Water Resource Management Commons^™

Water Metrics, Lisa-Maria Rebelo, Jean-Marc Faurès, Poolad Karimi, Wim Bastiaanssen, Meredith Giordano, Vladimir Smakhtin, Peter G. Mccornick

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

Society has a universal need for water that crosses all sectors of activity. We need to be able to measure progress towards sustainable water for all by working towards targets that consider the different dimensions of water resources and use, including water quantity and quality. A suite of indicators that reflect water use by different sectors is needed to measure progress towards the forthcoming SDGs’ [sustainable development goals] water-related targets. Such indicators will need to rely on national data, must consider the variation in data availability, and can be complemented with new cost-effective ways for data collection.

Remote sensing measurements, …

Water-Food-Energy Nexus, Jeremy Bird, Felix Dodds, Peter G. Mccornick, Tushaar Shah

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

The proposed SDGs on water, food and energy security all include targets on increasing efficiencies. Yet the water–food–energy nexus has multiple dimensions that, if managed in isolation, will compromise a nation’s ability to achieve the full portfolio of SDGs.

Climate change introduces additional uncertainties, further increasing tensions between sectors for access to water. Conventional energy and food production are emitters of greenhouse gases, but measures to reduce emissions—including renewable energy interventions, such as subsidies for biofuel production—can have adverse consequences on food prices.

To achieve desirable and sustainable outcomes for water, food, and energy requires investigating these elements as an …

Afrontar El Cambio: Cuidar Del Agua, De La Agricultura Y De La Seguridad Alimentaria En Una Era De Incertidumbre Climática, Peter G. Mccornick, Vladimir Smakhtin, Luna Bharati, Robyn Johnston, Matthew Mccartney, Fraser Sugden, Floriane Clement, Beverly Mcintyre

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

En 1950, la población mundial era apenas superior a los 2500 millones de habitantes. En 2013, ronda los 7 mil millones. Aunque el crecimiento de la población se está ralentizando, se estima que en 2050 se alcanzarán los 9600 millones de habitantes. El aumento de la población será mayor en los países en desarrollo, donde los alimentos a menudo escasean, y la tierra y el agua están sometidas a presión. Para alimentar a la población mundial en 2050, tendrán que producirse más alimentos sin que haya un aumento significativo del terreno de cultivo y contando con un caudal menor de …

Fluoride Exposure From Groundwater As Reflected By Urinary Fluoride And Children’S Dental Fluorosis In The Main Ethiopian Rift Valley, Tewodros Rango, Avner Vengosh, Marc Jeuland, Redda Tekle-Haimanot, Erika Weinthal, Julia Kravchenko, Christopher Paul, Peter G. Mccornick

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

This cross-sectional study explores the relationships between children’s F⁻ exposure from drinking groundwater and urinary F⁻ concentrations, combined with dental fluorosis (DF) in the Main Ethiopian Rift (MER) Valley. We examined the DF prevalence and severity among 491 children (10 to 15 years old) who are lifelong residents of 33 rural communities in which groundwater concentrations of F⁻ cover a wide range. A subset of 156 children was selected for urinary F⁻ measurements. Our results showed that the mean F⁻ concentrations in groundwater were 8.5 ± 4.1 mg/L (range: 1.1–18 mg/L), while those in urine …

The Effect Of Non-Fluoride Factors On Risk Of Dental Fluorosis: Evidence From Rural Populations Of The Main Ethiopian Rift, Julia Kravchenko, Tewodros Rango, Igor Akushevich, Behailu Atlaw, Peter G. Mccornick, R. Brittany Merola, Christopher Paul, Erika Weinthal, Courtney Harrison, Avner Vengosh, Marc Jeuland

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

Elevated level of fluoride (F⁻) in drinking water is a well-recognized risk factor of dental fluorosis (DF). While considering optimization of region-specific standards for F⁻, it is reasonable, however, to consider how local diet, water sourcing practices, and non-F⁻ elements in water may be related to health outcomes. In this study, we hypothesized that non-F⁻ elements in groundwater and lifestyle and demographic characteristics may be independent predictors or modifiers of the effects of F⁻ on teeth. Dental examinations were conducted among 1094 inhabitants from 399 randomly selected households of 20 rural communities of …

Fluoride Exposure From Groundwater As Reflected By Urinary Fluoride And Children’S Dental Fluorosis In The Main Ethiopian Rift Valley, Tewodros Rango, Avner Vengosh, Marc Jeuland, Redda Tekle-Haimanot, Erika Weinthal, Julia Kravchenko, Christopher Paul, Paul Mccornick

