Environmental Sciences Commons^™

Mass Marking Of Mosquitofish: Preliminary Results, Bruce Vondracek, Wayne A. Wurtsbaugh, Joseph J. Cech Jr.

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Three marking techniques were tested to determine their applicability for mosquitofish. Tetracycline drugs and DC Ar administered in the diet successfully marked laboratory-cultured mosquitofish, but exposure to direct sunlight in outdoor tanks resulted in the rapid disappearance of the marks. Preliminary data on fluorescent marks from a polystyrene pigment in a melamine-sulfonamide-formaldehyde resin forced into the dermal ,tissue with compressed air are more promising.

A t an optimal deliver pressure of 7.3 m Hg (140 p.s.i.) and spraying time of 15 sec., marking percentage is maximized and fish mortality is minimized. Mark retention time was up to 80 days in …

Effect Of Fish Size On Prey Size Selection In Gambusia Affinis, Wayne A. Wurtsbaugh, Joseph J. Cech Jr., James Compton

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Food size selection of the mosquitofish , Gambusia affinis affinis. was measured in aquaria using juvenile stages of the mosquito, Clllex tarsalb;, as prey. Fish size varied from recently born fry to large adult females. Food size selection was positively correlated with fish size. Mosquitofish fry (6-8 111m standard length) attacked and ate primarily first and second instar larvae. Fry attacked larger instars, but attack success on these was low (0 - 50%). Fish larger than 20 mm attached primarily pupae and third and fourth instar larva. No first instar mosquitoes were eaten. Attack success for these fish was above …

Ute Self-Determination In Setting Tribal Resource Development Policy, Herbert H. Fullerton, Mac Mckee, Roger D. Hansen

Reports

The Ute Indian Tribe of northeastern Utah has large land holdings rich in water and energy resources. Revenues from these sources have created capital that can potentially be used by the Tribe to further develop its resources and expand its agricultural and business enterprises. Realities, however, complicate this simple scenario in that the Tribal goals are broader than pure economic gain and that increased incomes may mean sacrifices in terms of these other goals. The Tribe faces the problem of how best to develop its water resources in a way that best meets its multiplicity of needs.

The research team …

Production Of Mountain Whitefish (Prosopium Williamsoni) In Altered And Unaltered Reaches Of Two Intermountain Streams In Their Alluvial Flood Plains, Michael J. Ottenbacher

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Estimates of production and related parameters (growth rate, density, standing crop) were made for populations of mountain whitefish in altered and "unaltered" areas of the Blacksmith Fork and Logan River, Utah from spring 1975 through summer 1976. Capture records of marked whitefish were also analyzed to describe fish movement and check on assumptions implicit in the population estimator.

Mean weights and instantaneous growth rates of whitefish were similar at all sites for comparable size/age groups. Among sites, differences in production per sampling interval and annual production were due mainly to differences in standing crop and/or age structure.

Estimates of mountain …

Resource Partitioning In Breeding Populations Of Marsh Hawks And Short-Eared Owls, Susan C. Linner

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

During the 1979 breeding season four pairs of northern harriers, or marsh hawks (Circus cyaneus) and four pairs of short-eared owls (Asio flammeus) were studied in Cache Valley, Utah. The study was concerned solely with diurnal resource utilization, and did not examine the owls' nocturnal activities. The home range of each harrier pair overlapped substantially with that of an owl pair. Percent habitat overlap for hawk-owl pairs varied from 39 percent to 72 percent. Observations were made to determine if differences existed in their utilization of habitat and food resources, or in their daily and seasonal …

Effects Of Host Plant Patch Size And Surrounding Plant Type On Insect Population Dynamics, Lynn A. Maguire

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of the present study was to investigate how plant spatial patterns and insect behavior interact to influence the population dynamics of insects using the plants. The study included three phases: l) field experiments using collards (Brassica oleracea) and the crucifer insect fauna; 2) simulation models representing the population dynamics of an insect herbivore as functions of insect dispersal behavior and host plant patch size; and 3) model-field syntheses integrating model predictions and field variability estimates to choose an appropriate spatial scale for future field experiments or applications.

