Water Resource Management Commons^™

Water Current, Volume 41, No. 3, Summer 2009

Water Current Newsletter

One-Two-Three Punch Clobbers Toxic Algae, Restores Fremont Lake
Fall Platte River Basin Science and Resource Management Symposium: October 14 and 15 in Kearney
Lessons On Water Scarcity
Meet the Faculty: Robert J. ‘Bob’ Oglesby, Ph.D.
Meet the Faculty: Karrie A. Weber, Ph.D.
Study: Low Flows on Niobrara Could Result in Economic Losses Water
Featured Partner: Audubon Nebraska
Sediment, Microbes and Environmental Fate of Emerging Contaminants
WRAP Update
Vance Anderson Receives Kremer Award
2009 UNL Water and Natural Resources Tour of the Bay-Delta Region of Northern California: June 15-18, 2009<
UNL Extension Continues Helping Farmers Learn Irrigation Strategies to use Less …

Water Current, Volume 41, No. 2, Spring 2009

Water Current Newsletter

Fall Symposium: Platte River Basin Science and Resource Management – October 14 and 15 in Kearney
WRAP Exploring Critical Issues
Meet the Faculty: Jesse Korus, Mehmet Can Vuran
UNL to Announce Formation of the Global Water Institute Engineering
Emerging Contaminants in Natural Waterways: Where is the Smoking Gun?
Featured Partner: NACEE: Nebraska Alliance for Conservation and Environmental Education
Protect State’s Legacy of Living Rivers
Zellmer Authors Book Chapter
Sixth Annual University of Nebraska–LincolnWater Law, Policy and Science
Conference:“Blue Gold: When Water Meets Money”April 29, 30Embassy Suites Hotel, Lincoln
Rain Gardens and Urban Stormwater Management Education in Nebraska
UNL Presenters at …

Droughtscape, Spring 2009, Kelly Smith

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

U.S. Drought Monitor Publishes Map 500!

Weakening La Niña May Mean Relief for Texas

Upcoming Workshops

Drought Impacts Worst in California, Texas

CoCoRaHS to Request Drought Impact Data, Too

NDMC Adds Researcher

K-12 Students Learn About Drought

The Occurrence Of Illicit And Therapeutic Pharmaceuticals In Wastewater Effluent And Surface Waters In Nebraska, Shannon L. Bartelt-Hunt, Daniel D. Snow, Teyona Damon, Johnette Shockley, Kyle Hoagland

Nebraska Water Center: Faculty Publications

Passive samplers were used to develop semi-quantitative estimates of pharmaceutical concentrations in receiving waters influenced by wastewater effluent. The occurrence and estimated concentration of twenty illicit and therapeutic pharmaceuticals and metabolites in surface waters influenced by wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) discharge and in wastewater effluents in Nebraska were determined using Polar Organic Chemical Integrative Samplers (POCIS). Samplers were installed in rivers upstream and downstream of treated WWTP discharge at four sites and in a discharge canal at a fifth location. Based on differences in estimated concentrations determined from pharmaceuticals recovered from POCIS, WWTP effluent was found to be a significant …

Estrogenic Compounds Downstream From Three Small Cities In Eastern Nebraska: Occurrence And Biological Effect, Marlo K. Sellin, Daniel D. Snow, Debbie L. Akerly, Alan S. Kolok

Nebraska Water Center: Faculty Publications

Recent studies have detected estrogenic compounds in surface waters in North America and Europe. Furthermore, the presence of estrogenic compounds in surface waters has been attributed, in some cases, to the discharge of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent. The primary objective of the current study was to determine if WWTP effluent contributes estrogens to the surface waters of Nebraska. A second objective of this study was to determine if estrogens were found in concentrations sufficient enough to manifest feminizing effects on fish. These objectives were satisfied by deploying polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS) and caged fathead minnows at eight …

