of collaboration!

📍 To see ongoing and completed NPS/USGS partnerships at a park near you, visit: https://webapps.usgs.gov/nps-partnership/map/index.html

📍 To learn about the NPS units in NJ visit: https://www.nps.gov/state/nj/index.htm