In field experiments on surrounding plant type, collards were …

Chlorophyll Fluorescence Probe Of Ultraviolet-B Photoinhibition Of Primary Photoreactions In Intact Leaves, Robert S. Nowak

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Damage to primary photosynthetic reactions caused by environmental stress can be assessed by measurement of chlorophyll fluorescence induction in intact leaves. This approach was applied in studies of ultraviolet-B photoinhibition of photosynthesis in Pisum sativum L. and Rumex patientia L. leaves. At ultraviolet-B dose rates insufficient to cause inhibition of net photosynthesis, changes in the magnitude of fluorescence transients did occur, which suggested direct effects on chloroplast pigments in Pisum and inhibition of photosynthetic electron transport between the photosystems in both species. Leaves of these two species subjected to a much higher dose rate had a significant reduction of net …

Relationship Between Rainfall And Storm Runoff For Selected Arizona Watersheds, Robert James Anderson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The relationship between rainfall and runoff was examined for twelve selected Arizona watersheds. Expedient runoff volume model coefficients and runoff curve number model parameters were examined using standardized structure, with modifications to adjust the model for small initial abstractions and large watershed storage capacity.

Forest-land management practices were examined for their effects on curve number coefficients. The effects of rainfall characteristics were also evaluated with respect to changes they induce in curve number populations.

Evaluations included a runoff fraction, a simple multiplier of storm volume to produce runoff volume. The accuracy of this model is promising for more permeable watersheds.

Assessment Of The Radiological Impact Of The Inactive Uranium-Mill Tailings At Mexican Hat, Utah, F. F. Haywood, W. A. Goldsmith, B. S. Ellis, H. M. Hubbard Jr., W. F. Fox, W. H. Shinpaugh, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

All U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository)

High surface soil concentrations of 226Ra and high above-ground measurements of gamma-ray intensity in the vicinity of the inactive uranium-mill tailings at Mexican Hat show both wind and water erosion of the tailings. The former mill area, occupied by a trade school at the time of this survey, shows a comparatively high level of contamination, probably from unprocessed ore on the surface of the ore storage area near the location of the former mill buildings. However, the estimated health effect of exposure to gamma rays during a 2000-hr work year in the area represents an increase of 0.1% in the …

The Relationship Of Food Conversion Efficiency And Growth Potential In Juvenile Mosquitofish, Gambusia Affinis, Joseph J. Cech Jr., Michael J. Massingill, Wayne A. Wurtsbaugh

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

New information concerning respiratory metabolic rates of juvenile mosquitofish (i = 915 mg 02 kg-1 h-1 at 20° C) was applied to existing data on mosquitofish respiration and combined with findings on growth and food consumption rates to determine percentages of net ingested energy used for growth and respiration over a 10- 35° C temperature range. The energy percentage used by mosquitofish for respiration was minimized at 25-30° C while that used for growth (= food conversion efficiency) was maximized at the same temperature. A calculated growth potential index, derived from an overall energy balance equation, was also maximized at …

Evaluation Of Areas For Off-Road Recreational Motorcycle Use, Volume I: Evaluation Method, United States Army Corps Of Engineers

All U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository)

To answer user demands for more areas on which to operate off-road recreational motocycles (trailbikes), and to respond to Presidential Executive Orders which require that Federally-owned lands be evaluated for such use, Army land managers need a systematic way of determining land use suitability. This report describes the method developed by the U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL) to help installation personnel comply with the policies, procedures, and criteria of Army Regulation (AR) 210-9, Use of Off-Road Vehicles on Army Lands.

Geophysical Well-Log Measurements In Three Drill Holes At Salt Valley, Utah, Jeffrey J. Daniels, Robert J. Hite, James H. Scott, U.S. Geological Survey

All U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository)

Three exploratory drill holes were drilled at Salt Valley, Utah, to study the geologic, physical, geochemical, and hydrologic properties of the evaporite sequence in the Permian Paradox Member of the Hermosa Formation. The results of these studies will be used to help to determine the suitability of salt deposits in the Paradox basin as a storage medium for radioactive waste material.

Evaluation Of Particular Mulches As Plant Growth Media And Erosion Inhibitors, C. Earl Israelson, William F. Campbell, Eugene K. Israelsen, Ronald V. Canfield, David Ianson

Reports

Introduction: Increasing public awareness of the desireability of protecting the environment from soil erosion caused by wind and water has centered attention on large construction projects such as highways and housing subdivisions, as well as on individual building sites and parking lots. If unattended, sediment produced from these areas pollutes surface water, restricts drainage, fills reservoirs, damages adjacent land, and upsets the natual ecology of lakes and streams. The search continues for products and practices that will prevent or lessen the amount of sediment leaving construction sites. Products currently in use include chemical as well as organic materials, and they …

Use Of Saline Water In Energy Development, C. Earl Israelsen, V. Dean Adams, J. Clair Batty, Dennis B. George

