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The Water Infrastructure Challenge In Victoria, Robyn Mcleod
The Water Infrastructure Challenge In Victoria, Robyn Mcleod
2006
Water resources, and the infrastructure to sustainability manage these resources, are a priority for the Victorian State Government. Prolonged drought, projected population growth, combined with the potential impact of climate change and the economic importance of industry and agriculture to the economic prosperity of the State, emphasise the importance of investment in innovative and efficient water infrastructure systems.
Impact Of Climate Change On New Mexico's Water Resources, Anne Watkins
Impact Of Climate Change On New Mexico's Water Resources, Anne Watkins
2006
In June, 2005, Governor Bill Richardson signed Executive Order 05-033 on “Climate change and greenhouse gas reduction.” That E.O. called for the State Engineer, in collaboration with other local, state and federal agencies and the State’s research institutions, to “prepare an analysis of the impact of climate change on the State’s water supply and ability to manage its water resources.” This presentation will provide an overview of that report, including: anticipated impacts on New Mexico’s water resources based on existing models and available data; a brief survey of the sectors that will be impacted by climate change; and general strategies …
Precipitation Enhancement: Water Management Strategy In Texas Panhandle Region, Lal K. Almas
Precipitation Enhancement: Water Management Strategy In Texas Panhandle Region, Lal K. Almas
2006
The Texas Panhandle is a semi-arid region with varied rainfall. The variation in rainfall leads to variation in the year-to-year production of agricultural products. Therefore the Texas Panhandle relies on irrigation to both increase and stabilize production. The Ogallala aquifer is the primary source of irrigation water in the region. Due to limited recharge, continued pumping from Ogallala aquifer has resulted in a declining water table. The continued requirements of agricultural, municipal, and industrial sectors emphasize the critical need for alternative water management strategies. Precipitation enhancement is one of the many water management strategies to reduce irrigation water demand.
Innovations For Hydropower And Other Renewables: Potential Benefits To The Energy-Water Nexus, Michael J. Sale
Innovations For Hydropower And Other Renewables: Potential Benefits To The Energy-Water Nexus, Michael J. Sale
2006
Hydropower is the largest energy user of water in the U.S., although most of that water use is not consumptive. In 1995, USGS estimated that hydropower annual water uses was 3,160,000 million gallons per day, or about 16 times more than what is used for thermoelectric cooling. Water used in hydroelectric turbines is generally not consumed, but the timing of water releases may be shifted in time relative to natural flows through reservoir storage and release. Hydropower’s regulation of river flows may compete with other water uses or complement them. Advanced hydropower technologies, such as more efficient turbines with improved …
Innovations For Thermoelectric Cooling Technologies: Potential Benefits To The Energy-Water Nexus, John R. Gasper
Innovations For Thermoelectric Cooling Technologies: Potential Benefits To The Energy-Water Nexus, John R. Gasper
2006
Thermoelectric power generation currently accounts for 40% of all fresh water withdrawals in the U.S. - the same as is withdrawn for irrigation – and for approximately the same amount of fresh water consumed as the industrial/mining sector. Future consumption may significantly increase due to regulatory-induced shifts to closed cycle cooling. Most of this water is used to manage waste heat. Water availability currently limits the siting of facilities and the generation of electricity throughout the U.S. Meanwhile, demand for electricity is projected to increase by 53 percent from 2003 to 2030. The conflicts that result at this nexus of …
Defining Research And Development Needs At The Energy-Water Nexus, Mike Hightower Et Al.
Defining Research And Development Needs At The Energy-Water Nexus, Mike Hightower Et Al.
2006
Currently, electric power generation is one of largest water withdrawal and use sectors in the U.S. On the other hand, water distribution, treatment, and transmission is one of the largest energy use sectors. As future demands for energy and water continue to increase, competition for water between the energy, domestic, agricultural, and industrial sectors, could significantly impact the reliability and security of future energy production and electric power generation. To address these growing concerns, Congress directed the Department of Energy (DOE) to assess current and emerging national issues associated with the interdependencies between energy and water. As part of these …
Water Reuse: Creating New Sources Of Water Supply, Jeffrey J. Mosher
Water Reuse: Creating New Sources Of Water Supply, Jeffrey J. Mosher
2006
Communities in the United States and across the world face water supply challenges due to increasing demand, drought, depletion and contamination of groundwater, and dependence on single sources of supply. These communities are increasingly turning to water reuse as a solution to water scarcity by providing new sources of high quality water supplies. Although water reuse is practiced in the United States and many countries around the world, the growth potential for reclaiming treated wastewater effluent for beneficial use is considerable. In addition, communities are considering other nontraditional sources of water for reuse such as concentrate, brackish groundwater, and storm …
Innovative Materials And Separations Science, William L. Bourcier Et Al.
