Fresh Water Studies Commons^™

Evaluation Of Water-Retention Ability Of Eastern Arkansas Prairie And Agricultural Soil, Maria L. Barrenechea, Kristofor R. Brye

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

Agricultural land use affects soil physical properties, such as bulk density, water content, organic matter content, and soil structure; all of which in turn affect ecosystem productivity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of: 1) time since aboveground biomass has been removed by haying (i.e., 0 vs. 23 years), and 2) land use (i.e., undisturbed tallgrass prairie vs. cultivated agriculture) on water-retention characteristics in a silt-loam soil of the Grand Prairie region of eastern Arkansas. Soil samples were collected from the 0- to 10-cm depth and were wetted with varying amounts of distillated water to create …

Water Quality Issues In The Illinois River Watershed: A Proposal For New Voluntary Incentives, Tory B. Hodges, Jennie S. Popp

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

Concerns about water quality degradation exist in Northwest Arkansas. The purpose of this study was to analyze the potential usefulness of U.S. conservation programs in addressing water quality concerns on farms in the Illinois River watershed as well as greater Washington County, Arkansas. It was hypothesized that neither the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) nor the Conservation Security Program (CSP) in their current forms effectively assists farmers in meeting water-quality management goals. That hypothesis was tested by 1) examining agricultural characteristics of the watershed, 2) actual adoption of EQIP and CSP in Washington County and Arkansas, and, 3) identifying factors …

Estimating Surface Runoff In The Illinois River Basin For The Management Of Nonpoint-Source Phosphorus Loads, Adam T. Mcclymont, Mary C. Savin, Brian E. Haggard

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

With the growing concern about elevated phosphorus (P) concentrations in regional lakes, rivers, and streams, it is essential to investigate factors contributing to P transport from the landscape. Phosphorus fluxes from nonpoint sources, particularly land applications of poultry litter and other animal manures, are closely related to the amount and production of surface runoff. Daily stream discharge and the software program, Base Flow Index (BFI), were used to estimate the amount and temporal patterns of surface runoff at different locations within the Illinois River Basin, including selected tributaries in northwest Arkansas and northeast Oklahoma. Daily streamflow data from nine U.S. …

A Tool For Estimating Best Management Practice Effectiveness In Arkansas, Katherine R. Merriman, Margaret Gitau, Indrajeet Chaubey

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

Increased nutrient and sediment losses from expanding agricultural practices and urban development in Arkansas are important environmental concerns. Best Management Practices (BMPs) are being implemented to lessen the effects of these developments on existing water bodies. There is, however, insufficient scientific base as to the effectiveness of these practices. A number of studies have been conducted in recent years to determine BMP effectiveness. Data from these studies can only be reliably used for the individual site from which they were obtained. When considered collectively, these data comprise quantitative effectiveness over a wide range of conditions and can thus be used …

Ravensthorpe Area Catchment Appraisal 2006, A Massenbauer

Resource management technical reports

The Ravensthorpe area covers 861, 000 hectares. Ninety percent of the study area covered in this report falls within the Ravensthorpe Shire, Western Australia. This document aims to give the reader a starting point from which to further assess larger scale areas of the catchment for the purpose of planning to reverse and improve land degradation and sustainable farming in Western Australia.

Effects Of Salinity Changes On The Photodegradation And Ultraviolet-Visible Absorbance Of Terrestrial Dissolved Organic Matter, E. C. Minor, J. Pothen, B. J. Dalzell, H. Abdulla, K. Mopper

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

We performed laboratory studies to determine the effects of salinity on the photodegradation of dissolved organic matter (DOM) from the Great Dismal Swamp, Virginia, an important source of terrestrial DOM to the lower Chesapeake Bay. Samples were created by mixing Great Dismal Swamp water (ionic strength approximate to 0 mol L^-1) with modified artificial seawater solutions of differing salinities while keeping the final dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration constant. These samples were then irradiated for 24 h in a light box providing ultraviolet (UV) light similar to that of natural sunlight. Light absorbance and DOC concentrations decreased after …

Pond Production, Bartholomew W. Green, C. Bauer Duke Iii

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Management strategies for production of tilapia (Oreochromis sp.) in earthen or lined ponds range from chemical and/or organic fertilization only to intensive feeding. Pond water quality for each strategy is discussed. Strategies to optimize standing stock management during grow-out are presented.