A System For Estimating Bowen Ratio And Evaporation From Waste Lagoons, Arturo I. Quintanar, Rezaul Mahmood, John H. Loughrin, Nanh Lovanh, Monica V. Motley

High Plains Regional Climate Center: Staff Publications

A low‐cost system was deployed above a swine waste lagoon to obtain estimates of Bowen ratios and characterize lagoon temperatures. The system consisted of humidity and temperature sensors and anemometers deployed above the lagoon, water temperature sensors, and a meteorological station located by the lagoon. To evaluate the system, data was analyzed from the 25th through 28th June 2007. Bowen ratios showed diurnal behavior near the lagoon surface characterized by negative values during day and positive ones at night. Latent (evaporation) and sensible heat fluxes were towards the atmosphere and the lagoon, respectively for most of the day. A diurnal …

Droughtscape, Winter 2009, Kelly Smith

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

Bastrop TX: Feb. 12 Central CA: Feb. 24, 26

La Niña May Keep West and Gulf Coast Dry

Big Canoes to Launch

2008 in Review

U.S. Feels Drought Impacts in 2008

NDMC Welcomes Widhalm, Sakamoto

Climate Modelers at Workshop Look to Sea Surface Temperatures for Drought Prediction

Ecosystem Jenga!, Natalie Umphlett, Tierney Brosius, Ramesh Laungani, Diandra L. Leslie-Pelecky

High Plains Regional Climate Center: Staff Publications

Students are often taught that ecosystems are "delicately balanced," But what. exactly, does this mean? How do we help students relate what they learn in the classroom about ecosystems to the world immediately around them?

As scientists who work closely with middle school students as part of a National Science Foundation-funded Graduate Fellows in K-12 Education program called Project Fulcrum. we have learned that abstract concepts, such as "delicately balanced ecosystem," are often not truly understood. We addressed this concern in a seventh-grade science classroom in Lincoln. Nebraska. by introducing students to locally threatened saline wetlands and the endangered Salt …

Water Current, Volume 41, No. 1, Winter 2009

Water Current Newsletter

When Water Meets Money Topic of Sixth Annual Conference, April 29, 30
Meet the Faculty: Chad E. Brassil, Ph.D., Zhenghong Tan, Ph.D.
Database Connects Public to University of Nebraska Research
From the Director: Where Were You on the First Earth Day?
Arctic Lakes May Hold Clues to Understanding Climate Change
June Tour Examines California's Bay-Delta
Fall Symposium: Platte River Basin Science and Resource Management October 14 and 15 in Kearney
UNL Faculty Provide Updates to the Water Resources Advisory Panel
Through the Looking Glass: Multifaceted Fate of EmergingContaminants in Nebraska Waterways
Water Seminar Lectures Continue Through April
Get Your Water …

Detection, Occurrence, And Fate Of Emerging Contaminants In Agricultural Environments (2009), Daniel D. Snow, Shannon L. Bartelt-Hunt, Shannon Devivo, Samuel Saunders, David A. Cassada

Nebraska Water Center: Faculty Publications

Frequently studied environmental contaminants in agricultural systems include nutrients, sediments, and pesticides. These groups of contaminants typically occur at easily measured concentrations in surface run-off in agricultural watersheds. Nutrients, especially nitrogen, and pesticides have also been shown to impact ground water quality in areas susceptible to contamination. Less well-known are environmental impacts of newer classes of contaminants such as pharmaceuticals, steroids, antibiotic-resistance genes and prion proteins. These “emerging” contaminants clearly have potential to enter the environment and cause known or suspected adverse ecological or human health effects. Release of these contaminants to the environment often has occurred for quite some …

Field-Scale Cleanup Of Atrazine And Cyanazine Contaminated Soil With A Combined Chemical-Biological Approach, Manmeet Waria, Steven Comfort, Sathaporn Onanong, T. Satapanajaru, Hardiljeet Boparai, C. Harris, Daniel D. Snow, David A. Cassada

