Engineering Commons^™

2018 - Groundwater Management In California, Michael Hanemann

Related Research and Documents

In 2014, the California legislature for the first time took some steps to create a framework for regulating groundwater pumping in over-drafted basins by adopting the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), representing California's first statewide groundwater management planning program. SGMA called for local agencies to develop groundwater sustainability plans within the next five to seven years and then achieve sustainable levels of groundwater extraction by approximately 2040 to 2045. California's prior efforts to regulate groundwater extraction is discussed, as well as groundwater depletion.

1998 - Salinas Valley Water (Preliminary Analysis Of) The Cause And Cost Of Seawater Intrusion

Miscellaneous Monterey and San Luis Obispo County Documents and Reports

An analysis of the historical cause of seawater intrusion in the Pressure Area of Monterey County. An annual overdraft of groundwater resources near the coast coupled with a seasonal cycle of over pumping created a reversal in the groundwater gradient and associated cones of depression. "Marine intrusion has occurred in the 180-foot aquifer in recent years as a result of overdrafts." (Bulletin 52, 1946, p.27). The only overdrafts on groundwater in the Salinas Valley were in the East Side and Pressure Areas. "There was no shortage of groundwater in the remainder of the basin and no threat of deficiency under …

End Effector For Robotic Strawberry Picker Final Design Review, Marshall Cuffe, Cory Frederickson, Jimmy Jeffery

Mechanical Engineering

In this report, we have outlined the background of the problem and need for a solution to an automated form of strawberry harvesting. The report includes our research findings, defines the scope and objectives for this project, and documents our complete design process. Also included is our final, completed prototype, and a description of the manufacturing, design verification and testing process. Also included is our conclusions and recommendations for further improvement on future iterations.

Ncer Assistance Agreement Annual Progress Report For Grant #83582401 - Assessment Of Stormwater Harvesting Via Manage Aquifer Recharge (Mar) To Develop New Water Supplies In The Arid West: The Salt Lake Valley Example, Ryan Dupont, Joan E. Mclean, Richard C. Peralta, Sarah E. Null, Douglas B. Jackson-Smith

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

The goals of the original proposed project remain the same, that is, to test the hypothesis that Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) for stormwater harvesting is a technically feasible, socially and environmentally acceptable, economically viable, and legally feasible option for developing new water supplies for arid Western urban ecosystems experiencing increasing population, and climate change pressures on existing water resources. The project is being carried out via three distinct but integrated components that include: 1) Monitoring of existing distributed MAR harvesting schemes involving a growing number of demonstration Green Infrastructure (GI) test sites; 2) Integrated stormwater/vadose zone/groundwater/ ecosystem services modeling; and …

Developing Serious Games In Engineering Education: Innovation At The Nexus Of Food, Energy, And Water Systems, Nathan Rice

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

At a time when food, energy, and water (FEW) are of the utmost concern to the security and health of the world, an initiative has begun to understand the interactions between these systems. The goal of Innovation at the Nexus of Food, Energy, and Water Systems (INFEWS) is to bring together research fields that typically work in their own silos to solve complex problems increasing the resiliency and sustainability of the FEW system. Stemming from this initiative was a project to produce an educational immersive simulation game to teach youth about how their food is produced, systems thinking, and sustainable …

Automated Pruning Of Greenhouse Indeterminate Tomato Plants, Joey M. Angeja

Master's Theses

Pruning of indeterminate tomato plants is vital for a profitable yield and it still remains a manual process. There has been research in automated pruning of grapevines, trees, and other plants, but tomato plants have yet to be explored. Wage increases are contributing to the depleting profits of greenhouse tomato farmers. Rises in population are the driving force behind the need for efficient growing techniques. The major contribution of this thesis is a computer vision algorithm for detecting greenhouse tomato pruning points without the use of depth sensors. Given an up-close 2-D image of a tomato stem with the background …

Implications Of Sensor Inconsistencies And Remote Sensing Error In The Use Of Small Unmanned Aerial Systems For Generation Of Information Products For Agricultural Management, Mac Mckee, Ayman Nassar, Alfonso F. Torres-Rua, Mahyar Aboutalebi, William Kustas

