Hydrology Commons^™

Drought Triggers And Declarations: Science And Policy Considerations For Drought Risk Management, Linda Courtenay Botterill, Michael J. Hayes

National Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

This paper explores the value of triggers and declarations in the management of drought, bringing together two disciplinary perspectives, those of the public policy scholar and the climate scientist. These two perspectives highlight the complexity of the development and use of triggers in drought risk management by drawing on the experience of the United States, which has the most sophisticated system of drought triggers in the world, and that of Australia that has the most developed and longest standing national drought policy based on principles of risk management. The paper explores the advantages and disadvantages of triggers in managing drought, …

Investigation Of Arsenic In The Transition Zone Basin Of The Mojave River, Matthew Edward Howard

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this project was to identify the source(s) of arsenic in the Transition Zone subbasin of the Mojave River. The transition zone is a sub-section of the Mojave River watershed. The project area is located in the arid southwestern desert region of the United States. 43 monitoring wells were sampled during September of 2010 and October of 2011. The objective of this project is to understand the processes by which arsenic is being released from sediment into groundwater supply. This project is part of an ongoing study of Transition Zone subbasin and will be used in future work …

Nitrogen Partitioning And Transport Through A Subalpine Lake Measured With An Isotope Tracer, Dave M. Epstein, Wayne A. Wurtsbaugh, Michelle A. Baker

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

We used a stable isotope tracer to measure nitrogen (N) assimilation and transfer through Bull Trout Lake, a 0.3-km2 mountain lake in Idaho, specifically to explore the relative importance of pelagic and benthic producers. was added into the inflow stream above the lake during spring runoff and the resulting mass of tracer was measured within the various ecosystem compartments, including the outflow stream. Although a portion of the moved through the lake quickly due to a low hydraulic residence time during the addition, the tracer was also assimilated rapidly by seston in the water column and at a slower rate …

A Synoptic Perspective Of The Record 1-2 May 2010 Mid-South Heavy Precipitation Event, Joshua D. Durkee, Lee Campbell, Kyle Berry, Dustin Jordan, Gregory Goodrich, Rezaul Mahmood, Stuart Foster

High Plains Regional Climate Center: Staff Publications

During 1–2 May 2010, a series of strong thunderstorms led to 41, 57, and 43 tornado, severe wind, and severe hail reports, respectively, across portions of the southern United States. In addition to severe weather, these storms also distributed recordsetting rainfall amounts across the mid-South region, which contributed to historic flooding across portions of central and western Kentucky and Tennessee (Fig. 1). This heavy precipitation event was sampled by multiple surface observational networks, including (but not limited to) 48 research-grade automated stations from the Kentucky Mesonet (www.kymesonet .org), first-order automated stations from the National Weather Service (NWS; www.ncdc.noaa.gov /oa/ncdc.html), and …

Saturated Thickness And Water In Storage In The High Plains Aquifer, 2009, And Water-Level Changes And Changes In Water In Storage In The High Plains Aquifer, 1980 To 1995, 1995 To 2000, 2000 To 2005, And 2005 To 2009, Virginia L. Mcguire, Kris D. Lund, Brenda K. Densmore

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

The High Plains aquifer underlies about 112 million acres (about 175,000 square miles) in parts of eight States—Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. Water levels declined in parts of the High Plains aquifer soon after the onset of substantial irrigation with groundwater (about 1950). This report presents the volume of saturated aquifer material and drainable water in storage in the High Plains aquifer in 2009; water-level changes in the High Plains aquifer from 1980 to 1995, 1995 to 2000, 2000 to 2005, and 2005 to 2009; and changes in the volume of drainable water in …

Hydrostratigraphic Interpretation Of Test-Hole And Surface Geophysical Data, Elkhorn And Loup River Basins, Nebraska, 2008 To 2011, Christopher M. Hobza, Paul A. Bedrosian, Benjamin R. Bloss

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

The Elkhorn-Loup Model (ELM) was begun in 2006 to understand the effect of various groundwater-management scenarios on surface-water resources. During phase one of the ELM study, a lack of subsurface geological information was identified as a data gap. Test holes drilled to the base of the aquifer in the ELM study area are spaced as much as 25 miles apart, especially in areas of the western Sand Hills. Given the variable character of the hydrostratigraphic units that compose the High Plains aquifer system, substantial variation in aquifer thickness and characteristics can exist between test holes. To improve the hydrogeologic understanding …

A Brief History And Summary Of The Effects Of River Engineering And Dams On The Mississippi River System And Delta, Jason S. Alexander, Richard C. Wilson, W. Reed Green