Nebraska Water Center: Faculty Publications

A former agrichemical dealership in western Nebraska was suspected of having contaminated soil. Our objective was to characterize and remediate the contaminated site by a combined chemical-biological approach. This was accomplished by creating contour maps of the on-site contamination, placing the top 60 cm of contaminated soil in windrows and mixing with a mechanical high-speed mixer. Homogenized soil containing both atrazine [6-chloro-N-ethyl-N´-isopropyl-1,3,5-triazine- 2,4-diamine] and cyanazine {2-[[4-chloro-6-(ethylamino)-1,3,5- triazin-2-yl] amino]-2-methylpropanenitrile} was then used in laboratory investigations to determine optimum treatments for pesticide destruction. Iron suspension experiments verified that zerovalent iron (Fe⁰) plus ferrous sulfate (FeSO_{4 …}

Hydrochemistry Of Wetlands Along The Platte River Near Ashland, Nebraska, Carrie L. Wiese

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

No abstract provided.

Droughtscape, Fall 2008, Kelly Smith

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

Washington Workshops Scheduled for November

Look for Warm West, Rainy Gulf, Easing Drought

New Drought Monitor Authors Profiled

Drought Impact Awareness Growing: Weather Forecast Offices, Geographers Highlight Issue

NDMC Takes on New Projects

Hundreds+ See NDMC at Ag Trade Show

NDMC Welcomes New Employees

Droughtscape, Fall 2008, Kelly Smith

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

Washington Workshops Scheduled for November

Look for Warm West, Rainy Gulf, Easing Drought

New Drought Monitor Authors Profiled

Drought Impact Awareness Growing: Weather Forecast Offices, Geographers Highlight Issue

NDMC Takes on New Projects

Hundreds+ See NDMC at Ag Trade Show

NDMC Welcomes New Employees

Water Current, Volume 40, No. 4, Fall 2008

Water Current Newsletter

2009 Tour looks at San Francisco Bay-Delta Area
Meet the Faculty: Haishun Yang, Charles A. Shapiro
When Water Meets Money Topic of Conference
From the Director: Biofuels, Trends in Impacts on Water Demand, Supply and Quality
Nebraska Water Map Illustrates State Water Issues
Fourteen Lectures in UNL’s Spring Semester Water Series
How Human Pharmaceuticals Threaten Water Quality: A Primer on Emerging Contaminants, Part Two
Decommissioning Out-Of-Service Water Wells to Protect Water Quality
IANR/Extension Adopts “Water” Theme for 2008 Husker Harvest Days Show at Grand Island
2008 Water Colloquium, Oct. 16, 2008, UNL Hardin Hall, Lincoln
Water Resources Advisory Panel Updates …

A Spatial Analysis Of Anthropogenically Derived And Naturally Occurring Environmental Controls On Corn-Based Ethanol Production In Nebraska, Nathan Charles Healey

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Transportation fuels are an integral part of political, economic, social, and environmental arenas. Traditionally, fossil fuels have been utilized most heavily due to their abundance and economic value. Currently, social and political concerns about harmful emissions (greenhouse gases) from fossil fuel combustion have enhanced interest in alternative fuels that do not have the same environmental consequence. Numerous alternative fuels are produced globally including methanol, biodiesel, hydrogen cells, and ethanol (ethyl alcohol). In America, ethanol is produced from com due to the existence of the "Com Belt" and abundant corn production. Understanding the capacity for America to sustain expansion of alternative …

Nebraska Water Map

Nebraska Water Center: Administrative Materials

Nebraska Water is a full-color, 24"x36" poster, that is appropriate for educational use. The information presented on the maps is the best available as of July 2008. The content and level of detail of each map is based on available space and map scale.

