Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Added Value From 576 Years Of Tree-Ring Records In The Prediction Of The Great Salt Lake Level, Robert R. Gillies, Oi-Yu Chung, Shih-Yu (Simon) Wang, R. Justin Derose, Yan Sun

Wasatch Dendroclimatology Research

Predicting lake level fluctuations of the Great Salt Lake (GSL) in Utah – the largest terminal salt-water lake in the Western Hemisphere – is critical from many perspectives. The GSL integrates both climate and hydrological variations within the region and is particularly sensitive to low-frequency climate cycles. Since most hydroclimate variable records cover less than a century, forecasting the predominant yet under-represented decadal variability of the GSL level with such relatively short instrumental records poses a challenge. To overcome data limitations, this study assesses two options: (1) developing a model using the observational GSL elevation record of 137 years to …

Inverse Method For Simultaneous Determination Of Soil Water Flux Density And Thermal Properties With A Penta-Needle Heat Pulse Probe, Changbing Yang, Masaru Sakai, Scott B. Jones

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

An accurate method for determination of in situ soil water flux density continues to be the most sought after and yet elusive hydrologic measurement. The penta-needle heat pulse probe (PHPP) employs a central heater needle surrounded by an orthogonal arrangement of four thermistor needles for two-component water flux density estimation. An analytical solution and inverse fitting method are presented for simultaneous estimation of thermal properties and soil water flux density using PHPP measurements. The approach yields estimates of both components of the flux in a plane normal to the axis of the PHPP needles. The method was evaluated using data …

Water Infrastructure Challenges In Urbanizing Environments: A Case Study Of The 2009 Logan Canal Landslide, Kathryn Davis Henderson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In July, 2009 in Logan, Utah, a wet, steep hillside failed, leveling a home below and destroying an irrigation canal that ran along the hill. Three people were killed. The event and the resulting policy changes present an opportunity to uncover how frames, or social constructions, play into the policy development cycle. This case also uncovers the nuances involved when old infrastructure takes on new social meanings. Planners and policymakers that pay attention to frames and social dimensions may be able to minimize conflict.

The landslide received immediate media attention and spurred state legislation on canal safety. The event had …

Numerical Evaluation Of Subsurface Soil Water Evaporation Derived From Sensible Heat Balance, Masaru Sakai, Scott B. Jones, Markus Tuller

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

A recently introduced measurement approach allows in situ determination of subsurface soil water evaporation by means of heat-pulse probes (HPP). The latent heat component of subsurface evaporation is estimated from the residual of the sensible heat balance. This heat balance method requires measurement of vertical soil temperature and estimates of thermal properties for soil water evaporation determination. Our objective was to employ numerically simulated thermal and hydraulic processes using constant or diurnally cycled surface boundary conditions to evaluate and understand this technique. Three observation grid spacings, namely, 6 mm (tri-needle HPP), 3 mm (penta-needle HPP) and 1 mm, along with …

East Canyon Reservoir Water Intake Structure Final Environmental Assessment And Finding Of No Significant Impact, United States Department Of The Interior, Bureau Of Reclamation

Environmental Assessments (UT)

The purpose of the proposed action is to authorize SWDC to build and operate facilities to deliver water to the Park City/Snyderville Basin area (Figure 1.2). The need for the proposed action is a growing demand for water in the Park City/Snyderville Basin area due to population growth and increased development of recreation facilities and vacation homes.

