Analysis of alternative weir designs for improved passage of select fish at the U.S. Geological Survey streamgaging weir at Blackwells Mills, New Jersey
Thomas P. Suro, Michal J. Niemoczynski, Kevin B. Mulligan
2026, Scientific Investigations Report 2026-5002
As the population of New Jersey continues to remain dense, the need for water supply will likely continue to be high, which can lead to water managers needing to make difficult decisions about managing drinking-water supply. Streamgaging weirs like the ones used by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) play a...
Understanding the occurrence and distribution of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in surface waters of the nontidal Passaic River Basin
Molly L. Schreiner, Kristin M. Romanok, Jacob T. Gray, Eileen J. Brown, Brianna M. Williams, Maureen Kneser, Albert J. Capuzzi, Jason Boerner, Luke Giunta, Paul Serillo, John J. Trainor, Kelly L. Smalling
2026, Scientific Investigations Report 2026-5018
This study, completed by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the North Jersey District Water Supply Commission (NJDWSC), was designed to characterize the occurrence and distribution of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in surface waters of the nontidal Passaic River Basin in New Jersey that have the potential to...
Occurrence of cyanobacteria and associated cyanotoxins in the Raritan Basin Water Supply Complex, New Jersey, August 2020 to August 2021
Rebecca M. Gorney, Heather A. Heckathorn, Kyle R. Clonan, Pamela A. Reilly, Kathryn Cahalane, Bradley W. Bjorklund
2026, Scientific Investigations Report 2026-5128
Harmful algal blooms, particularly cyanobacteria harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs), have emerged as a substantial global concern because of their detrimental effects on water quality and aquatic ecosystem health. CyanoHABs can produce cyanotoxins, which pose serious health risks to humans and wildlife, such as liver failure and respiratory distress. This is...
Methods for estimating daily upstream location of the freshwater-saltwater interface along the Maurice and Cohansey Rivers, New Jersey
Jennifer L. Closson, Thomas P. Suro, Lukasz M. Niemoczynski
2026, Scientific Investigations Report 2025-5090
The Delaware River basin (DRB) provides drinking water to 15 million people in the surrounding area. Water is frequently withdrawn from the freshwater reaches of streams, above head of tide, in the DRB for use as public drinking water. During extended periods of low flow, saltwater can move upstream, which...
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and other contaminants of concern in tribal waters of Montana
Kelly L. Smalling, Paul M. Bradley, Kristin M. Romanok, John T. Doyle, Margaret J. Eggers, Christine Martin, Elliott P. Barnhart, Picabo Binette, Eric M. Castro, Madisan Chavez, Stephanie A. Ewing, Stephanie E. Gordon, Mathew W. Fields, James L. Gray, Ashley M. Groshong, Chiachi Hwang, Leslie K. Kanagy, JoRee WClay LaFrance, Keith A. Loftin, Carrie Mae Long, R. Blaine McCleskey, Shannon M. Meppelink, Crystal L. Richards, Molly L. Schreiner, Jonathan I. Shikany, Mahelat Tesfamariam
2026, Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts (28) 579-597
We assessed potential exposures to a broad suite of contaminants (inorganic, organic and microbial) in culturally important surface waters from three watersheds in a northern plains Native American community (Apsáalooke [Crow Tribe of Montana]) in south-central Montana, United States, with water insecurity concerns. Inorganic (37), organic (435)...
Conducting feasibility assessments of potential conservation reintroductions: A case study with the imperiled foothill yellow-legged frog, Rana boylii
Daniel Macias, Patrick M. Kleeman, Michelle L. Hladik, Kelly L. Smalling, Paul G. Johnson, Daniel A. Grear, Jonathan P. Rose, Brian J. Halstead
2026, Natural Areas Journal (46) 31-43
Conservation translocations are an increasingly common and often necessary component of recovering species that have become extirpated from portions of their range. Understanding and ameliorating potential threats that reduce the likelihood of successful population establishment at recipient sites is a key component of successful translocation planning. We examined multiple potential...
Downstream persistence of cyanobacteria in New Jersey's Raritan River basin
Kyle R. Clonan, Meiyin Wu, Heather A. Heckathorn, Heather Desko, Eric Ernst, Pamela A. Reilly, Robert L. Schuster, Robert Newby, Annie Hurley, Alessandra Rossi
2026, Heliyon (12)
Few studies have examined cyanobacteria persistence starting from lacustrine cyanobacteria harmful algal blooms (HABs) downstream. Multiple lakes and reservoirs within New Jersey's Raritan Basin Water Supply Complex (RBWSC) feature recurrent HABs and discharge water into the Raritan River. As the RBWSC provides drinking water to 1.5 million people, these HABs...
Practical pathways for protecting headwater streams in urbanizing areas
Belinda Hatt, Chamantha Athapaththu, Jonathan Behrens, Sally Boer, Matthew J. Burns, Ryan Burrows, Riley de Jong, Caroline Elsner, Vaughn Grey, Moss Imberger, Brianna M. Williams, Rhys Coleman
2025, Freshwater Science (44) 546-567
Headwater streams are diverse ecosystems and important sources of water and dissolved and particulate resources to the downstream river network. However, across the world, they are rapidly being degraded or lost through human activities, particularly urban development. This degradation and loss have negative consequences for the structure and function of...
