Paul Heisig
Biography
Paul Heisig has worked as a hydrologist for the U.S. Geological Survey on Long Island (1985-89) and Upstate New York (1989-present).
His work has focused on:
1) the effects of land use on ground-water quality and stream low-flow water quality
2) use of a multidisciplinary approach to conceptualize the framework of bedrock and glacial aquifer systems and associated water resources in a variety of hydrogeologic settings in eastern New York
3) groundwater within the dissected Appalachian Plateau of central NY - flow, geochemistry, and methane occurrence
4) mapping sand and gravel aquifers in upstate NY
Heisig earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in geology at the SUNY Geneseo and Ohio State University, respectively.
Science and Products
Determination of Sources of Water to the Tully Valley Mudboils
Background and Problem Tully Valley is part of the Onondaga Trough, which extends from the Valley Heads Moraine in the south to Onondaga Lake in the north near Syracuse, New York (fig. 1). The Onondaga Trough is filled with a complex sequence of glacial and post-glacial sediments that overlie Devonian carbonate rock and shale and Silurian shale and salt (fig.2). Mudboils, volcano-like cone...
Detailed Aquifer Mapping of the Oneonta Area Otsego and Delaware Counties, New York
Introduction The City of Oneonta and surrounding area is the major population center in Otsego County, N.Y. and home to two colleges (SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick College). The public water supply draws on both surface-water and groundwater sources and serves 15,954 people in the City of Oneonta and parts of the surrounding Town of Oneonta (City of Oneonta, 2013). The remaining population uses...
An Investigation into the Water Surface Elevation Changes of Moreau Lake, Moreau Lake State Park, Saratoga County, NY
Background: Moreau Lake is located within Moreau Lake State Park, a 4,100 acre park divided by the Hudson River in northern Saratoga and southern Warren Counties of upstate New York. Moreau Lake has a surface area of 128 acres, a watershed of 469 acres, and 3.6 miles of shoreline. The lake has a “normal” mean depth of 32 feet and a maximum depth of 50 feet. An outlet control structure at...
Groundwater-level Monitoring for Characterization of Hydraulic Connections in the Basal Sand & Gravel Aquifer, Hoosic River Valley, Hoosick Falls, New York
Hydrogeologic characterization of the basal sand and gravel aquifer in the Hoosic River valley in Hoosick Falls, New York is important for determination of sources, extent, and future migration of PFOA groundwater contamination; evaluation of potential remedial actions; and appraisal of alternative groundwater supplies. Variations in the current pumping stresses and a planned 72-hour aquife...
Detailed Aquifer Mapping in the Owasco Inlet valley Towns of Moravia, Locke (Cayuga County) and Groton (Tompkins County), New York
Introduction Detailed mapping of the valley-fill aquifer within the Owasco Inlet valley and adjacent tributary valleys in Cayuga County (Towns of Moravia and Locke) and Tompkins County (Town of Groton) is the latest study in the cooperative Detailed Aquifer Mapping Program between the US Geological Survey (USGS) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC). The...
Rockland County Water-Resource Assessment
INTRODUCTION • Concerns over the viability of the fractured bedrock aquifer that provides about 1/3 of Rockland County’s water supply prompted a 5-year study by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to (1) define the hydrogeologic framework of the aquifer, (2) assess conditions within it, and (3) identify other potential sources of water for the County. The study was done in cooperation with...
Detailed Aquifer Mapping in the Susquehanna River Valley in South-Central Broome County –Towns of Conklin and Kirkwood
Introduction Detailed mapping of the valley-fill aquifer within the Susquehanna River valley and adjacent tributary valleys in south-central Broome County (Towns of Conklin and Kirkwood) is the latest study in the cooperative Detailed Aquifer Mapping Program between the US Geological Survey (USGS) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC). The aim of the...
