Fresh Water Studies Commons^™

Limnological Assistance For Lake Mead National Recreation Area: Quarterly Report, Period Ending January 31, 2011, Margaret N. Rees

Limnological Studies

Project 1

• Technical assistance with the implementation of the Interagency Monitoring Action Plan (I-MAP) for Quagga Mussels is ongoing. During this quarter, analysis was completed for 21 adult/juvenile samples and analyses of the remaining samples are underway. A manuscript describing the I-MAP and its history, current recommended monitoring, and recommended future monitoring and a separate manuscript describing the I-MAP’s monitoring protocol were accepted for publication in the journal Aquatic Invasions. Two other manuscripts describing other aspects of the I-MAP program were published in Lake and Reservoir Management.

Project 2

• Annual summary sheets are under development for the topics listed within …

Reproduction And Genetic Detection Of Veligers In Changing Dreissena Populations In The Great Lakes, Jeffrey L. Ram, Aos S. Karim, Payel Acharya, Pranav Jagtap, Sonal Purohit, Donna R. Kashian

Environmental Science and Geology Faculty Research Publications

Dreissenid bivalves, Dreissena polymorpha (zebra mussel) and Dreissena bugensis (quagga mussel) are biofouling species that invaded the Great Lakes region of North America from source populations in Europe in the 1980s. Initially, D. polymorpha spread faster and farther; however, D. bugensis have recently displaced D. polymorpha in many areas of the Great Lakes and was the first to be found west of the Continental Divide. Early detection of dreissenids is important in anticipating and preventing potentially high economic impacts. To study population dynamics and to enhance detection methods, we assessed “spawnability” using a serotonin bioassay and developed a new, sensitive, …

Nitrous Oxide Emission From Denitrification In Stream And River Networks, Jake J. Beaulieu, Clay P. Arango

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

Nitrous oxide (N₂O) is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change and stratospheric ozone destruction. Anthropogenic nitrogen (N) loading to river networks is a potentially important source of N₂O via microbial denitrification that converts N to N₂O and dinitrogen (N₂). The fraction of denitrified N that escapes as N₂O rather than N₂ (i.e., the N₂O yield) is an important determinant of how much N₂O is produced by river networks, but little is known about the N₂O yield in flowing waters. Here, …

A Financial Impact Assessment Of Ld 1725: Stream Crossings, New England Environmental Finance Center, Muskie School Of Public Service

Water

This report looks at the potential financial impact of LD 1725 on the estimated 30,000 stream crossings in the State of Maine that would be affected by the law. Our research for this report included the analysis of nearly 2000 stream crossings and the data collection necessary for the development of extensive stream crossing replacement cost models. We found that the 1.2 bankfull requirements in LD 1725 would result in a 75% ‐ 250% increase in structure widths for stream crossing projects across the state. An upsize of this magnitude would increase the cost of replacing stream crossings statewide by …

A Financial Impact Assessment Of Ld 1725: Stream Crossings (Presentation), New England Environmental Finance Center, Muskie School Of Public Service

Water

This report looks at the potential financial impact of LD 1725 on the estimated 30,000 stream crossings in the State of Maine that would be affected by the law. Our research for this report included the analysis of nearly 2000 stream crossings and the data collection necessary for the development of extensive stream crossing replacement cost models. We found that the 1.2 bankfull requirements in LD 1725 would result in a 75% ‐ 250% increase in structure widths for stream crossing projects across the state. An upsize of this magnitude would increase the cost of replacing stream crossings statewide by …

A Financial Impact Assessment Of Ld 1725: Stream Crossings Presentation, New England Environmental Finance Center

Economics and Finance

This report looks at the potential financial impact of LD 1725 on the estimated 30,000 stream crossings in the State of Maine that would be affected by the law. Our research for this report included the analysis of nearly 2000 stream crossings and the data collection necessary for the development of extensive stream crossing replacement cost models. We found that the 1.2 bankfull requirements in LD 1725 would result in a 75% ‐ 250% increase in structure widths for stream crossing projects across the state. An upsize of this magnitude would increase the cost of replacing stream crossings statewide by …

