Hydraulic Engineering Commons^™

Pheasant Forever Loan Program, Will Benkelman

Spring Runoff Conference

Bear River Watershed Community Conservation Program

Our Mission: Pheasants Forever (PF) and Quail Forever’s (QF) mission is to conserve pheasants, quail, and other wildlife through habitat improvements, public access, education, and conservation advocacy.

Logan River Watershed Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Zan Murray

Spring Runoff Conference

Agenda:

Program Overview: PL-566 & NEPA

Project Need and Purpose

Project Alternatives

Preferred Alternative Costs and Benefits

NEPA Timeline/Current Schedule

Questions

Cache Water District Conservation Program, Autumn Matthews

Spring Runoff Conference

Conservation and Education Programs.

Conservation Goals:

Increase community awareness through outreach, workshops, and community programs that support water conservation.

Expand and improve programs that encourage water savings and more efficient water use across the community.

Help residents save money by promoting water efficiency and reducing unnecessary water use.

Water Supply Update, Jordan Clayton

Spring Runoff Conference

Snowpack and Water Supply Conditions.

>95% of the water we use in Northern Utah comes from snow. Therefore, it’s critically important to quantify how much water is stored in our snowpack.

Legislative Summary Panel, Brian Steed, Scott Sandall, Jill Koford, Joel Ferry

Spring Runoff Conference

Legislative updates provided at the Spring Runoff Conference 2026.

Water In 2026, Spencer Cox

Spring Runoff Conference

Presentation by Utah Governor Cox.

Multifunctional Green Wall Systems For Greywater Treatment And Hygrothermal Regulation In Egypt, Laila Ossama Mohamed Elhusseiny Abdelsalam

Theses and Dissertations

Increasing environmental concerns regarding climate change and the intensifying challenge of water scarcity in Egypt necessitate the development of innovative, sustainable, and resource-efficient strategies for wastewater reuse. In the built environment, greywater constitutes a significant, relatively low-contaminant wastewater stream that, if treated to comply with Egyptian Codes and relevant international standards, can be safely reused for non-potable applications such as irrigation, landscaping, and building services. This research investigates the efficacy of an integrated green wall panel system, installed on building façades, for decentralized greywater treatment under Egypt’s climatic and environmental conditions, while simultaneously enhancing hygrothermal performance to reduce building energy …

When Words Flow Like Water: How The Enbridge Line 3 Pipeline Environmental Impact Statement Failed To Prevent Hydrogeologic Harm In Minnesota, Carly Gutzmann

Journal of Earth and Life Science

For the aquifers of Minnesota, the environmental impact statement (EIS) was a promise of protection that never left the page. An environmental impact statement is meant to be an aid in the decision making process in order to ensure that projects consider potential environmental harms that may occur. However, they are often used instead as another regulatory box to check, rather than as active considerations when planning. As such, a project plan can be flawed from the start—if project developers only consider environmental impacts after they have already put considerable time, effort, and funding into their project as-is, they may …

Private Sand Mining In The Mississippi River: Sediment Budget And Morphology Implications Between Baton Rouge And Belle Chasse, Louisiana, Brett Mcmann

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This analysis examined how private sand mining within the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge, LA and Belle Chasse, LA affected its sand budget from 2004-2012.

Records assembled indicated that private mining removed an annual average of 2.8 million cubic yards of sand. A HEC-RAS one-dimensional sediment transport model was utilized to assess this practice. Three scenarios were simulated: a baseline without mining, conditions reflecting documented mining rates, and a hypothetical case with excessive extraction.

Results suggest that private mining constituted approximately 26 percent of the total sand deficit between Baton Rouge and Belle Chasse. Mining appeared to cause localized changes …

Locations Of Outfalls In The Indian River Lagoon And Lake Worth Lagoon, Florida, Kelly M. Kibler, Melinda J. Donnelly, Vincent Encomio, Madison Giuntoli, Manisha Thenuwara, Brice Bennett, Laura Andrade Barron, Mariam Sonbol, Wynter Raine Seppala, Namritha Ramakrishnan, Jennifer Jordan Báez, Beth Orlando, Irene Arpayoglou, Melissa Meisenburg

Indian River Lagoon Shorelines

The spatial dataset: UCF_Outfalls_IRL_LWL.shp was created under grants from the Indian River Lagoon National Estuaries Program and Florida Sea Grant. These projects cumulatively led to creation of a living shoreline restoration prioritization model and hydrodynamic habitat suitability models for 1,550 km (963 miles) of estuarine shorelines in Indian River Lagoon (IRL) and Lake Worth Lagoon (LWL).

