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All Master's Theses

Theses/Dissertations

Washington

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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Decadal-Scale Effects Of Large Wood Restoration On Channel Morphology And Groundwater Connectivity, Taneum Creek, Wa, Samuel Fixler Jan 2022

Decadal-Scale Effects Of Large Wood Restoration On Channel Morphology And Groundwater Connectivity, Taneum Creek, Wa, Samuel Fixler

All Master's Theses

The importance of large wood (LW) in creating channel complexity is widely recognized; however, few LW projects have been in place long enough to track meaningful channel changes on a decadal timescale. Taneum Creek, located in central Washington, is one of the earliest LW restoration areas (2008) in the Yakima River Basin and the central Cascade Mountains. The flood in 2011, with an estimated discharge of 69 m3/s (2,400-2,800 cfs), provided further channel change by mobilizing LW and channel sediments. Three reaches with similar channel characteristics and LW additions were compared with a control reach without LW additions …

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The Economic Impacts Of Soil Remediation Efforts At Lead Arsenate Contaminated Sites In Yakima County: A Hedonic Approach, Seth Urbanski Jan 2020

The Economic Impacts Of Soil Remediation Efforts At Lead Arsenate Contaminated Sites In Yakima County: A Hedonic Approach, Seth Urbanski

All Master's Theses

Area-wide lead-arsenate contamination stemming from the widespread use of pesticides in the early 1900s poses a serious health risk to the residents of Yakima, Washington. Soil testing for contaminants resulted in the Department of Ecology funding the remediation of 6 elementary schools in Yakima, Washington where unsafe levels of lead and arsenic were found in the topsoil. This study will evaluate the impact that these remediation projects have had on nearby real estate values through the use of GIS analysis and multivariate hedonic pricing models. We expect to find a negative price effect on real estate values following the announcement …

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Incorporating User Data In Cross Boundary Trail Mangement: A Case Study Of The Foothills Trail Systemnear Wenatchee, Wa, Beth Macinko Jan 2019

Incorporating User Data In Cross Boundary Trail Mangement: A Case Study Of The Foothills Trail Systemnear Wenatchee, Wa, Beth Macinko

All Master's Theses

Land managers for areas where recreation occurs balance minimizing impacts on the landscape with providing recreation opportunities. Use characteristics including type of use, use frequency, and use patterns have been shown to influence the severity of landscape impacts from recreation. Collecting and incorporating user data is critical to effective recreation management. The Foothills trail system is a nonmotorized, day use trail system adjacent to the city of Wenatchee, Washington that crosses public and private properties. This thesis obtained data on user demographics, use characteristics, user perceptions, and spatial use patterns through a questionnaire administered through a mixed method sampling approach …

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Measuring Trace Element Concentrations In Artiodactyl Cannonbones Using Portable X-Ray Fluorescence, Joshua L. Henderson Jan 2019

Measuring Trace Element Concentrations In Artiodactyl Cannonbones Using Portable X-Ray Fluorescence, Joshua L. Henderson

All Master's Theses

Artiodactyl bones are the most common faunal remains found in Washington prehistoric archaeology sites, but they are often too fragmented to accurately identify a family, genus, or species. Traditional faunal analysis can only organize unidentifiable bone fragments into size class, and chemical methods often require the destruction of bone samples. In this thesis research, I tested a new, nondestructive faunal analysis technique using portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) to measure trace element concentrations in comparative collection and archaeological bone samples. Using cannonbones from five different artiodactyl species, I collected trace element data from 50 comparative collection specimens and 18 archaeological specimens …

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Elk And Deer Hunters In Washington State: Affiliations And Ethical Behavior, Isa O. Harrison Jan 2015

Elk And Deer Hunters In Washington State: Affiliations And Ethical Behavior, Isa O. Harrison

All Master's Theses

Elk and deer are particularly challenging natural resources to manage due to their mobility and the impacts of other species and humans both direct and indirect. A man-made lack of natural predators has created a need for hunting in order to control the population expansions of herds. Such efforts face two major problems: mobility makes herds difficult to accurately quantify and hunting laws are challenging to enforce. Policies regarding the annual take and type of hunting have been based on the assumption that the primary factor motivating hunters is harvesting more animals. However, this study has found that the primary …

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Quantifying Channel Responses To The Removal Of The Glines Canyon Dam In The Middle Reach Of The Elwha River, Washington, Bryon J. Free Jan 2015

Quantifying Channel Responses To The Removal Of The Glines Canyon Dam In The Middle Reach Of The Elwha River, Washington, Bryon J. Free

All Master's Theses

Four different study sites throughout the middle reach of the Elwha River were monitored before, during, and after the dam removal process over a period of two years from 2012-2014. The complexity of the river geometry was a major factor in the ability of the river to trap and accumulate the new influx of woody debris and sediment from the dam removal, which influenced the response of the river channel. The change that occurred was quantified by using repeat Terrestrial LiDAR (TLS), sediment distribution surveys, and large woody debris mapping techniques. The morphologic changes that occurred during this time were …

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Gis Modeling Of Elk Habitat Suitability In The North Cascades Of Washington State, Anna Yost Jan 2014

Gis Modeling Of Elk Habitat Suitability In The North Cascades Of Washington State, Anna Yost

All Master's Theses

The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) elk management goals are to adjust the distribution of elk on the landscape in the North Cascades to reduce negative impacts to private property while maintaining a healthy population of elk in the area. The goal of this study was to use custom Geographic Information System (GIS) elk habitat suitability models to model baseline elk habitat suitability in the 8,600 km2 North Cascades elk management area, and then evaluate how theoretical forage enhancement sites would affect habitat suitability. Prior to creating the baseline and proposed habitat suitability maps for the …

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The Elwha River Restoration: Landscape Change, Salmon, And Sense Of Place, Kelseyanne Johnson Jan 2013

The Elwha River Restoration: Landscape Change, Salmon, And Sense Of Place, Kelseyanne Johnson

All Master's Theses

Removal of the Elwha River dams to restore the ecosystem and salmon fisheries is the largest project of its kind in the history of the United States. Spanning decades and affecting generations, this project has changed and will continue to change the landscape. This research examined the influence of the anticipated return of salmon on 18 key stakeholders' sense of place of the Elwha River. For almost all stakeholders, changes to the Elwha landscape are welcomed as they expect that salmon will restore the ecosystem to its natural state. Narrative data revealed dominant themes in participants' sense of place expressed …

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