Environmental Monitoring Commons^™

Management Plan For The Western Painted Turtle At The Sandy River Delta In Troutdale, Oregon, Emma Scott

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

This management plan has been prepared for the Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership and is intended to provide guidance for the improvement and protection of western painted turtle (Chrysemys picta bellii) habitat at the Sandy River Delta in Troutdale, Oregon. The Sandy River Delta is a 1500-acre natural area situated where the Columbia and Sandy Rivers meet. Its dynamic floodplain habitat supports a diverse assemblage of species, including the western painted turtle, an Oregon Conservation Strategy Species. A small, unknown number of western painted turtles utilize the wetland habitats of the Sandy River Delta, and the frequency in observations …

Estimating Transport Of Diesel Particulate Emissions In The Portland Metro Using Lagrangian-Based Dispersion Modeling, Andrew Mckinley Rogers

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

Air pollution from diesel combustion is a well-known and serious problem which adversely impacts human and environmental health throughout the world. One of the primary pollutants of concern from diesel combustion are the solid particles formed as a byproduct of the incomplete combustion of the diesel, also known as diesel particulate matter. As a result of the ubiquitous use of diesel-fired engines in urban environments, understanding the transport of diesel particulate matter from the exhaust is paramount in assessing human exposure to this toxic pollutant. Air dispersion modeling is one method to study how diesel particulate matter is transported and …

Carli Creek Regional Water Quality Project: Assessing Water Quality Improvement At An Urban Stormwater Constructed Wetland, Christopher L. Desiderati

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

Stormwater management is an ongoing challenge in the United States and the world at-large. As state and municipal agencies grapple with conflicting interests like encouraging land development, complying with permits to control stormwater discharges, “urban stream syndrome” effects, and charges to steward natural resources for the long-term, some agencies may turn to constructed wetlands (CWs) as aesthetically pleasing and functional natural analogs for attenuating pollution delivered by stormwater runoff to rivers and streams. Constructed wetlands retain pollutants via common physical, physicochemical, and biological principles such as settling, adsorption, or plant and algae uptake. The efficacy of constructed wetlands for pollutant …

Identifying And Prioritizing Urban And Commercial Stormwater Concerns: City Of Grants Pass, Oregon, Amie Nicole Siedlecki

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

For many communities, drinking water comes from surface water sources, or source water, such as rivers and creeks. Within the city of Grants Pass, Oregon, this is the case. The Rogue River, which spans 215 miles, beginning near Crater Lake and emptying into the ocean at Gold Beach, is Grants Pass' Rogue River, in relation to drinking water, is rarely an issue for the City of Grants Pass' Public Works Department, the potential contaminant sources (PCS) from the urban, commercial, and industrial geographical areas of Grants Pass is a concern. In order to deploy treatment processes that are capable of …

Closed Canopies Crowd Out Bats: Planning Artificial Gap Creation, Alana Simmons

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

Managed even-aged forest stands often lack small to medium-sized canopy gaps that help to increase habitat diversity and, in turn, wildlife diversity. A large body of literature suggests that this habitat diversity is especially important for bat communities and that bat activity and diversity can be depressed in closed canopy, even-aged stands. Open- and edge-adapted bats have evolved specific wing morphologies and echolocation call structures that make them reliant upon forest gaps as energy efficient foraging grounds in otherwise structurally cluttered forests. Artificial gap creation projects that increase habitat diversity have been implemented to benefit ungulates, and a similar approach …

An Examination Of Limiting Factors Of Chrysemys Picta Bellii (Western Painted Turtles) In The Lower Willamette River Basin, Oregon, James P. Holley

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

Oregon’s two native freshwater turtle species, Chrysemys picta bellii (Western painted turtle) and Actinemys marmorata (Northwestern pond turtle), have seen significantly reduced population sizes since the founding of Portland in 1845, with estimates of up to 90% for A. marmorata. This project examined turtle nesting activity at 25 sites across a range of turtle populations and habitats around the Lower Willamette River Basin. All discovered turtle nesting activity was found in areas of high solar exposure. We found 93% of over 400 nest attempts to have been depredated across the 25 sites, well above most other reported rates. At …

Collecting Plant Phenology Data In Imperiled Oregon White Oak Ecosystems: Analysis And Recommendations For Metro, Kirsten Wright

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

Imperiled Oregon white oak ecosystems are a regional conservation priority due to the rich biodiversity they support, including rare and endemic species such as Oregon state-listed endangered pale larkspur (Delphinium leucophaeum). Previously dominant in the Pacific Northwest, upland prairie and oak woodlands are now under significant threat, with only 2% remaining in the Willamette Valley in small fragments.

