Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Mobility Of Escherichia Coli Within Karst Terrains, Kentucky, Usa, Ashley M. Bandy

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Bacterial contamination of karst aquifers is a concern as water quality across the globe deteriorates in the face of decreasing water security. This study examined the transport and attenuation of two non-virulent isolates of Escherichia coli in relation to traditional groundwater tracers such as rhodamine WT dye and latex microspheres in two karst regions in Kentucky. Differential movement between the four tracers was observed in both epikarst and karst aquifer traces, with differences in behavior dependent on flow conditions. Attenuation was greater for the bacterial isolate containing the iha gene, compared to the isolate containing the kps gene. Microspheres of …

Heterogeneous Oxidation Of Catechol, Elizabeth A. Pillar, Ruixin Zhou, Marcelo I. Guzman

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Natural and anthropogenic emissions of aromatic hydrocarbons from biomass burning, agro-industrial settings, and fossil fuel combustion contribute precursors to secondary aerosol formation (SOA). How these compounds are processed under humid tropospheric conditions is the focus of current attention to understand their environmental fate. This work shows how catechol thin films, a model for oxygenated aromatic hydrocarbons present in biomass burning and combustion aerosols, undergo heterogeneous oxidation at the air–solid interface under variable relative humidity (RH = 0–90%). The maximum reactive uptake coefficient of O₃(g) by catechol γ_O3 = (7.49 ± 0.35) × 10^–6 occurs for …

Summary Of The Kentucky River Watershed Watch 2015 Water Sampling Results, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute

Kentucky River Watershed Watch

No abstract provided.

Dynamic Surface Water-Groundwater Exchange In Tidal Freshwater Zones: Insights From The Christina River Basin (Delaware, Usa), Cole T. Musial

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

In coastal rivers, tides can propagate for tens to hundreds of kilometers inland beyond the saltwater line. Yet the influence of tides on river-aquifer connectivity and solute transport in tidal freshwater zones (TFZs) is largely unknown. We estimate that along the TFZ of White Clay Creek (Delaware, USA), more than 17% of river water exchanges through hyporheic and riparian storage zones due to tidal pumping alone. Additional hyporheic processes such as flow through bedforms likely contribute even more exchange. The turnover length associated with the tidal pumping process is 39 km, similar to turnover lengths for all hyporheic exchange processes …

Development Of Techniques For Assessing And Restoring Streams On Surface Mined Lands, Whitney Cole Blackburn-Lynch

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Surface mining is a commonly used method for extracting coal in the Appalachian Coalfields of the U.S. This mining practice produces excess spoil or overburden, which is often placed in adjacent valleys resulting in the creation of valley fills. These valley fills bury headwater streams, which in turn can negatively impact downstream ecosystems. In 2008, the University of Kentucky designed and constructed 1,020 m of ephemeral, intermittent and headwater streams on an existing valley fill (Guy Cove) as a proof-of-concept. The goal of the project was to evaluate whether or not a stream recreation could occur on mined lands, particularly …

Kentucky Nutrient Model Calibration Tutorial, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute

KWRRI Research Reports

This tutorial has been developed to illustrate how to calibrate the KYNM using two different example watersheds: 1) the Upper Chenoweth Run watershed and 2) the Middle Chenoweth Run watershed. Both models are provided with the KYNM Users Manual. The Upper Chenoweth Run does not contain any significant point sources, while the Middle Chenoweth Run watershed contains several point sources. Calibrating a model of a dynamic system is often not a simple linear process but an iterative one. The following discussion outlines “steps” in calibrating a model, but it must be understood that the phenomena being modeled are interconnected and …

The Kentucky Nutrient Model (Kynm), Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute

KWRRI Research Reports

The Kentucky Nutrient Model (KYNM) was developed in 2014 to provide the Kentucky Division of Water (KYDOW) with a simplified tool for use in developing nutrient based TMDLs and in evaluating different nutrient management strategies. This report provides a brief overview of the KYNM along with a discussion of the validation of the model against observed hydrology and water quality data, and a comparison of the model results against the results obtained by the LSPC model developed by Tetra Tech for the Floyds Fork Watershed.

Addressing Public Health Risks Of Persistent Pollutants Through Nutritional Modulation And Biomimetic Nanocomposite Remediation Platforms, Bradley J. Newsome

Theses and Dissertations--Chemistry

Due to their relative chemical stability and ubiquity in the environment, chlorinated organic contaminants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) pose significant health risks and enduring remediation challenges. Engineered nanoparticles (NPs) provide a novel platform for sensing/remediation of these toxicants, in addition to the growing use of NPs in many industrial and biomedical applications, but there remains concern for their potential long-term health effects. Research highlighted herein also represents a transdisciplinary approach to address human health challenges associated with exposure to PCBs and NPs. The objectives of this dissertation research are two-fold, 1) to develop effective methods for capture/sensing and remediation …

Community Visions For Nutrient Management For The Floyds Fork Watershed, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute

KWRRI Research Reports

This report presents the results of a stakeholder engagement process for the Floyds Fork Watershed in north central Kentucky. The report is meant to inform the local citizens of the watershed, as well as US EPA and the Kentucky Division of Water as part of ongoing watershed management activities within the watershed. The process implemented in this study are intended to provide insights into a range of perspectives and community preferences related to possible nutrient management strategies for use in the Floyds Fork Watershed.

