bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PRECIPITATION RETENTION AND SOIL EROSION UNDER VARYING CLIMATE, LAND USE, AND TILLAGE AND CROPPING SYSTEMS1
Authors: Zhang X‐C John , Garbrecht Jurgen D.
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT: Nonirrigated crop yields and forage production are limited by low and variable precipitation in the southern Great Plains. Precipitation variation involves production risks, which can be reduced by considering probability of precipitation, precipitation retention, and soil erosion under various production systems. The objective of this study was to probabilistically quantify the impact of precipitation variations, land use, cropping, and tillage systems on precipitation retention and soil erosion. Five 1.6 ha watersheds that had 3 to 4 percent slopes, and similar silt loam soils were selected. One was kept in native grass, and the others were planted into winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under different cropping and tillage systems. Daily runoff and soil erosion were measured at the outlet of each watershed. Precipitation distributions exhibited great seasonal and interannual variations, and precipitation retention distributions resembled those of precipitation. Cropping and tillage systems affected precipitation retention but much less than did precipitation variations. Available soil water storage, which was largely controlled by ET, played an important role in retaining precipitation. This indicates that cropping systems should be adjusted to precipitation patterns, if predictable, for better soil water use. Land use and cropping and tillage systems had a much greater impact on soil erosion than on precipitation retention. Soil erosion risks, which were proportional to the levels of tillage disturbance, were mainly caused by a few large storms in summer, when surface cover was low. This study explored a novel approach for evaluating production risks associated with insufficient precipitation retention and excessive soil erosion for certain crops or cropping systems under assumed precipitation conditions.
INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT OF USES OF WOODY DRAWS IN AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPES1
Authors: Qiu Zeyuan , Prato Tony , Godsey Larry , Benson Verel
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT: This study assesses economic and environmental impacts of uses of woody draws, small natural drainage areas covered by trees and shrubs in agricultural landscapes. Three agricultural uses and four alternative uses are evaluated. A net present value approach is used to compare economic impacts of uses of draws and APEX is used to evaluate the interaction between a woody draw and the contributing upland area and simulate the environmental impacts of uses of draws in the field. The study shows that relative to agricultural uses, alternative uses of draws have significant environmental benefits in terms of reducing surface runoff and sediment and associated pollutants, such as nitrogen, phosphorus and pesticides. Agricultural uses of draws are not always the most profitable option. Certain alternatives, such as curly willow and the mixed buffer, are highly profitable. Agricultural landscapes could be differentially managed to achieve both economic variability and environmental benefits. Government support is necessary to promote alternative uses of woody draws. The support can be in the form of CRP payments or market development of buffer products. Farmers and resource managers can use study results to manage woody draws and evaluate the merits of alternative policies for managing woody draws.
HEALTH RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH CONSUMPTION OF UNTREATED WATER FROM HOUSEHOLD ROOF CATCHMENT SYSTEMS1
Authors: Lye Dennis J.
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT:Rainwater harvesting is receiving increased attention worldwide as an alternative source of drinking water. Although collected rainwater is typically consumed without any type of disinfection, the microbial quality of this type of water source can be poor. Around the world, consumers of collected and stored rainwater may be at considerable risk to a variety of infectious diseases. This review presents studies attributing specific risks of diseases to the consumption of contaminated rainwater. Diseases attributed to the consumption of untreated rainwater include bacterial diarrheas due toSalmonellaandCampylobacter, bacterial pneumonia due toLegionella, botulism due toClostridium, tissue helminths, and protozoal diarrheas fromGiardiaandCryptosporidium.Simple indicator systems such as fecal coliform measurements may prove to be inadequate for determining microbial risks associated with consumption of water from rainwater catchment systems.
MODELING THE HYDROCHEMISTRY OF THE CANNONSVILLE WATERSHED WITH GENERALIZED WATERSHED LOADING FUNCTIONS (GWLF)1
Authors: Schneiderman Elliot M. , Pierson Donald C. , Lounsbury David G. , Zion Mark S.
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT: A previous modeling study used the Generalized Watershed Loading Functions (GWLF) model to simulate stream‐flow, and nutrient and sediment loads to Cannonsville Reservoir from the West Branch Delaware River (WBDR). We made several model revisions, calibrated key parameters, and tested the original GWLF model and a revised GWLF model using more recent data. Model revisions included: addition of unsaturated leakage between unsaturated and saturated subsurface reservoirs; revised timing of sediment export; inclusion of urban sediments and dissolved nutrients; tracking of particulate nutrients from point sources; and revised timing of septic system loads. The revision of sediment yield timing resulted in significant improvements in monthly sediment and particulate phosphorus predictions as compared to the original model. Addition of unsaturated leakage improved hydrologic predictions during low flow months. The other model changes improve realism without adding significant model complexity or data requirements. Goodness of fit of revised model predictions versus stream measurements, as measured by the Nash‐Sutcliff coefficient of model efficiency, exceeded 0.8 for streamflow‐0.7 for sediment yield and dissolved nitrogen (N) and 0.6 for particulate and dissolved phosphorus (P). The revised GWLF model, with limited calibration, provides reasonable estimates of monthly streamflow, and nutrient and sediment loads in the Cannonsville watershed.
