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Summary of September 2005 Monthly Hydrologic Conditions

Compiled in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
Provisional assessment of hydrologic conditions in New Jersey

September 2005, Drought Watch

The State of New Jersey issued a drought watch on September 13, 2005. Preliminary data indicates that September will be in the top 10 for dry Septembers, going back to 1895. Preliminary numbers also show August to be the 3rd driest, and this past summer to be the 25th driest. September is likely to be the warmest on record in New Jersey, following the warmest August on record. The summer will also most likely be the warmest on record. It could be the first time that four consecutive months have ranked in the top 10 for warmth. Of interest, May ranked as the 5th coolest (David Robinson, New Jersey State Climatologist, written communication, September 27, 2005).

Precipitation was below normal at all three index stations. Newark reported 0.45 inches, which is 11.2 percent of normal. Atlantic City reported 0.53 inches, which is 16.9 percent of normal. Trenton reported 2.94 inches, which is 86.0 percent of normal. Total precipitation over the past 12 months was: 32.21 inches at Newark, which is 14.04 inches below normal; 42.91 inches at Atlantic City, which is 1.52 inches above normal; and 38.21 inches at Trenton, which is 2.38 inches below normal.

Combined storage in the thirteen major water supply reservoirs as of September 30 was 38.7 billion gallons, (48.2 percent of capacity), which is less than the average September contents for the reference period 1961-1990. The storage was 12.2 billion gallons less than one month ago and 38.0 billion gallons less than one year ago. The thirteen major water supply reservoirs are as follows: Lake Tappan, Woodcliff Lake, Oradell Reservoir, DeForest Lake, Splitrock Reservoir, Boonton Reservoir, Canistear Reservoir, Oak Ridge Reservoir, Clinton Reservoir, Charlottesburg Reservoir, Echo Lake, Wanaque Reservoir and Spruce Run Reservoir.

Streamflow was below normal at all three index stations. The monthly-mean discharge at South Branch Raritan River near High Bridge was 21.7 ft³/s, 26.3 percent of normal. The monthly-mean discharge of the Great Egg Harbor River at Folsom was 27.8 ft³/s, 49.5 percent of normal. The monthly mean discharge of the Delaware River at Trenton was 3,020 ft³/s, 47.0 percent of normal. The observed daily mean discharge of the Delaware River at Trenton on September 20 was 2,620 ft³/s. Monthy streamflow has been below normal at Delaware River at Trenton and South Branch Raritan River at High Bridge since May 2005.

Groundwater levels, as measured in water-table observation wells for the month of September, were below normal at all three index wells. Levels decreased from last month, and were lower than one year ago at all three index wells.

Water quality parameters collected from the Delaware River at Trenton were within recorded historical monthly extremes. Water temperature ranged from 17.6 to 27.1 degrees Celsius. Dissolved oxygen ranged from 5.6 to 11.6 milligrams per liter. Specific conductance ranged from 198 to 254 microsiemens per centimeter at 25°C.

All of the files listed below are in Portable Document Format (PDF) which can be viewed/printed with the Adobe Acrobat® Reader, freely available for most computer platforms.

• Combined Storage in the 13 Major Water Supply Reservoirs
• Monthly precipitation at three selected sites
• Groundwater levels in selected Water-table observation wells
• Streamflow at selected sites
• Water quality for the Delaware River at Trenton