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Vilanculos, Agostinho Chuquelane Fadulo. "The use of hydrological information to improve flood management-integrated hydrological modelling of the Zambezi River basin." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1018915.
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The recent high profile flooding events – that have occurred in many parts of the world – have drawn attention to the need for new and improved methods for water resources assessment, water management and the modelling of large-scale flooding events. In the case of the Zambezi Basin, a review of the 2000 and 2001 floods identified the need for tools to enable hydrologists to assess and predict daily stream flow and identify the areas that are likely to be affected by flooding. As a way to address the problem, a methodology was set up to derive catchment soil moisture statistics from Earth Observation (EO) data and to study the improvements brought about by an assimilation of this information into hydrological models for improving reservoir management in a data scarce environment. Rainfall data were obtained from the FEWSNet Web site and computed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Climatic Prediction Center (NOAA/CPC). These datasets were processed and used to monitor rainfall variability and subsequently fed into a hydrological model to predict the daily flows for the Zambezi River Basin. The hydrological model used was the Geospatial Stream Flow Model (GeoSFM), developed by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). GeoSFM is a spatially semi-distributed physically-based hydrological model, parameterised using spatially distributed topographic data, soil characteristics and land cover data sets available globally from both Remote Sensing and in situ sources. The Satellite rainfall data were validated against data from twenty (20) rainfall gauges located on the Lower Zambezi. However, at several rain gauge stations (especially those with complex topography, which tended to experience high rainfall spatial variability), there was no direct correlation between the satellite estimates and the ground data as recorded in daily time steps. The model was calibrated for seven gauging stations. The calibrated model performed quite well at seven selected locations (R2=0.66 to 0.90, CE=0.51 to 0.88, RSR=0.35 to 0.69, PBIAS=−4.5 to 7.5). The observed data were obtained from the National Water Agencies of the riparian countries. After GeoSFM calibration, the model generated an integration of the flows into a reservoir and hydropower model to optimise the operation of Kariba and Cahora Bassa dams. The Kariba and Cahora Bassa dams were selected because this study considers these two dams as the major infrastructures for controlling and alleviating floods in the Zambezi River Basin. Other dams (such as the Kafue and Itezhi-Thezi) were recognised in terms of their importance but including them was beyond the scope of this study because of financial and time constraints. The licence of the reservoir model was limited to one year for the same reason. The reservoir model used was the MIKE BASIN, a professional engineering software package and quasi-steady-state mass balance modelling tool for integrated river basin and management, developed by the Denmark Hydraulic Institute (DHI) in 2003. The model was parameterised by the geometry of the reservoir basin (level, area, volume relationships) and by the discharge-level (Q-h) relationship of the dam spillways. The integrated modelling system simulated the daily flow variation for all Zambezi River sub-basins between 1998 and 2008 and validated between 2009 and 2011. The resulting streamflows have been expressed in terms of hydrograph comparisons between simulated and observed flow values at the four gauging stations located downstream of Cahora Bassa dam. The integrated model performed well, between observed and forecast streamflows, at four selected gauging stations (R2=0.53 to 0.90, CE=0.50 to 0.80, RSR=0.49 to 0.69, PBIAS=−2.10 to 4.8). From the results of integrated modelling, it was observed that both Kariba and Cahora Bassa are currently being operated based on the maximum rule curve and both remain focused on maximising hydropower production and ensuring dam safety rather than other potential influences by the Zambezi River (such as flood control downstream – where the communities are located – and environmental issues). In addition, the flood mapping analysis demonstrated that the Cahora Bassa dam plays an important part in flood mitigation downstream of the dams. In the absence of optimisation of flow releases from both the Kariba and Cahora Bassa dams, in additional to the contribution of any other tributaries located downstream of the dams, the impact of flooding can be severe. As such, this study has developed new approaches for flood monitoring downstream of the Zambezi Basin, through the application of an integrated modelling system. The modelling system consists of: predicting daily streamflow (using the calibrated GeoSFM), then feeding the predicted streamflow into MIKE BASIN (for checking the operating rules) and to optimise the releases. Therefore, before releases are made, the flood maps can be used as a decision-making tool to both assess the impact of each level of release downstream and to identify the communities likely to be affected by the flood – this ensures that the necessary warnings can be issued before flooding occurs. Finally an integrated flood management tool was proposed – to host the results produced by the integrated system – which would then be accessible for assessment by the different users. These results were expressed in terms of water level (m). Four discharge-level (Q-h) relationships were developed for converting the simulated flow into water level at four selected sites downstream of Cahora Bassa dam – namely: Cahora Bassa dam site, Tete (E-320), Caia (E-291) and Marromeu (E-285). However, the uncertainties in these predictions suggested that improved monitoring systems may be achieved if data access at appropriate scale and quality was improved.
