Hydraulic Engineering Commons^™

Assessing The Feasibility Of Soil Infiltration Trenches For Highway Runoff Control On The Island Of Oahu, Hawaii, Martina Sobotkova, Jaromir Dusek, Ghasem Alavi, Laxman Sharma, Chittaranjan Ray

Nebraska Water Center: Faculty Publications

The coastal waters of Hawaii are extremely important for recreation as well as for the health of the marine environment. Non-point source pollution from storm runoff poses a great threat to surface water quality in Hawaii. The State of Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) includes infiltration trenches as a best management practice (BMP) option to reduce pollution caused by stormwater runoff. HDOT guidelines state that the implementation of BMPs is needed to reduce sediment and pollutant loads to streams and the ocean. In this study, the suitability of soils adjacent to highways on Oahu for the siting of infiltration trenches …

Modeling Water Availability, Risk And Resilience In A Semi-Arid Basin In Southern Africa, Esther N. Mosase

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Climate variability need to be incorporated into the management and planning of water resources, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions, where water availability is more sensitive to rainfall and air temperature. This study used modified Man-Kendall trend analysis test and ArcGIS to process data. Annual means of rainfall, minimum temperature and maximum temperature in the Limpopo River Basin (LRB) varied between 160 and 1109 mm, 8 °C to 20 °C and 23 °C to 32 °C respectively. The spatial pattern is generally increasing from west to east for rainfall and minimum temperature while maximum temperature increases from south to north …

Water Quality Factor Prediction Using Supervised Machine Learning, Kathleen Joslyn

REU Final Reports

The objective of this research is to explore prediction accuracy of water quality factors, with techniques and algorithms in machine learning consisting of a variation of support vector machines - Support Vector Regression (SVR) and the gradient boosting algorithm Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost). Both the XGBoost and SVR algorithms were used to predict nine different factors with success rates ranging from 79% to 99%. Parameters of these algorithms were also explored to test the prediction accuracy levels of individual water quality factors. These parameters included normalizing the data, filling missing data points, and training and testing on a large set …

Assessment Of Watershed Nutrient Loads And Effectiveness Of Best Management Practices, Saeid Nazari

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

Several methods have been developed for use in estimating the water quality loads associated with urban and agricultural landuses and practices. These include the use of sophisticated computer models, typically based on using pollutant loading and runoff functions, regression equations, load export coefficients (LECs), and event mean concentrations (EMCs). This research has examined the feasibility of using a simple EMC approach with the Kentucky Nutrient Model (KYNM). The thesis includes an extensive literature review of EMCs and a synthesis of recommended values for a range of typical urban and agricultural landuses. The thesis also includes an extensive literature review of …

Performance Of The Grout Curtain At The Kentucky River Lock And Dam No. 8, Robert C. Hatton

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

Karst bedrock conditions and deterioration of the lock and dam structures have resulted in significant leakage through, underneath, and around Lock and Dam No. 8 on the Kentucky River. During severe droughts, the water surface in Pool No. 8 has been observed to drop below the crest of the dam, resulting in water supply shortages and water quality issues for surrounding communities reliant on the pool. Presently, the primary purpose of Lock and Dam No. 8 is water supply. Pool No. 8 is currently where the cities of Nicholasville (Jessamine County, KY) and Lancaster (Garrard County, KY) draw their water. …

Numerical Modeling And Isotope Tracers To Investigate Karst Biogeochemistry And Transport Processes, Admin Husic

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

This dissertation investigated the physical and biogeochemical processes affecting the source, fate, and transport of sediment, carbon, and nitrogen within a highly-coupled fluviokarst system. Elemental and isotopic datasets were collected at surface and subsurface locations for both dissolved and particulate contaminant phases, new methodology regarding data collection was presented to the karst research community, an in-cave sediment transport model coupling physical transport with elemental and isotopic mass balances of carbon and nitrogen was formulated, pathway and process control on nitrate leaching from agricultural karst watersheds was assessed, and nitrate mobilization and fractionation were modeled using high frequency storm sampling and …

Drought Assessment For The Greater Baribo Basin In Cambodia, Kimhuy Sok

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Cambodia is a developing country. The development and economic of the country rely mainly on agricultural production. Cambodia is a major exporter in the world rice market. The Tonle Sap basin covers about 44% of country. Rice production in the Tonle Sap basin is a main driver for national economic and social development. Due to natural variability and climate change, many forms of the natural disaster such as heavy storm, flood, and drought have occurred in the Tonle Sap basin. Over the recent decades, increased attention has been drawn to drought due to the tendency of rainfall decline. The Royal …

