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D. A. Aronson

Publications and source records attributed to D. A. Aronson.

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Report planning, preparation and review guide

The guide describes critical steps in the planning, preparation, and review of hydrologic projects and reports. Project and report planning and organization are discussed first. Report writing and guidelines for writing selected parts of the report are covered next. The last topics covered are editorial and technical review. The guide contains examples of good and poor writing, report checklists, and source references to assist authors in the various stages of report preparation.

Open-File Report

Determination of runoff coefficients of storm-water-basin drainage areas on Long Island, New York, by using maximum-stage gages

A method for determining runoff coefficients indirectly without direct measurement of volume of runoff was developed for drainage areas of selected storm-water basins on Long Island, N.Y., to expedite evaluation of basin performance. The method requires a maximum-stage gage to record the maximum water level attained in the basin during the storm, and a precipitation gage to record storm intensity at regular intervals. The maximum volume of runoff impounded in the basin during a storm is calculated from precipitation data, an arbitrarily estimated runoff coefficient, and the basin's dimensions and infiltration rate. The calculated result is then compared with the recorded maximum water level, and the process is repeated with increased or decreased coefficients on a trial basis until two of the resulting water-storage maxima closely bracket the recorded maximum. The runoff coefficient in effect during that storm is then interpolated or derived graphically from the calculated water-storage maxima. Results of data analyses suggest that a close approximation of a basin's infiltration rate may be used instead of a measured infiltration rate to calculate the runoff coefficient. Differences between measured and calculated runoff coefficients averaged less than 20 percent when based on average infiltration rates adjusted for water temperature and less than 10 percent when based on measured infiltration rates. Accuracy of the calculated runoff coefficient tends to decline as the interval between precipitation measurements increases. Precipitation data collected at 5- and 15-minute intervals gave accurate runoff coefficients regardless of storm duration, but data collected at 30- or 60-minute intervals gave widely varying results.

New York

Evaluation of alternative methods of supplemental recharge by storm-water basins on Long Island, New York

Many of the more than 2,200 storm-water basins on Long Island, N.Y., having runoff and infiltration characteristics similar to those of a basin studied in North Massapequa are potential sites for returning large volumes of reclaimed water (highly treated waste water) to the ground-water reservoir. By use of a finite-difference method of calculation, formulas were devised to calculate changes in basin storage at various time intervals from the start of storm inflow, with and without addition of reclaimed water. The North Massapequa storm-water basin was the prototype design used to test several methods of water application. Calculations using various infiltration rates, storm durations, and storm-return periods indicate that several methods of applying reclaimed water to storm-water basins on Long Island would be feasible. (Woodard-USGS)

Open-File Report

Preliminary selection of storm-water basins suitable for infiltration of reclaimed water in Nassau County, Long Island, New York

A survey was made of 205 storm-water basins south of the ground-water divide and north of Hempstead Turnpike in Nassau County, Long Island, N.Y., to determine which would be best suited for infiltration of reclaimed water. Selection depended on infiltration area, location with respect to the ground-water divide and to planned transmission mains, tendency to retain storm runoff, underlying lithology, and depth to water table. The total maximum infiltration area of 14 selected basins is 60.2 acres, or 2,620,900 square feet (0.24 square kilometers). If 5-foot (1.5-meter) -high partitions were constructed in the basins to divide each into approximately equal halves and reclaimed water were applied in half of each basin to a depth of 5 feet (1.5 meters), using an application-rest cycle, a total area of 25.2 acres (0.10 square kilometers) would be available for supplemental recharge; the remaining infiltration area could be used for disposal of storm runoff. (Woodard-USGS)

Open-File Report

Appraisal of operating efficiency of recharge basins on Long Island, New York, in 1969

