Digital Commons Network^™

In The Name Of National Interest? Assessing The Shift Of Australian Foreign Policy Regarding West Papua During 2006, Jaymin Beck

Theses : Honours

The Australian government currently maintains a strong position against an independent West Papua. Despite claims of human rights abuses by the Indonesian Government in West Papua and the huge number of West Papuan refugees fleeing to Australian shores, the Australian Government continues to tighten foreign policy and migration laws to make it increasingly difficult for West Papuans to seek asylum in Australia and hope for an independent West Papua. When Australia’s humanitarian intervention in the Timor-Leste fight for independence in 1999 is considered, reasons why the Australian government maintains an anti-separatist position towards West Papua are unclear. Australia took a …

Whores And The Law: A Case Study Of The Sexual Double Standard And The Contagious Diseases Acts In Mid-Nineteenth Century England, Alexandra Wallis

Theses : Honours

This thesis examines how the sexual double standard in mid-nineteenth century England disempowered women and female prostitutes through the Contagious Diseases Acts of the 1860s. The Acts were created in an attempt to lower venereal disease among the soldiers in the British army. The method for this was to target prostituted women suspected of being infected and have them examined after which they could be interned in a lock hospital for three to nine months. Radical feminism has done much to highlight the harm experienced by women in prostitution. Thus using radical feminism, in particular the theoretical perspective of Catharine …

Letter Reversal Assessments: A Systematic Review Of Measurement Properties, Administration Guidelines And Reversal Content And Richmond Reversal Rating: Construct Validity In Relation To Visual-Spatial Abilities, Lucinda Venter

Theses : Honours

Background: With several assessments available that purport to measure the letter reversal rates of young school-aged children, the question was raised how reliable and comparable these assessments are and to what extent each assessment addresses the concept of letter reversals? A systematic review of these assessments was performed to evaluate the measurement properties and administration guidelines, and to compare the reversal content of these assessments.

Method: Relevant assessments and studies were identified through literature searches. For each of the assessments the measurement properties, quality of the studies that report the measurement properties, and administration guidelines were evaluated, and the content …

New Mexico Water Law Capsules, Stephanie Tsosie

Water Matters!

This article contains a list some of the key cases decided in the state and federal courts of New Mexico with very brief descriptions of the rulings. The finalized cases have been arranged by topic. This chapter is intended to be a quick and handy reference guide and not a thorough summary of the facts and law of each case. This year we have also included a list of water law statutes.

Water Conservation, Consuelo Bokum

Water Matters!

New Mexico always has had periods of water shortages, some far more long lasting and devastating than others. As warming temperature and changing weather patterns continue to develop, the likelihood that water shortages—like those felt throughout the state from 2010 through 2013—will occur with greater frequency. These changes can and have caused significant economic and environmental damage, and the risk of more harm will not improve unless we improve our water management significant.

Drought, Adrian Oglesby

Water Matters!

New Mexico is renowned for its high deserts, mild climate, and abundant sunshine. Incidentally, these physical attributes, which make New Mexico so unique and beautiful, are also characteristic of a naturally dry environment. The state has been subjected to severe drought conditions in the past, alternating with times of uncharacteristically high supplies of moisture upon which its population has at times over-relied.

This article will provide various definitions of drought and a short history of drought in New Mexico; discuss impacts of drought on the state’s human water user communities and environment; discuss in brief the priority call and water …

Priority Administration, Ed Merta

Water Matters!

Since the turn of the twenty first century, drought conditions have frequently stricken much of New Mexico. Such intervals of extreme dryness have been a permanent, recurring feature of the state’s climate for at least two thousand years, according to tree ring data and other scientific evidence. Some of these past droughts lasted for decades, exceeding in severity the Dust Bowl of the 1930sand the great New Mexico drought of the 1950s. Today, climate change models indicate that the Southwest will likely become even hotter, potentially making future droughts in New Mexico more extreme. Managing water shortages promises to become …

Active Water Resource Management, Paul Bossert, Gregory C. Ridgley

Water Matters!

For decades, most of the waters of the State of New Mexico have been the subject of water rights adjudications to establish all the water rights. Stream systems and sub-basins geographically define the adjudications. There are twelve active cases. However, complete adjudication of all New Mexico water rights is still many years away. Meanwhile, water use in the state has evolved.New water users increasingly look to acquire existing water rights rather than developing new rights. Decisions on administration, distribution, and redistribution of water have to be made.

