Hydrology Commons^™

Forest Cover Effects On Canopy Interception Loss, Evapotranspiration, And Soil Infiltration On Stormwater Detention Basins, Alexandria N. C. Perez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Developing cities and increased impervious surfaces has resulted in more surface runoff and severe flooding. Harris County, Texas has experienced major flooding events, such as Hurricane Harvey in 2017 which was estimated to be a 9,000-year flood event. The Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) is dedicated to creating, maintaining, and finding new ways to reduce flooding damage such as the use of detention basins as green infrastructure. These basins are either populated by grass or are planted with various tree species. This study will identify the planted trees’ canopy interception loss, reference evapotranspiration, and enhanced soil infiltration effects within …

Floodplain Lake Hydrodynamic And Morphodynamic Connections Through Hydraulic Modeling Along The Pee Dee River, Sc, Charles Cj Mina

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rivers have been essential in the success of humankind. This reliance has created a vested interest in studying the rivers' environmental history through using floodplain deposits, with the assumption that coarser sediments correlate to higher discharge floods. However, shifting hydrological connectivity and hydrodynamics can complicate this correlation in primary repositories of flood deposits, oxbow lakes, by altering the texture of sediments delivered to them. Studying these complications is essential for quantifying paleoflood magnitude using the sediment record, but has been difficult, as the currently used index of hydrological connectivity relies on water stage, which does not reflect the sediment flux …

Coastal Flood Risk In The Context Of Climate Change And Urbanization In Northeastern South Carolina, Hongyuan Zhang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Researchers and the public now widely recognize the seriousness of coastal flood risks. Various changes in natural processes, such as altered rainfall patterns, increased tropical cyclone intensities, and sea-level rise, are consequences of global warming induced by heightened greenhouse gas concentrations. To comprehensively understand coastal compound flooding, it is crucial to consider multiple processes and their interactions. Moreover, the growth of coastal cities and the concentration of people and assets in these areas make them increasingly vulnerable to flooding events. Accurately estimating the future flood risks faced by coastal communities necessitates addressing the compounding effects on coastal flood risk, taking …

Characterizing Groundwater Flow Across The Barrier Island-High Marsh Interface, Dean Michael Wrobel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The freshwater resources of barrier islands are influenced by a variety of hydrogeologic factors, which create unique regions of groundwater composition. Factors including evapotranspiration, geologic constraints, tidal forcing, and meteoric inputs influence subterranean flow creating a groundwater salinity gradient throughout the island-marsh setting which directly influences the spatial distribution of dominant vegetation on the island. Rising sea levels and variation in local climate may alter the hydrologic balance on barrier islands, potentially shifting salinity gradients and ecological baselines on short timescales. The intrusion of saltwater into the barrier island freshwater system could result in the shifting of ecotones and potential …

Evaluation Of Changes In Evaporative Losses From Lake Powell Reservoir Contributions In The Colorado River Basin, Maria Mlinarcik

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Colorado River Basin (CRB) is one of the most critical water sources for the western United States (U.S.) and Mexico. For over a century, numerous policies and regulations have been implemented in attempts to manage the Colorado River Basin to address the concern of overuse, collectively referred to as the “Law of the River.” The USGS hydrologist E.C. LaRue warned that the optimistic estimates used in negotiating the Colorado River Compact did not align with the actual water availability in the river. His analysis in 1925 revealed a potential deficit if all allocated water was utilized, exacerbated by overallocation …

Surface Water Quality Assessment Of Mingo Creek County Park: The Impacts Of Extractive Industries, Mikayla J. Bayto

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Historical and current extraction operations and infrastructure, including natural gas pipelines, conventional and unconventional oil and natural gas drilling, longwall coal mining, and strip coal mining, occur throughout the Mingo Creek watershed of Washington County, Pennsylvania, including Mingo Creek County Park. Mingo Creek and several associated tributaries flow through Mingo Creek County Park, eventually discharging into the Monongahela River. An independent water quality study was conducted from June 2020 through July 2023 in Mingo Creek County Park to determine if historical and current extraction activities impact Mingo Creek and its associated tributaries. Weekly sampling of Mingo Creek and associated tributaries …

