Fresh Water Studies Commons^™

Inventory Of Sub-Catchments Within The Albany Eastern Hinterland, B Radys

Resource management technical reports

The release of the "Salinity Action Plan for Western Australia' in December 996 highlighted the need for catchment scale planning and coordinated actions to reverse salinity trends.

A separate report has been produced for each major catchment area. Each report contains and inventory of all sub-catchments, with information on area, degradation risks and group activities with each catchment.

Review Of The United States Environmental Protection Agency Superfund Technical Assistance Grant Program, Robert Leslie Annear, Scott A. Wells, Shuguang Li, Marvin Beeson, Michael L. Cummings, Richard Pratt

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The EPA Technical Assistance Grant Program has been around for several years, but there are not many examples of its use in the Pacific Northwest from which citizens can learn from when considering applying for a Technical Assistance Grant. The EPA program is designed to provide citizens with technical assistance in understanding the issues related to a Superfund site (or proposed Superfund site) in their community. This report provides an overview of the Technical Assistance Grant Program with information on applying for the grant, selecting a Technical Advisor and managing the grant. Additionally two case studies are reviewed in order …

Estimation Of Groundwater Velocities From Yucca Flat To The Amargosa Desert Using Geochemistry And Environmental Isotopes, Ronald L. Hershey, Steve Y. Acheampong

Publications (WR)

Geochemical modeling techniques were applied to groundwater flowpaths from Yucca Flat on the Nevada Test Site (NTS) to the Amargosa Desert, south of the NTS to estimate groundwater flow velocities for independent comparison to velocities calculated by other methods. The groundwater flowpaths examined considered flow in the carbonate aquifer beneath Yucca and Frenchman flats mixing with flow from carbonate aquifers east and southeast of the NTS and discharging at wells south of the NTS border. The approach used the computer codes WATEQ4F and NETPATH to calculate chemical speciation, determine the saturation state of mineral phases, and simulate mixing and the …

Bulletin 4333 - Furrow Sowing On Water Repellent Soils, Paul Blackwell, Grant Morrow

Bulletins 4000 -

This Bulletin discusses the benefits that furrow sowing brings to crop growth and production on water repellent sand, based on research and farm observations in Western Australian. By understanding the benefits and risks of several key processes, producers can better evaluate the potential role of furrow sowing in combating water repellency. This is true whether one is using direct drilling, no-till (narrow points or discs) or zero till (single, double or triple disc openers) methods.

The Columbia Slough, Scott A. Wells

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This report was written in an attempt to provide the public and Bureau of Environmental Services Staff with a summary of work accomplished on the Columbia Slough system by Portland State University and other consultants working on the Slough over the last 6 years. An attempt was made to create an easy-to-read report with important overviews of the "big picture", glossary of definitions, index, and further details to assist in technology transfer.

Fresh-Water Aquifer In The Knox Group (Cambrian–Ordovician) Of Central Kentucky, James A. Kipp

Report of Investigations--KGS

Fresh water can be found in Cambrian and Ordovician carbonate rocks of the Knox Group in central Kentucky. The top of the aquifer is as much as 300 ft above mean sea level (m.s.l.) on the crest of the Cincinnati Arch, but descends off the flanks of the arch. Water is normally found in the upper 100 to 250 ft of the Knox, primarily in secondary porosity apparently associated with the unconformity at the top of the unit. Knox wells commonly exceed 750 ft in total depth, but because the aquifer is artesian, water rises to an elevation of about …

Hydrogeological And Hydrochemical Connection Between The Decatur City Spring And Crystal Lake, Benton County, Arkansas, Demetra O. Salisbury, Ralph K. Davis

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Arkansas is ranked nationally in the production of broilers, laying hens, turkey, swine and beef cattle. These animals produce large volumes of waste, which are spread on pasture land as a method of disposal, as well as a source of fertilizer, resulting in nonpoint source contamination of surface water and ground water. One area of concern includes the Decatur City Spring, which provides municipal water for the city of Decatur. A total of eight sites in the surrounding area were monitored routinely for water quality parameters, including pH, specific conductance, and nitrate-nitrogen. Water temperature and spring and lake stage were …

Ground Water, Robert F. Diffendal Jr.

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

A geologic overview of the groundwater supply underlying Cheyenne County, Nebraska (1997).

Western Australian Salinity Action Plan, Agriculture Western Australia, Department Of Conservation And Land Management, Department Of Environmental Protection, Water And Rivers Commission

Natural resources published reports

Salinity is one of the State's most critical environmental problems, threatening major economic and social consequences. It is preventable and, in the long term, reversible. Complete elimination is not realistic, but we can dramatically reduce its impact.