A Summary Of The Kentucky River Watershed Watch 2014 Water Sampling Results, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute

Kentucky River Watershed Watch

No abstract provided.

Forest Harvest Equipment Movement And Sediment Delivery To Streams, Daniel Whiteside Bowker

Theses and Dissertations--Forestry and Natural Resources

Streamside management zones (SMZs) have become important management techniques to prevent the introduction of sediment to stream networks. This study examined the current Kentucky best management practice (BMP) guidelines for SMZs by outfitting mobile forest harvest equipment with global positioning system (GPS) receivers, enabling modeling of equipment traffic and spatial analysis of stream sediment delivery. Three SMZ configurations were implemented during commercial timber harvest, along with four different techniques of crossing ephemeral channels, in order to determine where and why sediment was introduced to the stream network. Results indicate that increasing the SMZ buffer width leads to decreased sediment delivery, …

Mapping And Decomposing Scale-Dependent Soil Moisture Variability Within An Inner Bluegrass Landscape, Carla Landrum

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

There is a shared desire among public and private sectors to make more reliable predictions, accurate mapping, and appropriate scaling of soil moisture and associated parameters across landscapes. A discrepancy often exists between the scale at which soil hydrologic properties are measured and the scale at which they are modeled for management purposes. Moreover, little is known about the relative importance of hydrologic modeling parameters as soil moisture fluctuates with time. More research is needed to establish which observation scales in space and time are optimal for managing soil moisture variation over large spatial extents and how these scales are …

Using Gis To Delineate Headwater Stream Origins In The Appalachian Coal-Belt Region Of Kentucky, Jonathan A. Villines

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Human activity such as surface mining can have substantial impacts on the natural environment. Performing a Cumulative Hydrologic Impact Assessment (CHIA) of such impacts on surface water systems requires knowing the location and extent of these impacted streams. The Jurisdictional Determination (JD) of a stream’s protected status under the Clean Water Act (CWA) involves locating and classifying streams according to their flow regime: ephemeral, intermittent, or perennial. Due to their often remote locations and small size, taking a field inventory of headwater streams for surface mining permit applications or permit reviews is challenging. A means of estimating headwater stream location …

A Summary Of The Kentucky River Watershed Watch 2013 Water Sampling Results, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute

Kentucky River Watershed Watch

No abstract provided.

Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute Center Of Excellence For Watershed Management Watershed Summit Summary Report, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

KWRRI Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Development And Deployment Of A Bioreactor For The Removal Of Sulfate And Manganese From Circumneutral Coal Mine Drainage, C. B. Mastin, J. D. Edwards, Christopher D. Barton, Anastasios D. Karathanasis, Carmen T. Agouridis, Richard C. Warner

Forestry and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

Surface mining, in the form of contour mining and mountain-top removal, is a common means for retrieving coal in the Appalachian Coal Belt region of Kentucky. Overburden or excess spoil generated by these two methods is placed in valley fills. Traditionally Constructed fills have been shown to adversely impact headwater ecosystems via stream burial and through alterations to the hydrology, sediment supply, water quality and biological composition of downstream reaches. Mine drainages emanating from the toe of valley fills often contain elevated levels of total dissolved solids and heavy metals. Drainage chemistry from Guy Cove, a valley fill located in …

Summary Report: Kentucky River Watershed Watch 2012 Water Sampling Results, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute

Kentucky River Watershed Watch

No abstract provided.

Water Quality Trading Markets For The Kentucky River Basin: A Point Source Profile, Ronald Childress Jr.

Theses and Dissertations--Agricultural Economics

This study assessed the feasibility and suitability of a Water Quality Trading (WQT) program within the Kentucky River Basin (KRB). The study’s focal point was based on five success factors of a WQT program: environmental suitability, geospatial orientation, participant availability, regulatory incentive, and economic incentive. The study utilized these five success factors, geographical characteristics, and Discharge Monitoring Reports (DMR) to assess the feasibility of a WQT program.

