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Summary of August 2012 Monthly Hydrologic Conditions

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

August 2012

Precipitation was above normal at the Atlantic City and Trenton index stations, and below normal at the Newark index station for the reference period 1981-2010. Newark reported 2.56 inches, which is 69.2 percent of normal.  Atlantic City reported 5.59 inches, which is 136 percent of normal.  Trenton reported 4.19 inches, which is 102 percent of normal. Total precipitation over the past 12 months was: 44.86 inches at Newark, which is -1.39 inches below normal; 42.44 inches at Atlantic City, which is 0.69 inches above normal; and 43.59 inches at Trenton, which is -2.85 inches below normal.

Combined storage in the thirteen major water supply reservoirs as of August 31 was 56.215 billion gallons (69.5 percent of capacity), which is lower than the average August contents for the reference period 1961-1990.  The storage was -8.516 billion gallons less than one month ago and -24.245 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, 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 43.3 ft³/s, 64.8 percent of the long-term mean.  The monthly-mean discharge of the Great Egg Harbor River at Folsom was 39.9 ft³/s, 74.4 percent of the long-term mean.  The monthly mean discharge of the Delaware River at Trenton was 4,193 ft³/s, 68.7 percent of the long-term mean. The observed daily mean discharge of the Delaware River at Trenton on August 31 was 2,980 ft³/s.

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

Water-quality parameters collected from the Delaware River at Trenton were within recorded historical monthly extremes. Water temperature ranged from 21.8 to 28.4 degrees Celsius. Dissolved oxygen ranged from 7.2 to 11.2 milligrams per liter. Specific conductance ranged from 184 to 261 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