Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'The Warta River Basin'

Nutrient enrichment is the main cause of the increasing eutrophication process in the Baltic Sea during last century. A prerequisite counteract this process the load of nutrients to the Sea must be investigated. The large contribution of nutrients to the Sea is caused by emission from the rivers within the drainage basin. For the total emission of nutrient into the Sea the retention process in the rivers has big influence. This process in the river system has been assumed as a not important part of the nutrient cycle. However some investigators have pointed out that the retention process occurs in the river and be an important part of the nutrient dynamics in the river. For the object of investigation the Odra River Basin was chosen, as an example of a large river basin in the Baltic Sea Drainage Basin. The Odra River is mainly localized in Poland and contributes substantially to the eutrophication of the Baltic Proper. The Odra River is one of the least dammed major rivers of the Baltic Proper and as such of especial interest in retention studies. The phosphorus was chosen as an example of nutrient in the eutrophication process. The purpose of the investigation is to determine the phosphorus retention within the river. Two different models were used to calculate the retention process in the river. The"Multiple Regression Model"turned out to be insignificant, therefore the results were computed by using a “similarity model”, based on similarities between load from monitored tributary basins and the rest of the sub-basin. The retention in the Odra River in the amounted to -4608 t yr-1, which is 43% of the total phosphorus emission to the Odra River. There is also stated that in the Notec and the Warta rivers the retention process occur in the amount of -1940 t yr-1 and -3007 t yr-1 respectively.

Thesis (M.S.) University of Missouri-Columbia, 2006.
The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on August 27, 2007) Includes bibliographical references.