Micro-Scale Flood Hazard Assessment In Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Naichy Sea

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Water-related disasters in urban area, especially urban floods have become more frequent and severe. This leads to loss of life, infrastructure damage, business interruption as well as difficulties in conducting daily activities. Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia, has frequently experienced significant rainfall-flood events during rainy season. Without proper prevention and mitigation and management of urban drainage system, Phnom Penh is expected to confront with the current and future challenge of water-related disaster. To address this urban flood issue, flood modeling could be used to assess flood severity and make a visual representation of the urban flood hazard as …

Surface Water And Groundwater Interaction Mechanism: Plaichumphol Irrigation Project As A Study Area, Pwint Phyu Aye

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

The Plaichumphol Irrigation Project is an irrigation area which depends on both irrigation water and groundwater for long time. Farmers in that area have their cultivation almost whole year. Therefore groundwater supply is a major alternative source especially in dry periods. The aims of this study are to understand the interactions and parameters of land and river recharge, to analyse the surface water and the surface water and groundwater interaction mechanism via development of local groundwater model.
For this purpose, groundwater flow model (GMS) was used to develop regional and local groundwater models. The model was calibrated from 1993-1997 and …

Flood Damage Assessment: A Case Study In Bakan And Phnom Kravanh Districts, Pursat Province, Cambodia, Chhunleang Rorm

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Flood is still a major climate hazard in Pursat province, a potential province for agricultural development in Cambodia. The consequences of this water-related disaster are social problems such as poverty, food insecurity and health problems, which indirectly prolong the growth of the country's economy. To propose a proper flood mitigation measure, flood damage assessment is considered as a fundamental step to implement so that the value of elements at risk is initially evaluated. The objectives of this research are to assess flood damage in agriculture and affected people in Bakan and Phnom Kravanh districts, Pursat province from 2000 to 2014, …

Hydraulic Properties Of Baled Switchgrass And Miscanthus, Drew F. Schiavone, Michael D. Montross

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

This study characterized the hydraulic properties within baled switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum L., variety Alamo) and miscanthus (Miscanthus x giganteus), thereby enabling a better understanding of moisture changes in baled biomass during on-farm storage and/or high-solids bioconversion. Fully saturated bales were drained by gravity, and the moisture content was determined over 60 h. The average initial moisture content ranged between 55.9% and 71.9% (w.b.) for switchgrass and between 60.5% and 73.9% (w.b.) for miscanthus bales depending on the dry bale density. As the bale drained by gravity, rapid leaching of water was observed within the first 0.1 h, …

Modeling The Impacts Of Sea Level Rise On Storm Surge Inundation In Flood-Prone Urban Areas Of Hampton Roads, Virginia, Luca Castrucci, Navid Tahvildari

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Hampton Roads is a populated area in the United States Mid-Atlantic region that is highly affected by sea level rise (SLR). The transportation infrastructure in the region is increasingly disrupted by storm surge and even minor flooding events. The purpose of this study is to improve our understanding of SLR impacts on storm surge flooding in the region. We develop a hydrodynamic model to study the vulnerability of several critical flood-prone neighborhoods to storm surge flooding under several SLR projections. The hydrodynamic model is validated for tide prediction, and its performance in storm surge simulation is validated with the water …

Applying Control Logic To The End Of The Ohio Canal Interceptor Tunnel Based On Downstream Capacity To Reduce Overflow Of Akron’S Wastewater Collection System, William Troyer

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

During the Akron Waterways Renewed Program, the city of Akron is studying ways to improve efficiency in the existing sewer system while also reducing the number and scale of combined sewer overflow (CSO) events. Real time control logic can be developed to reduce CSO events by improving flow and storage capacity. Looking at one point in the system, when the target capacity of the downstream pipe was increased from 20% to 80%, the peak volume of overflow from the Ohio Canal Interceptor Tunnel decreased from 9,067 gallons to 5,965 gallons the total system overflow increased from 10.3 million gallons to …

Three-Dimensional Modeling Of Nitrate-N Transport In Vadose Zone: Roles Of Soil Heterogeneity And Groundwater Flux, Simin Akbariyeh, Shannon L. Bartelt-Hunt, Daniel D. Snow, Xu Li, Zhenghong Tang, Yusong Li

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

Contamination of groundwater from nitrogen fertilizers in agricultural lands is an important environmental and water quality management issue. It is well recognized that in agriculturally intensive areas, fertilizers and pesticides may leach through the vadose zone and eventually reach groundwater. While numerical models are commonly used to simulate fate and transport of agricultural contaminants, few models have considered a controlled field work to investigate the influence of soil heterogeneity and groundwater flow on nitrate-N distribution in both root zone and deep vadose zone.