Mercury And Selenium Bioaccumulation In The Stromatolite Community Of The Great Salt Lake, Utah, Usa, Wayne A. Wurtsbaugh

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Phosphorus Release From Bottom Sediments At Lake Wister, Oklahoma, Summer 2010, B.E. Haggard, J.T. Scott

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

A previous reservoir model of Lake Wister, Oklahoma suggested that internal P sources were dominant, and that a watershed management plan need not be developed to address external sources. The objectives of this study were to collect intact sediment cores from three sites at Lake Wister and measure sediment O₂ demand (SOD) and soluble reactive P (SRP) release to the overlying water during lab incubations under quiescent conditions. The measured SOD rates were between 9.9 and 22.6 mg m⁻² hr⁻¹ on average across the three sites, where the shallow headwaters site had the least SOD. The SRP release rates were …

Characteristics Of Suspended And Streambed Sediment Within Constructed Chutes And The Main Channel At Upper Hamburg And Glovers Point Bends, Missouri River, Nebraska, 2008, Brenda K. Woodward, David L. Rus

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

The Umited States Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District, as part of the Missouri River Bank Stabilization and Navigation Mitigation Project, has constructed 17 off-channel chutes along the channelized Missouri River, downstream from Sioux City, Iowa, to increase habitat diversity. To better understand characteristics of suspended and streambed sediment within these constructed chutes, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) investigated specific aspects of chute design and function in relation to sediment characteristics including: (1) effects of inlet structures; (2) changes occurring between the inlet and the outlet of a chute; (3) effects of chutes on sediment characteristics in the main …

Sediment Samples And Channel-Geometry Data, Lower Platte River Watershed, Nebraska, 2010, Nathaniel J. Schaepe, Jason S. Alexander

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

The relation between channel width and stream physical habitat in the lower Platte River in eastern Nebraska was studied as part of the lower Platte River Cumulative Impact Study. The purpose of this component was to document the grain-size distribution of sediment deposited as specific types of physical features, such as sandbars, banks, and stream beds within different hydraulic habitats, within the lower Platte River system. In so doing, the major sources of sediment for sandbar creation downstream are described. Sediment samples were collected from 11 reaches of the lower Platte River from Silver Creek, Nebraska, to the mouth of …

Helicopter Electromagnetic And Magnetic Geophysical Survey Data, Swedeburg And Sprague Study Areas, Eastern Nebraska, May 2009, B. D. Smith, J. D. Abraham, J. C. Cannia, B. J. Minsley, L. B. Ball, Gregory V. Steele, M. Deszcz-Pan

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

This report is a release of digital data from a helicopter electromagnetic and magnetic survey conducted by Fugro Airborne Surveys in areas of eastern Nebraska as part of a joint hydrologic study by the Lower Platte North and Lower Platte South Natural Resources Districts, and the Umited States Geological Survey (USGS). The survey flight lines covered 1,418.6 line km (882 line mile). The survey was flown from April 22 to May 2, 2009. The objective of the contracted survey was to improve the understanding of the relation between surface water and groundwater systems critical to developing groundwater models used in …

Selected Approaches To Estimate Water-Budget Components Of The High Plains, 1940 Through 1949 And 2000 Through 2009, Jennifer S. Stanton, Sharon L. Qi, Derek W. Ryter, Sarah E. Falk, Natalie A. Houston, Steven M. Peterson, Stephen M. Westenbroek, Scott C. Christenson

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

The High Plains aquifer, underlying almost 112 million acres in the central United States, is one of the largest aquifers in the Nation. It is the primary water supply for drinking water, irrigation, animal production, and industry in the region. Expansion of irrigated agriculture throughout the past 60 years has helped make the High Plains one of the most productive agricultural regions in the Nation. Extensive withdrawals of groundwater for irrigation have caused water-level declines in many parts of the aquifer and increased concerns about the long-term sustainability of the aquifer.