Salinity is caused by replacing deep-rooted native plants with shallow-rooted crops and pastures. More rainfall passed below the root zone and accumulates as groundwater so that watertables rise. The groundwater mobilises natural salts in the soil as it rises and carries them towards the surface, eventually degrading land and streams.

Influence Of Rice Production On The Quality Of Water In Tailwater Collection Reservoirs, R. A. Dewell, T. L. Lavy

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

Since maintaining high water quality standards in the state remains a high priority, monitoring for pesticides in water sources must continue. Determining the type, concentration, and characteristics of any pesticides present in water supplies are essential to the overall assessment of water quality. Five independent locations, implementing contained water management systems and recyclable water, were monitored in 1995 and 1996. Irrigation, runoff, and pond water samples were collected every 10 to 14 days between permanent flood establishment and draining. Water samples were transported to the laboratory and extracted for 16 pesticides using solid phase extraction (SPE) techniques. Quantification and confirmation …

Effects Of Zebra, Mussel, Dreissena Polymorpha Infestation On Lake Dardanelle Water Quality, Charles J. Gagen, Joseph N. Stoeckel

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

Zebra mussels recently invaded southern waterways including the Arkansas River. Large-scale filtration of suspended particulate matter by dense populations could alter reservoir ecosystem function. Furthermore, they attach to hard surfaces, thereby threatening normal operations of artificial structures. We designed this study to provide baseline data prior to establishment of high population levels of zebra mussels in Lake Dardanelle. The characterization of spatial and temporal variability in water quality, zooplankton, phytoplankton, and macrophytes will allow testing of several hypotheses. We sampled zebra mussel veliger and settling juvenile densities and zooplankton densities at four fixed sites and the key water quality variables …

Bioaccumulation Of Methyl Mercury Through A Food Chain, J. T. Knight

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

The bioaccumulation of mercury through the food chain has received much attention in Arkansas during the last three years. The discovery of mercury contamination and subsequent fish consumption advisories in southwest Arkansas have increased public awareness of the potential for bioaccumulation of different toxic compounds. It is postulated that the mercury problem in Arkansas is a result of methylation and resulting bioaccumulation of mercury as methyl mercury. This study was designed to derive a Bioaccumulation Factor (BAF) for mercury in a simple food chain under controlled conditions. A BAF is calculated by dividing the concentration found in the organism by …

Trace Element Analysis Of Selected Springs In The Virgin River Basin, Mary A. Yelken

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Spring water from 23 springs in and near the Virgin River Basin (southwestern Utah, northwestern Arizona, and southeastern Nevada) was collected and analyzed for chemical concentrations. Trace elements and major ion chemistry was used to determine the potential for utilizing water chemistry to provide information on spring water source and flow pathways. Principal Component Analysis (PCA), rare earth element (REE) normalization patterns, and mineral equilibrium modeling (PHREEQE) techniques were used to analyze the data set. Four major spring water groups were displayed by the PCA, based on similarities in water chemistry. The analyses suggest that spring water chemistry is a …

Survival Of Fecal Contamination Indicator Organisms In Soil, K. A. Teague, D. C. Wolf, P. F. Vendrell

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

Soils amended with human or animal waste may result in pathogen contamination of ground and surface water. Because temperature has been shown to affect pathogen survival, two laboratory studies were conducted to evaluate the impact of extremes in temperature on bacterial and viral pathogen indicator die-off in soil. A Captina silt loam was amended with broiler litter (0.1 g/g dry soil), septic tank effluent, or Escherichia coli (ATCC 13706) culture (both at 0.04 and 0.1 mL/g dry soil in the two respective studies), incubated at 5 and 35°C, and analyzed over time to determine the number of fecal coliform, E. …

Spatial Distribution Of The Surface Geology And 1992 Land Use Of The Buffalo River Watershed, Kimberly R. Hofer, H. Don Scott, James M. Mckimmey

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

The Buffalo River was established by Congress in 1972 as the first National River in the United States and is one of the few remaining free-flowing streams in Arkansas . The Buffalo River flows through the three major physiographic provinces of northern Arkansas, originating in the higher elevations of the Boston Mountains, and flowing generally northeastward to cut through the Springfield and Salem Plateaus. It drops from approximately 2000 feet in the headwaters to around 500 feet above sea level at its confluence with the White River in Marion County. The Buffalo River is considered to be one of Arkansas' …

Spatial And Temporal Analysis Of The Morphological And Land Use Characteristics Of The Buffalo River Watershed, H. Don Scott, Kimberly R. Hofer

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

The Buffalo River was established by Congress iQ. 1972 as the first National River in the United States. The Buffalo River, which originates in the higher elevations of the Boston Mountains in Newton County, is one of the few remaining free-flowing streams in Arkansas. It is considered to be one of Arkansas' greatest natural treasures, and thus, there is strong interest in protecting it from anthropogenic influences. An initial characterization of the soil taxonomic units, watershed boundaries, topography and physiographic units in the Buffalo River Watershed was presented by Scott and Smith (1994). The spatial distribution of the geologic units …