Statistical streamflow comparison of current and historical 30-year periods for selected streams in New Jersey
Brianna M. Williams, Samantha L. Sullivan, Thomas P. Suro, Jerilyn V. Collenburg, Amy R. McHugh, Jennifer L. Shourds
2025, Scientific Investigations Report 2025-5061
As the population of New Jersey increases, supplying adequate drinking water to meet demand remains a high priority. To better understand potential streamflow trends over time, the U.S. Geological Survey completed a study comparing low flows at continuous- and partial-record streamgages in New Jersey between a historical period (1950–79) and...
Potentiometric surface maps and groundwater-level hydrographs for confined aquifers of the New Jersey Coastal Plain, 2018
Alex R. Fiore, Stephen J. Cauller, Eileen J. Brown
2025, Scientific Investigations Report 2025-5080
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), prepared potentiometric surface maps for 10 confined aquifers of the New Jersey Coastal Plain physiographic province based on water-level measurements collected during late 2018 and early 2019 from 951 wells in New Jersey and parts...
Estimating daily public supply water use by drinking water service area in New Jersey
Jennifer L. Shourds, Malia H. Scott
2025, Scientific Investigations Report 2024-5061
This report, prepared in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, presents a method for estimating daily public supply water use by drinking water service area systems for New Jersey. The ability to accurately estimate daily public supply water use could help water supply planners in New Jersey...
Time of travel of releases from Lake Wallenpaupack to the U.S. Geological Survey’s streamgage monitoring location on the Delaware River at Montague, New Jersey
Jaclynne Polcino, John J. Trainor, Jerilyn V. Collenburg
2025, Scientific Investigations Report 2025-5026
In 2016, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) carried out a hydraulic study within the upper Delaware River Basin for the purpose of determining the time of travel for water releases from the Brookfield Renewable U.S. hydroelectric plant at Lake Wallenpaupack, Pennsylvania, to reach the USGS streamgage located on the Delaware...
Determining low-flow conditions at select streams to Barnegat Bay-Little Egg Harbor as the first step towards the development of ecological-flow targets
Christine M. Wieben, Jonathan G. Kennen, Thomas P. Suro
2025, Scientific Investigations Report 2024-5096
Maintaining streamflow to support human water needs and ecosystem services requires a fundamental understanding of the relations between changes in streamflow processes and ecosystem responses. Changes in the natural patterns in flow, geology, and topography alter the habitats that aquatic organisms rely on for food, shelter, and reproduction. The U.S....
Use of multi-resolution, three-dimensional hydrodynamic and water-quality models to assess response to nutrient load reductions in Barnegat Bay-Little Egg Harbor estuary, New Jersey, USA
Vincent T. DePaul
2025, Marine Pollution Bulletin (214)
A coupled three-dimensional hydrodynamic water-quality model has been applied to Barnegat Bay-Little Egg Harbor Estuary, a shallow, back-barrier lagoon located along the central New Jersey coastline. The study aims to enhance understanding of phytoplankton dynamics and nutrient cycling and to quantify estuarine response to potential nutrient load management...
Statewide cumulative human health risk assessment of inorganics-contaminated groundwater wells, Montana, USA
Margaret J. Eggers, W. Adam Sigler, Nicklas Kiekover, Paul M. Bradley, Kelly L. Smalling, Albert E. Parker, Robert K.D. Peterson, John LaFave
2025, Environmental Pollution (369)
Across the United States, rural residents rely on unregulated and generally unmonitored private wells for drinking water, which may pose serious health risks due to unrecognized contaminants. We assessed the nature, degree, and spatial distribution of cumulative health risks from inorganic contaminants in groundwater. Our analysis included nearly 84,000 data...
Streamflow characteristics and trends in New Jersey, water years 1903–2017
Amy R. McHugh, Thomas P. Suro, Samantha L. Sullivan, Brianna M. Williams
2024, Scientific Investigations Report 2024-5099
As New Jersey’s population density remains high, so does its requirements for water management. Understanding the streamflow conditions throughout the state and how they may have changed over time is an important part of managing the water resources within the state. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has many...
Predictions of groundwater PFAS occurrence at drinking water supply depths in the United States
Andrea K. Tokranov, Katherine Marie Ransom, Laura M. Bexfield, Bruce D. Lindsey, Elise Watson, Danielle Dupuy, Paul E. Stackelberg, Miranda S. Fram, Stefan Voss, James A. Kingsbury, Bryant C. Jurgens, Kelly L. Smalling, Paul M. Bradley
2024, Science (386) 748-755
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), known colloquially as “forever chemicals”, have been associated with adverse human health effects and have contaminated drinking water supplies across the United States owing to their long-term and widespread use. People in the United States may unknowingly be drinking water that contains PFAS because of...