In this work, a numerical model was developed to simulate nitrate-N transport and transformation beneath a center …

Evaluation Of Variable Rate Irrigation Using A Remote-Sensing-Based Model, John Burdette Barker, Derek M. Heeren, Christopher M.U. Neale, Daran Rudnick

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Improvements in soil water balance modeling can be beneficial for optimizing irrigation management to account for spatial variability in soil properties and evapotranspiration (ET). A remote-sensing-based ET and water balance model was tested for irrigation management in an experiment at two University of Nebraska-Lincoln research sites located near Mead and Brule, Nebraska. Both fields included a center pivot equipped with variable rate irrigation (VRI). The study included maize in 2015 and 2016 and soybean in 2016 at Mead, and maize in 2016 at Brule, for a total of 210 plot-years. Four irrigation treatments were applied at Mead, including: VRI based …

Micro-Scale Flood Hazard Assessment In Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Naichy Sea

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Water-related disasters in urban area, especially urban floods have become more frequent and severe. This leads to loss of life, infrastructure damage, business interruption as well as difficulties in conducting daily activities. Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia, has frequently experienced significant rainfall-flood events during rainy season. Without proper prevention and mitigation and management of urban drainage system, Phnom Penh is expected to confront with the current and future challenge of water-related disaster. To address this urban flood issue, flood modeling could be used to assess flood severity and make a visual representation of the urban flood hazard as …

Flood Damage Assessment: A Case Study In Bakan And Phnom Kravanh Districts, Pursat Province, Cambodia, Chhunleang Rorm

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Flood is still a major climate hazard in Pursat province, a potential province for agricultural development in Cambodia. The consequences of this water-related disaster are social problems such as poverty, food insecurity and health problems, which indirectly prolong the growth of the country's economy. To propose a proper flood mitigation measure, flood damage assessment is considered as a fundamental step to implement so that the value of elements at risk is initially evaluated. The objectives of this research are to assess flood damage in agriculture and affected people in Bakan and Phnom Kravanh districts, Pursat province from 2000 to 2014, …

Micro-Scale Flood Hazard Assessment In Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Naichy Sea

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Water-related disasters in urban area, especially urban floods have become more frequent and severe. This leads to loss of life, infrastructure damage, business interruption as well as difficulties in conducting daily activities. Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia, has frequently experienced significant rainfall-flood events during rainy season. Without proper prevention and mitigation and management of urban drainage system, Phnom Penh is expected to confront with the current and future challenge of water-related disaster. To address this urban flood issue, flood modeling could be used to assess flood severity and make a visual representation of the urban flood hazard as …

Integrated Assessment Of Shallow-Aquifer Vulnerability To Multiple Contaminants And Drinking-Water Exposure Pathways In Holliston, Massachusetts, Birgit Claus Henn, Yelena Ogneva-Himmelberger, Allegra Denehy, Marcie Randall, Nichole Cordon, Bilin Basu, Brian Caccavale, Stefanie Covino, Ravi Hanumantha, Kevin Longo, Ariel Maiorano, Spring Pillsbury, Gabrielle Rigutto, Kelsey Shields, Marianne Sarkis, Timothy Downs

Sustainability and Social Justice

Half of U.S. drinking water comes from aquifers, and very shallow ones (table) are especially vulnerable to anthropogenic contamination. We present the case of Holliston, a Boston, Massachusetts suburb that draws its drinking water from very shallow aquifers, and where metals and solvents have been reported in groundwater. Community concerns focus on water discolored by naturally occurring manganese (Mn), despite reports stating regulatory aesthetic compliance. Epidemiologic studies suggest Mn is a potentially toxic element (PTE) for children exposed by the drinking-water pathway at levels near the regulatory aesthetic level. We designed an integrated, community-based project: five sites were profiled for …

Evaluation Of Water Resources And Hydraulic Influences In The Restoration Of The Western Part Of The Mesopotamian Marshlands, Ali Kareem Al-Quraishi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to assess the water resources and water conveyance system of the western part of the Mesopotamian marshes (Al-Hammar marsh) as well as develop a water conveyance system to distribute water throughout the western Al-Hammar marsh. These processes are significant to identify the current restoration problems and help to create restoration strategies for the marsh. Also, proper management strategy to the Al-Hammar marsh is necessary to preserve the marsh ecosystem, irrigate lands, and provide domestic necessities in the villages.

The overall project is divided into three main chapters which address the current ecological and hydrological …