Environmental Health and Protection Commons^™

Ogallala Aquifer, Robert F. Diffendal Jr.

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The Ogallala Aquifer, or High Plains Aquifer, is a porous body of complex sediments and sedimentary rock formations that conducts groundwater and yields significant quantities of water to wells and springs. The principal sediments and rocks of the aquifer range in age from 33 million years old to sediments being deposited today, but the majority is less than 12 million-years old. Much of the aquifer is composed of the Ogallala Group or Formation. The dominant sediments in the Ogallala and the other hydrogeologic units in the aquifer are riverand wind-deposited sands. The aquifer underlies about 174,000 square miles of the …

Fluctuations In Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha) Counts At Three Lower Columbia River Spawning Sites, Eric Michael Loomis

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Several hypotheses were developed to explore the pronounced increase in Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) returning to spawning grounds at the Cowlitz, Kalama, and Lewis Rivers, three tributaries of the lower Columbia River. The study was conducted using data compiled over a ten-year span from 1991-2001. Preliminary indications are that trends in climate are linked to these increases, with the absence of El Niño events and fluctuations in winter precipitation as likely explanations of these phenomena. The unique nature of Chinook life cycles causes them to utilize a variety of habitats that require ideal conditions for maximum survival rates. Correlations between …

Fisheries Research Report No. 134, Vol 1 - Towards An Assessment Of The Natural And Human Use Impacts On The Marine Environment Of The Abrolhos Islands, F J. Webster, C J. Dibden, C F. Chubb

Fisheries Research Reports

The State Territorial Waters surrounding the Abrolhos Islands are gazetted as a Fish Habitat Protection Area and vested with the Minister for Fisheries under the Fish Resources Management Act 1994. Three Fisheries Management Papers have identified management priorities for the marine environment at the Abrolhos Islands:

• Management of the Houtman Abrolhos System
• Aquaculture Plan for the Houtman Abrolhos Islands
• Sustainable Tourism Plan for the Houtman Abrolhos Islands.

These plans and other national and international obligations to examine the effect of extractive and non-extractive anthropogenic activities on marine habitats (eg. Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999) led to …

Classification And Identification Of Pfiesteria And Pfiesteria-Like Species, Karen Steidinger, Jan Landsberg, R. William Richardson, Earnest Truby, Barbara Blakesley, Paula Scott, Patricia Tester, Torstein Tengs, Patrice Mason, Stever Morton, David Seaborn, Wayne Litaker, Kimberly Reece, David Oldach, Leonard Haas, Gerardo Vasta

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Dinoflagellates can be classified both botanically and zoologically; however, they are typically put in the botanical division Pyrrhophyta. As a group they appear most related to the protistan ciliates and apicomplexans at the ultrastructure level. Within the Pyrrhophyta are both unarmored and armored forms of the dominant, motile flagellated stage. Unarmored dinoflagellates do not have thecal or wall plates arranged in specific series, whereas armored species have plates that vary in thickness but are specific in number and arrangement. In armored dinoflagellates, the plate pattern and tabulation is a diagnostic character at the family, subfamily, and even genus levels. In …

Bulletin 4418 - Nebru Focus Catchment Report, Agriculture Western Australia

Bulletins 4000 -

Nehru Focus Catchment is located in the upper reaches of the Arrowsmith Catchment. It is roughly bounded by Sunset Road in the north, the north-south Kadathinni Hills to the east, the Three Springs - Eneabba Road to the south and Reed Road in the west. It changes in elevation from 372 metres Australian Height Datum (AHD) at roughly the intersection of Nehru Rd the Kadathinni Hills to the east and 220 metres AHD near the outlet of the catchment into the Arrowsmith River.

The total area of the catchment is just over 7,400 hectares.