INTEGRATING LANDSCAPE ASSESSMENT AND HYDROLOGIC MODELING FOR LAND COVER CHANGE ANALYSIS1
Authors: Miller Scott N. , Kepner William G. , Mehaffey Megan H. , Hernandez Mariano , Miller Ryan C. , Goodrich David C. , Kim Devonald K. , Heggem Daniel T. , Miller W. Paul
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT: Significant land cover changes have occurred in the watersheds that contribute runoff to the upper San Pedro River in Sonora, Mexico, and southeast Arizona. These changes, observed using a series of remotely sensed images taken in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, have been implicated in the alteration of the basin hydrologic response. The Cannonsville subwatershed, located in the Catskill/Delaware watershed complex that delivers water to New York City, provides a contrast in land cover change. In this region, the Cannonsville watershed condition has improved over a comparable time period. A landscape assessment tool using a geographic information system (GIS) has been developed that automates the parameterization of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and KINEmatic Runoff and EROSion (KINEROS) hydrologic models. The Automated Geospatial Watershed Assessment (AGWA) tool was used to prepare parameter input files for the Upper San Pedro Basin, a subwatershed within the San Pedro undergoing significant changes, and the Cannonsville watershed using historical land cover data. Runoff and sediment yield were simulated using these models. In the Cannonsville watershed, land cover change had a beneficial impact on modeled watershed response due to the transition from agriculture to forest land cover. Simulation results for the San Pedro indicate that increasing urban and agricultural areas and the simultaneous invasion of woody plants and decline of grasslands resulted in increased annual and event runoff volumes, flashier flood response, and decreased water quality due to sediment loading. These results demonstrate the usefulness of integrating remote sensing and distributed hydrologic models through the use of GIS for assessing watershed condition and the relative impacts of land cover transitions on hydrologic response.
A GAME THEORY APPROACH TO DECIDING WHO WILL SUPPLY INSTREAM FLOW WATER1
Authors: Supalla Raymond , Klaus Bettina , Yeboah Osei , Bruins Randall
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT: The resource management problem for the Middle Platte ecosystem is the insufficient water available to meet both instream ecological demands and out‐of‐stream economic needs. This problem of multiple interest groups competing for a limited resource is compounded by sharp disagreement in the scientific community over endangered species' needs for instream flows. In this study, game theory was used to address one dimension of this resource management problem. A sequential auction with repeated bidding was used to determine how much instream flow water each of three states — Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming — will provide and at what price. The results suggest that the use of auction mechanisms can improve the prospects for reaching a multi‐state agreement on who will supply instream flow water, if the auction is structured to discourage misrepresentation of costs and if political compensation is allowed.
THE STRUCTURE AND PRACTICE OF WATER QUALITY TRADING MARKETS1
Authors: Woodward Richard T. , Kaiser Ronald A. , Wicks Aaron‐Marie B.
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT: The use of transferable discharge permits in water pollution, what we will call water quality trading (WQT), is rapidly growing in the U.S. This paper reviews the current status of WQT nationally and discusses the structures of the markets that have been formed. Four main structures are observed in such markets: exchanges, bilateral negotiations, clearinghouses, and sole source offsets. The goals of a WQT program are environmental quality and cost effectiveness. In designing a WQT market, policy makers are constrained by legal restrictions and the physical characteristics of the pollution problem. The choices that must be made include how trading will be authorized, monitored and enforced. How these questions are answered will help determine both the extent to which these goals are achieved, and the market structures that can arise. After discussing the characteristics of different market structures, we evaluate how this framework applies in the case of California's Grassland Drainage Area Tradable Loads Program.
INVOLVING WATERSHED STAKEHOLDERS: AN ISSUE ATTRIBUTE APPROACH TO DETERMINE WILLINGNESS AND NEED1
Authors: Smutko L. Steven , Kimek Suzanne H. , Perrin Christy A. , Danielson Leon E.
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT: The development of effective solutions for addressing nonpoint source pollution on a watershed basis often involves watershed stakeholders. However, success in engaging stakeholders in collaborative decision making processes varies, as watershed managers are faced with the challenges inherent to finding the right process for the decisions needed and in successfully engaging stakeholders in that process. Two characteristics that may provide guidance for determining the appropriateness of applying a collaborative process to a watershed problem are the need to collaborate and the willingness of stakeholders to engage in a collaborative decision making process. By examining seven attributes of the issues confronted by stakeholders in a collaborative process, the consequences of these attributes on the need for collaboration and stakeholders' willingness to engage can be estimated. The issue attributes include: level of uncertainty, balance of information, risk, time horizon of effects, urgency of decision, distribution of effects, and clarity of problem. The issue attribute model was applied to two collaborative decision making processes conducted by the same watershed stakeholder group in a North Carolina coastal watershed. Need and willingness to engage did not coincide for either issue; that is, stakeholders were more willing to engage on the issue that required less need for their involvement.
