Environmental Health and Protection Commons^™

Nevada Interagency Volunteer Program: Helping Hands Across Public Lands – Phase Ii: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Covering October 1, 2009 To December 31, 2009, Margaret N. Rees

Get Outdoors Nevada

• The number of records in the volunteer database decreased by 14% over last quarter. The database now contains 5,996 records.
• Website activity increased, recording an average of 121,918 hits per month, an increase of 8% from last quarter, with an average of 9,686 pages viewed per month.
• Volunteer fall training has been completed.
• One hundred and twenty-seven people attended the Volunteer Recognition Event.

Democracy And The Environment In Latin America, Javier Albert Escamilla

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study examines the ability of democratic and non-democratic states alike to protect the environment. Democracy has long been an important concept in the study of politics and environmental protection is an increasingly important issue in world politics. Advocates of democracy claim democratic states are better able to protect the environment than non-democracies. In contrast there are those that argue democracy's emphasis on individual rights leads to excessive resource consumption. This thesis employs a mixed methods approach to determine if democratic countries protect the environment more than their non-democratic counterparts. In short democracies do protect the environment better than non-democracies …

Take Pride In America In Southern Nevada: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Covering July 6, 2009 – October 4, 2009, Margaret N. Rees

Anti-littering Programs

• The team showcased their clean up efforts to the Assistant Secretary of the Interior.
• Work continued on the development of an adopt-a-block/parcel program to address the litter and desert dumping problems that exist in the urban-public land interfaces throughout Clark County.
• The team has sent a representative to serve on the City of Las Vegas Keep America Beautiful task force.
• The team began collaboration with the Howard Hughes Corporation on a desert clean up.
• The recycling feasibility report was presented and approved by the SNAP board.
• The team made substantial progress on the completion of a strategic plan.
• A working …

Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report, Ilonka Zlatar, Cassidee Shinn

Reports (USI)

National and international organizations and programs like the United States Global Change Research Project and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change agree, and scientific evidence indicates, that anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions are resulting in global climate change. Unless actions are taken to reverse and reduce the effects of these emissions, future generations will need to either adapt to or bear the burden of the changed environment. Individuals, companies, institutions, municipalities and countries are being called upon during this urgent world crisis. Universities, which support research and education, have a unique opportunity to become leaders in sustainability.
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Nevada Interagency Volunteer Program: Helping Hands Across Public Lands – Phase Ii: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Covering July 1, 2009 To September 30, 2009, Margaret N. Rees

Get Outdoors Nevada

• The number of records in the volunteer database increased by 494, a 6% increase over last quarter. The database currently contains 6,720 records.
• Website activity increased, recording an average of 108,627 hits per month, an increase of 32% from last quarter, with an average of 12,415 pages viewed per month.
• Two corporations (Whole Foods and The Mirage) were contacted as part of the corporate mobile open house.
• National Public Lands Day was advertised through a daily memo to all 3000+ staff members of The Mirage.
• Preparations for the volunteer recognition banquet continued.

Limnological Assistance For The Lake Mead National Recreation Area In Meeting The Challenge Of The Water 2025 Initiative: Quarterly Report, Period Ending September 30, 2009, Margaret N. Rees

Limnological Studies

Project 1: Two advisory team meetings were attended this year; technical input was provided as appropriate; and summaries were prepared and delivered to Kent Turner. The SCOP Selenium Management Plan has been reviewed with two reports provided.

Project 2: Whitepapers on the carp die-off due to Koi Herpes Virus (KHV) and on lead-base paint use on launch ramps were finalized and delivered to Mr. Turner.

Project 3: The Interagency Monitoring Action Plan (I-MAP) for Quagga Mussels has been approved for implementation.

Project 5: Seven articles based on presentations at the Lake Mead Science Symposium have been approved by the technical …

Interagency Management Action Plan (I-Map) For Quagga Mussels, David Wong, Shawn Gerstenberger

Public Lands Institute Publications

Following the discovery of quagga mussels in Lake Mead, a variety of agencies, including National Park Service (NPS) Lake Mead National Recreational Area (LMNRA), Bureau of Reclamation (USBR), Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA), Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW), U.S. Fish and Wildlife (USFWS), Clean Water Coalition (CWC), and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) have set up monitoring programs to evaluate and gain information to help minimize the impacts or potential impacts of quagga mussels to their facilities and lake ecology. Current monitoring activities and anticipated environmental impacts are depicted in Figures 1 and 2. While the agencies have worked closely and …

Take Pride In America In Southern Nevada: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Covering April 6, 2009 – July 5, 2009, Margaret N. Rees

Anti-littering Programs

• Exploratory development of an adopt-a-block program was initiated to address the litter and desert dumping problems that exist in the urban-public land interfaces throughout Clark County began.
• Draft of SNAP recycling feasibility report was completed.
• Preliminary field data form was revised for GIS database project.
• Phase III media campaign began.
• Ten clean-up events were conducted this quarter.
• The team provided 534 cubic yards of roll-off space for clean-ups.