Doutoramento em Estudos de Desenvolvimento
A gestão de bacias hidrográficas tem uma dimensão inerentemente política uma vez que envolve tomar decisões que são limitadas pelos contextos institucionais, caracterizados por escassez de recursos e conflitos entre múltiplos atores, políticas e estruturas institucionais. No caso de nações em desenvolvimento que padecem de instabilidades políticas, a gestão de bacias hidrográficas torna-se um teatro político em que os principais objetivos de produção alimentar e gestão ambiental ficam fragilizados perante complexos interesses políticos que envolvem o controlo de recursos, a governação de organizações e a política partidária. Enquanto medida de recuperação no pós-guerra e com o apoio das Nações Unidas, a Nigéria adotou uma abordagem integrada para a gestão das bacias hidrográficas. Esta gestão cabe às Autoridades para o Desenvolvimento das Bacias Hidrográficas (ADBH) que estão sob a alçada do governo federal. A sua evolução reflete a instabilidade que caracteriza o federalismo nigeriano. Envolvidas numa política faccionária, com recorrentes intervenções militares e várias reformas no setor da água, as ADBH têm tido um desempenho abaixo do esperado. Este estudo visa explorar a economia política das ADBH na Nigéria, mais concretamente, a trajetória de desenvolvimento das ADBH enquanto reflexo do instável federalismo nigeriano. O documento está organizado em seis capítulos autónomos mas interligados que, no conjunto, encerram uma análise de nível macro e outra de nível micro. O primeiro capítulo descreve a forma como diferentes líderes nigerianos deixaram a sua marca no desenvolvimento das ADBH, desde a sua fundação até à presente administração de Muhammadu Buhari. De uma forma ou de outra, todos os grandiosos planos para aumentar a produção alimentar terminaram em nobres ambições. O capítulo inicia-se com a identificação dos motivos que desencadearam a reorganização da rede hidrográfica na Nigéria. O rescaldo da Guerra Civil, as secas na região do Sahel e a pressão da publicação do relatório das Nações Unidas em 1969 encontram-se entre os principais motivos. Depois de um fraco desempenho inicial em que vários princípios da gestão integrada das bacias hidrográficas foram ignorados, seguiu-se um conjunto de contributos de chefes de estado e presidentes. Infelizmente, nenhuma das promessas feitas surtiu os resultados esperados. O segundo capítulo analisa as ADBH à luz da turbulência que caracterizou o federalismo nigeriano, utilizando o paralelismo como estilo. Este capítulo inicia-se com a discussão do conceito de Federalismo enquanto sistema político e prossegue com a conclusão de que o federalismo existente na Nigéria é peculiar. No início do processo de independência nigeriano, os grupos étnicos não negociaram os termos deste federalismo e a governação militar continuada erodiu os já frágeis pilares criados pelos fundadores da nação. O sistema militar criou os estados e as áreas de governo locais por fragmentação, bem como os mecanismos federais, como são exemplo as três Constituições pós-independência e o Princípio do Carácter Federativo (PCF). O capítulo aborda igualmente vários fatores que influenciaram este paralelismo entre as trajetórias do federalismo nigeriano e das ADBH, nomeadamente, a delicada e volátil questão das minorias, o papel dos militares, o boom petrolífero da década de 70 e o PCF enquanto mecanismo de consociativismo e as recorrentes descontinuidades das políticas públicas e de governação. O paralelismo estabelecido mostra-nos que as ADBH tem uma trajetória que espelha a turbulência do federalismo nigeriano. O terceiro capítulo conclui a primeira parte da tese. Este capítulo foca-se nas reformas introduzidas por diferentes administrações das ADBH e na forma como a organização foi afetada por essas reformas. Os desafios colocados às ADBH começaram com a administração de Shagari, na década de 80, apesar da primeira tentativa para reposicionar as bacias hidrográficas ter ocorrido apenas no final dessa década, com o Programa de Ajustamento Estrutural de Babangida (PAE). Neste capítulo são detalhados o quadro de comercialização parcial criado e alguns dos seus conceitos centrais, as várias fases de preparação das ADBH para o seu novo estatuto, o seu processo de recapitalização e o cronograma da organização até se tornar financeiramente autossuficiente. Todo este processo foi condicionado pela cedência de Babangida à pressão pública e sua consequente demissão. Depois desta tentativa de comercialização das ADBH, várias outras se seguiram mas nenhuma foi bem-sucedida. No capítulo quatro inicia-se a segunda parte da tese, que corresponde a uma abordagem de nível micro à Autoridade para o Desenvolvimento da Bacia Hidrográfica do rio Lower Benue (ADBHLB), uma das doze autoridades existentes no país. Foi dado enfoque a como é que as dinâmicas observadas na primeira parte da tese ocorrem no contexto de apenas uma Autoridade. Este quarto capítulo documenta as observações conseguidas em projetos de irrigação da ADBHLB. As evidencias apresentadas provêm de dezasseis instalações da organização, incluindo a sua sede. Na conclusão do capítulo, são discutidos os traços característicos dos projetos de irrigação. Todos os projetos tem recursos naturais abundantes tais como vastos terrenos, acesso a água e localização em planícies férteis. No entanto, são disfuncionais e tornaram-se dívida pública. A constante mudança política deixou uma longa cadeia de construções inacabadas (e.g. a barragem inacabada de Guma, os terrenos abandonados em Tede ou sistemas de irrigação inacabados em Doma e Guma) e gestores de projeto desesperados. O capítulo cinco trata os impactos da fragmentação do federalismo ao nível de análise micro e detalha como é que o conflito de interesses se transformou à medida que o numero de partes interessadas na ADBHLB aumentou. Este capítulo dá-nos a conhecer como é que a ADBHLB reflete a instabilidade do federalismo nigeriano através de ilustrações da fragmentação estrutural da bacia hidrográfica da ADBHLB, que passou de dois estados fundadores (Benue e Plateau) para quatro (Benue, Plateau, Kogi e Nasarawa), após a fragmentação dos estados fundadores. O capítulo apresenta igualmente casos em que a ADBHLB se tornou uma plataforma política na medida em que os seus executivos de topo utilizam as instalações governamentais para alcançar os seus objetivos políticos. Neste capítulo, é possível concluir que os reveses descritos são um efeito em cascata da fraca negociação do federalismo na Nigéria. O sexto e último capítulo da tese dedica-se a como a ADBHLB respondeu à política de comercialização parcial de Babangida, o esforço renovado de Obasanjo e administrações seguintes. O capítulo inicia-se com a análise do quadro para a comercialização criado pelo governo federal e o plano articulado pela ADBHLB como resposta. O plano estratégico da organização traçou a forma como a ADBHLB se deveria impor no mercado competitivo mas não foi feita qualquer implementação. O capítulo finaliza com a conclusão de que o plano estratégico da ADBHLB foi mal sucedido, com base numa análise aprofundada dos relatórios do trabalho de campo realizado. Esta investigação foi afetada pela limitação do acesso a documentação oficial, tanto ao nível federal como ao nível da ADBHLB. Além disso, a falta de segurança vivida no país não permitiu a cobertura de todas as instalações da ADBHLB. Contudo, o estudo mostra claramente que o fraco desempenho das ADBH reflete a instabilidade do federalismo fragmentado nigeriano. A busca pela revitalização, reposição e comercialização parcial das ADBH deve ter em consideração as suas motivações. O documento termina com um conjunto de sugestões de pesquisa futura. Entre elas, inclui-se uma análise das políticas que estão a conduzir ao crescimento do número de ADBH e, em particular, ao argumento de que não há correlação entre a dimensão das ADBH e a dotação orçamental recebida do governo federal.
The management of river basin organisations is inherently political, due to its unalienable constraints and institutional structures. Characterised by resources limitedness, conflicts of multiple actors, policies, and evolving institutional structures, river basin organisation often becomes the centre of political intrigue and power-play. In developing nations struggling with political instabilities, river basin management is the theatre of complicated politics, and its yield is often minimal since the primary goal of agriculture becomes emasculated by other interests. This study explores the political economy of the River Basin Development Authorities (RBDAs) as a mirror phenomenon of Nigeria’s peculiar and challenge-laden federalism. The mission of the RBDAs become an instrument in the politics of fissiparous fragmentations, recurrent military interventions, and a series of reforms in the water sector. In six separate but interrelated chapters, set out as macro-level and micro-level analyses, this study explores the development trajectory of the RBDAs as a reflection of the turmoil that characterises Nigerian federalism. The macro-analyses focus on the federal actors, while the micro-analyses examine the case of the Lower Benue River Basin Development Authority (LBRBDA). The literature review and the field trips confirm, at both levels of analysis, the claim that river basin organisation is intrinsically political. The study also found that the social life or the politics of the RBDAs derive its push from the general politics of its ambient environment, and bears a likeness to it, as exemplified by the case study. The quest to reposition Nigeria’s ailing RBDAs must further explore the role that politics plays in the creation and management of the RBDAs. The insights from the study will prove valuable to the stakeholders and policymakers. Considering the findings and limitations, the conclusion also highlights some areas for further research.
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Rivers sourced in the Himalayan mountains support more than 10% of the global population, where the majority of these people live downstream of the mountain front on the alluvial Indo-Gangetic Plain. Many of these rivers however, are also the source of devastating floods. The tendency of these rivers to flood is directly related to their large-scale morphology. In general, rivers that drain the east Indo-Gangetic Plain have channels that are perched at a higher elevation relative to their floodplain, leading to more frequent channel avulsion and flooding. In contrast, those further west have channels that are incised into the floodplain and are historically less prone to flooding. Understanding the controls on these contrasting river forms is fundamental to determining the sensitivity of these systems to projected climate change and the growing water resource demands across the Plain. This thesis examines controls on river morphology across the central portion of the Indo-Gangetic Plain drained by the Ganga River (the Ganga Plain). Specifically, the relative roles of basin subsidence, sediment grain size and sediment flux have been explored in the context of large-scale alluvial river morphology over a range of timescales. Furthermore, this thesis has developed and tested techniques that can be utilised to help quantify these variables at catchment-wide scales. This analysis has been achieved through combining new sediment grain size, pebble lithology and cosmogenic radionuclide data with quantitative topographic and sedimentological analysis of the Ganga Plain. In the first part of this thesis, I examine the contrast in channel morphology between the east and west Ganga Plain. Using topographic analysis, basin subsidence rates and sediment grain size data, I propose that higher subsidence rates in the east Ganga Plain are responsible for a deeper basin, with perched low-gradient rivers systems that are relatively insensitive to climatically driven changes in base-level. In contrast, lower basin subsidence rates in the west are associated with a shallower basin with entrenched river systems that are capable of recording climatically induced lowering of river base-level during the Holocene. Through an analysis of fan geometry, sediment grain size and lithology, I then demonstrate that gravel flux from rivers draining the central Himalaya with contributing areas spanning three orders of magnitude is approximately constant. I show that the abrasion of gravel during fluvial transport can explain this observation, where gravel sourced from more than 100 km upstream is converted into sand by the time it reaches the Plain. I attribute the over-representation of quartzitic pebble lithologies in the Plain (relative to the proportion of the upstream catchment area likely to contribute quartzite pebbles) to the selective abrasion of weaker lithologies during transport in the mountainous catchment. This process places an upper limit on the amount of coarse sediment exported into the Indo-Gangetic Plain. Finally, I consider the use of cosmogenic 10Be derived erosion rates as a method to generate sediment flux estimates over timescales of 102-104 years. Cosmogenic radionuclide samples from modern channel and independently dated Holocene terrace and flood deposits in the Ganga River reveal a degree of natural variability in 10Be concentrations close to the mountain front. This is explored using a numerical analysis of processes which are likely to drive variability in catchment-averaged 10Be concentrations. I propose that the observed variability is explained by the nature of stochastic inputs of sediment (e.g. the dominant erosional process, surface production rates, depth of landsliding, degree of mixing), and secondly, by the evacuation timescales of individual sediment deposits which buffers their impact on catchment-averaged concentrations. In landscapes dominated by high topographic relief, spatially variable climate and multiple geomorphic process domains, the use of 10Be concentrations to generate sediment flux estimates may not be truly representative. The analysis presented here suggests that comparable mean catchment-averaged 10Be concentrations can be derived through different erosional processes. For a given 10Be concentration, volumetric sediment flux estimates may therefore differ.