GRAPHICALLY MODELING STAKEHOLDER VALUES1
Authors: Stone Harold L.
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT: This study was designed to give insight into the values considered in environmental policy and illustrate the respondents' personal constructions related to creating policy through the development of a graphic tool. Using both qualitative and quantitative methods, this study anonymously captured the intensity of values currently held by decision makers and tracked changes in values over time. Data were acquired through observations of and interviews with stakeholders in a five‐year wetland mitigation bank permitting process at the Galveston District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The study included public and private sector respondents in both governmental and nongovernmental roles. The resulting representations of professional and personal stakeholders' values can be used as a tool for improving information exchange in policy negotiation and provides insight into the complexity of individual and corporate perceptions of a policy issue.
A RIFFLE STABILITY INDEX TO EVALUATE SEDIMENT LOADING TO STREAMS1
Authors: Kappesser Gary B.
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT: Riffles in moderately entrenched stream reaches with gradients of 2 percent to 4 percent that have received excessive sediment from upstream have a distinctly different and higher proportion of smaller mobile particles than riffles in systems that are in dynamic equilibrium. The mobile fraction on the riffle can be estimated by comparing the relative abundance of various particle sizes present on the riffle with the dominant large particles on an adjacent bar. Riffle particles smaller than the dominant large particles on the bar are interpreted as mobile. The mobile percentile of particles on the riffle is termed “Riffle Stability Index” (RSI) and provides a useful estimate of the degree of increased sediment supply to riffles in mountain streams. The RSI addresses situations in which increases in gravel bedload from headwaters activities is depositing material on riffles and filling pools, and it reflects qualitative differences between reference and managed watersheds. The RSI correlates well with other measures of stream channel physical condition, such as V and the results of fish habitat surveys. Thus, it can be used as an indicator of stream reach and watershed condition and also of aquatic habitat quality.
ACCURACY AND RELIABILITY OF NUMERICAL RIVER MODELS1
Authors: Vreugdenhil C. B.
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT: Over the last 20 years, our possibilities to model river flows numerically have increased enormously. In this paper, the question is addressed whether a more sophisticated model is always better than a simpler one. Increased detail, both in finer resolution and in physical processes taken into account, has its price in more computer time, higher data need, and perhaps more unknown coefficients to be calibrated. Moreover, uncertainty in actual physical conditions (e.g., bottom roughness), inflow and parameters remains, which may dominate the uncertainty of the results. Also, the questions asked by a decision maker may not always be very precise. For a schematic but relevant example, we show that a better model does not necessarily give more reliable results because some of the basic uncertainties remain. It is concluded that we should use the simplest model that will answer the question as to the accuracy needed, taking into account uncertainties in the data
DEBRIS FLOWS THROUGH DIFFERENT FOREST AGE CLASSES IN THE CENTRAL OREGON COAST RANGE1
Authors: May Christine L.
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT: Debris flows in the Pacific Northwest can play a major role in routing sediment and wood stored on hillslopes and in first‐through third‐order channels and delivering it to higher‐order channels. Field surveys following a large regional storm event investigated 53 debris flows in the central Oregon Coast Range to determine relationships among debris flow characteristics and the age class of the surrounding forest. The volume of sediment and wood delivered by debris flows was strongly correlated with runout length. Debris flows that initiated at roads were significantly longer than nonroad related failures, and road related landslides were an order of magnitude larger than nonroad related landslides. Clearcuts and roads tended to have more numerous contributing landslides relative to second growth and mature forests. No statistically significant difference in the average debris flow runout length was detected among the forest age classes, although debris flows initiating in clearcuts and mixed forest and at roads occasionally supported extremely long runout lengths that were outside the range of variability observed in completely forested basins. The size of wood in deposits was not correlated with the size of trees on the adjacent slopes, suggesting that the majority of wood in debris flow deposits was from remobilization of wood previously stored in low order channels.
THE NEED FOR HIGH RESOLUTION TIME SERIES DATA TO CHARACTERIZE HAWAIIAN STREAMS1
Authors: Tomlinson Michael S. , De Carlo Eric H.
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT: Streams in the Hawaiian Islands differ from many streams on the U.S. mainland presenting unique challenges to investigators attempting to characterize Hawaiian streams. Hawaiian streams are short; watersheds are small and steep; and rain events are usually short in duration but intense. As a result, most streams in Hawai'i are flashy. Time scales for storm hydrographs in Hawai'i are on the order of hours instead of days and flash flooding is a common hazard. To characterize the streams we were investigating, we found it necessary to obtain streamflow and water quality measurements at relatively short time intervals. While this resolution resulted in large sometimes onerous quantities of data, we would have otherwise missed certain phenomena, such as 60‐fold flow changes in 15 minutes or 30‐fold turbidity changes in five minutes. Even at five‐minute intervals, we found that attempts to predict TSS using a relationship obtained from in situ turbidity were not always satisfactory. Depending on the precision required, either higher resolution measurements or in vitro turbidity measurements of the TSS samples might be necessary. Finally, these high resolution measurements enabled us to observe other cyclical events that might have been missed if the measurement intervals were greater than one hour.