Over the past 150 years, conversion to agriculture, urban development and fire suppression have dramatically reduced and degraded Oregon white oak habitat. Climate change has now emerged as an additional threat, causing observable shifts in plant phenology. In fragile oak …

Watershed Assessment Of Tryon Creek Of Oregon, Danielle Goodrich

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

As the Tryon Creek Watershed Council (TCWC) continues to grow its organization, it is important to focus their efforts on lasting changes that most positively affect the watershed. The TCWC plays a community-appointed role as the binding element of agency and stakeholder partnerships throughout the Tryon Creek watershed by providing communication and cooperation. The watershed assessment aims to provide a compilation of existing data as well as an identification of data gaps and recommendations for future cooperative management of the watershed. Developing an understanding of the processes that shape the watershed can shed light on the status of measurable ecosystem …

Process-Based Modeling Of The Dairy Mckay Watershed To Inform Monitoring For Agricultural Best Management Practices, Brittany Saeman

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

The project described in this paper specifically looks at the influence of land management practices on water quality, specifically total phosphorus (TP) loads in the Dairy McKay Watershed (DMW). The project is being used to inform a water quality monitoring plan for the Oregon DEQ via outputs from a SWAT model. The DMW is known to have high TP levels that are linked to low dissolved oxygen levels in the Tualatin River. There is a total maximum daily load (TMDL) for the Tualatin River that specifies target TP levels coming out of the DMW, if these targets are met, the …

Analysis Of Toxic Pollutant Sources And Characteristics Contributing To Water Quality Impairments In The Willamette River Basin, Melinda Borgens

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

Point and nonpoint sources contribute toxic pollutants to surface waters, degrading water quality and impairing aquatic and human life. As of 2012, 51 stream segments totaling approximately 6,000 kilometers (3,750 miles) in Oregon’s Willamette River Basin (the Basin) were listed as impaired on the Clean Water Act's (CWA) Section 303(d) list with 48 toxic pollutants. These toxic pollutants exceed the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality's (DEQ) state water quality standards, requiring Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) to restore water quality and protect beneficial uses. Identifying toxic pollutant point and nonpoint sources, and the total loads a waterbody receives, are critical …

Urban Connections: A Comparison Of Connectivity Assessment Methods, Natalie M. Rogers

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

Habitat connectivity in urban settings is critical for facilitation of safe species movement, species health, and biodiversity. Predicting the movement of wildlife through the urban environment is difficult due to the presence of barriers - natural or built features in the landscape that restrict or prohibit movement of species. Urban properties and greenspaces can serve as pathways of connectivity for wildlife movement across the complex developed matrix. Thus, land managers should assess their properties for possible connectivity functionality to promote safe wildlife movement. Land managers may not be aware of current connectivity assessment methods, therefore this project provides introductory information …

Informing Oregon's Marine Protected Area (Mpa) Baseline Past And Present Tribal Uses Of Marine Resources, Sabra Marie Tallchief Comet

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

Oregon implemented a series of marine reserves from 2012 through the beginning of 2016 that will be evaluated in 2023. As part of that evaluation, several studies are focusing on the impact of the reserves on coastal communities. This project focused on tribal members with ancestral territory on the Oregon coast. Tribal members from three tribes, the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, the Coquille Indian Tribe, and the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians were interviewed for this project. The interviews centered around two themes: 1) past and present use of marine and coastal species, and 2) …

Clear Creek Estuary Restoration: Establishing An Ecological Monitoring Program And Baseline Conditions, Christine Butler-Minor