Residential Water Demand Under Alternative Rate Structures: Simulation Approach, David E. Rosenberg

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Econometricians have long studied the effect of price on residential water demand and the impact on water use of the rate (tariff) structure in which price signals are embedded. This paper applies an existing deductive model of residential water use for the intermittent supply system in Amman, Jordan and simulates demand responses across a cross section of households over many uniform, increasing block, and linear price (quadratic charge) rate structures at historically low and significantly higher prices. Results show inelastic piped water demand responses for all rate structures at historically low prices similar to findings from a prior econometric study …

Geophysical Imaging Of Watershed Subsurface Patterns And Prediction Of Soil Texture And Water Holding Capacity, H. Abdu, D. A. Robinson, M. Seyfried, Scott B. Jones

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

The spatial distribution of subsurface soil textural properties across the landscape is an important control on the hydrological and ecological function of a watershed. Traditional methods of mapping soils involving subjective assignment of soil boundaries are inadequate for studies requiring a quantitative assessment of the landscape and its subsurface connectivity and storage capacity. Geophysical methods such as electromagnetic induction (EMI) provide the possibility of obtaining high-resolution images across a landscape to identify subtle changes in subsurface soil patterns. In this work we show how EMI can be used to image the subsurface of a ∼38 ha watershed. We present an …

Environmental Assessment Experimental Releases From Glen Canyon Dam, Arizona, 2008 Through 2012, U.S. Department Of The Interior, Bureau Of Reclamation, Upper Colorado Region, Salt Lake City, Utah

All U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository)

No abstract provided.

Just Add Water: Reclamation Projects And Development Fantasies In The Upper Basin Of The Colorado River, Stephen C. Strugeon

Library Faculty & Staff Publications

The history of the development of the American West is full of countless examples of promoters seeking to encourage outside investors to buy land, invest in mines, and build railroads. The history of water projects in the region is no different. Residents of communities such as Grand Junction, Colorado, recognized early on the two-fold dilemma that they faced: irrigation and reclamation projects would be critical to the economic growth of the area, and the funding for these projects would have to be obtained from sources outside the region. The promoters of such projects relied upon booster literature in order to …

Tropic And East Fork Irrigation Company, Tropic Ditch Replacement Project, Environmental Assessment, Bureau Of Reclamation, Provo Area Office

All U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository)

The purpose of this project is to reduce the amount of salt entering the Paria River and ultimately the Colorado River. One way to reduce the amount of salt reaching the Colorado River is to eliminate seepage from the historic Tropic Ditch. The Bureau of Reclamation, Provo Area Office has proposed funding for the project under the Colorado River Salinity Control Program. In addition to reducing the amount of salt loading, the project would also conserve water lost to evaporation and seepage.

The purpose of this Environmental Assessment (EA) is to analyze the potential environmental consequences of the proposed construction …

Bear River Resource Conservation And Development Council Area Plan, United States Department Of Agriculture, Natural Conservation Service, Bear River Resource Conservation And Development Council

All U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository)

This five-year Area Plan is the guiding document for the Bear River RC&D Council, Inc. It identifies needs and opportunities and goals and objectives which lead the RC&D Council in its work.

Micro-Structural And Phase Configuration Effects Determining Water Content: Dielectric Relationships Of Aggregated Porous Media, J. M. Blonquist, Jr., Scott B. Jones, I. Lebron, D. A. Robinson

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Many porous media in which we determine water content are aggregated and characterized by a dual-porosity pore network, composed of interaggregate pores and intra-aggregate pores. This paper reports sample-scale permittivity measurements made in four stable aggregate media with dual porosity. Results indicate two distinct dielectric responses depending on whether the aggregates are surrounded by water or air. We relate transitions in the permittivity response to the water retention characteristic (WRC), showing that after the interaggregate pores have drained, the slope of the water content–permittivity relationship is significantly reduced (permittivity values ranging from 5 to 7). The hydraulic critical water content …

Record Of Decision: Operation Of Flaming Gorge Dam Final Environmental Impact Statement, U.S. Bureau Of Reclamation

All U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository)

The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) has completed a final environmental impact statement (EIS) on the operation of Flaming Gorge Dam. The EIS describes the potential effects of modifying the operation of Flaming Gorge Dam to assist in the recovery of four endangered fish, and their critical habitat, downstream from the dam. The four endangered fish species are Colorado pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus lucius), humpback chub (Gila cypha), razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus), and bonytail (Gila elegans). Reclamation would implement the proposed action by modifying the operations of Flaming Gorge Dam, to the extent possible, to achieve the flows and temperatures recommended by participants …