Geohydrology of the Valley-Fill Aquifer in the West Branch Cayuga Inlet and Fish Kill Valleys, Town of Newfield, Tompkins County, New York
PROBLEM The valley-fill aquifers in the West Branch Cayuga Inlet and Fish Kill valleys (designated as aquifer 15, fig.1), within the Town of Newfield, were mapped by Miller (2000) and identified as one of 17 unconsolidated aquifers in Tompkins County that need to be studied in more detail. The valley-fill in the West Branch Cayuga Inlet and Fish Kill valleys contain a heterogeneous mix of gl...
Geohydrology of the Unconsolidated Aquifer in Enfield Creek Valley, Town of Enfield, Tompkins County, New York
PROBLEM The unconsolidated aquifer in Enfield Creek Valley (fig. 1) was mapped by Miller (2000) and identified as one of 17 unconsolidated aquifers in Tompkins County that needs to be studied in more detail. Well records in Enfield Creek valley indicate that the northern part of Enfield Creek valley (designated as aquifer number 2, fig. 1) contains sand and gravel deposits which may be under...
Detailed Aquifer Mapping in Eastern Chemung County – The Chemung River Valley and Adjacent Tributary Valleys
Background - Detailed mapping of the glacial aquifer within the Chemung River and adjacent tributary valleys in Eastern Chemung County is the latest study in the cooperative Detailed Aquifer Mapping Program between the US Geological Survey (USGS) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC). The aim of the program is to map glacial aquifers in New York State at a s...
Natural Methane Occurrence in Water Wells of South-Central New York State- Evaluation of Topographic Position and Hydrogeologic Setting
INTRODUCTION Naturally occurring methane has been noted at some locations in the upper Devonian shale bedrock and in overlying glacial deposits in parts of Broome, Tioga, and Chemung Counties in south-central New York State (Williams, 2010). Systematic sampling of water wells for dissolved methane is needed to determine if the topographic and hydrogeologic setting of a well is related to...
Detailed Aquifer Mapping in Eastern Broome and Southeastern Chenango Counties, New York
Introduction Detailed mapping of stratified glacial deposits in eastern Broome and southeastern Chenango Counties, New York is a study in the cooperative Detailed Aquifer Mapping Program between the US Geological Survey (USGS) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC). The aim of the program is to map glacial aquifers in New York State at a scale of 1:24,000...
Characterization and occurrence of confined and unconfined aquifers in Quaternary sediments in the glaciated conterminous United States
The glacial aquifer system, which is a collection of aquifers within Quaternary sediments in the glaciated conterminous United States, is a principal aquifer that supplies groundwater that serves about 42 million people and accounts for about 5 percent of the Nation’s drinking water. This aquifer system (the area of maximum glacial advance)...
Yager, Richard M.; Kauffman, Leon J.; Soller, David R.; Haj, Adel E.; Heisig, Paul M.; Buchwald, Cheryl A.; Westenbroek, Stephen, M.; Reddy, James E.Groundwater-level analysis of selected wells in the Hoosic River Valley near Hoosick Falls, New York, for aquifer framework and properties
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, analyzed groundwater levels, drilling record logs, and field water-quality data from selected wells, and the surficial geology in the Hoosic River valley south of the village of Hoosick Falls, New York, to provide information about the...
Williams, John H.; Heisig, Paul M.Hydrogeology of Valley-Fill Aquifers and Adjacent Areas in Eastern Chemung County, New York
The extent, hydrogeologic framework, and potential well yields of valley-fill aquifers within a 151-square-mile area of eastern Chemung County, New York, were investigated, and the upland distribution of till thickness over bedrock was characterized. The hydrogeologic framework of these valleyfill aquifers was interpreted from multiple sources of...
Heisig, Paul M.Hydrogeology of the Ramapo River-Woodbury Creek valley-fill aquifer system and adjacent areas in eastern Orange County, New York
The hydrogeology of the valley-fill aquifer system and surrounding watershed areas was investigated within a 23-mile long, fault-controlled valley in eastern Orange County, New York. Glacial deposits form a divide within the valley that is drained to the north by Woodbury Creek and is drained to the south by the Ramapo River. Surficial geology,...
