Question For Weatherheads About Rain and Reservoirs

[RutgersRaRa]

So we're in a drought, and reservoirs, such as the Wanaque, which IIRC is the largest in the state, are at near-record lows, and are measured in billions of gallons. Today we are getting hammered with rain, and runoff is greater when, for instance, an inch of rain falls in an hour versus a 12-hour period, and puts more gallons into each reservoir. Is there a chart that says roughly how many gallons an inch of rain deposits into each reservoir based on rate of fall? If so, just to pick a scenario, if three inches of rain fall over a six-hour period, and clue how many gallons are added to the Wanaque?

 

[RC1978]

Don't worry about it. NY is going to buy 5 million gallons a day. How much rain does that = to?

http://www.nj.com/passaic-county/in...to_ny_receives_critici.html#incart_river_home

 

[RutgersRaRa]

Don't worry about it. NY is going to buy 5 million gallons a day. How much rain does that = to?

http://www.nj.com/passaic-county/in...to_ny_receives_critici.html#incart_river_home

I saw that article and it partly contributed to me wondering about rate of fall being converted to gallons. I don't worry about droughts because the water is eventually replaced before becoming critical. And 5 million gallons/day isn't much water.

 

[RU4Real]

Don't worry about it. We're gonna build new reservoirs. We'll have the best reservoirs, you'll see. Rain? Don't even think about rain. Our reservoirs will be so good that the water will literally just appear in them. There's won't be any problems with our reservoirs, I assure you.

 

[RutgersRaRa]

Calling Numbers, Numbers, time for you to show up and give the answer. Then you and 4Real can debate the merits of your answer. But it starts with that answer.

 

[RU4Real]

Wrong.

 

[BigRnj]

I know more about the rains then the weather people. Trust me...

 

[RUBigFrank]

Don't worry about it. We're gonna build new reservoirs. We'll have the best reservoirs, you'll see. Rain? Don't even think about rain. Our reservoirs will be so good that the water will literally just appear in them. There's won't be any problems with our reservoirs, I assure you.

Agreed -we have the best people to build the best reservoirs. Don't ask how I can't tell you.

 

[slyker]

So we're in a drought, and reservoirs, such as the Wanaque, which IIRC is the largest in the state, are at near-record lows, and are measured in billions of gallons. Today we are getting hammered with rain, and runoff is greater when, for instance, an inch of rain falls in an hour versus a 12-hour period, and puts more gallons into each reservoir. Is there a chart that says roughly how many gallons an inch of rain deposits into each reservoir based on rate of fall? If so, just to pick a scenario, if three inches of rain fall over a six-hour period, and clue how many gallons are added to the Wanaque?

The USGS web site provides real-time surface elevation data for many reservoirs as well as flow data for rivers / streams etc. Lots of data here that could help you figure out approximately what you are looking for if you know the rainfall amount in the watershed area of interest.... although that could vary greatly over a given area.

This below link is the Spruce Run reservoir data:
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/uv?01396790


You can search other reservoirs and streams/ rivers.

SRR has not been affected much by todays rain event, although I think there was less rain in that area today. Obviously there is typically a delay before the full impact of a rain event affects the reservoir level.

Water level is near the bottom of the page. You can adjust the time period to see levels over time. Spruce run is currently at about 248 ft (above sea level) which is about 25 ft below the maximum level of 273 ft


'

 

[RUsince52]

Victoria Falls in Africa has a flow rate of 38,000 cu/sec. Not sure what that equates to, but it's lots of water. Could probably fill all our reservoirs right now by this weekend. Doesn't include all the people with gallon bottles either.
Monksville and Wanaque Res. already look like Planet of the Apes 3, but I've seen it that way in other years. It does come back.

 

[RUforester72]

The question should be directed to a hydrologist.

 

[RUBigFrank]

The reservoirs are doing great they are winning with this rain.

 

[RutgersRaRa]

The question should be directed to a hydrologist.

According to another poster, the football team has that guy/girl under wraps.

 

[PeteGiam07]

Q = CIA

 

[RU848789]

Calling Numbers, Numbers, time for you to show up and give the answer. Then you and 4Real can debate the merits of your answer. But it starts with that answer.

Salvation lies within...(i.e., I just saw this, found a source with most of the info you're looking for, but it's time to go to bed). Just remember, an inch of rain over 100 square miles (the Wanaque drains about 90 square miles) provides about a 0.25 billion cubic feet of water or about 1.9 billion gallons of water, but not all of that water makes it into a reservoir.

http://www.peqtwp.org/documents/flooding basics.ppt

 

[RutgersRaRa]

Salvation lies within...(i.e., I just saw this, found a source with most of the info you're looking for, but it's time to go to bed). Just remember, an inch of rain over 100 square miles (the Wanaque drains about 90 square miles) provides about a 0.25 billion cubic feet of water or about 1.9 billion gallons of water, but not all of that water makes it into a reservoir.

http://www.peqtwp.org/documents/flooding basics.ppt

Thanks for finding this. Will have to read in afternoon, but the bolded part has me confused.

 

[newell138]

Victoria Falls in Africa has a flow rate of 38,000 cu/sec. Not sure what that equates to, but it's lots of water. Could probably fill all our reservoirs right now by this weekend. Doesn't include all the people with gallon bottles either.
Monksville and Wanaque Res. already look like Planet of the Apes 3, but I've seen it that way in other years. It does come back.