USE OF THE DELPHI METHOD IN RESOLVING COMPLEX WATER RESOURCES ISSUES1
Authors: Taylor Jonathan G. , Ryder Stephen D.
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT:The tri‐state river basins, shared by Georgia, Alabama, and Florida, are being modeled by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to help facilitate agreement in an acrimonious water dispute among these different state governments. Modeling of such basin reservoir operations requires parallel understanding of several river system components: hydropower production, flood control, municipal and industrial water use, navigation, and reservoir fisheries requirements. The Delphi method, using repetitive surveying of experts, was applied to determine fisheries' water and lake‐level requirements on 25 reservoirs in these interstate basins. The Delphi technique allowed the needs and requirements of fish populations to be brought into the modeling effort on equal footing with other water supply and demand components. When the subject matter is concisely defined and limited, this technique can rapidly assess expert opinion on any natural resource issue, and even move expert opinion toward greater agreement.
COALBED METHANE PRODUCT WATER CHEMISTRY IN THREE WYOMING WATERSHEDS1
Authors: McBeth Ian H. , Reddy Katta J. , Skinner Quentin D.
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT: The Powder River Basin in Wyoming has become one of the most active areas of coalbed methane (CBM) development in the western United States. Extraction of methane from coalbeds requires pumping of aquifer water, which is called product water. Two to ten extraction wells are manifolded into one discharge point and product water is released into nearby unlined holding ponds. The objective of this study was to evaluate the chemistry, salinity, and sodicity of CBM product water at discharge points and associated holding ponds as a function of watershed. The product water samples from the discharge points and associated holding ponds were collected from the Cheyenne River (CHR), Belle Fourche River (BFR), and Little Powder River (LPR) watersheds during the summers of 1999 and 2000. These samples were analyzed for pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), alkalinity, sodium (Na), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), sulfate (SO42‐), and chloride (C1‐). From the chemical data, practical sodium adsorption ratio (SARp) and true sodium adsorption ratio (SARt) were calculated for the CBM discharge water and pond water. The pH, EC, TDS, alkalinity, Na, Ca, Mg, K, SARp, and SARt of CBM discharge water increased significantly moving north from the CHR watershed to the LPR watershed. CBM discharge water in associated holding ponds showed significant increases in EC, TDS, alkalinity, Na, K, SARp, and SARt moving north from the CHR to the LPR watershed. Within watersheds, the only significant change was an increase in pH from 7.21 to 8.26 between discharge points and holding ponds in the LPR watershed. However, the LPR and BFR exhibited larger changes in mean chemistry values in pH, salinity (EC, TDS), and sodicity (SAR) between CBM product water discharges and associated holding ponds than the CHR watershed. For instance, the mean EC and TDS of CBM product water in LPR increased from 1.93 to 2.09 dS/m, and froml,232 to 1,336 mg/L, respectively, between discharge and pond waters. The CHR exhibited no change in EC, TDS, Na, or SAR between discharge water and pond water. Also, while not statistically significant, mean alkalinity of CBM product water in BFR and LPR watersheds decreased from 9.81 to 8.01 meq/L and from 19.87 to 18.14 meq/L, respectively, between discharge and pond waters. The results of this study suggest that release of CBM product water onto the rangelands of BFR and LPR watersheds may precipitate calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in soils, which in turn may decrease infiltration and increase runoff and erosion. Thus, use of CBM product water for irrigation in LPR and BFR watersheds may require careful planning based on water pH, EC, alkalinity, Na, and SAR, as well as local soil physical and chemical properties.
SOLUTE TRANSPORT IN THREE‐DIMENSIONAL SATURATED POROUS MEDIA HAVING SELF‐SIMILAR HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY DISTRIBUTION1
Authors: Wen Jet‐Chau , Wang Chi‐Ren
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT: Customarily, it has been assumed that hydraulic conductivity is a stationary, homogeneous stochastic process with a finite variance for stochastic analysis of solute transport in the subsurface. That the distribution of hydraulic conductivity may have a fractal behavior with long range correlations was suggested from field data analyses. This motivates us to further investigate how the fractal behavior of permeability distribution impacts solute transport in porous media. This study provides longitudinal and transverse macrodispersivity coefficients and the variance of the solute concentration. Longitudinal and transverse macrodispersivity coefficients are found to depend strongly on the fractal dimension (D) of logarithmic hydraulic conductivity (logK). The longitudinal and transverse macrodispersivity coefficients are the highest when D = 1, and the values decrease monotonically to zero at D = 2. Both coefficients correspond to the characteristic length scale of the logK distribution, thus are scale dependent parameters. The ratio of the transverse to the longitudinal macrodispersivity coefficient is on the order of 10‐1 to 10‐4. Concentration variance also decreases with the fractal dimension of logK. There is no spatial spreading of solute for D = 2, and the concentration variance reaches zero for this case.
