Natural Resources Management and Policy Commons^™

Arizona Source Water Assessment Plan Final Draft, Arizona Department Of Environmental Quality

Publications (WR)

The safe drinking water amendments of 1996 placed a strong emphasis on the goal to establish a nationwide effort to protect drinking water sources. As part of that goal, the legislation provided for a preliminary assessment of drinking water sources and an inventory of surrounding adjacent land use (ALUs). This nationwide effort will result in the first comprehensive look at the nation's drinking water sources from an assessment perspective. One of the outcomes of this nationwide assessment will be information that public water systems (PWSs) can use to help determine appropriate monitoring frequencies and to protect their sources of drinking …

Interagency Lake Mead And Las Vegas Wash Monitoring Program: Standard Operating Procedures Manual, Bureau Of Reclamation, City Of Henderson Water Reclamation Facility, City Of Las Vegas Water Pollution Control Facility, Clark County Sanitation District, Nevada, Southern Nevada Water Authority

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A number of agencies sample Lake Mead and the Las Vegas Wash on a routine basis at several locations. In order to share and properly interpret the data, the Bureau of Reclamation, Southern Nevada Water Authority and the three Wastewater Treatment Facilities (City of Las Vegas, Clark County Sanitation District and City of Henderson) formed a committee to examine sampling and analytical protocols and to share information with the goal of maximizing the data quality. The group first met in April 1997.

It was agreed that an effort should be made to discuss and compare specific sampling and analytical techniques …

Artificial Recharge In The Las Vegas Valley: An Operational History, Michael Johnson, Erin Cole, Kay Brothers, Las Vegas Valley Water District

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Artificially recharging the Las Vegas Valley (Valley) ground-water system with treated Colorado River water is one water resource management option employed by the Las Vegas Valley Water District (District) to help meet future long-term and short-term peak water demands. The District began operation of an artificial ground-water recharge program in 1988 in order to bank water for future use and to slow declining water levels. Artificial recharge occurs in the winter months, typically from October to May, when there is excess capacity in the Southern Nevada Water System (SNWS), currently a 400 Million Gallon per Day (MGD) treatment and transmission …

Las Vegas Wash Water Quality Monitoring Program: 1996 Report Of Findings, Richard A. Roline, James J. Sartoris, U.S. Bureau Of Reclamation, U.S. Geological Survey

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Las Vegas Wash, a natural wash east of the city of Las Vegas, Nevada, carries stormwater, groundwater drainage, and sewage effluent from three sewage treatment plants to Lake Mead. The Wash provides nearly the only surface water outlet for the entire 2,193 mi² of Las Vegas Valley. A drainage area of 1,586 mi² contributes directly to the Wash through surface flow which is channeled to Las Vegas Bay of Lake Mead, while drainage of the remaining 607 mi² is presumably subsurface and may drain toward Las Vegas Wash.

In the 1930's and 1940's, sewage treatment plants were …

The Influence Of The Wastewater Drainage From The Las Vegas Valley On The Limnology Of Boulder Basin, Lake Mead, Nevada-Arizona, James F. Labounty, Michael J. Horn, Bureau Of Reclamation

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Lake Mead, Colorado River, Arizona-Nevada, is one of the most heavily used reservoirs in the western United States, providing abundant recreational opportunities as well as downstream domestic and agricultural water for over 22 million users. Based on average nutrient levels and productivity, Lake Mead is classified as mildly mesotrophic. The interflow of the Colorado River dominates the limnology of much of the 106 km-long reservoir, and may still be identified at Hoover Dam under certain conditions. The lower basin of Lake Mead ending at Hoover Dam is known as Boulder Basin and is near the Las Vegas metropolitan area. Las …

Report Of Significant Findings--Las Vegas Bay/Boulder Basin Investigations, James F. Labounty, Michael Horn, Bureau Of Reclamation