Effects Of Zebra Mussel, Dreissena Polymorpha, Infestation On Lake Dardanelle Water Quality, Charles J. Gagen, Joseph N. Stoeckel

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

Zebra mussels recently invaded southern waterways including the Arkansas River. Exponential population growth and high filtration capacity of dense populations could alter reservoir ecosystem function. Furthermore, they attach to hard surfaces; thus, threatening normal operations of many artificial structures. We designed this study to provide baseline data prior to high population levels of zebra mussels in Lake Dardanelle. The characterization of spatial and temporal variability in water quality, zooplankton, phytoplankton, and macrophytes will allow testing of several hypotheses. We sampled zebra mussel density and zooplankton at four fixed sites and the other key variables at three of these sites biweekly …

Assessment Of Effectiveness Of Buffer Zones In Removing Impurities In Runoff From Areas Treated With Poultry Litter. Part Ii: Source Areas To Buffer Areas Ratio Effects, P. Srivastava, D. R. Edards, T. C. Daniel

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

Vegetative filter strips (VFS) are known to reduce runoff losses of nutrients. solids. and other materials from land areas treated with fertilizers . Although VFS effectiveness is known to depend partially on the relative lengths of filter and pollutant source areas. there is little experimental evidence available to quantify this dependence. This is particularly the case when VFS are implemented down-slope of pasture areas treated with animal manures such as poultry litter. This study assessed the influences of pollutant source area (treated with poultry litter) and VFS lengths on VFS removal of total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN). ammonia nitrogen (NH3 -N …

Geology Of The Ogallala/High Plains Regional Aquifer System In Nebraska, Robert F. Diffendal Jr.

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

This guide is mostly figures with a reference section containing some of the pertinent literature on the Cenozoic geology we will see over the next four days. Copies of some of the cited works will be assembled in a packet and handed out on the morning of April 29th. We will make all 17 stops. if the weather is reasonably good and the roads are passable. On the first day, April 29, we will try to get to stops 1-5, the more distal parts of the Ogallala and younger deposits in Nebraska. On April 30, we will try to visit …

Remnant Vegetation Inventory On The Southern Agricultural Areas Of Western Australia., G R. Beeston, G Mlodowski, A Sanders, D True

Resource management technical reports

Remnant vegetation mapping and its incorporation into a Geographical Information System (GIS) data base is the first stage in an overall documentation and promotion of conservation of remnant vegetation in Western Australia. The primary objective of this project being to determine the amount, distribution and regional location of native vegetation remaining on private land in the agricultural area of south-west Western Australia.

Phosphorus Immobilization In Poultry Litter And Litter-Amended Soils With Aluminum, Calcium And Iron Amendments, D. M. Miller, P. A. Moore Jr., T. C. Daniels

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

Arkansas produces approximately one billion broilers each year. Phosphorous (P) runoff from fields receiving poultry litter is believed to be one of the primary factors affecting water quality in Northwest Arkansas. Poultry litter contains approximately 20 g P kg-1, of which about 2 g P kg-1 is water soluble. Soils that have received repeated heavy applications of litter may have water soluble P contents of as high as 10 mg P Kg-1 soil. The objective of this study was to determine if soluble P levels could be reduced in poultry litter and litter-amended soils with Al,Ca, and/or Fe amendments. Poultry …

Bulletin 4279 - Streamlining - An Environmentally Sustainable Drainage Network For The Swan Coastal Plain (Peel-Harvey Catchment), Garry Heady, Neil Guise

Bulletins 4000 -

Community Catchment Centre Pinjarra

A network of over 1400 kilometres of drains and modified natural waterways constructed by the Public Works Department criss-crosses the Peel-Harvey catchment. There are also over 3300 kilometres of minor drains and natural waterways in this same region.

The expansion of agriculture relied on this extensive drainage network, which was designed to ensure rapid drainage of the region. Unfortunately there was little regard to future environmental consequences.

Along with drainage water, these same drains now carry high loads of silt and nutrients. Many of the drains are also degraded and require expensive maintenance annually.

