Fresh Water Studies Commons^™

Phytoplankton In Virginia Lakes And Reservoirs, Harold G. Marshall

Virginia Journal of Science

This study involves a phytoplankton summer/autumn survey in 46 Virginia lakes and reservoirs during 2010-2012. A total of 307 taxa were identified which included several filamentous and colonial cyanabacteria in bloom concentrations. With the exception of one natural lake, the other sites sampled represent impoundments created decades ago, with the majority presently classified as meso- or eutrophic. Among the cyanobacteria were 6 known toxin producers (Anabaena circinalis, Anabaena spiroides, Aphanizomenon flos-aquae, Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii, Limnothrix redekei, and Microcystis aeruginosa). The study characterizes phytoplankton populations in these aging freshwater habitats taken from a large number …

Estimating Greenhouse Gas Emissions From A Waste Lagoon, Arturo I. Quintanar, Rezaul Mamood, Nanh Lovanh, Justin M. Rawley, Evi Becerra-Acosta, John H. Loughrin

High Plains Regional Climate Center: Staff Publications

A cost-effective approach was used to investigate the relationship between emission of the greenhouse gases (GHG), namely, CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O and energy fluxes from a swine waste lagoon. Energy fluxes were calculated using the Penman method. The energy fluxes showed a diurnal pattern as expected of such fluxes. We found that air temperature and latent energy, lagoon surface temperature and solar radiation, as well as air temperature and wind speed can be used to predict for CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O emissions, respectively. Comparison of observed and predicted …

Regional Climate Trends And Scenarios For The U.S. National Climate Assessment Part 4. Climate Of The U.S. Great Plains, Kenneth E. Kunkel, Laura E. Stevens, Scott E. Stevens, Liqiang Sun, Emily Janssen, Donald Wuebbles, Michael C. Kruk, Devin Thomas, Martha Shulski, Natalie A. Umphlett, Kenneth G. Hubbard, Kevin Robbins, Luigi Romolo, Adnan Akyuz, Tapan B. Pathak, Tony R. Bergantino, J. Greg Dobson

High Plains Regional Climate Center: Staff Publications

This document is one of series of regional climate descriptions designed to provide input that can be used in the development of the National Climate Assessment (NCA). As part of a sustained assessment approach, it is intended that these documents will be updated as new and well-vetted model results are available and as new climate scenario needs become clear. It is also hoped that these documents (and associated data and resources) are of direct benefit to decision makers and communities seeking to use this information in developing adaptation plans.

There are nine reports in this series, one each for eight …

Emergent Sandbar Dynamics In The Lower Platte River In Eastern Nebraska: Methods And Results Of Pilot Study, 2011, Jason S. Alexander, Devin M. Schultze, Ronald B. Zelt

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

The lower Platte River corridor provides important habitats for two State- and federally listed bird species: the interior least tern (terns; Sternula antillarum athallassos) and the piping plover (plovers; Charadrius melodus). However, many of the natural morphological and hydrological characteristics of the Platte River have been altered substantially by water development, channelization, hydropower operations, and invasive vegetation encroachment, which have decreased the abundance of high-quality nesting and foraging habitat for terns and plovers. The lower Platte River (LPR), defined as 103 miles (mi) of the Platte River between its confluence with the Loup River and its confluence with the Missouri …

Comparison Of Water Consumption In Two Riparian Vegetation Communities Along The Central Platte River, Nebraska, 2008–09 And 2011, Brent M. Hall, David L. Rus

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

The Platte River is a vital natural resource for the people, plants, and animals of Nebraska. A recent study quantified water use by riparian woodlands along central reaches of the Platte River, Nebraska, finding that water use was mainly regulated below maximum predicted levels. A comparative study was launched through a cooperative partnership between the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the Central Platte Natural Resources District, the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources, and the Nebraska Environmental Trust to compare water use of a riparian woodland with that of a grazed riparian grassland along the central Platte River. This report describes …

Hydrographic Surveys Of The Missouri And Yellowstone Rivers At Selected Bridges And Through Bismarck, North Dakota, During The 2011 Flood, Brenda K. Densmore, Kellan R. Strauch, Benjamin J. Dietsch

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

The United States Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the North Dakota Department of Transportation and the North Dakota State Water Commission, completed hydrographic surveys at six Missouri River bridges and one Yellowstone River bridge during the 2011 flood of the Missouri River system. Bridges surveyed are located near the cities of Cartwright, Buford, Williston, Washburn, and Bismarck, N. Dak. The river in the vicinity of the bridges and the channel through the city of Bismarck, N. Dak., were surveyed. The hydrographic surveys were conducted using a high-resolution multibeam echosounder (MBES), the RESON SeaBatTM 7125, during June 6–9 and June …