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

This cross-sectional study explores the relationships between children’s F⁻ exposure from drinking groundwater and urinary F⁻ concentrations, combined with dental fluorosis (DF) in the Main Ethiopian Rift (MER) Valley. We examined the DF prevalence and severity among 491 children (10 to 15 This cross-sectional study explores the relationships between children’s F⁻ exposure from drinking groundwater and urinary F⁻ concentrations, combined with dental fluorosis (DF) in the Main Ethiopian Rift (MER) Valley. We examined the DF prevalence and severity among 491 children (10 to 15 years old) who are lifelong residents of 33 rural communities in which …

National Drought Management Policy Guidelines: A Template For Action, Donald A. Wilhite, World Meteorological Organization, Global Water Partnership, National Drought Mitigation Center

National Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

The implementation of a drought policy based on the philosophy of risk reduction can alter a nation’s approach to drought management by reducing the associated impacts (risk). This was the idea that motivated the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the Secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with a number of UN agencies, international and regional organizations, and key national agencies, to organize the Highlevel Meeting on National Drought Policy (HMNDP), which was held in Geneva from 11 to 15 March 2013. The theme of …

Investigating The Effect Of The ‘‘Land Between The Lakes’’ On Storm Patterns, Joshua D. Durkee, Ahmed M. Degu, Faisal Hossain, Rezaul Mahmood, Jesse Winchester, Themis Chronis

High Plains Regional Climate Center: Staff Publications

The artificially created region around the ‘‘Land between the Lakes’’ (LBL) in Kentucky represents unique land use and land cover (LULC) heterogeneities. Over a distance of 100 km, the LULC comprises artificially created open water bodies (i.e., two parallel large run-on-river dams separated by the LBL), mountainous terrain, forest cover, and extensive agricultural land. Such heterogeneities increase (decrease) moisture supply and sensible heat, resulting in a differential air mass boundary that helps to initiate (inhibit) convection. Hence, the LBL can potentially modify precipitation formation. Historical anecdotes reveal a tendency for storms to dissipate or reintensify near the LBL. The specific …

A Comparison Of The Mm5 And The Regional Atmospheric Modeling System Simulations For Land--Atmosphere Interactions Under Varying Soil Moisture, Astrid Suarez, Rezaul Mamood, Arturo I. Quintanar, Adriana Beltran-Prezekurat, Roger Pielke Sr.

High Plains Regional Climate Center: Staff Publications

A comparison between two mesoscale models, Colorado State University Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) version 4.4 coupled with the Land-Ecosystem--Atmosphere Feedback Model (LEAF2) and Penn State/NCAR’s Mesoscale Model (MM5) coupled with NOAH Land Surface Model, was conducted in order to assess the sensitivity of forecasted planetary boundary layer (PBL) variables to anomalous initial volumetric soil moisture conditions. The experiments were conducted using three synoptic events: June 11, 17 and 22, 2006. For each event, one control run and six additional simulations were completed using RAMS and MM5. In each of the events, initial volumetric soil moisture was increased and decreased …

Lithologic Influences On Groundwater Recharge Through Incised Glacial Till From Profile To Regional Scales: Evidence From Glaciated Eastern Nebraska, John L. Gates, Gregory V. Steele, Paolo Nasta, Jozsef Szilagyi

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

[1] Variability in sediment hydraulic properties associated with landscape depositional and erosional features can influence groundwater recharge processes by affecting soil-water storage and transmission. This study considers recharge to aquifers underlying river-incised glaciated terrain where the distribution of clay-rich till is largely intact in upland locations but has been removed by alluvial erosion in stream valleys. In a stream-dissected glacial region in eastern Nebraska (Great Plains region of the United States), recharge estimates were developed for nested profile, aquifer, and regional scales using unsaturated zone profile measurements (matric potentials, Cl⁻ and ³H), groundwater tracers (CFC-12 and SF_{6 …}

Hydrographic Survey Of Chaktomuk, The Confluence Of The Mekong, Tonlé Sap, And Bassac Rivers Near Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 2012, Benjamin J. Dietsch, Brenda K. Densmore, Richard C. Wilson

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of State, Mekong River Commission, Phnom Penh Autonomous Port, and the Cambodian Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology, completed a hydrographic survey of Chaktomuk, which is the confluence of the Mekong, Tonlé Sap (also spelled Tônlé Sab), and Bassac Rivers near Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The hydrographic survey used a high-resolution multibeam echosounder mapping system to map the riverbed during April 21–May 2, 2012.