GIS BASED LONG TERM HYDROLOGIC IMPACT EVALUATION FOR WATERSHED URBANIZATION1
Authors: Choi Jin‐Yong , Engel Bernard A. , Muthukrishnan Suresh , Harbor Jon
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT: To adequately manage impacts of ongoing or future land use changes in a watershed, the magnitude of their hydrologic impacts needs to be assessed. A grid based daily streamflow model was calibrated with two years of observed streamflow data, using time periods when land use data are available and verified by comparison of model predictions with observed streamflow data. Streamflow data were separated into direct runoff and baseflow to estimate the impacts of urbanization on each hydrologic component. Analysis of the ratio between direct runoff and total runoff from 30 years of simulation results and the change in these ratios with urbanization shows that estimated annual direct runoff increased from 49.2 percent (1973) to 63.1 percent (1984) and 65.0 percent (1991), indicating the effects of urbanization are greater on direct runoff than on total runoff. The direct runoff ratio also varies with annual rainfall, with dry year ratios larger than those for wet years. This suggests that the impact of urbanization on areas that are sensitive to runoff ratios, such as stream ecosystems, might be more serious during drier years than in wetter years in terms of water quality and water yield. This indicates that sustainable base‐flow is important to maintaining sound stream ecosystems.
HYDROLOGIC STAGE PERIODICITY OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER BEFORE AND AFTER SYSTEMATIC CHANNEL MODIFICATIONS1
Authors: Franklin Scott B. , Wasklewicz Thad , Grubaugh Jack W. , Greulich Sabine
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT: Periodic flood disturbance is a well known controlling factor of in channel and floodplain ecosystem function. However, channel manipulations during the last century have potentially altered hydrologic fluctuations, and thus ecosystem function. We examined temporal river stage hydrology, through autocorrelation analysis, at seven gauges along the Mississippi River to quantify flow periodicity and effects of systematic channel modifications on flow periodicity. Intraannual variation follows a strong one‐year cycle of six months higher flow and six months lower flow for the entire Mississippi River drainage, with precipitation as a driving force. Interannual hydrologic variation differs between the upper and lower river segments. A clear quasi‐biennial oscillation pattern was evident throughout the lower river section. The effect of channel alterations was a decreased magnitude of differences between lower and higher flows. The upper section, however, suggests a 12‐to 14‐year periodicity prior to alterations and a decreased duration of lower flow years following systematic modifications. Interannual variograms clearly depict very different temporal hydrology between the upper Mississippi River and the lower Mississippi River, suggesting the simple transfer of knowledge from one segment to the other oversimplifies the complexity of a large river system.
CONFLICT AND COOPERATION OVER INTERNATIONAL FRESHWATER RESOURCES: INDICATORS OF BASINS AT RISR1
Authors: Yoffe Shim , Wolf Aaron T. , Giordano Mark
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT: In this paper we seek to identify historical indicators of international freshwater conflict and cooperation and to create a framework to identify and evaluate international river basins at potential risk for future conflict. We derived biophysical, socioeco‐nomic, and geopolitical variables at multiple spatial and temporal scales from GIS datasets of international basins and associated countries, and we tested these variables against a database of historical incidents of international water related cooperation and conflict from 1948 to 1999. International relations over freshwater resources were overwhelmingly cooperative and covered a wide range of issues, including water quantity, water quality, joint management, and hydropower. Conflictive relations tended to center on quantity and infrastructure. No single indicator—including climate, water stress, government type, and dependence on water for agriculture or energy—explained conflict/cooperation over water. Even indicators showing a significant correlation with water conflict, such as high population density, low per capita GDP, and overall unfriendly international relations, explained only a small percentage of data variability. The most promising sets of indicators for water conflict were those associated with rapid or extreme physical or institutional change within a basin (e.g., large dams or internationalization of a basin) and the key role of institutional mechanisms, such as freshwater treaties, in mitigating such conflict.
STREAM DISCHARGE PREDICTION VIA A GRID BASED SOIL WATER ROUTING WITH PADDY FIELDS1
Authors: Kim Seong J. , Chae Hyo S. , Yoo Chul S. , Shin Sa C.
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT: A grid based daily hydrologic model for a watershed with paddy fields was developed to predict the stream discharge. ASCII formatted elevation, soil, and land use data supported by the GRASS Geographic Information System are used to generate distributed results such as surface runoff and subsurface flow, soil water content, and evapotranspiration. The model uses a single flow path algorithm and simulates a water balance at each grid element. A linear reservoir assumption was used to predict subsurface runoff components. The model was applied to a 75.6 km2 watershed located in the middle of South Korea, and observed stream flow hydrographs from 1995 and 1996 were compared to model predictions. The stream flow predictions of 1995 and 1996 generally agreed with the observed flow, resulting in a Nash‐Sutcliffe efficiency R2 of 0.60 and 0.62, respectively. The hydraulic conductivity for percolating water through the saturated layer affected baseflow generation. The levee height of the paddy influenced the time and magnitude of the surface runoff, depending on irrigation management. The model will be used for making low flow management decisions by evaluating the role of each land use to stream flow, especially in case of paddy decrease by gradual urbanization of a watershed.
