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Limnological Assistance For The Lake Mead National Recreation Area In Meeting The Challenge Of The Water 2025 Initiative: Executive Summary And Concise Statement Of Accomplishments, Limnological Assistance For Lake Mead National Recreation Area

Limnological Studies

Limnological Assistance for the Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Meeting the Challenge of the Water 2025 Initiative was a Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act (SNPLMA)-funded project. It was implemented by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Public Lands Institute (PLI) cooperatively with the UNLV Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and the UNLV Harry Reid Center for Environmental Studies on behalf of and in cooperation with the National Park Service, Lake Mead National Recreation Area (Lake Mead NRA).

The Scaling Impact Of Hydrologic Processes On The Integrated Response In Large River Basins, Zhongbo Yu

2010 Annual Nevada NSF EPSCoR Climate Change Conference

21 PowerPoint slides Convener: Darko Koracin, DRI Session 5: Climate Modeling Abstract: -Hydrologic change in response to the climatic variability (i.e., global warming) -Impacts at global, national or regional scales -Coupled, efficient model systems -Large-scale impacts vs. small-scale hydrology -Needs to bridge the gaps among various scales

Research Poster: Climate Change Impacts To Groundwater, Springs Hydrology And Aquatic Communities Amargosa Desert And Death Valley National Park, Nevada And California, Terry Fisk, Greg Pohll, Don Sada, Mark Stone

2010 Annual Nevada NSF EPSCoR Climate Change Conference

Research poster

Research Poster: Tree Population Dynamics At Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge: Influences Of Environmental Stress And Disturbance, Sarah L. Karam, Peter J. Weisberg, Stephanie O. Sunderman

2010 Annual Nevada NSF EPSCoR Climate Change Conference

Research poster

Research Poster: From Lab To Basin Scale: A Look At Changes In Evaporative And Transpirative Processes In Arid And Semi-Arid Shallow Groundwater Systems, Jeremy E. Koonce, Michael H. Young, Dale A. Devitt, Zhongbo Yu

2010 Annual Nevada NSF EPSCoR Climate Change Conference

Research poster

Research Poster: Hydrological Impacts Of Climate Change On Colorado Basin, Peng Jiang, Zhongbo Yu

2010 Annual Nevada NSF EPSCoR Climate Change Conference

Research poster

Research Poster: Water Source Partitioning For Shrubland Transpiration Using Innovative Field Methods, Amanda Wagner, Dale A. Devitt, Michael Young, Matthew S. Lachniet, Jeremy Koonce, Brian M. Bird

2010 Annual Nevada NSF EPSCoR Climate Change Conference

Research poster

Research Poster: Losing The Lake: Misconceptions Regarding Water Resources And Climate Change, Marissa Owens, Michael Nussbaum, Gale M. Sinatra

2010 Annual Nevada NSF EPSCoR Climate Change Conference

Research poster

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

Limnological Studies

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

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

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

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

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

Public Lands Institute Publications

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

Baseline Microbial Characterizations Of An Imperiled Aquatic Diversity Hotspot: Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Jessica Newburn, Jim Bruckner, Jenny C. Fisher, Duane P. Moser

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

Located in the discharge zone of the Death Valley Flow System, Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge is a spring-fed desert oasis and biodiversity hotspot about 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas. These critical wetlands are potentially threatened by groundwater pumping, exotic species invasions, and climate change. Although a major component of the lower food web, very little is known about the microbial makeup of this ecosystem. As a first step towards understanding the microbial and biogeochemical aspects of this system, a detailed molecular-based characterization of microbial communities, baseline chemistry, and physical characteristics of various springs of Ash Meadows will be …

Researching Nitrite Oxidation At High Temperatures, Dolores A. Huang, Jeremy A. Dodsworth, Brian P. Hedlund