Flood Hydrology In Tropical Coastal Catchments: Linking Watershed Dynamics To Mangrove Sedimentation, Shannon L. Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Coastal flooding is expected to be more frequent and severe from amplified flooding from sea level rise (SLR) and upstream anthropogenic activity, particularly in tropical regions. Improved hydrologic modeling and characterization are needed to better understand, predict, and manage flooding where these amplifications are expected. Yet tropical catchments are often ungauged or have limited hydrogeomorphic data. Thus, locally calibrated models that incorporate local knowledge and alternative data can be used to provide greater information. This doctoral dissertation quantifies relationships between land use, precipitation, discharge, and downstream sediment accretion in a representative ungauged catchment using a locally calibrated rainfallrunoff model validated …

Hydrologic Modeling With Remote Sensing For The Estimation Of Groundwater Resources Within The Sand River Catchment, South Africa, Sophia Bakar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Sand River Catchment is an important tributary of the transboundary Limpopo River in South Africa, which spans Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, and Mozambique. Groundwater is a critical resource in the region, especially in the context of population growth and climate change. Data are needed for proper management of these water resources. In regions where groundwater data are sparse in time, space, or both, the most promising solutions come from satellites and hydrologic models. Regional literature suggests that the Soutpansberg Mountains, located within the Sand Catchment, are high-elevation water towers with uncertain groundwater resources. Improved understanding of groundwater resources in …

A Hydrologic Climate Study For An Arid Region, Ali Alsubeai

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Water is the most precious natural resource in arid regions due to the limitation of water resources, expanding population, and increasing volumes of industrial and domestic waste. The purpose of this research was to evaluate methods to estimate water quantity in an arid region. The research consisted of three separate studies. In the first study, hydrologic models used to estimate water quantity were evaluated for suitability of use in arid regions. Most hydrologic models that have been used in arid regions were originally developed for humid regions. Rainfall events in arid regions can be characterized as short-term, high intense rainstorms …

Quantifying The Impacts Of Land Use, Management And Climate Change On Water Resources In Missouri River Basin, Arun Bawa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A location-specific evaluation of hydrological landscape responses concerning past and projected climate and land use land cover (LULC) changes can provide a powerful intellectual basis for developing efficient and profitable agroecosystems, and overcoming uncertain and detrimental consequences of LULC and climate shifts. This dissertation assessed the impacts of land use, management, and climate change on water resources in the Missouri River Basin (MRB) through four specific studies that included: (i) to study the responses of leached nutrient concentrations and soil health to winter rye cover crop (CC) under no-till corn (Zea mays L.)-soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] rotation, (ii) to …

Utilizing The Public On Public Lands: The Application Of Community Science To Monitor And Model Erosion In National Forests, Jacob L. Hansen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Unpaved forest roads are adversely affecting coldwater streams through excessive erosion and the subsequent sedimentation of adjacent waterways. To help identify areas of concern, Trout Unlimited (TU) in the Southern Appalachian region developed a Community Science initiative to gather data on sediment sources and stream-road crossings. Volunteers were recruited and trained to monitor road and trail conditions and collect and submit data using a Survey123 application on their cell phones. Analysis of the contributed data reveals statistical connections between drainage type and both erosion level and stream sedimentation. The contributed data were also included as a calibration for the lite …

Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction Of Quaternary Saltville, Virginia, Using Ostracode Autecology, Austin Gause

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Saltville valley in southwestern Virginia is home to Quaternary localities containing paleontological and archaeological remains. Historically the valley has been mined for salt and the small lakes, ponds and springs along the valley floor have a brackish signature. A preliminary report on the site’s ostracode fauna suggested that the site’s water was not always saline. This study analyzed modern and Quaternary ostracodes to understand the valley’s hydrologic and chemical evolution. Sediments contained primarily freshwater species, including the environmentally sensitive Candona crogmaniana. The presence of Pelocypris tuberculatum and a new Fabaeformiscandona species throughout a vertical section spanning the latest Pleistocene …