INFLUENCES OF WATERSHED URBANIZATION AND INSTREAM HABITAT ON MACROINVERTEBRATES IN COLD WATER STREAMS1
Authors: Wang Lizhu , Kanehl Paul
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT: We analyzed data from riffle and snag habitats for 39 small cold water streams with different levels of watershed urbanization in Wisconsin and Minnesota to evaluate the influences of urban land use and instream habitat on macroinvertebrate communities. Multivariate analysis indicated that stream temperature and amount of urban land use in the watersheds were the most influential factors determining macroinvertebrate assemblages. The amount of watershed urbanization was nonlinearly and negatively correlated with percentages of Ephemeroptera‐Plecoptera‐Trichoptera (EPT) abundance, EPT taxa, filterers, and scrapers and positively correlated with Hilsenhoff biotic index. High quality macroinvertebrate index values were possible if effective imperviousness was less than 7 percent of the watershed area. Beyond this level of imperviousness, index values tended to be consistently poor. Land uses in the riparian area were equal or more influential relative to land use elsewhere in the watershed, although riparian area consisted of only a small portion of the entire watershed area. Our study implies that it is extremely important to restrict watershed impervious land use and protect stream riparian areas for reducing human degradation on stream quality in low level urbanizing watersheds. Stream temperature may be one of the major factors through which human activities degrade cold‐water streams, and management efforts that can maintain a natural thermal regime will help preserve stream quality.
DROUGHT INDICATORS AND TRIGGERS: A STOCHASTIC APPROACH TO EVALUATION1
Authors: Steinemann Anne
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT: Drought management depends on indicators to detect drought conditions, and triggers to activate drought responses. But determining those indicators and triggers presents challenges. Indicators often lack spatial and temporal transferability, comparability among scales, and relevance to critical drought impacts. Triggers often lack statistical integrity, consistency among drought categories, and correspondence with desired management goals. This article presents an approach for developing and evaluating drought indicators and triggers, using a probabilistic framework that offers comparability, consistency, and applicability. From that, a multistate Markov model investigates the stochastic behavior of indicators and triggers, including transitioning, duration, and frequency within drought categories. This model is applied to the analysis of drought in the Apalachicola‐Chattahoochee‐Flint River Basin in the southeastern United States, using indicators of the Standardized Precipitation Index (for 3, 6, 9, and 12 months), the Palmer Drought Severity Index, and the Palmer Hydrologic Drought Index. The analysis revealed differences among the performance of indicators and their trigger thresholds, which can influence drought responses. Results contribute to improved understanding of drought phenomena, statistical methods for indicators and triggers, and insights for drought management.
SEDIMENT OXYGEN DEMAND IN THE ARROYO COLORADO RIVER1
Authors: Matlock Marty D. , Kasprzak Kevin Ray , Osborn G. Scott
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT: The lower reaches of the Arroyo Colorado have historically failed to meet their use under subsection 303(b) of the U.S. Clean Water Act due to fecal coliform bacteria and low dissolved oxygen (DO). Fish kills, especially at the tidal confluence at the Port of Harlingen, Texas, have been reported. Oxygen demand from sediment (SOD) for a river typically has two states‐diffusion limited SOD (SOD) and potential SOD (pSOD), expressed when sediment is resuspended through increased flow or other disturbances. The objective of this research was to measure SOD in the Arroyo Colorado River in situ, estimate pSOD ex situ, and evaluate the relationship between SOD and the depositional environment. We measured SOD and pSOD in the Arroyo Colorado River at up to eight sites over three sampling events. We identified the sample sites based on a modified Rosgen geomorphic index for streambed stabilization. Sites with high sediment deposition potential had high SOD. The average values of SOD between sites were 0.62 g/m2/day (standard deviation 0.38 g/m2/day) and ranged from 0.13 to 1.2 g/m2/day. Potential SOD values ranged from as low as 19.2 to as high as 2,779 g/m3 sediment/ day. Potential SOD can serve as an indicator of the possible impact of SOD from resuspended sediment in stream systems.
INTEGRATING HUMANS IN ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT USING MULTI‐CRITERIA DECISION MAKING1
Authors: Pavlikakis Georgios E. , Tsihrintzis Vassilios A.