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

The United States Geological Survey Forecast Mekong project is providing technical assistance and information to aid management decisions and build science capacity of institutions in the Mekong River Basin. A component of this effort is to produce a synthesis of the effects of dams and other engineering structures on large-river hydrology, sediment transport, geomorphology, ecology, water quality, and deltaic systems. The Mississippi River Basin (MRB) of the United States was used as the backdrop and context for this synthesis because it is a continental scale river system with a total annual water discharge proportional to the Mekong River, has been …

Three-Dimensional Hydrostratigraphy Of The Platte River Valley Near Ashland, Nebraska: Results From Helicopter Electromagnetic (Hem) Mapping In The Eastern Nebraska Water Resources Assessment (Enwra), P. R. Hanson, Jesse T. Korus, Dana Divine

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Thermal-Based Evaporative Stress Index For Monitoring Surface Moisture Depletion, Martha C. Anderson, Christopher R. Hain, Brian D. Wardlow, Agustin Pimstein, John R. Mecikalski, William P. Kustas

National Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

The standard suite of indicators currently used in operational drought monitoring reflects anomalous conditions in several major components of the hydrologic budget—representing deficits in precipitation, soil moisture content, runoff, surface and groundwater storage, snowpack, and streamflow. In principle, it is useful to have a diversity of indices because drought can assume many forms (meteorological, agricultural, hydrological, and socioeconomic), over broad ranges in timescale (weeks to years), and with varied impacts of interest to different stakeholder groups. Farmers, for example, may be principally interested in soil moisture deficits, river forecasters will focus on streamflow fluctuations, and water managers will be concerned …

Where Is The Rain-On-Snow Zone In The West-Central Washington Cascades?: Monte Carlo Simulation Of Large Storms In The Northwest, Matthew John Brunengo

Dissertations and Theses

Rain-on-snow (ROS) occurs when warm, wet air moves into latitudes and/or elevations having vulnerable snowpacks, where it can alter water inputs to infiltration, runoff and erosion. The Pacific Northwest is particularly susceptible: winter storms off the Pacific cause locally heavy rain plus snowmelt almost annually, and disastrous flooding and landsliding intermittently. In maritime mountainous terrain, the effects seem more likely and hydrologically important where warm rains and seasonal snowpacks are liable to coincide, in middle elevations. Several questions arise: (1) In the PNW, does ROS affect the long-term frequency and magnitude of water delivery to the ground, versus total precipitation …

Droughtscape, Winter 2012, National Drought Mitigation Center

DroughtScape: Quarterly Newsletter of the National Drought Mitigation Center (2007–2023)

Drought Planning for Kansas Ranchers Jan. 21

South Hoping La Niña Dryness Stays Away

2011 Brought Record-Breaking Extent of D4

Reported Impacts Ease as Growing Season Ends

Disaster Planning in Nanjing at Hohai U

Ag, Fire and Water Supply Topped 2011 Impacts

Three-Dimensional Hydrostratigraphy Of The Sprague, Nebraska Area: Results From Helicopter Electromagnetic (Hem) Mapping For The Eastern Nebraska Water Resources Assessment (Enwra), Dana Divine, Jesse T. Korus

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Impervious Surface Area Change In Arkansas From 2001 To 2006, D. E. Long Ii, R. C. Weih Jr.

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Impervious Surface Area (ISA) is a measurement used to determine stream quality as well as urban sprawl. ISA was calculated as part of the National Land Cover Dataset (NLCD) using Landsat imagery by the Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics Consortium (MRLC) in both 2001 and 2006. ISA for each of the 75 counties in Arkansas was taken from the NLCD for both 2001 and 2006. Using the ISA data, percent imperviousness was determined for each county in each time period as well as the difference between the two periods. These data were also compared to census projections for the two time periods …

Assessing Satellite-Based Rainfall Estimates In Semiarid Watersheds Using The Usda-Ars Walnut Gulch Gauge Network And Trmm Pr, Eyal Amitai, Carl L. Unkrich, David C. Goodrich, Emad Habib, Bryson Thill

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

The rain gauge network associated with the Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed (WGEW) in southeastern Arizona provides a unique opportunity for direct comparisons of in situ measurements and satellite-based instantaneous rain rate estimates like those from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) precipitation radar (PR). The WGEW network is the densest rain gauge network in the PR coverage area for watersheds greater than 10 km(2). It consists of 88 weighing rain gauges within a 149-km(2) area. On average, approximately 10 gauges can be found in each PR field of view (similar to 5-km diameter). All gauges are very well synchronized with …

The Global Drought Monitor Portal: The Foundation For A Global Drought Information System, Richard R. Heim Jr., Michael J. Brewer