Innovative Materials And Separations Science, William L. Bourcier Et Al.
2006
Fifty years ago, research and development funding through the U. S. Department of the Interior, Office of Saline Water was used to develop many of the water treatment technologies used today. These include reverse osmosis, electrodialysis, capacitive deionization, and some advanced thermal methods. Since that time, incremental advances to these methods have been made – for example, reverse osmosis is now significantly more energy efficient than it was decades ago; electrodialysis membranes are available that are monovalent ion selective; and multiple effect distillation can now be carried out without the severe corrosion and scaling problems that hindered the metals first …
Restoring A Forest Watershed And Adding Water Back To The Land, Dan C. Abercrombie
Restoring A Forest Watershed And Adding Water Back To The Land, Dan C. Abercrombie
2006
Historical evidence clearly shows a significant decline in both stream flow and ground water recharge in the Sacramento Mountains of southern New Mexico. Photos, oral history, early Census data, and written accounts all paint a much wetter picture than is present today. Dense forests are robbing springs and streams of surface flow. Ground water recharge during the recent drought was non-existent. Large numbers of wells all over Otero County dried up. Drilling deeper was successful in some areas, but people in some areas are still hauling water. Members of the Sacramento River Watershed Coalition recently completed several large thinning projects …
Thinning And Prescribed Fire In The Santa Fe Municipal Watershed: Protecting Water Quality; Increasing Water Yield?, Paige Grant
Thinning And Prescribed Fire In The Santa Fe Municipal Watershed: Protecting Water Quality; Increasing Water Yield?, Paige Grant
2006
The City of Santa Fe maintains two reservoirs in the municipal watershed that supply 40 per cent of the City’s water. By the end of the 20th century, the forest in that watershed had become so overgrown that it presented an extreme fire risk, threatening the viability of those reservoirs. Consequently, beginning in 1998 Santa Fe National Forest initiated a project to thin out the watershed. To increase the confidence of the community that the project would be carried out in an ecologically sensitive fashion, a commitment was made that thinning and burning treatments would be monitored for ecosystem response.
The Impacts Of Land Use Change On Water Resources And Traditional Acequia Culture In Northern New Mexico, Marquita Ortiz Et Al.
The Impacts Of Land Use Change On Water Resources And Traditional Acequia Culture In Northern New Mexico, Marquita Ortiz Et Al.
2006
Rural areas throughout the western United States are undergoing rapid and far-reaching land use changes that impact water management, riparian ecosystems, and traditional cultures. Impacts to water resource use and management include: potential risks of groundwater contamination due to increased numbers of single household septic systems, potential overdraft of groundwater resources, surface water quality impacts, and changes in the distribution of water supplies from agricultural to municipal/industrial uses. In northern New Mexico, the acequia water use regime and attendant acequia-related cultural values are at particular risk due to increasing urbanization pressures and the potential impacts on actual water use, water …
Central Asian Water Management And Environmental Training Project, Abror N. Gadaev
Central Asian Water Management And Environmental Training Project, Abror N. Gadaev
2006
Uzbekistan Southern DataStream and Samarkand State Architectural and Civil Engineering Institute's training program is designed to support regional water management and environmental protection projects in the Central Asia region, including Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan. This training program imparts skills in both the technical aspects of water management as well as the social and democratic aspects of establishing water management goals and administering associated projects. The program seeks to promote cooperation between USA and Uzbekistan by training participants in environmental and water management, thus contributing to improvement in the social, economic and political situation of this region. This project …
What Should We Do This Year? Enlisting Santa Fe's Water Managing And Planning Simulation (Watermaps) Model To Help, Claudia Borchert Et Al.
What Should We Do This Year? Enlisting Santa Fe's Water Managing And Planning Simulation (Watermaps) Model To Help, Claudia Borchert Et Al.
