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Droughtscape, Winter 2018, National Drought Mitigation Center

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

Contents

Year in review: Drought eased in California, developed in Northern Plains

Quarterly Summary: Drought creeps across the country

Annual impact summary: A year of wildfires

Quarterly impact summary: Drought expands in Texas, Colorado

Drought and water crisis book updated

U.S. Drought Monitor available in Spanish

Study shows cities step up when drought occurs

New staff at the NDMC

Drought Summit in photos

The Long Term Effect Of Agricultural, Vadose Zone And Climatic Factors On Nitrate Contamination In Nebraska’S Groundwater System, Pongpun Juntakut, Daniel D. Snow, Erin M.K. Haacker, Chittaranjan Ray

Nebraska Water Center: Faculty Publications

A four-decade dataset (1974–2013) of 107,823 nitrate samples in 25,993 wells from western and eastern parts of Nebraska was used to assess long-term trends of groundwater nitrate concentration and decadal changes in the extent of groundwater nitrate-contaminated areas (NO₃-N≥10 mg N/L) over the entire state. Spatial statistics and regressions were used to investigate the relationships between groundwater nitrate concentrations and several potential natural and anthropogenic factors, including soil drainage capacities, vadose zone characteristics, crop production areas, and irrigation systems. The results of this study show that there is no statistically significant trend in groundwater nitrate concentrations …

Using Drones In Agriculture

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Administrative Materials

Unmanned aerial vehicles, known as “drones,” are increasingly popular for capturing aerial images. The United States Federal Aviation Administration eased their regulations for drone flights in June 2016, making drones more accessible for common use. Drones may supplement pre-existing imaging technology (e.g. satellites, manned aircraft, etc.). One case study in Nebraska found a niche application for drones. The participating producer used manned aerial imagery to identify potential problem spots in his fields. Then he used GPS navigation to direct the drone to more closely inspect the identified potential problem spots. This way the drone is not tasked with scouting entire …

Wireless Communications In Rural Areas

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Administrative Materials

In many rural farming communities across America, wireless internet connectivity is a luxury. Absence of quality connectivity directly affects the adoption of new agricultural technologies, many of which require high-speed wireless connectivity to provide producers with accurate, real-time analytics. The current environment of spotty wireless internet connectivity in some rural areas negatively affects innovation and entrepreneurship in agriculture. In interviews with Nebraska farmers about internet-based technology, of the two farmers provided opposing views on connectivity. One young farmer said he avoids using precision agriculture technologies that run on wireless connectivity because his rural area lacks reliable service. He even talked …

Soil Moisture Probes

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Administrative Materials

Just like fuel gauges monitor fuel levels in a gas tank, soil moisture sensors monitor moisture levels in the soil. Irrigating without using soil moisture sensors is similar to driving without a fuel gauge: you’re likely to be overcautious to ensure you get to where you’re going! Soil moisture probes are designed to estimate soil volumetric water content based on the dielectric constant of the soil. The dielectric constant can be thought of as the soil’s ability to transmit electricity. The dielectric constant of soil increases as the water content of the soil increases, since the dielectric constant of water …

Impacts: Annual Report Fy2018 (July 1, 2017 To June 30, 2018), Robert B. Daugherty Water For Food Global Institute

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Administrative Materials

One in nine people goes to bed hungry each night, according to the U.N. World Food Program. That’s 795 million people on the planet who do not have access to enough nutritious food. The challenge is growing. Global drivers like climate change, urbanization and increasing demand for water-intensive agricultural products are altering landscapes, increasing soil erosion, and degrading water resources and soils in important food producing regions around the world. We must figure out how to feed a global population projected to reach 10 billion by 2050, with the same amount of water and arable land – and quickly. This …

A Post-Secondary Education Pathway For The Water Workforce, Rudolph A. Rosen, Luis A. Cifuentes, James Fischer, Howard Marquise, John C. Tracey

Water Resources Science and Technology Conference Papers and Abstracts (Archived)

No abstract provided.