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

15N-nitrate (NO3 -) pool dilution experiments show that ammonia (NH3) is oxidized to nitrate in geothermal springs up to at least 85C; however, nitrite (NO2 -)- oxidizing microorganisms are only known to grow up to 66°C. We hypothesize that thermophilic microorganisms oxidize nitrite to nitrate at high temperatures. Alternatively, it is possible that nitrite is oxidized abiotically. We propose to test these hypotheses by setting up microbial enrichments designed to grow thermophilic nitrite oxidizing bacteria by varying incubation temperature (50, 65, 80°C), oxygen concentration (20% and 5%), and cultivation media. A negative control consisting of filtered spring water (0.1 μm) …

Point And Nonpoint Source Analysis Of Nutrients, Metals, And Pathogens In The Sediment And Water Column In Las Vegas Wash, Christine Simmons, Kumud Acharya

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

Formerly an ephemeral watercourse, Las Vegas Wash is now a perennial system due to urban runoff and wastewater treatment plant (WWP) effluent. Las Vegas Wash flows into Lake Mead, where the discharge point is only a few miles upstream of Las Vegas’ main water intake. This small water cycle establishes the necessity to evaluate water quality especially due to non point sources pollution, wherein my research lies. Several points along Las Vegas Wash upstream and downstream of WWP have been chosen to represent different landuse types such as commercial, residential, wastewater treatment plants, etc. At each location, parameters including arsenic, …

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

Limnological Studies

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

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

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

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

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

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

Limnological Studies

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

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

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

Using Oceanic-Atmospheric Oscillations For Long Lead Time Streamflow Forecasting, Ajay Kalra, Sajjad Ahmad

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

We present a data-driven model, Support Vector Machine (SVM), for long lead time streamflow forecasting using oceanic-atmospheric oscillations. The SVM is based on statistical learning theory that uses a hypothesis space of linear functions based on Kernel approach and has been used to predict a quantity forward in time on the basis of training from past data. The strength of SVM lies in minimizing the empirical classification error and maximizing the geometric margin by solving inverse problem. The SVM model is applied to three gages, i.e., Cisco, Green River, and Lees Ferry in the Upper Colorado River Basin in the …

Afternoon Concurrent Track 1: Sustainability In The K-16 Classroom, Ellen Ebert, Rebecca Reichenbach, Nick Pretasky, Dale Walsh

Education for a Global Future: 21st Century Challenges in Sustainability & Climate Change Education

AFTERNOON CONCURRENT TRACK 1: SUSTAINABILITY IN THE K-16 CLASSROOM Moderator Gale Sinatra Student Union Room 207 Ellen Ebert – Using the STS/EEE Model in 6-12 Curriculum to Understand the Sustainability Issues Related to the Colorado River System Abstract: Beginning in 1982, the National Science Teachers Association called for curriculum designers to develop materials that demonstrate the interconnectedness among science, technology and societal issues while presenting both positive and negative influences. This session will focus on using the STS/EEE learning model to design curriculum for secondary science that emphasizes sustainability issues focused on the Colorado River system. The presentation will outline …

Morning Concurrent Track 1: What Does It Mean For K-12 Students To Think About Sustainability In The Western U.S.?, Ellen Ebert, Rebecca Reichenbach, Allison Brody, Amy Page, Marcel Parent, Signa Gundlach

Education for a Global Future: 21st Century Challenges in Sustainability & Climate Change Education

MORNING CONCURRENT TRACK 1: WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR K-12 STUDENTS TO THINK ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY IN THE WESTERN U.S.? Moderator Kent Crippen Student Union Room 207 Ellen Ebert - Using the STS/EEE Model in 6-12 Curriculum to Understand the Sustainability Issues Related to the Colorado River System (repeats Afternoon Concurrent Session #1) Abstract: Beginning in 1982, the National Science Teachers Association called for curriculum designers to develop materials that demonstrate the interconnectedness among science, technology and societal issues while presenting both positive and negative influences. This session will focus on using the STS/EEE learning model to design curriculum for secondary …

Monitoring Water Quality On Tributary Inflows To Lake Mead And On A Transect Of The Overton Arm, Jorge Arufe, Robert Burrows

Lake Mead Science Symposium

The USGS, in cooperation with the NPS and BOR (Bureau of Reclamation), is collecting water quality data to determine the temporal changes and spatial distributions of natural and anthropogenic compounds entering the Overton Arm of Lake Mead. These efforts and others already underway on the lake by BOR, USGS, and SNWA will aid in the development of a reservoir model of the lake. The effects of the flood flows on the water quality of the Overton Arm are largely unknown and necessary for model development and verification.