It was widely held, though not unanimously, that the State Engineer needed greater …

Domestic Wells, Paul Bossert, Sarah Armstrong

Water Matters!

The domestic well statutes direct that the State Engineer “shall” issue a permit for certain types of temporary or low volume wells, including wells for household use. For the past fifty-five years, the Office of the State Engineer (OSE) has interpreted this to mean that such permits are granted with no evaluation, public notice, or hearing.

Water For New Mexico Rivers, Beth Bardwell, Adrian Oglesby

Water Matters!

The Rio Grande, the Pecos, the Gila, the San Juan, the Canadian—New Mexico’s rivers are synonymous with the state’s culture and natural heritage. New Mexicans overwhelmingly care about the health of the state’s rivers and that includes flows to support fish and river dependent wildlife. Rivers, wetlands, and riparian areas comprise a very small part of our landscape—a mere 1 percent. This 1 percent plays an essential role in renewing the state’s water supply for its two million residents; for sustaining the state’s second largest industry—tourism; for producing food and fiber; and for sustaining New Mexico’s web of life. Eighty …

Inter-Basin Water Transfers, Anne Minard

Water Matters!

Inter-basin water transfers move water from one watershed to another. As droughts constrict the availability of water, and cities grow larger and thirstier, such transfers are increasingly being eyed as a solution. Although inter-basin transfers usually do not increase the overall availability of water in a state, they can move water to where it is needed most. Some of the main proponents of inter-basin transfers are pro-growth city and state governments as the re-allocation of water across watersheds allows for flexibility in planning for future growth.

Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project, Jerold Widdison, Pat Page

Water Matters!

In March of 2009, the Congress passed and President Obama signed into law the“Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009". The Project is a major endeavor for northwestern New Mexico. In one sense,authorization of the project culminates years of work. In another sense, it means the beginning of many additional years of effort. There is much to be done to construct and carry the project forward to reality, including work for the federal government,the State of New Mexico, the Navajo Nation, and the city of Gallup. In view of the Project’s magnitude, this article reviews only its major aspects

The Nambé, Pojoaque, San Ildefonso, And Tesuque Pueblos Settlement, Paul Bossert, Sarah Armstrong

Water Matters!

The “Aamodt case” is a complex, long-running adjudication of water rights in the Pojoaque River watershed northwest of Santa Fe. In 1966,it was filed in federal court as State of New Mexico, ex rel. State Engineer,et al. v. Aamodt, et al. The parties include the State, through the State Engineer, about 5,600 non-Indian claimants, the Pueblos of Nambé, Pojoaque,San Ildefonso, and Tesuque, and governmental entities such as the county of Santa Fe, many acequias, the Pojoaque Valley Irrigation District, and several federal and state agencies.

Taos Pueblo Water Rights Settlement, Paul Bossert, Darcy S. Bushnell

Water Matters!

In November of 2010, the Congress passed the Claims Resolution Act and on December 8, President Obama signed it into law. Title V of the Claims Act, the Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Act, settles the Pueblo portion of the Abeyta case and approves an agreement signed in 2006 by officials from Taos Pueblo, the State of New Mexico, and other interested water rights owners in the Taos area. The settlement act also helps resolve the non-Indian portion of Abeyta. The measure quantifies Taos Pueblo’s water rights and protects the interests of local acequias, the Town of Taos, and …

Salt Basin, Jerold Widdison, Stephanie Tsosie

Water Matters!

The Salt Basin of south-central New Mexico presents several problems of resource utilization. The basin is a large but little-known area—dry, inhospitable—but it has a sought-after supply of groundwater and perhaps a supply of natural gas and oil. In addition, the basin features vast stretches of grassland in an essentially intact natural environment. The“hows” and the “whethers” of using and conserving these resources have been vigorously argued for several years.

Water Trust Board, Joanne Hilton, Darcy S. Bushnell

Water Matters!

In 2001, the New Mexico legislature passed the Water Project Finance Act. The stated purpose of the Water Project Finance Act is to provide a financing mechanism to promote water use efficiency, water resource conservation and protection, and fair distribution and allocation of water to all users. The Water Trust Board was created in the Act. Its purpose is to: 1) oversee and administer the Water Trust Fund and Water Project Fund; 2) review and recommend funding for qualifying water projects to the legislature; and 3)pursue additional funding opportunities.

Strategic Water Reserve, Brigette Buynak, Stephanie Tsosie

Water Matters!

