Impact of flood-diversion tunnel on Newark Bay and adjacent waters

A diversion tunnel has been proposed to alleviate flooding in the upper por tion of the Passaic River basin. The tunnel will divert flow from the headw aters of the Passaic to the upper end of Newark Bay. The present study prov ided information required to evaluate the effect of the tunnel on finfish a nd shellfish in the vicinity of the outlet. Impacts were examined through t he CH3D hydrodynamic model and the CE-QUAL-ICM water-quality model. Quantit ies computed included tides, currents, salinity, temperature, dissolved oxy gen (DO), and biochemical oxygen demand. The models were calibrated to fiel d data collected from July to September 1994. Scenarios illustrated the imp act of the tunnel on salinity, temperature, and DO under three flow conditi ons. In the worst case, impact of the tunnel on DO and temperature was shor t-lived and of limited spatial extent. Impact of the tunnel on salinity was indiscernible.