Actually Monksville is pretty full compared to Wanaque. When I was in Boy Scouts we used to camp in Wanaque and one year it was so low we were able to hike in the reservoir at night under a full moon. Walking along the now exposed roads it was pretty cool. Little known area for some of the best hiking in the state is Norvin Green State Forest, which runs around both reservoirs and also has some amazing views of NYC if you hike to the top. Add in a nice little waterfall and some old iron ore mines, (one filled with water and the other with bats) and you have a great day in the outdoors. All the trails are well marked and maintained very nicely.

Shameless plug on Monksville. This reservoir was the brain child of my dad and his name is proudly displayed on a plaque on the Monksville Dam as chief engineer, he worked at Wanaque Reservoir for 40+ years. From the time we were little he was involved in getting the state to realize NJ would need more safe drinking water, and found the best place to do it. He was a big advocate of saving the Highlands long before it was cool as well as calling out Ford Motors when they were illegally dumping paint sludge from their factory in the woods and empty mines as it was leaching into the water supply. (See Mann vs Ford for a great documentary on this topic) He used to take us up there all the time while they were building the dam. We watched them move some houses, relocate a cemetery and drive on some of the roads that are now 100 feet under water as they were building the dam. We used to get gifts mailed to the house from some "people of influence" in the construction and waste management industry quite often, to my dad's credit he always sent them back, of course as kids we didn't understand why.

I also had the pleasure of meeting Zap's dad, Yogi, up there as well. My dad used to get him fishing passes to fish in Wanaque, long before Monksville was built. I wonder if Zap ever went with him.

 

[RU848789]

Thanks for finding this. Will have to read in afternoon, but the bolded part has me confused.

I was calculating the volume of rain that would fall if 1" of rain fell over a 100 square mile area. Of the rain that falls, some evaporates, some runs into groundwater that may or may not be connected to the reservoir, and some goes into the various streams that feed the reservoir and some falls directly on the reservoir. I'm sure hydrogeologists know what % typically gets to the reservoir, but I don't...

 

[RUsince52]

Actually Monksville is pretty full compared to Wanaque. When I was in Boy Scouts we used to camp in Wanaque and one year it was so low we were able to hike in the reservoir at night under a full moon. Walking along the now exposed roads it was pretty cool. Little known area for some of the best hiking in the state is Norvin Green State Forest, which runs around both reservoirs and also has some amazing views of NYC if you hike to the top. Add in a nice little waterfall and some old iron ore mines, (one filled with water and the other with bats) and you have a great day in the outdoors. All the trails are well marked and maintained very nicely.

Shameless plug on Monksville. This reservoir was the brain child of my dad and his name is proudly displayed on a plaque on the Monksville Dam as chief engineer, he worked at Wanaque Reservoir for 40+ years. From the time we were little he was involved in getting the state to realize NJ would need more safe drinking water, and found the best place to do it. He was a big advocate of saving the Highlands long before it was cool as well as calling out Ford Motors when they were illegally dumping paint sludge from their factory in the woods and empty mines as it was leaching into the water supply. (See Mann vs Ford for a great documentary on this topic) He used to take us up there all the time while they were building the dam. We watched them move some houses, relocate a cemetery and drive on some of the roads that are now 100 feet under water as they were building the dam. We used to get gifts mailed to the house from some "people of influence" in the construction and waste management industry quite often, to my dad's credit he always sent them back, of course as kids we didn't understand why.

I also had the pleasure of meeting Zap's dad, Yogi, up there as well. My dad used to get him fishing passes to fish in Wanaque, long before Monksville was built. I wonder if Zap ever went with him.

Great story ! We moved to WM in 1979 and I use to fish the Wanaque River section where the the boat ramp is located near the shallow end. Could walk all the way downstream to the old Stonetown Road jct, all woods and good spots for trout. Most people fished above off E. Shore because of easy access. The Holy Mackeral Restaurant use to be right next to the river in those days.
Was over at Monksville on Monday. Water is now about 30 yards from the shoreline on the shallow end and the trees are really exposed in the middle. Over by the dam boat ramp it's about 20 yards out and a lot of the boulders are exposed. Probably still 70 feet deep. Funny to see the contour of where I'm usually fishing.
Greenwood Lake off Brown's Point looks like the tide went out because of the drawdown for dock maintenance. Water is probably 75 yards from shore and flat as a pancake. No wonder the carp love it. Belcher's Creek is more like a puddle.
If we get snow, it will fill by spring.

 

[knightfan7]

Don't worry about it. We're gonna build new reservoirs. We'll have the best reservoirs, you'll see. Rain? Don't even think about rain. Our reservoirs will be so good that the water will literally just appear in them. There's won't be any problems with our reservoirs, I assure you.

But will they be beautiful reservoirs? Will New York or Pennsylvania pay for it?

 

[RU4Real]

But will they be beautiful reservoirs? Will New York or Pennsylvania pay for it?

They'll be such beautiful reservoirs that people from all states will be begging to pay for them.

 

[RUsince52]

They'll be such beautiful reservoirs that people from all states will be begging to pay for them.

Except Newark !

 

[mdk01]

They'll be such beautiful reservoirs that people from all states will be begging to pay for them.

Does that mean they'll all have safe spaces and be free of microaggressions?

 

[RU4Real]

Does that mean they'll all have safe spaces and be free of microaggressions?

You lookin' to get deported?

 

[mdk01]

You lookin' to get deported?

Hey, I think we need some muscle over here.