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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Flood Dynamics In The Portland Metropolitan Area, Past, Present, And Future, Lumas Terence Helaire Dec 2019

Flood Dynamics In The Portland Metropolitan Area, Past, Present, And Future, Lumas Terence Helaire

Dissertations and Theses

The Portland area has an extensive flood history since it was founded in 1845. In the late 19th century, the Portland area was prone to flooding from snowmelt freshets (3-6 months duration) and brief winter rain or rain-on-snow events. Since that time the magnitude of spring freshets has been curtailed by 45% due to climate change, flow diversions, and reservoir management. Along with changes in hydrology, the bathymetry of the Lower Columbia River has been altered by the dredging of the navigation channel, diking, and land reclamation. To understand how these changes in hydrology and bathymetry have affected tidal and …


Stormwater Treatment Effectiveness Of Established Bioretention Facilities In Portland, Oregon, Emma Rose Kohlsmith Sep 2019

Stormwater Treatment Effectiveness Of Established Bioretention Facilities In Portland, Oregon, Emma Rose Kohlsmith

Dissertations and Theses

Bioretention systems are commonly used to treat and detain stormwater runoff and help mitigate for many negative effects of urbanization. Despite the widespread use of bioretention systems, few field-based studies have assessed how these facilities affect water quality many years after installation. The goal of this project is to assess the pollution reduction effectiveness of lined bioretention facilities that have been in use and functioning for 4-8 years. To meet this objective, this project measured water quality characteristics of stormwater flowing into and out of seven facilities installed throughout Portland, Oregon during real storm events. Stormwater grab samples were taken …


Attitudes, Behavior, And Archetypes In The Clackamas River Basin: A Model Of Water Customer Analysis And Outreach For Watershed Protection And Conservation, Daniel Close Larson Jun 2019

Attitudes, Behavior, And Archetypes In The Clackamas River Basin: A Model Of Water Customer Analysis And Outreach For Watershed Protection And Conservation, Daniel Close Larson

Dissertations and Theses

Fresh water resources around the globe are under threat of diminishing supply and quality due to rapid population growth, climate change, drought, and waste. This dissertation aims to address the protection of fresh water at the source, the tap, and how water customer attitudes influence protection and conservation using a watershed-wide lens. Using the Clackamas River Watershed which resides within the Portland Metropolitan Area (PMA), I seek to investigate water customer attitudes towards a source water protection program and their willingness to pay to support such an endeavor, attitudes and behaviors that result in household water conservation, and an exploration …


Scenes From The Swale: Investigating Spatial And Temporal Dimensions Of Nitrogen Cycling In Urban Stormwater Bioretention Facilities, Erin Nicole Looper Jun 2019

Scenes From The Swale: Investigating Spatial And Temporal Dimensions Of Nitrogen Cycling In Urban Stormwater Bioretention Facilities, Erin Nicole Looper

Dissertations and Theses

Urban development is transforming landscapes at unprecedented rates. Human activities and landscape modifications associated with urbanization extensively increase hydrologic demands and modify natural hydrologic systems; consequently, population growth occurring in urban areas increases pressure on water resources. Urban aquatic ecosystems are vulnerable to impacts associated with increased connectivity with urban surfaces and hydrologic changes that initiate long-term changes in receiving waterbodies. Nitrogen (N) loading from urban and suburban catchments to receiving surface waters can lead to impairment of aquatic ecosystems and is a concern in many cities with water quality issues. To improve urban water quality, cities are increasingly adopting …