Water Resource Management Commons^™

The Effectiveness Of The Minnesota Buffer Law And Its Impacts On People, Ellen P. Isakson

Journal of Earth and Life Science

In January 2015, the then-governor of Minnesota Mark Dayton announced new legislation that would require 50-foot vegetation buffers along all waterways in Minnesota; this legislation would come to be known as the Minnesota buffer law, exact requirements being “perennial vegetative buffers of up to 50 feet along lakes, rivers, and streams and buffers of 16.5 feet along ditches” (Albert, 2017; MN Board of Water and Soil Resources [MN BWSR] 4 ). A buffer in the context of vegetation and natural resource management is a strip of vegetation around a body of water “designed to intercept stormwater runoff and minimize soil …

Does Depth Affect Zebra Mussel Length In Scalp Lake?, Zanden Mellen

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Since its first sighting in 1996, zebra mussels Dreissena polymorpha have been confirmed in hundreds of Minnesota lakes. Not only were they found in lakes, but they are also found in rivers too. With lack of effective treatments to impede their spread, zebra mussels continue to colonize new areas causing ecological as well as economic harm. The objective of this study was to see if there was a relationship between a zebra mussel length and the depth, they are found using shell length (mm) and depth (cm). The comparison of zebra mussel length and depth was done by performing a …

Three Essays On Sustainability Economics, Hélène Flore Nguemgaing

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

As global economies face increasing resource dependencies and supply chain challenges, it becomes essential to understand the vulnerabilities that threaten economic stability. This dissertation investigates three empirical issues in agribusiness and critical minerals using econometric models to estimate the following: 1) the impact of supply chain disruptions on stock market returns during COVID-19; 2) the extraction of rare earth elements from acid mine drainage treatment by investigating the impacts of ownership and legislation in West Virginia and Pennsylvania; 3) China-to�FOBb (Free-on-Board) price transmission in rare earth elements markets: a copula-based dynamic tail dependence analysis.

The first essay evaluates how events …

A Critical Juncture: The Convergence Of Natural Resource Management And Tribal Sovereignty, Anna Aleta Butterfield

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

This portfolio reflects the work I’ve done in my four years as a dual degree student, pursuing a Master of Science in Environmental Studies and a juris doctorate degree, and focuses on policies and laws surrounding natural resource management. It touches on how those policies relate to and expand or constrict the exercise of sovereignty by indigenous populations.

This piece first considers the effects of plastic on salmon populations and those indigenous groups that rely on salmon for subsistence and cultural purposes. The remaining three pieces focus on various aspects of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes - Montana Water …

Crop2cloud Platform: Real-Time Data Integration For Agricultural Water Monitoring, Bryan Nsoh, Abia Katimbo, Kendall Dejonge, Wei-Zhen Liang, Hongzhi N. Guo, Yufeng Ge, Derek M. Heeren, Yeyin Shi, Xin Qiao, Daran R. Rudnick, Hope Njuki Nakabuye, Birru Girma, Isa Kabenge, Joshua Wanyama

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Efficient water management is vital for sustainable agriculture, yet integrating real-time data for precise irrigation remains a challenge. This study designed the Crop2Cloud (C2C) platform, a system that leverages advanced sensors using Internet of Things (IoT), edge and cloud computing techniques, and computed Water Stress Indices (WSIs) and machine learning models (i.e., fuzzy logic), to provide scalable and real-time irrigation decisions. The C2C platform aggregates several data including Volumetric Water Content (VWC) from TDR sensors (Acclima Inc., US) installed at four multiple depths, canopy temperatures (Tc) measured by Infrared Radiometers (IRTs) (Apogee Instruments, US), as well as weather information and …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Eco-Engineered Hollow Fe2o3/Carbon Nanocomposite Spheres: Evaluating Structural, Optical, Antibacterial, And Lead Adsorption Properties, Islam Gomaa

Nanotechnology Research Centre

This work presents a facile mechano-thermal route for the synthesis of carbon-decorated, hollow, mesoporous α-Fe2O3 microspheres. Comprehensive characterization (XRD, XPS, FT-IR, SEM/EDX, TGA, zeta-potential) confirmed the formation of phase-pure hematite with nanoscale crystallites (~19 nm), substantial residual surface carbon (~40 wt%) consistent with Fe–O–C linkages, and a positive surface charge (+15.9 mV). The hierarchical hollow/mesoporous architecture enables fast ion transport and provides extensive interior binding sites, resulting in rapid Pb(II) uptake that reaches 92% removal in ≈15 min at pH 5.0. The adsorption follows a Langmuir isotherm (qmax ≈ 70.6 mg/g) and pseudo-second-order kinetics, indicative of chemisorption coupled to efficient …