One of the prime areas of …

Water Resources Issues In The Arkansas Delta, Kenneth F. Steele

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

Despite its location in Northwest Arkansas, the Arkansas Water Resources Center (AWRC) is active state-wide. This fact is underscored by the focus of the Center’s session on "Water Resource Issues in the Arkansas Delta" during its recent joint Conference. Water issues in the Delta include declining water tables, salt water intrusion, and water quality (especially suspended sediment, nitrate and pesticides). Presented papers focused on best management practices for cotton production, economics of on-farm reservoirs, chloride content of irrigation water, and landowner education. The AWRC short course was an excellent one on chemical transport in the vadose zone by Dr. Glenn …

Interagency Lake Mead And Las Vegas Wash Monitoring Program: Standard Operating Procedures Manual, Bureau Of Reclamation, City Of Henderson Water Reclamation Facility, City Of Las Vegas Water Pollution Control Facility, Clark County Sanitation District, Nevada, Southern Nevada Water Authority

Publications (WR)

A number of agencies sample Lake Mead and the Las Vegas Wash on a routine basis at several locations. In order to share and properly interpret the data, the Bureau of Reclamation, Southern Nevada Water Authority and the three Wastewater Treatment Facilities (City of Las Vegas, Clark County Sanitation District and City of Henderson) formed a committee to examine sampling and analytical protocols and to share information with the goal of maximizing the data quality. The group first met in April 1997. It was agreed that an effort should be made to discuss and compare specific sampling and analytical techniques …

Las Vegas Wash Water Quality Monitoring Program: 1996 Report Of Findings, Richard A. Roline, James J. Sartoris, U.S. Bureau Of Reclamation, U.S. Geological Survey

Publications (WR)

Las Vegas Wash, a natural wash east of the city of Las Vegas, Nevada, carries stormwater, groundwater drainage, and sewage effluent from three sewage treatment plants to Lake Mead. The Wash provides nearly the only surface water outlet for the entire 2,193 mi² of Las Vegas Valley. A drainage area of 1,586 mi² contributes directly to the Wash through surface flow which is channeled to Las Vegas Bay of Lake Mead, while drainage of the remaining 607 mi² is presumably subsurface and may drain toward Las Vegas Wash.

In the 1930's and 1940's, sewage treatment plants were …

The Influence Of The Wastewater Drainage From The Las Vegas Valley On The Limnology Of Boulder Basin, Lake Mead, Nevada-Arizona, James F. Labounty, Michael J. Horn, Bureau Of Reclamation

Publications (WR)

Lake Mead, Colorado River, Arizona-Nevada, is one of the most heavily used reservoirs in the western United States, providing abundant recreational opportunities as well as downstream domestic and agricultural water for over 22 million users. Based on average nutrient levels and productivity, Lake Mead is classified as mildly mesotrophic. The interflow of the Colorado River dominates the limnology of much of the 106 km-long reservoir, and may still be identified at Hoover Dam under certain conditions. The lower basin of Lake Mead ending at Hoover Dam is known as Boulder Basin and is near the Las Vegas metropolitan area. Las …

Wetland Resources Of Eastern South Dakota, Rex R. Johnson, Kenneth F. Higgins

Natural Resource Management Faculty Books

The mere mention of the word "wetland" in coffee shops and other gathering places on the prairies today brings out emotions and opinions that run the gamut from saving them all to draining them all. To some people, what we do with wetlands has been, and still is, a personal choice, a matter of exercising individual rights on private property. To others, wetlands are community resources that provide values that touch all of society. They contend that what is done to and about wetlands is a community decision regardless of ownership. Herein lies the controversy we have experienced over wetlands …

Diversity Of Arkansas Water Resources Research, Kenneth F. Steele

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

In order to understand, protect, and manage our water resources effectively knowledge is required from many diverse areas of science, engineering, economics, and sociology. These proceedings of the conference on the Diversity of Arkansas Water Resources Research reflect this need and demonstrate how researchers in the state are responding to water issues and problems in Arkansas. The papers in these proceedings are representative of the research in Arkansas, but are only a sample of the work being conducted by universities and government agencies in Arkansas. We are grateful that Arkansas has the expertise available to provide the information necessary to …

Report Of Significant Findings--Las Vegas Bay/Boulder Basin Investigations, James F. Labounty, Michael Horn, Bureau Of Reclamation

Publications (WR)