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Tirivarombo, Sithabile. "Climate variability and climate change in water resources management of the Zambezi River basin." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002955.
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Water is recognised as a key driver for social and economic development in the Zambezi basin. The basin is riparian to eight southern African countries and the transboundary nature of the basin’s water resources can be viewed as an agent of cooperation between the basin countries. It is possible, however, that the same water resource can lead to conflicts between water users. The southern African Water Vision for ‘equitable and sustainable utilisation of water for social, environmental justice and economic benefits for the present and future generations’ calls for an integrated and efficient management of water resources within the basin. Ensuring water and food security in the Zambezi basin is, however, faced with challenges due to high variability in climate and the available water resources. Water resources are under continuous threat from pollution, increased population growth, development and urbanisation as well as global climate change. These factors increase the demand for freshwater resources and have resulted in water being one of the major driving forces for development. The basin is also vulnerable due to lack of adequate financial resources and appropriate water resources infrastructure to enable viable, equitable and sustainable distribution of the water resources. This is in addition to the fact that the basin’s economic mainstay and social well-being are largely dependent on rainfed agriculture. There is also competition among the different water users and this has the potential to generate conflicts, which further hinder the development of water resources in the basin. This thesis has focused on the Zambezi River basin emphasising climate variability and climate change. It is now considered common knowledge that the global climate is changing and that many of the impacts will be felt through water resources. If these predictions are correct then the Zambezi basin is most likely to suffer under such impacts since its economic mainstay is largely determined by the availability of rainfall. It is the belief of this study that in order to ascertain the impacts of climate change, there should be a basis against which this change is evaluated. If we do not know the historical patterns of variability it may be difficult to predict changes in the future climate and in the hydrological resources and it will certainly be difficult to develop appropriate management strategies. Reliable quantitative estimates of water availability are a prerequisite for successful water resource plans. However, such initiatives have been hindered by paucity in data especially in a basin where gauging networks are inadequate and some of them have deteriorated. This is further compounded by shortages in resources, both human and financial, to ensure adequate monitoring. To address the data problems, this study largely relied on global data sets and the CRU TS2.1 rainfall grids were used for a large part of this study. The study starts by assessing the historical variability of rainfall and streamflow in the Zambezi basin and the results are used to inform the prediction of change in the future. Various methods of assessing historical trends were employed and regional drought indices were generated and evaluated against the historical rainfall trends. The study clearly demonstrates that the basin has a high degree of temporal and spatial variability in rainfall and streamflow at inter-annual and multi-decadal scales. The Standardised Precipitation Index, a rainfall based drought index, is used to assess historical drought events in the basin and it is shown that most of the droughts that have occurred were influenced by climatic and hydrological variability. It is concluded, through the evaluation of agricultural maize yields, that the basin’s food security is mostly constrained by the availability of rainfall. Comparing the viability of using a rainfall based index to a soil moisture based index as an agricultural drought indicator, this study concluded that a soil moisture based index is a better indicator since all of the water balance components are considered in the generation of the index. This index presents the actual amount of water available for the plant unlike purely rainfall based indices, that do not account for other components of the water budget that cause water losses. A number of challenges were, however, faced in assessing the variability and historical drought conditions, mainly due to the fact that most parts of the Zambezi basin are ungauged and available data are sparse, short and not continuous (with missing gaps). Hydrological modelling is frequently used to bridge the data gap and to facilitate the quantification of a basin’s hydrology for both gauged and ungauged catchments. The trend has been to use various methods of regionalisation to transfer information from gauged basins, or from basins with adequate physical basin data, to ungauged basins. All this is done to ensure that water resources are accounted for and that the future can be well planned. A number of approaches leading to the evaluation of the basin’s hydrological response to future climate change scenarios are taken. The Pitman rainfall-runoff model has enjoyed wide use as a water resources estimation tool in southern Africa. The model has been calibrated for the Zambezi basin but it should be acknowledged that any hydrological modelling process is characterised by many uncertainties arising from limitations in input data and inherent model structural uncertainty. The calibration process is thus carried out in a manner that embraces some of the uncertainties. Initial ranges of parameter values (maximum and minimum) that incorporate the possible parameter uncertainties are assigned in relation to physical basin properties. These parameter sets are used as input to the uncertainty version of the model