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Field sampling was carried out between 0830 and 1500 beginning at the confluence of Las Vegas Wash and the Inner Las Vegas Bay. Ten (10) locations were sampled, each in a similar manner. Locations of sampling stations are in line from the Wash-Bay confluence to a point midway between Saddle and Black Islands. In addition, sampling was done at a location midway between Sentinel Island and the base of Fortification Hill, and at the buoy line in front of Hoover Dam. Sampling stations are labeled from LV01, at Wash-Bay confluence, to LV17 at Hoover Dam. A significant data collection point …

Synthetic Organic Compounds: Las Vegas Wash And Lake Mead, National Water Quality Assessment Program (Nawqa): Nevada Basin And Range

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The Nevada Basin and Range (NVBR) study unit of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program is investigating the status of, trends in, and factors affecting water quality in the Las Vegas area. A principal objective of the investigation is to assess the effects of urbanization on the quality of area water resources.

Las Vegas Wash is the surface-water outlet for the Las Vegas area. The wash transports stormwater runoff, shallow ground-water discharge, and tertiary-treated sewage effluent from the Las Vegas area to Las Vegas Bay of Lake Mead on the Colorado River. Most of the flow—about 96 …

Nutrient Limitation In A Southwestern Desert Reservoir: Eutrophication Of Las Vegas Bay, Lake Mead, Nevada, Davine M. Lieberman

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Algal bioassay tests were conducted with Selenastrum capricornutum and natural algae on inner Las Vegas Bay, Lake Mead, Nevada, from December 1992 through September 1993, to identify any nutrient limitation in an area of the reservoir that has experienced problems associated with severe nutrient enrichment. Three areas were sampled based on a gradient of water quality conditions that existed in Las Vegas Bay (LVB). Disodium ethylenedinitrilotetraacetate (EDTA) significantly stimulated algal growth compared to non-EDTA treatment. Algal bioassays indicated that phosphorus (P) was the primary limiting nutrient at all stations for most of the test dates. Chl a response with EDTA …

Baseline Water Quality Data Inventory And Analysis: Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Volume Ii Of Ii, National Park Service

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This document presents the results of surface-water-quality data retrievals for Lake Mead National Recreation Area (LAME) from five of the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) national databases: (1) Storage and Retrieval (STORET) database management system; (2) River Reach File (RF3); (3) Industrial Facilities Discharge (IFD); (4) Drinking Water Supplies (DRINKS); and (5) Flow Gages (GAGES). This document is one product resulting from a cooperative contractual endeavor between the National Park Service's Servicewide Inventory and Monitoring Program, the National Park Service's Water Resources Division (WRD), and Horizon Systems Corporation to retrieve, format, and analyze water quality data for all units …

Baseline Water Quality Data Inventory And Analysis: Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Volume I Of Ii, National Park Service

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This document presents the results of surface-water-quality data retrievals for Lake Mead National Recreation Area (LAME) from five of the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) national databases: (1) Storage and Retrieval (STORET) database management system; (2) River Reach File (RF3); (3) Industrial Facilities Discharge (IFD); (4) Drinking Water Supplies (DRINKS); and (5) Flow Gages (GAGES). This document is one product resulting from a cooperative contractual endeavor between the National Park Service's Servicewide Inventory and Monitoring Program, the National Park Service's Water Resources Division (WRD), and Horizon Systems Corporation to retrieve, format, and analyze water quality data for all units …

Identification Of Tire Leachate Toxicants And A Risk Assessment Of Water Quality Effects Using Tire Reefs In Canals, S. M. Nelson, G. Mueller, D. C. Hemphill, U.S. Bureau Of Reclamation

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Cover is an important component of aquatic habitat and fisheries management. Fisheries biologists often try to improve habitats through the addition of natural and artificial material to improve cover diversity and complexity. Habitat-improvement programs range from submerging used Christmas trees to more complex programs using sophisticated artificial habitat modules. Used automobile tires have been employed in the large scale construction of reefs and fish attractors in marine environments and to a lesser extent in freshwater and have been recognized as a durable, inexpensive and long-lasting material which benefits fishery communities.