Quantification of water-budget components is a prerequisite for effective …

Droughtscape, Winter 2011, Kelly Smith

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

Register for the U.S. Drought Monitor Forum

La Niña Brings Southeast, Southwest Drought

International Efforts

Drought Returns in 2010

Impacts Emerge “Before” Summer Drought in East

October-December Quarterly Impacts Summary

Climate Adaptation for Local Government

NDMC Elicits Missouri River Basin Recollections

Woudenberg Coordinates Educational Booklet

Changes In Water Levels And Storage In The High Plains Aquifer, Predevelopment To 2009, Virginia L. Mcguire

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

The High Plains aquifer underlies 111.8 million acres (175,000 square miles) in parts of eight States—Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. The area overlying the High Plains aquifer is one of the primary agricultural regions in the Nation. Water-level declines began in parts of the High Plains aquifer soon after the onset of substantial irrigation with groundwater from the aquifer (about 1950 and termed "predevelopment" in this fact sheet). By 1980, water levels in the High Plains aquifer in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, and southwestern Kansas had declined more than 100 feet (ft) (Luckey and …

Hydrostratigraphic Interpretation Of Test-Hole And Geophysical Data, Upper Loup River Basin, Nebraska, 2008-10, Christopher M. Hobza, Theodore H. Asch, Paul A. Bedrosian

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

Nebraska's Upper Loup Natural Resources District is currently (2011) participating in the Elkhorn-Loup Model to understand the effect of various groundwater-management scenarios on surface-water resources. During Phase 1 of the Elkhorn-Loup Model, a lack of subsurface geological information in the Upper Loup Natural Resources District, hereafter referred to as the upper Loup study area, was identified as a gap in current knowledge that needed to be addressed. To improve the understanding of the hydrogeology of the upper Loup study area, the United States Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Upper Loup Natural Resources District and the University of Nebraska Conservation …

Influence Of Karst Landscape On Planetary Boundary Layer Atmosphere: A Weather Research And Forecasting (Wrf) Model–Based Investigation, Ronnie Leeper, Rezaul Mamood, Arturo I. Quintanar

High Plains Regional Climate Center: Staff Publications

Karst hydrology provides a unique set of surface and subsurface hydrological components that affect soil moisture variability. Over karst topography, surface moisture moves rapidly below ground via sink holes, vertical shafts, and sinking streams, reducing surface runoff and moisture infiltration into the soil. In addition, subsurface cave blockage or rapid snowmelt over karst can lead to surface flooding. Moreover, regions dominated by karst may exhibit either drier or wetter soils when compared to nonkarst landscape. However, because of the lack of both observational soil moisture datasets to initialize simulations and regional land surface models (LSMs) that include explicit karst hydrological …

Assessment And Characterization Of Physical Habitat, Water Quality, And Biotic Assemblages Of The Tyronza River, Arkansas, N. J. Wentz, N. D. Henderson, A. D. Christian

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Few studies within the last few decades have addressed water quality and biotic assemblages within Arkansas’s large channel-altered deltaic rivers. The Tyronza River is located in northeast Arkansas and its watershed has a heavy agricultural presence that drastically affects habitat quality. Meanwhile, the Tyronza River hosts one of the more recent documented range extensions of the federally endangered fat pocketbook mussel [Potamilus capax (Green, 1832)]. The purpose of this study was to assess physical habitat, water quality, and biotic assemblages of the Tyronza River using the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality’s (ADEQ) regional biometrics. Water samples were collected at 9 …

Lakes As Buffers Of Stream Dissolved Organic Matter (Dom) Variability: Temporal Patterns Of Dom Characteristics In Mountain Stream-Lake Systems, K. J. Goodman, Michelle A. Baker, Wayne A. Wurtsbaugh

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Lakes within fluvial networks may affect dissolved organic matter (DOM) dynamics in streams by dampening spring DOM snowmelt flushing responses and/or by increasing summer DOM production. We assessed the temporal variability of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration and DOM characteristics (specific ultraviolet absorbance (SUVA254); DOC:dissolved organic nitrogen (DOC:DON)), as well as DOC export in seven paired lake inflows and outflows in the Sawtooth Mountain lake district, Idaho. We hypothesized that lakes would decrease stream DOM temporal variability and increase DOM export as a result of autotrophic production. We correlated DOM variability with landscape factors to evaluate potential drivers of DOM …

Anaerobic Oxidation Of Methane And The Stoichiometry Of Remineralization Processes In Continental Margin Sediments, David J. Burdige, Tomoko Kamada