Factors Influencing Internal P Loading In A Western Michigan, Drowned River-Mouth Lake, Alan D. Steinman, Lori Nemeth, Eric Nemeth, Richard Rediske

Peer-reviewed scientific publications

Originally published in: J. N. Am. Benthol. Soc., 2006, 25(2):304–312

Release of P from lake sediments may account for a significant portion of a lake’s total P (TP) load. Previous studies using sediment cores showed that ;65% of the total P load entering Spring Lake, Michigan, came from the sediments, and that an alum concentration of 24 mg Al/L effectively inactivated P release in experimental sediment-core tubes. In 2004, we studied the influence of alum concentration and sediment resuspension on P release rates from the sediments. Based on laboratory incubations using alum concentrations of 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, and …

2005 Diamond Lake Submersed Aquatic Vegetation Survey, Mark D. Sytsma, Mary Pfauth

Center for Lakes and Reservoirs Publications and Presentations

Diamond Lake is a large natural lake having a surface area of some 3214 acres (1300.7 hectares) and a maximum depth of 52 feet (15.8 meters). It is located within the Umpqua National Forest in the Southern Cascade Mountains of Oregon, at an elevation of over 5000 feet (>1524 meters). Diamond Lake is a high-use waterbody that supports angling, public campgrounds, recreational boating, swimming, and water skiing. The human activity associated with the lake has been a significant contributor to the economy of southern Oregon since the early part of the twentieth century.

Historically Diamond Lake was fishless but …

Impact Of Bythotrephes Invasion On Zooplankton Communities In Acid-Damaged And Recovered Lakes On The Boreal Shield, Angela L. Strecker, Shelley E. Arnott

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Invasive species introductions into freshwater ecosystems have had a multitude of effects on aquatic communities. Few studies, however, have directly compared the impact of an invader on communities with contrasting structure. Historically high levels and subsequent reductions of acid deposition have produced landscapes of lakes of varying acidity and zooplankton communitystructure. We conducted a 30-day enclosure experiment in Killarney Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, to test the effects ofBythotrephes longimanus, an invasive invertebrate predator, on two contrasting zooplankton communities at different stages of recovery from acidification: recovered and acid damaged. Bythotrephes significantly decreased zooplankton biomass and abundance in both communities but …

Alaska Aquatic Plant Survey Report 2005, Mary Pfauth, Mark Sytsma

Center for Lakes and Reservoirs Publications and Presentations

Invasive, non-indigenous plants can degrade water quality and fish habitat when they invade lakes, ponds, and streams. Changes in plant community architecture in lakes due to invasion by canopy-forming invasive aquatic plants can result in loss of native plant biodiversity and reduction of the structural complexity of the underwater habitat.

Final Report Regional Lake Management Planning For Tmdl Development, Mark Sytsma

Center for Lakes and Reservoirs Publications and Presentations

Since the mid-1900’s, invasive aquatic weeds have been a significant problem in many of the lakes of the Clatsop Plains on the northern Oregon Coast. Weeds interfere with beneficial uses, such as boating, fishing and swimming, and have dramatically altered the chemical and biological features of the lakes. In 1994, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) added three of the lakes, Cullaby, Smith and Sunset, to the 303 (d) list of water quality impaired waters, due to the presence of the invasive aquatic weeds. ODEQ contracted with the Center for Lakes and Reservoirs and the Geology Department at PSU …

Final Report: Evaluation Of The Morphoedaphic Index And Sediment Diatoms For Inference Of Pre-European Settlement Total Phosphorus Concentration In Epa Region 10 Lakes, Rich Miller, Aaron Hook, Richard Petersen, Mark D. Sytsma

Center for Lakes and Reservoirs Publications and Presentations

Water quality in many Northwest lakes has declined over the past century due, in part, to increased anthropogenic nutrient loading (Edmonson and Lehman, 1981). Under the Clean Water Act, resource managers such as the Washington Department of Ecology, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, and tribes are responsible for restoring and protecting the integrity of these waters. Targets for restoration or criteria for impairment are not well defined, however, and may naturally vary by geology, hydrology, morphometry, and climate.

