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Summary of March 2012 Monthly Hydrologic Conditions

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

March 2012

Precipitation was below normal at all three index stations for the reference period 1981-2010. Newark reported 1.05 inches, which is 25.12 percent of normal.  Atlantic City reported 2.10 inches, which is 49.88 percent of normal.  Trenton reported 1.15 inches, which is 27.78 percent of normal. Total precipitation over the past 12 months was: 61.45 inches at Newark, which is 15.20 inches above normal; 44.73 inches at Atlantic City, which is 2.98 inches above normal; and 56.18 inches at Trenton, which is 9.74 inches above normal.

Combined storage in the thirteen major water supply reservoirs as of March 31 was 73.457 billion gallons (90.8 percent of capacity), which is higher than the average March contents for the reference period 1961-1990.  The storage was -3.238 billion gallons less than one month ago and -5.602 billion gallons lower 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, Charlotteburg Reservoir, Echo Lake, Wanaque Reservoir and Spruce Run Reservoir.

Streamflow was below the long-term monthly-mean for the reference period 1981-2010 at all three index stations. The monthly-mean discharge at South Branch Raritan River near High Bridge was 75.8 ft³/s, 38.5 percent of the long-term mean.  The monthly-mean discharge of the Great Egg Harbor River at Folsom was 84.8 ft³/s, 71.3 percent of the long-term mean.  The monthly mean discharge of the Delaware River at Trenton was 8,761 ft³/s, 46.3 percent of the long-term mean. The observed daily mean discharge of the Delaware River at Trenton on March 31 was 5,720 ft³/s.

Groundwater levels, as measured in water-table observation wells for the month of March, were below normal at the Readington School 11 and Morrell 1 index wells, but above normal at the Vocational School 2 index well. Levels decreased from last month. Levels were lower than one year ago at the Readington School 11 and Morrell 1 index well, and higher than one year ago at the Vocational School 2 index well.

Water-quality parameters collected from the Delaware River at Trenton were within recorded historical monthly extremes for specific conductance and dissolved oxygen. Water temperature ranged from 4.0 to 16.2 degrees Celsius. Water temperature reached a new record high for the month on March 23. The previous historical maximum for water temperature in March was 15.4°C. Dissolved oxygen ranged from 8.9 to 16.8 milligrams per liter. Specific conductance ranged from 157 to 217 microsiemens per centimeter at 25°C.

Note: The preceding data is preliminary and subject to revision.

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