Water Resource Management Commons^™

Estimating Evapotranspiration And Analyzing Soil Moisture And Heat Flux Parameters At Taneum Creek, Central Washington, Edward Vlasenko

All Master's Theses

In the past two decades, stream restoration work, primarily in the form of wood emplacement, has been undertaken in the Taneum Creek watershed, resulting in increased channel-floodplain connectivity. One of the goals of stream restoration was to boost dry season groundwater storage in the shallow floodplain aquifer. However, any gains in groundwater due to increased connectivity may be nullified by increased evapotranspiration (ET) losses because of denser floodplain vegetation. Within the floodplain aquifer budget, ET is a major flow of water out of the system and is not well quantified.

In order to quantify ET, a monitoring site was established …

River Report. State Of Lower St. Johns River Basin, Florida: Water Quality, Fisheries, Aquatic Life, Contaminants, 2023, Environmental Protection Board, Jacksonville Florida, University Of North Florida, Jacksonville University, Gerry Pinto, Brian P. Zoellner, Christopher Baynard, Gretchen Bielmyer-Fraser, Dale Casamatta, Charles Closmann, Nisse Goldberg, Ashley Johnson, Scott Jones, William Penwell, Radha Pyati, Adam Rosenblatt

State of the River Report

No abstract provided.

Chesapeake Bay Watershed Residents’ And Farmers’ Views On Water Quality, Edem Avemegah, Jessica D. Ulrich-Schad

Publications

Poor water quality is an issue in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed (CBW). In this rapidly urbanizing landscape, both farmers and non-farm residents contribute to nutrient pollution of rivers and streams. Understanding these important stakeholders’ views of water quality problems and how to address them is essential for creating an economically thriving and environmentally beneficial agricultural system that all residents depend upon. To understand stakeholder views on water quality both locally and regionally, researchers from Utah State University and the Pennsylvania State University surveyed residents of the CBW and agricultural producers of the southern part of the CBW (Maryland, Delaware, and …

Quantifying Bromocarbon Emissions From Seaweed Aquaculture In California, Jessica C. Metter

Master's Theses

Feeding ruminant livestock seaweed rich in bromoform (CHBr3) is an emerging strategy to reduce methane emissions from the livestock sector to meet climate targets. Consequently, there is a strong interest in farming bromoform rich seaweeds (e.g., Asparagopsis taxiformis) on a large scale which may impact the atmospheric inventory of bromine and in return induce catalytic ozone destruction. However, to date, only three studies have measured bromoform emission rates from Asparagopsis seaweeds which vary by order of magnitude. To fill this gap, the most comprehensive data set of bromocarbon emissions from A. taxiformis, a leading candidate for enteric methane reduction in …

Labile Carbon And Soil Texture Control Nitrogen Transformation In Deep Vadose Zone, Lidong Li, Jordan Shields, Daniel D. Snow, Michael Kaiser, Arindam Malakar

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

Understanding transient nitrogen (N) storage and transformation in the deep vadose zone is critical for controlling groundwater contamination by nitrate. The occurrence of organic and inorganic forms of carbon (C) and nitrogen and their importance in the deep vadose zone is not well characterized due to difficulty in sampling and the limited number of studies. We sampled and characterized these pools beneath 27 croplands with different vadose zone thicknesses (6–45 m). We measured nitrate and ammonium in different depths for the 27 sites to evaluate inorganic N storage. We measured total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), hot-water extractable organic carbon (EOC), soil …

Nutrient Pollution And Chlorophyll-A As A Precursor To Harmful Algal Blooms And Cyanotoxins In Rehabilitated Machado Lake, California, Michael E. Shiang

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Algal blooms result in the formation of cyanotoxic conditions in a freshwater lake causing severe detrimental impacts to community and public health. Nitrogen, phosphorous, and ammonia stimulate the growth of phytoplankton biomass and algae, as measured by chlorophyll. This retrospective quantitative research study, grounded in the socioecological model, examined the relationship between nutrient pollutants and chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) that forecast harmful algal blooms, a precursor to cyanotoxins. A former impaired lake, Machado Lake in California, provided an ideal setting to assess relationships among nutrient indicators and Chl-a post-lake rehabilitation. Correlation and multiple regression analyses were performed to determine if a relationship …

