Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Spatial Variability Of Nonpoint Source Yields In Ozark Highlands Watersheds Under Historical And Recent Land Use Conditions, Tyler J. Pursley

MSU Graduate Theses

Many of the environmental problems facing communities today stem from historical as well as present land use disturbances related to agriculture, urbanization, and resource extraction. It is important to evaluate a range of land use and soil effects on nonpoint source (NPS) pollution to fully understand land use-water quality relationships. The Ozark Highlands region has undergone significant phases of land use change throughout its settlement history and is actively developing today (2020). This study used nonpoint nitrogen (TN), phosphorus (TP), and sediment (TSS) yields predicted by the US EPA’s Spreadsheet Tool for Estimating Pollutant Loads (STEPL) model to evaluate human …

Effects Of Multiple Stressors On Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Communities In A Mixed-Land-Use Watershed, Joellen Stivala

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

As urbanization continues, there is a need to identify and understand environmental stressors that impact stream condition in mixed-land-use watersheds. This study analyzed four years of aquatic macroinvertebrate community and environmental data collected from ten sites located at the mouths of first-order tributaries and along the main stem creek of a 23-km², mixed-land-use watershed in central Appalachia. The main objectives were to 1) determine stream ecological integrity by analyzing stream macroinvertebrate taxonomic and trait-based composition and 2) assess which of 23 environmental variables explained significant variability in common community composition metrics (WVSCI, GLIMPSS, Biotic Index, % clingers, etc.). …

Effects Of Land Use On Riparian Corridors In Sonoma County, Marina Davies

Master's Projects and Capstones

Riparian corridor protection through zoning ordinances is a common best management practice to protect riparian ecosystems and function. These zoning ordinances protect riparian ecosystems by establishing setback distances where land use activities are prohibited. While management of protected riparian corridors are widely studied, recommendations for riparian corridor width vary and are often site specific. The variability of corridor widths presents a challenge to riparian corridor implementation, in addition to balancing economic needs with natural resource protection. This study evaluates the effects of land use on riparian corridors and compares the Riparian Corridor Combining Zone ordinance in Sonoma County to other …

A Spatially Distributed Investigation Of Stream Water Temperature In A Contemporary Mixed-Land-Use Watershed, Jason P. Horne

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Stream water temperature is an important physical variable that influences many biological and abiotic water quality processes. The land-use/land-cover (LULC) types and corresponding variability in stream water temperature (Tw) processes in contemporary mixed-land-use watersheds necessitate research to advance management and policy decisions. Water temperature was analyzed from 21 gauging sites using a nested-scale experimental watershed study design. Results showed that forested land use was significantly negatively correlated (α = 0.05) with mean and maximum Tw. Agricultural land use was significantly positively correlated (α = 0.05) with maximum Tw except during the spring season. Mixed development and Tw were significantly correlated …

Evaluation Of The Relationship Between Land Use And Water Quality In Kittitas County, Wa, Lindsay Schulz

All Master's Theses

Water in Kittitas County is extremely valuable since it supports farming, recreation, and cultural activities, as well as environmental processes and a diversity of biological life while providing many ecosystem services. However, land conversions required by agricultural and urban land uses can negatively impact water quality and the biological function of the stream. I studied how forested, agricultural, and urban land use affect six streams. Fourteen sites were sampled, once each in July, August, and September 2019. Land use was calculated as a percentage of forested, agricultural, and urban land use within a 100-m buffer of the stream, upstream of …

Improved Estimates Of Tributary Nitrogen Load To Casco Bay, Maine, Whitley J. Gray

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over the past two decades, total nitrogen (TN) concentrations have increased in Casco Bay (CBEP 2015). The sources of the increased nitrogen are poorly understood but occur with simultaneous population growth and land use changes. The total riverine nitrogen load to Casco Bay was previously estimated by Liebman and Milstead (2012) using the United States Geologic Survey’s (USGS) SPAtially Referenced Regression On Watershed attributes (SPARROW) model. The SPARROW model uses watershed characteristics, regional monitoring data and nitrogen source data to estimate nitrogen loading but was not validated using measurements of nitrogen in the Casco Bay watershed. This study attempts to …

Agricultural Land Use, Watershed Characteristics, And Hydrological Forces Contributing To The Impairment Of A Shallow Lake In The Western Corn Belt Ecoregion, Lynn Schultz

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The Lake Titlow watershed (approximately 35,000 acres) in south-central Minnesota is part of the Minnesota River Basin. The lake is listed in the draft 2010 Clean Water Act Section 303d for nutrient pollution, eutrophication, and biological indicators for impairment of aquatic life and recreational use. Over 90 percent of pre-settlement wetlands are currently drained for agricultural land use. The Lake Titlow watershed is over 80 percent row crops and land use is implicated as a primary cause of impairment in the lake.