This thesis describes the development of an operational river basin water resources information management system. The river or drainage basin is the fundamental unit of the system; in both the modelling and prediction of hydrological processes, and in the monitoring of the effect of catchment management policies. A primary concern of the study is the collection of sufficient and sufficiently accurate information to model hydrological processes. Remote sensing, in combination with conventional point source measurement, can be a valuable source of information, but is often overlooked by hydrologists, due to the cost of acquisition and processing. This thesis describes a number of cost effective methods of acquiring remotely sensed imagery, from airborne video survey to real time ingestion of meteorological satellite data. Inexpensive micro-computer systems and peripherals are used throughout to process and manipulate the data. Spatial information systems provide a means of integrating these data with topographic and thematic cartographic data, and historical records. For the system to have any real potential the data must be stored in a readily accessible format and be easily manipulated within the database. The design of efficient man-machine interfaces and the use of software enginering methodologies are therefore included in this thesis as a major part of the design of the system. The use of low cost technologies, from micro-computers to video cameras, enables the introduction of water resources information management systems into developing countries where the potential benefits are greatest.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 1996.
Vita.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 225-231).
Caleb K. King.
Ph.D.

Development of the shallow alluvial groundwater of the Hadejia-Jama'are-Yobe River valley flood plain (northern Nigeria) has been taking place with increasing intensity over the past decade. However little has previously been known about the nature of the Yobe River-aquifer interaction, including the recharge mechanisms. This thesis reports on a study of the river-aquifer interaction in the middle section of the basin, centred on a field site near Gashua, Yobe State. Detailed field studies were undertaken over a period of 14-months, which involved geoelectical sounding, drilling and water level monitoring. The results of the field study show that the Yobe basin is underlain by a sand and gravel aquifer, which is covered by an average of 1-3m of clay. The Yobe River is in hydraulic continuity with the adjacent alluvial aquifer and variations in aquifer storativity have been recognised as an important factor in understanding the hydraulic behaviour of the Yobe River-alluvial groundwater system. A confinedunconfined groundwater regime exists within the present site and is an inherent characteristic of the alluvial groundwater system. The recognition of this state enables a conceptual flow model of the system to be developed. A multi-layer, spatially distributed model is proposed, in which transitions between confined and unconfined conditions can be realistically represented. A numerical model needs to be designed with these concepts in mind in order to simulate the system. The research techniques employed in the study are appropriate for the assessment of the Yobe basin system where detailed data is currently not available. The combination of detailed geophysical survey, water level monitoring and conceptual modelling has led to a good understanding of the Yobe River-alluvial aquifer interaction. It is for this reason that the techniques employed in this study can be adapted for investigating the remainder of the basin downstream of the present site.

Övergödning utgör ett av de allvarligaste hoten mot Östersjöns miljö. Storleken av näringsbelastningen till havet behöver därför bestämmas med hjälp av tillgängliga matematiska modeller. Modellen ”Generalised Watershed Loading Functions” (GWLF), en ickedistribuerad parametermodell som uppskattar hydrologi och månatlig näringsbelastning, tillämpades på avrinningsområdet till Daugava som mynnar i Östersjön. Syftet med studien var att genom modellering av historisk transport av näringsämnen till Östersjön ta fram parametrar och indata som sedan kan användas vid applicering av GWLF på omkringliggande avrinningsområden. Data från 1990-talet användes för kalibrering av modellen och data från 1980-talet för validering. Årlig kvävebelastning modellerades med R2värdet 0,78 för kalibreringsperioden. Modellerad årlig kvävebelastning för valideringsperioden underskattades med ungefär 30 % vilket troligen beror på att kvävekoncentrationer i grundvatten och ytavrinning minskade mellan 1980- och 1990-talen.

Fosforbelastningen underskattades jämfört med rapporterade värden vilket troligen beror på att enskilda avlopp inte inkluderades och att rapporterade punktutsläpp är för låga.

Modifikationer av modellen föreslås för prediktion av näringsbelastningar under lång tid och behovet av harmoniserad, uppdaterad och lättillgänglig data för näringstransportsmodellering diskuteras.

Eutrophication is one of the most serious threats to the Baltic Sea environment. Nutrient loading into the sea therefore needs to be quantified by available mathematical models. The Generalised Watershed Loading Functions (GWLF), a lumpedparameter model that predicts hydrology and monthly nutrient loads, was applied to the Daugava River Basin, discharging into the Baltic Sea. The aim of the study was to model historic transport of nutrients into the Baltic Sea and thereby produce estimates of parameters and input data needed for a spatial extension of the GWLF to surrounding river basins.

Calibration data were taken from the 1990’s and validation data from the 1980’s. Yearly nitrogen loads were modelled with an R2 value of 0.78 for the calibration period. Predicted yearly nitrogen loads for the validation period were about 30 % lower than reported values, probably depending on decreasing groundwater and runoff concentrations between the 1980’s and 1990’s. Phosphorus loads were underestimated compared to reported values, the main reason probably being the exclusion of septic systems and too low reported point sources.

Modifications of the model are suggested for longterm predictions of nutrient loads and the need for harmonised, uptodate and generally accessible data for nutrient transport modelling discussed.

Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2007.
Includes bibliographical references (leaf 17).
Unmanned vehicles may provide more time- and cost-effective methods of gathering hydrographic survey data when compared to traditional, manned survey vessels. A remote-controlled unmanned surface vehicle (USV) was outfitted with a depth transducer for the purpose of conducting a depth survey of the Charles River Basin. Two windsurfer fins were added to the stem of the USV kayak for directional stability without significant drag, permitting a maximum vessel speed of 4.4 knots. A total of 1485 latitude-longitude GPS points with corresponding depth measurements were taken. Charles Basin data was plotted with ArcGIS software and used to create depth contours and three-dimensional surface plots of the river bottom. This prototype survey USV displays promise and could become readily feasible with further development and autonomy.
by Evan A. Karlik.
S.B.

