Digital Commons Network^™

Examining The Relationship Between Manning's Roughness Coefficient And Stage, Henry Holtkamp

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper uses LOESS regression to predict Manning's roughness coefficient to calculate flows in natural stream channels. Manning's roughness coefficient can introduce variability into Manning's equation, potentially destabilizing results. Utilizing LOESS to find n based on backcalculated n from collected discharge vs. stage information is the best way to acquire accurate Manning's roughness coefficient values at a variety of flows. Book values tend to drastically overestimate which can have wide-ranging implications for water allocation, flood management, maintaining environmental flows, and maintaining water quality.

A Case Of Water: A Rhetorical Analysis Of The Legal And Social Effects Of The Arizona V. Navajo Nation Supreme Court Case, Mykel Patrick Greene

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The water crisis effecting the Navajo Nation is among the worst in recent memory—a situation that has only been exacerbated by the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 5-4 decision in favor of Arizona in the case of Arizona v. Navajo Nation 599 U. S. ____ (2023). This case, which was the culmination of a 20-year legal battle, sought assistance and potential aid from the federal government regarding water usage and assessment. However, considering the Arizona v. Navajo Nation decision, the Navajo will have to manage this crisis alone. This paper will use frame analysis to identify the various frames the Navajo …

Interactive Water Vortex Exhibit, Simon Way, Emily Laing, Roqaya Naseri, Makenzie Kan

Mechanical Engineering

The San Luis Obispo Children’s Museum requested an interactive water vortex exhibit to both engage and entertain inquisitive guests, ages two to eight. The goal was to design and manufacture an exhibit that would educate its users on the fluid mechanics behind water vortices. They activate the mechanics by spinning a wheel, which is perceived as the catalyst to manipulate the flow of water to successfully create a whirlpool. Our team has created an interactive display that will enlighten young minds, providing the museum with an educational exhibit which shares a concept not currently taught by any other. Our project …

Groundwater Flow Across The Coyote Wash Fault And Cedar Mesa Anticline Near St. Johns, Arizona, Stephanie Lynn Latour

Theses and Dissertations

As the demand for water increases across the southwestern United States, the region's utilization of and dependence on water stored in groundwater aquifers has risen in kind. The Coconino Aquifer (C-aquifer) underlies much of the southwestern Colorado Plateau and is a primary source of groundwater in northeastern Arizona. One of the largest commercial users of water from the C-aquifer in Apache County, Arizona, is Springerville Generating Station, a coal-fired power plant owned and operated by Tucson Electric Power. The area surrounding the power plant, located between the cities of Springerville and St. Johns, Arizona (the Springerville-St. Johns area), is geologically …

Indigenous Water Rights: Navigating Sovereign Waters, Cynthia N. Pina

Master's Projects and Capstones

The issue of Native American water rights and the sovereignty of their land on reservations is gaining increasing prominence, making it the focal point of this thesis as an environmental justice concern. Native Americans face disproportionate public health challenges related to water accessibility, contamination, sanitation, outdated infrastructure, and other social determinants of health. The legal framework that governs the coexistence of Native Americans in the United States is rooted in a settler colonial perspective. Consequently, this has created a dependent relationship between Native Americans and the United States federal government. Despite the long-standing advocacy of Tribes for sovereignty since the …

Development Of A Multispectral Vis-Swir Imaging Modality For Cutaneous Water Assessment, Quinlan Mcgrath

McKelvey School of Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Inflammatory skin diseases are estimated to impact 20% of the global population and are the fourth leading cause of nonfatal disability worldwide. Diagnosis and management are predominantly based on clinician visual assessment of disease related changes in skin morphology. The qualitative nature of this method can result in misdiagnosis and underdiagnoses of treatable diseases. There persists systematic undertreatment of skin of color patients given the more subtle presentation of erythema against pigmented skin. There exists a clinical need for a quantitative and objective inflammation assessment tool that meets the needs of a diverse patient population. The accumulation of interstitial fluid …

The Role Of Social Media Activism In Achieving Good Water And Sanitation In Ghana, Inusah Mohammed

Communication ETDs

This thesis examined the role of social media activism in ensuring good water and sanitation in Ghana. The study conducted a thematic analysis of Facebook posts (403) from March 2020 to December 2022 and found seven themes on how social activists are presenting issues concerning water and sanitation in Ghana. The study also found outcomes of the activism and also found theoretical implications of activism on social media usage in Ghana.