2006
Santa Fe’s WaterMAPS model helps municipal policy-level decision-makers, water utility and resource managers, and operations staff make decisions on how to best manage and conserve water supplies. The City of Santa Fe, with CDM, has developed Santa Fe WaterMAPS (Water Management and Planning Simulation), a STELLA-based water system simulation model that characterizes the relationship between water resources attributes. By maximizing operational use of surface water, for example, the City conserves the groundwater resources for drought protection. The model allows for easy manipulation of highly-variable attributes (e.g., surface water supply, conservation, demand), so that the effects on the behavior on other …
Assessment And Impact Of Water Conservation Policies In Texas High Plains, Robert H. Taylor, Lal K. Almas
Assessment And Impact Of Water Conservation Policies In Texas High Plains, Robert H. Taylor, Lal K. Almas
2006
The availability of water in the Texas Panhandle is a major concern. The top twenty-six counties of West Texas have a semi-arid climate, with little surface water available for consumption. The majority of the water used in the region for agriculture comes from the Ogallala Aquifer, which provides groundwater for Kansas, Oklahoma, and Nebraska as well. The southern portion of the aquifer has a very slow recharge rate, which strengthens the need for conservation practices. Due to the limited availability of water from the Ogallala Aquifer, water conservation plans need to be developed and implemented. The irrigation of crops accounts …
Observations Of Surface Water Extent For The Elephant Butte Reservoir In New Mexico, Max Bleiweis, Thomas Schmugge
Observations Of Surface Water Extent For The Elephant Butte Reservoir In New Mexico, Max Bleiweis, Thomas Schmugge
2006
Since the launch of NASA’s Terra satellite in December 1999 the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection (ASTER) radiometer has made more than two dozen of observations of the Elephant Butte Reservoir located on the Rio Grande river in central New Mexico. The first observations were in June 2000 and the most recent were in May 2005. This period includes low water levels resulting from the the recent drought conditions and the earlier full high water conditions in 2000. There was about a 25 m change in water level during this time. The area of the reservoir was estimated for …
Short-Term Water Consumption Patterns In Ciudad Juarez, Tom Fullerton Et Al.
Short-Term Water Consumption Patterns In Ciudad Juarez, Tom Fullerton Et Al.
2006
Water utility planning efforts are becoming increasingly difficult throughout the world. Located in a semi-arid region, Ciudad Juárez, Mexico is a fast growing municipality that faces both physical infrastructure and water supply constraints. This paper examines monthly water consumption in Ciudad Juárez utilizing a linear transfer function procedure (LTF). Analysis is carried out for per customer usage and for the total number of municipal water system accounts. Models estimated for both series are subjected to a series of simulation benchmark tests. Findings suggest that water consumption in Ciudad Juárez reacts quickly to changes in economic and weather conditions. Out-of-sample simulation …
An Economic-Engineering Optimization For The Binational Mexico-U.S. Lower Colorado River Delta: The Mexicali Valley Case Study, Josue Medellin-Azuara, Jay R. Lund
An Economic-Engineering Optimization For The Binational Mexico-U.S. Lower Colorado River Delta: The Mexicali Valley Case Study, Josue Medellin-Azuara, Jay R. Lund
2006
Agricultural water use in the binational Lower Colorado River Basin is about ninety percent of all the beneficial use. Fast growing border cities of Baja California and conservation uses will increase their water allocations in the near future. The CALVIN economic-engineering model was used to evaluate the benefits and costs of a variety of water management strategies in the Lower Colorado River Delta in Mexico. Results show that at 2025 water demand conditions, agriculture seems to be the most suitable donor of water to other sectors. Wastewater reuse for irrigation and/or conservation purposes may reduce dependence on agricultural water imports …
Water Options In California: Effective Management Of Supply-Side Risk, Richard Howitt, Jeffrey Williams
Water Options In California: Effective Management Of Supply-Side Risk, Richard Howitt, Jeffrey Williams
2006
In California, the tremendous spatial and temporal variation in precipitation suggests that flexible contractual arrangements, such as option contracts, would increase allocative efficiency of water over time and space. Under such arrangements, a water agency pays an option premium for the right to purchase water at some point in the future, if water conditions turn out to be dry. The premium represents the value of the flexibility gained by the buyer from postponing its decision whether to purchase water. In California, the seller of existing option arrangements is often an agricultural producer who can fallow land, in the event that …
Involving Citizens In Watershed Management: The Arizona Master Steward Watershed Program, Robert M. Emanuel, George Zaimes
Involving Citizens In Watershed Management: The Arizona Master Steward Watershed Program, Robert M. Emanuel, George Zaimes
2006
Arizona faces many complicated water resource issues including: groundwater overdraft; nonpoint source pollution; population growth; and water use conflicts. The Arizona Master Watershed Steward (MWS) Program is designed to prepare, educate and train volunteers who can provide knowledge, leadership, and service in the protection and monitoring of local watersheds. The first MWS training course was presented in Prescott, Arizona in fall of 2001, and expanded in 2002 and 2003. The training course has 10 four-hour sessions and two daylong field trips. Topics covered are: hydrology; climate; geologic processes; ecology; human impacts; water quality; land uses; geospatial tools; water law, and …
Economic And Hydrologic Implications Of Selected Water Policy Alternatives For The Southern Ogallala Aquifer, Erin Wheeler Et Al.