Droughtscape, Summer 2008, Kelly Smith

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

VegDRI Expands West

Spring Rains Ease Drought But CA Still Dry

Scholar Donates Books

NDMC Welcomes Employees Bathke, Nothwehr

Latest Workshop Info Up

State Lawmakers to Focus on Drought Planning

Decadal Variation -- Clues to Droughts and Floods?

Water Current, Volume 40, No. 3, Summer 2008

Water Current Newsletter

Latest on Water Science, Economics and Law at October Colloquium
Water is Theme for UNL at September's Husker Harvest Days
From the Director: What I Didn't Do During My Summer Vacation
Meet the Faculty: Jinsheng You, Gary L. Stone
Water.unl.edu Gateway to All Things Water
Water Resources Advisory Panel Expands; Members to Reconvene in September
Agricultural Water Management Network
UNL and China Explore
Hydroinformatics Collaboratory
Water and Climate Change: Perfect Storm in Sight
2008 Water and Natural Resources Tour: Republican River Basin of Kansas and Nebraska
Water Brief News
A Primer on Emerging Contaminants
What's New at the Water Sciences …

Nebraska Water (Map/Poster)

Nebraska Water Center: Faculty Publications

A 36" x 24" poster including topographical and watershed map of the state of Nebraska and inset maps showing:
Density of Active Registered Irrigation Wells - January 2008
Groundwater-Level Changes - Predevelopment to Spring 2007
Generalized Nitrate Levels in Wells Sampled, 1974 - 2006
Mean Annual Precipitation, 1971 - 2000 and Generalized Gaining/Losing Streams
DNR Designated Hydrologically-Connected Fully and Overappropriated Basins, Subbasins and Reaches, July 2008
River Basins with Coldwater and Warmwater Stream Designations
Generalized Atrazine Levels in Wells Sampled, 1974 - 2006
Threatened and Endangered Waterbirds and Fish
High Plains Aquifer, Saturated Thickness, 1997
Estimated Water Use in Nebraska …

Impacts Of Human Physical Disturbance Of Benthic Communities In Tributaries Of The Niobrara National Scenic River, Kimberly D. Laing

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

No abstract provided.

Water Current, Volume 40, No. 2, Spring 2008

Water Current Newsletter

UNL/OSU Researchers Try Promising Technique to Remove Groundwater Contamination
Water and Natural Resources Tour in June
From the Director: USGS Climate Change Research, a Critical Partnership in the Making
Meet the Faculty: Gary L. Zoubek, Paul C. Hay
Herpel Joins Water Center Staff as Outreach Specialist
Scholarship Honors Water Center's First Permanent Director
Storing a Safe Emergency Drinking Water Supply
A Long-Term Perspective on Drought
History in the Great Plains
Water Center History Books Available
Earthworms Contain Chemicals from Households and Animal Manure
UNL Researchers Determine Costs of Producing Switchgrass for Ethanol
Water Quality Challenges in the Great Plains
Water …

Droughtscape, Spring 2008, Kelly Smith

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

San Angelo, April 24

Winter Sees Little Change in U.S. Drought

News Stories Reveal Array of Mitigation Strategies

NIDIS Wants You!

Sea Surface Temperatures Can Help Predict Drought

About DroughtScape

Recent Travels

Testing A Simple Field Method For Assessing Nitrate Removal In Riparian Zones, Philippe Vidon, Michael G. Dosskey

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Being able to identify riparian sites that function better for nitrate removal from groundwater is critical to using efficiently the riparian zones for water quality management. For this purpose, managers need a method that is quick, inexpensive, and accurate enough to enable effective management decisions. This study assesses the precision and accuracy of a simple method using three ground water wells and one measurement date for determining nitrate removal characteristics of riparian buffer zones. The method is a scaled-down version of a complex field research method that consists of a large network of wells and piezometers monitored monthly for over …

Preferences For Rural Amenities In Lancaster County, K. Koehler-Cole

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

No abstract provided.

