Digital Geodata Series
DGS07-1: Aquifer-Recharge Potential for New Jersey

Abstract

Aquifer recharge potential was mapped by superimposing ground-water recharge maps over aquifer maps. A rankings system was developed to display the potential for aquifer recharge. Ground-water recharge areas were mapped and ground-water recharge  was calculated and ranked as described in NJGS Geologic Survey Report GSR-32: "A method for evaluating ground-water-recharge areas in New Jersey" (E.G. Charles and others, 1993). Aquifer designations and delineations  from NJGS Open-File Map OFM-24: "Aquifers of New Jersey" (G. C. Herman and others, 1998), were used to produce a coverage of aquifer ranks (references included on the Overview page).

Aquifers were ranked based on the median yield of selected non-domestic well yields. Yield was used as it was indicative of the capacity of the aquifer to supply water, which defines an aquifer. The prevalence of yield data made it possible to develop a ranking system over a regional area. The median yield was chosen as the ranking criterion as it more precisely indicated the central point of the data as opposed to the average. Large outlier values often found in the yield data can greatly influence the average. The median is the value at which half of the data values are above and half are below.

Well yield values varied over a range of  3,000 gallons per minute (gpm). Five ranks, A-E, were assigned: E, less than 25 gpm; D, 25 to 100 gpm; C, greater than 100 gpm to 250 gpm; B, greater than 250 gpm to 500 gpm; and A, greater than 500 gpm. Each county's yield data were analyzed and ranked based upon the above scale. Each watershed management area (WMA) aquifers were catagorized  using the statewide yield data as applied to the above scale. 

Nineteen county and twenty watershed management areas (WMA) ground-water recharge rank coverages were combined with their corresponding aquifer rank coverages to produce aquifer recharge potential coverages. The combination of the two coverages produced a composite ranking of 25 possible aquifer-recharge potentials which show the relationship between ground-water-recharge areas and the underlying water-table aquifer. The coverages were converted to shapefiles which were compressed into individual zip files**. Downloads of the 19 county and 20 watershed management areas are available along with metadata and ten by seventeen inch county and  WMA PDF** maps were also produced.

* Recharge for Essex County was not calculated at this time, and Hudson County's was not calculated due to the lack of current soil survey and soils coverage, therefore only parts of WMAs 4, 5, 6 , and 7 have recharge calculated.

** Zip files may require additional software to decompress them such as WinZip™. PDF  (portable document format) files also require additional software capable of accessing them such as Adobe Reader™ . The mention of these third party software products does not constitute an endorsement of these products by the NJGS. The NJGS does not support these products nor is the NJGS liable for any problems or damages arising from their download, use and/or misuse.

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Index Maps
New Jersey Counties	NJ Watershed-Management Areas

County Aquifer-Recharge Potential Downloads	Watershed-Management Area Aquifer-Recharge Potential Downloads
Atlantic Co. (5 mb),  Metadata,  PDF map (5 mb)	WMA 1: Upper Delaware (6 MB),  Metadata,  PDF map(8 MB)
Bergen Co. (2 mb),  Metadata,  PDF map (6 mb)	WMA 2: Wallkill (3 MB),  Metadata,  PDF map (6 mb)
Burlington Co. (7 mb),  Metadata,  PDF map (5mb)	WMA 3: Pompton, Wanaque, Ramapo (2 mb),  Metadata,  PDF map (7 mb)
Camden Co. (2 mb),  Metadata,  PDF map (5 mb)	WMA 4: Lower Passaic, Saddle (1 mb),  Metadata,  PDF map (6 mb)
Cape May Co. (2 mb),  Metadata,  PDF map (4 mb)	WMA 5: Hackensack, Pascack (1 mb),  Metadata,  PDF map (6 mb)
Cumberland Co. (7 mb),  Metadata,  PDF map (6 mb)	WMA 6: U. Passaic, Whippany, Rockaway (3 mb),  Metadata,  PDF map (7 mb)
Gloucester  Co. (3 mb),  Metadata,  PDF map (5 mb)	WMA 7: Arthur Kill (1 mb),  Metadata,  PDF map (6 mb)
Hunterdon Co. (3 mb),  Metadata,  PDF map (6 mb)	WMA 8: North & South Branch Raritan (4 mb),  Metadata,  PDF map (6 mb)
Mercer  Co. (2 mb),  Metadata,  PDF map (3 mb)	WMA 9: Lower Raritan, South, Lawrence (3 mb),  Metadata,  PDF map (7 mb)
Middlesex  Co. (3 mb),  Metadata,  PDF map (5 mb)	WMA 10: Millstone (3 mb),  Metadata,  PDF map (6 mb)
Monmouth  Co. (4 mb),  Metadata,  PDF map (5 mb)	WMA 11: Central Delaware (2 mb),  Metadata,  PDF map (6 mb)
Morris Co. (5 mb),  Metadata,  PDF map (6 mb)	WMA 12: Monmouth (3 mb),  Metatdata,  PDF map (7 mb)
Ocean Co. (5 mb),  Metadata,  PDF map (7 mb)	WMA 13: Barnegat Bay (5 mb),  Metadata,  PDF map (8 mb)
Passaic Co. (2 mb),  Metadata,  PDF map (5 mb)	WMA 14: Mullica (5 mb),  Metadata, PDF map (8 mb)
Salem Co. (4 mb),  Metadata,  PDF map (5 mb)	WMA 15: Great Egg Harbor  (5 mb),  Metadata,  PDF map (8 mb)
Somerset Co. (3 mb),  Metadata,  PDF map (5 mb)	WMA 16: Cape May (2 mb),  Metadata,  PDF map (6 mb)
Sussex  Co. (5 mb),  Metadata,  PDF map (5 mb)	WMA 17: Maurice, Salem, Cohansey (9 mb),  Metadata,  PDF map (8 mb)
Union Co. (1 mb),  Metadata,  PDF map (5 mb)	WMA 18: Lower Delaware (4 mb),  Metadata,  PDF map (7 mb)
Warren Co. (3 mb),  Metadata,  PDF map (6 mb)	WMA 19: Rancocas (3 mb),  Metadata,  PDF map (7 mb)
	WMA 20: Assiscunk, Crosswicks, Doctors (3 mb),  Metadata,  PDF Map (5 mb)
* Recharge for Essex County was not calculated at this time, and Hudson County's was not calculated due to the lack of current soil survey and soils coverage, therefore only parts of WMAs 4, 5, 6 , and 7 have recharge calculated.