Water quality physical parameters are continuously monitored near the mouth of the Virgin …

Strategic Data Mining And Database Development For Research Projects At Lake Mead, Nevada-Arizona Usa, James Pollard, Gretchen M. Andrew

Lake Mead Science Symposium

“Water 2025” is a Department of Interior initiative designed to guide the management of scarce water resources in the American West. As an important Colorado River reservoir, Lake Mead is a fundamental component of Water 2025. For Water 2025 to achieve its goals, comprehensive knowledge is needed of historic and current Lake Mead water quality data. A task agreement between the National Park Service and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas provides for a strategic data mining project to identify research and monitoring projects on Lake Mead that have been conducted in the past, prioritize relevant projects, and ensure data …

History Of Contaminant Inputs Into Lake Mead Derived From Sediment Cores, Michael R. Rosen, Peter C. Van Metre, David Alvarez, Kathy R. Echols, Steven L. Goodbred

Lake Mead Science Symposium

Assessing the changes in contaminant inputs (both organic and inorganic) over time is important in determining sources and sinks of these inputs. Variations in contaminant input were assessed in four sediment cores taken in 1998 from three different parts of Lake Mead (two from Las Vegas Bay and one from Overton Arm and Virgin Basin). Sediments were analyzed for major and trace elements, radionuclides, and organic compounds. Anthropogenic contaminant concentrations are greatest in Las Vegas Bay reflecting inputs from the Las Vegas urban area, although concentrations are low compared to sediment quality guidelines and to other USA lakes. One exception …

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

Lake Mead Science Symposium

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

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

Lake Mead Science Symposium

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

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

Lake Mead Science Symposium

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

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

Lake Mead Science Symposium

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

Lake Mead Symposium Plenary Schedule, Kent Turner

Lake Mead Science Symposium

Preliminary schedule for the symposium.

Bending Of Woody Riparian Vegetation As A Function Of Hydraulic Flow Conditions, John O. Goreham

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Vegetation encroachment reduces channel conveyance capacity below design objectives and greatly increases the risk for loss of life and property damage in the case of large flood events. Given minimal knowledge of hydraulic roughness for shrubs and woody vegetation, accurate estimation of channel capacity and water surface elevation is difficult. The ability to predict a tree's bent, reduced height in the presence of flow permits more accurate prediction of hydraulic roughness and water surface elevation.

In this study, field tests were performed to elucidate tree bending properties, which in turn served as input parameters for a numerical algorithm designed to …

Soil Moisture And Water Stage Estimation Using Precipitation Radar, Sumit Puri

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In south-western United States, soil moisture data is important for drought studies in the region which is experiencing a drought for many years, whereas in South Florida, water stage data is required by hydrologists to monitor the hydrological flow in wetlands. Soil moisture data and water stage data are not sufficiently available due to sparse monitoring stations. Installation of dense measuring stations over an extended area is costly and labor intensive. Therefore, there is a need to develop an alternative method of measuring soil moisture and water stage. Microwave remote sensing has proven to be a useful tool in the …

Just Passing Through! The Water Cycle! On-Site Programming (Grade 4), Discover Mojave: Forever Earth

Curriculum materials (FE)

In “Just Passing Through! The Water Cycle!,” students begin exploring the importance of Lake Mead by making and recording observations of how water is being used in different ways by plants, animals, and people. Students view an animated PowerPoint presentation that follows one drop of water through Lake Mead’s water use cycle and then re-create the cycle on a magnet board. Working as scientists, students determine if water is the same in all parts of the lake by comparing water samples from the middle of the lake and from Las Vegas Bay. By examining a number of scenarios, students use …