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT: The Ecosystem Management (EM) process belongs to the category of Multi‐Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) problems. It requires appropriate decision support systems (DSS) where “all interested people” would be involved in the decision making process. Environmental values critical to EM, such as the biological diversity, health, productivity and sustainability, have to be studied, and play an important role in modeling the ecosystem functions; human values and preferences also influence decision making. Public participation in decision and policy making is one of the elements that differentiate EM from the traditional methods of management. Here, a methodology is presented on how to quantify human preferences in EM decision making. The case study of the National Park of River Nestos Delta and Lakes Vistonida and Ismarida in Greece, presented as an application of this methodology, shows that the direct involvement of the public, the quantification of its preferences and the decision maker's attitude provide a strong tool to the EM decision making process. Public preferences have been given certain weights and three MCDM methods, namely, the Expected Utility Method, Compromise Programming and the Analytic Hierarchy Process, have been used to select alternative management solutions that lead to the best configuration of the ecosystem and are also socially acceptable.
MOBILITY AND AQUATIC TOXICITY OF COPPER IN AN URBAN WATERSHED1
Authors: Boulanger Bryan , Nikolaidis Nikolaos P.
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT: Abundant use of copper based products has resulted in increased violation of copper water quality criteria in runoff from urban storm water systems. The objectives of this work were to understand the mobility and toxicity of copper in an urban watershed and to apportion the amount of copper entering the freshwater receiving stream from different urban land covers using a mass balance approach. Sixteen rainfall events collected from the University of Connecticut study watershed between August 1998 and September 2000 were analyzed to assess copper flux in an urban storm water system. Mean flow weighted dissolved copper concentrations observed in the study for copper based architectural material runoff, pervious area runoff, impervious area runoff, and in the receiving stream were 1210 ± 840, 9 ± 3, 8 ± 2, and 14 ± 7 μg/L, respectively. Mean dissolved copper concentrations in the receiving stream exceeded Connecticut's water quality criteria. Despite exceeding the dissolved concentration based criteria, cupric ion concentrations at the system outlet remained below 0.05 μg/L for all storms analyzed, and no acute toxicity (using Daphnia pulex as the test organism) was measured in samples collected from the stream.
GROUND WATER NITRATE REDUCTION IN GIANT CANE AND FOREST RIPARIAN BUFFER ZONES1
Authors: Schoonover Jon E. , Williard Karl W. J.
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT: Ground water contamination by excess nitrate leaching in row‐crop fields is an important issue in intensive agricultural areas of the United States and abroad. Giant cane and forest riparian buffer zones were monitored to determine each cover type's ability to reduce ground water nitrate concentrations. Ground water was sampled at varying distances from the field edge to determine an effective width for maximum nitrate attenuation. Ground water samples were analyzed for nitrate concentrations as well as chloride concentrations, which were used as a conservative ion to assess dilution or concentration effects within the riparian zone. Significant nitrate reductions occurred in both the cane and the forest riparian buffer zones within the first 3.3 m, a relatively narrow width. In this first 3.3 m, the cane and forest buffer reduced ground water nitrate levels by 90 percent and 61 percent, respectively. Approximately 40 percent of the observed 99 percent nitrate reduction over the 10 m cane buffer could be attributed to dilution by upwelling ground water. Neither ground water dilution nor concentration was observed in the forest buffer. The ground water nitrate attenuation capabilities of the cane and forest riparian zones were not statistically different. During the spring, both plant assimilation and denitrification were probably important nitrate loss mechanisms, while in the summer nitrate was more likely lost via denitrification since the water table dropped below the rooting zone.
TWO PRACTICAL APPROACHES FOR DETERMINING THE CONFIDENCE INTERVAL OF RAINFALL DEPTH PERCENTILES1
Authors: Seong Kee‐Won , Lee Yong‐Hak
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT: A simple simulation type approach and a statistical method are proposed for determining the confidence interval of the T‐year frequency rainfall percentiles (or precipitation extremes) for generalized extreme value (GEV) distributions. The former method is based on the Monte Carlo testing procedure. To generate realizations, the covariance structure of the three parameters of GEV is investigated using an observed information matrix of the likelihood function. For distributions with realistic parameters, the correlation between the location and the scale parameters is practically constant when the shape parameter varies around values close to its optimal value. The latter method is based on likelihood ratio statistics. In the case where the joint confidence surface for shape parameters and estimates is plotted with lines of best estimates, the region where the estimated best percentile value can be chosen as a possible estimate is part of the joint confidence surface. The projection of this bounded region on axis of percentile is defined as the effective confidence interval in this research. The use of this effective interval as the confidence interval of the percentile of T‐year frequency rainfall is particularly recommended because it is stable for T and it reflects variations in all three parameters of GEV appropriately.
ECONOMIC COSTS AND BENEFITS OF INSTREAM FLOW PROTECTION FOR ENDANGERED SPECIES IN AN INTERNATIONAL BASIN1
Authors: Ward Frank A. , Booker James F.