Predictive understanding of stream salinization in a developed watershed using machine learning
Jared David Smith, Lauren Elizabeth Koenig, Margaux Jeanne Sleckman, Alison P. Appling, Jeffrey M Sadler, Vincent T. DePaul, Zoltan Szabo
2024, Environmental Science and Technology (58) 18833
Stream salinization is a global issue, yet few models can provide reliable salinity estimates for unmonitored locations at the time scales required for ecological exposure assessments. Machine learning approaches are presented that use spatially limited high-frequency monitoring and spatially distributed discrete samples to estimate the daily...
Mixed contaminant exposure in tapwater and the potential implications for human-health in disadvantaged communities in California
Kelly L. Smalling, Kristin M. Romanok, Paul M. Bradley, Michelle L. Hladik, James L. Gray, Leslie K. Kanagy, R. Blaine McCleskey, Diana A. Stavreva, Annika K. Alexander-Ozinskas, Jesus Alonso, Wendy Avila, Sara E. Breitmeyer, Roberto Bustillo, Stephanie E. Gordon, Gordon L. Hager, Rena R. Jones, Dana W. Kolpin, Seth Newton, Peggy Reynolds, John Sloop, Andria Ventura, Julie Von Behren, Mary H. Ward, Gina M. Solomon
2024, Water Research (267)
Water is an increasingly precious resource in California as years of drought, climate change, pollution, as well as an expanding population have all stressed the state's drinking water supplies. Currently, there are increasing concerns about whether regulated and unregulated contaminants in drinking water are linked to a variety of human-health...
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water in Southeast Los Angeles: Industrial legacy and environmental justice
Julie Von Behren, Peggy Reynolds, Paul M. Bradley, James L. Gray, Dana W. Kolpin, Kristin M. Romanok, Kelly L. Smalling, Catherine Carpenter, Wendy Avila, Paul B. English, Rena R. Jones, Gina Solomon
2024, Science of the Total Environment (953)
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent chemicals of increasing concern to human health. PFAS contamination in water systems has been linked to a variety of sources including hydrocarbon fire suppression activities, industrial and military land uses, agricultural applications of biosolids, and consumer products....
Tire-derived contaminants 6PPD and 6PPD-Q: Analysis, sample handling, and reconnaissance of United States stream exposures
Rachael F. Lane, Kelly L. Smalling, Paul M. Bradley, Justin Blaine Greer, Stephanie E. Gordon, John D. Hansen, Dana W. Kolpin, Andrew R. Spanjer, Jason R. Masoner
2024, Chemosphere (363)
The environmental ubiquity of tire and road wear particles (TRWP) underscores the need to understand the occurrence, persistence, and environmental effects of tire-related chemicals in aquatic ecosystems. One such chemical is 6PPD-quinone (6PPD-Q), a transformation product of the tire antioxidant 6PPD. In urban stormwater runoff 6PPD-Q can exceed acute toxicity thresholds for several salmonid species and is being implicated...
Guidelines for the use of automatic samplers in collecting surface-water quality and sediment data
Timothy P. Wilson, Cherie V. Miller, Evan A. Lechner
2024, Techniques and Methods 1-D12
The importance of fluvial systems in the transport of sediment, dissolved and suspended contaminants, nutrients, and bacteria through the environment is well established. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) identifies sediment as the single most widespread water contaminant affecting the beneficial uses of the Nation’s rivers and streams. The evaluation...
Effects of harmful algal blooms on amphibians and reptiles are under-reported and under-represented
Brian J. Halstead, Kelly L. Smalling, Blake R. Hossack
2024, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (43) 1936-1949
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are a persistent and increasing problem globally, yet we still have limited knowledge about how they affect wildlife. Although semi-aquatic and aquatic amphibians and reptiles have experienced large declines and occupy environments where HABs are increasingly problematic, their vulnerability to...
Simulated effects of projected 2014–40 withdrawals on groundwater flow and water levels in the New Jersey Coastal Plain
Leon J. Kauffman
2024, Scientific Investigations Report 2024-5028
AbstractGroundwater flow between 2014 through 2040 was simulated in the New Jersey Coastal Plain based on three withdrawal scenarios. Two of the scenarios were based on projected population trends and the assumption of water conservation; the nominal water-loss scenario projected a status quo in the efficiency of water loss in...
Interdisciplinary science approach for harmful algal blooms (HABs) and algal toxins—A strategic science vision for the U.S. Geological Survey
Victoria G. Christensen, Christopher J. Crawford, Robert J. Dusek, Michael J. Focazio, Lisa Reynolds Fogarty, Jennifer L. Graham, Celeste A. Journey, Mari E. Lee, James H. Larson, Sarah M. Stackpoole, Viviana Mazzei, Emily Pindilli, Barnett A. Rattner, E. Terrence Slonecker, Kristen B. McSwain, Timothy J. Reilly, Ashley E. Lopez
2024, Circular 1520
Executive SummaryAlgal blooms in water, soils, dusts, and the environment have captured national attention because of concerns associated with exposure to algal toxins for humans and animals. Algal blooms naturally occur in all surface-water types and are important primary producers for aquatic ecosystems. However, excessive algae growth can be associated...
