Continuous Monitoring Launch

IEC just deployed its first continuous monitoring sonde for readings in the New York/New Jersey Harbor! In conjunction with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), four YSI EXO2 multiparameter sondes will be placed throughout the New York/New Jersey Harbor in order to provide continuous readings of water quality. The deployed sondes will remain in the water year-round when conditions allow and will measure temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity, and chlorophyll.

The newly deployed first sonde is located in the lower Hackensack River beneath the I-95 bridge in Carlstadt. Readings are being taken at 1 meter below the surface. In order for the sonde to remain at a stable depth in the tidally influenced Hackensack River, it is attached to a buoy with a fixed pipe that has been anchored. IEC will take data off of this sonde once a month to be checked for quality assurance and sent to NJDEP. When it is available, NJDEP will upload the data to NJDEP DWM&S Continuous Data Monitoring Program, which provides public access to continuous water quality data from many water bodies across New Jersey.

The Hackensack River continues to face many water quality challenges due to a history of industrial and commercial dumping, wetland destruction, and high bacteria levels from wastewater disposal, and has been a focus for restoration and remediation efforts for many years. The lower Hackensack has been on the EPA Superfund National Priorities List since 2022. This is a critical location for ongoing data collection, and monitoring through this program will provide essential data to comprehensively assess the health of the river. This deployment marks a critical step forward in gathering the long-term, high-quality data needed to support restoration efforts and ensure a healthier future for the Hackensack River and the greater New York/New Jersey Harbor Estuary.

Check out the rest of the NJDEP Harbor Monitoring Program here.