Economic And Hydrologic Implications Of Selected Water Policy Alternatives For The Southern Ogallala Aquifer, Erin Wheeler Et Al.
2006
The primary objective of this study was to analyze and evaluate the impacts of selected water conservation policy alternatives on the Ogallala Aquifer underlying the Southern High Plains of Texas and Eastern New Mexico for the purposes of identifying which alternative or alternatives most effectively achieve conservation of the aquifer and keep the heavily agriculturally dependent economy viable. The specific objectives were to: 1. Determine the characteristics of water conservation policy alternatives which could extend the economic life of the aquifer, and 2. Evaluate the economic life of the aquifer across the region under different water conservation alternatives for a …
Estimating Aquifer Recharge Through Playas Of The Great Plains Using Temperature Probes, Ken Rainwater Et Al.
Estimating Aquifer Recharge Through Playas Of The Great Plains Using Temperature Probes, Ken Rainwater Et Al.
2006
The magnitude of recharge through playa wetlands in the High Plains has often been debated, but rarely been quantified. The ephemeral nature of water in playas makes it difficult and expensive to observe filling and drying/draining cycles. Rugged, inexpensive tools are needed to demonstrate the movement of water below the root zone to observe the recharge process. We performed proof of concept studies to evaluate temperature as an indicator of infiltration/recharge in playa wetlands. Single-ringed infiltrometers with embedded Cu-constantan thermocouples and Hobo probes at 50, 100, 150 and 200 cm soil depths were used to quantify infiltration and temperature. At …
Restoring Of Filter Properties Of Rocks In A Well Zone, Abror N. Gadaev
Restoring Of Filter Properties Of Rocks In A Well Zone, Abror N. Gadaev
2006
Change of filter properties of porosity rock and filter wells takes place, owning to salt ratio and corrosion products of water well’s metallic elements. To rehabilitate filter indices of rocks in a water well’s filter area for the first time, a layer by layer mineralogical research in inviolable samples is proposed. The research of mineralogical composition water well clogging elements and change its structure in layers has been carried out on the basis of up-to-date physical and chemical methods of analysis. The authors used methods of electronic microscopy, rontgenphase and derivation graphic analyses. The results of composition and structure research …
Restoration Preferences And Management For The Middle Rio Grande, Matthew A. Weber, Steve Stewart
Restoration Preferences And Management For The Middle Rio Grande, Matthew A. Weber, Steve Stewart
2006
River restoration efforts typically receive broad public support. However, standing questions include whether restoration efforts are worth it in the sense that benefits outweigh the costs, whether some types of restoration are more beneficial than others, and how restoration efforts were ultimately received by the public they serve. This research identifies restoration metrics to quantify physical changes that will actually take place, and uses econometric methodology to determine how human well-being will be improved from these changes. Restoration decisions have much to gain from improved information; funding is strong with more than $10 billion spent nationally on over 35,000 such …
Towards A Water Leasing/Banking System On The Middle Rio Grande: Progress To Date, David Brookshire Et Al.
Towards A Water Leasing/Banking System On The Middle Rio Grande: Progress To Date, David Brookshire Et Al.
