Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Factors Affecting United States Geological Survey Irrigation Freshwater Withdrawal Estimates In Utah, J. Levi Manley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Utah is, on average, one of the driest states in the United States, second only to Nevada, and drier conditions are projected. Irrigation is the largest water user in the state, representing about 80% of the total freshwater withdrawn each year. Withdrawals are obtained from sources like reservoirs or streams, or underground water from wells and springs, and supplied for use. The United States Geological Survey, a reputable federal science agency, has provided irrigation freshwater withdrawal estimates every five years since 1950. Understanding what factors affect irrigation withdrawals can better inform water resource planning to reduce withdrawals and conserve surface …

Agent-Based Model To Manage Household Water Use Through Social-Environmental Strategies Of Encouragement And Peer Pressure, Ryan James

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Inelastic price responses, demand hardening, and poor public awareness reduce the effectiveness of demand side strategies on water savings. This project quantified phycological household’s factors of attitudes, peer support, opportunities on water conservation with two social-environmental management strategies of encouragement and peer pressure. An agent-based model was populated with data for Logan, Utah using surveys, municipal billing, aerial imagery, weather monitoring stations, and flow, frequency, and durations of appliance use data. Results indicated those households with higher attitudes, peer support and opportunities saved the most water while peer pressure saved more than encouragement when using small and diverse social networks …

Evaluation Of A Side-By-Side Full-Scale Biofiltration Conversion In A Nutrient-Limited Environment, Stetson S. Bassett

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In order to meet increasing water demands and more stringent regulations drinking water treatment plant managers must continually look to new treatment strategies and optimization techniques. One such strategy is to eliminate chlorine residual before filtration, allowing indigenous bacteria already present in the source water to grow on the filter media. These microorganisms help improve effluent water quality by increasing organic and inorganic contaminant removal. The process is known as biological filtration, or biofiltration. The implications of converting a conventional filtration plant (not specifically designed for biofiltration) to a biofiltration plant are still not well understood. Therefore, the purpose of …

Agricultural Water Management In The Sevier River Basin, Utah: A Multidisciplinary Approach, Daeha Kim

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Sevier River Basin situated in south central Utah is characterized by its semiarid climate, snowmelt-driven runoff, and high dependency on agricultural economy. High evapotranspiration and low precipitation make agricultural production challenging, but naturally stored water in the snowpack in the mountains alleviates water stresses during high water demand seasons. The snowmelt-driven river flow along the main channel is highly exploited for irrigation for farms near the Sevier River. Reservoir operations and river diversions result in heavily regulated flows from the upper to the lower basins. The return flows of over-irrigated water in the upper basin increase salinity of surface …

Redox-Controlled Biogeochemical Processes Affecting Arsenic Solubility In Sediments From A Basin-Fill Aquifer In Northern Utah, Xianyu Meng

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The basin-fill aquifers of the American Southwest host elevated concentrations of arsenic in groundwater due to the local geology. Limited information is available on arsenic dynamics in semi-arid and arid regions of the world. This study describes arsenic biogeochemistry and mechanisms of arsenic solubilization for a soil profile collected from the surface to the depth of groundwater in the Cache Valley Basin, Northern Utah.

The first objective was to delineate mechanisms of arsenic solubilization from sediments collected at the study site. Microcosms containing site groundwater and siteoxidized and site-reduced sediments, were monitored over time to observe changes in the solubilization …

Phosphorus Mobility In The Shallow Unconfined Aquifer At Pineview Reservoir, Utah, Christine Rumsey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Significant phosphorus transport is occurring in the groundwater surrounding Pineview Reservoir. A set of investigations was completed to identify factors contributing to phosphorus mobility. Water quality monitoring was conducted to understand groundwater characteristics and phosphorus movement. Several water quality parameters were evaluated to specifically determine whether septic systems influence groundwater quality. Results indicate that septic systems pollute at least two locations in the aquifer around the reservoir. Given this information, it may be necessary to implement advanced septic system treatment options to reduce the amount of phosphorus in groundwater.

Experiments were conducted on two aquifer sediment types to identify factors …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Three Utah Wastewater Treatment Facilities In Removing Pharmaceuticals And Personal Care Products, Oksana Roth

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The occurrence of Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs) in surface waters has become a growing concern within the last decade although the first mention of human PPCPs in the environment goes back to late 1970s. Pharmaceuticals include prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, and veterinary drugs. Personal care products include products such as lotions, fragrances, and soaps. In addition to traditional personal care products, the term PPCPs has been adopted to represent a wide variety of chemicals used in consumer products including plasticizers and fire retardants. Wastewater effluents are thought to be the main source of PPCPs in surface waters since …

Revenue Recovery Through Meter Replacement, Devan J. Shields

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Previous studies have identified water meter inaccuracy at low flow rates as a significant source of non-revenue flow for water systems; however a lack of available data makes it difficult to include low flow accuracy degradation in meter replacement plans. This thesis examines results from an extensive accuracy test program carried out at the Utah Water Research Laboratory on small water meters over a wide range of flow rates and at various levels of throughput. The study compares expected apparent losses of different types of water meters based on a flow profile and expected daily use for the State of …

Bioavailable Phosphorus In The Bear River System, Utah, Kenneth Warren Barker

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The bioavailable fraction of phosphorus (BAP) in the lower Bear River system waters was investigated. BAP plays a critical role as the limiting nutrient for algal production and eutrophication in proposed reservoirs in the Bear River system. The Bear River system has a hardness ranging between 180-240 mg/L as CaCO₃ which significantly affects BAP.