OES Faculty Publications

In many coastal and continental margin sediments, pore-water property-property plots yield values of r_c:s, the stoichiometric ratio of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) produced to sulfate reduced, that are lower than the commonly assumed value of 2. Remineralization of organic matter more reduced than CH₂O can cause such observations, as can DIC loss due to authigenic carbonate precipitation. However, through studies of Santa Monica Basin sediments, we have observed that these observations could also be related to the occurrence of anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) in sediments. Specifically, using a reactive transport sediment model, we have shown …

Characterization Of Heterogeneities And Domains In Aquatic And Sedimentary Organic Matter By 1 H Spin Diffusion: Potential For Elucidating The Formation Mechanisms, Jingdong Mao, Xiaoyan Cao

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Although the information on domains and heterogeneities of natural organic matter (NOM) can provide insights into its formation mechanisms, the appropriate solid-state NMR technique for measuring them is still lacking. The traditional technique requires mobility differences in NOM whereas NOM components are primarily rigid. We introduced a new ¹H spin diffusion technique, ¹H-¹³C two-dimensional heteronuclear correlation (2D HETCOR) NMR with ¹H spin diffusion, for characterization of domains and heterogeneities in aquatic and sedimentary organic matter. It was achieved by collecting a series of 2D HETCOR spectra with a variable mixing time, t_m', and …

Clean Energy Water Disinfection For Small, Remote Rural Communities, Ryan M. Lee

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

Access to drinking water is essential to all life, yet in many developing and remote communities, it is often contaminated with disease causing pathogens. This project was created in response to the annual WERC Environmental Design Competition. This year’s specific challenge was to develop human powered, stand-alone, effective, easily implemented, and economical water disinfection systems. Many technologies were evaluated; however, bleach and ultraviolet (UV) light treatments were determined to be most applicable to remote and impoverished communities. The Razorback Microcide WERC Crew designed and demonstrated two systems independently featuring bleach and UV disinfection technology. Both systems include a high capacity, …

Direct And Indirect Effects Of An Invasive Planktonic Predator On Pelagic Food Webs, Angela L. Strecker, Beatrix E. Beisner, Shelley E. Arnott, Andrew M. Paterson, Jennifer G. Winter, Ora E. Johannsson, Norman D. Yan

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

The relative importance of top-down invader effects relative to environmental drivers was determined by sampling crustacean zooplankton, rotifer, and phytoplankton communities in a set of invaded and noninvaded reference lakes. The non-native invertebrate predator Bythotrephes had significant effects on zooplankton community size structure, rotifers, and phytoplankton taxonomic composition, but no significant effects on crustacean zooplankton taxonomic and functional group composition. Part of the variation in phytoplankton communities was explained by the presence of the invader. Because Bythotrephes is generally known to be a carnivore and to not consume phytoplankton, this effect is likely mediated by the zooplankton community’s response to …

A Synergetic Use Of Satellite Imagery From Sar And Optical Sensors To Improve Coastal Flood Mapping In The Gulf Of Mexico, Naira Chaouch, Marouane Temimi, Scott Hagen, John Weishampel, Stephen Medeiros, Reza Khanbilvardi

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

This work proposes a method for detecting inundation between semi-diurnal low and high water conditions in the northern Gulf of Mexico using high-resolution satellite imagery. Radarsat 1, Landsat imagery and aerial photography from the Apalachicola region in Florida were used to demonstrate and validate the algorithm. A change detection approach was implemented through the analysis of red, green and blue (RGB) false colour composites image to emphasise differences in high and low tide inundation patterns. To alleviate the effect of inherent speckle in the SAR images, we also applied ancillary optical data. The flood-prone area for the site was delineated …

Factors That Contribute To Turbidity On The West Fork Of The White River In Arkansas, Chris Cotton, Brian Haggard

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

The West Fork of the White River (WFWR) exceeds the water quality standard for turbidity (10 NTU) set by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality and, since 1998, the river has been on Arkansas’s 303 (d) list of impaired water bodies unsuitable for aquatic life because of turbidity exceedances. To understand the factors that could be related to turbidity, total suspended solids (TSS), total inorganic suspended solids (TISS), total volatile suspended solids (TVSS), sestonic chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) concentrations, and turbidity were measured on three sample dates from nine sites on the WFWR. As the site location changed in the downstream direction, …

State Of The River Report For The Lower St. Johns River Basin, Florida: Water Quality, Fisheries, Aquatic Life, And Contaminants 2011, Environmental Protection Board, City Of Jacksonville, University Of North Florida, Jacksonville University

State of the River Report

No abstract provided.