2006
A recent report details the limited nature of water leasing/banking in the Western U.S. (West Water Research, 2004). The report provides an analysis of water banking legislation policies and programs in 12 Western states. There are 23 active water banks of which seven are market based pricing, meaning that the price is negotiated between the buyer and the seller with one bank having online negotiations. The other 16 banks are fixed pricing or administrative pricing schemes that are set annually. Length of transaction varies and the number of transactions is limited annually. Here we explore the role of water leasing/banking …
Texas 50-Year Water Plans, John B. Ashworth
Texas 50-Year Water Plans, John B. Ashworth
2006
More than any other natural resource, water holds the key to our future. Yet scarcity and competition for water, heightened environmental concerns, and the expense of new water-supply development make sound water management increasingly difficult to achieve. Nowhere is this challenge more recognized than in Texas where the state’s population is projected to double in the next 50 years. A corresponding increase in the water needs of communities, while maintaining traditional agricultural and environmental use, has made the need for careful water-management decision-making ever more important. Texas is a vast and diverse state, and water management solutions that are appropriate …
Quantifying Return Flow To Groundwater: What's In The Tool Box?, Daniel B. Stephens
Quantifying Return Flow To Groundwater: What's In The Tool Box?, Daniel B. Stephens
2006
Return flow to groundwater is the quantity of water applied at or near the land surface which infiltrates back (returns) to the groundwater system. Common uses that lead to return flow are irrigation of agricultural fields, golf courses or lawns, domestic wastewater disposal through septic systems, and artificial recharge. Quantifying the amount of this applied water that percolates to the water table is necessary in many water-short western states to prove beneficial use, evaluate return flow credits, demonstrate the portion of a water right which can be transferred to another party, and for water banking computations in aquifer storage and …
The Water Utilities Of Ciudad Juarez (Jmas), Chihuahua, Mexico: Water Management And The Modality Of Decentralization, Jorge A. Salas Plata Mendoza
The Water Utilities Of Ciudad Juarez (Jmas), Chihuahua, Mexico: Water Management And The Modality Of Decentralization, Jorge A. Salas Plata Mendoza
2006
The last decades in Mexico have been marked by decentralization to the municipal level of water services. Questions arise relating to the best modality of municipal integration to the water administration systems and their services. Also questions come up involving the limitations and potential contributions of the municipal participation in the basin management. The present work has the objective to respond to these problems and to open a discussion about them. The study is based on a theoretical and empirical bibliographical revision on the participation of the local and state governments in water planning and management. The information stems from …
Efficient Irrigation For Water Conservation In The Rio Grande Basin, B. L. Harris Et Al.
Efficient Irrigation For Water Conservation In The Rio Grande Basin, B. L. Harris Et Al.
2006
The Rio Grande Basin Initiative began in 2001 aimed at improving irrigation and water use efficiencies, and meeting present and future water demands throughout the Basin in Texas and New Mexico.
Sustainable Agricultural Water Conservation Research Program Trans-Boundary Diagnostic Outline, Kevin Urbanczyk Et Al.
Sustainable Agricultural Water Conservation Research Program Trans-Boundary Diagnostic Outline, Kevin Urbanczyk Et Al.
2006
The USDA-Funded Sustainable Agricultural Water Conservation research program is a joint Texas State University System (TSUS) project. A Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) outline has been developed for the purpose of guiding the research projects, while allowing for the functional merging of the diverse research capabilities available within the TSUS system. A rating-system for the integrity of areas under study also is being created to facilitate the interpretation of study results. The objectives of the study are to assess the present environmental status of the Rio Grande and its resources relative to the entire drainage basin. The broad focal points of …
University Research Supports Groundwater Availability Studies Of The Hueco Bolson Aquifer, El Paso/Juarez Area, Barry Hibbs Et Al.
University Research Supports Groundwater Availability Studies Of The Hueco Bolson Aquifer, El Paso/Juarez Area, Barry Hibbs Et Al.
2006
Water supply and water quality problems facing the City of El Paso and Ciudad Juarez are complex and interrelated. The twin cities share the water resources of the Hueco Bolson, a Tertiary and Quaternary basin fill aquifer that spans the international border. The binational metroplex is located at the junction between the western edge of Texas and the northernmost part of Chihuahua, Mexico. Over-pumping of the Hueco Bolson aquifer has resulted in drawdown of the water table, encroachment of brackish groundwater, and the early retirement of wells. In response to these issues, Mexican and American universities formed a partnership to …