Frederick Stumm
My projects have involved the application of hydrology, geology, and geophysics to environmental and engineering problems. They include delineating the extent of saltwater intrusion in coastal aquifers, mapping roadsalt plumes, detecting bridge scour, mapping hydrogeologic frameworks, delineating the fractured-rock groundwater system in Manhattan, and mapping depth to bedrock in New York City.
Biography
I hold a B.S. in Geology from Hofstra University, a M.S.. in Geology from California State University Fresno, and a Ph.D. in Earth and Environmental Science from the City University of New York Graduate Center. I take a multi-disciplinary approach applying Hydrology, Geology, and Geophysics with a focus on understanding the extent and mechanisms for saltwater intrusion on Long Island, the deposition of complex hydrogeologic frameworks, and quantifying fractured-rock groundwater flow. I recieved the Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award from the New York Federal Executive Board for my work on delineating the fractures, faults, foliation, and groundwater flow in Manhattan's bedrock using advanced borehole geophysical methods in support of the New York City Water Tunnel #3 Project. I have worked for the New York Water Science Center for over 20 years on studies that have helped coastal communities manage their water resources by delineating the extent of saltwater intrusion, improve construction safety and reduce cost overruns during construction of New York City Water Tunnel #3, the new Croton Water Filtration Tunnel, and the leakage in the Rondout West Branch Water Tunnel in Wawarsing NY, map the depth to bedrock in NYC, and delineated the extent of bridge scour at the Sloop Channel Bridge that lead to it's replacement. My ongoing projects include the delineation of the fractured-rock flow system in Wawarsing in support of the planned tunnel leakage repairs, the creation of the highest resolution bedrock maps for NYC in support of it's geothermal energy program, delineation of the saltwater-freshwater interface on Shelter Island NY, and remapping the hydrogeologic framework and delineation of saltwater intrusion throughout Long Island. My current research involves the application of radio signals transmitted between two wells to create two and three dimensional images of conductivity which can be used to map conductive plumes and possibly voids in bedrock.
Science and Products
Groundwater Sustainability of the Long Island Aquifer System
Groundwater sustainability can be best defined as the development and use of groundwater in a manner that can be maintained for an indefinite time without causing unacceptable environmental or socioeconomic consequences. Informed management of the Long Island aquifer system can help ensure a regionally sustainable groundwater resource. The USGS...
Hydrogeologic-Framework Mapping - Long Island, New York
Long Island is underlain by unconsolidated Holocene deposits, glacial deposits of Pleistocene age, and coastal-plain deposits of Late Cretaceous age. These sediments...
Saltwater-Interface Mapping - Long Island, New York
Saltwater intrusion is the most common type of water-quality degradation in coastal-plain aquifers. In coastal areas, the hydraulic head under predevelopment (nonpumping) conditions is higher on land than in the surrounding...
Delineation of the Saltwater-Freshwater Interface at Selected Well Locations in the Town of Riverhead, NY
Problem The Town of Riverhead in the northeastern Suffolk County includes rural farmland and suburbs and is bounded by the Long Island Sound to the north and Peconic Bay to the southeast. Riverhead’s close proximity to saline embayments and its location along the northeastern discharge area for Long Island’s groundwater flow system makes it vulnerable to saltwater intrusion. Several public-...
Delineation of the Hydrogeologic Framework and Saltwater-Freshwater Interface and Determination of Water-Supply Sustainability of Long Island, New York
Problem Long Island’s sole-source aquifer system, which includes the Lloyd, Magothy, Jameco, and upper glacial aquifers, supplies groundwater to over 2.8 million people. As a coastal aquifer system, it is susceptible to saltwater intrusion. Past pumpage and sewering (fig. 1) resulted in increased salinity in most aquifers in all counties (Buxton and Shernoff, 1999; Misut and others, 2004;...
Hydrogeology and Water Quality of the North Shore Aquifer in Locust Valley, Town of Oyster Bay, New York
Problem Perchlorate detected in a shallow supply well within the southern portion of the Locust Valley Water District (LVWD) has prompted interest in determining the possible existence of a deeper confined aquifer (North Shore Aquifer) that may be protected from shallow contamination (fig. 1). Previous USGS studies in this area indicate the northern part of Nassau County has a complex...
Delineation of the Freshwater-Saltwater Interface at Selected Public-Supply Wells Using Advanced Surface and Borehole Geophysical Techniques, in Eastern Suffolk County, New York
The combination of a complex hydrogeologic framework, narrow land masses surrounded by saltwater, and extensive ground-water public-supply pumpage has produced localized areas of elevated chloride concentrations in ground water. This project uses advanced surface and borehole geophysical methods to determine the extent of saltwater intrusion and road-salt plumes at selected sites in eastern...
Delineation of Groundwater Flow, Lithology, Faults, and Fractures Along Existing and Proposed Water Tunnel
Problem The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP) has asked the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to assist in two major studies: 1) delineation of the source(s) of shallow groundwater and the extent that the Delaware Aqueduct is contributing to local flooding issues, and 2) delineation of the structural, geologic, and hydrologic conditions along proposed tunnel...
Delineation of Rock Fractures, Faults, and Groundwater Flow in the Vicinity of Proposed Water Tunnels, New York City and Southeastern New York
Problem - The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP) is constructing or proposing water tunnels under New York City and areas of southeastern New York (Hudson River Basin). These tunnels can intersect faults and fractures that produce large amounts of ground water. For example, one tunnel excavation intersected fractures that produced over 200 gallons per minute of gr...