AggieAir Publications

Small, unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) for remote sensing represent a relatively new and growing technology to support decisions for agricultural operations. The size and power limitations of these systems present challenges for the weight, size, and capability of the sensors that can be carried, as well as the geographical coverage that is possible. These factors, together with a lack of standards for sensor technology, its deployment, and data analysis, lead to uncertainties in data quality that can be difficult to detect or characterize. These, in turn, limit comparability between data from different sources and, more importantly, imply limits on the …

Remote Monitoring Of Cherry Wetness Using A Leaf Wetness Sensor And A Wireless Sensor Network, Shyla Clark

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

To get the best prices, sweet cherry growers must supply blemish-free fruit. Unfortunately, mature cherries have a fragile composition, rendering them susceptible to damage from heat, wind, birds, and rain. Rain is particularly devastating, because cherries split when they absorb too much water. Since rainstorms are common in the otherwise arid regions where most cherries are grown, growers must have a system for quickly deploying rain removal methods. The current industry solution relies on human observation and implementation, which is error-prone and costly. This project proposes an automated cherry wetness system using a Decagon Devices leaf wetness sensor (LWS) and …

Providing Professional Development To Educational Professionals For Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Uavs) In Agriculture., Ashley Cromer, Tyson Sorensen, Kelsey Hall

Applied Sciences, Technology, and Education Student Research

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), also called drones, have been used commercially since the early 1980s. Today however, practical application for UAVs are expanding faster than ever in a variety of industries. UAV technology has given the agriculture industry the possibility of a technological makeover. Specifically, UAVs give the opportunity for improved crop supervision, soil and field analyses, and the ability to more closely and timely monitor crops (Mazur & Wisniewski, 2016). In order to keep up with increasing demands, agriculture has to utilize every technology available to the industry. Based on a global report published by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), the market …

Feasibility For An Improved Method Of Deep Bed In-Bin Grain Drying, Ali Ezell

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

In-bin grain drying reduces the moisture content of field harvested grain down to a level suitable for profitable storage. The traditional method for in-bin deep bed grain drying is conducted in a cylindrical grain bin with an approximate height to diameter aspect ratio of 1:2, a stirring mechanism, a bottom plenum, a fan, and a heating element. This method poses problems by having a drying front that can move through the grain bed too slowly causing over or under drying leading to losses. This method also requires a stirring mechanism with significant capital costs and the inability to use sensing …

The Next Step Beyond Identifying Field Variability: Integrating Unmanned Aerial Systems Into The Farm Management Workflow, Kevin A. Adkins, Christen C. Bailey, Aspen E. Taylor

Kevin A. Adkins, PhD

Wastewater Refining And Reuse And City-Level Water Decision Making, Ahmed Abuhussein

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Direct discharge of treated and untreated wastewater to natural surface water bodies, including rivers and lakes, is generally known to produce adverse environmental impacts that have been of concern for the past 10–15 years, particularly in the Great Lakes basin. Examples of these impacts include eutrophication and the emergence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs). Advancement in wastewater treatment plant operations alone may not be feasible to meet the 2016–2019 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS), especially on phosphorus reduction targets. Diverting treated wastewater to land could present a multibarrier approach for integrated PPCPs management, and could also shift current …

The E-Agriculture Research Landscape In South Africa: A Systematic Literature Review, Alain Nzuzi Kintoki

The African Journal of Information Systems

Despite the growing interest in e-agriculture research in South Africa, academic studies have not sufficiently and deeply investigated the current e-agriculture research trends in the South African context. It is unclear how primary e-agriculture research in South Africa will aid both current and future generations to create new and better ways to transform agricultural development using this modern technology. This study sought to determine the current status of e-agriculture research in the South African context. A systematic literature review was used to gather and analyze data. The results indicate that 17 papers (26.5%) were published during the first two years …