Water Current ,Volume 40, No. 1, Winter 2008

Water Current Newsletter

Water Quality Subject of Fifth Water Law, Policy and Science Conference By Steve Ress
Water Center History nears Completion By Steve Ress
A Wake-up Call on Climate Change
Meet the Faculty
Planning Begins for June Tour of Republican River Basin By Steve Ress
LB 701: Is it an Answer to Nebraska’s Republican River Problems? By Katherine Kalisek-Vogel
Griffin Named Groundwater Foundation President
Jackson Joins Water Center as Intern
Spring Seminars Continue Through April 16
Nebraska DNR Sponsors Modeling Group Meetings By Steve Ress
Nebraska’s Current Top 10 Water Challenges
ENWRA: Accessing Groundwater Resources in Eastern Nebraska By Julie Wragge
Ethanol …

Multi-Ideal-Adic Completions Of Noetherian Rings, William J. Heinzer, Christel Rotthaus, Sylvia Wiegand

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Let R be a commutative ring with identity. A filtration on R is a decreasing sequence {In}∞ n=0 of ideals of R. Associated to a filtration is a well-defined completion R ∗ = l←i−mn R/In and a canonical homomorphism ψ : R → R ∗ [13, Chap. 9]. If ∞ n=0 In = (0), then ψ is injective and R may be regarded as a subring of R ∗ [13, p. 401]. In the terminology of Northcott, a filtration {In}∞ n=0 is multiplicative if I0 = R and InIm ⊆ In+m for all m ≥ 0 and n ≥ 0 …

Sampling Of Malodorous Compounds In Air Using Stir Bar Sorbtive Extraction, John H. Loughrin, Nanh Lovanh, Arturo I. Quintanar, Rezaul Mahmood

High Plains Regional Climate Center: Staff Publications

Twisters, (poly)‐dimethylsiloxane‐coated magnetic stir bars, were used to measure compounds typical of swine manure malodor in air. In initial experiments, a time to achieve equilibrium was determined by preloading the stir bars with ten compounds with a range of volatilities and polarities and then monitoring their loss. The rate of loss was dependent on compound volatility, and the time for equilibrium to be attained varied widely, from 22 min for phenol to 210 min for skatole. To test whether the Twisters would respond linearly over a range of concentrations, the stir bars were placed in vented jars with solutions of …

Evaluation Of Modis Ndvi And Ndwi For Vegetation Drought Monitoring Using Oklahoma Mesonet Soil Moisture Data, Yingxin Gu, Eric Hunt, Brian Wardlow, Jeffrey B. Basara, Jesslyn F. Brown, James P. Verdin

National Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

The evaluation of the relationship between satellitederived vegetation indices (normalized difference vegetation index and normalized difference water index) and soil moisture improves our understanding of how these indices respond to soil moisture fluctuations. Soil moisture deficits are ultimately tied to drought stress on plants. The diverse terrain and climate of Oklahoma, the extensive soil moisture network of the Oklahoma Mesonet, and satellitederived indices from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) provided an opportunity to study correlations between soil moisture and vegetation indices over the 2002–2006 growing seasons. Results showed that the correlation between both indices and the fractional water index …

The Vegetation Drought Response Index (Vegdri): A New Integrated Approach For Monitoring Drought Stress In Vegetation, Jesslyn F. Brown, Brian D. Wardlow, Tsegaye Tadesse, Michael Hayes, Bradley C. Reed

National Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

The development of new tools that provide timely, detailed-spatial-resolution drought information is essential for improving drought preparedness and response. This paper presents a new method for monitoring drought-induced vegetation stress called the Vegetation Drought Response Index (VegDRI). VegDRI integrates traditional climate-based drought indicators and satellite-derived vegetation index metrics with other biophysical information to produce a 1 km map of drought conditions that can be produced in near-real time. The initial VegDRI map results for a 2002 case study conducted across seven states in the north-central United States illustrates the utility of VegDRI for improved large-area drought monitoring.