Recharge basins on Long Island are unlined pits of various shapes and sizes excavated in surficial deposits of mainly glacial origin. Of the 2,124 recharge basins on Long Island in 1969, approximately 9 percent (194) contain water 5 or more days after a 1-inch rainfall. Basins on Long Island contain water because (1) they intersect the regional water table or a perched water table, (2) they are excavated in material of low hydraulic conductivity, (3) layers of sediment and debris of low hydraulic conductivity accumulate on the basin floor, or (4) a combination of these factors exists. Data obtained as part of this study show that (1) 22 basins contain water because they intersect the regional water table, (2) a larger percentage of the basins excavated in the Harbor Hill and the Ronkonkoma morainal deposits contain water than basins excavated in the outwash deposits, (3) a larger percentage of the basins that drain industrial and commercial areas contain water than basins that drain highways and residential areas, (4) storm runoff from commercial and industrial areas and highway: generally contains high concentrations of asphalt, grease, oil, tar, and rubber particles, whereas runoff from residential areas mainly contains leaves, grass cuttings, and other plant material, and (5) differences in composition of the soils within the drainage areas of the basins on Long Island apparently are not major factors in causing water retention. Water-containing basins dispose of an undetermined amount of storm runoff primarily by the slow infiltration of water through the bottoms and the sides of the basins. The low average specific conductance of water in most such basins suggests that evaporation does not significantly concentrate the chemical constituents and, therefore, that evaporation is not a major mechanism of water disposal from these basins.

Water Supply Paper

Influence of recharge basins on the hydrology of Nassau and Suffolk Counties, Long Island, New York

An investigation of recharge basins on Long Island was made by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Nassau County Department of Public Works, Suffolk County Department of Environmental Control, and Suffolk County Water Authority. The major objectives of the study were to (1) catalog basic physical data on the recharge basins in use on Long Island, (2) measure quality and quantity of precipitation and inflow, (3) measure infiltration rates at selected recharge basins, and (4) evaluate regional effects of recharge basins on the hydrologic system of Long Island. The area of study consists of Nassau and Suffolk Counties -- about 1,370 square miles -- in eastern Long Island, N.Y. Recharge basins, numbering more than 2,100 on Long Island in 1969, are open pits in moderately to highly permeable sand and gravel deposits. These pits are used to dispose of storm runoff from residential, industrial, and commercial areas, and from highways, by infiltration of the water through the bottom and sides of the basins. The hydrology of three recharge basins on Long Island -- Westbury, Syosset, and Deer Park basins -- was studied. The precipitation-inflow relation showed that the average percentages of precipitation flowing into each basin were roughly equivalent to the average percentages of impervious areas in the total drainage areas of the basins. Average percentages of precipitation flowing into the basins as direct runoff were 12 percent at the Westbury basin, 10 percent at the Syosset basin, and 7 percent at the Deer Park basin. Numerous open-bottomed storm-water catch basins at Syosset and Deer Park reduced the proportion of inflow to those basins, as compared with the Westbury basin, which has only a few open-bottomed catch basins. Inflow hydrographs for each basin typify the usual urban runoff hydrograph -- steeply rising and falling limbs, sharp peaks, and short time bases. Unit hydrographs for the Westbury and the Syosset basins are not expected to change; however, the unit hydrograph for the Deer Park basin is expected to broaden somewhat as a result of additional future house construction within the drainage area. Infiltration rates averaged 0.9 fph (feet per hour) for 63 storms between July 1967 and May 1970 at the Westbury recharge basin, 0.8 fph for 22 storms from July 1969 to September 1970 at the Syosset recharge basin, and 0.2 fph for 24 storms from March to September 1970 at the Deer Park recharge basin. Low infiltration rates at Deer Park resulted mainly from (1) a high percentage of eroded silt, clay, and organic debris washed in from construction sites in the drainage area, which partly filled the interstices of the natural deposits, and (2) a lack of a well-developed plant-root system on the floor of the younger basin, which would have kept the soil zone more permeable. The apparent rate of movement of storm water through the unsaturated zone below each basin averaged 5.5 fph at Westbury, 3.7 fph at Syosset, and 3.1 fph at Deer Park. The rates of movement for storms during the warm months (April through October) were slightly higher than average, probably because the recharging water was warmer than it was during the rest of the year, and therefore, was slightly less viscous. On the average, a 1-inch rainfall resulted in a peak rise of the water table directly below each basin of 0.5 foot; a 2-inch rainfall resulted in a peak rise of about 2 feet. The mound commonly dissipated within 1 to 4 days at Westbury, 7 days to more than 15 days at Syosset, and 1 to 3 days at Deer Park, depending on the magnitude of the peak buildup. Average annual ground-water recharge was estimated to be 6.4 acre-feet at the Westbury recharge basin, 10.3 acre-feet at the Syosset recharge basin, and 29.6 acre-feet at the Deer Park recharge basin. Chemical composition of precipitation at Westbury, Syosset, and Deer Park drainage areas was similar:

Water Supply Paper