Reports

Maps were made of the Upper Colorado River Basin showing locations of coal deposits, oil and gas, oil shale, uranium, and tar sand, in relationship to cities and towns in the area. Superimposed on these are locations of wells showing four ranges of water quality; 1,000-3,000 mg/l, 3,000-10,000 mg/l, 10,000-35,000 mg/l, and over 35,000 mg/l. Information was assembled relative to future energy-related projects in the upper basin, and estimates were made of their anticipated water needs. Using computer models, various options were tested for using saline water for coal-fired power plant cooling. Both cooling towers and brine evaporation ponds were …

Municipal Water Resources Analysis For Area Potentially Impacted By Mx Missile Complex In Utah, Trevor C. Hughes, V. A. Narasimhan, William J. Grenney, L. Douglas James

Reports

Scope of Report: This report analyzes the impact of the proposed MX Missile complex upon existing municipal water supply and waste treatment systems serving selected communitites either near the perimeter or within the Utah portion of the proposed MX complex boundary. As can be seen from the location map in Figure 1, possible sites for elements within the total MX missile complex have been identified in 14 Utah desert valleys in the five counties, from north to south, of Tooele, Juab, Millard, Beaver, and Iron. The 60,000 people, who live in these counties according to the 1975 census, are largely …

Management Of The Hydrologic System In Areas Subject To Coal Mining Activities, Rollin H. Hotchkiss, Eugene K. Israelsen, J. Paul Riley

Reports

Publicity given to the detrimental effects of mining activities on the environment has tended to overshadow somewhat the hydrologic opportunities and benfits that could be associated with these activities. For example, many areas disturbed by surface mining have proved to be excellent recharge areas for groundwater aquifers. The degree to which mine sites can be exploited to improve management of the hydrologic system depends on both the local geology and the mining techniques used. The report examines the effects of present mining activities on the associated hydrology system, and identifies specific mining procedures and management techniques which not only minimize …

Research On Increased Winter Orographic Precipitation By Cloud Seeding (Fy 1980), Geoffrey E. Hill

Reports

This research continues the development of new instrumentation relevant to the advancement of cloud seeding technology and the analysis of data collected to better understand cloud seeding potential in winter orographic clouds. Instrumentation development included the state of construction of a NOAA type dual frequency radiometer for the continuous measurement of supercooled liquid water and the completion of an expendable balloon-borne system for measuring vertical profiles of supercooled liquid water. The analysis of data collected on the project was directed primarily at the interpretation of the vertical profiles of supercooled liquid water and vertical motion. Results indicate that sharp vertical …

Preliminary Study Of The Northern Utah Hail Suppression Project, Geoffrey E. Hill

Reports

This study represents an examination of the possibilities for evaluating the northern Utah summertime rain-enhancement hail-suppression project. This study is

User Manual For The Probabilistic Stream Simulation And Assessment Model (Pssam), Brad A. Finney, David S. Bowles, Michael P. Windham

Reports

No abstract provided.

Groundwater Heat Pump Equipment Selection Procedures For Architects, Designers, And Contractors, Calvin G. Clyde, Edward W. Vendell, Kirk D. Hagen

Reports

Engineers at the Utah Water Research Laboratory and the Mechanical Engineering Department at Utah State University have investigated the use of groundwater heat pumps for residential space heating and cooling in the Utah climate. They have found that this type of system conserves energy and may cost less for Utah home owners to operate than many conventional heating and cooling systems. Since the use of groundwater heat pumps will probably become more widespread in the near future, building and heating contractors should become more informed about what a groundwater heat pump is and how it works. The purpse of this …

Design Of A Cost Effective Solar Powered Water Pump, Duane G. Chadwick

Reports

The design and performance of a vacuum lift, solar powered water pump is discussed. The basic design consists of an expanding gaseous piston confined inside a chamber which is located in series with, and between an inlet and an outlet check value. The gas is generated by volatilizing cyclopentane or hexane. Four variations of this basic design concept were built and evaluated. The various features of each are discussed. Considerations in the choice of a cost-effective solar collector are also reviewed. Several of the more promising types of solar collectors were built and evaluated for use on the pump. A …

Feasibility Study Of Establishing A Water Rights Banking/Brokering Service In Utah, Jay M. Bagley, Kirk R. Kimball, Lee Kapaloski

Reports

Changes in water use patterns are an inevitable consequence of relentless social transformations taking place. Especially where waters have been fully appropriated, the needs of a dynamic society must be met through transfers in water ownership. Yet, there are a variety of factors that may operate as impediments to the shifting of water according to social preferences as expressed through water markets. As a mechanism for facilitating water transfers, exchagnes, or rentals, the concept of "water banking" and "water brokering" may be fruitful. This repot appraises the potential for initiating and operating such a service within the legal, institutional, and …