The Prediction Of Sediment And Nutrient Transport In The Buffalo River Watershed Using A Geographic Information System, H. D. Scott, P. A. Smith

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

The Buffalo River was established by Congress in 1972 as the first National River in the United States. It is one of the few remaining free-flowing streams in northern Arkansas. The river originates in the higher elevations of the Boston Mountains in Newton County, and generally flows northeastward, intersecting the Springfield and Salem Plateaus as it drops from approximately 2000 feet in the headwaters to around 500 feet at the confluence with the White River in Marion County. It is considered by many to be one of Arkansas' greatest natural treasures, and therefore , there is strong interest in protecting …

Correlating Soil Test Phosphorus Losses In Runoff, D. H. Pote, T. C. Daniel, P. A. Moore Jr., D. J. Nichols, D. R. Edwards, A. N. Sharpley

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

Phosphorus in agricultural runoff is often a major cause of accelerated eutrophication of lakes and streams. Previous research has indicated that the amount of dissolved P (DP) in runoff is directly related to P content of the surface soil. Decades of fertilizer application at rates exceeding those of crop uptake have elevated soil test P (STP) levels in areas of intensive crop and livestock production, making this the major source of DP loss in runoff. The objective of our experiment was to relate STP content of Captina silt loam to P concentration and loss in runoff, and determine which STP …

Assessment Of Effectiveness Of Buffer Zones In Removing Impurites In Runoff From Areas Treated With Poultry Litter, I. Chaubey, D. R. Edwards, T. C. Daniels

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

Land application of animal manures (e.g. poultry litter, poultry manure, and swine manure) to pasture and range can lead to runoff quality degradation during storms that occur soon after application. Vegetative filter strips (VFS) have been shown to reduce pollution in runoff from row-cropped areas but have not been extensively studied in pasture and range settings. This research involved characterizing performance of fescue VFS in improving quality of runoff from pasture land areas treated with poultry litter and swine manure. The VFS were found to be quite effective in reducing off-site transport of ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), …

Bulletin 4278 - How To Use Wide Furrow Sowing For Improved Crop Production On Water Repellent Sand, Paul Blackwell, Grant Morrow, Tony Webster

Bulletins 4000 -

Wide furrow sowing is a method for successfully establishing crops of lupins or cereals on non-wetting sands, and improving crop establishment on non-repellent sands. The same principles can be used to assist establishment of fodder shrubs and long-term pasture (e.g. tagasaste and Rhodes grass).

Nutrient Content Of Runoff Water From Rice Fields, C. E. Wilson Jr., P. A. Moore Jr., R. J. Norman, B. R. Wells

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

Current perception is that nutrient runoff from croplands is a significant contributor to poor water quality in some areas. While extensive research has been conducted to survey and ameliorate this problem for several upland crops, little work has been done to evaluate the problem with flooded rice (Oryza sativa, L.) soils. Since rice production utilizes a major portion of the total irrigation water usage for certain areas, it is important to understand the contribution of rice production to non-point source N and P in surface water. Several production fields were selected to evaluate the concentrations of nutrients in the floodwater …

The Influence Of Reservoir Basin Morphometry On Phytoplankton Community Structure, Richard L. Meyer, G. Keith Trost

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

The research protocol was designed to compare three reservoirs with similar physical environments but different morphometry. Three reservoirs on the western edge of the Ozark uplift were selected because of their similar substrate and climatic condition. The reservoirs primarily differed in morphometry. Two of the reservoirs were of identical size, Bob Kidd and Prairie Groves Lakes, but of different configuration, semicircular and linear, respectively. The bifurcated lake, Lincoln Lake, was of smaller size. Each lake is dimictic. Each of the lakes were nitrate-N limited while soluble reactive phosphorus-P is available and not restricting the growth of phytoplankton. Although the pattern …

Prediction And Management Of Sediments Load And Phosporus In The Beaver Reservoir Watershed Using A Geographic Information System, J. M. Mckimmey, H. D. Scott

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

A study was conducted to compile a GIS database for the Beaver Reservoir Watershed and then use the database to run the Universal Soil Loss Equation and the Phosphorus Index Model on the War Eagle Creek Watershed, a portion of the Beaver Reservoir Watershed database. Characterization of the spat i a 1 properties of the primary attributes compiled for the watershed were reported. In addition, water quality samples taken from War Eagle Creek were analyzed for relationships across the watershed. Erosion in the watershed was lower than expected with well vegetated and fertilized pastures contributing to the reduction of annual …

Effect Of Drying On Cyromazine Loss From Surface-Applied Caged-Layer Manure, T. C. Daniel, D. H. Pote, D. R. Edwards

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

In Arkansas, much of the environmental concern related to water quality has focused on the high volume of poultry fecal waste spread on the surf ace of local pastures to fertilize forage grass. Cyromazine (N-cyclopropyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6- triamine), a feed-through larvicide used to control house flies (Musca domestica), is often a component of caged-layer manure. Cyromazine is quite soluble and stable in water, and previous research has shown that it can be readily washed from pasture plots by intense rainfall. Therefore, a study was conducted to evaluate increased drying time as a best management practice technique for reducing cyromazine runoff losses from …