Water Resource Management Commons^™

Surface Modified Polypropylene Membranes For Treating Hydraulic Fracturing Produced Waters By Membrane Distillation, Tharaka Hawpe Gamage

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Membrane distillation is an emerging technology for treating hydraulic fracturing flowback and produced waters. Suppression of membrane fouling by inorganic and polar and non-polar organic compounds is a challenge. Here polyhydroxyethyl methacrylate, polyacrylic acid, polvinylallyl imidazolium bromide and polyvinylhexyl imidazolium bromide chains have been grafted from the membrane surface. Fouling is initially due to adsorption of organic compounds followed by scale formation. When challenged with produced water, membranes modified with polvinylallyl imidazolium bromide chains provided the greatest resistance to fouling. For EC pretreated produced water and synthetic produced water that contained mainly inorganic species, the flux decline was much less.

Investigative Study Of Microalgal And Electrochemical Wastewater Treatment Systems And Modeling Of The Wafer-Enhanced Electrodeionization Using Supervised Learning, Humeyra Betul Ulusoy Erol

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Wastewater has a serious impact on environment and public health due to its high concentration of nutrients and toxic contaminants. Without proper treatment, excess nutrients discharged in wastewater can cause a damage to the ecosystem such as undesirable pH shifts, cyanotoxin production, and low dissolved oxygen concentrations.

Main objectives of this dissertation work were to investigate i) the biofuel potential of P. cruentum when grown in swine wastewater, ii) the influence of four most commonly used ion exchange resins on the system efficiency and selectivity for the removal of sodium, calcium, and magnesium ions, and iii) the modeling of wafer-enhanced …

Challenges And Opportunities In Precision Irrigation Decision-Support Systems For Center Pivots, Jingwen Zhang, Kaiyu Guan, Bin Peng, Chongya Jiang, Wang Zhou, Yi Yang, Ming Pan, Trenton Franz, Derek M. Heeren, Daran R. Rudnick, Olufemi P. Abimbola, Hyungsuk Kimm, Kelly Caylor, Stephen Good, Madhu Khanna, John Gates, Yaping Cai

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Irrigation is critical to sustain agricultural productivity in dry or semi-dry environments, and center pivots, due to their versatility and ruggedness, are the most widely used irrigation systems. To effectively use center pivot irrigation systems, producers require tools to support their decision-making on when and how much water to irrigate. However, currently producers make these decisions primarily based on experience and/or limited information of weather. Ineffective use of irrigation systems can lead to overuse of water resources, compromise crop productivity, and directly reduce producers’ economic return as well as bring negative impacts on environmental sustainability. In this paper, we surveyed …

The Power Of Information: Information, Leak Notices, And Water Conservation In Edina, Mn, Federico Chung

Economics Honors Projects

This paper provides evidence on the effects of information provision on households’ water use. I use quarterly household consumption data from a utility in Minnesota to test the effect of a new residential water billing system on households’ water consumption. The updated billing format was possible as the utility transitioned to an automated meter reading (AMR) system. I also study impacts of another source of improved information provision from AMR adoption, faster high-water consumption notices. I find mixed evidence of the impact of personalized information on households’ water use. Households respond to high-consumption notices by significantly reducing consumption, even relative …

Bioaccumulation And Partitioning Of Heavy Metals In Cicindelidia Haemorrhagica In Yellowstone National Park, Monica Gotschall

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

The tiger beetle Cicindelidia haemorrhagica (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) are widely distributed in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) and exclusively living on thermal areas. Heavy metals including arsenic, copper, lead, and selenium are present in these thermal springs, presenting an unique environment for C. haemorrhagica. Therefore, from 2018 – 2020 I sampled adult C. haemorrhagica from YNP and adult C. haemorrhagica from a known population in a salt flat in Idaho not associated with a hot spring and measured heavy metal concentrations. All populations of C. haemorrhagica bioaccumulated heavy metals. Cuticular waxes showed small concentrations of metals indicating that those metals are …

Fish Disease Outreach Messages: Testing Of Gain And Loss Frames, Erin L. Pavloski, Heather A. Triezenberg

Journal of Extension

Gain and loss framing has been used as a technique in risk communication to shape individuals’ behaviors in many fields. Our community-engaged research, conducted in partnership with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), experimentally tested five message frames to determine efficacy for outreach programs. We found: a) to increase risk perceptions of fish disease use a loss frame in a management context, b) to decrease risk perceptions of fish disease management use a gain frame in a disease context, and c) to motivate behavioral intentions for prevention and risk reduction use a gain frame in a disease context.