Recent studies by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation have quantified …

Lake Mead Nutrient Enhancement Project, Peter D. Vaux, Larry J. Paulson, Nevada Department Of Wildlife, National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration

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The Lake Mead Fertilization Project is a research program designed to investigate the potential for using large-scale artificial fertilization to enhance the game fisheries of this reservoir through an increase in the population of threadfin shad, the system's primary forage species. A substantial decline in the population of largemouth bass, together with poor condition of adult striped bass, are the two major issues affecting the Lake Mead game fisheries. Both issues have been hypothesized to be a result of an inadequate amount of forage in the reservoir. Previous studies have in turn suggested that a major factor limiting the shad …

Enhancement And Monitoring Of The Procambarus Clarkii Population In Lake Mead, Mikell Beth Hager

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Procambarus clarkii are found in extremely low numbers throughout Lake Mead, AZ-NV. The crayfish are an important dietary component for game fish. Enhancement of the crayfish population would broaden the fishery forage base. Crayfish were stocked and monitored in a study cove on Saddle Island to determine if the Procambarus clarkii population could be enhanced. A trapping survey of the area after the following reproductive season yielded low numbers of crayfish. A comparison of pre-stocking and post-stocking catch per trap day (CPTD) values revealed no significant increase in the population. Procambarus clarkii growth is limited by environmental factors in Lake …

Introduction And Enhancement Of Vegetative Cover At Lake Mead, Jennifer S. Haley, Lisa K. Croft, Suzanne E. Leavitt, Larry J. Paulson

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Studies done by the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) and the Arizona Fish and Game between 1978 and 1981 indicate that inadequate cover may be limiting the production and survival of largemouth bass at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area (LMNRA). As a result of these studies, NDOW initiated a contract in 1986 with the Lake Mead Research Center (LMRC) to investigate means of improving habitat for game fish by introducing natural and/or artificial cover.

During Phase I (1986-1987) of this contract, the shoreline of Lake Mead was surveyed for aquatic and terrestrial plant growth. Also during this time, submerged …

Characterization Of The Aquatic Environment In Lake Mead Near The Proposed Spring Canyon Pumped-Storage Project, And Assessment Of Potential Aquatic Impacts, Charles R. Liston, Stephen J. Grabowski, Bureau Of Reclamation

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A pumped storage system consists of an upper reservoir and lower reservoir separated by an elevation difference. During low demand energy periods such as nights and weekends water is pumped from the lower to the upper reservoir using available energy from conventional steam electric power plants. During high energy demand periods, such as mornings and afternoons of weekdays, upper reservoir water is allowed to drop back down through the same system of water conduits and turbines, generating electricity to conveniently meet abrupt electrical energy requirements. The same water turbines thus act both as pumps and as conventional hydroelectric turbines.

Because …

Environmental Assessment Of Las Vegas Wash And Lake Mead Artificial Wetlands Demonstration Project, John R. Baker, R. M. Gersberg, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

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The effective use of artificial wetlands for treatment of municipal wastewater is well documented; however, design and economic data for artificial wetlands development are limited (Gersberg et al., 1984a). This is due partly to regional differences in climate, soils, and vegetation and partly to the desired waste treatment. As a result, specific treatment levels and cost benefits relative to the use of an artificial wetlands for a particular site cannot be evaluated adequately without a pilot demonstration project. Las Vegas Wash receives sewage effluent from the Las Vegas metropolitan area and has been designated as a wetlands community park. Las …

River Discharge Study, Laughlin, Nevada: Colorado River Model And Diffusion Study, B. Dennis Hugh, David L. Stringfield, Jill C. Bicknell, Robert A. Ryder, Clark County Sanitation District, Nevada

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A water quality modeling study of the Mohave Reach of the Lower Colorado River (from Davis Dam to the Nevada/California Stateline) was conducted to evaluate potential water quality impacts resulting from a proposed Laughlin, Nevada wastewater effluent discharge. The study included four major components: (1) review of the current regulatory framework; (2) a field data collection program to document existing water quality conditions in winter, summer, and fall; (3) development and verification of far-field and near-field (mixing zone) water quality models; and (4) application of the models to project future river quality conditions for several treatment-discharge alternatives as well as …

Appendices To Analysis Of The Water-Quality Standards Proposed By Nevada Division Of Environmental Protection, State Of Nevada: Division Of Environmental Protection