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT: The U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) restricts federal agencies from carrying out actions that jeopardize the continued existence of any endangered species. The U.S. Supreme Court has emphasized that the language of the ESA and its amendments permits few exceptions to the requirement to give endangered species the highest priority. This paper estimates economic costs associated with one measure for increasing instream flows to meet critical habitat requirements of the endangered Rio Grande silvery minnow. Impacts are derived from an integrated regional model of the hydrology, economics, and institutions of the upper Rio Grande Basin in Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico. One proposal for providing minimum streamflows to protect the silvery minnow from extinction would provide guaranteed year round streamflows of at least 50 cubic feet per second in the San Acacia reach of the upper Rio Grande. These added flows can be accomplished through reduced surface diversions by New Mexico water users in dry years when flows would otherwise be reduced below the critical level required by the minnow. Based on a 44‐year simulation of future inflows to the basin, we find that some agricultural users suffer damages, but New Mexico water users as a whole do not incur damages from a policy that reduces stream depletions sufficiently to provide habitat for the minnow. The same policy actually benefits downstream users, producing average annual benefits of over $200,000 per year for west Texas agriculture, and over $1 million for El Paso municipal and industrial water users, respectively. Economic impacts of instream flow deliveries for the minnow are highest in drought years.
FIELD MEASUREMENT OF FLOW VELOCITIES, SUSPENDED SOLIDS CONCENTRATIONS, AND TEMPERATURES IN LAKE OKEECHOBEE1
Authors: Wang Keh‐Han , Jin Kang‐Ren , Tehrani Mehrdad
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT: This paper presents a field investigation of collecting hydrodynamic and sediment data in Lake Okeechobee with analyses examining mechanisms affecting sediment resuspension in the lake. Lake Okeechobee is a large subtropical lake located in south central Florida. Three‐dimensional flow velocities, suspended solids concentrations (SSC), and temperatures at four locations were measured from January 18 to March 5, 2000. Analyses of these data indicate that wind is the dominant factor in driving flow velocities and therefore transporting suspended solids. Wind direction also affects the SSC, especially in the north central and west littoral areas of the lake. The surface and bottom velocity components frequently flow in opposite directions, forming a stratification of the water column and preventing suspended solids from settling out. This retention of SSC in the water column may have a strong impact on the water quality of Lake Okeechobee. This study provides valuable storm event data and mechanism analyses, which will improve our understanding of the transport of suspended solids, thermal exchanges, and flow patterns within Lake Okeechobee.
IMPACT OF VARIED DATA RESOLUTION ON HYDRAULIC MODELING AND FLOODPLAIN DELINEATION1
Authors: Omer Creighton R. , Nelson E. James , Zundel Alan K.
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT: Current data collection technologies such as light detection and ranging (LIDAR) produce dense digital terrain data that result in more accurate digital terrain models (DTMs) for engineering applications. However, such data are redundant and often cumbersome for hydrologic and hydraulic modeling purposes. Data filtering provides a means of eliminating redundant points and facilitates model preparation. This paper demonstrates the impact of varied data resolution on a case study completed for a 2.3 mi2 area with mild slopes (about 001 ft/ft) along Leith Creek near Laurinburg, North Carolina. For the original data set and seven filtered data sets, filtering induced changes in elevation, area, and hydraulic radius were determined for 10 water depths at 23 cross sections. Water surface elevations resulting from HEC‐RAS (Hydrologic Engineering Center‐River Analysis System) models for each data set were then compared. A hydraulic model sensitivity analysis was also conducted to compare filtering error to error introduced by variation in flow rates and roughness values. Finally, automated floodplain delineation was performed for each filter level based on the computed hydraulic model results and the filtered LIDAR elevations. Data filtering results indicate that significant time savings are achieved throughout the modeling process and that filtering to four degrees can be performed without compromising cross‐sectional geometry, hydraulic model results, or floodplain delineation results.
MARSH DEVELOPMENT AT RESTORATION SITES ON THE WHITE MOUNTAIN APACHE RESERVATION, ARIZONA1
Authors: Long Jonathan W. , Tecle Aregai , Burnette Benrita M.
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT: To prioritize sites for riparian restoration, resource managers need to understand how recovery processes vary within landscapes. Complex relationships between watershed conditions and riparian development make it difficult to predict the outcomes of restoration treatments in the semiarid Southwest. Large floods in 1993 scoured riparian areas in the Carrizo watershed on the White Mountain Apache Reservation in east‐central Arizona. We evaluated recovery at three of these sites using repeated photographs and measurements of channel cross sections and stream‐side vegetation along permanent transects. The sites were mapped as lying on the same soil type, had similar streamside vegetative communities, and were similarly treated through livestock exclusion and supplemental seeding. However, the sites and individual reaches within the sites followed strikingly different development paths. Dramatic recovery occurred at a perennial reach where cover of emergent wetland plants increased from 4.7 percent (standard error = 0.8 percent) in October 1995 to 55.5 percent (standard error = 2.7 percent) in September 2001. At several other reaches, geologic and hydro geomorphic characteristics of the sites limited inputs of fine sediment or surface water, resulting in modest or negligible increases in emergent cover. Recovery efforts for highly valued marshlands in this region should prioritize perennial reaches in low gradient valleys where salty sediments are abundant.