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

Monitoring habitat conditions in the Clear Creek Estuary before the completion of the Bucklin Hill Bridge Project is a critical part of this ecosystem restoration planning and execution. The Clear Creek Trail Alliance (CCTA) is working with local partners to monitor the effects of the estuary restoration. In a wider effort to characterize salmonid habitat suitability of the estuary prior to the bridge replacement, CCTA would like to gather data related to water quality, beach/bank elevations, vegetation in the vicinity, and invertebrate diversity in the estuary. The development and implementation of this Clear Creek Estuary monitoring project provides an opportunity …

Greenroof Study: Final Report, An Assessment Of Greenroof Design And Maintenance In Portland, Oregon: 2011 – 2013, Windy Carney Beck

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

In 1999 the City of Portland (City) began to require that stormwater management facilities (SMF) be built when private property is newly developed or redeveloped (City Code Chapter 17.38). Proper maintenance and upkeep of SMFs is essential to ensuring they function appropriately. The City's Maintenance Inspection Program (MIP) is tasked with inspecting stormwater management facilities on private properties in order to ensure that they are being properly operated and maintained and to meet provisions of the City's NPDES Municipal Separated Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit.

Greenroofs are one type of SMF that are installed to satisfy this requirement. Understanding the …

Assessment Of Tmdl Implementation And Water Quality Status And Trends In Amazon Creek And Coyote Creek Watersheds, Stosh Zydek

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

In this project, I analyzed the status and trends of water quality data describing fecal bacteria (E. coli) and DO in the Amazon and Coyote Creek watersheds of the Southern Willamette Valley, Oregon. I also examined TMDL implementation plans produced by DMAs, determined if and how implementation activities corresponded to changes in water quality, compared management and planning of DMAs in the watersheds, discussed aspects of the current TMDL, and compared state regulations and standards in other states. I concluded by making management recommendations to better facilitate future status and trend analysis.

Amazon Creek, Amazon Diversion Channel, A-3 …

Management Plan For Western Painted Turtle (Chrysemys Picta Belli) At Fairview Creek Headwaters, Ashley Smithers

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

Western painted turtles (Chrysemys picta belli) are found occupying Fairview Creek Headwaters (FCH) in Gresham, Oregon. This urban stream contains a large wetland with an adjacent butte, all managed by the City of Gresham. This management plan addresses the preferred habitat and population of turtles at the site. A habitat delineation of the site revealed specific locations where habitat improvements could take place as well as areas of already beneficial habitat. Two site plans were prepared showing areas of the site that could be enhanced with nesting habitat as well as additional aquatic habitat and basking habitat. A habitat study …

Mangrove Enhancement As A Climate Change Adaptation Strategy In The Republic Of The Marshall Islands (Rmi): Potential Ecosystem Service Shifts Following Colonization, Andrew S. Harwood

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

The ability of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Pacific Island communities to adapt to the increasing sea-levels, storm surge, saltwater intrusion, and other threats posed by global climate change is critical to the survival of many of these local communities as well as their cultures (LivingIslands.org). One of the world’s most striking examples of a nation at great risk is the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) in the central Pacific Ocean. Due to a combination of factors, including the country’s extremely low elevation above sea-level (an average of 2 meters) and lack of adequate structures to provide safety …

An Ornithological Investigation Of The Relationships Among Species Assemblages In Diverse Landscapes In Portland, Oregon, Trevor Attenberg

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

This study involves geographic variables of the urban landscape and how they affect bird species assemblage. I utilized bird point count data from observation sites in the Portland, OR metropolitan region provided by Portland Environmental Services. Species data and its relationship with environmental variables were evaluated using Bray-Curtis Dissimilarity measurements together with Non-metric Multidimensional scaling (NMDS) to provide a clear image of the spatial relationships between sites. Land classification, water and canopy in 500 m buffers were quantified in order to describe important geographic variability among collection areas of bird data. Patterns indicating spatial trends in the urban landscape emerged. …

The Spread Of Exotic Plant Species At Mount St. Helens: The Roles Of A Road, Disturbance Type And Post-Disturbance Management, Lindsey Karr