This study aimed at describing the characteristics of daily precipitation and discharge extremes in the Adige river basin at the city of Trento. Annual maximum series for the period 1975−2014 were analyzed in terms of trends, seasonality indices and L-moments. A Mann-Kendall trend analysis showed a weak but significant signal of decreasing ex-tremes; the percentages of sites with significant negative trends were overall larger than the significance levels. Precipitation extremes were characterized primarily by autumn storms, while floods had a stronger seasonality with peaks occurring predominantly in June and July which indicated that the timing not solely explained by rainfall maxima. The Adige basin was found to be a homogenous region with respect to precipitation, but the results did not support a corresponding assumption for discharge. A regional fre-quency analysis was performed for precipitation data and found both the Pearson type III and generalized normal distributions to be adequate regional frequency distributions. The extreme daily precipitation at Trento with a 100-year return period was estimated to be between 114 and 148 mm/d.
Egenskaperna hos extremvärden av dygnsnederbörd och -vattenföring i Adigeflodens av-rinningsområde vid staden Trento undersöktes. Serier med årsmaxima för perioden 1975–2014 analyserades med avseende på trender, säsongsindex och L-moment. Trendanalys med Mann-Kendallmetod antydde en svag men signifikant signal om minskande extrem-värden, då andelen mätstationer med signifikant negativa trender överlag var större än signifikansnivån. Den extrema nederbörden karakteriserades huvudsakligen av höststor-mar, medan vattenföringen hade en starkare säsongsbundenhet då maxima inträffade främst under juni och juli. Vattenföringens extremvärden kunde därmed inte enbart för-klaras av nederbördsmaxima. Avrinningsområdet kunde betraktas som en homogen reg-ion för nederbörd, men resultaten gav inte stöd åt ett motsvarande antagande för vatten-föring. En regional frekvensanalys genomfördes för nederbördsdata och visade att Pear-son typ III och den generaliserade normalfördelningen var lämpliga regionala sannolik-hetsfördelningar. Över Trento uppskattades den extrema dygnsnederbörden med en åter-komstperiod på 100 år till mellan 114 och 148 mm/d.

In this thesis mercury concentrations in biota of the upper South Saskatchewan River Basin are assessed in three non-industrialized systems. Mercury levels in large sport fish (northern pike, walleye, lake trout) frequently exceeded the consumption limit of 0.5ppm. Goldeye and mooneye of the Oldman River and lake whitefish of Waterton Lakes were below 0.5ppm total mercury. Agricultural and urban effluents constituted no sources of significant mercury loadings to the Oldman River. A doubling of mercury biomagnification factors between longnose dace and their food suggests bioenergetic heterogeneity of these fish along the river gradient. Basin-specific mercury levels were detected for the upper and middle basins in Waterton Lakes, and are associated with food web characteristics, and fish bioenergetics. High mercury levels in a new reservoir were in part attributed to increased loadings from flooded soils, as is commonly observed, but also to bioenergetic constraints and growth inefficiency as a result of non-piscivory of this population.
xiii, 130 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm. --

A potential for conflict exists over water management and allocation in the Upper San Pedro River Basin. Competing demands for limited water supplies have resulted in concerns about the depletion of the ground-water supplies, reductions in stream flow, and downstream obligations associated with the Gila River Adjudication. A network flow model is an effective tool for analyzing the nature of these water conflicts and evaluating how the introduction of new management strategies can ameliorate the problems. Analysis of water management reveals that concerns about the water problems are valid. Irrigation wells pumping ground water from the floodplain aquifer reduce stream flows that are both necessary for the viability of San Pedro riparian ecosystem, and claimed by downstream Indian tribes. They also contribute to the ground-water overdraft situation in the regional aquifer. Water management alternatives that limit or reduce irrigation consumption are the most effective in rectifying the problems.

The study was aimed at developing a simple methodology for flow prediction in ungauged basins using existing data resources. For this purpose, the streamflow measurements across the Kentucky River Basin located in Kentucky, USA were obtained from United States Geological Survey (USGS) archive. The flow transferring characteristics of the subbasins of the Kentucky River Basin were obtained by combining downstream and upstream stream gauges. The flow transferring function thus derived were related to watershed, channel and flow characteristics of the subbasins by multiple regression analysis. The gauge pairs were divided into two classes of subbasins representing Upper and Lower Kentucky, which were characterized mainly by the geology of the watersheds. The regression models corresponding to the two groups of subbasins were applied to example gauge pairs to evaluate the efficiency of the proposed model to predict streamflow in downstream channel. The estimated hydrographs agreed with the observed hydrographs with the performance efficiency of greater than 90%. The proposed method was tested for its applicability in first-order streams in the Goose Creek, a tributary to the Kentucky River. The overland flow component for the first-order streams was determined using TOPMODEL with topography, soil and climatic factors as inputs. The overland flow was routed to the Goose Creek outlet using the transfer function obtained from measured flow records. The simulated hydrographs were reproduced with 80% accuracy when compared with the observed hydrographs. The flow prediction of first-order ungauged streams was automated by the back-calibration algorithm. The algorithm is supported by the Shuffled Complex Evolution - University of Arizona algorithm for its optimization routine. The back-calibration procedure optimizes each first-order stream with the aid of the flow transferring function. The back-calibration procedure was imbedded in a Visual Basic.NET environment to automatically predict flow on a daily time scale and predicted was published on the internet using ESRI Arc Internet Mapping Server (ArcIMS). The project thus provides daily streamflow estimation for streams on a first-order level on every day basis, which will facilitate flow prediction of streams regardless of the size of the watersheds.

West-central Florida has supplied much of the national and global demand for phosphate for over 100 years. The two main tributaries of the Alafia River, the North and South Prongs, have been extensively modified by the strip mining, benefaction, and chemical processing activities associated with the phosphate mining industry. Using aerial photos, an analysis of landscape change in the South Prong Alafia River drainage basin (357.4 km2) between 1940, 1970, and 2004 was conducted. A modified Florida Land Use, Land Cover, and Forms Classification System code (FLUCCS) was used to classify and measure change through the study period. Change in the study area is characterized by a dramatic decline in the area covered by natural lands and an increase in the area covered by anthropogenic activity. Increasing 43.8 km2 from 1940 -- 1970 and 199.96 km2 from 1970 -- 2004, phosphate mining activity is the primary force of landscape alteration in the study area. The historic headwaters of the main stream, Hooker's Prairie, is completely replaced by mining-induced landforms in 2004. Net change in landscape composition from 1940 -- 2004 is 1) phosphate mining (+243.76 km2), 2) surface hydrology (-113.13 km2), 3) urban (+2.42 km2), agriculture (+19.76 km2), and undisturbed / other (-139.66 km2). The results of this study indicate that the regional environment and hydrology have been heavily impacted by phosphate mining activity. The critical management of the industry's environmental impacts and reclamation practices is essential for the current and future health of the local environment and its inhabitants.