A Mini-Electrodialysis System For Desalting Small Volume Saline Samples For Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry, Hongmei Chen, Aron Stubbins, Patrick G. Hatcher

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

An affordable, commercially available mini-electrodialysis (mini-ED) system has been evaluated for the efficient desalting of small volume samples of seawater before analysis by electrospray Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ESI FT-ICR MS). Mini-ED FT-ICR mass spectra were compared with spectra for samples that were treated by C₁₈ solid phase extraction, a commonly used method for rapid sample preparation for this type of analysis. In this comparison, it is clear that mini-ED provides more representative molecular information, compared with C₁₈ isolation, and recovers the overwhelming majority of peaks from salt-free samples, indicating that it adequately represents the …

The Carbon Footprint Associated With Water Management Policy Options In The Las Vegas Valley, Nevada, Eleeja Shrestha, Sajjad Ahmad, Walter Johnson, Jacimaria R. Batista

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

A system dynamics model was developed to estimate the carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions associated with conveyance of water from the water source to the distribution laterals of the Las Vegas Valley. In addition, the impact of several water management policies, including water conservation, reuse, and population growth rate change was evaluated. The results show that, at present, nearly 0.53 million metric tons of CO₂ emissions per year are released due to energy use for water conveyance in distribution laterals of the Valley from Lake Mead, located 32.2 km (20 miles) southeast of the Las Vegas at an …

Prioritizing Zebra And Quagga Mussel Monitoring In The Columbia River Basin, Steve W. Wells, Timothy D. Counihan, Amy Puls, Mark Sytsma, Brian Adair

Center for Lakes and Reservoirs Publications and Presentations

The purpose of this report is to provide a framework for the prioritization of water bodies in the Columbia River Basin and the Greater Northwest region (surrounding areas in Oregon, Washington, California, Nevada, Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming) for early detection monitoring for dreissenid mussels. Our ability to assess the relative risk of establishment and introduction of dreissenid mussels was confounded by significant gaps in the data necessary to rigorously predict where dreissenid mussels will become introduced and subsequently established. Consequently, local jurisdictions should evaluate the prioritized lists provided critically and make adjustments where local knowledge and additional information dictates. Further, …

Quantifying Canal Leakage Rates Using A Mass-Balance Approach And Heat-Based Hydraulic Conductivity Estimates In Selected Irrigation Canals, Western Nebraska, 2007 Through 2009, Christopher M. Hobza, Michael J. Andersen

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

The water supply in areas of the North Platte River Basin in the Nebraska Panhandle has been designated as fully appropriated or overappropriated by the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources (NDNR). Enacted legislation (Legislative Bill 962) requires the North Platte Natural Resources District (NPNRD) and the NDNR to develop an Integrated Management Plan (IMP) to balance groundwater and surface-water supply and demand in the NPNRD. A clear understanding of the groundwater and surface-water systems is critical for the development of a successful IMP. The primary source of groundwater recharge in parts of the NPNRD is from irrigation canal leakage. Because …

Removal Of Arsenic And Strontium From Aqueous Solution Using Ironoxide Coated Zeolitized Tuff, Nataliya V. Kasimtseva

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

As world population grows so does the demand for safe drinking water. Meanwhile water resources become increasingly scarce and quality of natural water decreases due to a combination of natural and anthropogenic factors. Industry and agriculture have become a premiere source of hazardous constituents, along with natural processes such as rock weathering and volcanic eruptions. Our ability to remove hazardous constituents from water depends on chosen technology and nature of contaminant. Sorption and ion-exchange have been widely applied for water purification. Natural zeolites have been widely applied in water and waste water treatment as ion-exchangers for removal of harmful contaminants …