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

The landscape of Mount St Helens was dramatically transformed when it erupted on May 18, 1980, creating an outstanding opportunity for ecologists to study succession following a large, intense, natural disturbance. Within the expansive (600 km²) blast area there is varied ownership and a mix of management objectives for the post-eruption landscape. On lands administered by the U.S. Forest Service, there are portions of the blast area that have been designated as a National Volcanic Monument, where the primary management objective is to allow for natural succession to proceed substantially unimpeded. In other areas outside the Monument, salvage …

Understanding The Drivers Of Forest, Residential, And Agricultural Land Values In Yamhill County Using Hedonic Models, Emily D. Dietrich

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

Hedonic modeling is commonly used in land and property value estimations in an attempt to identify the impact that various attributes have on the market value of that property. The purpose of this study is to examine the factors contributing to land value of agricultural, forest, and residential properties in Yamhill County, as part of the Spatial Ecosystem Services Analysis, Modeling, and Evaluation (SESAME, http://www.pdx.edu/ecosystem-services/) project. This paper discusses the process and preliminary results of the development of hedonic models that will be utilized for predicting land value changes under future land conversion scenarios. Applying the models to future scenarios …

Connecting Habitat Across Roads: Field Testing Mitigation Strategies For Reducing Road Mortality Of An Imperiled Butterfly, Rebecca Jalene Littlejohn

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

Roads impact wildlife in a variety of ways including fragmentation of populations, reduced access to habitat, and direct mortality from vehicle strikes. Such road effects likely impact the Oregon silverspot butterfly (Speyeria zerene hippolyta) at one of its few remaining sites. The Rock Creek-Big Creek population of this threatened fritillary butterfly species is bisected by highway 101 on the central Oregon coast. Habitat resources for S. z. hippolyta are found on both the east and west sides of the highway at this site, and vehicle-strikes have been found to cause mortality of some individuals crossing the highway. The …

Investigation And Evaluation Of Current And Emerging Whole-Water Sampling Technologies For U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Assessment Program, Keith D. Gareau

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

An investigation was conducted into current and emerging surface water sampling technologies. These technologies were compared and recommendations given to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) for adoption by the National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. The goal is to reduce labor costs and increase information content. This paper examines lotic system samplers, portable autonomous whole-water samplers, and autonomous submergible whole-water samplers. When investigating whole-water sampling technology, it was imperative to take into consideration what chemical classifications can be sampled for by each respected technology. Chemical classifications considered are: emerging contaminants, major ions, nutrients, polychlorinated biphenyls, pesticides, volatile and semi-volatile …

Sources And Pathways To The Environment And Environmental Presence, Tess Chadil

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

In an attempt to successfully address and reduce contamination from toxic chemicals and other pollutants in the Oregon environment, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is in the early stages of developing a comprehensive agency-wide toxics reduction plan. The plan seeks to find a more efficient, sustainable approach to addressing contaminants of concern to human and ecological health. Team Toxics, a work group compromised of members from various DEQ departments, has been created to collaborate and create the framework for developing these strategies. In summer 2009, Team Toxics was in the very early stages of development, and found the need …

State Of The River Report For Toxics, Bradley Carter

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) strives to prevent pollution, protect water quality and improve ecosystems in order to reduce risks to human health and the environment. As outlined in the Agency’s Strategic Plan, the Columbia River Basin was identified as a "National Priority" and designated as one of our nation’s seven "Large Aquatic Ecosystems". This designation grants legislative status equal to the Chesapeake Bay, Great Lakes, Gulf of Mexico, South Florida Ecosystem, Long Island Sound and Puget Sound. The Strategic Plan is the Agency’s road map of future work efforts, and targets specific goals that are expected to …

Designing More Effective Air Quality Advisories, Justin Olexy

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

Background: There is increasing concern about the impact of air quality on human health in urban environments and how to best reduce impacts through public policies. An NSF Biocomplexity Project - "Feedbacks between Urban Systems and the Environment" (FUSE), led by Portland State University, studies the human feedbacks and responses to air quality and heat advisories through data collected in city-wide phone surveys in Portland, OR and Houston, TX. On days when ozone levels are predicted to exceed air quality standards, regulatory agencies issue air quality advisories which ask residents to reduce certain air polluting behaviors such as driving …