New Jersey Center for Water Science & Technology Reports
Document Type
Report
Publication Date
2022
Abstract
New Jersey is home to many springs that provide drinking water, wildlife habitats, and recreational opportunities. Springs or areas of focused groundwater discharge are critically important headwater aquatic resources, sources of water to wetlands, and base flow in streams. They are an important part of the New Jersey landscape and help us understand the connection between groundwater and surface water and reflect the health of aquifers. They are also good indicators of shallow groundwater quality. Geologically, springs represent some of the most interesting locales available for study. The New Jersey Geological and Water Survey (NJGWS) and the Natural Heritage Program (NHP), departments of the NJDEP developed a Spring Identification and Classification Study as part of a United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Region 2 Wetland Program Development Grant. The 2010 to 2016 grant funded by the USEPA includes 1) establishing a spring identification and classification system, 2) identifying/quantifying characteristics of springs in New Jersey, and 3) establishing monitoring at reference sites and conduct testing of spring water quality. Open-File Report, OFR 21-3 is a compilation of that research. The information collected about springs in this report will enable long-term trend analysis to help better define the States springs and to aid policy makers as they try to address land-use decisions to foster sustainable freshwater resources. Threatened by water use and climate change, it is important to understand these groundwater sources. This report provides data for scientists, planners, environmental managers, and the citizens of New Jersey. Described in the report are the distinctive nature and features of selected springs with information that was collected and classified according to their 1) mean flow or discharge 2) geomorphology 3) geologic setting 4) mean temperature with analysis of spring water temperature 5) water quality 6) flora and fauna 7) macroinvertebrates, and 8) aquatic life. In addition, as part of this research a site-specific flow study was done at the Brau Kettle Spring. Also, a New Jersey springs database was created. Until now very little information has been systematically collected on springs in New Jersey despite their historic, economic, geologic, and environmental importance. There have only been a few references about them scattered throughout the archives of the NJGWS and the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services. An internal NJDEP report, Locations, Descriptions and Water Quality Data for miscellaneous “springs” located throughout the State where the public is known to collect water for private use (Muzeni-Corino, Berchtold, 2010), analyzed spring water from selected springs where New Jersey residents gathered drinking water.
MSU Digital Commons Citation
Pallis, Ted; Domber, Steven E.; Bousenberry, Raymond; Filo, Rachel; Walz, Kathleen Strakosch; Henning, Brian; Caraballo, Yaritza Acosta; and Wu, Meiyin, "Springs of New Jersey, Open-File Report 21-3" (2022). New Jersey Center for Water Science & Technology Reports. 6.
https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/waterscience_reports/6
Published Citation
Pallis, T., Domber, S. E., Bousenberry, R., Filo, R., Walz, K. S., Henning, B., Caraballo, Y. A., & Wu, M., Springs of New Jersey, Open-File Report 21-3 (2022). New Jersey Geological and Water Survey .
Comments
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Trenton, NJ. 283 pages.