The Pak Pa-Nang River Basin is located in southern Thailand. Its environmental degradation has been arising because its catchment is mineralized with substantial deposits of tin forming part of the SE Asian Tin Belt, with the presence of arsenopyrite gives rise to high arsenic concentrations, mobilized during past mining activity. Suitable techniques have been developed, for the extraction of arsenic species in a variety of environmental and biological samples. Trypsin and cellulase enzymatic extraction procedures were used to extract arsenic species from fish and plant samples, respectively. Arsenic species in sediments were determined following 1 M H3P04 extraction in an open focused microwave system. An anion-exchange HPLC system employing a step elution, with sulphate and phosphate solution as the mobile phase coupled with ICP-MS was used for separation and detection of the important arsenic species, e.g. AsB, DMA, MMA, and inorganic arsenic in fish and plant samples. And species of AsIII, AsV, MMA and DMA were determined in sediment samples. A nitric acid microwave digestion procedure, followed by carrier gas nitrogen addition (N2)-ICP-MS analysis, to overcome argon chloride (40Ar35Cl+) interference, was used to measure total arsenic. Validation for these procedures was carried out using certified reference materials and real samples, mussel, cockle, green seaweed, brown seaweed and sediment collected from the Tamar Estuary, UK. Fish samples from the Pak Pa-Nang Estuary showed a range for total arsenic concentration, up to 17 µg gˉ¹ dry mass. The highest total arsenic found in plant samples was 189 µg gˉ¹ (dry mass), in the root of rice plants. The major species of arsenic in all fish samples was AsB, together with smaller quantities of DMA and, more importantly, inorganic arsenic. The major species found in plant was MMA, together with inorganic arsenic at various levels, ranging from minor to trace, dependent upon the part of the plant. Total concentrations of arsenic in the sediments covered a range up to 285 µg gˉ¹, and showed a steep decreasing concentration gradient downstream from the upper mined areas to the estuary. AsV was the major species found in the sediment samples with smaller quantities of AsIII and MMA. The presence of the more toxic inorganic forms of arsenic in water, sediments and biota samples has implications for human health, particularly as they are readily 'available'. Considering the dynamic conditions found in the river basin between the dry and wet (monsoon) season, the supply of these highly toxic arsenic species to humans and environment is likely to continue. This may be for many years, particularly when the levels of arsenic stored in river sediments are considered. Higher rainfall could remobilize arsenic from the various main and intermediate sources and could be carried on SPM, especially on fine particulate matter, to the Pak Pa-Nang Estuary and also the Gulf of Thailand. From this study, the implications of arsenic transport within the water management system for the Pak Pa-Nang River Basin are highlighted.

It is argued in this thesis that the climate signal shows more strongly in the runoff regime of the Gambia River Basin (GRB) than the signal from deforestation. Partial and multiple regression was used to partition the effects on runoff of rainfall characteristics and deforestation over the GRB since the turn of this century. The expected shorter, higher more rapidly responding wet season flood peaks which result from deforestation have not occurred in the GRB. Rather, peak floods have fluctuated since the beginning of the century, but showing a clear declining trend similar to the rainfall regime. The large size (z 7550 km') of the sub-catchments of the GRB inhibit synchronisation of the rapid runoff that is associated with deforestation. Furthermore, deforestation, as it occurs in the GRB, takes place piece-meal as small plots of land are cleared. The nature of clearance of vegetation is important; the vegetation cleared is either replaced with another type of vegetation, for example, groundnuts or millet, or is soon allowed to recover after a cropping phase. Surface and sub-surface hydrological processes within the GRB are therefore not subjected to the severe form of alteration that characterise massive and total clearance of vegetation schemes in urban development. However, deforestation has significantly affected low flowsthere are now longer periods of lower dry season flows, and these are ascribed to the diminishing recharge of ground water. By augmenting overland flow and reducing interception and infiltration, deforestation causes a reduction in ground water recharge, which is an important component of dry season flows. Both climate change and deforestation have worked in parallel to cause a fluctuating but declining flow regime of the Gambia River. This, in turn, affects both the agricultural potential and productivity of the GRB.

The Senegal River Basin (SRB), located in the Sahel region of West Africa is undergoing fundamental environmental, hydrologic and socio-economic transitions simultaneously. The tri-nation (Senegal, Mauritania and Mali) river basin development authority, the Organisation pour la Mise en Valeur du Fleuve Senegal (OMVS) is attempting to execute a shift to irrigated rice production in the river basin for domestic consumption, to ease the severe foreign exchange shortfalls these riparian nations face. Compounding the severe effects of the drought on the river basin ecology is the negative impact of the state imposed agricultural policy of rice production. Rice production in the arid river valley has been a financial and social failure. This study postulates an alternative utilization of the scarce water resources in the basin. The water demand pattern for an alternative natural resources management focused agricultural development policy is based on the irrigation water requirements of well-researched village-scale irrigation projects in the SRB, and intensive irrigated agro-forestry projects. The agro-forestry production system analyzed has the joint objectives of using irrigation to re-establish a protective, diverse and productive bio-mass cover in the desertifying river valley, and to reverse the tide of drought induced migration from rural to urban areas. A comparative river system simulation study was conducted to analyze the effects of both the rice production development policy (policy RP) and the natural resources management policy (policy NRM), on the full agricultural development potential of the SRB. Alternative hydrologic scenarios were generated for the simulation study according to the Senegal River time series analysis, for the historical level, 1970s level drought and 1980s level drought. For all hydrologic scenarios the lower over-all demand pattern exerted by policy NRM allowed a higher full development potential than for policy RP. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

The Quinnipiac River Basin, located in South-Central Connecticut, flows 38 miles from its headwaters in New Britain and Plainville, Connecticut to its mouth in New Haven Harbor. The basin is heavily developed, with the majority of the land in the basin classified as residential and urban. The five municipal water pollution control facilities and one large privately-owned water pollution control facility operating in the Quinnipiac Basin are responsible for maintaining acceptable levels of water quality in the Quinnipiac River. While the current water quality management practices within the Quinnipiac River basin are capable of meeting the various water quality standards, changes in the water quality management system may require an adjustment or alteration of the current management practices. The focus of this study is the identification of possible improvements to the current water resources management practices in the Quinnipiac Basin and a discussion of the feasibility of the proposed improvements.