Water Scarcity In Lebanon: The Edge Of Collapse, Gregory B. Yared

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper discusses the history and future of water in the Republic Of Lebanon, giving general attention to the future of water and agriculture in the Middle East. Chapter One will use several sources to examine a broad section of quantitative data covering water scarcity. Additionally, this chapter will use annual United Nations agriculture reports highlighting the growing risk posed by inadequate agricultural development mixed with water scarcity. These sources will be used to examine both the historical issues surrounding agriculture and the current problems faced. Chapter Two focuses on the history of agriculture and water use in the region …

The Environmental Implications Of War: Analysis Of The Spectacular And Slow Environmental Violence Inflicted Through Russia’S Deliberate Targeting And Weaponization Of Ukrainian Environments, Alexander Campanile Sheikh

Standard Theses

The presence of war and armed conflict can cause extreme effects in the long and short term, but war as a concept holds an inherently anthropocentric bias. Among human activities causing severe changes to the environment, war’s consequences are both intensive and far reaching, and while war is incited, perpetrated, and fought specifically by humans, these conflicts come at the expense of all, including a silent victim: the greater environment in which wars take place. Today, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is the most significant confrontation in Europe in decades. Public attention and outrage, however, tends to focus on …

High-Yield Bioinspired Atmospheric Water Capture Through Hydrogels, Yiwei Gao

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Water scarcity is a global issue affecting billions of people, and atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) technology has been identified as a potential solution. However, existing single-material AWH approaches have limited water harvesting yields due to alternated water capture, storage, and release stages, and only function within a high relative humidity range. In my doctoral research project, we developed a bio-inspired, hydrogel-based multi-layer AWH approach that allows for segregated capture, storage, and release stages, and is envisioned to have higher daily water harvesting efficiency even in low-humidity areas. My research began with understanding the relations between hydrogel mechanical stiffness, hydraulic permeability, …

Habitat Selection By Desert Carnivores: How Water, Intraguild Predation, And Prey Impact Animal Space Use, Nadine A. Pershyn

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Across North America large carnivores have lost nearly half of their historic range, creating openings for smaller (< 15 kg) carnivores to take over their ecological roles. Coyotes (Canis latrans) have seen a significant range expansion, including into arid deserts. It was believed that the addition of artificial water sources by humans allowed coyotes to expand into desert ecosystems where they were previously unable to survive. The kit fox (Vulpes macrotis) is a small, desert-adapted carnivore with declining populations that faces threats from coyotes of intraguild predation. This is when carnivores compete over the same prey, and the larger carnivore (intraguild predator) kills the smaller carnivore (intraguild …

Mapping Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (Pfas) In South Carolina Surface Waters: Are There Hotspots?, Thomas C. Geiger

Senior Theses

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic chemicals used in consumer products for their unique chemical properties. PFAS compounds are resistant to water, oil, heat, and grease, making them useful for a wide variety of everyday items such as non-stick cooking pans, food packaging, electronics, carpets, upholstery, paints, adhesives, and personal care products.¹ The resilient nature of PFAS has made these compounds immensely popular with consumers but has since been considered a potential environmental and public health hazard for their ability to bioaccumulate and for their stability in the environment. More than 6000 PFAS have been discovered in the …

Certainty Is Wild And Weaving: Analyzing The Clouds Of Venus, Grace Sanger-Johnson