Evaluation Of Groundwater Sodium And Sodium Uptake In Taxodium And Its Hybrids On Galveston Island, Texas, Daniel Morgan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In September 2008, Hurricane Ike swept through the Gulf of Mexico striking the Gulf Coast, claiming hundreds of lives and causing billions of dollars in damage. The hurricane left behind elevated sea salt concentrations in the soil and groundwater, preventing the unaided return of live oaks and other species to the island. To determine effective ways to ameliorate the elevated Na⁺ concentrations in the soil, eight treatments were applied to the soil and combinations of three species of plants, live oak (Quercus virginiana), hybrid bald cypress (Taxodium ‘T406’), and yellow hibiscus (Hibiscus hamabo …

Storm Sampling To Assess Inclement Weather Impacts On Water Quality In A Karst Watershed: Sinking Creek, Watauga Watershed, East Tennessee, Porcha Mccurdy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Escherichia coli changes in Sinking Creek, an impaired water body in the Watauga watershed of northeast Tennessee, were assessed during storm events using water samples collected with ISCO automated samplers during eight storms at two locations. Turbidity and electrical conductivity (EC) data loggers were deployed in the creek, and dissolved oxygen (DO) was measured in situ to test the stream’s water quality and reaction to inclement weather. Cotton fabric was deployed at both locations and sent to an external lab to test for the presence of Optical Brighteners (OB), which are indicators of residential wastewater. E. coli and turbidity at …

Changes In Land Use Land Cover (Lulc), Surface Water Quality And Modelling Surface Discharge In Beaver Creek Watershed, Northeast Tennessee And Southwest Virginia, Tosin James

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Beaver Creek is an impaired streams that is not supporting its designated use for recreation due to Escherichia coli (E.coli), and sediment. To address this problem, this thesis was divided into two studies.

The first study explored changes in Land Use Land Cover (LULC), and its impact on surface water quality. Changes in E.coli load between 1997-2001 and 2014-2018 were analyzed. Also, Landsat data of 2001, and 2018 were examined in Terrset 18.31. Mann-Whitney test only showed a significant reduction in E.coli for one site. Negative correlation was established between E.coli load, and Developed LULC, Forest LULC, and …

Spatial And Temporal Controls On Streamflow Variability In The San Juan Mountains, Colorado, Christopher Lewis Hancock

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project characterizes and examines changes to the annual hydroclimatic cycle throughout alpine regions of Colorado with a focus on trends in snowpack and snowmelt hydrology. Datasets analyzed for this research include 79 SNOTEL sites throughout Colorado (24 in the San Juan Mountains) which provide climate metrics for Water Years 1988-2018. Impacts on streamflow are evaluated in the San Juan Region through a network of 11 USGS stream gauges. Correlation matrices and linear regression methods examine the relative controls on the magnitude and timing of discharge, and trend detection using the regional Kendall test quantifies the rate of change within …

2d Electrical Resistivity And Hydrological Study Of A Solute Plume’S Migration Pathway Through Sandy Loam Within Nacogdoches County, Texas, Usa, Tyler Tandy, Wesley Brown, Kevin Stafford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

combined geophysical and hydrological study was conducted in a sandy loam near the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. The study area contained three preinstalled piezometers which are located in the Sparta Sand of the Eocene Claiborne Group, a regressive tract of the Eocene sea. Electrical DC resistivity surveys were conducted across one fifty-six-meter-long traverse using AGI’s multi-electrode SuperSting R8 WIFI RES/IP/SP system, which allowed for rapid and reliable data collection. The resistivity line was surveyed using the dipole-dipole array configuration, which has been proven to produce high-quality horizontal resolution. Over the duration of fourteen days, …

The Impacts Of Land Use And Land Cover Change On Water Quality In The Big Sioux River: 2007-2016, Dinesh Shrestha

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Between 2006 and 2012, conversion of 485,000 acres of grassland to cropland in eastern South Dakota was reported. In 2012, the Big Sioux River (BSR) running through most of eastern South Dakota was listed among the dirtiest rivers in the nation. This rating convinced state authorities to study trends of land cover changes in the BSR watershed and its association with BSR water quality with respect to increases in nitrate levels. This research i) quantifies spatial and temporal changes in the land cover types within the BSR watershed, and ii) identifies any correlation between these changes and changes in BSR …

