Education

Major aquifers in New Jersey consist of regionally extensive areas where the geologic formation or group of formations provide sufficient quantity of groundwater to wells for potable water supply.

Did you know? Earthquakes can affect groundwater levels?

We often see a response to large (and sometimes not so large) earthquakes in groundwater levels in wells. The USGS maintains a network of wells for monitoring various things like natural variability in water levels and response to pumping and climate change across the U.S.

The USGS provides access to many different data and analytical tools that are useful for understanding the water-resource data that we collect. These tools allow the public, state and local governments and utilities, and other Federal agencies to view and understand the quality, quantity, distribution, and movement of surface and underground waters in New Jersey.

Spatial/GIS data sets for New Jersey are available numerous spatial data clearinghouses. Spatial/GIS data sets for USGS studies that include New Jersey or include parts of New Jersey are also available from USGS.

Many streams do not have a direct streamflow-to-gage height (water-surface elevation referenced to a datum) relation. These sites include streams influenced by control structures, general backwater effects, and tidal effects. Historically, computation of streamflow at these sites has been difficult. Deploying stationary acoustic doppler instruments allows the USGS to “index” the mean channel veloc

In the mid-1990s, a new technology emerged in the field of streamflow monitoring; the Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP). It was originally developed for oceanographic work, but was adapted for inland streamflow measurements. This instrument has been transforming the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamgaging program ever since.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) established its first streamgage in 1889 on the Rio Grande River at Embudo, NM.  As the need for stream-flow information increased, the USGS expanded its Streamgaging network, and continues to do so to this day.

How do we know or measure if a flood that could happen tomorrow is worse than one that happened 2, 10 or 50 years ago? If heavy rain is being forecasted does that mean that rivers are going to rise and spill over their banks and flood your neighborhood? These are some of the questions that we think about when flooding or heavy rain is forecast by public media or the National Weather Service (NWS).