Field sampling was carried out between 0830 and 1500 beginning at the confluence of Las Vegas Wash and the Inner Las Vegas Bay. Ten (10) locations were sampled, each in a similar manner. Locations of sampling stations are in line from the Wash-Bay confluence to a point midway between Saddle and Black Islands. In addition, sampling was done at a location midway between Sentinel Island and the base of Fortification Hill, and at the buoy line in front of Hoover Dam. Sampling stations are labeled from LV01, at Wash-Bay confluence, to LV17 at Hoover Dam. A significant data collection point …

Nutrient Limitation In A Southwestern Desert Reservoir: Eutrophication Of Las Vegas Bay, Lake Mead, Nevada, Davine M. Lieberman

Publications (WR)

Algal bioassay tests were conducted with Selenastrum capricornutum and natural algae on inner Las Vegas Bay, Lake Mead, Nevada, from December 1992 through September 1993, to identify any nutrient limitation in an area of the reservoir that has experienced problems associated with severe nutrient enrichment. Three areas were sampled based on a gradient of water quality conditions that existed in Las Vegas Bay (LVB). Disodium ethylenedinitrilotetraacetate (EDTA) significantly stimulated algal growth compared to non-EDTA treatment. Algal bioassays indicated that phosphorus (P) was the primary limiting nutrient at all stations for most of the test dates. Chl a response with EDTA …

Dispersants For Oil Spill Response: Issues, Policy, And Planning Considerations, Tina M. Burke

Marine Affairs Theses and Major Papers

The purposes of this paper are four-fold. First, dispersant use as an oil spill response option and the issues surrounding dispersant use will be discussed. Second, the past dispersant use policy will be reviewed, as will the recent changes to the policy in terms of the attempt to make dispersants a viable response option in the United States. Third, the role of interest groups in oil spill response issues and the importance of including them in contingency planning efforts, specifically dispersant planning, will be discussed. Lastly, the results of the study to determine the involvement of interest groups in the …

Managine For Effectiveness And Efficiency In Oil Spill Response, Peter A. Tebeau

Marine Affairs Theses and Major Papers

Responding to oil spills, even spills of moderate proportion, requires the commitment of substantial manpower and equipment on the part of the responsible party or the federal government. Throughout the response operation, successful spill management entails choosing the most effective and efficient countermeasures and cleanup techniques to remove or neutralize oil in the environment, minimize overall environmental damages from the spill, and insure that the objectives and expectations of government agencies, responsible parties, and the public are met. As the response progresses, effective and efficient management requires determining when response operations should be terminated. In making this decision, the On-Scene …

Baseline Water Quality Data Inventory And Analysis: Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Volume Ii Of Ii, National Park Service

Publications (WR)

This document presents the results of surface-water-quality data retrievals for Lake Mead National Recreation Area (LAME) from five of the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) national databases: (1) Storage and Retrieval (STORET) database management system; (2) River Reach File (RF3); (3) Industrial Facilities Discharge (IFD); (4) Drinking Water Supplies (DRINKS); and (5) Flow Gages (GAGES). This document is one product resulting from a cooperative contractual endeavor between the National Park Service's Servicewide Inventory and Monitoring Program, the National Park Service's Water Resources Division (WRD), and Horizon Systems Corporation to retrieve, format, and analyze water quality data for all units …

Baseline Water Quality Data Inventory And Analysis: Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Volume I Of Ii, National Park Service

Publications (WR)

This document presents the results of surface-water-quality data retrievals for Lake Mead National Recreation Area (LAME) from five of the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) national databases: (1) Storage and Retrieval (STORET) database management system; (2) River Reach File (RF3); (3) Industrial Facilities Discharge (IFD); (4) Drinking Water Supplies (DRINKS); and (5) Flow Gages (GAGES). This document is one product resulting from a cooperative contractual endeavor between the National Park Service's Servicewide Inventory and Monitoring Program, the National Park Service's Water Resources Division (WRD), and Horizon Systems Corporation to retrieve, format, and analyze water quality data for all units …

The Providence River Shipping Channel Dredge Project: Its Best Chance For Success Is Through Risk Communication, Elizabeth R. Deblois