Groundwater Hydrogeolgy And Hydrochemistry Of Karst Springs In The Eastern Peninsula Of Fort Hood Military Installation, William Scribner Welles

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The eastern peninsula of Fort Hood Military Installation is underlain by a complex karst spring network. These springs are a primary water source in a protected habitat for endangered songbirds, which has only recently begun to be fully investigated. These Fredericksburg Group springs express both epigenetic and hypogenetic karst signatures. The study area is part of a paleo reef trend, a hydraulically disconnected segment of the northern section of the Edwards Aquifer. This study utilized standard ion index values, repeated measures, and principal component analyses on the chemical profiles of six perennial springs to classify spring water sources and their …

Depositional Environment And Facies Analyses Of The Owl Mountain Province, Fort Hood Military Installation, Bell And Coryell Counties, Texas, Jacob Meinerts

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Owl Mountain Province is a plateaued, karst landscape located in the eastern section of the Fort Hood Military Installation and is characterized by Lower Cretaceous Fredericksburg Group carbonates. The topography is capped by thick sequences of the Edwards limestone; steep scarps and incised valleys along the edges of the plateaus host inter-fingering outcrops of the Edwards and Comanche Peak limestones, and the lower valleys are covered by alluvial sediments and intermittent outcrops of the Walnut Clay. These formations were deposited to the north and west of the main Edwards trend, and are thought to be part of a series …

Potential For Developing Run-Of-River Systems In Eastern Kentucky : A Gis Approach To Site Suitability., Thomas Jeffords

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Coal has a questionable future with the potential exhaustion of available coal. Alternate sources of energy production should be considered, such as hydropower dams, or the more environmentally friendly, Run of River (RoR) hydropower system. This study seeks to answer the question: What is the potential for RoR hydroelectric systems in Eastern Kentucky counties with significant decreases in coal production and employment? I hypothesize that GIS will identify suitable sites within Pike County for RoR systems. Site suitability for Eastern Kentucky was assessed and determined that Pike County did not have a suitable physical environment for RoR systems. The power …

Paleoflood Hydrology And Basin Morphometric Characteristics Related To Flooding In The Colorado Front Range, Natalie Trivino

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Flooding hazards are common in the Colorado Front Range due to the steep, complex terrain of the mountains where waters quickly spill out onto the most populated region of Colorado. This region has experienced numerous catastrophic floods, such as the 2013 Front Range Floods, the Fort Collins Flood of 1997, and the Big Thompson Canyon Flood of 1976 to name a few. The objective of this study was to analyze basin morphometric characteristics of several drainage basins throughout the Colorado Front Range South Platte River tributaries and determine how these characteristics relate to extreme flooding. This was done through three …

Modernized Approach For Generating Micro-Layering And Macro-Heterogeneous Structures In Porous Media For Use In Transmitted-Light Method Flow Visualization Experiments, Aaron A. Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Image capturing in flow experiments has been used for fluid mechanics research since the early 1970s. Interactions of fluid flow between the vadose zone and permanent water table are of great interest to researchers because this zone is responsible for all recharge waters, pollutant transport and even irrigation efficiency for agriculture. Griffith, et al. (2011) developed an approach where constructed reproducible “geologically realistic” sand configurations are deposited in sand-filled experimental chambers or cells for light-transmitted flow visualization experiments. This method creates reproducible, reverse graded, layered (stratified) thin-slab sand chambers for visualizing multiphase flow through porous media. Reverse-graded stratification of sand …

Geophysical Delineation Of Megaporosity And Fluid Migration Pathways For Geohazard Characterization Within The Delaware Basin, Culberson County, Texas, Jonathan David Woodard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Differential dissolution of gypsum karst within the Delaware Basin poses a significant threat to infrastructure that society depends on. The study area is located in Culberson County, Texas and traverses a distance of approximately 54 kilometers along RM 652 within the Gypsum Plain which is situated on the northern margin of the Chihuahua Desert and includes outcrops of Castile and Rustler strata that host karst geohazards. Regions of karst geohazard potential have been physically surveyed proximal to the study area in evaporites throughout the Castile Formation outcrop; minimal hazards, in comparison to the Castile Formation, have been documented in …