Proposed Experimental Actions For Water Years 2005-2006 Colorado River, Arizona, In Glen Canyon National Recreation Area And Grand Canyon National Park, U.S. Department Of The Interior, Bureau Of Reclamation, National Park Service, U.S. Geological Survey

All U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository)

In September 2002 the Bureau of Reclamation, National Park Service (NPS), and U.S. Geological Survey released an environmental assessment (EA) on proposed experimental releases from Glen Canyon Dam and removal of non‐native fish from the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, Arizona (Bureau of Reclamation, NPS, and USGS 2002). The experiment was developed by the Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center of the U.S. Geological Survey (GCMRC), cooperating scientists, and the Technical Work Group (TWG) of the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program (GCDAMP). It was recommended to the Secretary of the Interior by the Adaptive Management Work Group (AMWG), a …

Water Conservation In The Home, Nancy Mesner

All Archived Publications

No abstract provided.

Utah Stream Team Appendices, John Geiger, Nancy Mesner

All Archived Publications

No abstract provided.

Utah Stream Team, John Geiger, Nancy Mesner

All Archived Publications

No abstract provided.

Water Resources Management Plan Arches National Park And Canyonlands National Park, United States Department Of The Interior National Park Service

All U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository)

This Water Resources Management Plan describes the water resources of Arches and Canyonlands National Parks and the issues affecting them. This plan provides detailed descriptions of the hydrologic environment in both parks, discussion of management issues developed in two scoping sessions, and management directives in the form of project statements. Typically, a Water Resources Management Plan is preceded by a scoping meeting held at the park. In this case, the Southeast Utah Group of parks (Southeast Utah Group), which includes Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, and Natural Bridges National Monument, held two scoping meetings. The first scoping session, held …

Climate Variability, Climate Change And Western Water, Kathleen A. Miller

Elusive Documents

No abstract provided.

Water Quality Educational Materials, Kitt Farrell-Poe

All Archived Publications

No abstract provided.

Global Climate Change Response Program, Water Yield In Semiarid Environment Under Projected Climate Change, United States Department Of The Interior

Water

This paper presents the practical application of a distributed parameter climate vegetation hydrologic model (CVHM) and its ability to simulate hydrologic response under existing conditions and under assumed CO₂-induced climate and vegetation change. Applying the model to the Weber River basin provided a basis for determining the impacts of climate change on the hydrologic response. By using a "what if" scenario this model included the changes in plant transpiration rates and in vegetation cover under a CO₂-altered climate change and the effects of these changes on water yield.

Final Report To The Department Of Energy For Water Use, Productivity And Interactions Among Desert Plants, James R. Ehleringer

Elusive Documents

No abstract provided.

Impacts Of Projected Climate Change On Urban Water Use, United States Department Of The Interior, Bureau Of Reclamation

Water

Urban water use, particularly outdoor use, responds to changes in temperature, precipitation, and other climatic parameters. This study significantly improved the capacity of an existing regional water demand model to estimate the response of both residential and commercial-industrial water demand to changes in climatic parameters. The resulting functional relationships derived from historic time-series climatic and water use data were applied to global climate scenarios for the four Wasatch Front counties of Utah.

Open Stream Collection And Diversion: An Added Dimension In Providing Water For Grazing Animals, United States Bureau Of Land Management

All U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository)

This technical note describes an effective system for collecting water from open streams and conveying it several miles via pipeline systems to watering troughs in arid locations. Perhaps one of the greatest challenges in managing lands that produce forage for grazing animals is to strike a desirable balance between forage and water. However, on native grazing lands, this is rarely the case due to terrain and uneven distribution of water. The "open stream collection and diversion system" addresses this issue with a specific engineering solution.