Quantifying The Carbon Stored And Sequestered By The Trees On Pomona College’S Campus, Paola A. Giron-Carson

Scripps Senior Theses

We are experiencing a climate crisis that must be confronted with strategic mitigation. Pomona College contributes to the climate crisis through its emissions for which there is a baseline record. However there is no baseline record of the climate mitigation currently performed by the trees on Pomona’s campus through carbon storage. This study seeks to determine a current baseline quantity of carbon stored and sequestrated by Pomona’s trees as well as possible courses of climate mitigation for Pomona College to take. Initial information gathering was conducted through interviews with several stakeholders. This study was conducted using data collected prior to …

How Akron Affects The Water Quality Of The Cuyahoga River, Allyson Darst

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this study was to analyze whether the city of Akron had negative effects on the Cuyahoga river, and determine if the Cuyahoga River was naturally able to remediate these effects downstream. The pollutants measured in this study include hardness, bromine, residual chlorine, iron, copper, lead, nitrate, nitrite, ammonium chloride, total chlorine, fluoride, carbonate, pH, total alkalinity and cyanuric acid. This study was done using water testing strips (JNW Direct) to test the water at four different locations along the Cuyahoga River downstream (North) of Akron. This study found that the city of Akron does have a negative …

Fairy Shrimp (Anostraca) In The Vernal Pools Of Eastern Washington, Megan Garvey

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

Vernal pools are ephemeral wetlands that retain water annually from winter and spring precipitation and snowmelt but are dry the rest of the year. Though important habitats and sources of freshwater biodiversity, they are little accounted for in wetland conservation and restoration practices. Like much of the world’s wetlands, they have seen a significant decline from anthropogenic impacts and conversion for alternative land use. Pools are also at significant risk due to the impacts of climate change and invasive species. These small temporary water bodies perform vital ecosystem services and are host to rare and endemic species. Anostraca, or fairy …

Impact Of Eastern Redcedar Encroachment On Water Resources In The Nebraska Sandhills, Yaser Kishawi, Aaron R. Mittelstet, Troy E. Gilmore, Dirac Twidwell, Tirthankar Roy, Nawaraj Shrestha

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Worldwide, tree or shrub dominated woodlands have encroached into herbaceous dominated grasslands. While very few studies have evaluated the impact of Eastern Redcedar (redcedar) encroachment on the water budget, none have analyzed the impact on water quality. In this study, we evaluated the impact of redcedar encroachment on the water budget in the Nebraska Sand Hills and how the decreased streamflow would increase nitrate and atrazine concentrations in the Platte River. We calibrated a Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT model) for streamflow, recharge, and evapotranspiration. Using a moving window with a dilate morphological filter, encroachment scenarios of 11.9%, 16.1%, …

Pakistan, India And The Indus River Basin, Muquadas Ilyas

Dissertations and Theses

Water is a fundamental need of all living things. The right to clean water is classified as a human right under United Nations Resolution 64/292.As such it is the responsibility of governments to ensure its citizens are not deprived of this essential resource. In doing so, effective water management is crucial to provide clean water that is accessible to everyone regardless of any challenges such as geographical constraints or political disputes. This thesis explores the water management efforts of Pakistan and India. These countries are facing a water crisis, whereby numerous citizens have died due to dehydration and diseases contracted …

Advancing The Accuracy Of Watershed Analysis Across Diverse Hydrometeorological And Geologic Regimes Via Classification And Analysis Of Gpm-Imerg Products, Jake M. Longenecker

Dissertations and Theses

The analysis and protection of watersheds, along with spring water resources, depend on the accurate identification of catchments. Building on previous research that correlated spring hydrographs with high-resolution, satellite-based Global Precipitation Measurement – Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM (GPM-IMERG) data, I improve the speed and accuracy of catchment identification and hydrodynamic characterization via an enhanced Empirically Constrained Hydrologic Operation (ECHO) algorithm. This research (1) establishes optimal parameter inputs for the algorithm to enable reliable identification of source point-locations, (2) removes human in-the-loop processing, and thus reduce potential operator bias, and (3) explores the potential for using a limited dataset of …