Investigating The Thermal Stratification Patterns Of A Shallow Polymictic Boreal Shield Lake And The Effectiveness Of Models In Predicting Shallow Lake Thermal Profiles, Matthew Roberts

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Thermal stratification is a core process of lakes which plays a critical role in shaping the ecological dynamics of lakes, influencing major processes like nutrient cycling and oxygen availability. For shallow polymictic lakes, thermal stratification patterns present some unique differences due to the complex and variable nature of these lakes. In this thesis, I examined thermal stratification in a shallow polymictic lake in northwestern Ontario during the ice-free season of 2019 to investigate the frequency, duration, and driving factors of thermal stratification. The lake underwent 146 separate stratification events, with a median duration of 2 hours per event, with a …

Climate Variability Study For Arid Regions, Faisal Almutairi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Water is the primary source for all living species to thrive, and water scarcity has been a primary concern for biological species and plants in arid regions due to urban planning, population growth, poor water management, and overgrazing. The objective of this research was to study the climate variability in precipitation and temperature for an arid region. This research encompasses two distinct studies. The first study examined the impact of climate variability on precipitation in Phoenix. Precipitation data were acquired from NOAA from 1948 to 2023 and the study was broken down into three time scales: annually, seasonally, and monthly. …

Mapping Mesic Resilience In Western Rangelands: Productivity Trends, Predictors, And Targeting Frameworks, Kristopher Robert Mueller

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Mesic ecosystems in riparian areas and wetlands make up only 2% of western U.S. rangelands but support 80% of wildlife during dry periods, providing vital late-season forage and refuge when surrounding uplands dry out. Yet, mesic habitats are often overlooked in landscape-scale conservation planning. This thesis addresses two key gaps: understanding how mesic productivity responds to environmental change and developing frameworks to incorporate these habitats into current conservation strategies. Using 40 years of Landsat imagery (1984–2024), we examined long-term trends in late-season mesic vegetation productivity and its relationship with drought across the sagebrush biome. From 1984 to 2004, mesic productivity …

Investigating The Effectiveness Of Best Management Practices In Reducing Fecal Bacteria In Narrow River, Rhode Island, Katherine Thompson

Open Access Master's Theses

Fecal bacterial contamination shapes how communities manage and use estuarine waters, with consequences for ecosystem health and public access. In Rhode Island's Narrow River, elevated concentrations of fecal coliforms and enterococci have restricted shellfishing for decades despite ongoing management efforts. From 2004 to 2018, local organizations implemented Best Management Practices (BMPs) to address water quality challenges, yet their effectiveness remains incompletely understood. This study analyzes three decades of monitoring data using linear regression, generalized additive models, and Before After Control Impact methods to evaluate BMP effectiveness and identify key drivers of contamination. Linear regression revealed spatially variable trends, with bacterial …

Consumption Pressure In Estuaries Peaks At Intermediate Salinities, Catherine E. De Rivera, Amy A. Larson, Benjamin G. Rubinoff, Luna R. Soto, Seth L. Wright, Edwin D. Grosholz, Gregory M. Ruiz, Andrew L. Chang

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

The nature and strength of biotic interactions change along stress gradients, but the importance of these interactions across estuarine gradients is under studied. Here, we examined how consumption varies across estuarine salinity gradients by deploying standardized baits (‘squidpops’) to measure consumption pressure along the gradients of five estuaries in Oregon, USA. The relationship between consumption and stress was nonlinear: consumption pressure peaked slightly at mid salinity and decreased at low salinity, especially as temperature increased, in the five estuaries studied. This finding does not support either of two existing models for consumption across gradients, including the Consumer Stress Model and …

Groundwater Pumping Impacts On Stream Depletion In Humboldt County, Ca: Integrating Analytical Models And Field Data, Andy Hans Heise

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This study addresses the significant concern of stream depletion from groundwater pumping in Humboldt County, CA. The objective of this study is to develop an analytical model for estimating stream depletion and integrating field data into model parameters.