BAP estimation was done by a modified Selenastrum capricornutum Printz Algal Assay Bottle Test. The algal bioassay is considered the best estimator of BAP because no chemical tests or indicator parameters are available. Autoclaving and UV radiation were found to be unacceptable means for sterilization …

Development Of A Liquefaction Opportunity Map For Cache Valley, Utah, Richard J. Greenwood

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A liquefaction opportunity map was developed for Cache Valley, Utah. The study was the initial phase to determine the potential for liquefaction in Cache Valley.

The method used in this study to develop the liquefaction opportunity map was based on a procedure developed by Youd and Perkins (1977).

This opportunity map is proposed to be combined with a map delineating liquefaction susceptible soils to produce a liquefaction potential map. The liquefaction susceptibility map is being developed in a companion study.

The liquefaction potential map will assist in the evaluation of earthquake response in general and microzonation in particular. The liquefaction …

Naturally Occurring Organic Compounds Found In Hyrum Reservoir, Utah, Russell Richard Renk

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Methods of collecting, concentrating, separating, and identifying organic compounds in natural water systems are presented. These methods were applied to a eutrophic reservoir (Hyrum Reservoir, Utah) and resulted in the identification of the following 27 volatile, organic compounds:

Alcohols: methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, isopropyl alcohol, 1-butanol, 2-butanol, isobutyl alcohol, tert-butyl alcohol, 1-pentanol, 2-methyl-l-butanol, methyl-1- butanol, 3-methyl-2-butanol, 2-methyl-2-butanol, 2-methyl-3-buten-2-ol, 1-penten-3-ol, 2-methyl-2-pentanol

Ketones: acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, 4-methyl-3-penten-2-one

Aldehydes: acetaldehyde, propanal, 2-buten-1-al

Others: acetonitrile, ethyl acetate, pyridine, 3-methylpyridine, diethyl ether

The concentration level of the following 13 compounds was established in the reservoir from October 1974 to January 1976:

Alcohols: methanol, ethanol, propanol, …

A Study Of Geologic Hazards And Geotechnical Input For Selected Critical Facilities - Cache Valley, Utah, Kenneth Robert Green

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Important public facilities located in Cache Valley, Utah, were studied to assess their exposure to geologic hazards. Also, the level of geotechnical and geologic expertise involved in the siting, design, and construction of critical public facilities was studied. A discussion of several individual facilities, that were exposed to some degree of hazard, was presented to illustrate the nature of the problem.

Earthquake hazards probably constitute the greatest threat to facilities and to the general welfare of the public. Many earthquake hazard mitigation measures were discussed and recommendations were made, based on aseismic design criteria which has been developed for seismically …

Salt Production From Micro-Channels In The Price River Basin, Utah, Richard Bruce White

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Salt production from micro-channels in the Price River basin of east-central Utah was studied using artificial inputs in order to better define the general sources and processes involved in diffuse source salt release within the basin. An attempt was made to determine what factors are most significant in relation to salt release. The study revealed that the micro-channel systems are highly heterogeneous in relation to salinity. This natural variability tends to increase as the salt content of the channel increases.

The Bluegate member of the Mancos shale was found to be the prime source of salt within the basin. Gypsum …

Development Of A Water Quality Model Applicable To Great Salt Lake, Utah, Craig T. Jones

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The development of a model capable of predicting the long term (seasonal) distribution of water quality constituents within Great Salt Lake was undertaken as a portion of the ongoing Great Salt Lake project at Utah State University. The overall goal of the project is the development of a modeling framework to assist the relevant decision making bodies in the comprehensive management of the Great Salt Lake system. Phase I of the project provided the overall structural framework for management of the Great Salt Lake system, identified data needs, and established priorities for the development of submodels for incorporation into the …

Lagoon Effluent Polishing By Soil Mantle Treatment Using Various Utah Soil Types, Roger Scott Tinkey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effectiveness of four Utah Great Basin soil types in removing particular chemical constituents and select enteric organisms from a sewage lagoon effluent. Sewage taken from the secondary oxidation pond in Logan, Utah was applied daily to lysimeters which allowed samples to be recovered at 7.6 and 38.1 centimeter soil depths. The texture of the soils was the most important physical property affecting their removal capacity. Drainage Farm soil (clay) provided the best bacteriological and overall chemical removal with Nibley (silty clay loam) second, then Draper (sandy loam) and Parleys (silty loam) …

A Hydrologic Model Of The Provo River Basin, Utah, Craig T. Jones

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this paper is to develop a general hydrologic model for use on a digital computer and prove its validity by applying it to a management study of the Provo River Basin. Hydrologic equations have been proposed for each major hydrologic occurrence within a river basin. By linking these equations through restrictions on continuity of mass, a general hydrologic model can be obtained. Such a model becomes the basic tool for studying the management of the river basin hydrology. The paper describes the model components, parameter identification program, and the river basin management program.

