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Summary of February 2012 Monthly Hydrologic Conditions

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

February 2012

Precipitation was below normal at all three index stations for the reference period 1981-2010. Newark reported 1.33 inches, which is ­­­­46.18 percent of normal.  Atlantic City reported 2.39 inches, which is 83.28 percent of normal.  Trenton reported 1.58 inches, which is 68.40 percent of normal. Total precipitation over the past 12 months was: 66.24 inches at Newark, which is 19.99 inches above normal; 47.15 inches at Atlantic City, which is 5.40 inches above normal; and 59.69 inches at Trenton, which is 13.25 inches above normal.

Combined storage in the thirteen major water supply reservoirs as of February 29 was 76.694 billion gallons (94.8 percent of capacity), which is higher than the average February contents for the reference period 1961-1990.  The storage was 1.979 billion gallons less than one month ago and 6.427 billion gallons more 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 108 ft³/s, 70.1 percent of the long-term mean.  The monthly-mean discharge of the Great Egg Harbor River at Folsom was 89.8 ft³/s, 88.9 percent of the long-term mean.  The monthly mean discharge of the Delaware River at Trenton was 10,720 ft³/s, 80.4 percent of the long-term mean. The observed daily mean discharge of the Delaware River at Trenton on February 29 was 7,590 ft³/s.

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

Water-quality parameters collected from the Delaware River at Trenton were within recorded historical monthly extremes. Water temperature ranged from 2.1 to 6.7 degrees Celsius. Dissolved oxygen ranged from 12.6 to 16.2 milligrams per liter. Specific conductance ranged from 147 to 213 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