Senior Projects Spring 2023

Supposed detection of phosphine as a biosigature in the clouds of Venus has resulted in a flurry of interest in studying the potential habitability of Venus and other Venus-like exoplanets. However, there are still many unanswered questions about the planet's atmosphere. In this senior project, use spectroscopy to better understand the molecular composition and atmospheric dynamics of Venus. To do this, I analyzed partly-processed spectra from a previously unstudied infrared wavelength obtained at NASA’s Infrared Telescope Facility in July 2021. I developed multiple systems of analysis to extract information from the partly processed data and understand the consequences of this …

Analysis Of Benthic Macroinvertebrate Response To Restoration Flows And Scour In The Trinity River, Northern California, Sarah Gutierrez, Julie Avina

Cal Poly Humboldt Capstone Honor Roll

This study investigates the ecological impact of restoration flows and scouring events on benthic macroinvertebrate (BMI) communities within the Trinity River, an ecosystem historically impacted by anthropogenic activities. Central to this study is the examination of how hydrologic alterations, especially the construction of the Lewiston Dam, have influenced these vital ecological indicators. Using data collected earlier in 2023 from a current study by Benjamin King, we analyzed BMI samples from three river sites (Junction City, Pear Tree, and Lorenz Gulch), both prior to and following a major scouring event in January 2023. This paper utilizes statistical analyses, including ANOVA and …

Desalination And Development: Locating The Missing Masses In Dakar’S Water Network, Marina Riad

Scripps Senior Theses

The introduction of desalination technology to the water network in Dakar, Senegal marks a monumental change in how state and commercial interests aim to solve systemic problems using novel technologies. Desalination aims to transform the ocean surrounding Dakar into potable water, a vital resource in the growing metropolis. However, this desalination project must integrate itself within a network of social, historical, political, commercial, and ecological influences shaping the role of desalination in urban Dakar. With millions of dollars and an entire ocean mobilized towards solving Dakar’s water problems, it may come as a surprise that this project will only provide …

Windblown Snow Bedforms And Their Effects On Snow Water Content Wenatchee Range, Washington, Ryan Hampton

All Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

WINDBLOWN SNOW BEDFORMS AND THEIR

EFFECTS ON SNOW WATER CONTENT

WENATCHEE RANGE, WASHINGTON

by

Ryan C. Hampton

June 2023

Windblown snow bedforms (WBSBF) are formations of distinct sizes, shapes, and patterns, resulting from the interaction of wind and snow particles. Due to the extreme nature of the formation of WBSBF, which occur in remote high elevation mountain environments during severe weather events, it makes it difficult to not only study these dramatic formations in real time but also predict their occurrence with any regularity. The purpose of this research was to 1) establish a method to actively monitor WBSBF …

Acoustic Propagation Variation With Temperature Profile In Water Filled Steel Pipes At Pressure, John Eugene Hough

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 2017+

Conventional pressure leak testing of buried pipelines compares measurements of pressure with pipe wall temperature. An alternative proposed method uses acoustic velocity measurements to replace pipe wall temperature measurements. Early experiments using this method identified anomalous results of rising acoustic velocities thought to be caused by air solution.

This research investigated the anomalous acoustic velocity measurements by evaluation of acoustic velocity variation with pressure, temperature and air solution. Quiescent air solution rate experiments were carried out in water filled pipes. Computer modelling of the air bubble shape variation with pipe diameter was found to agree with bubble and drop experiments …

Phosphorus Fate And Management On The Somerset Levels And Moors Ramsar Ditch Systems, Ry Crocker

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

Fundamental to all life, phosphorus is an essential nutrient and, contrastingly, a significant threat to surface water biodiversity globally as one of the most common causes of eutrophication in surface waters worldwide. Freshwater wetland ditches afflicted by these conditions undergo a shift from primarily submerged aquatic vegetation to algae or duckweed dominance, leading to excessive shading and anoxic conditions. Phosphorus, from both point (e.g., wastewater treatment works) and diffuse (largely agricultural runoff) sources, is currently the central reason for failure in the majority of surface water bodies in England to meet required water quality guidelines. Historic data indicate that surface …