Limnological Assistance For The Lake Mead National Recreation Area In Meeting The Challenge Of The Water 2025 Initiative: Annual Report, Period Ending July 1, 2009, Margaret N. Rees

Limnological Studies

Project 1: Eighteen advisory team meetings were attended this year; technical input was provided as appropriate; and summaries were prepared and delivered to Kent Turner. The SCOP Selenium Management Plan has been reviewed and a report is in preparation.

Project 2: A formal report titled, Surface Water Monitoring for Indicator Bacteria in High-use Sites of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, was delivered in the second quarter of this year. Subsequently, a poster presentation on this topic was delivered at the Lake Mead Science Symposium and a manuscript has been prepared for submission to the journal, Lake and Reservoir Management. …

Synthesis Completed Of Post-Fire Recovery Of Native Perennials In The Mojave, Sonoran Deserts, Scott R. Abella

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Research

Literature syntheses to develop status of knowledge reports are important to integrate and summarize the scattered scientific literature on a particular topic. The isolation and fragmentation of scientific literature on a topic is not necessarily a shortcoming of science. Rather, it is simply a consequence of having (1) research published in a diverse array of journals, (2) articles build on each other and therefore articles relevant to a particular topic can be published decades apart, and (3) funding virtually impossible to secure to do these periodic assessments of what we know and don’t know (competitive science grants want researchers to …

Nevada Interagency Volunteer Program: Helping Hands Across Public Lands – Phase Ii: Annual Progress Report, Period Covering July 1, 2008 - June 30, 2009, Margaret N. Rees

Get Outdoors Nevada

• From July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009 the Volgistic database has increased the number of records by 20% containing a total 6,226 records at the end of this period.
• Website activity this year averaged 63,590 hits per month, with an average of 5,290 pages viewed per month.
• The IVP team presented a summary of their accomplishments to the SNAP board.
• The team attended 13 community outreach events resulting in 2,501 direct contacts and 394 new mailing list records.
• How to Succeed with Volunteers training was held for SNAP personnel.
• The IVP team met with four SNAP teams to develop …

Nevada Interagency Volunteer Program: Helping Hands Across Public Lands – Phase Ii: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Covering April 1, 2009 – June 30, 2009, Margaret N. Rees

Get Outdoors Nevada

• The number of records in the volunteer database increased by 1,269, a 10% increase over last quarter. The database currently contains 6,226 records.
• Website activity increased, recording an average of 81,903 hits per month, an increase of 20 % from last quarter, with an average of 5,814 pages viewed per month.
• The IVP team surveyed agency staff to determine operational volunteer recruitment needs.
• The IVP team reported their successes, lessons learned, and plans for the future during their assessment by the SNAP board.
• The second annual volunteer bus tour was successfully conducted.
• Preparations for the volunteer recognition banquet began.

Trophic Interactions Associated With Indroduction Of The Invasive Quagga Mussel In Lake Mead, Nevada, Eric Michael Loomis

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The ecology of Lake Mead is experiencing an uncertain future since the documented arrival of the invasive quagga mussel. Interactions among constituents of the food web will undoubtedly be altered over time, adversely affecting the popular sport fishery. This study is the first in Lake Mead to present historic trends in lower trophic interactions among threadfin shad and zooplankton before, and shortly after, the arrival of quagga mussels. Shad stomach content analysis revealed cladocerans and copepods were the dominant identifiable food items in Las Vegas Bay and Overton Arm of Lake Mead. Baseline energetics data through the use of stable …

Flowing Toward Sustainability: Two Stream Adjudications Analyzed Under The Iad Framework, Nancye Lou Bethurem

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

One of the most significant problems impacting the western United States today is the lack of naturally occurring water resources, especially during this period of drought and explosive population growth. This has led to intense competition over water use and ownership in the arid and semi-arid regions of the United States. During this period of water resource scarcity, it is extremely important to determine the ownership of water rights in order to implement optimal management systems. Most western states use a system of "general stream adjudications" to make water rights ownership determinations.