One way to determine whether lakes are impaired and to identify restoration targets is to assess lake reference conditions (EPA 2000). Reference …

Phytoplankton Development Within Tidal Freshwater Regions Of Two Virginia Rivers, Harold G. Marshall, Lubomira Burchardt

Virginia Journal of Science

Phytoplankton composition and the range of seasonal patterns of abundance are presented for the tidal freshwater regions in two Virginia rivers based on data accumulated monthly from 1986 through 1999. Diatoms dominated the flora during spring, summer, and fall, whereas, other taxonomic categories were more representative when the river flow rates decreased, allowing for a more stable water system and increased residency time within this tidal region during summer and early fall. This summer/fall period was associated with increased water temperatures, higher productivity rates and chlorophyll levels, increased total phytoplankton abundance and species diversity. The major components of the summer …

Waldo Lake Research In 2004, Mark D. Sytsma, John Rueter, Richard Petersen, Roy Koch, Scott A. Wells, Michelle Wood, Yangdong Pan, Robert Leslie Annear, Aaron Hook, Laura Johnson, Rich Miller, Amanda Murphy, Terry Stoltz

Center for Lakes and Reservoirs Publications and Presentations

The Willamette National Forest has worked with Portland State University, Center for Lakes and Reservoirs (PSU) and the University of Oregon (UO) to investigate ecosystem changes, provide guidance on long-term monitoring methods, assess monitoring data, develop predictive water quality models, and conduct research that will lead to better protection and understanding of the Waldo Lake ecosystem. This report summarizes the second year of collaborative PSU-UO research at Waldo Lake. Research has focused on understanding physical, chemical and biological characteristics of Waldo Lake across a range of spatial and temporal scales. Research tasks that continued from 2003 into 2004 included temperature …

Water Quality Sampling, Analysis And Annual Load Determinations For Tss, Nitrogen And Phosphorus In The Bayou Bartholomew At Garrett Bridge, Ar And Near Portland, Ar, Marc A. Nelson, L. Wade Cash, G. Keith Trost, Jennifer Purtle

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

Water quality sampling stations were installed at the Bayou Bartholomew at Garrett Bridge, AR and near Portland, AR. These stations are coordinated with USGS gauging stations at the same locations. These stations are instrumented to collect samples at sufficient intervals across the hydrograph to accurately estimate the flux of total suspended solids, nitrogen and phosphorus in the River. Bayou Bartholomew watershed is about 1.08 million acres and is located in the south east corner of the state. The land use in the watershed is mostly in forest and cropland agriculture with some urban area. High turbidity levels and excessive silt …

Illinois River 2004 Pollutant Loads At Arkansas Highway 59 Bridge, Marc A. Nelson, L. Wade Cash, Keith Trost, Jennifer Purtle

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

Automatic water sampler and a U. S. Geological Survey gauging station were established in 1995 on the main stem of the Illinois River at the Arkansas Highway 59 Bridge. Since that time, continuous stage and discharge measurements and water quality sampling have been used to determine pollutant concentrations and loads in the Arkansas portion of the Illinois River. This report represents the results from the measurement and sampling by the Arkansas Water Resources Center -Water Quality Lab for January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2004.