The assessment divided the KRB into five eight digit Hydrologic Unit Codes (HUC), North, Middle, and South Fork, Middle Basin, and Lower Basin, to determine regional impacts caused by the nutrient PSs. Individual …

Bankfull Hydraulic Geometry Relationships For The Inner And Outer Bluegrass Regions Of Kentucky, Carmen Agouridis, Ruth Roseann Brockman, Stephen R. Workman, Lindell E. Ormsbee, Alex Fogle

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Bankfull hydraulic geometry relationships relate bankfull stream dimensions, such as cross-sectional area, width, mean depth, mean velocity, width to depth ratio, and slope to bankfull discharge. These relationships can assist in determining a design discharge for stream restoration and management projects. This study assessed 27 stable streams located in the Inner Bluegrass and Outer Bluegrass regions of Kentucky. Reaches were selected based on the presence of a U.S. Geological Survey gage, as well as other conditions such as presence of readily identifiable bankfull indicators, stability indices, and site accessibility. Bankfull channel dimensions and discharges were determined, and hydraulic geometry relationships …

Summary Of Kentucky River Watershed Watch 2011 Water Sampling Results, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute

Kentucky River Watershed Watch

No abstract provided.

Kentucky River Watershed Watch: A Summary Of Volunteer Water Quality Sampling Efforts In The Kentucky River Basin From 1999 To 2009, Malissa Mcalister, Madhu Akasapu, Ben Albritton, Lindell Ormsbee, Dan Carey

Kentucky River Watershed Watch

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Low And High- Kinetic Energy Wetting On Quality Of Sediment Produced By Interrill Erosion, Eduardo Abel Rienzi

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Raindrop kinetic energy and sheet flow can disintegrate aggregates during interrill erosion, a process responsible for non point source pollution. Also, the dissolution process during aggregate wetting can affect interrill erosion. These factors can be responsible for changes in particle size distribution in the sediment, especially when different tillage systems are compared. The effect of soil tillage and management on soil properties is not uniform, which determine a wide range of runoff and sediment delivery rate. Variety in these rates can be associated with pore functions and their interactions with aggregate stability. One of the objectives of this study was …

Summary Of Kentucky River Watershed Watch 2010 Water Sampling Results, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute

Kentucky River Watershed Watch

No abstract provided.

Summary Of Kentucky River Watershed Watch 2009 Water Sampling Results, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, Kentucky River Authority

Kentucky River Watershed Watch

No abstract provided.

Groundwater Quality In Watersheds Of The Big Sandy River, Little Sandy River, And Tygarts Creek (Kentucky Basin Management Unit 5), R. Stephen Fisher, Bart Davidson, Peter T. Goodmann

Report of Investigations--KGS

The Kentucky Geological Survey and the Kentucky Division of Water are evaluating groundwater quality throughout the commonwealth to determine regional conditions, assess impacts of nonpoint-source contaminants, provide a baseline for tracking changes, and provide essential information for environmental-protection and resource-management decisions. These evaluations include summarizing existing regional groundwater-quality data and reporting the results of expanded, focused groundwater collection programs in specific areas. This report summarizes groundwater sampling and analysis in Kentucky basin management unit 5 (watersheds of the Big Sandy River, Little Sandy River, and Tygarts Creek in eastern Kentucky).

Thirty wells and springs were sampled quarterly between the fall …

Assessment Of Water Quality Trends In The North Fork Of Kentucky River Basin: Focus On Pathogen Impairment, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute

KWRRI Research Reports

This project consisted of analyzing existing water quality data for streams in the Upper Forks of Kentucky River Basin, with a particular focus on pathogen trends. According to the most recent 303(d) list of Kentucky waters, the majority of streams assessed in the Upper Forks of Kentucky River Basin are impaired for primary recreational contact as a result of pathogens. The state pathogen standard for primary contact recreation is expressed in a dual form which specifies that the 30-day geometric mean of fecal coliform counts not exceed 200 colonies per 100 mL (on a minimum of five samples) and not …

Summary Of Kentucky River Watershed Watch 2008 Water Samplig Results, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, Kentucky River Authority

Kentucky River Watershed Watch

No abstract provided.

Groundwater Quality In Watersheds Of The Kentucky River, Salt River, Licking River, Big Sandy River, Little Sandy River, And Tygarts Creek (Kentucky Basin Management Units 1, 2, And 5), R. Stephen Fisher, Bart Davidson, Peter T. Goodmann

Report of Investigations--KGS

The Kentucky Geological Survey, University of Kentucky, and the Kentucky Division of Water (of the Kentucky Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet) are evaluating groundwater quality throughout the commonwealth to determine regional conditions, assess impacts of nonpoint-source pollutants, establish a basis for detecting changes, and provide essential information for environmental-protection and resource-management decisions.

These evaluations are being conducted in stages. Under the Kentucky Watershed management Framework, Kentucky’s 12 major river basins and tributaries of the Ohio River were grouped into five basin management units (BMU’s). A previous report summarized and evaluated groundwater quality in BMU 3 (watersheds of the Upper Cumberland …

2007 Kentucky River Watershed Watch Sampling Results Summary Report, Malissa Mcalister, Lindell Ormsbee

Kentucky River Watershed Watch

No abstract provided.

2006 Kentucky River Watershed Watch Sampling Results, Malissa Mcalister, Lindell Ormsbee

Kentucky River Watershed Watch

No abstract provided.