The Strategic Water Reserve (Reserve) established in 2005 transforms New Mexico’s policies regarding river management. The Reserve is a pool of publicly held water rights dedicated to keeping New Mexico’s rivers flowing to meet the needs of river-dependent endangered species and to fulfill our water delivery obligations to other states. It is a tool for New Mexico to achieve sensible and sustainable water policies by balancing water use between cities, industry, agriculture, and the rivers of the state.

Read Poster Of Dr. Richard Larson, University Of New Mexico Health Sciences Library And Informatics Center

READ Posters

Richard S. Larson, MD, PhD, is the Executive Vice Chancellor for Research for UNM's Health Sciences Center. He is shown with his favorite book, Doctors of Medicine in New Mexico: A History of Health and Medical Practice, 1886-1986 by Jake W. Spidle, Jr. This photo was taken at the Health Sciences Library and Informatics Center (HSLIC) - the best place to study on the HSC campus!

Environmental Factors Influencing Drinking Water Consumption And Access In Rural Communities: Cuba, New Mexico, Courtney Thornton, Theresa Cruz, Sally Davis

Posters and Presentations

Consumption of sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) contributes to increasing obesity rates because they are a highly caloric beverage with poor nutritional value. Substituting SSB consumption with water consumption will help to decrease obesity. Water consumption is affected by various factors, including water access, a clean water supply, SSB popularity, policies, recommendations, and individual perceptions. Little research has addressed water consumption in rural populations. We are investigating access to drinking water of residents of the rural multicultural town of Cuba, NM. A literature review is being conducted on the advantages of water consumption and adverse effects of SSBs. Field observations assessed …

2010-2014 Pedestrian And Bicycle Traffic Count Preliminary Report, Sally M. Davis, Theresa H. Cruz, Emily A. Lilo, Heather Lucero, Alejandro Ortega, Tim Rogers, Joanne Hughes, Richard Kozoll, Jeanette Linville, Loretta Tollefson

Reports & Documents

The Step Into Cuba Alliance (the Alliance) is a broad coalition of local, state and national organizations and individuals working to increase opportunities for physical activity in the Village of Cuba, NM (the Village). A primary goal of the Alliance is to increase the walkability of Cuba to encourage walking as a convenient and low-cost form of physical activity. One of the areas of focus for the Alliance is US Highway 550 (US 550), a four lane, federal highway that bisects the Village and serves as Cuba’s main street. The Alliance is also working to make NM 126, leading from …

Examining The Rights-Of-Way Process For Indian Allotment Lands Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project, Bernadette Benally Fontenelle

Water Resources Professional Project Reports

This research examines the Rights-of-Way process for Navajo allotment lands. Today, there are 566 Indian nations. Each nation has its own history relating to Indian allotment lands. In the 1880s, allotment lands were created through federal Indian policy as tribal trust lands were allotted to individual Indian tribal members of various nations. This research examines a real example of the Rights-of-Way process for Navajo allotment lands as it relates to the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project. Land access for allotment lands is questionable. Water access for the Water Supply Project secured and supplied through the recent Navajo Nation San Juan River …

Use Of Incentive-Based Pricing: Cataloguing Current Water Rate Structures And Analyzing Community Adopter Characteristics For Select Municipalities In New Mexico, Ashley M. Hooper

Water Resources Professional Project Reports

Facing water scarcity, population growth, and issues of climate change, New Mexico municipalities should consider incentive-based pricing (IBP), empirically shown to encourage conservation. Given that adoption of IBP will likely be affected by community and political will, it is important to know what socio-economic and demographic factors may influence a municipalitys decision to adopt. As such, this research descriptively summarizes and catalogues the use of IBP structures for a select sample of 30 NM communities; further, t-tests are used to statistically investigate significant differences in a select set of 12 community characteristics between those that adopt IBP and those that …

Presence Of Total And Hexavalent Chromium In Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority Water Supply And Correlation With Other Constituents, Martha A. Hall

Water Resources Professional Project Reports

Recent studies have shown that hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) is present in some drinking water systems across the United States. These studies are important because stricter standards on chromium are currently being researched by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and implemented by California. With renewed attention to the occurrence and toxicology of chromium, a better understanding of its occurrence in the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority (Water Authority) water supply is important. The Water Authority water system receives water from approximately 90 production wells and surface water from the Rio Grande. The San Juan Chama Surface Water Treatment …