Removal Of Carbamazepine Onto Modified Zeolitic Tuff In Different Water Matrices: Batch And Continuous Flow Experiments, Othman A. Al-Mashaqbeh, Diya A. Alsafadi, Layal Z. Alsalhi, Shannon L. Bartelt-Hunt, Daniel D. Snow

Nebraska Water Center: Faculty Publications

Carbamazepine (CBZ) is the most frequently detected pharmaceutical residues in aquatic environments effluent by wastewater treatment plants. Batch and column experiments were conducted to evaluate the removal of CBZ from ultra-pure water and wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent using raw zeolitic tuff (RZT) and surfactant modified zeolite (SMZ). Point zero net charge (pHpzc), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) were investigated for adsorbents to evaluate the physiochemical changes resulted from the modification process using Hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (HDTMA-Br). XRD and FTIR showed that the surfactant modification of RZT has created an amorphous surface with new alkyl …

Do Tropical Storms Have An Effect On Water Quality In Nacogdoches?, Emmie Schubert, Breanna Duran, Jaqui Murguia, Amy Rambo, Paige Graham

Undergraduate Research Conference

The purpose of this research was to determine the effects tropical storms had on the water quality of water in Nacogdoches. This research investigated if rainwater distributed during the storms affected the levels of pH, nitrate, nitrite, phosphorous, alkalinity, turbidity, and total dissolved solids (TDS). Sampling was conducted on three water bodies before and after the storms. Measurements were taken with LaMotte kit to measure alkalinity, turbidity tube to measure turbidity, Colorimeter to test the nutrient levels, and Multi-Parameter Tester to measure TDS and pH. The results showed that Laura had a greater impact than Beta. Tropical storms are unforeseeable, …

Revegetation Of Native Plant Communities In Great Salt Lake Wetlands: The Effects Of Native Seed Mix Composition And Sowing Density, Laura Beck

Student Research Symposium

One of the threats currently facing Great Salt Lake wetlands is Phragmites australis. Its rapid expansion since 1987 has displaced native vegetation and changed the composition of plant communities. Removal is very costly and takes multiple years of different treatments like herbicide, mowing, and flooding. To ensure Phragmites australis does not return, native seeds will need to be sown. This experiment is to determine the best seed composition and sowing density. In the USU greenhouse, I will sow four different native seed mixes: 100% desirable perennial natives, 75% perennial natives and 25% fast growing natives, 50% perennial natives and 50% …

Water News, Spring 2021, Department Of Agriculture And Biosystems Engineering

SDWRI Water News

Contents:
North Central Region tackle harmful algal blooms
Algae pull nutrients from swine facility manure, air
Study examines woodchip quality in bioreactors
Nonprofit joins battle to mitigate Lake Mitchell algal blooms

Community Engagement In Oregon Water Governance: Evaluating A State Water Policy And A Collaborative Q Methodology Research Project, Clare T. Mcclellan

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

This work was primarily conducted by the Oregon Water Stories Project, an interdisciplinary research group at Portland State University, in collaboration with the Willamette Partnership, an environmental non-profit in Portland, and with additional involvement from community partner organizations across the state. The overarching goal of this paper is to explore the challenges and opportunities present at the intersections of water management, stakeholder engagement, community-engaged research, and environmental justice. This study investigates this nexus first through an evaluation of Oregon’s 100 Year Water Vision that points to areas for increased integration of environmental justice principles in water policymaking. In the second …

Droughtscape, Spring 2021, National Drought Mitigation Center

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

DroughtScape, Spring 2021

Characterizing And Assessing The Hydrological Connection Of Sawyer Fen To Nearby Bluewater Creek In The Zuni Mountains, New Mexico, Luke Collis

Water Resources Professional Project Reports

Wetlands can hydrologically connect to nearby surface waters allowing for interaction with other landscape elements through spatial and temporal variation. The hydrologic connection of wetlands to surface waters is an important issue due to policies and regulations of the Clean Water Act (CWA) which emphasize the physical connection that wetlands have with nearby surface waters. The goal of this research was to quantify the hydrological connection of Sawyer Fen to a nearby Bluewater Creek in the Zuni Mountains, western New Mexico. Data were collected in the summer through the winter of 2019 at seven locations including Sawyer Fen, Bluewater Creek …

How Do Dairy Feedlot Size And Land Use Practices Affect Groundwater Quality Over Time? A Preliminary Study In New Mexico, Nancy J. Mcduffie