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

The international scientific community has long recognized the need for coordinated drought monitoring and response, but many factors have prevented progress in the development of a Global Drought Early Warning System (GDEWS): some of which involve administrative issues (coordinated international action and policy) while others involve scientific, technological, and logistical issues. The creation of the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) Portal within the United States provided an opportunity to take the first steps toward building the informational foundation for a GDEWS: that is, a Global Drought Information System (GDIS). At a series of workshops sponsored by the World Meteorological …

Assessment Of Coal Geology, Resources, And Reserves In The Montana Powder River Basin, Jon E. Haacke, David C. Scott, Lee M. Osmonson, James A. Luppens, Paul E. Pierce, Jay A. Gunderson

United States Geological Survey: Publications

The purpose of this report is to summarize geology, coal resources, and coal reserves in the Montana Powder River Basin (MTPRB) assessment area in southeastern Montana. This report represents the fourth assessment area within the Powder River Basin to be evaluated in the continuing U.S. Geological Survey regional coal assessment program.

There are four active coal mines in the MTPRB assessment area: the Spring Creek and Decker Mines, both near Decker; the Rosebud Mine, near Colstrip; and the Absaloka Mine, west of Colstrip. During 2011, coal production from these four mines totaled approximately 36 million short tons (MST). A fifth …

Altitude, Age, And Quality Of Groundwater, Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District, Eastern Nebraska, 1992 To 2009, Virginia L. Mcguire, Derek W. Ryter, Amanda T. Flynn

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

The United States Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District (PMRNRD), conducted this study to map the water-level altitude of 2009 within the Elkhorn River Valley, Missouri River Valley, and Platte River Valley alluvial aquifers; to present the predevelopment potentiometric-surface altitude within the Dakota aquifer; and to describe the age and quality of groundwater in the five principal aquifers of the PMRNRD in eastern Nebraska using data collected from 1992 to 2009. In addition, implications of alternatives to the current PMRNRD groundwater-quality monitoring approach are discussed.

In the PMRNRD, groundwater altitude, relative to National Geodetic …

Effectiveness Of Four Water-Bearing Zones Of The Glacierized Basin In Meltwater Runoff Modeling, Umesh K. Haritashya

Department of Earth, Environment and Sustainability Faculty Publications

Meltwater runoff modeling from glacierized basins needs several input data, including total meltwater contributing area. This study utilizes optical remote sensing data to assess glacierized basins in the central Himalayas where snow and glaciers contribute substantially to the water resources. Result shows that there are four main water-bearing zones in the basin: (a) dry snow, (b) wet snow, (c) exposed glacial ice, and (d) debris-covered glacial ice, and it is possible to differentiate and map these zones and their spatio-temporal variations from satellite sensor data. These zones can then be incorporated in meltwater runoff modeling as separate entities because they …

Modeling Potential Impacts Of Heavy Metals And Btex Compounds From The Former Year-A-Round Cab Company On Hiniker Pond, Jason Nolan

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The Year-A-Round Cab Company (an industrial metal preparation, painting, and welding facility) in Mankato, MN has a history of numerous environmental violations. The site is located 300 yards north of Hiniker Pond, a popular swimming spot. The primary purposes of my research were to determine if BTEX (ethyl benzene, toluene, and xylenes) and heavy metals had reached Hiniker Pond, and model estimated contaminate plumes from the Year-A-Round Cab Company. Lead, cadmium, and chromium were found in sediments at levels of up to 30 times higher near the site as compared to the control lake, Hallett's Pond. Although BTEX were not …

Toward A Framework For Systematic Error Modeling Of Spaceborne Precipitation Radar With Noaa/Nssl Ground Radar Based National Mosaic Qpe, Pierre-Emmanuel Kirstetter, Y. Hong, J. J. Gourley, S. Chen, Z. Flamig, J. Zhang, M. Schwaller, W. Peterson, Eyal Amitai

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Characterization of the error associated with satellite rainfall estimates is a necessary component of deterministic and probabilistic frameworks involving spaceborne passive and active microwave measurements for applications ranging from water budget studies to forecasting natural hazards related to extreme rainfall events. The authors focus here on the error structure of NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) Precipitation Radar (PR) quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE) at ground. The problem is addressed by comparison of PR QPEs with reference values derived from ground-based measurements using NOAA/NSSL ground radar based National Mosaic and QPE system (NMQ/Q2). A preliminary investigation of this subject has been …

Standardized Precipitation Index: User Guide, Mark Svoboda, Michael Hayes, Deborah Wood

National Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

Over the years, there has been much discussion on what drought indices should be used in a particular climate and for what application. Many drought definitions and indices have been developed and attempts have been made to provide some guidance on this issue. With this in mind, the Interregional Workshop on Indices and Early Warning Systems for Drought was organized and held at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, United States of America, from 8 to 11 December 2009. It was jointly sponsored by the School of Natural Resources (SNR) of the University of Nebraska, the United States National Drought Mitigation Center …