The dataset presented here includes the location of outfalls identified throughout the study region and general characteristics of the shoreline where they were identified.

Seagrass Persistence In The Indian River Lagoon And Lake Worth Lagoon, Florida, Kelly Kibler, Melinda Donnelly, Vincent Encomio, Madison Giuntoli, Manisha Thenuwara, Brice Bennett, Laura Andrade Barron, Mariam Sonbol, Wynter Raine Seppala, Namritha Ramakrishnan, Jennifer Jordan Báez, Beth Orlando, Irene Arpayoglou, Melissa Meisenburg

Indian River Lagoon Shorelines

The spatial dataset: UCF_seagrasspersistence_IRL_LWL.shp was created with support from the Indian River Lagoon National Estuaries Program and Florida Sea Grant. These projects cumulatively led to creation of a living shoreline restoration prioritization model and hydrodynamic habitat suitability models for 1,550 km (963 miles) of estuarine shorelines in Indian River Lagoon (IRL) and Lake Worth Lagoon (LWL). The dataset presented herein represents persistence of seagrass throughout waters of the IRL and LWL.

Living Shoreline Prioritization And Hydrodynamic Habitat Suitability Models For Restoration In The Indian River Lagoon And Lake Worth Lagoon, Florida, Kelly M. Kibler, Melinda J. Donnelly, Vincent Encomio, Madison Giuntoli, Manisha Thenuwara, Brice Bennett, Laura Andrade Barron, Mariam Sonbol, Wynter Raine Seppala, Namritha Ramakrishnan, Jennifer Jordan Báez, Beth Orlando, Irene Arpayoglou, Melissa Meisenburg

Indian River Lagoon Shorelines

The spatial dataset: UCF_shorelinemodel_IRL_LWL.shp, was created with support from the Indian River Lagoon National Estuaries Program and Florida Sea Grant. These projects cumulatively led to creation of a living shoreline restoration prioritization model and hydrodynamic habitat suitability models for 1,550 km (963 miles) of estuarine shorelines in Indian River Lagoon and Lake Worth Lagoon.

The dataset presented herein includes:

1. shoreline data from >15,000 transects collected in the field,
2. shoreline wave climate data created through hydrodynamic modeling and frequency analysis of historic data,
3. categorization of potential risk for shoreline boat wake impact,
4. persistence of seagrass within 210 m of the shoreline, …

Quaternary Subsurface Characterization Of The Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer: Insights From Interval Kriging And Airborne Em-Borehole Data Integration, Yuqi Song

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The Pleistocene period significantly contributed to the formation of alluvial aquifer worldwide. These productive aquifers are crucial for domestic, industrial, and agricultural water supplies. The Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer (MRVA), a principal aquifer in the U.S., is crucial for national food security and global agricultural supply. This study aims to characterize the subsurface architecture of the MRVA, thereby enhancing fundamental understanding of sedimentological processes involved in the genesis of glacio-fluvial aquifers worldwide. The research objectives are threefold: (1) to provide a detailed characterization of the MRVA; (2) to develop 3D geostatistical methods for geological modeling; and (3) to develop …

Bear Lake Water Quality And Chemistry: 114 Years Of Water Management, Connely Baldwin

Spring Runoff Conference

Motivation: Fall 2024 Bear Lake Sediment-Nutrient Reduction Workshop (Bear Lake Watch) motivated deeper dive into water quality and chemistry status and trends

Development Of A Low-Cost Stem Dendrometer For Irrigation Scheduling In Fruit Trees, Anderson Luiz Dos Santos Safre, Alfonso Torres-Rua, Brent Black

Spring Runoff Conference

Motivation 

• Irrigation scheduling in water scarce regions. 
• Water stress evaluation in tart cherry orchards.
• Plant-based methods more suitable for tree crops. 
• Elevated cost of commercial dendrometers (> 1,000 USD). 