Decreasing Trash In Local Creeks: A Program Evaluation Of The City Of San Jose’S Direct Discharge Trash Control Program, Lakeisha Bryant

Master's Projects

The entire San Francisco Bay was once a navigable waterway in the 1850s during the Gold Rush era. Large amounts of sediment from upstream erosion and mining flowed to the bay resulting in the downsizing of the bay’s square miles (Environmental Protection Agency, 2022). As a result of intense development on the bay shores and adjacent lands, the bay faces several challenges that affect its water quality and threatens aquatic ecosystems. Pesticides, mercury, metals, and pathogens are just a few substances in the bay that cause unhealthy conditions for aquatic life and threaten human health. California’s Water Resources Control Board …

Common Ground Over Common Water: Defining The Public Interest In The Milwaukee Watershed, Thomas Anthony Gentine

Theses and Dissertations

My dissertation examines government and nongovernment entities’ attempts to restore and protect the use and health of the Milwaukee River and its watershed from 1960 to 2000. Under Mayor Henry Maier’s leadership, Milwaukee worked to reclaim the urban riverway to stimulate economic growth. However, state and federal representatives, after the passage of the 1965 Water Quality Act, demanded that the city government prioritize updating the combined storm and sewer system to lessen pollution in the Milwaukee River. At the same time, other groups worked to save rural areas from unplanned development and further degradation of the waterway. Influential groups included …

Communication Matters: A Study Of Communication Between Emergency Managers And Water Systems Professionals Regarding Insufficient Access To Drinking Water, Paula R. Buchanan

Dissertations

In 2021, the United States – specifically the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation – declared its first-ever drinking water shortage for the Colorado River and the Hoover Dam, resulting in cuts to water access for the southwestern United States. Unfortunately, incidents like this one are increasingly likely to occur as access to drinking water has become a more pervasive issue that not only impacts the work of water systems professionals, but also impacts the field of emergency management and its practitioners. In addition, these incidents underscore the need to put a spotlight on communication processes between water systems professionals and emergency …

A Snapshot Of Sars-Cov-2 In Wastewater Treatment Plants In Northwest Arkansas, Katie Loethen

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Because SARS-CoV-2, a coronavirus, is released in the fecal shedding of covid-positive patients, the virus enters the municipal waste stream and flows to wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The goal of this research is to quantify the effectiveness of wastewater treatment processes at removing SARS-CoV-2 from wastewater and preventing its release into the environment. Sampling at Paul R. Noland and West Side WWTPs in Fayetteville, Arkansas, took place from August 2020 to May 2021, and samples were tested for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 using N1 and N2 primers via RT-qPCR. Sampling days which returned positive detection of one or both of …

Characterization Of Municipal Water Sources For The Mexico-Lerma-Cutzamala Basin Region, Ian F. Hirons

Sustainability and Social Justice

The Mexico and Toluca Valleys in central Mexico are part of one of the most heavily populated megalopolises in the western hemisphere where consistent access to safe, affordable, and quality water sources figures to be a decisive challenge in the era of climate change. This professional project report compiles a range of statistics and information about the vital liquid for 29 municipalities located in and around the Mexico City and Toluca areas. This contribution is derived from a broader team research endeavor that seeks to gauge the impacts and adaptive processes to climate change within those regions. By doing so, …

Automated Contingency Management For Water Recycling System, Shijie Tang

Theses and Dissertations

NASA’s exploration program envisions the utilization of a Deep Space Habitat (DSH) for human exploration of the space environment in the vicinity of Mars and beyond. Communication latency and extreme limitations of power and life-supporting resources make it imperative to operate the DSH systems in a highly autonomous fashion. One such system is the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) which needs to be monitored and optimized to support its designated missions.