Influence Of Land Use, Precipitation, And Seasonality On Surface Water Quality In The East And Upper South Branches Of The Kishwaukee River Watershed (Esbkr), Ashley Irene Broussard

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The East and Upper South Branches of the Kishwaukee River Watershed (ESBKR) are two HUC-10 watersheds that cover approximately 221.8 mi2 (574.5 km2) in north-central Illinois. Segments of the Kishwaukee River within the ESBKR are in the ILEPA’s 303(d) list of impaired waters for fish consumption and aesthetic quality. To protect and improve stream health, we must better understand the impact of diverse land use on non-point source (NPS) pollution and water quality. The primary goal of this study was to determine how different land uses impact the surface water quality within the ESBKR. To address this goal, surface water …

Bibliography, Leslie North

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Bibliography of publications by Leslie North.

Ecuadorian Gravel Pack Spring Water Intakes, Derek Ten Pas, Julie Wildschut, Robert Hoeksema, Bruce Rydbeck, Chris Visscher

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

This paper describes the basic design concept to design and build a type of spring water intake. The spring protection method bears similarity to a gravel pack well albeit constructed horizontally rather than the vertical construction of a gravel pack well. The design approach includes:

• collection of spring water subterranean using the aquifer and surrounding soil to filter the water supply,
• use of gravel pack to retain the surrounding aquifer materials and soil structure in place while providing an easy flow path for water to enter a slotted collector pipe and flow to a receiving tank without impounding spring water, …

Baseline Data For Assessing Beaver Dam Analogs As A Restoration Tool In Fire-Affected Tributaries Of The Methow And Okanogan Watersheds, Katelin Killoy

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

Incised streams are disconnected from their floodplains and no longer store water effectively. This leads to diminished ecosystem function, loss of critical riparian and aquatic habitats, and reduced biodiversity. Beaver dams improve incised streams by raising surface and groundwater levels, leading to reconnected floodplains. When beaver establishment is not feasible, Beaver Dam Analogs (BDAs) may be used to mitigate damage from stream incision and facilitate beaver establishment. However, it is unclear how effective BDAs are at mimicking natural beaver dams, especially on streams affected by high-intensity wildfires. The objective of my research is to collect baseline data needed to assess …

Strategies To Secure Water For Great Salt Lake, Lisa W. Welsh, Joanna Endter-Wada, Karin M. Kettenring

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

Great Salt Lake is the largest saline lake in the Western Hemisphere (Wilsey et al. 2017) and plays an important role in Utah’s economy, environment, and ecology (Baxter and Butler 2020; Great Salt Lake Advisory Committee 2021). It has a long history of commercial and recreational activities including mineral production, brine shrimp harvesting, waterfowl hunting, boating, and sightseeing (Utah Department of Natural Resources 2013a, 2013b). The Great Salt Lake ecosystem supports over 10 million birds representing 338 species and acts as an important stopover for migratory birds between North and South America (Great Salt Lake Ecosystem Program; Wilsey et al. …

Connecting Antibiotic Resistance To The Environment (Care): Introducing A Novel Framework Integrating Chemical Cross-Resistance And Place-Based Engagement To The Blue Marsh Watershed In Reading, Pennsylvania, Jill Felker

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Antibiotic resistance is a serious health threat around the world. Millions of individuals are infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria yearly, and thousands die from previously curable illnesses. Although antibiotic resistance occurs naturally, misuse of antibiotics accelerates the loss of their effectiveness. Public health campaigns focusing on antibiotic awareness have not effectively communicated and educated the public on this health crisis. New efforts to combat antibiotic resistance are urgently needed. This dissertation focuses on the ecological and public health components of antibiotic resistance research that must be addressed to decelerate antibiotic resistance. A new interdisciplinary theoretical framework was developed to Connect Antibiotic …