Groundwater Flow Tracing In Carter Saltpeter Cave And Toll Branch, Carter County, Tn, Aaron G. Doyka

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Groundwater tracing studies have shown a well-developed conduit system in the karst aquifer beneath the Buffalo Creek Watershed of Carter County, TN. Groundwater can quickly travel beneath topographic divides, transporting contaminants. Using GIS and field reconnaissance, two sites were selected for a two phase dye trace study. In May-June 2016 groundwater resurgences were located using activated carbon samplers, and in October-December 2016 flow velocities were measured using ISCO automatic water samplers. In study 1, a stream sinking in the back of Carter Saltpeter Cave was traced to its resurgence at Cave Springs Cave. In study 2, the dye mass centroid …

Vulnerability Assessment Of Groundwater To No3 Contamination Using Gis, Drastic Model And Geostatistical Analysis, Adela Beauty Adu Agyemang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study employed Geographical Information System (GIS) technology to investigate the vulnerability of groundwater to NO₃ content in Buncombe County, North Carolina in two different approaches. In the first study, the spatial distribution of NO₃ contamination was analyzed in a GIS environment using Kriging Interpolation. Cokriging interpolation was used to establish how NO₃ relates to land cover types and depth to water table of wells in the county. The second study used DRASTIC model to assess the vulnerability of groundwater in Buncombe County to NO₃ contamination. To get an accurate vulnerability index, the DRASTIC parameters were …

An Analysis Of The Relationship Between Snowpack And Groundwater Across Utah Watersheds., Samuel Wright

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examined what type of relationship existed between snow water equivalence (SWE) volume and groundwater elevation within six sub-watersheds in Utah. Data was gathered on SWE from seventeen SNOTEL sites and groundwater elevation data was gathered from six continuously monitored groundwater wells. This data was gathered for January through May for 2011, 2013, and 2014 in order to represent the water conditions that were above average, below average, and average respectively. Using MLR formulas the total SWE for each sub-watershed was determined for each year/month. Afterwards a correlation analysis was performed to determine if any association existed between SWE …

Spatiotemporal Analyses Of Recycled Water Production, Jana E. Archer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Increased demands on water supplies caused by population expansion, saltwater intrusion, and drought have led to water shortages which may be addressed by use of recycled water as recycled water products. Study I investigated recycled water production in Florida and California during 2009 to detect gaps in distribution and identify areas for expansion. Gaps were detected along the panhandle and Miami, Florida, as well as the northern and southwestern regions in California. Study II examined gaps in distribution, identified temporal change, and located areas for expansion for Florida in 2009 and 2015. Production increased in the northern and southern regions …

Rock Glacier Hydrology In The San Juan Mountains, Colorado, Emilio Ian Mateo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rock glaciers are unique geomorphological features located in alpine environments and are found in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. There has been little research done on rock glaciers compared to their ice glacier counterparts. Most rock glaciers are located on the northern slope aspect in mountainous areas (Janke 2007), however, there are multiple in southwest Colorado with different aspects. This research project asks how slope aspect influences the hydrological processes of streams sourced from rock glaciers in the San Juan Mountains. This project focused on three basins that are adjacent to each other and share a common peak, Gilpin …

Characterizing Coastal Marsh Groundwater Hydrology With Multichannel Electrical Resistivity Tomography, Matthew R. Kestner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Subsurface waters are highly enriched in nutrients compared to surface waters in the coastal salt marsh environment and may, therefore, have a large effect on biogeochemical processes. There have been numerous studies examining marsh platform hydrology, however, there is a lack of information on the hyporheic zone within tidal creeks in coastal salt marsh environments. Hyporheic exchange has been studied in various non-tidal freshwater systems and verified as a significant pathway for solute transport in typical stream settings. The total volume of water cycled through salt marsh tidal creek hyporheic zones could prove to be a significant component of the …