Engineering Commons^™

Managing Lake Urmia, Iran For Diverse Restoration Objectives: Moving Beyond A Uniform Target Lake Level, Somayeh Sima, David E. Rosenberg, Wayne A. Wurtsbaugh, Sarah E. Null, Karin M. Kettenring

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

There is widespread interest in restoring drying saline lakes. At Iran’s hypersaline Lake Urmia, managers have sought a uniform target lake level of 1274.1 m above sea level to lower salinity below 263 g L−1 and recover Artemia to sufficient densities to support flamingos. We suggest that addressing a broader range of objectives will allow more flexibility for managing the lake. We define eight restoration objectives to lower salinity, sustain Artemia and flamingo populations, separate islands from each other and the mainland, reduce lakebed dust, maintain commercially valuable ions, and improve recreational access from resort beaches. We use 40 years …

Assessment Of Groundwater Resources In Siwa Oasis, Western Desert, Egypt, Noha H. Moghazy, Jagath J. Kaluarachchi

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

One of the major challenges facing Egypt is limited water resources associated with rapid increase in population. In 1960s, Egyptian government started to use groundwater from the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System (NSAS) in the Western Desert to expand agricultural sector. Siwa Oasis is the focus of this study to assess the efficiency of groundwater use and corresponding impacts from 1980 to 2012. Results show that from 1980 to 1998, withdrawal from poorly designed wells increased rapidly causing an increase in excess water about 336%. The increase of excess water with the usage of poor drainage produced lakes. Remote Sensing showed …

Assessing Seasonal Flow Dynamics At A Lagoon Saltwater–Freshwater Interface Using A Dual Tracer Approach, S. Müller, S. Jessen, C. Duque, É. Sebök, Bethany T. Neilson, P. Engesgaard

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Study region: Eastern shore of Ringkøbing Fjord, a coastal lagoon at the west coast of Denmark

Study focus: A dual tracer approach based on salinity and δ¹⁸O is used to assess seasonal dynamics at the saltwater-freshwater interface of a coastal lagoon. At the site, salinity is prone to vary on a sub-seasonal or daily frequency due to riverine freshwater inputs to the lagoon. In contrast, δ¹⁸O compositions of end-members only vary seasonally.

New hydrological insights: The dual tracer approach shows to be valuable in coastal settings where end-member concentrations vary substantially over the seasons and hence, …

How Do Changes To The Railroad Causeway In Utah’S Great Salt Lake Affect Water And Salt Flow?, James S. White, Sarah E. Null, David G. Tarboton

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Managing terminal lake elevation and salinity are emerging problems worldwide. We contribute to terminal lake management research by quantitatively assessing water and salt flow for Utah’s Great Salt Lake. In 1959, Union Pacific Railroad constructed a rock-filled causeway across the Great Salt Lake, separating the lake into a north and south arm. Flow between the two arms was limited to two 4.6 meter wide rectangular culverts installed during construction, an 88 meter opening (referred to locally as a breach) installed in 1984, and the semi porous material of the causeway. A salinity gradient developed between the two arms of the …