Marine Affairs Theses and Major Papers

Providence Harbor and the Providence River shipping channel in Narragansett Bay need dredging to accommodate the shipping interest of the Port of Providence. Federal and State regulations have evolved in such a way that no dredging can be initiated without identifying sites for disposal of the dredge spoils. Dredge spoils are one of the few remaining categories of materials that, under regulation, can be dumped in the ocean. What then stalemates the process of identifying dredge spoil sites and initiating a dredging program? By default Rhode Island has adopted the "do nothing" alternative for the past twenty years. This apparently …

The Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy: A Comparison With The Approach Of The Unep Regional Seas Programme, Vinton Valentine

Marine Affairs Theses and Major Papers

In the past two decades, there has been a rise in the number of multilateral regional agreements for marine environmental protection. A large proportion of these regional agreements are the result of the United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP) Regional Seas Programme. While there are thirteen regional seas under the Programme, the Arctic Ocean is not, and never was, one of them. In describing concerns regarding the Arctic environment and approaches to handle them, a number of commentators have proposed the application of UNEP Regional Seas Programme approach to the Arctic region. However, despite an attempt from the Inuit Circumpolar Conference …

Conservation And Management Of Sri Lanka's Coastal Resources Through The Experience Of Other Countries, K.W.P. Thilakaratna

Marine Affairs Theses and Major Papers

After Sri Lanka's independence in 1948, the economic importance of the coastal areas had intensified due to development of commercial and fishery harbors, transportation, communication, and recreational facilities. Opportunities in the public administration, industry, and education sectors were other main attractions. With the introduction of international tourism in 1970, economic development of coastal areas increased further. In addition to the job opportunities provided by the industrial and commercial sectors, many people were engaged in other activities depending on coastal resources, including fishing and mining activities. Prior to 1978, there was no proper authority or mechanism to address coastal issues. legislation …

The Persian Gulf Oil Spill: A Case Study Of Emerging International Law On Environmental Damages During Hostilities, Esther J. Mcclure

Marine Affairs Theses and Major Papers

During the 1991 Persian Gulf War, the retreating Iraqis caused the deliberate discharge of six million barrels of oil into the shallow waters of the Persian Gulf. The immediate impact on the ecosystem was dramatic, and, because of the intense media coverage of the conflict, highly visible to the American public. The spill popularized the term 'ecoterrorism' and raised serious questions about the applicability of international law to the situation. There are numerous conventions that seek to establish standards of due diligence for the prevention of accidental pollution and to impose civil liability on those who damage the environment, but …

Identification Of Tire Leachate Toxicants And A Risk Assessment Of Water Quality Effects Using Tire Reefs In Canals, S. M. Nelson, G. Mueller, D. C. Hemphill, U.S. Bureau Of Reclamation

Publications (WR)

Cover is an important component of aquatic habitat and fisheries management. Fisheries biologists often try to improve habitats through the addition of natural and artificial material to improve cover diversity and complexity. Habitat-improvement programs range from submerging used Christmas trees to more complex programs using sophisticated artificial habitat modules. Used automobile tires have been employed in the large scale construction of reefs and fish attractors in marine environments and to a lesser extent in freshwater and have been recognized as a durable, inexpensive and long-lasting material which benefits fishery communities.

Recent studies by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation have quantified …

Marine Safety And Pollution Prevention: The Role Of The Port State, Jonathan Douglas Sarubbi

Marine Affairs Theses and Major Papers

This paper will examine the evolving role of the port State with regard to the enforcement of international safety of life at sea and pollution control standards and its effect on improving maritime safety and reducing vessel-source pollution. Chapter 2 will analyze the flag State enforcement regime, with particular emphasis on flags of convenience or open registries countries demonstrating the inadequacy of flag State enforcement and the need for port State control. Chapter 3 will examine the concept and legal requirements of the port State control regime. Chapter 4 will focus on the role of the port State with respect …

User Perceptions Of The Environmental Quality And Governance System Of Narragansett Bay, Mary-Beth Gadzik Hart

Marine Affairs Theses and Major Papers

This paper hypothesizes that there will be differences in perception between the users and managers of Narragansett Bay with respect to (1) the Bay's environmental quality; and (2) the effectiveness of the governance system established to manage and regulate the Bay. Any discrepancies in the perception of the quality of Narragansett Bay's shoreline and water resources among various user groups are likely to contribute to conflicts between users, and a less efficient approach to the management of Bay resources. Thus, the identification of where management policies may diverge from the interests of public user groups will serve to improve resource …