Water Quality Sampling, Analysis And Annual Load Determinations For Tss, Nitrogen And Phosphorus At The Washington County Road 195 Bridge On The West Fork Of The White River, 2004 Annual Report, Marc A. Nelson, L. Wade Cash, G. Keith Trost, Jennifer Purtle

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

A water quality sampling station was installed at the Washington County road 195 bridge on the West Fork of the White River just above the confluence of the three main forks of the Upper White River in December 2001. The Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) was approved by EPA Region six on March 2002 and sampling was begun at that time. This station is coordinated with a USGS gauging station at the same location. This station was instrumented to collect samples at sufficient intervals across the hydrograph to accurately estimate the flux of total suspended solids, nitrogen and phosphorus into …

Water Quality Sampling, Analysis And Annual Load Determinations For Tss, Nitrogen And Phosphorus At The Washington County Road 76 Bridge On Ballard Creek, Marc A. Nelson, L. Wade Cash, G. Keith Trost, Jennifer Purtle

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

The Illinois River Basin has experienced water quality impairment from non-point source pollution for many years. This fact was well documented in the State of Arkansas' Water Quality Assessment report, the Soil Conservation Service River Basin Study, and several University of Arkansas studies. Thirty-seven sub-watersheds have been identified by the SCS in the Arkansas portion of the Illinois River basin. In the Arkansas portion of the Basin, the Illinois River, Evansville Creek, Baron Fork, Cincinnati Creek, Muddy Fork, Moores Creek, Clear Creek, Osage Creek and Flint Creek were all classified as not supporting their designated use as primary contact recreation …

2004 Pollutant Loads Kings River Near Berryville, Arkansas, Marc A. Nelson, L. Wade Cash, Keith Trost, Jennifer Purtle

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

An automatic sampler and a USGS gauging station were established in 1998 and water quality sampling was begun in 1999 on the Kings River near Berryville, Arkansas. Continuous stage and discharge measurements and frequent water quality sampling have been used to determine pollutant concentrations and loads in the river. This report presents the results from the sampling and analysis for January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2004.

Water Quality Sampling, Analysis And Annual Load Determinations For Tss, Nitrogen And Phosphorus At The L'Anguille River Near Palestine, Marc A. Nelson, L. Wade Cash, Keith Trost, Jennifer Purtle

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

A water quality sampling station was installed at the L’Anguille River near Palestine in 2003. This station is coordinated with a USGS gauging station at the same location. This station is instrumented to collect samples at sufficient intervals across the hydrograph to accurately estimate the flux of total suspended solids, nitrogen and phosphorus in the River. The L’Anguille River was listed on Arkansas' 1998 303d list as impaired from sediment (turbidity). The L’Anguille River was the second TMDL determined in Arkansas. Accurate determination of stream nutrients and sediment is critical for future determinations of TMDLs, effectiveness of best management practices …

Water Quality Sampling, Analysis And Annual Load Determinations For Nutrients And Sediment At The Arkansas Highway 45 Bridge On The White River Just Above Beaver Lake, Marc Nelson, L. Wade Cash, Keith Trost, Jennifer Purtle

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

A water quality sampling station was installed at the Arkansas Highway 45 bridge on the White River just above Beaver Lake in 2002. This station is coordinated with a USGS gauging station at the same location. This station is instrumented to collect samples at sufficient intervals across the hydrograph to accurately estimate the flux of total suspended solids, nitrogen and phosphorus into the upper end of Beaver Lake from the White River. The West Fork of the White River is listed on Arkansas' 1998 303d list as impaired from sediment. The Upper White was designated as the states highest priority …

Stormwater Utility Fees: Considerations & Options For Interlocal Stormwater Working Group (Iswg), New England Environmental Finance Center

Economics and Finance

Stormwater utilities are a concept whose time seems to have arrived. Established by relatively few communities in the 1970s as a method of funding flood control measures, stormwater utilities now exist in over 400 municipalities and counties throughout the United States. During the next 10 years, their numbers are expected to swell dramatically – by one estimate to over 2,000 by the year 2014.