Heisig, Paul M.Methane occurrence in groundwater of south-central New York State, 2012: summary of findings
A survey of methane in groundwater was undertaken to document methane occurrence on the basis of hydrogeologic setting within a glaciated 1,810-square-mile area of south-central New York that has not seen shale-gas resource development. The adjacent region in northeastern Pennsylvania has undergone shale-gas resource development from the Marcellus...
Heisig, Paul M.; Scott, Tia-MarieOccurrence of methane in groundwater of south-central New York State, 2012-systematic evaluation of a glaciated region by hydrogeologic setting
A survey of methane in groundwater was undertaken to document methane occurrence on the basis hydrogeologic setting within a glaciated 1,810-square-mile area of south-central New York along the Pennsylvania border. Sixty-six wells were sampled during the summer of 2012. All wells were at least 1 mile from any known gas well (active, exploratory,...
Heisig, Paul M.; Scott, Tia-MarieHydrogeology of the Susquehanna River valley-fill aquifer system and adjacent areas in eastern Broome and southeastern Chenango Counties, New York
The hydrogeology of the valley-fill aquifer system along a 32-mile reach of the Susquehanna River valley and adjacent areas was evaluated in eastern Broome and southeastern Chenango Counties, New York. The surficial geology, inferred ice-marginal positions, and distribution of stratified-drift aquifers were mapped from existing data. Ice-marginal...
Heisig, Paul M.Water resources of Rockland County, New York, 2005-07, with emphasis on the Newark Basin Bedrock Aquifer
Concerns over the state of water resources in Rockland County, NY, prompted an assessment of current (2005-07) conditions. The investigation included a review of all water resources but centered on the Newark basin aquifer, a fractured-bedrock aquifer over which nearly 300,000 people reside. Most concern has been focused on this aquifer because of...
Heisig, Paul M.Nutrients, Dissolved Organic Carbon, Color, and Disinfection Byproducts in Base Flow and Stormflow in Streams of the Croton Watershed, Westchester and Putnam Counties, New York, 2000-02
The Croton Watershed is unique among New York City's water-supply watersheds because it has the highest percentages of suburban development (52 percent) and wetland area (6 percent). As the City moves toward filtration of this water supply, there is a need to document water-quality contributions from both human and natural sources within the...
Heisig, Paul M.Hydrogeology and Water Quality of the Pepacton Reservoir Watershed in Southeastern New York. Part 3. Responses of Stream Base-Flow Chemistry to Hydrogeologic Factors and Nonpoint-Sources of Contamination
Base-flow samples were collected seasonally from 20 small streams in the 372-square-mile Pepacton Reservoir watershed to evaluate the effects of hydrogeologic factors and nonpoint sources of contamination on the chemical composition of ground-water discharge. The reservoir provides part of New York City?s water supply. The subbasins represented...
Heisig, Paul M.; Phillips, Patrick J.Hydrogeology and water quality of the Pepacton Reservoir Watershed in southeastern New York. Part 4. Quantity and quality of ground-water and tributary contributions to stream base flow in selected main-valley reaches
Estimates of the quantity and quality of ground-water discharge from valley-fill deposits were calculated for nine valley reaches within the Pepacton watershed in southeastern New York in July and August of 2001. Streamflow and water quality at the upstream and downstream end of each reach and at intervening tributaries were measured under base-...
Heisig, Paul M.Hydrogeology and water quality of the Pepacton Reservoir Watershed in southeastern New York. Part 1. Concentrations of pesticides and their degradates in stream baseflow, 2000-2001
Baseflow samples were collected from 20 small streams in the Pepacton Reservoir watershed in Delaware County, N.Y., from December 2000 through November 2001 as part of an investigation to define the occurrence of pesticides in shallow ground water in watersheds containing either a recent (2001) corn crop, a previous (1993-94) corn crop, or no...
Phillips, Patrick J.; Heisig, Paul M.