Geophysical and hydrologic analysis of an earthen dam site in southern Westchester County, New York
Ninety percent of the drinking water for New York City passes through the Hillview Reservoir facility in the City of Yonkers, Westchester County, New York. In the past, several seeps located downslope from the reservoir have flowed out from the side of the steepest slope at the southern end of the earthen embankment. One seep that has been flowing...
Chu, Anthony; Stumm, Frederick; Joesten, Peter K.; Noll, Michael L.Preliminary assessment of water chemistry related to groundwater flooding in Wawarsing, New York, 2009-11
Water-quality samples collected in an area prone to groundwater flooding in Wawarsing, New York, were analyzed and assessed to better understand the hydrologic system and to aid in the assessment of contributing water sources. Above average rainfall over the past decade, and the presence of a pressurized water tunnel that passes about 700 feet...
Brown, Craig J.; Eckhardt, David A.; Stumm, Frederick; Chu, AnthonyPreliminary analysis of the hydrologic effects of temporary shutdowns of the Rondout-West Branch Water Tunnel on the groundwater-flow system in Wawarsing, New York
Flooding of streets and residential basements, and bacterial contamination of private-supply wells with Escherichia coli (E. coli) are recurring problems in the Rondout Valley near the Town of Wawarsing, Ulster County, New York. Leakage from the Rondout-West Branch (RWB) Water Tunnel and above-normal precipitation have been suspected of causing...
Stumm, Frederick; Chu, Anthony; Como, Michael D.; Noll, Michael L.Geohydrologic assessment of fractured crystalline bedrock on the southern part of Manhattan, New York, through the use of advanced borehole geophysical methods
Advanced borehole-geophysical methods were used to assess the geohydrology of fractured crystalline bedrock in 31 of 64 boreholes on the southern part of Manhattan Island, NY in preparation of the construction of a new water tunnel. The study area is located in a highly urbanized part of New York City. The boreholes penetrated gneiss, schist, and...
Stumm, F.; Chu, A.; Joesten, P.K.; Lane, J.W.Delineation of faults, fractures, foliation, and ground-water-flow zones in fractured-rock, on the southern part of Manhattan, New York, through use of advanced borehole-geophysical techniques
Advanced borehole-geophysical techniques were used to assess the geohydrology of crystalline bedrock in 20 boreholes on the southern part of Manhattan Island, N.Y., in preparation for construction of a third water tunnel for New York City. The borehole-logging techniques included natural gamma, single-point resistance, short-normal resistivity,...
Stumm, Frederick; Chu, Anthony; Monti, JackHydrogeology and Extent of Saltwater Intrusion in the Northern Part of the Town of Oyster Bay, Nassau County, New York: 1995–98
The Oyster Bay study area, in the northern part of Nassau County, N.Y., is underlain by unconsolidated deposits that form a sequence of aquifers and confining units. At least one production well has been affected by the intrusion of saltwater from Hempstead Harbor, Long Island Sound, and Cold Spring Harbor. Nineteen boreholes were drilled during...
Stumm, Frederick; Lange, Andrew D.; Candela, Jennifer L.Hydrogeology and extent of saltwater intrusion on Manhasset Neck, Nassau County, New York
Manhasset Neck, a peninsula on the northern shore of Long Island, N.Y., is underlain by unconsolidated deposits that form a sequence of aquifers and confning units. Ground water at several public-supply wells has been affected by the intrusion of saltwater from the surrounding embayments (Manhasset Bay, Long Island Sound, Hempstead Harbor). Twenty...
Stumm, Frederick; Lange, Andrew D.; Candela, J.L.Use of advanced borehole geophysical and techniques to delineate fractured-rock ground-water flow, faults, foliation, and fractures along the western part of Manhattan, New York
Stumm, Frederick; Chu, Anthony; Lange, Andrew D.Use of advanced borehole geophysical techniques to delineate fractured-rock ground-water flow and fractures along water-tunnel facilities in northern Queens County, New York
Advanced borehole geophysical methods were used to assess the geohydrology of crystalline bedrock along the course of a new water tunnel for New York City. The logging methods include natural gamma, spontaneous potential, single-point resistance, mechanical and acoustic caliper, focused electromagnetic induction, electromagnetic resistivity,...
Stumm, Frederick; Chu, Anthony; Lange, Andrew D.; Paillet, Frederick L.; Williams, John H.; Lane, John W.Hydrogeology and extent of saltwater intrusion of the Great Neck peninsula, Great Neck, Long Island, New York
Great Neck, a peninsula, in the northwestern part of Nassau County, N.Y., is underlain by unconsolidated deposits that form a sequence of aquifers and confining units. Seven public-supply wells have been affected by the intrusion of saltwater from the surrounding embayments (Little Neck Bay, Long Island Sound, Manhasset Bay). Fifteen observation...
Stumm, FrederickDelineation of tidal scour through marine geophysical techniques at Sloop Channel and Goose Creek bridges, Jones Beach State Park, Long Island, New York
Inspection of the Goose Creek Bridge in southeastern Nassau County in April 1998 by the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) indicated a separation of bridge piers from the road bed as a result of pier instability due to apparent seabed scouring by tidal currents. This prompted a cooperative study by the U.S. Geological Survey with...
Stumm, Frederick; Chu, Anthony; Reynolds, Richard J.Urbanization and recharge in the vicinity of East Meadow Brook, Nassau County, New York; Part 2, Effect of urban runoff on the hydrology of the headwaters of East Meadow Brook, 1989-90
Stumm, Frederick; Ku, Henry F.H.Pre-USGS Publications
New Wells in Long Island Sustainability Well Network
Drilling Updates