Rad Rivers In Rad Places: Characterizing The Historical And Future Whitewater Resources In Select Regions Of The United States, Melissa D. Shafer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Outdoor recreation is a highly profitable industry in the United States. In 2021, outdoor recreation accounted for $454.0 billion, or 1.9% of the current-dollar gross domestic product for the nation. Many states have benefited financially from focusing on promoting their outdoor recreation and natural resources. Whitewater (WW) paddling has been a recreational activity since the 1950s. In 2007 there were an estimated 1.2 million participants in whitewater kayaking. As of 2020, that number increased to 2.6 million, doubling the number of participants. WW resources can be leveraged to reshape local and regional economies. The framework developed in this study provides …

Middle Savannah River: An A/R/Tographic Ecopedagogical Ethnography Experimenting With Rhizomatic Perspectives, Lisa Augustine-Chizmar

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This research is an experiment in perspective. Using the four commonplaces (Schwab, 1978), I practiced letting the Savannah River teach me what there is to know about the water, the land, the people, and the other entities that depend on ki through artistic, ethnographic, and ecopedagogical lenses. The ethnographic findings describe the social actors that depend on ki and give a voice to the River. The a/r/tographic findings display the River on a canvas map through two hundred years using paint, clay, photography, video, abstract acrylics, and fabric. Together, these methods contribute to a unique ecopedagogical journey. This word cloud …

Winter Dynamics Of Storm Water Management Ponds And Winter Tolerance In Three Aquatic Plant Species, Patrick Strzalkowski

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The vast majority of the research into the performance of stormwater management ponds (SWMPs) has been performed in warm regions or during the warmer seasons in temperate regions. It is presumed that SWMPs are inactive in the winter as any potential stormwater is trapped in snow and ice. The main goal of this thesis was to test this presumption and to study the dynamics and performance of three SWMPs during the winter. Remote water level loggers were installed into the three SWMPs and daily grab samples from the influents and effluents were taken and analyzed for total phosphorus (TP), chloride, …

Contrasting Seasonal Cycling Of Arsenic In A Series Of Subarctic Shield Lakes With Different Morphometric Properties, Jeremy Harbinson

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The subarctic shield near Yellowknife, Northwest Territories (NWT), is populated with thousands of small lakes (<1.5 km²) and several large lakes. Historic mining activities in the region have left a legacy of environmental impacts and widespread arsenic (As) contamination in both aquatic and terrestrial environments. In particular, several small subarctic lakes near Yellowknife have been previously documented to be contaminated with high levels of As. Subarctic lakes are characterized by seasonal ice-cover that can persist for more than half of the year, yet little is known about the under-ice spatial and seasonal dynamics of As cycling. The objective of …

Voltammetric Determination Of Inorganic Arsenic In Mildly Acidified (Ph 4.7) Groundwaters From Mexico And India, Martijn Eikelboom, Yaxuan Wang, Gemma Portlock, Arthur Gourain, Joseph Gardner, Jay Bullen, Paul Lewtas, Matthieu Carriere, Alexandra Alvarez, Arun Kumar, Shane O'Prey, Tamás Tölgyes, Dario Omanović, Subhamoy Bhowmick, Dominik Salaun, Pascal Salaun

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Routine monitoring of inorganic arsenic in groundwater using sensitive, reliable, easy-to-use and affordable analytical methods is integral to identifying sources, and delivering appropriate remediation solutions, to the widespread global issue of arsenic pollution. Voltammetry has many advantages over other analytical techniques, but the low electroactivity of arsenic(V) requires the use of either reducing agents or relatively strong acidic conditions, which both complicate the analytical procedures, and require more complex material handling by skilled operators. Here, we present the voltammetric determination of total inorganic arsenic in conditions of near-neutral pH using a new commercially available 25 m diameter gold microwire (called …

Hydrologic Outcomes For Ecological Meadow Restoration In The Northern Sierra Nevada, Emma Sevier