Water issues in the Lower San Pedro River basin in southeastern Arizona are becoming increasingly contentious as urban development, agriculture, and mining needs compete with the needs of the riparian habitat. To better understand the water demands in this basin, a new groundwater flow model has been created. First, the conceptual model was produced using various Geographic Information System (GIS) applications. A new method allocating digital precipitation data to the smaller drainages within the watershed was used to estimate mountain front recharge. Well data was gathered from both the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR). Depth to bedrock was interpolated from an earlier gravity survey of the area. The current extent of riparian vegetation was determined by recent United States Forest Service aerial photography. GIS shapefiles were created depicting the data necessary for MODFLOW. Second, the numerical MODFLOW model was formed using GMS (Groundwater Modeling System), a graphical user interface for MODFLOW. GMS was used to create the grid, allocate the information from the shapefiles into MODFLOW input files, create the MODFLOW numerical model, and calibrate the model. The model results project potential impacts to the overall sustainability of groundwater within the basin. In the future, the model will be used as an administrative tool to assess alternative land management scenarios and their abilities to sustain or improve the riparian habitat along the San Pedro River.

Thesis (M.S.)--Central Connecticut State University, 1999.
Thesis advisor: Dr. Susan W. Millar. " ... in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Geography." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 118-121).

La région Indo-Birmane est un formidable hotspot de diversité biologique, mais il existe un manque évident de connaissances fiables sur la diversité des poissons, la biologie et l'histoire de vie des communautés, ainsi que des approches de modélisation des données. Ce travail de thèse apporte des informations sur la diversité des poissons et de la distribution dans une zone de montagne de haute et de basse altitude dans la partie supérieure du bassin du fleuve Chao Phraya, en Thaïlande. Des données de terrain ont été collectées sur quatorze années entre Janvier 1996 et avril 2009, couvrant 272 enquêtes dans 10 sous-bassins hydrographiques fournissant la richesse spécifique et des indices de diversité. Cette thèse a été divisée en 3 niveaux principaux : le niveau taxonomique (niveau descriptif), la biologie des poissons (niveau descriptif et prédictif), et la diversité des assemblages de poissons en fonction des facteurs environnementaux (niveau prédictif). Tout d'abord, concernant l'étude de la diversité des poissons (publication 1, P1): la raréfaction a été utilisée pour extrapoler la richesse spécifique et le nombre optimal d'espèces dans le bassin supérieur du fleuve Chao Phraya. Deux cent une espèces réparties dans 104 genres et 34 familles ont été collectées, dont 16 espèces exotiques. Les poissons sont dominés par la famille des Cyprinidae, suivie par les Balitoridae et les Cobitidae, caractéristiques de la zone de haute altitude. Le taux d'endémisme global dans la zone a été estimé à environ 10%. La plupart des espèces de poissons est particulièrement caractéristique des habitats rhithroniques. Ensuite, nous avons étudié la dynamique de population des espèces de poissons clefs de la zone d'étude à savoir, (1) l'histoire de vie d'un cyprinidae Henicorhynchus siamensis (Sauvage, 1881) d'un petit réservoir (Publication 2; P2) et (2) la biologie de la reproduction et la conservation de l'espèce vulnérable des cours d'eau thaïlandais Oreoglanis siamensis aux contreforts de l'Himalaya (Publication 3; P3). Les deux espèces sont des représentants de l'état écologique des écosystèmes lentiques et lotiques. H. Siamensis est une espèce riverine migratrice qui s'adapte bien à des conditions de réservoir (eau stagnante) et c'est un poisson économiquement important en apportant une source de protéines à des populations rurales de la région. La reproduction, le régime alimentaire et la croissance de H. Siamensis ont été étudiés. Par exemple, on sait que la ponte est en saison humide, la taille de maturité est d'environ 200 mm, et l'espèce se nourrit de phytoplancton, etc. Par contre, O. Siamensis est une espèce vulnérable et endémique, qui vit dans eaux rapides froides de haute montagne. La période de frai est la saison sèche. La taille de maturité est de 68,9mm pour mâles et de 82,4mm pour les femelles et le taux de fécondité est d'environ 31 œufs de grande taille (arphi ~= 3 mm). Enfin, nous avons étudié les relations entre paramètres biologiques et paramètres environnementaux, visant à expliquer les assemblages des poissons dans la zone d'étude (Publication 4; P4). Les patrons de diversité des assemblages de poissons dans la zone amont du bassin de la rivière Ping-Wang ont été étudiés. Des outils mathématiques (par exemple, SOM, ANN) ont été utilisés pour analyser les relations entre paramètres environnementaux (physico-chimiques et paramètres géomorphologiques dans le bassin de la rivière longitudinal et la diversité des poissons. Les arbres de classification et de régression (CART) ont montré que les paramètres géo-morphologiques ont été plus importants dans le modèle de prédiction à la fois pour la richesse spécifique et l'indice de diversité de Shannon. Les paramètres physico-chimiques sont moins importants, et exprimés surtout par l'altitude. Les poissons ont été classés dans 4 groupes d'assemblage à savoir, montagne, piémont, zone de transition et de plaine. Enfin, les effets de barrage sur les assemblages de poissons de rivière ont été montrés dans la Publication 5 (P5). Le SOM (self-organizing map) a été utilisé pour classer les communautés de poissons. Trois communautés de poissons ont été obtenues, à savoir de réservoir, de ruisseau et de la zone intermédiaire. Les communautés des réservoirs caractérisées par des espèces adaptées aux conditions lentiques sont par exemple Labiobarbus lineatus, (Sauvage, 1878) et Puntioplites proctozysron (Bleeker, 1865), alors que les espèces rhéophiles sont par exemple Rasbora paviana Tirant, 1885 et Channa gachua (Hamilton, 1822). La communauté de la zone intermédiaire contenait un mélange d'espèces des deux autres communautés. Le pourcentage global de bonne prédiction par le modèle a été de 66,0% : le modèle a correctement prédit 100% des communautés de réservoir, mais très peu de communautés rhéophiles (40%). Les communautés de poissons dans la zone d'étude sont menacées par la déforestation, la collecte des poissons d'aquarium, et la présence des espèces exotiques dans la partie supérieure. La présence des espèces évadées de l'aquaculture devrait être un facteur important en termes d'hybridation génétique. Toutefois, dans le bassin du fleuve Chao Phraya, les travaux sur l'écologie aquatique et la diversité des poissons sont peu nombreux et plus d'études scientifiques sont nécessaires pour atteindre le but ultime de l'utilisation rationnelle et durable des ressources aquatiques de cette région
Indo-Burma hotspot is an incredibly rich biological diversity area, but lack of reliable fish diversity, biology and life history, fish assemblage, and modeling approaches data. This present works on fish diversity and distribution in a unique high altitude mountain to lowland area in the upper part of the Chao Phraya river basin, Thailand. Fourteen years of field dataset in the basin were used, collected between January 1996 and April 2009, covering 272 surveys of 10 sub-river basins to produce species richness and diversity indices. This thesis was divided into 3 main levels viz. , taxonomic level (descriptive level), biology and life history of fishes (descriptive level to predictive level), and assemblages of fish diversity as function of environmental factors (predictive level). Firstly, fish diversity study (Publication 1; P1): the rarefaction was employed to extrapolate species richness and optimum species numbers in the upper Chaophraya river basin. Two hundred and one species in 104 genera and 34 families were collected, including 16 exotic species. Cyprinidae fish family was dominated, followed by Balitoridae and Cobitidae, implying the characteristic of high altitude area. The overall endemism in the area was found to be about 10%. Most of the fish communities were especially characterized by rhithronic habitants. Second, there were studies investigating life history and population dynamics of the keystone fish species in the study area i. E. , (1) life history of riverine cyprinid Henicorhynchus siamensis (Sauvage, 1881) in a small reservoir (Publication 2; P2) and (2) reproductive biology and conservation approaches of a vulnerable species Siamese Freshwater batfish (Oreoglanis siamensis) from foothill Himalayan, Thailand (Publication 3; P3), both species were the representative of lentic and lotic ecosystem conditions. H. Siamensis has a well adaptation from riverine species to reservoir conditions (stagnant water) and it was an important economic fish providing protein source to rural people around the reservoir. The reproductive, feeding aspects and growth of H. Siamensis were studied e. G. Spawning season in wet season, the length of 50% maturity (about 200 mm), and feed on phytoplankton, etc. Meanwhile, O. Siamensis is a vulnerable species and endemic species, which inhabits cold swift of high mountain streams. The spawning time occurred in dry season. Meanwhile, the length of 50% maturity were 68. 9 (males) and 82. 4 (females) mm and it was a few fecundity (31. 41 ± 7. 67 eggs) and large eggs (arphi ~= 3 mm). Thirdly, there were studies about the relationships between biological parameters and environmental parameters which were also beneficial to investigate fish diversity and assemblage patterns in the studied area (Publication 4; P4). Fish diversity and assemblage patterns in the rhitral environment of the Ping-Wang river basin were investigated. Mathematics tool models (e. G. SOM, ANN) were used for analysing of the relationship between environmental parameters (physicochemical and geo-morphological parameters and fish diversity in longitudinal in the river basin, and the prediction of its diversity. The classification and regression trees showed that the geo-morphological parameters were more significant in controlling and predicting both species richness and Shannon diversity index than the physicochemical parameters, in which altitude was the most significant. The fish assemblages were organized into 4 assemblage patterns viz. , mountainous, piedmont, transitory and lowland species. And lastly, the investigation of the effects of dam to the riverine fish assemblages was showed in Publication 5 (P5). A self-organizing map (SOM) was used to cluster the fish community; three fish communities were obtained characterizing reservoir-, stream- and intermediate- communities. The reservoir communities were characterized by "lentic-adapted" fish i. E. Labiobarbus lineatus, (Sauvage, 1878) and Puntioplites proctozysron (Bleeker, 1865), whereas rheophilic species, i. E. Rasbora paviana Tirant, 1885 and Channa gachua (Hamilton, 1822), were dominant in the stream community. The intermediate community contained a mixture of species from both the other communities. The overall percentage of successful prediction by the model was 66. 0 %: the model was 100% accurate for the prediction of the reservoir community but very low for the stream community (40%). Threats to fish communities were deforestation, collection for aquarium fish, and the distribution of the exotic species in the upper reaches. Meanwhile distribution of aquaculture escapes should be a concerned in terms of genetic hybridization. However, in the Chao Phraya river basin, research on the aquatic ecology and fish diversity are few and need more scientific information to reach the ultimate goal of wise and sustained uses of aquatic resources