General stream adjudications are legal proceedings used to …

Substrate Monitoring, Contaminant Monitoring, And Educational Outreach On Quagga Mussels (Dreissena Bugensis) In Lake Mead, Nevada, Sara Ann Mueting

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The invasive species, the quagga mussel, Dreissena bugensis, was found in Lake Mead, Nevada-Arizona, USA on January 6, 2007. Since then, researchers have been attempting to quantify the amount of damage these mussels will cause to the lower Colorado River basin. Three projects were implemented in this thesis to research the quagga mussel in Lake Mead. First, a study to determine which types of substrates quagga mussels will grow on preferentially was conducted. Six different substrates, Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) plastic, High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) plastic, Concrete Underlayment Board (CUB), aluminum, stainless steel and fiberglass, were placed in the Boulder …

Take Pride In America In Southern Nevada: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Covering January 6, 2009 – April 5, 2009, Margaret N. Rees

Anti-littering Programs

• Team set annual priorities

• Requests for Information sent to determine recycling feasibility

• Preliminary field data form developed for GIS database project

• Team presented assessment report to SNAP board

• Planning for Phase III media campaign begun

• Five clean-up events conducted this quarter

• Team provided 778 cubic yards of roll-off space for clean-ups

Limnological Assistance For The Lake Mead National Recreation Area In Meeting The Challenge Of The Water 2025 Initiative: Quarterly Report, Period Ending April 1, 2009, Margaret N. Rees

Limnological Studies

Project 1: Technical input has been provided at two advisory team meetings attended this quarter.

Project 2: Surface Water Monitoring for Indicator Bacteria in High-use Sites of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area (poster) was presented at the Lake Mead Science Symposium; a journal article is in preparation.

Project 3: A draft document titled “Interagency Monitoring Action Plan (I-MAP): Quagga Mussels in Lakes Mead and Mohave” has been subdivided into four major sections and corresponding sub-groups have been formed to provide review and input. Six oral presentations related to quagga mussels were presented at the Lake Mead Science Symposium. Two …

Nevada Interagency Volunteer Program: Helping Hands Across Public Lands – Phase Ii: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Covering January 1, 2009 – March 31, 2009, Margaret N. Rees

Get Outdoors Nevada

• The number of records in the volunteer database increased by 3.5%.
• A total of 1,676 database records were archived due to inactivity resulting in a reduction of 26% in the number of current records in the database. The database currently contains 4,957 records.
• Website activity increased, recording an average of 68,086 hits per month, an increase of 22 % from last quarter, with an average of 5,228 pages viewed per month.
• The new website design was launched along with the release of a monthly electronic newsletter.
• How to Succeed with Volunteers training was conducted for SNAP teams and well received …

Surface Water Monitoring For Fecal Indicator Bacteria In High-Use Sites Of The Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Patricia Cruz, Vanessa Stevens, Jessie Rinella

Lake Mead Science Symposium

The Lake Mead National Recreation Area incorporates 1.5 million acres, including Lake Mead and Lake Mohave. The abundance of recreational activities on Lakes Mead and Mohave can impact the contaminant levels in the water, potentially affecting the health of individuals in contact with the water. The purpose of this study was to review and synthesize information obtained for projects conducted by partner agencies from the Water 2025 Conservation Initiatives, specifically bacterial concentration in high-use areas. Surface water samples were collected between May and September, at 9 high-use sites from 2003 to 2007. Culture analysis was performed to determine the concentration …

Assessment Of Endocrine And Gonadal Condition Of Male Largemouth Bass From Lake Mead, Nevada, Reynaldo Patino, Steven L. Goodbred, Erik Orsak, Jill A. Jenkins, Michael R. Rosen

Lake Mead Science Symposium

Las Vegas Bay (LVB) of Lake Mead receives combined flows of tertiary treated wastewater effluent, urban runoff, and groundwater from the Las Vegas metropolitan area. This study examined the potential for endocrine disrupting effects of these anthropogenic inputs on male largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). Adult male bass were collected at two sites within Lake Mead: Overton Arm (OA, reference site), and Las Vegas Bay (LVB). Post-spawn fish were collected in July 2007 (n = 6-10 per site) and pre-spawn fish in March 2008 (n = 13 per site). Post-spawn fish were characterized by regressed testes whereas pre-spawn bass had full-grown …

Diversity Of Estrogen Degrading Microorganisms In Las Vegas Wash And Lake Mead, Nevada, Usa, Susanna Blunt, Jim Bruckner, Jenny C. Fisher, Duane P. Moser

Lake Mead Science Symposium

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are a subject of intense research as more studies reveal their persistence in the environment and detrimental effects on wildlife. Steroid hormones, including the natural and synthetic estrogens estrone (E1), 17-beta-estradiol (E2) and 17- alpha-ethinyl estradiol (EE2), are among the most bioactive and have been detected at low concentrations in waterways downstream from wastewater treatment plants. Las Vegas Wash, a stream flowing into Lake Mead and fed primarily by treated wastewater, provides a unique experimental system in which to study the role microorganisms play in the fate and dispersal of these compounds in surface waters.