Modeling Effects Of Rainwater Harvesting Systems On Water Yield Increase And Non-Beneficial Evaporation Reduction To Sustain Agriculture In A Water-Scarce Region Of China, Tennille Wade

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The northwestern region of China, which has an arid/semiarid climate, relies heavily on agriculture to provide food for the growing population. Climate change is affecting water availability in the region, causing long periods of drought and water scarcity followed by shorter periods of heavy rainfall and excess water availability. The ridge and furrow rainwater harvesting systems (RFRWHS) are a means of solving the problem of water scarcity; the systems can replenish soil moisture, reduce non-beneficial evaporation from bare soils, and increase surface water yield. In such a region, the hydrologic cycle is dominated by soil evaporation, leading to minimal surface …

Education Institutions Creation Of Partnerships, Iwasan D. Kejawa Ed.D

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

This issue is embracing the creation of partnerships with establishments worldwide for the provisions of life embodiments to graduates. At moment, there may be lack of friendship or partnership with establishments to create incentives for newly graduates of so many colleges and universities (Hirsh & Weber, 1999). Partnership with external companies will surely bring enormous grants to the colleges and universities and it will also encourage friendly establishments to provide incentives and perks to colleges, universities and alumni. It may be concluded that the advantages of creating rapport with external congruences is the comraderies and also compromises that will be …

Safety Videos For Major Shop Equipment In Cal Poly Brae Lab 1, Trey Joseph Johnston

Agricultural Education and Communication

At California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, students from all majors can take a variety of classes in the BioResource and Agriculture Engineering Department (BRAE). It is essential for future high school mechanics educators to learn the basic shop tools and the importance of safety in the laboratory. In shop 1 of the BRAE Department, there are many different tools students will find in a mechanics classroom. The five main power tools are the Table Saw, Drill Press, Bench Grinder, Radial Arm Saw, and Disk/Belt Sander.

In BRAE 121 Agricultural Mechanics, students learn basic shop skills about lab safety …

A New Approach To Vfd System Specifications And Rebates, Kyle Feist, Randall Cole, Charles M. Burt

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

Variable frequency drives (VFDs) are used to provide flexibility and efficiency enhancements for agricultural pressurized irrigation systems. Standard 6-pulse VFDs commonly used for agricultural pumps can also create real problems with the pump motor and nearby electrical systems, unless mitigated by special equipment.

With support by the California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) Irrigation Training and Research Center (ITRC), Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) recently began a new rebate program for installing VFD systems for pressurized irrigation. A major component of the new rebate program is the requirement to comply with a detailed set of minimum VFD system design …

Assessing Intra-Event Phosphorus Dynamics In Drainage Water Using Phosphate Stable Oxygen Isotopes, William Ford Iii, Mark R. Williams, Megan B. Young, Kevin W. King, Eric Fischer

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Quantifying fluxes and pathways of dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) in tile-drained landscapes has been hampered by a lack of measurements that are sensitive to P fate and transport processes. One potential tool to help understand these dynamics is the oxygen isotope signature of phosphate (δ¹⁸O_PO4); however, its potential benefits and limitations are not well understood for intra-event dynamics at the field scale. The objectives of this study were to quantify intra-event variability of δ¹⁸O_PO4 signatures in tile drainage water and assess the efficacy of δ¹⁸O_PO4 to elucidate mechanisms and flow …

Impact Of Vegetative Treatment Systems On Multiple Measures Of Antibiotic Resistance In Agricultural Wastewater, Lisa M. Durso, Daniel N. Miller, Christopher G. Henry

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Wastewater is an important vector of antibiotic resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes (ARB/G). While there is broad agreement that ARB/G from agricultural (ag) wastewaters can be transported through the environment and may contribute to untreatable infectious disease in humans and animals, there remain large knowledge gaps surrounding applied details on the types and amounts of ARB/G associated with different agricultural wastewater treatment options and different ag production systems. This study evaluates a vegetative treatment system (VTS) built to treat the wastewater from a beef cattle feedlot. Samples were collected for three years, and plated on multiple media types to …