In the 1980s, USAID (US Agency for International Development) funded an environmental assessment of dams on the Gambia River, which determined that construction of the Balingho anti-salinity barrage would result in adverse unmitigative environmental and social consequences. Attempts by host country politicians, USAID and UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) to discredit this process made it necessary to take the matter to the Natural Resource Defense Council. A case study of the events surrounding these dams and their potential construction illustrates the ‘big dam’ paradigm and its potential harm to people, their livelihoods and the environment in Sub-Saharan Africa.

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k Menderes River Basin located in western Turkey has been facing continuous groundwater level decreases for the past 30 years. In dry periods, irrigation demand is completely met by pumping from groundwater system, which reduces water levels significantly. This provides enough storage to be recharged in wet seasons when streams are running. However, increased runoff in wet season are not utilized neither for irrigation nor for recharge and lost to the Aegean Sea without being infiltrated. Hence, surface artificial recharge methods can be useful to collect excess water in recharge basins, thus allowing infiltration to increase groundwater storage in wet seasons to be later utilized in dry seasons. A 2-D groundwater model is set up by using SEEP/W software. The material functions and parameters used in the model for saturated/ unsaturated conditions are taken from previous studies. Calibration was done to check the accuracy of input data and to control the validity of model. The amount of excess water that will be collected in recharge basins was estimated from flood frequency analysis. Concerning different probabilities, different scenarios were simulated to observe the increase in groundwater levels. Simulation results suggest that significant increase in groundwater storage could be achieved by applying artificial recharge methods. In addition to recharge basins, to reinforce the effect of artificial recharge, simulations were repeated with the addition of an underground dam at downstream side of the basin. Simulation results indicate that the increase in groundwater storage is not sufficient to warrant construction of the underground dam.