Lake Mead Science Symposium, January 13 An 14, 2009, Las Vegas, Nevada: Program, Kent Turner

Lake Mead Science Symposium

Conference program for the 2009 Lake Mead Science Symposium. Includes abstracts of presentations, registration packet, exhibitor and sponsor information.

Lake Mead Symposium Plenary Schedule, Kent Turner

Lake Mead Science Symposium

Preliminary schedule for the symposium.

Take Pride In America In Southern Nevada: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Covering October 6, 2008 – January 5, 2009, Margaret N. Rees

Anti-littering Programs

• Douglas Joslin has resigned from his Project Manager position

• Zia Engineering submits draft report

• GIS project meetings lead to preliminary proposal

• HECTOR announced as the winning name in the name the mascot contest

• Five clean-up events conducted this quarter

• Team provides 619 cubic yards of roll-off space for clean-ups

The 2009 Unlv Campus Sustainability Survey Report, Mark J. Salvaggio

Reports (USI)

In an effort to understand environmental awareness, concerns, practices, and values at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), the Urban Sustainability Initiative (USI) conducted its first campus environmental sustainability survey during the months of March, April, and May 2009. This pilot study was developed to collect baseline data from students, faculty, and staff members at the UNLV campus to be used in a longitudinal study that assesses attitudes and preferences towards environmental sustainability issues. This research project is guided by one of the major goals of USI, which involves reaching out to the academic community to help find workable …

Geoelectrical Response Of Surfactant Solutions In A Quartzitic Sand Analog Aquifer, Meghan Therese Magill

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In this project, the resistivity and phase shift of ten surfactant aqueous solutions in a sand matrix were measured using spectral induced polarization (SIP). In addition, specific conductivity, pH, dissolved oxygen, and dielectric constant measurements of the solutions were also evaluated. The frequency range assessed was 0.091-12000Hz. The surfactants, which are typically used in the remediation of tetrachloroethylene, were Aerosol MA 80-I, Dowfax 8390, and Steol CS-330. The surfactants were mixed into solutions of both deionized and tap water at varying concentrations and injected into a closed system of silica sand. The surfactant treatments altered resistivity, specific conductivity, and pH …

An Evaluation Of Lead Hazards In Pre-1978 Residental Housing Within Clark County, Nevada, Usa, Erika Raquel Torres

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Lead poisoning remains a public health concern due to leads persistence in the environment from anthropogenic uses. Initial efforts to address the impacts of lead on vulnerable communities have included secondary prevention measures which typically occur after a child has been poisoned. However, in recent years there has been a pragmatic shift toward primary prevention efforts.

This study evaluates lead hazards identified through primary prevention activities in residential housing within Clark County, Nevada, USA. It is the first study to systematically address and evaluate pre-1978 housing in Southern Nevada. Risk assessments were conducted in 81 dwellings built prior to 1979 …

Nevada Interagency Volunteer Program: Helping Hands Across Public Lands – Phase Ii: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Covering October 1 – December 31, 2008, Margaret N. Rees

Get Outdoors Nevada

• The number of records in the volunteer database increased 8% over last quarter. The database now contains 6,431 records.
• Website activity increased, recording an average of 56,013 hits per month, an increase of 6% from last quarter, with an average of 5,211 pages viewed per month.
• Volunteer fall training has been completed.
• Three National Public Land Day and National Family Events have been completed.
• Two hundred and five people attended the Volunteer Recognition Event.

Limnological Assistance For The Lake Mead National Recreation Area In Meeting The Challenge Of The Water 2025 Initiative: Quarterly Report, Period Ending December 31, 2008, Margaret N. Rees

Limnological Studies

Project 1: Technical input has been provided at four advisory team meetings attended this quarter.

Project 2: A formal report titled, Surface Water Monitoring for Indicator Bacteria in High-use Sites of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, has been prepared; an accompanying poster presentation for the Lake Mead Science Symposium is in preparation.

Project 3: A draft document titled, “Interagency Monitoring Action Plan (I-MAP): Quagga Mussels in Lakes Mead and Mohave” has been presented to an interagency core group to review and input. Six oral presentations related to quagga mussels are in preparation by this group for the Lake Mead …

The Environmental And Economic Benefits Of Highway Access Management: A Multivariate Analysis Using System Dynamics, Dan Andersen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Better management of highway operations can be achieved, in part, by controlling vehicular access to adjacent properties and cross streets. This tactic, referred to as access management, has proven safety and operational benefits. However, doubts remain regarding its environmental and economic benefits.

I hypothesize that one environmental indicator, carbon emissions, will decrease with proper access management. Controlling access increases the speed at which vehicles travel, improving fuel efficiency and reducing carbon emissions. My hypothesis relative to financial impacts is that access management will neither help nor harm businesses. Controlling access can reduce travel time which has the effect of increasing …