Water Resources Professional Project Reports

Agricultural activities in general and dairy operations in particular, have been identified as a potentially significant source of nitrate contamination in groundwater. The late 1990s was a period of rapid growth for New Mexico’s dairy industry. The New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service reports that the industry grew from 105 producers and 80,000 cows statewide in 1990 to 175 producers and 310,000 cows in 2003, to 145 producers and 323,000 cows in 2015. New Mexico now ranks ninth in the nation in milk production by volume, fifth in the nation for cheese production, and has the largest number of …

Occurrence And Potential Transformation Pathways Of Nitrogen Species In The Intermediate Vadose Zone, Jordan Shields

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

Nebraska is a large agricultural producing state with a heavy reliance on groundwater resources and nitrogen fertilizer application to maintain output. Poor management, such as excessive fertilizer application, improper timing, and over irrigation can lead to contamination of groundwater. Nitrate is the leading groundwater contaminant in Nebraska and chronic consumption at medium to high concentrations leads to adverse health effects. Nitrate, a highly soluble anion, is present in the root zone in numerous forms and undergoes biogeochemical transformations before being leached through the profile. In order to predict the timing and quantity of nitrate contamination in groundwater, researchers study the …

Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Npl Site, Josh Bryson

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Water Quality And Amphibian Ecoimmunology Assessment In The Bayou Deview Watershed, Arkansas, Amber Lynn Spence

Student Theses and Dissertations

Freshwater is an important commodity for society and for various flora and fauna that inhabit them. Smaller tributaries and subwatersheds contribute to downstream water quality and are crucial components in impairment remediation. Targeting upstream Mississippi River Alluvial Plain watersheds such as Bayou DeView Watershed, AR, identified as priority watersheds within the Mississippi River Basin Initiative are part of the conservation proposal to reduce sediment and nutrient loads to the Gulf of Mexico. This study found turbidity impairment levels exceeded at four sites in the Bayou DeView and all sites exhibited excess total nitrogen suggesting sites for best management practices. Physiological …

Tributary Effects On Water Quality And Fish Assemblages In The Strawberry River, Arkansas, Andressa Alves Augusto

Student Theses and Dissertations

Freshwater is a limited resource, however poor water quality due to human alterations affect our ability to survive and the loss of aquatic biodiversity. The Strawberry River, an Extraordinary Resource and Ecologically Sensitive waterway, is impaired due to sediment, pathogens, and agricultural runoff. To protect the water quality, it is important to determine which tributaries contribute to the impairment. Overall, the tributaries surveyed did not exceed criteria assessment but indicate an increase in turbidity and sediments as the watershed transitions from the Ozark Highlands to the Delta Ecoregion. A fish survey conducted in seven sites of the Strawberry River assessed …

Exploring Viirs Continuity With Modis In An Expedited Capability For Monitoring Drought-Related Vegetation Conditions, Trenton D. Benedict, Jesslyn F. Brown, Stephen P. Boyte, Daniel M. Howard, Brian A. Fuchs, Brian D. Wardlow, Tsegaye Tadesse, Kirk A. Evenson

National Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

Vegetation has been effectively monitored using remote sensing time-series vegetation index (VI) data for several decades. Drought monitoring has been a common application with algorithms tuned to capturing anomalous temporal and spatial vegetation patterns. Drought stress models, such as the Vegetation Drought Response Index (VegDRI), often use VIs like the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). The EROS expedited Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrora-diometer (eMODIS)-based, 7-day NDVI composites are integral to the VegDRI. As MODIS satellite platforms (Terra and Aqua) approach mission end, the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) presents an alternate NDVI source, with daily collection, similar band passes, and …

Exploring Viirs Continuity With Modis In An Expedited Capability For Monitoring Drought-Related Vegetation Conditions, Trenton D. Benedict, Jesslyn F. Brown, Stephen P. Boyte, Daniel M. Howard, Brian A. Fuchs, Brian D. Wardlow, Tsegaye Tadesse, Kirk A. Evenson

National Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

Vegetation has been effectively monitored using remote sensing time-series vegetation index (VI) data for several decades. Drought monitoring has been a common application with algorithms tuned to capturing anomalous temporal and spatial vegetation patterns. Drought stress models, such as the Vegetation Drought Response Index (VegDRI), often use VIs like the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). The EROS expedited Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrora-diometer (eMODIS)-based, 7-day NDVI composites are integral to the VegDRI. As MODIS satellite platforms (Terra and Aqua) approach mission end, the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) presents an alternate NDVI source, with daily collection, similar band passes, and …