Hydrographic Surveys Of Four Narrows Within The Namakan Reservoir System, Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota, 2011, Brenda K. Densmore, Kellan R. Strauch, Jeffrey R. Kiegweid

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) performed multibeam echosounder hydrographic surveys of four narrows in the Namakan reservoir system in August 2011, in cooperation with the International Joint Commission and Environment Canada. The data-collection effort was completed to provide updated and detailed hydrographic data to Environment Canada for inclusion in a Hydrologic Engineering Centers River Analysis System hydraulic model. The Namakan reservoir system is composed of Namakan, Kabetogama, Sand Point, Crane, and Little Vermilion Lakes. Water elevations in the Namakan reservoir system are regulated according to rule curves, or guidelines for water-level management based on the time of year, established …

Droughtscape, Winter 2013, Kelly Smith

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

Contents

Director’s report

Climatological overview of drought in 2012

Climatological overview of drought, October-December 2012

Impacts of drought in 2012

Drought planning webinars scheduled for ranch advisors

UNL honors NDMC for exceptional service

Report from the emerging community of drought planners

Feb. 6 webinar on drought simulations

Climate Masters course starting

Climate Change in the Midwest book includes drought

Video highlights from coverage of drought of 2012

U.S. Drought Monitor Forum 2013

UN’s High Level Meeting on National Drought Policy

NDMC collaboration with India, Czech Republic

Occurrence Of Antimicrobials And Antimicrobial Resistance Genes In Beef Cattle Storage Ponds And Swine Treatment Lagoons, Yuping Zhang, Chiqian Zhang, David B. Parker, Daniel D. Snow, Zhi Zhou, Xu Li

Nebraska Water Center: Faculty Publications

Livestock manure treatment and storage structures are potential environmental sources of antimicrobials and antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). In this study, the occurrence of antimicrobials and ARGs was investigated in the water and the sludge compartments of beef cattle storage ponds and swine lagoons. Analysis was focused on two families of antimicrobials (sulfonamide and tetracycline) and the corresponding ARGs (sul1, sul2, tetO, tetQ and tetX). Results showed that the pseudo-partitioning coefficients of tetracyclines were higher than those of sulfonamides, suggesting different distributions of these two classes of antimicrobials between water and sludge. The ARGs tested were …

Climate Change: What Does It Mean For Nebraska?, Martha D. Shulski, Natalie A. Umphlett, Tapan B. Pathak, Kenneth G. Hubbard

High Plains Regional Climate Center: Staff Publications

Because Nebraska’s location on the North American continent is far removed from large bodies of water, Nebraskans experience a strong continental type climate. As such, residents do not benefit from the moderating influence of the ocean, and temperatures can have wide swings from day to day and season to season. Typical characteristics for a continental climate at this latitude are large temperature variability with warm summers dominated by convective thunderstorms, and cold winters influenced by snow and wind from mid-latitude cyclones.

Water Quality Assessment Of Sager Creek Utilizing Physiochemical Parameters And A Family-Level Biotic Index, T. S. Wakefield

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

An annual rapid bioassessment and physiochemical survey of Sager Creek in Northwest Arkansas was conducted. Sager Creek is a first to second order stream that flows through the city of Siloam Springs, AR. Invertebrate collections and water samples were collected at three different reaches, with the most downstream reach being below the effluent of the Siloam Springs Wastewater Treatment Plant. Benthic arthropods were collected, identified, and counted to produce a family-level biotic index and a family-level index of diversity. Statistical analysis revealed that these indices were significantly different for the effluent- influenced reach. However, this difference could not be correlated …

Assessing Total Nitrogen In Surface-Water Samples: Precision And Bias Of Analytical And Computational Methods, David L. Rus, Charles J. Patton, David K. Mueller, Charles G. Crawford

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

The characterization of total-nitrogen (TN) concentrations is an important component of many surface-water-quality programs. However, three widely used methods for the determination of total nitrogen—(1) derived from the alkaline-persulfate digestion of whole-water samples (TN-A); (2) calculated as the sum of total Kjeldahl nitrogen and dissolved nitrate plus nitrite (TN-K); and (3) calculated as the sum of dissolved nitrogen and particulate nitrogen (TN-C)—all include inherent limitations. A digestion process is intended to convert multiple species of nitrogen that are present in the sample into one measureable species, but this process may introduce bias. TN-A results can be negatively biased in the …

Riparian Evapotranspiration In Nebraska, Brent M. Hall, David L. Rus

United States Geological Survey: Water Reports and Publications

With increasing demands being placed on the water resources of Nebraska, characterizing evapotranspiration (ET) from riparian vegetation has gained importance to water users and managers. This report summarizes and compares the results from several studies of the ET from cottonwood-dominated riparian forests, riparian grasslands, and common reed, Phragmites australis, in Nebraska. Reported results show that the highest seasonal ET amounts were associated with Phragmites australis, followed by riparian forests, with riparian grasslands experiencing the lowest total ET of the studied vegetation communities.