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Ecologically functioning meadows provide critical ecosystem services including improving a catchment’s water yield, flood dispersion and attenuation, fostering groundwater-dependent ecosystems, and creating natural fire breaks (Loheide and Booth 2011). Degradation from past and current land use has resulted in incised channels that change the magnitude and timing of watershed and meadow fluxes and cause water table decline. Process-based restoration (PBR) is an approach which leverages fluvial processes to increase restoration efficiency. Though PBR is a promising tool to restore degraded meadow ecosystems, more studies are needed to understand its hydrologic outcomes and whether hydrodynamic modeling can be used as a …

Ex-Ante Cost-Benefit Analysis Of High-End And Low-Cost Wireless Sensor Network (Wsn) Technology Packages For Efficient Irrigation Water Management In The Philippines, Marielle Q. Aringo, Victor B. Ella, Camille G. Martinez, Gamiello S. Pereira

Journal of Economics, Management and Agricultural Development

Four wireless sensor network (WSN) technology packages developed for efficient irrigation water management in the Philippines were subjected to ex-ante cost-benefit analysis (CBA) to assess their financial viability. The WSN technologies include high-end and low-cost wireless sensors for upland crop production with drip irrigation system and lowland crop production with alternate wetting and drying (AWD). Results showed that the high-end WSN technology packages are only viable for high-value crops such as red onion, bell pepper, and hot pepper. The low-cost WSN technology packages are viable for all selected crops except sweet corn. Minimum areas were also generated for each crop …

Hydrologic Modeling With Remote Sensing For The Estimation Of Groundwater Resources Within The Sand River Catchment, South Africa, Sophia Bakar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Sand River Catchment is an important tributary of the transboundary Limpopo River in South Africa, which spans Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, and Mozambique. Groundwater is a critical resource in the region, especially in the context of population growth and climate change. Data are needed for proper management of these water resources. In regions where groundwater data are sparse in time, space, or both, the most promising solutions come from satellites and hydrologic models. Regional literature suggests that the Soutpansberg Mountains, located within the Sand Catchment, are high-elevation water towers with uncertain groundwater resources. Improved understanding of groundwater resources in …

Decreasing Trash In Local Creeks: A Program Evaluation Of The City Of San Jose’S Direct Discharge Trash Control Program, Lakeisha Bryant

Master's Projects

The entire San Francisco Bay was once a navigable waterway in the 1850s during the Gold Rush era. Large amounts of sediment from upstream erosion and mining flowed to the bay resulting in the downsizing of the bay’s square miles (Environmental Protection Agency, 2022). As a result of intense development on the bay shores and adjacent lands, the bay faces several challenges that affect its water quality and threatens aquatic ecosystems. Pesticides, mercury, metals, and pathogens are just a few substances in the bay that cause unhealthy conditions for aquatic life and threaten human health. California’s Water Resources Control Board …

Development Of A Novel Ionic Liquid-Coated Adsorbent For Treating Emerging Contaminants In Recycled Water On The International Space Station, Madeline Carroll, Gabson Baguma, Savanna Vacek

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Synthesize at least 3 biobased ionic liquids. Optimize method for conducting liquid-liquid extractions. Analyze and quantify how much DMSO2 is removed by the ionic liquids. Coat biochar with the most effective biobased ionic liquids.

Poliovirus Detection In Las Vegas Wastewater, Sage Boss, Hayley Baker, Ching-Lan Chang

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Wastewater surveillance for poliovirus is a useful tool for spatial surveillance and evaluation of immunization efficacy. Polio testing in wastewater has been conducted since the 1980s in Finland and Israel, and the virus was recently discovered in New York. With increasing concern regarding the vaccination of children against the virus, there has been worry that polio cases could once again present themselves in the Las Vegas Valley. By testing for the virus in wastewater, we can monitor any new cases or outbreaks that occur and inform authorities as to the location and viral count. The wastewater samples were collected at …

Drought Levels In Nevada Counties, 2022, Julianna Jovillar, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Environment

This fact sheet synthesizes data on drought levels within Nevada counties from the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) in 2022. The information presented in this document focuses on the breakdown of the number of Nevada residents affected by the droughts within each county and the drought experience in each county.