Parrotfeather (Myriophyllum Aquaticum): Biology And Management Options In Utah, Francielli S. De Oliveira

Spring Runoff Conference

Parrotfeather (Myriophyllum aquaticum)

• Invasive weed from South America.
• Heterophilic perennial dioecious plant (female in the US).
• Forms dense mats, blocks waterways, and outcompetes native species
• Spreads via rhizomes, stolons, and stem fragments.

Comparing Two Methods To Monitor Singlet Oxygen Production In Aquatic Systems: Chemical Probe Vs. Time Resolved Phosphorescence., Monika Madhiyan

Spring Runoff Conference

What’s in water?

• DOM is a naturally occurring complex mixture of organic matter
• Pollutants from domestic, industrial and agricultural effluent are introduced into surface waters

Innovative Genetic Methods For Predicting Microcystin Toxin Production In Cyanobacterial Blooms: Real-Time And Pre-Bloom Public Health Monitoring, Liyuan Hou

Spring Runoff Conference

EQL emphasizes an integrated engineering and science approach to the environmental quality of land, water, and air

Chopping Up The Riverscape: Consistent Sample Frames For Assessment And Monitoring, Jordan Gilbert

Spring Runoff Conference

Background

• Riverscapes Assessment and Monitoring Lab (RAM)
• Joe Wheaton, Wally Macfarlane, Jordan Gilbert
• Founding member of Riverscapes Consortium
• Provide tools for people working in riverscapes
• Primarily planning, implementing, and monitoring restoration projects

Growing Roots: Water Conservation, Innovative Research And Public Education, Aurora Wallis Durfee

Spring Runoff Conference

Hydroponics allows for efficient, sustainable food production, using less water and space than traditional farming methods.

Water Markets In Utah? Water Manager Perspectives On Potential Uptake, Britta L. Schumacher

Spring Runoff Conference

Irrigation organizations: intermediaries that deliver water to farms, ranches, and other users, coordinate investments in conveyance infrastructure, and manage limited water supplies.

Advancing 3d Channel Representation To Support National Scale Flood Forecasting Operations, Jose Castejon Villalobos, Anzy Lee, Noelle Patterson, Belize Lane, Colin Phillips

Spring Runoff Conference

Storms and Flooding are major annual disasters.

Paired Storms Reveal Post-Fire Flood Characteristics And Drivers, Haley Canham, Belize Lane

Spring Runoff Conference

The wildfire regime is changing in the western US.

Davis Aqueduct Reach 1 - The Design And Construction Of Large Diameter Pipelines, Shane Mcfarland

Spring Runoff Conference

Designing and building a seismically resilient 72-inch pipeline.

District Overview: Weber Basin Water Conservancy District

From Vulnerabilities And Concern To Action: How Perceived Climate Vulnerabilities And Concern For The Great Salt Lake Desiccation Shape Utahns’ Migration Decision, Mufti Nadimul Quamar Ahmed, Jennifer E. Givens

Spring Runoff Conference

In light of the current climate crisis, how do Utahns perceive their climate or disaster vulnerabilities and concern for the Great Salt Lake desiccation? Does the perception of vulnerabilities and concern for the Great Salt Lake desiccation influence their intention to migrate from Utah?

Water And Journalism Panel, Heather May, Anastasia Hufham, Ben Winslow, Sheri Quinn

Spring Runoff Conference

Respondents’ sources of information on Great Salt Lake issues

The Practical And The Possible: How Research Informs Policy And Management For Land, Forest, And Water Management, Charlie Luce

Spring Runoff Conference

The practical and the possible: How research informs policy and management for land, forest, and water resources.

What Does Our Water Year Look Like?, Candice Hasenyager

Spring Runoff Conference

Drip Drip Drop: Water in Utah

In Utah, we are either in drought or preparing for the next one

We Shall Have A Seat At The Table, Yanna Liang

Spring Runoff Conference

Uniqueness of ESE 

• The only environmental BS program in the nation that has “Sustainable” in its title.
• Sustainability in water treatment, air pollution control, energy production, resource re-utilization 

The Once And Future Variability Of Colorado River Water Resources, Balaji Rajagopalan

Spring Runoff Conference

The Plot – “Millennium Drought” Since 2000 

• Current Water Crisis