Assessment Of Climate Change Effect On Water Harvesting Structures In Rainfed Regions: Geospatial Data Mining Approach, Sreedhar Nallan, Leisa Armstrong

Research outputs 2012

Advances in the Information and Technologies (ICT) may assist researchers in the assessment of watershed development programmes by developing better visualization understanding of their impacts. GIS based research studies utilizing remote sensing images can facilitate in identifying the potential zones for watershed development and enable improved ground water resources. Effective watershed management is dependent on a number of factors such as demography, climate, soil, land use and topography and these are affected by changing climatic conditions. For example, changes in rainfall intensity and volume in rain fed areas can influence the effectiveness of the placement of watershed structures. Existing methods …

Holocene Arroyo Cut And Fills Cycles, South-Central Washington, Matthew Ian Durkee

All Master's Theses

Ephemeral streams have cut deeply incised arroyos into alluvial and eolian sediments in many of the watersheds within the Yakima Training Center (YTC) military reservation, south-central Washington. The most recent channel incision episode along Selah Creek is primarily attributed to multiple failures of an irrigation reservoir dam during the winters of 1909 and 1910. The modern arroyo exposed evidence of at least one previous episode of arroyo incision to a depth of ~4 m that occurred just prior to 1530- 1340 cal yr BP. Filling of this paleo-arroyo with fine to coarse grained sand ceased between 650-103 cal yr BP. …

Changing Land Use On Unproductive Soils, Andrew Blake, Mike Clarke, Angela Stuart-Street

Resource management technical reports

A three year study completed in 2010 examined farming systems in the north-eastern agricultural region and eastern wheatbelt of Western Australia which experienced a succession of variable seasons from 2000. This culminated in severe drought in 2006 and 2007. At that time, farmers experienced labour shortages and declining terms of trade triggered by cost inflation outpacing growth in commodity prices. As a result, farm business equity was eroded as farm debt escalated. This left many farm businesses in a highly vulnerable state. At the time of the study many farmers were facing an uncertain future.

These experiences, coupled with a …

Guidebook To The Geology Of The Platte River Valley Between Duncan And Schuyler, Nebraska, P.R. Hanson, Robert Matthew Joeckel, Aaron R. Young, Dana Divine, Jesse T. Korus Dr.

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

The Platte River is considered to be a classic example of a braided stream, that is, a comparatively shallow stream with a high width:depth ratio.

Three Geologic Cross Sections Across Portions Of Eastern Nebraska Showing Quaternary Lithologic Units And Stratigraphy Of Uppermost Bedrock, Jesse T. Korus, Dana Divine, P. R. Hanson, J. S. Dillon

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Nebraska Statewide Groundwater-Level Monitoring Report 2011, Jesse T. Korus Dr., Mark E. Burbach, Leslie M. Howard

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Nebraska Statewide Groundwater-Level Monitoring Report 2012, A. R. Young, M. E. Burbach, J. T. Korus, L. M. Howard

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Landscape-Level Controls On Dissolved Carbon Flux From Diverse Catchments Of The Circumboreal, Suzanne E. Tank, Karen E. Frey, Robert G. Striegl, Peter A. Raymond, Robert M. Holmes, James W. Mcclelland, Bruce J. Peterson

Geography

While much of the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) within rivers is destined for mineralization to CO2, a substantial fraction of riverine bicarbonate (HCO3-) flux represents a CO2 sink, as a result of weathering processes that sequester CO2 as HCO 3-. We explored landscape-level controls on DOC and HCO3- flux in subcatchments of the boreal, with a specific focus on the effect of permafrost on riverine dissolved C flux. To do this, we undertook a multivariate analysis that partitioned the variance attributable to known, key regulators of dissolved C flux (runoff, lithology, and vegetation) prior to examining the effect of permafrost, …

A Remote Sensing Approach To Characterize The Hydrogeology Of Mountainous Areas: Application To The Quito Aquifer System (Qas), Ecuador, Miriam Rios-Sanchez

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Climate change, intensive use, and population growth are threatening the availability of water resources. New sources of water, better knowledge of existing ones, and improved water management strategies are of paramount importance. Ground water is often considered as primary water source due to its advantages in terms of quantity, spatial distribution, and natural quality. Remote sensing techniques afford scientists a unique opportunity to characterize landscapes in order to assess groundwater resources, particularly in tectonically influenced areas. Aquifers in volcanic basins are considered the most productive aquifers in Latin America. Although topography is considered the primary driving force for groundwater flows …