Water-Energy-Food Nexus Stakeholder Information Sharing And Engagement Workshop, Rudolph A. Rosen, Bassel Daher, Rabi Mohtar

Water Resources Science and Technology Book and E-Book Publications and Reports (Archived)

On January 10, 2018, the Texas A&M University System Water-Energy-Food Initiative held the Water-Energy-Food Nexus Stakeholder Information Sharing and Engagement Workshop on the campus of Texas A&M University-San Antonio. The workshop involved over 70 stakeholders drawn from the water, energy, and food sectors in San Antonio and surrounding region. Stakeholders attending the workshop heard presentations on the status of San Antonio Case Study pilot projects and other WEF nexus work. Facilitated small-group sessions were held at the workshop to obtain stakeholder input on research questions to be asked, and on limitations and opportunities for stakeholder engagement on WEF nexus-related work …

Influence Of Recreational Activity On Water Quality Perceptions And Concerns In Utah: A Replicated Analysis, Matthew J. Barnett, Douglas Jackson-Smith, Melissa Haeffner

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Both social structural factors and direct sensory experiences can contribute to the development of environmental perceptions and concerns. We use two separate surveys of Utah adults to explore the association between sociodemographic characteristics and participation in recreational activities on water quality perceptions and concerns. We find that engaging in outdoor recreation is systematically associated with more positive water quality perceptions and higher levels of concern about impaired water quality. However, water quality perceptions appear to be shaped more by social characteristics (age, education, gender, race, religion, and income) and by generic measures of overall recreation behavior than by indicators of …

Stormwater Capture In The Built Watershed: Fostering Public Awareness Of Water Conservation Through A Parcel-Level Approach To Stormwater Management, Benjamin Rigby

Pitzer Senior Theses

As California contends with climate change and more extreme cycles of drought and deluge, water management agencies and conservation groups are looking towards solutions to the decreasing reliability of imported water supplies. Stormwater has historically been perceived as a threat to development but when captured properly, it presents a resource that can augment local water supplies. Solutions to water supply issues in California have traditionally employed technical and centrally controlled methods for importing water, but there is a growing understanding that parcel-level capture through vegetated swales presents an opportunity for reducing the impact that development has on California’s hydrology. Vegetated …

Age-0 Walleye Growth Rates Following Spiny Water Flea Bythotrephes Longimanus Invasion, Joseph Amundson

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Within Voyageurs National Park, spiny water flea Bythotrephes longimanus has reduced Lake Kabetogama and Rainy Lake native zooplankton biomass during summer peak by 40-60%. Subsequently, planktivorous age-0 Yellow Perch Perca flavescens growth has decreased. A possible trophic cascade may influence predatory fish growth rates like that of age-0 Walleye Sander vitreus. Using seine net and electrofishing data, age-0 Walleye growth rates were modeled as a linear function of growing degree days (GDD) and the slope was compared between pre- and post-spiny water flea establishment. Nearby Lake Vermilion, assumed to have been unaffected by spiny water flea until 2015 and …

Mchm (4-Methylcyclohexane Methanol) Influences The Predator-Prey Interaction Between Danio Rerio And Daphnia Magna, Anna C. Wagner

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Chemical contamination alters organism-level traits, such as activity and feeding, that can ultimately affect aquatic trophic interactions. Despite the importance of predator-prey relationships in aquatic communities, chemical toxicity is often tested on single species prior to use. For example, 4-methylcyclohexane methanol (MCHM) used in industrial coal-cleaning enters the environment regularly from low-level contamination during disposal and occasionally in high concentrations following accidental spills, but its effects on fish-zooplankton interactions remain unknown. It was hypothesized MCHM exposure affects zebrafish and D. magna swimming behavior differently when exposed individually or together, and ultimately affects their relationship. Zebrafish and D. magna were exposed …

Predicting Energy And Water Consumption On Dairy Farms Through Statistical Analysis And Machine-Learning Methods, Philip Shine

Theses

With the abolishment of milking quotas across all European Union member states in April 2015, dairy farmers must adjust their farming practises to minimise milk production costs to adequately prepare for potential periods of reduced revenue. Milk production is an intense energy and water consuming process. Coupled with challenging European greenhouse gas reduction targets and legislation regarding the prevention of groundwater pollution and deterioration, increasing the production of milk in Ireland must be met with the sustainable consumption of on-farm energy and direct water resources, to ensure the future monetary and environmental sustainability of Ireland’s dairy industry. Thus, this body …