A Study Of Precipitation Characteristics For Utah, Tsing-Yuan Chang

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Data on monthly precipitation for three areas of Southern Utah--Beaver, Cedar City and Ephraim--and three areas of Northern Utah--Salt Lake City, Ogden and Logan--where a series of measuring stations were arranged as traverses from the valleys to the mountain tops; were assembled and analyzed.

The relationships between elevation and precipitation amounts were shown. The Southern Utah stations were drier at the same elevations than the Northern Utah stations and the differences became greater as the elevations increased. There was a close correlation between the high elevation and low elevation stations in the same traverse even with the above divergence.

A …

Soil Moisture As A Factor In Streamflow Forecasting For Logan River, Utah, Yu Kam Fok

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Purpose

Forecasting the annual water supply in an arid area by using the water content of snow on watersheds on some particular date, such as April 1, has become a very useful practice. Although these forecasts have given results of great practical value, they have sometimes been considerably in error. Seeking to minimize error, forecasters have incorporated various additional data such as temperature and antecedent rain to improve the relation between snow measurement and measured runoff.

Numerous methods have been suggested in the search for a reliable streamflow forecasting equation and various data have been used. Nearly all of the …

Drainage Of The Logan-Hyde Park-Benson Area, Utah, Gordon H. Flammer

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

B.A. Etcheverry (4) in his book, Land Drainage and Flood Protection, states that inadequate drainage causes: (1) a public health menace, (2) an animal health menace, (3) lower grade plant life, (4) inadequate soil saturation, (5) lower soil temperatures, (6) shallow root penetration and, therefore, plant suffering in late summer months from effects of drought, (7) poor soil texture and workability, (8) increased surface washing and erosion of land surface, and (9) alkali and saline conditions. Other factors such as poorer roads and highways, decreased tax revenues, etc., might be added to this list. The advantages of adequate drainage …

Consumptive Use Of Water By Major Farm Crops In The Milford District Of Utah, Glen H. Calder

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Irrigation water supplies in the arid West have become limited, yet the area of irrigable land is still extensive. To realize the more efficient use of the available supply, or for planning new irrigation projects, studies are needed to determine how much water is consumptively used by farm crops and native vegetation.

Unit Consumptive Use Of Water Studies In The Ashley And Ferron Valleys Of Utah For The 1950 Growing Season, James O. Henrie

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

For the past 2 years a project has been carried on by the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station and the United States Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service, in cooperation with the Utah State Engineer, in the Ashley and Ferron valleys of Utah to determine the consumptive use of water in these areas. This report is the preliminary part of the third year of study. It includes a determination of unit consumptive use values for the major agricultural crops. These values will later be used by the Soil Conservation Service and Experiment Station in determining the valley consumptive use by the …

Design Of Shallow Wells For Drainage By Pumping, Lewiston Area, Utah, Gregory L. Pearson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

After approximately 25 years of using open drains in the Lewiston Area, Utah, the water table has not changed appreciably from what it was in 1921 when Hart and Adams (4) conducted their drainage investigations. It is still only about three feet below the ground surface. This is not effective drainage, meeting neither of the two primary drainage requirements of an arid or semi-arid agricultural region, namely; preventing an accumulation of excessive water within the depth of soil required for optimum growth of plant root systems, and maintaining the water table at a depth below the ground surface greater than …

The Drainage Problem In The Lewiston Area, Utah, Sterling Davis

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Often where water is artificially applied to land, means must be provided for removal of some of this water. Too much water is just as bad as too little. The increased use of irrigation water in Utah has caused an increased need for drainage. Some irrigated lands are poorly drained. With high water table, yield of crops has been materially decreased, and with present drainage methods only a part of possible production had been attained.

Engineering In Traffic Safety In Utah, Donald T. Hunter

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Traffic safety involves accident-free movement of physical entities. It includes all means of transportation and is a function of mobility, an important variable affecting directly the mortality rate and increase of accidents. All transportation groups have coincidentally with or without increase of mobility been attempting to reduce accidents. Those notably succeeding are the shipping, railroad, and airline interests. The operating motor vehicle and pedestrian groups have failed conspicuously.

The early means of attaining a better degree of traffic safety in the motor vehicle and pedestrian groups were based on opinions, and though rational, were incomplete because of the dynamic and …