Passaic River Near Chatham NJ USGS ID 01379500

Passaic River Near Chatham, NJ USGS ID: 01379500 Team Members Researcher/Historian: Thomas Hansen Supervisor: Jacqueline Parr Project Manager: Chris de. Bang Logistics: Dave Seiler

The Passaic River Basin A Century of Flooding 1903, 1945, 1968, 1984, 2000, 2007, 2010, 2011 Photo Credit: US Army Corps of Engineers

Hundred Year Flood-1903 § Passaic River overflowed its banks on October 8, 1903, and remained in flood until October 19. Between these dates there occurred the greatest and most destructive flood ever known along this stream. Passaic at full bank carries about 12, 000 cubic feet of water per second, but at the height of this flood it carried about 35, 700 cubic feet per second.

April 2007 Flood. 5000 evacuated, $686, 000 damages, 10 -20 year flood event. Little Falls, NJ Photo Credit: US Army Corps of Engineers

March 2010 flood, $772, 000 damages. 20 -25 year flood event. Wayne, NJ Photo Credit: US Army Corps of Engineers

Historical Documents § 1902 through 1936, the State of New Jersey established Flood District Comm. to formulate plans to alleviate the flooding § http: //www. nj. gov/dep/passaicriver/docs/201 00526 acoe_pres. pdf Briefing with Passaic River Basin Flood Advisory Commission by Army Corps of Engineers. This report of 5/26/10 is comprehensive. § USGS Water Supply and Irrigation Paper No. 88

February 10, 2011 DEP Press Release highlights recommendations: II ADVISORY COMMISSION STATEMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Based on the Governor’s Executive Order 23: 1. Floodway and Floodplain Buyouts Table 2 – Floodway/10 -Year Floodplain Buyouts 2. Structure Elevations in Floodplains 3. Open Space Acquisition and Preservation 4. Pompton Lake Dam Floodgates Performance and Modifications 5. Desnagging and Shoal Dredging 6. Feeder Dam Removals 7. State Adoption of the NFIP 8. Permit Expedition for Desnagging and Shoal Dredging 9. Emergency Preparedness and Response 10. Flood Warning System 11. Inundation Mapping 12. Public Outreach 13. USACE Reevaluation Study 14. Flood Risk Mapping 15. Moratorium on All New Development in the Floodplain

Structure Elevation Photo Credit: US Army Corps of Engineers

Floodgates and Dam at Pompton Lakes Ramapo RIver Photo Credit: US Army Corps of Engineers

River Obstruction Removal Photo Credit: US Army Corps of Engineers

Pompton Lakes gage, old gage upstream Ramapo RIver Photo Credit: US Army Corps of Engineers

Watershed Divide with Outflow and Rain Gauges Rain Gauge #2 City: Morristown (I) State: NJ County: Morris Elevation: 61 m Latitude: 40. 79916 USGS ID: 01379500 Longitude: Outlet -74. 4152 Flow Gauge (Chatham) Rain Gauge #1 Network: IFLOWS City: Basking Ridge Rain Gauge #3 State: NJ City: Canoe Brook Alt. name: KQ 51 State: NJ County: Somerset County: Essex Elevation: 67 m Elevation: 53 m Latitude: 40. 6956 Latitude: 40. 74361 Longitude: -74. 5198 Longitude: -74. 3544 Type: Campbell Scientific Type Network: IFLOWS Network: Mesonet

Field Surveying Photo Credit: Dave Seiler

Area Surroundings Looking to the East Terminal Moraine to the North Photo Credit: Dave Seiler

South shore Outside Reference Gauge Photo Credit: Dave Seiler

Structures Storm Drain Gaging Station at Outflow Gauge Photo Credit: Dave Seiler

Interview: Ella Filippone (President of the Passaic River Coalition) 1. The terminal moraine that was created by glaciers. 2. The local municipality has purchased flood prone land removed any homes or buildings there.

Interview (cont’d) 3. The soil is very sandy which allows good infiltration and 40% of the precipitation goes into a natural aquifer. 4. The Great Swamp acts as a buffer for any heavy precipitation that falls in the mountains that lead to the Chatham area.

Historical Information http: //www. nan. usace. army. mil/project/newjers/factsh/pdf/120604/Appendix. A. pdf

Historical Data for Chatham Outflow Gauge Credit: NWS - Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center

Historical Data for Chatham Outflow Gauge Credit: NWS - Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center

Historical Data for Chatham Outflow Gauge Credit: NWS - Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center

Historical Data for Chatham Outflow Gauge Credit: NWS - Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center

Historical Data for Chatham Outflow Gauge Credit: NWS - Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center

Historical Data for Chatham Outflow Gauge Credit: NWS - Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center

Historical Data for Chatham Outflow Gauge Credit: NWS - Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center

HPC Daily Weather Map July 14 th 2010 Source: Hydrometeorological Prediction Center http: //www. hpc. ncep. noaa. gov/dailywxmap/index. html

Rain Event (July 14, 2010) Source: NCDC Radar Inventory – http: //www. ncdc. noaa. gov/nexradinv/chooseday. jsp? id=kdix