Weather Modification By Cloud Seeding, Arnett S. Dennis

Reports

It is an understatement to say that people are confused about cloud seeding. While it has been called "the crime of the century" and outlawed in Pennsylvania, the governments of the dry, western part of the United States continue to spend tax revenues on cloud seeding to increase water supplies. During the past five years, I have talked with officials responsible for decisions regarding cloud seeding programs in about 15 states of the U.S.A., in a dozen other countries, and in the World Meteorological Organization. Some of the officials involved are experts in atmospheric physics, but most are not. Members …

Water Demand At Recreation Developments, Simon Lam, Trevor C. Hughes

Reports

Design criteria for drinking water systems at recreation developments, particularly summer home type, cause frequent confrontations with regulatory agencies. Developers claim extremely low water use rates due to low occupancy rates, but regulatory agencies are concerned about changes over time from essentially weekend use to more permanent residency and also about occasional peak day water demands similar to those of municipal systems. Little empirical data have been available to resolve such questions. This study included the gathering and analysis of both historic water use measurements and additional daily and instantaneous measurements during peak seasons at 11 Utah and one Wyoming …

Evaluation Of Livestock Runoff As A Source Of Water Pollution In Northern Utah, Stephen T. Wieneke, Dennis B. George, Daniel S. Filip, Brad Finney

Reports

A mathematical model was developed to predict the impact of dairy and beef cattle feedlot runoff on receiving streams. The mathematical expressions used in the model describing runoff quantity and quality were not only a function of single rain or snow precipitation events but also consecutive events prior to the runoff occurrence. The runoff quantity and quality were also a function of feedlot surface. Computer simualtions indicate that pollutants from feedlot runoff may have a significant impact on receiving streams during winter months. Runoff from feedlots located within the study area, however, had little impact on water quality in the …

Model Of Drawdown In Well Fields Influenced By Boundaries: Technical Description And User's Manual, Najwan T. Shareef, David S. Bowles

Reports

This model is designed to calculate the drawdown of a piezometric surface or water table at a given point of interest in a well field. Many different well and aquifer hydraulic conditions can be considered. The effect of field boundaries is solved by the image well theory. Many points of interest, well (recharge or injection), boundaries (barrier or recharge), and time increments as well as constant and variable pumping rate case have been included in the model. The drawdown at a point of interest can be decomposed into the following compenents for each real well due to the effect of: …

Principles Of Lake Quality Management, D. B. Porcella

Reports

No abstract provided.

Influence Of Unsaturated Hydraulic Properties On Infiltration From Circular Surface Areas, Abdolhossien Nassehzadeh-Tabrizi, Roland W. Jeppson

Reports

The effects and interactive effects on infiltration of parameters in the Brooks-Corey equation for defining the hydraulic properties of unsaturated soils are investigated by analyzing the results of numerical solutions of the unsaturated flow characteristics resulting from water applied on a circular surface area. The soil parameters are allowed to vary continuously as a function of depth. The parameters that have been allowed to vary separately and in pairs are: (1) The pore size distribution exponent, (2) Pb- The bubbling pressure, (3) Sr- The residual saturation, (4) n- The soil porosity and (5) Ko- The saturated hydraulic conductivity. The conclusions …

Development Of Procedures To Evaluate Salinity Management Strategies In Irrigation Return Flows, V. A. Narasimhan, A. Leon Huber, J. Paul Riley, J. J. Jurinak

Reports

The salinity added irrigation return flows is a major problem in rivers draining agricultural lands throughout the arid regions of the world, and many irrigation water management alternatives have been proposed for reducing downstream salinity problems. The merits of these alternatives, however, can only be judged from reliable information on their actual effects on the salinity in rivers receiving the drainage water and the water withdrawn from the river by downstream users. Hydrosalinity models are widely used to estimate these effects to guide the selection of a policy on management of irrigation return flows. The purpose of this research was …

A Preliminary Study On Expanding And Financing State Water Development, Daniel H. Hoggan, Kirk R. Kimball, Jay M. Bagley

Reports

The effects of recent energy price increases, domestic inflation rates, financial market fluctuations, and changing public attitudes toward federally sponsored water resource development and management have brought economic and financial consideratiosn to the forefront of Western water management issues. Recently enacted federal policies place increased responsibility on the states and localities for the development and management of their water resources. A response common to many of the western states has been to stengthen traditional, and often small, water financing and development programs. In creating and sustaining such a posture, however, state governments must address the important questions pertaining to the …