Rivers belong to the world’s most complex ecosystems but increasing demands for water are degrading rivers worldwide. The increase in human populations and activities has resulted in an intense and difficult conflict between the development of rivers as a natural resource and their function as living ecosystems. It is now widely recognized that a naturally variable flow regime is required to sustain freshwater ecosystems. Many countries that experience river degradation have started to implement environmental flows, i.e. the unallocated flow purposely preserved in a river. The objectives of this thesis are twofold. The first aim is to briefly describe the concept and science of environmental flows and the different methodologies for calculating environmental flows. This was done based on a literature review of the subject. The second aim is to present a case study calculating the environmental flow requirements. The case study was conducted through a field study in the Buzi River basin in Mozambique and the subsequent modeling of the environmental flow requirements. The literature study showed that not only the quantity of water is important; the timing and frequency of floods, droughts, low flows and high flows are very important as well. The literature study also showed that the advances in environmental flow science have been remarkable while the water policy and management has not been equally successful in implementing environmental flow standards. The calculation of environmental flow requirements was done with the Desktop Reserve Model developed in South Africa. The results indicated that to maintain the ecological status in the Buzi River at a largely natural condition (ecological category A) an average allocation of 57 % of mean annual runoff (MAR) is required. The present ecological status was determined in Revue River, which is one of the three major tributaries to Buzi River. To maintain the Revue River at its present ecological state requires an environmental flow between 23-37 % of MAR. The major environmental threats in Revue River are erosion and flow modification. The erosion is a consequence from artisanal gold mining, inadequate farming practices and deforestation. The flow alterations are caused by the large Chicamba Dam constructed for the generation of hydropower. One of the questions this thesis aimed to answer was if it was possible to set the present ecological state with a limited amount of data. This study showed that it could be possible but that the confidence level will be low. The relationships between ecological metrics and flow alterations must be investigated in detail for this region before environmental flow requirements can be successfully calculated and implemented.
Floder hör till jordens mest komplexa och känsliga ekosystem, men ett ökat tryck på våra vattenresurser har försämrat situationen för många av världens floder. Befolkningsökningen och den globala utvecklingen har resulterat i en intensiv och komplicerad konflikt mellan utnyttjandet av floder som en naturresurs och bevarandet av deras funktion som unika ekosystem. Det är nu allmänt accepterat att den naturliga flödesvariabiliteten behövs för att bevara våra sötvattenekosystem. Flera länder där försämringen av floder är ett faktum har börjat införa miljöanpassade flöden, det vill säga vatten som medvetet tilldelas flodens ekosystem. Det finns två syften med det här examensarbetet. Det första är att genom en litteraturstudie beskriva miljöanpassade flöden och de modeller som används för att beräkna detta flöde. Det andra målet är att göra en fallstudie och beräkna det miljöanpassade flödet och bestämma den ekologiska statusen för Buzi floden i Moçambique. Litteraturstudien visade att det inte bara är kvantiteten av vatten som är viktigt; tidpunkt och återkomsten av översvämning, torka, lågflöden och högflöden är mycket viktiga om man vill efterlikna det naturliga flödet. Litteraturstudien visade även att framstegen i kunskapen om miljöanpassade flöden har varit stora medan vattenlagstiftningens anpassning och införandet av miljöanpassade flöden har varit svag i flera avseenden. Modellerandet gjordes med den sydafrikanska Desktop Reserve Model. Resultaten från modellen visade att för att bibehålla den ekologiska statusen för Buzi floden i ett nära naturligt stadium (ekologisk klass A) krävs en tilldelning på 57% av medelårsavrinningen. Den nuvarande ekologiska statusen bestämdes i Revue floden, som är en av tre huvudfloder i Buzi avrinningsområdet. För att behålla Revue floden i sitt nuvarande tillstånd skulle kräva ett miljöanpassat flöde på mellan 23-37% av medelårsavrinningen. De största ekologiska hoten i Revue floden visade studien var erosion och flödesförändringar. Erosionen är en konsekvens av guldutgrävning, jordbruk med fel teknik, och skogs­­avverkning. Flödesförändringarna härrör från den stora vattenkraftsstationen Chicamba Dam. En av frågorna den här studien syftade till att besvara var om det är möjligt att bestämma den nuvarande ekologiska statusen med en begränsad tillgång till data. Studien visade att det är möjligt men att osäkerhetsnivån i resultatet kommer att vara stort. Studien visade även att modellen Desktop Reserve Model kan användas för snabba beräkningar av det miljöanpassade flödet, men att mer utförliga studier som till exempel Building Block Methodology måste genomföras innan resultatet med säkerhet kan verifieras. Relationen mellan ekologiska förändringar och flödesvariationer måste utredas i detalj för studieområdet innan de miljö­anpassade flödesbehoven kan bli implementerade med framgång.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville District, maintains ten reservoirs in the Cumberland River Basin in Kentucky and Tennessee, and has been monitoring sediment chemistry in the reservoirs since 1994. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the sediment data collected from the reservoirs from 1994 to 2010 to determine if there are any spatial patterns of the trace elements: arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel, and zinc. The results indicated that trace element levels were consistent with national baseline concentrations measured by the U.S. Geological Survey. Center Hill reservoir had the greatest number of trace element concentrations (all except cadmium) that were significantly higher when compared to all other reservoirs. The degree of urbanization in the reservoir basins was based on population density from the 2000 Census and the percentage of developed land using the 2006 national land cover dataset. Aquatic toxicity values were used as a measure of sediment quality. The reservoirs with the worst aquatic toxicity rankings were not the most urban, instead they were the reservoirs with the longest retention times. Therefore, it may be concluded that retention time has a larger effect on Cumberland River Basin sediment concentrations than the type of land use or the degree of urbanization. The results also indicate that it may be prudent to include an evaluation of quality based on aquatic toxicity when monitoring sediment quality, and that when reservoirs are the subject of sediment quality assessments, the consideration of the physical properties of the reservoir, especially the retention time, is essential for a comprehensive evaluation. This may also imply that sediment quality in reservoirs may effectively be regulated by water resource management techniques at the reservoirs that affect retention time.

This essay explores the often overlooked but critical role of Punjabi laborers of Oregon in forming the radical Indian nationalist Ghadar Party in 1913. It addresses the international, national, and local forces behind the Punjabis’ migration to the state and the particular conditions they encountered once there. Framed by a series of post-9/l 1 concerns about the targeting of Arabs, Muslims, and South Asians, this inquiry explores not only the historical and social constructions of “us” and “them,” citizen and non-citizen, but the experience of Punjabi migrant laborers in remote Astoria, Oregon, where hardened racial and national lines were seemingly loosened. The repercussions of this were, I argue, global in nature, signaling the trans-national and indeed trans-hemispheric constituents of processes and events typically thought of as local and isolated. At a fundamental level, then, this thesis seeks to join the micro and macro, the particular and the general, and by virtue of excavating a “case study,” argues for a reconfigured approach that sees local history and global history as indissoluble.