Estimation Of Suspended-Sediment Concentration Using Instream Turbidity As A Surrogate In The Middle Rio Grande, New Mexico, Jeb E. Brown

Water Resources Professional Project Reports

The collection of suspended-sediment concentration data is costly and time consuming, and poses risks to field personnel, yet many managers and scientists require these data. Turbidity is an optical property of the clarity of water which, if correlated to suspended-sediment concentration, can produce timely, high resolution data at significantly reduced cost. The correlation of suspended-sediment and turbidity has been proven in a number of streams, but the success is site specific and limited by changing variables such as sediment particle size, sediment color, and presence of organic and biological material, among other factors. This study determines the ability of turbidity …

Comparison Of Electrofishing Fish Surveys And Angler Observation On Three Reaches Of The Upper Rio Grande, Barry Weinstock

Water Resources Professional Project Reports

The purpose of fish population studies is to better understand the functional relations between life stages, abundances, and spatial distributions of fish populations in the upper Rio Grande and its tributaries. Taos Field Office, New Mexico, has managed an electrofishing fish population program since 2004 for seven reaches of the Rio Grande. Managers are interested in actual angler catches and satisfaction, and often use angler surveys to gather this data. This project compared two methods of gathering data about fish populations; electrofishing and angler questionnaires. Both have deficiencies in that they collect different types of data. The intent is to …

Past, Present, Future: The Evolution Of A Wetland Treatment System In Dutchman Canyon On Vermejo Park Ranch, Zoe Isaacson

Water Resources Professional Project Reports

The purpose of this research was to track the evolution of a constructed wetland system through time while taking into consideration anthropogenic perturbations to the system. It was accomplished by reviewing 30 years-worth of literature associated with the project site, gleaning relevant information, and then synthesizing the information to form a complete evolutionary timeline. In August 2012 a wetland was constructed using water from the evaporation ponds. The Dutchman Canyon wetland, a continuous flow, free surface wetland, was thus formed. The wetland was intended to passively treat poor-quality mine seepage and impart an improved wetland habitat for a diversity fauna …

Inundation Patterns And Their Effect On The Physical And Hydraulic Properties Of Floodplain Soils In The Middle Rio Grande Floodplain, Sophie J. Stauffer

Water Resources Professional Project Reports

The surface of the floodplain serves as a vadose zone boundary where water infiltrates, evaporates, or returns to the river, and sediments accumulate or are eroded. The discharge of the Middle Rio Grande has been altered by the construction of Cochiti Dam and the implementation of levees. Hydraulic connectivity in the Middle Rio Grande floodplain is perhaps most apparent at a small local wetland and a low-lying trough with a high water table capable of causing seeping floods. The objective of this study was to determine if inundation patterns impact the hydraulic and physical properties of floodplain soils. A study …

The Compliance Case For Information Governance, Peter Sloan

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

In an increasingly convoluted information environment, organizations strive to manage information-related risks and exposures, minimize information-related costs, and maximize information value. The inadequacy of traditional strategies for addressing information compliance, risk, and value is becoming clear, and so too is the need for a better, more holistic approach to governing the organization’s information.

Understanding And Contextualizing Precedents In E-Discovery: The Illusion Of Stare Decisis And Best Practices To Avoid Reliance On Outdated Guidance, Jonathan M. Redgrave, Keltie Hays Peay, Mathea K.E. Bulander

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

But as precedents survive like the clavicle in the cat, long after the use they once served is at an end, and the reason for them has been forgotten, the result of following them must often be failure and confusion from the merely logical point of view.

Detecting The Influence Of Best Management Practices On Vegetation Near Ephemeral Streams With Landsat Data, Matthew Rigge, Alexander Smart, Bruce Wylie, Kendall De Van Kamp

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Various best management practices (BMPs) have been implemented on rangelands with the goals of controlling nonpoint sourcepollution, reducing the impact of livestock in ecologically important riparian areas, and improving grazing distribution.Providing off-stream water sources to livestock in pastures, cross-fencing, and rotational grazing are common rangeland BMPsthat have demonstrated success in drawing livestock grazing pressure away from streams. We evaluated the effects of rangelandBMP implementation with six commercial-scale pastures in the northern mixed-grass prairie. Four pastures received a BMPsuite consisting of off-stream water, cross-fencing, and deferred-rotation grazing, and two pastures did not receive BMPs. Wehypothesized that the BMPs increased the quantity …