Water samples were collected from the Lake Titlow tributaries McLeod-Sibley Judicial Ditch Number 18 (JD18), Sibley County Ditch …

Antibiotics And Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria In Coastal Plain Streams, Jason Duff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Streams across the United States and globally are influenced by environmental contamination, including antibiotics, which enter streams due to widespread use and multiple pathways into the environment. Antibiotics are also likely to enter streams in mixture with other contaminants that alter the effects on aquatic organisms. Furthermore, antibiotic-resistant bacteria enter streams through similar pathways as antibiotics with implications for natural microbial communities. Therefore, understanding the presence and effects of antibiotic-contaminant mixtures and antibiotic-resistant bacteria in streams is important for resource management.

Chapter one describes an experiment that tested the hypothesis that the antibiotic tetracycline (TC) alone influences phytoplankton communities differently …

Land Use Interactions Drive Southwestern Ontario Stream Nutrient Concentrations, Renee L. Lazor

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Human activities have transformed the landscape and altered natural habitats through intensive land uses including agriculture and urbanization. Identifying land use drivers of tributary nutrient concentrations and describing the magnitude and direction of their relationship are critical activities to improvement management of water quality in basins draining into the Great Lakes. The overarching goal of my thesis was to quantify the cumulative influence of spatial patterns in land use and land cover on variation of nutrient concentrations in tributaries of the Great Lakes. Biweekly water chemistry samples were collected in 29 streams located in southern Ontario between May and November, …

Environmental Assessment Of Streams: Linking Land Use, Instream Stressors, And Biological Indices To Infer Likely Causes Of Ecological Impairment, Jacob J. Vander Laan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

To protect and restore stream biota, managers need to be able to both detect biological degradation and infer likely causes of impairment. Managers commonly develop indices based on stream biota to assess the biological condition of streams. However, the performance of these indices dictates the ability to detect degradation, and although index performance varies widely, the sources of this variation are often unclear. In addition, bioassessments do not identify causes of impairment. My thesis research had two general goals: 1) develop indices to measure biological condition in Nevada streams and 2) quantify relationships between land uses, stressors, and biological condition …

Perception Of Aquifer Depletion And The Effects Of Land Use Change Across The Madaba Plain, Jordan, Mohammad Salem

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In Jordan, demand for water for agricultural purposes has put a high strain on aquifer resources. Water mining, erosion, and desertification have all increased as global temperatures rise. This along with fragmentation of the landscape have altered the environment in a profound way. The Madaba Plain was chosen for this study due to the agricultural activities that take place there, as well as the proximity to a number of population centers. The purpose of the study is to examine how fragmentation of irrigated landscape has affected the aquifers underneath, while taking into account perceptions of risk of the local population. …

The Impacts Of Land Use And Development Patterns On Water Quality Of The Belgrade Lakes, Ian M. Mccullough

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to assess the impacts of patterns of land use and development on water quality in the Belgrade Lakes on a regional scale. Regional research and cooperation could identify key areas in the watershed where development or changing land use could have the greatest negative influences on lake water quality. Past work has centered on water chemistry, nutrient dynamics, development and economic factors but there has been no comprehensive analysis of land use and development history for the entire Belgrade Lakes Region. The Belgrade Lakes are a chain of 7 lakes in central Maine connected …

Estimated Area Of Impervious Parking Surfaces And The Potential Groundwater Recharge Increase Through Permeable Pavement Retrofit In The Chino Basin, Zablon Afera Adane

Theses Digitization Project

California recently declared a state of emergency over drought followiing three years of below average rain and snowfall. There is a consensus among many involved in water supply in California for finding new sources of water, conservation, and increasing recharge to replenish the groundwater with surface water that would have been lost to run off. This study investigates the amount of stormwater that could potentially be reinvested as groundwater recharge by simply transforming selected impermeable parking lots of the commercial, industrial, and institutional sectors into pervious pavement that allow water to infiltrate rather than be lost as urban runoff.

Nutrient Concentrations At Baseflow Conditions In The Upper White River Basin, Southwest Missouri And Northwest Arkansas, Gopala G. Borchelt

MSU Graduate Theses

The Upper White River Basin (UWRB) is becoming increasingly vulnerable to water quality degradation from urban/population growth and increased agricultural production. This study examines the relationships among nutrient levels, water chemistry and watershed characteristics of 19 watersheds in the UWRB. Water samples were collected during baseflow conditions each month for one year at USGS continuous-flow gage stations. Watershed characteristics evaluated were land use, geology, drainage area, flow discharge, and wastewater treatment plant discharge (WTP). Measured chemical water quality indicators include total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), specific conductivity, turbidity, pH and dissolved oxygen. Rapidly expanding urban areas are associated with …