Modeling Water Availability, Risk And Resilience In A Semi-Arid Basin In Southern Africa, Esther N. Mosase

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Climate variability need to be incorporated into the management and planning of water resources, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions, where water availability is more sensitive to rainfall and air temperature. This study used modified Man-Kendall trend analysis test and ArcGIS to process data. Annual means of rainfall, minimum temperature and maximum temperature in the Limpopo River Basin (LRB) varied between 160 and 1109 mm, 8 °C to 20 °C and 23 °C to 32 °C respectively. The spatial pattern is generally increasing from west to east for rainfall and minimum temperature while maximum temperature increases from south to north …

Application Of Drainage Water Management And Saturated Buffers For Conservation Drainage In South Dakota, Abhinav Sharma

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Edge of field practices such as drainage water management (DWM) and saturated buffers can reduce nutrient transport from croplands to surface waterbodies. DWM uses stackable weir boards in a control structure to manipulate the water table depth throughout the cropping season and reduce the amount of nutrient rich water draining out from the field. Saturated buffers, on the other hand, use a control structure to divert water draining out from the cropland to a vegetative strip via a subsurface tile installed parallel to a waterway. For the saturated buffer systems, a combination of natural denitrification, nitrogen mineralization, and plant uptake …

Comparison Of Historical Precipitation For Aberdeen, Ipswich, And Eureka, South Dakota, Uday Singh Kshatriya

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The availability of water resources varies from time to time with the climate conditions. Keeping track of climate conditions would eventually benefit for the future predictions. The objective of this research was to compare and contrast the climate especially for Aberdeen, Ipswich and Eureka, South Dakota utilizing the historical monthly precipitation records and to develop the techniques that are reliable to estimate the missing data. For these necessary statistical analyses were performed using the monthly precipitation data from High Plains Regional Climate Center (HPRCC) for the annual and 8-Year periods for Aberdeen, Ipswich and Eureka, South Dakota. 63 water years …

Kentucky River Watershed Watch: Summary Of 2017 Sampling Results, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute

Kentucky River Watershed Watch

No abstract provided.

Public Participation During Reactive, Crisis-Driven Drought Planning Versus Proactive, Preparedness Planning, C. Anna Ulaszewski

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Droughts are occurring globally and should be recognized as a global issue and drought planning should use a proactive approach on the part of the world community. However, much drought planning, even in developed and highly developed countries, is reactive and programs are often poorly coordinated sometimes with unforeseen negative consequences for marginalized and disenfranchised populations. Literature pertaining to planning strategy for existing, drought crises is nominal and often contributes to patterns of reactiveness and resulting inequity. To gain a better understanding of crisis-driven planning and the participatory process, this gap was viewed through the lenses of institutional analysis and …

A Development Of Travel Time Equation For Overland Flow As Affected By Vegetation, Naga Vara Prasad Ganti

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In overland flow water research, travel time is a significant parameter used in estimating peak discharge in channels or rivers. Overland flow is assumed to be in turbulent condition to estimate travel time using Manning’s Velocity Equation (MVE). When the flow is in a laminar condition, Grismer’s Laminar Mean Velocity Equation (GLMVE) is applied but fails to consider the roughness parameter. A review of the literature shows numerous equations for overland travel time, but there is no known equation that determines the mean velocity of overland flow under laminar condition with a roughness coefficient or other coefficient related to the …

Development Of A Hierarchical Model For Predicting Microbiological Contamination Of Private Groundwater Supplies In A Geologically Heterogeneous Region, Jean O'Dwyer, Paul Hynds, Kenneth Byrne, Michael Ryan, Catherine Adley

Articles

Private groundwater sources in the Republic of Ireland provide drinking water to an estimated 750,000 people or 16% of the national population. Consumers of untreated groundwater are at increased risk of infection from pathogenic microorganisms. However, given the volume of private wells in operation, remediation or even quantification of public risk is both costly and time consuming. In this study, a hierarchical logistic regression model was developed to ‘predict’ contamination with E. coli based on the results of groundwater quality analyses of private wells (n = 132) during the period of September 2011 to November 2012. Assessment of potential microbial …