Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Modeling Soil Erosion With Emphasis On Steep Slopes And The Rilling Process, Michael C. Hirschi, Billy J. Barfield, Ian D. Moore

KWRRI Research Reports

A soil erosion model, known as KYERMO, was developed for use in soil erosion research. The model was written in Microsoft FORTRAN, which is a subset of the ANSI FORTRAN 77 standard, allowing the model to be run on an IBM-PC as well as a mainframe computer. The model structure consisted of many interrelated subroutines which facilitated model development, testing, and future expansion.

A sensitivity analysis of the detachment component was performed, examining the number of rills, the number of space and time steps, and the detachment parameters. This analysis indicated that the model performed as expected for the detachment …

Reductive Dechlorination Of Toxic Chlorocarbons, K. Grant Taylor

KWRRI Research Reports

The sodium hydride based reducing agents were prepared the method of Caubere (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl., 1983, 22, 599-613). Reagents were prepared containing nickel, iron and zinc metals. All were effective in dechlorinating 1,3-dichlorobenzene, 4-methoxy-chlorobenzene, and arochlor 1254. Most work focused on nickel based reagents, the most active. The nickel-based reducing agent used in THF at 65°C reduced to 200 ppm 1,3-dichlorobenzene (to benzene) and arochlor 1254 (to biphenyl) to below 0.2 ppm in less than 15 minutes. A two stage reduction reduced arochlor 1254 to below a detectable level as determined by gas chromatography using f.i.d. detector. Using …

Development Of General Guidelines For The Planning Of Stormwater Management Facilities: Application To Urban Watersheds In Kentucky, Lindell E. Ormsbee, Vincent T. Reinert

KWRRI Research Reports

This report provides a planning methodology and a design tool to help determine the appropriate location and volume of detention basins required to control critical storm events. The technique involves using watershed characteristics including the SCS curve number, time of concentration, peak outflow rate, watershed area and the storage recurrence interval to help predict these detention volumes.

Historical rainfall records are used in a revised continuous simulation program (SYNOP, Hydroscience, Inc,) to determine the rainfall excess from which runoff hydrographs are produced. Various combinations of the watershed characteristics were input and computer analyses done to obtain the required data base. …

Investigation Of Pollution In A Karst Aquifer Utilizing Optical Brightener, John Thrailkill, Ralph F. Wiseman, Bridget R. Scanlon

KWRRI Research Reports

Optical brightener is an additive to laundry detergents and is found contaminating groundwater. Its concentration may rapidly and inexpensively be determined by fluorescence techniques, and because its source is human wastewater, its presence in groundwater serves as a direct indication of pollution from septic tanks, sewer leaks, and landfills.

A total of 105 wells and springs in an area within the Inner Bluegrass Karst Region near Lexington, Kentucky, were described and sampled. Analyses were made for optical brightener (430 samples), total coliform (91), fecal coliform (93), and fecal streptococci (90). As many as 20 optical brightener and 4 bacterial samples …

Modeling Of Overland Flow By The Diffusion Wave Approach, Rao S. Govindaraju, S. E. Jones, M. L. Kavvas

KWRRI Research Reports

One of the major issues of present times, i.e. water quality degradation and a need for precise answers to transport of pollutants by overland flow, is addressed with special reference to the evaporator pits located adjacent to streams in the oil-producing regions of Eastern Kentucky. The practical shortcomings of the state-of-the-art kinematic wave are discussed and a new mathematical modeling-approach for overland flows using the more comprehensive diffusion wave is attempted as the first step in solving this problem. A Fourier series representation of the solution to the diffusion wave is adopted and found to perform well. The physically justified …

Identification Of Soil-Water Chemical Parameters For The Prediction And Treatment Of Suspended Solids In Surface Water Reservoirs Of Coal Mine Lands, V. P. Evangelou, J. H. Grove, R. I. Barnhisel

KWRRI Research Reports

High concentrations of suspended solids in coal mine sedimentation ponds are a factor in lowering water quality. Colloidal particle settling simulations were carried out in the laboratory to test the influence pH and dissolved solids have on concentration and settling rates of suspended solids. The results of the study reveal that the pH range of colloidal coflocculation for the samples tested is between 3.5 and 4.5. Furthermore, liming simulation of acidic sediments, as expected increased colloid dispersion. This increase was dependent on the magnitude of the sodium adsorption ratio (SAR). The greater SAR systems maintained a greater concentration of colloidal …