Analysis Of Factors Contributing To Environmental Activism: A Case Study Of Beach Clean-Up Participants, Elizabeth Ann Fuller

Marine Affairs Theses and Major Papers

This study was initiated to investigate factors which contribute to environmental activism. Towards this end, three hypotheses were investigated. First, it was hypothesized that beach clean-up participants would harbor pro-environmental attitudes. Second, it was hypothesized that participants would be relatively young, politically liberal, well-educated, and wealthy. Finally, it was hypothesized that particular types of social structure would influence a person's decision to participate in a beach clean-up. Specifically, it was hypothesized that participants at each clean-up location would be clique members and/or would be structurally equivalent. Surprising, it was revealed that there was virtually no difference in attitude between the …

Southern Nevada Effluent Wetlands: A Proposed Cooperative Venture Between The Bureau Of Reclamation & City Of Las Vegas, Bureau Of Reclamation

Publications (WR)

Throughout North America there is a growing interest in constructed wetlands, both as relatively inexpensive, low-maintenance systems for removing nutrients from wastewater, and as a means of using municipal wastewater to enhance wildlife habitat and create public use opportunities. Because wetlands appear to have good potential as a component in the overall management of scarce water resources, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) has undertaken several cooperative research and demonstration projects to evaluate their effectiveness in a variety of local environments. While a number of projects have demonstrated that wetlands can be beneficially employed to improve water quality, few such projects …

Marine Spill Response Corporation (Msrc): How It Hopes To Fill The Oil Recovery Requirements Of The Oil Pollution Act Of 1990, Gerald P. O'Reilly

Marine Affairs Theses and Major Papers

The establishment of Marine Spill Response Corporation (MSRC) is a direct outcome of OPA-90 which will have a substantial effect on domestic shipment, storage and traffic of oil. The ramifications of the law will be felt internationally and it has set a precedent for prevention of oil spills from tankers throughout the world. It will have a positive impact on the environment of the world. But it will be costly and the public will ultimately bear the burden of the environment impact.

Rhode Island Marine Debris Pilot Project, Christina L. Beal

Marine Affairs Theses and Major Papers

The Rhode Island Marine Debris Pilot Project was initiated in Newport, R.I. during the summer of 1991. The objective of the project was to decrease recreational boaters' contribution to marine debris. Two methods were used to achieve this goal. First, trash and recycling disposal facilities were increased around the harbor. Secondly, educational literature on the environmental consequences of marine debris, and the law that applies to overboard disposal, were distributed throughout the local marine community. The implementation of the pilot project led to a significant increase in the amount of debris brought ashore by boaters, and a decrease in the …

The Oil Pollution Act Of 1990: A Solution Or A Problem?, Kevin M. Carey

Marine Affairs Theses and Major Papers

The signing of the Oil Pollution Control Act of 1990, Public law 101-380, (OPA 90) on August 18, 1990 was a significant landmark in the struggle to control pollution by oil and the activities associated with the recovery, transport, and refinement of oil and associated products in the territorial waters of the United States, and was long overdue. The aftermath of the Exxon Valdez spill, which was the impetus that finally prodded Congress to pass the oil spill legislation that had been under consideration for years, has been filled with controversy over how the spill occurred, how the clean up …

Alyeska, Sullom Voe And The Oil Pollution Act Of 1990: A Comparison Of Tanker Safety Regulation And Environmental Monitoring, Neil V. Kelly

Marine Affairs Theses and Major Papers

The Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989 highlighted deficiencies in the Trans Alaska Pipeline System's (TAPS) marine operation on both regulatory and operational levels. The United States Congress passed the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 to promote the prevention of oil spills and to improve our ability to mitigate the effects of spills that occur. An oil terminal roughly analogous to the TAPS terminal at Valdez, Alaska, exists at Sullom Voe in the Shetland Islands, west of Norway and to the north of Scotland in the North Sea. The Sullom Voe terminal has had an environmental advisory group guiding policy …