The reasons for this growth are multifold. Federal stormwater regulations passed in the 1980s (Phase I of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Program, or NPDES), motivated many larger communities to seek alternative funding sources and …

Continuing Analysis Of Phytoplankton Nutrient Limitation In Farmington Bay And The Great Salt Lake, Wayne A. Wurtsbaugh, Amy M. Marcarelli

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Farmington Bay is a nutrient-enriched, highly eutrophic embayment of the Great Salt Lake. The highly variable salinity of the bay influences what species of plankton can survive there. Previous analyses suggested that cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) may not be able to survive or fix atmospheric nitrogen at high salinities, thus maintaining the lake in a nitrogen-limited state. To determine the interacting influence of nutrients and salinity on the growth and nitrogen fixation of plankton we performed a 28-day bioassay with water from Farmington and Gilbert Bays in October 2004. We tested the response of the plankton to additions of nitrogen (N) …

The Potential For Mitten Crab Colonization Of Estuaries On The West Coast Of North America, Erik Hanson, Mark Sytsma

Center for Lakes and Reservoirs Publications and Presentations

Mitten crabs are invasive species that pose a risk to the aquatic environments of the Pacific Northwest and the economic and social activities that depend upon intact aquatic systems. The recent establishment of a large population in the San Francisco Bay and the potential for introductions from California, Asia and Europe pose a significant invasion potential for esturaires and rivers from Catifornia to Alaska.

Excavated Tanks And Hillside Dams, Martyn Keen

Natural resources published reports

An excavated tank is an earth structure on near level land used to impound water, in which a percentage of the storage capacity is below ground level. It includes similar structures constructed on sloping land, referred to as 'hillside dams'. These are specific types of the group of water-impounding structures known as 'farm dams'.

Roaded Catchments, Martyn Keen

Natural resources published reports

A roaded catchment is one of the water harvesting structures known collectively as improved catchments. It has a broad 'V' shaped cross section and a surface cover of clay. It is used to increase run-off yield and divert water to farm dams.

Ecological Analysis Of Nutrient, Plankton And Benthic Communities In Farmington Bay And The Great Salt Lake, Utah (2004), Amy M. Marcarelli, Wayne A. Wurtsbaugh

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

In Fall 2004, the Aquatic Ecology Practicum class at Utah State University finished a third year of research on limnological and ecological characteristics of Farmington Bay and Gilbert Bays of the Great Salt Lake. Our previous research has produced interesting findings in Farmington Bay, including hypereutrophy (Marcarelli et a!. 2001), high phosphorus loading into the Bay, overnight water column anoxia linked to high winds (Wurtsbaugh et a!. 2002), potential predator control of brine shrimp, and high levels of hydrogen sulfide in the sediment and deep brine layer (Marcarelli et a!. 2003). These class findings have lead to increased interest in …

Potential Economic Impacts Of Zebra Mussels On The Hydropower Facilities In The Columbia River Basin, Stephen Phillips, Tim Darland, Mark Sytsma

Center for Lakes and Reservoirs Publications and Presentations

The purpose of this study was to estimate costs to the Federal Columbia River Power System hydroelectric projects in the event of a zebra mussel infestation.

Landscape Patterns Of Streams & Lakes In Montane Watersheds Determine Water Temperatures & Nutrient Transport: Watershed Analyses And N Tracer Experiments, Wayne A. Wurtsbaugh, J. Garrett, G. Burkart, W. Fleenor, K. Nydick, R. Hall, Michelle A. Baker

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

In glaciated mountains, lakes are interspersed through watersheds and connected by streams. Although lakes or streams are frequently studied as individual water bodies, studying them as integrated functional units provides considerable insight on temperature patterns, nutrient transport and other functions. In the Sawtooth Mountains (Idaho), inter-lake distance averages 2.8 km. In summer, lakes are solar collectors, and warm outflow streams as much as 10 C, thus increasing metabolic rates. These streams seldom cool to equilibrium temperatures before encountering another lake, where the waters tend to overflow and mix into the epilimnion. With overflow, N-15 tracer experiments demonstrated that water and …