The multibeam echosounder mapping system was made up of several components: A RESON Seabat™ 7125 multibeam echosounder, an inertial measurement unit and navigation unit, data collection computers, …

Assessing And Managing Freshwater Ecosystems Vulnerable To Environmental Change, David G. Angeler, Craig R. Allen, Hannah E. Birgé, Stina Drakare, Brendan G. Mckie, Richard K. Johnson

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Freshwater ecosystems are important for global biodiversity and provide essential ecosystem services. There is consensus in the scientific literature that freshwater ecosystems are vulnerable to the impacts of environmental change, which may trigger irreversible regime shifts upon which biodiversity and ecosystem services may be lost. There are profound uncertainties regarding the management and assessment of the vulnerability of freshwater ecosystems to environmental change. Quantitative approaches are needed to reduce this uncertainty. We describe available statistical and modeling approaches along with case studies that demonstrate how resilience theory can be applied to aid decision-making in natural resources management. We highlight especially …

On Target For People And Planet: Setting And Achieving Water-Related Sustainable Development Goals, Julie Van Der Bliek, Peter G. Mccornick, James Clarke

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

Our specific focus in this book is on securing water for sustainable food production. This links to sustainable water resources management, delivering on the water supply and sanitation requirements and provisioning water for energy and the urban sector. A specific intent is to ensure that the realities in low- and middle-income countries in Africa and Asia are recognized and to provide practical pathways to change that fit these realities and the aspirations of those countries. This will help to prepare for the next step in the SDG [sustainable development goals] process: devolving the SDGs to the national level. It will …

Nebraska Water Center, Robert B. Daugherty Water For Food Institute, University Of Nebraska (Handout), Nebraska Water Center

Nebraska Water Center: Administrative Materials

Who We Are: The Nebraska Water Center (NWC), established by Congress in 1964 as one of 54 Water Resources Research Institutes nationwide, focuses on helping the University of Nebraska (NU) become an international leader in water research, teaching, extension and outreach by facilitating programs that will result in NU becoming a premiere institution in the study of agricultural and domestic water use. The NWC helps arrange research addressing water problems or water understanding; helps new water researchers and engineers; and publishes research results to water professionals and the public through publications, colloquiums and conferences, lectures and tours. The NWC is …

Using Posts To An Online Social Network To Assess Fishing Effort, Dustin R. Martin, Christopher J. Chizinski, Kent M. Eskridge, Kevin L. Pope

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Fisheries management has evolved from reservoir to watershed management, creating a need to simultaneously gather information within and across interacting reservoirs. However, costs to gather information on the fishing effort on multiple reservoirs using traditional creel methodology are often prohibitive. Angler posts about reservoirs online provide a unique medium to test hypotheses on the distribution of fishing pressure. We show that the activity on an online fishing social network is related to fishing effort and can be used to facilitate management goals. We searched the Nebraska Fish and Game Association Fishing Forum for all references from April 2009 to December …

Co-Occurrence Of The Cyanotoxins Bmaa, Daba And Anatoxin-A In Nebraska Reservoirs, Fish, And Aquatic Plants, Maitham Ahmed Al-Sammak, Kyle D. Hoagland, David A. Cassada, Daniel D. Snow

Nebraska Water Center: Faculty Publications

Several groups of microorganisms are capable of producing toxins in aquatic environments. Cyanobacteria are prevalent blue green algae in freshwater systems, and many species produce cyanotoxins which include a variety of chemical irritants, hepatotoxins and neurotoxins. Production and occurrence of potent neurotoxic cyanotoxins β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA), 2,4-diaminobutyric acid dihydrochloride (DABA), and anatoxin-a are especially critical with environmental implications to public and animal health. Biomagnification, though not well understood in aquatic systems, is potentially relevant to both human and animal health effects. Because little is known regarding their presence in fresh water, we investigated the occurrence and potential for bioaccumulation of cyanotoxins …

Winter Wind Chill Climatology For The High Plains Region, Holly B. Lussenden, Natalie A. Umphlett, Martha D. Shulski, Daniel Ebert

High Plains Regional Climate Center: Staff Publications

During the winter months in the High Plains region of the United States, wind chill temperatures can reach dangerous levels for humans and animals. Knowing the frequency in which extreme wind chill temperatures occur could help forecasters know when to issue wind chill advisories and also the general public understand just how rare, or common, certain wind chill temperatures are. A climatology spanning a 37-year period was created using data from 57 stations in and around the plains portion of the High Plains region from the Integrated Surface Hourly Database at National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). These climatologies were completed …

Climate Masters Of Nebraska: An Innovative Action-Based Approach For Climate Change Education, Tapan Pathak, Tonya Bernadt, Natalie A. Umphlett

High Plains Regional Climate Center: Staff Publications

Climate Masters of Nebraska is an innovative educational program that strategically trains community volunteers about climate change science and corresponding ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in an interactive and action-based teaching environment. As a result of the program, 91% of participants indicated that they made informed changes in their lives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Approximately 500 hours of volunteer work was reported by participants as an outreach for greenhouse gas emission reduction. The program can be easily replicated to other locales with an effective planning and with small leadership team.