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The appendices include the following:

Appendix A: Evaluation of proposed State of Nevada water quality standards for Ammonia, produced by CH2M Hill California for Clark County

Appendix B: Responses to comments by the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection on the draft final report prepared by CH2M Hill

Appendix C: Biases in the ammonia data and in the proposed ammonia TMDL

Appendix D: Application of dilution-ratio analysis to assertions made by the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection

Appendix E: Analysis of the dilution-ratio formula used by the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection in its TMDL calculations for phosphorus and ammonia in …

Analysis Of The Water-Quality Standards Proposed By The Nevada Division Of Environmental Protection, City Of Las Vegas, Nevada

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The Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (DEP) has proposed water-quality standards, applicable to Las Vegas Bay and Lake Mead, for (1) chlorophyll, (2) un-ionized ammonia, and (3) pH.

We have concluded that the proposed standards are unlikely to protect or improve water quality in Lake Mead. The proposed chlorophyll standard:

May harm the fishery. Lakes with more chlorophyll have greater fish production.

Will not improve clarity. Chlorophyll concentrations above 30 ug/1 have little effect on clarity.

Will not protect against scums or dominance by blue-green algae. Lake Mead shows no consistent relationship between chlorophyll and scums or blue-green dominance.

Will …

Lake Mead Cover Enhancement Project, Jennifer Stevens Haley, Suzanne Leavitt, Larry Paulson, Donald H. Baepler

Publications (WR)

Ninety-three wildlife agencies were surveyed for information on their attempts to improve fish habitat. In addition, an annotated bibliography including over 100 summaries was completed on:

1. largemouth bass cover requirements and preferences,

2. use and effectiveness of artificial cover,

3. aquatic plant introduction and species requirements for germination and establishment,

4. terrestrial plant introduction and species requirements for germination and establishment, and

5. nutrient exchange between sediment, aquatic plants, and water.

A reconnaissance of existing terrestrial and aquatic vegetation was completed in June 1986 including the production of a video tape of the Nevada shoreline of Lake Mead.

Cover …

Las Vegas Wash And Lake Mead Proposed Water Quality Standards: Revisions And Rationale, State Of Nevada: Division Of Environmental Protection

Publications (WR)

Rationale of review and for proposed changes to the Nevada Pollution Control Regulations (NAC 445.1354, 445.1355, 445.1356, 455.1367, 445.1352, 445.1353, 445.1350, 445.1351) before the State Environmental Commission on June 23 and 24, 1987.

Seasonal And Spatial Heterogeneity In The Limnetic Zooplankton Community Of Lake Mead, Gene Robert Wilde

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Zooplankton samples collected from throughout Lake Mead, in 1981-1982, demonstrate the presence of a statistically significant seasonal and spatial heterogeneity in zooplankton densities. Seasonally, the major zooplankton groups were most abundant in the spring and fall, coincident with maxima in chlorophyll-a concentrations. Successions among the various rotifers, cladocerans and copepods present in the reservoir were influenced by food availability, diapause, predation by planktivorous fish and, possibly, water temperatures.

Spatial heterogeneity in zooplankton densities was unrelated to water temperature, pH, conductivity and dissolved oxygen concentrations, but was related to the abundance of phytoplankton (chlorophyll-a concentrations) and fish. Statistical analyses indicate that …

The Effects Of Limited Food Availability On The Striped Bass Fishery In Lake Mead, John R. Baker, Larry J. Paulson

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The original range of striped bass (Morone saxatilis) was along the Atlantic Coast. They were introduced into the lower Sacramento River in 1879 and are now also found along the Pacific Coast. A landlocked striped bass fishery was established in Santee-Cooper Reservoir, South Carolina, in 1954, and they have since been introduced into numerous other reservoirs, including Lake Havasu, Lake Mead and Lake Powell on the Colorado River. Striped bass were introduced into Lake Mead in 1969 in response to declines in the largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) fishery that occurred during the 1960s and in order to further utilize the …

Use Of Hydroelectric Dams To Control Evaporation And Salinity In The Colorado River System, Larry J. Paulson

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The main stem reservoirs on the Colorado River comprise one of the largest and most heavily used freshwater bodies in the nation. These reservoirs (Lake Powell, Lake Mead, Lake Mohave and Lake Havasu) can store up to 53,590,400 acre-feet of water at their maximum capacities. Nonetheless, local water shortages still exist in some areas of the Colorado River Basin. There is also concern that salt concentrations are approaching levels that could severely affect municipal and agricultural uses. Water shortages will become even more acute as demands for water increase with continued urban and agricultural development in the basin.

