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| Cohansey aquifer | |
|---|---|
| Name | Cohansey aquifer |
| Location | Southern New Jersey, United States |
| Type | Unconfined coastal aquifer |
| Primary lithology | Sand |
| Region | Atlantic Coastal Plain |
| Importance | Groundwater supply for municipal and agricultural uses |
Cohansey aquifer The Cohansey aquifer underlies parts of southern New Jersey on the Atlantic Coastal Plain and is an important shallow, unconsolidated sand aquifer that supplies water to municipal systems, private wells, and irrigation. It interacts with surface water features such as the Delaware Bay, Cohansey River, and coastal wetlands, and its study involves institutions including the United States Geological Survey, Rutgers University, and state agencies like the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Research on the aquifer links to broader topics such as coastal aquifers in the Northeastern United States, saltwater intrusion studies influenced by Sea level rise, and resource management frameworks like the Safe Drinking Water Act.
The Cohansey aquifer spans counties including Cape May County, New Jersey, Cumberland County, New Jersey, and Salem County, New Jersey and underlies municipalities such as Cape May, Mays Landing, and Bridgeton, New Jersey. As part of the Atlantic Coastal Plain groundwater system it is correlated with nearby hydrostratigraphic units studied in the context of regional projects by the United States Geological Survey and academic programs at Rutgers University–Camden and the New Jersey Geological Survey. Groundwater from the aquifer supports public supply systems linked to utilities like the New Jersey American Water Company and local water authorities cited in state planning documents by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
The aquifer consists predominantly of unconsolidated Quaternary to Tertiary sands overlying impermeable clay and marl units such as those described in stratigraphic work by researchers affiliated with Princeton University and the Geological Society of America. Its hydraulic properties (transmissivity, storativity) have been measured in pumping tests coordinated with the United States Geological Survey and published in journals including the Journal of Hydrology and proceedings of the American Geophysical Union. Groundwater flow is influenced by boundaries at the Delaware Bay estuarine system, the Atlantic Ocean shoreface, and local streams like the Maurice River. Connectivity to confined units such as the Potomac Aquifer and unconsolidated systems like the Pine Barrens aquifer has been evaluated in regional groundwater models developed in collaboration with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration coastal researchers.
Water from the Cohansey aquifer is generally characterized by soft, sodium-bicarbonate to calcium-magnesium bicarbonate chemistries in analyses conducted by the United States Geological Survey and state laboratories at Rutgers University and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Constituents of concern historically include nitrate from fertilizers linked to agricultural operations in the Delmarva Peninsula and chloride from coastal saltwater influenced by storms like Hurricane Sandy and longer-term Sea level rise. Municipal systems in towns such as Wildwood, New Jersey and Millville, New Jersey use the aquifer for drinking water and irrigation, subject to standards under the Safe Drinking Water Act enforced by the Environmental Protection Agency and state regulators.
Contamination threats include anthropogenic nutrients traced to land use in watersheds draining to the Cohansey River and industrial contaminants monitored after events at sites regulated under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act and state cleanup programs managed by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Saline intrusion has been documented in coastal monitoring tied to Sea level rise and episodic overwash during storms such as Hurricane Irene and Hurricane Sandy, with investigations by the United States Geological Survey and coastal engineering groups at Drexel University and Rutgers University. Protection of adjacent habitats like the Cape May National Wildlife Refuge and Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge informs conservation strategies coordinated with the National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Management of the Cohansey aquifer involves municipal water authorities, state oversight by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, and federal policy tools from the Environmental Protection Agency. Regulatory frameworks intersect with planning instruments such as municipal ordinances in Cape May County, New Jersey and regional water-resource actions tied to interstate collaborations with Delaware agencies in the Delaware River Basin Commission. Groundwater monitoring networks maintained by the United States Geological Survey and state labs feed into decision-support models developed with academic partners at Rutgers University and Princeton University to guide sustainable yield estimates, wellhead protection zones, and contingency planning for contamination incidents.
Historical hydrogeologic mapping of the Atlantic Coastal Plain that included the aquifer was advanced by the United States Geological Survey in the 20th century and later refined through graduate research at Rutgers University and publications in the Geological Society of America Bulletin. Recent studies addressing saltwater intrusion, nutrient loading, and climate-change impacts have been produced by interdisciplinary teams involving the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Geological Survey, and university centers such as the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy. Ongoing monitoring projects and peer-reviewed articles appear in venues like the Journal of Hydrology, Water Resources Research, and presentations to professional societies including the American Geophysical Union and the Geological Society of America.
Category:Aquifers of the United States Category:Geography of New Jersey