Short-Term Denitrification In The Metalimnion Of A Eutrophic Reservoir, Aki Kogo, Erin M. Grantz, Thad Scott

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

Denitrification in metalimnetic water was examined under different conditions to determine how addition of nitrate (NO3 -) and particulate carbon (PC), aeration, and concentrations of nitrate affect denitrification. In the first experiment, water samples from a metalimnion were treated with different combinations of NO3 - and PC. Changes in excess N2 -N concentration for 10 days were measured using membrane inlet mass spectrometry (MIMS). The second experiment used the same treatments as the first experiment after aeration of water. Besides excess N2 -N concentrations, O2 concentrations were measured for 16 days. The third experiment examined how different initial concentrations of …

Relationship Between Land-Use And Water Quality In Spring-Fed Streams Of The Ozark National Forest, A. Smartt, S. Ganguly, M. A. Evans-White, B. E. Haggard

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Spring-fed streams are abundant in karst topographic regions such as the Ozarks, providing an important and valuable water resource. Many of these spring-fed streams presently receive agriculture runoff, but few studies have examined the impacts of this runoff on water quality. We examined water quality in Ozark spring-fed streams surrounded by either agricultural (N=3) or primarily forested land (N=3) in the riparian zone. We hypothesized that agricultural sites would have greater dissolved nutrient concentrations and conductivity than forested sites and that water quality would fluctuate with distance from the spring source. Conductivity (p

Accuracy Assessment Of The 2006 National Land Cover Database Percent Impervious Dataset, D. E. Long Ii, J. D. Carr, Hal O. Liechty, Chris Stuhlinger

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

An impervious surface is any surface that prevents water from infiltrating the ground. As impervious surface area increases within watersheds, stream networks and water quality are negatively impacted. The Multi-Resolution Land Characteristic Consortium developed a percent impervious dataset using Landsat imagery as part of the 2006 National Land Cover Database. This percent impervious dataset estimates imperviousness for each 30-meter cell in the land cover database. The percent impervious dataset permits study of impervious surfaces, can be used to identify impacted or critical areas, and allows for development of impact mitigation plans; however, the accuracy of this dataset is unknown. To …

State Of The River Report For The Lower St. Johns River Basin, Florida: Water Quality, Fisheries, Aquatic Life, And Contaminants 2013, Environmental Protection Board, City Of Jacksonville, University Of North Florida, Jacksonville University

State of the River Report

No abstract provided.

Lidar Assessment Of Sediment Transport Related To The Removal Of The Marmot Dam, Sandy River, Oregon, Carl Daniel Matzek

All Master's Theses

Four Aerial LiDAR survey were used to examine the impacts of the 2007 removal of the Marmot Dam on the Sandy River, Oregon. Geomorphic Change Detection software was used to answer three project goals: 1) to investigate how the dam removal affected sediment distribution in the lower reach of the river, several km downstream of the dam, 2) to determine whether the pulse of sediment from the dam removal created a detectable, successive downstream accumulation of sediment through time, and 3) to assess the effect of natural high-flow events on the sediment distribution related to the dam removal. The results …

Phytoplankton In Virginia Lakes And Reservoirs, Harold G. Marshall

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

This study involves a phytoplankton summer/autumn survey in 46 Virginia lakes and reservoirs during 2010-2012. A total of 307 taxa were identified which included several filamentous and colonial cyanabacteria in bloom concentrations. With the exception of one natural lake, the other sites sampled represent impoundments created decades ago, with the majority presently classified as meso- or eutrophic. Among the cyanobacteria were 6 known toxin producers (Anabaena circinalis, Anabaena spiroides, Aphanizomenon flos-aquae, Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii, Limnothrix redekei, and Microcystis aeruginosa). The study characterizes phytoplankton populations in these aging freshwater habitats taken from a large number …

A Preliminary Examination Of An In Situ Dual Dye Approach To Measuring Light Fluxes In Lotic Systems, Elizabeth C. Minor, Elizabeth James, Jay A. Austin, Veronica Nelson, Ryan Lusk, Kenneth Mopper

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Light is a critical parameter in aquatic ecosystems, affecting primary production and in situ photochemistry. However, measuring light exposure for suspended particles or dissolved components in a dynamic water column can be challenging with existing Eulerian approaches. Here, we assess the simultaneous deployment of two dyes differing in photolability (rhodamine WT and fluorescein) as a Lagrangian measure of sunlight exposure in a lotic system. Fluorescein is sensitive to light exposure; rhodamine WT is relatively photostable. We examined dye fluorescence at various pH, salinity, and temperature conditions. We also tested dye photolability as a function of pH and wavelength range. In …