Water conservation …

The Effects Of Impoundments On Salinity In The Colorado River, Larry J. Paulson, John R. Baker

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The increase in salinity of our western rivers has been identified as one of the most serious water quality problems in the nation. This is of special concern in the Colorado River where salinity has increased from pristine levels estimated at 380 mg/1 to present-day levels of 825 mg/1 at Imperial Dam. Flow depletions, associated with decreased runoff and increased evaporation and diversions, coupled with high salt loading from natural and man-created sources are considered the primary causes for rising salinity in the river. The urban and agricultural development projected to occur in the basin through this century could deplete …

Historical Patterns Of Phytoplankton Productivity In Lake Mead, Richard T. Prentki, Larry J. Paulson

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Lake Mead was impounded in 1935 by the construction of Hoover Dam. The Colorado River was unregulated prior to then and therefore was subjected to extreme variations in flows and suspended sediment loads. Hoover Dam stabilized flows and reduced suspended sediment loads downstream, but Lake Mead still received silt-laden inflows from the upper Colorado River Basin. The Colorado River contributed 97% of the suspended sediment inputs to Lake Mead, and up to 140 x 1O⁶ metric tons (t) entered the reservoir in years of high runoff. Most of the sediments were deposited in the river channel and formed an …

Evaluation Of Impacts Associated With Reregulation Of Water Levels In Lake Mohave, Larry J. Paulson, John R. Baker, U.S. Water And Power Resources Service

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The U.S. Water and Power Resources Service is considering reregulating Lake Mohave water levels to increase the net power benefit from Hoover Dam. Reregulation will not increase the generation capacity of the Hoover powerplant but it will enable the plant operation to be increased when the energy has greater monetary value. Energy generated at different times of the year has different market value, the highest being in January-March and July- September. By generating more power during these periods more net monetary benefit can be derived from Hoover Dam. The total volume of water released from Hoover Dam over an annual …

A Guide To The Threatened And Endangered Vascular Plants Of The Lake Mead National Recreation Area, James S. Holland, Wesley E. Niles, Charles L. Douglas, Dennis R. Schramm

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This illustrated guide was prepared to provide the botanical community, land managers, and other interested persons with a reference that describes and locates the twelve plant taxa currently being considered by the Fish and Wildlife Service for threatened or endangered status in or around the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. The guide is intended to assist managers of government agencies in determining the presence of these species and in defining management programs for their protection. The guide should be consulted prior to any construction project. If a potential conflict is identified, an onsite evaluation should be conducted early in the …

Lake Mead And Lake Powell Salinity Reports, Cathy Lee, Steve Gazafy

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The enclosed reports were compiled for the Colorado River Water Quality Office based on salinity data for Lake Mead and Lake Powell. According to the regional director of the office, the reports are not considered "polished" documents for public distribution. However, he considers them to be "interesting, rough appraisals of general trends that may be very important In our understanding the hydro-salinity system in the Colorado River."

Potential Use Of Hydroelectric Facilities For Manipulating The Fertility Of Lake Mead, Larry J. Paulson, John R. Baker, James E. Deacon

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Analysis of historical nutrient data for Lake Mead indicates that the fertility of the reservoir has decreased which may be the cause for a corresponding decline in the largemouth bass population. However, it appears that fertility can be manipulated by altering the operation of the dam. The depletion of nutrients in the euphotic zone by phytoplankton and subsequent accumulation in the hypolimnion during summer and fall provide a natural nutrient gradient from which water of varying fertility can be drawn for discharge. This combined with alterations in the depth or seasonal pattern of discharge can possibly be used to enhance …