Basking Ridge Hyetograph Source: Rutgers NJ Weather and Climate Network – http: //climate. rutgers. edu/njwxnet/dataviewer-stnpt. php? yr=2010&mo=7&dy= 13&qc=&element_id%5 B%5 D=24&stn=285&states=NJ&newdc=1

July 13, 2010 Rain Gauge Data Date and Time Precip City State Hour Basking Ridge NJ 7/13/2010 0: 00 0. 04 1 Basking Ridge NJ 7/13/2010 1: 00 0. 01 2 Basking Ridge NJ 7/13/2010 2: 00 0 3 Basking Ridge NJ 7/13/2010 3: 00 0. 01 Basking Ridge NJ 7/13/2010 4: 00 Basking Ridge NJ Basking Ridge July 14, 2010 Rain Gauge Data Date and Time Precip City State Basking Ridge NJ 7/14/2010 0: 00 0. 05 25 Basking Ridge NJ 7/14/2010 1: 00 0. 01 26 Basking Ridge NJ 7/14/2010 2: 00 0 27 4 Basking Ridge NJ 7/14/2010 3: 00 0 28 0 5 Basking Ridge NJ 7/14/2010 4: 00 0 29 7/13/2010 5: 00 0 6 Basking Ridge NJ 7/14/2010 5: 00 0 30 NJ 7/13/2010 6: 00 0 7 Basking Ridge NJ 7/14/2010 6: 00 0. 18 31 Basking Ridge NJ 7/13/2010 7: 00 0 8 Basking Ridge NJ 7/14/2010 7: 00 0 32 Basking Ridge NJ 7/13/2010 8: 00 0 9 Basking Ridge NJ 7/14/2010 8: 00 0. 01 33 Basking Ridge NJ 7/13/2010 9: 00 0 10 Basking Ridge NJ 7/14/2010 9: 00 0 34 Basking Ridge NJ 7/13/2010 10: 00 0 11 Basking Ridge NJ 7/14/2010 10: 00 0. 05 35 Basking Ridge NJ 7/13/2010 11: 00 0 12 Basking Ridge NJ 7/14/2010 11: 00 1. 18 36 Basking Ridge NJ 7/13/2010 12: 00 0. 36 13 Basking Ridge NJ 7/14/2010 12: 00 0. 3 37 Basking Ridge NJ 7/13/2010 13: 00 0. 06 14 Basking Ridge NJ 7/14/2010 13: 00 0. 04 38 Basking Ridge NJ 7/13/2010 14: 00 0 15 Basking Ridge NJ 7/14/2010 14: 00 0. 01 39 Basking Ridge NJ 7/13/2010 15: 00 0 16 Basking Ridge NJ 7/14/2010 15: 00 0. 05 40 Basking Ridge NJ 7/13/2010 16: 00 0. 05 17 Basking Ridge NJ 7/14/2010 16: 00 0 41 Basking Ridge NJ 7/13/2010 17: 00 0 18 Basking Ridge NJ 7/14/2010 17: 00 0 42 Basking Ridge NJ 7/13/2010 18: 00 0 19 Basking Ridge NJ 7/14/2010 18: 00 0 43 Basking Ridge NJ 7/13/2010 19: 00 0 20 Basking Ridge NJ 7/14/2010 19: 00 0 44 Basking Ridge NJ 7/13/2010 20: 00 0 21 Basking Ridge NJ 7/14/2010 20: 00 0 45 Basking Ridge NJ 7/13/2010 21: 00 0 22 Basking Ridge NJ 7/14/2010 21: 00 0 46 Basking Ridge NJ 7/13/2010 22: 00 0 23 Basking Ridge NJ 7/14/2010 22: 00 0 47 Basking Ridge NJ 7/13/2010 23: 00 0. 28 24 Basking Ridge NJ 7/14/2010 23: 00 0 48 ` Hour

Chatham Flow Gauge Hydrograph USGS flow gauge 01379500 Chatham, NJ Hydrograph Date Discharge, ft 3/s (mean) 7/10/2010 26 7/11/2010 37 7/12/2010 34 7/13/2010 39 7/14/2010 65 7/15/2010 151 7/16/2010 142 7/17/2010 76 7/18/2010 45 7/19/2010 33 Source: USGS Streamflow Data - http: //nwis. waterdata. usgs. gov/nj/nwis/uv/? site_no=01379500&agency_cd=USGS

In Conclusion § Other Insights – Basking Ridge and Morristown combination (Great Swamp Watershed contribution to flow gauge, e. g. detention/buffer) – Greater Passaic River vs. Upper Passaic Basins – Case Study Rainfall event vs. Historical Floods

Credits § http: //www. nj. gov/dep/passaicriver/docs/20100526 acoe_pres. pdf § US Army Corps of Engineers § NOAA § Hydrometeorological Prediction Center (HPC) § National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) § National Weather Service – Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center § Rutgers NJ Weather and Climate Network (NJWxnet) § USGS Streamflow Data § Professor Smart