Droughtscape, Winter 2014, Kelly Smith

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

Contents

Director’s report

Outlook & quarterly review . 2

Drought in 2013 review.

Quarterly impacts review . 5

Impacts in 2013 review.

Belmont Forum research0

USDM change maps 11

Central Asia drought planning

Kansas RC&D planning

Publication compares plans

Drought for planners webinar

Soil moisture networks

Kansas farm and ranch planning

$500 to develop leadership

Kids seek solutions

Plains symposium April 1-4

Assessing Resilience In Stressed Watersheds, Kristine T. Nemec, Joana Chan, Christina Hoffman, Trisha L. Spanbauer, Joseph A. Hamm, Craig R. Allen, Trevor Hefley, Donald Pan, Prabhakar Shrestha

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Although several frameworks for assessing the resilience of social-ecological systems (SESs) have been developed, some practitioners may not have sufficient time and information to conduct extensive resilience assessments. We have presented a simplified approach to resilience assessment that reviews the scientific, historical, and social literature to rate the resilience of an SES with respect to nine resilience properties: ecological variability, diversity, modularity, acknowledgement of slow variables, tight feedbacks, social capital, innovation, overlap in governance, and ecosystem services. We evaluated the effects of two large-scale projects, the construction of a major dam and the implementation of an ecosystem recovery program, on …

Self-Imposed Length Limits In Recreational Fisheries, Christopher J. Chizinski, Dustin R. Martin, Keith L. Hurley, Kevin L. Pope

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

A primary motivating factor on the decision to harvest a fish among consumptive-orientated anglers is the size of the fish. There is likely a cost-benefit trade-off for harvest of individual fish that is size and species dependent, which should produce a logistic-type response of fish fate (release or harvest)as a function of fish size and species. We define the self-imposed length limit as the length at which a captured fish had a 50% probability of being harvested, which was selected because it marks the length of the fish where the probability of harvest becomes greater than the probability of release. …

Panarchy: Theory And Application, Craig R. Allen, David G. Angeler, Ahjond S. Garmestani, Lance H. Gunderson, C. S. Holling

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

The concept of panarchy provides a framework that characterizes complex systems of people and nature as dynamically organized and structured within and across scales of space and time. It has been more than a decade since the introduction of panarchy. Over this period, its invocation in peer-reviewed literature has been steadily increasing, but its use remains primarily descriptive and abstract. Here, we discuss the use of the concept in the literature to date, highlight where the concept may be useful, and discuss limitations to the broader applicability of panarchy theory for research in the ecological and social sciences. Finally, we …

Discontinuities, Cross-Scale Patterns, And The Organization Of Ecosystems, Kirsty L. Nash, Craig R. Allen, David G. Angeler, Chris Barichievy, Tarsha Eason, Ahjond S. Garmestani, Nicholas A. J. Graham, Dean Granholm, Melinda Knutson, R. John Nelson, Magnus Nyström, Craig A. Stow, Shana M. Sundstrom

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Ecological structures and processes occur at specific spatiotemporal scales, and interactions that occur across multiple scales mediate scale-specific (e.g., individual, community, local, or regional) responses to disturbance. Despite the importance of scale, explicitly incorporating a multi-scale perspective into research and management actions remains a challenge. The discontinuity hypothesis provides a fertile avenue for addressing this problem by linking measureable proxies to inherent scales of structure within ecosystems. Here we outline the conceptual framework underlying discontinuities and review the evidence supporting the discontinuity hypothesis in ecological systems. Next we explore the utility of this approach for understanding cross-scale patterns and the …

Predicted Avian Responses To Bioenergy Development Scenarios In An Intensive Agricultural Landscape, Daniel R. Uden, Craig R. Allen, Rob B. Mitchell, Tim D. Mccoy, Qingfeng Guan

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Conversion of native prairie to agriculture has increased food and bioenergy production but decreased wildlife habitat. However, enrollment of highly erodible cropland in conservation programs has compensated for some grassland loss. In the future, climate change and production of second-generation perennial biofuel crops could further transform agricultural landscapes and increase or decrease grassland area. Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) is an alternative biofuel feedstock that may be economically and environmentally superior to maize (Zea mays) grain for ethanol production on marginally productive lands. Switchgrass could benefit farmers economically and increase grassland area, but there is uncertainty as to how conversions between rowcrops, …