Price - San Rafael Rivers Unit, Utah, Planning Report / Final Environmental Impact Statement, Colorado River Water Quality Improvement Program / Colorado River Salinity Control Program, United States Department Of The Interior, Bureau Of Reclamation And United States Department Of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service

All U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository)

This integrated Planning Report/Final Environmental Impact Statement (PR/FEIS) presents an analysis of the planning process and the environmental impacts of the proposed Price-San Rafael Rivers Unit (Unit) of the Colorado River Water Quality Improvement Program (CRWQIP) and the Colorado River Salinity Control Program (CRSC). The document has been jointly prepared by the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) to address the full range of potential environmental impacts, in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The CRWQIP/CRSC programs provide for projects upstream of Imperial Dam (near Yuma, Arizona, on the Arizona-California border) that are necessary …

Water Conservation Through Irrigation Technology, Donald H. Negri, John J. Hanchar, United States Department Of Agriculture, Economic Research Service

All U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository)

Improved irrigation technology and advanced farm management practices offer an opportunity for agriculture to use water more efficiently. Farmers may install new equipment, such as drip irrigation systems, or adopt advanced water management practices to conserve water without sacrificing crop yields. While farmers' decision to adopt water-saving irrigation technology responds to the cost of water, physical properties of the land such as topography or soil properties of the land such as topography or soil texture dominate the choice of irrigation technology.

An Analysis Of The Water Situation In The United States: 1989-2040, Richard W. Guldin, Usda Forest Service

All U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository)

Several Federal agencies have historically had responsibilities for conducting assessments of the Nation's water resources. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Department of Agriculture's Soil Conservation Service (SCS), and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and its predecessor agencies, among others, have conducted studies assessing the current situation and future prospects for water in particular regions of the country. Responsibility for national water assessments was assigned to the U.S. Water Resources Council (WRC) by the Water Resources Planning Act of 1965. With the demise of the WRC in 1981, several member agencies have attempted to take …

High Recovery Desalting Of Brackish Water By Electrodialysis: Field Tests At Yuma Desalting Test Facility & At La Verkin Springs, United States Department Of The Interior, Bureau Of Reclamation

Water

An ED (electrodialysis pilot plant achieved high desalting recoveries of nearly 95 percent at the YDTF (Yuma Desalting Test Facility, Arizona) and 92 percent at LVS (La Verkin Springs, Utah) during over 4000 hours of operation. Brine TDS (total dissolved solids) concentrations of nearly 100 000 g/m³ were obtained at LVS, which is a greater brine concentration than is possible using RO (reverse osmosis). The LVS required ED energy (while producing a product TDS concentration of about 1000 g/m³) is estimated to be about one-third the energy requirements of a commercially available distillation brine concentrator. Lowering product …

A Microsystem Sediment-Water Simulation Study For The Proposed Jordanelle Reservoir, Heber City, Utah, United States Department Of The Interior, Bureau Of Reclamation

Water

The technique of microsystem sediment-water simulation was used to predict water quality data for the proposed Jordanelle Reservoir, Heber City, Utah. Simulation microsystems were prepared for four sites located in the north arm of the reservoir basin including two sites located in an abandoned acid mine tailings pond. Data obtained from the tailings pond microsystems indicated that low pH water and high trace metal concentrations will exist in the north arm of the reservoir. These data suggested that some kind of membrane or compacted earth lining will be necessary to seal and contain the mine spoilage. Other sites in the …

Characterization Of Water From Laverkin Springs, Utah, United States Department Of The Interior, Bureau Of Reclamation

Water

Analytical water data obtained from two separate test programs at the LaVerkin Springs site, Washington County, southwestern Utah, were evaluated. During the first analyses, from February 11 through November 6, 1972, water samples were obtained weekly from 14 atmospheric springs. During the second analyses from November 1, 1979 through August 27, 1980, water samples were obtained weekly at aquifer pressure by pumping from a well representative of the 14 springs. Acquired data included characteristics of the water in 1972, and again in 1979-1980, uniformity of the water in the springs tested, variations of these characteristics within the time of year, …