The methodology involved conducting a field study near three operating wells by a stream, installing stream gages upstream and downstream of the wells, and recording pumping rates and schedules for two of the wells. The third well’s pumping data was synthetically generated, for privacy concerns of the well owner. The StreamDepletR package was used for estimating depletion rates in a stream in …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Benguet Pine (Pinus Kesiya) Xylem For Deep Well Water Filtration, Allen Conner C. Hizon, Robert Zachary M. Santos, Juan Jose B. Lacson, Jefferson Danilo G. Villarin, Juan Carlo T. Gumangan

Sinaya: A Philippine Journal for Senior High School Teachers and Students

Even today, many rural and remote communities still do not have access to safe drinking water, which is a basic right of every human. To address this problem, the effectiveness of the Benguet pine tree (Pinus kesiya) xylem as a sustainable water filtration method for well water was investigated. The physical and chemical properties of the filtered and unfiltered deep well water were tested: the total dissolved solids (TDS) and the electrical conductivity using a 5-in-1 electronic water quality tester and the pH level using pH strips. On the other hand, the microbiological metrics, such as heterotrophic plate …

Using Bivalves As An Indicator For Fecal Bacteria, Kamala Chuss

Honors Scholar Theses

This project focuses on the integration of fecal bacteria from warm-blooded animals into bivalve tissue, and the utilization of bivalves as an indicator for fecal bacteria in waterways. Bivalves may give a more representative long-term average of fecal bacteria in water as compared to direct water testing. The primary objective is to create a standard operating procedure to use bacterial testing of bivalves as a proxy for bacteria concentration in the water. This method can be used in places where bivalves do not already exist by adding them to a body of water, or by collecting bivalves that already exist …

And Climate Justice For All

DePaul Magazine

DePaul is taking its environmental sustainability and equity prowess to the next level through its Just DePaul and President's Sustainability Committee initiatives that incorporate a climate action plan and student voices. Plus, community partnership courses that involve students in environmental action and justice efforts.

Identifying Fecal Contamination Sources In The Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Amanda M. Free

Theses and Dissertations

The Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (GNDNERR) has a history of elevated fecal coliform counts. However, the source of the contamination is not well understood. According to past sanitary surveys, there has been a history of malfunctioning residential septic systems and inadequate wastewater treatment in the upper watershed. Feral hogs (Sus scrofa) and birds are also abundant in the estuary and could be potential contributors to elevated fecal coliform levels. To better understand the temporal and spatial variation of fecal coliforms in the GNDNERR and inform oyster reef management, eight sites within the GNDNERR watershed were sampled monthly for …

Fisheries Management In Mississippi State-Operated Fishing Lakes: A Review And Look To The Future, Hayden Gregory Funk

Theses and Dissertations

The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks currently manages 18 State Lakes and 17 State Park Lakes to provide public fishing opportunities. My goal was to conduct a comprehensive analysis of monitoring and management activities in State Lakes to enhance understanding of lake dynamics, further develop existing management initiatives, and identify alternative avenues for effective management. To achieve this objective, I have undertaken a comprehensive examination and synthesis of the historical background pertaining to State Lakes and conducted an analysis of pertinent data regarding lake characteristics such as the physical and chemical attributes of the lakes, the features of …

Virtual Water Trade: Theory And An Empirical Application, Sultan Sat, Harun Uçak

CBER Conference

Throughout human history, water has been a determining factor in all human actions. In fact, it is seen that the oldest civilizations were established near rivers. There have been mutual effects between civilizations and water, and lifestyles have changed due to these effects. Today, access to usable water is becoming increasingly difficult. The water problem that arises due to some qualitative and quantitative negativities in a country is spreading to other countries with a butterfly effect under the influence of increasing globalization. This situation removes the water problem from being a local problem and turns it into a global problem. …

Impact Of Pathogenic E. Coli In Drinking Water On The Well-Being Of Children, Aysha Khatoon

CBER Conference

Despite global advancements, unsafe drinking water is a major cause of illness, ranked as the eighth highest worldwide (Forouzanfar et al., 2015). Studies indicate that even improved water sources, can harbour faecal contamination (Shaheed et al., 2014; Bain et al., 2014b). Globally, 1.8 billion people rely on drinking water contaminated with faecal matter (Bain et al., 2014a), with pathogenic E. coli being a primary concern. In Pakistan, the situation is dire. About 25 million people, particularly children, suffer due to open defecation, leading to 53,000 child deaths annually from diarrhoea (UNICEF, 2021). Pathogenic E. coli is a significant contributor to …

Spatial Ecology Of Large Bodied Ichthyofauna In The Red River Of The North Basin, William Marshall Stuart

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Understanding spatial patterns and processes is essential for designing research studies, implementing management actions, and planning restoration efforts. The Red River of the North basin spans a broad geographic area where jurisdictional oversight is divided among several entities (Manitoba, CAN; North Dakota, USA; Minnesota, USA; South Dakota, USA), creating a mosaic of regulatory and functional process zones. Understanding the spatial ecology of freshwater fishes in this disjointed landscape is essential to address diverse life history requirements and the movement constraints imposed by anthropogenic structures. Long-term acoustic telemetry revealed that large bodied ichthyofauna employ a diverse range of movement strategies (i.e., …