Water Quality

The Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park (PAGR) in the historic city of Paterson, New Jersey was established in 2011 and consists of natural, cultural, and historic resources associated with the Great Falls of the Passaic River. Due to the park’s young age and limited resources, the park does not have the natural resource data needed to guide future park management and planning decisions...

Chloride concentrations in groundwater are measured in select wells on a 5-year cycle, as an early warning indicator of saltwater intrusion, and for the definition of the 250 mg/L chloride concentration line within the principal aquifers of the New Jersey Coastal Plain.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of anthropogenic emerging contaminants. Some PFAS have been voluntarily phased out, as exposure has been linked to adverse human health effects.

Contaminants associated with industrial, airport, and other activities are present in groundwater in fractured-rock aquifers, posing long-term hazards to drinking-water supplies and ecosystems. The heterogeneous character of fractured rock challenges our understanding, monitoring, and remediation of such sites.

The USGS NJWSC is collaborating with the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission (PVSC) on an Urban Waters Federal Partnership project in the Lower Passaic River basin to investigate the occurrence and potential sources of E. coli fecal indicator bacteria.

The USGS New Jersey Water Science Center, in cooperation with the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), New Jersey Water Supply Authority, and the Delaware River Basin Commission, maintain the New Jersey Ambient Surface-Water-Quality Monitoring Network (ASWQMN) — a collection of monitoring stations on streams throughout New Jersey. Constituent concentration data from the ASWQMN are...

Water Resources Data reports were published annually for many decades for use by engineers, scientists, managers, educators, and the general public. These static archival products supplemented direct access to current and historical water data provided by the National Water Information System web interface (NWISWeb), the authoritative source for USGS water data.

The endocrine system in animals produce hormones to regulate essential life processes, such as metabolism, tissue function, reproduction, and development. A large group of natural and synthetic chemicals are known to disrupt endocrine function. Examples include plant hormones, plastic components, flame retardants, surfactants, fragrances, pesticides, etc. Endocrine disrupting chemicals, or EDCs...

Scientists from the NJ WSC, Leetown Science Center and New Jersey Pinelands Commission recently initiated a 4 year study designed to characterize the point and non-point sources of endocrine disrupting compound (EDCs) and their potential effects on fish and frogs in the NJ Pinelands.

The New Jersey Water Science Center in collaboration with the New Jersey Pinelands Commission and Montclair University, conducted a 4 year study to assess the functional equivalency of ponds and stormwater basins in the New Jersey Pinelands by comparing indicators of hydrologic condition, water quality (including pesticides) and biological metrics (amphibian pathogens).

NJ WSC and Leetown Science Center scientists in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection were tasked with characterizing endocrine disruption in smallmouth bass from New Jersey.

The U.S. Geological Survey New Jersey Water Science Center’s monthly summary reports and tables of hydrologic conditions for surface and ground water are based on average monthly conditions for the period of record at each index station. Statistical analyses that correlate current conditions with previous climatic extremes are commonly used to develop these averages.