Introduction: Social-Ecological Resilience And Law, Ahjond S. Garmestani, Craig R. Allen, Craig Anthony Arnold, Lance H. Gunderson

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Environmental law is intimately connected to ecological concepts and understanding. The legal instruments, institutions, and administration of law in the United States are predicated on assumptions that nature is globally stable and that the inherent variability in ecological systems is bounded. This current legal framework is based upon an understanding of ecological systems operating near an equilibrium, or if disturbed, moving back toward an equilibrium. Such assumptions make much current environmental law ill-suited for many pressing environmental issues (Ruhl 1999; Garmestani et al. 2009; Craig 2010; Verchick 2010; Benson and Garmestani 2011). Emerging environmental challenges, such as cross-boundary water governance …

Self-Confidence Of Anglers In Identification Of Freshwater Sport Fish, Christopher J . Chizinski, D. R. Martin, K. L. Pope

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Although several studies have focused on how well anglers identify species using replicas and pictures, there has been no study assessing the confidence that can be placed in angler’s ability to identify recreationally important fish. Understanding factors associated with low self-confidence will be useful in tailoring education programmes to improve self-confidence in identifying common species. The purposes of this assessment were to quantify the confidence of recreational anglers to identify 13 commonly encountered warm water fish species and to relate self-confidence to species availability and angler experience. Significant variation was observed in anglers selfconfidence among species and levels of self-declared …

Toxicity Of Copper Sulfate And Rotenone To Chinese Mystery Snail (Bellamya Chinensis), Danielle M. Haak, Bruce J. Stephen, Robert A. Kill, Nicholas A. Smeenk, Craig R. Allen, Kevin L. Pope

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

The Chinese mystery snail (Bellamya chinensis) is a freshwater snail native to Southeast Asia, Japan, and Russia and is currently classified as an invasive species in at least 27 states in the USA. The species tolerates a wide range of environmental conditions, making management of established populations difficult. We tested the efficacy of two traditional chemical treatments, rotenone and copper sulfate, on the elimination of adult Chinese mystery snails in laboratory experiments. All snails (N=50) survived 72-hour exposure to rotenone-treated lake water, and 96% (N=25) survived 72-hour exposure to pre-determined rotenone concentrations of 0.25, 2.5, and 25.0 mg/L. …

Transdisciplinary Application Of Cross-Scale Resilience, Shana M. Sundstrom, David G. Angeler, Ahjond S. Garmestani, Jorge-H. Garcia, Craig R. Allen

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

The cross-scale resilience model was developed in ecology to explain the emergence of resilience from the distribution of ecological functions within and across scales, and as a tool to assess resilience. We propose that the model and the underlying discontinuity hypothesis are relevant to other complex adaptive systems, and can be used to identify and track changes in system parameters related to resilience. We explain the theory behind the cross-scale resilience model, review the cases where it has been applied to non-ecological systems, and discuss some examples of social-ecological, archaeological/ anthropological, and economic systems where a cross-scale resilience analysis could …

Status Of Native Stream Fishes Within Selected Protected Areas Of The Niobrara River In Western Nebraska, Jonathan J. Spurgeon, Richard H. Stasiak, George R. Cunningham, Kevin L. Pope, Mark A. Pegg

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Lotic systems within the Great Plains are characterized by highly fl uctuating conditions through both space and time. Fishes inhabiting these systems have adopted specifi c life- history strategies to survive in such environments; however, anthropogenic disturbance to prairie streams has resulted in declines and extirpation of many native stream fi shes. Terrestrial protected areas (i.e., parks and reserves) are designated to support native fl ora and fauna and, it is assumed, to provide protection to native fi shes. We assessed the presence and relative abundance of stream fi sh populations within protected areas along the Niobrara River in western …

Habitat Structure And Body Size Distributions: Cross-Ecosystem Comparison For Taxa With Determinate And Indeterminate Growth, Kirsty L. Nash, Craig R. Allen, Chris Barichievy, Magnus Nyström, Nicholas A. J. Graham

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Habitat structure across multiple spatial and temporal scales has been proposed as a key driver of body size distributions for associated communities. Thus, understanding the relationship between habitat and body size is fundamental to developing predictions regarding the infl uence of habitat change on animal communities. Much of the work assessing the relationship between habitat structure and body size distributions has focused on terrestrial taxa with determinate growth, and has primarily analysed discontinuities (gaps) in the distribution of species mean sizes (species size relationships or SSRs). The suitability of this approach for taxa with indeterminate growth has yet to be …