Integrated System Health Management (ISHM) technologies have been developed in the past decades to provide a real-time assessment of system health and use this information to improve …

Assessing Psychosocial Factors That Influence Water, Sanitation, And Hygiene Behavior In The Amhara Region Of Ethiopia, Kimberly Kamara

Dissertations and Theses

Background: The absence of potable drinking water from an improved source combined with inadequate sanitation and hygiene contributed to an estimated 1.9% of the global burden of disease in 2016. The estimated number of diarrheal deaths in 2016 was 1.4 million, of which 829,000 could have been prevented through improved drinking water and sanitation services, and hand-washing with soap. Despite the clear link between poor water and sanitation access and hygiene practices, 785 million people do not have access to water and two million do not have access to basic sanitation services. However, access does not automatically result in increased …

Distribution And Ecological Function Of Pacific Lamprey In The San Luis Obispo Creek Watershed, Parker Kalan

Master's Theses

Pacific lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus) is an endemic species to coastal watersheds along the Pacific Rim in North America and Asia. The species' geographic distribution is retracting and has not been mapped precisely, and the ability for the species to provide ecosystem services, such as water filtration, for supporting watershed management has not been tested. The San Luis Obispo Creek watershed, California, USA is at the southern end of Pacific lamprey’s retracting distribution, and the San Luis Obispo watershed is impacted by degraded water quality, making investigation of Pacific lamprey in the San Luis Obispo Creek watershed of direct …

Photocatalytic Degradation Of Organic Contaminants By Titania Particles Produced By Flame Spray Pyrolysis, Noah Babik

Theses and Dissertations

Advanced oxidation of organic pollutants with TiO2 photocatalysts is limited due to the wide bandgap of TiO2, 3.2 eV, which requires ultraviolet (UV) radiation. When nanosized TiO2 is modified by carbon doping, charge recombination is inhibited and the bandgap is narrowed, allowing for efficient photodegradation under visible light. Here, we propose a flame spray pyrolysis (FSP) technique to create TiO2. The facile process of FSP has been successful in preparing highly crystalline TiO2 nanoparticles. Using the same procedure to deposit TiO2 onto biochar, the photocatalyst was doped by the carbonaceous material. The morphology, crystalline and electronic structure of the FSP …

Point Of Use Technologies To Increase Access To Clean Water In Rural Communities, Elena Arroway

Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals

Access to clean water is an issue that many communities around the world struggle with. While large-scale efforts such as piping infrastructure have been successful, these are less effective at reaching small, rural communities. To supplement these efforts, point of use (POU) methods for water treatment can be implemented. These include boiling, chemical treatment, filters, and several additional technologies. These have all shown effectiveness in a lab setting, but their implementation in the real world, specifically in rural communities, has not been nearly as effective. In this paper, several different POU methods are evaluated for their effectiveness on a small-scale, …

Assessing Potential Of Dual Use Solar Development In New Jersey Preserved Farmlands, Gary Ryan Chapman

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The dual use of farmland and the incorporation of solar energy has the potential to maximize the net returns per acre and utilization capabilities. Land is one of the most vital and nonrenewable resources that is often solely used for one purpose. This study focuses on analyzing three objectives: 1) To explore the potential of Agrivoltaic Farming (dual use) on preserved farmland in New Jersey. 2) To estimate the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) of New Jersey’s dual use potential. 3) To generate sensitivity analyses of dual use solar and farm production in New Jersey. This study analyzed New Jersey’s …

Release Of Large Water Droplets, Jeffrey N. Fonnesbeck

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Water is familiar to all human beings and water droplets are an integral part of our daily lives. From irrigation sprinklers to waterfalls we can observe the formation of water droplets. For most, the droplets are so common and mundane that no thought is given to how the droplets form. Scientists have spent many decades detailing the processes that lead to droplet formation. Current theories and experiments agree quite well for specific cases such as pendant drop formation and jet breakup, but in regards to large volumes of free falling liquid there is very little experimental work to confirm the …