to generate behavioural parameter space which is then further modified through manual calibration. The use of parameter ranges initially guided by the basin physical properties generates streamflows that adequately represent the historically observed amounts. This study concludes that the uncertainty framework and the Pitman model perform quite well in the Zambezi basin. Based on assumptions of an intensifying hydrological cycle, climate changes are frequently expected to result in negative impacts on water resources. However, it is important that basin scale assessments are undertaken so that appropriate future management strategies can be developed. To assess the likely changes in the Zambezi basin, the calibrated Pitman model was forced with downscaled and bias corrected GCM data. Three GCMs were used for this study, namely; ECHAM, GFDL and IPSL. The general observation made in this study is that the near future (2046-2065) conditions of the Zambezi basin are expected to remain within the ranges of historically observed variability. The differences between the predictions for the three GCMs are an indication of the uncertainties in the future and it has not been possible to make any firm conclusions about directions of change. It is therefore recommended that future water resources management strategies account for historical patterns of variability, but also for increased uncertainty. Any management strategies that are able to satisfactorily deal with the large variability that is evident from the historical data should be robust enough to account for the near future patterns of water availability predicted by this study. However, the uncertainties in these predictions suggest that improved monitoring systems are required to provide additional data against which future model outputs can be assessed.
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Yazawa, Taishi. "Design Flood Criteria toward Integrated Watershed Management in the Johor River Watershed, Malaysia." 京都大学 (Kyoto University), 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/2433/225577.
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Slemp, Christopher T. "An assessment of community capacity for sustainable watershed management in the lower Kaskaskia River watershed /." Available to subscribers only, 2009. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1966551511&sid=3&Fmt=2&clientId=1509&RQT=309&VName=PQD.
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Slemp, Christopher Thomas. "An Assessment of Community Capacity for Sustainable Watershed Management in the Lower Kaskaskia River Watershed." OpenSIUC, 2009. https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/theses/131.
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Sprawling low density housing and retail developments characterize the growth patterns of many communities nationally. These patterns of development have been associated with impairments in ecosystem services that are critical to the functioning of social and natural systems. In response to the negative implications of these patterns, watershed initiatives are taking place across the U.S. These initiatives are characterized by participatory decision making processes involving diverse community interest groups. Studies have indicated that leadership and social capital contribute to the success of these initiatives. A qualitative assessment of community capacity for sustainable watershed management was conducted in two Lower Kaskaskia River watersheds. The study communities of Belleville and O'Fallon, Illinois are located in the eastern metropolitan region of St. Louis, MO. The primary concerns of community managers and planners are related to managing growth and its negative impacts on economic, social, and natural capitals. Six research questions drove this capacity assessment: (1) How do diverse community managers and residents define community health, (2) What role does the natural environment play in perceptions of community health, (3) What are the perceived effects of urbanization on the study communities, (4) What are community stakeholders' beliefs about the level of environmental protection within their communities, (5) What are stakeholders' perceptions of their communities' ability to solve problems and (6) What are critical indicators of community capacity to engage in sustainable watershed management. Study findings suggest that healthy natural environments are an essential element of healthy communities. Indicators of community capacity for watershed management were identified by participants. This list of indicators can be used as a tool by residents that have identified a need for a watershed initiative in their community. Key findings suggest that developing a sustainable vision, networking between groups, and leadership play important roles in the successful implementation of community based watershed initiatives.
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Castern, Maureen P. "Stormwater quality management strategy: Peters Creek watershed." Thesis, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1985. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/50033.
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The effect of stormwater runoff on the water quality of Peters Creek was investigated. Creek water was sampled at rural, suburban and urban sites. Background and runoff samples were analyzed for sediment, nutrient and heavy metal concentrations.
The area upstream of the suburban site was found to contribute the greatest contamination to the creek but the heavy metal contributions were accumulated throughout the watershed. The creek water contained sufficient nutrients to potentially contribute to the eutrophication of Smith Mountain Lake downstream. As the watershed has been developed, flooding has increased in frequency.
The detrimental effects of runoff can be reduced in the watershed by clearing the trash from the creek bed, enforcing construction erosion control and creek bed alteration ordinances and by building a series of detention basins in the creek upstream from common sites of flooding.Master of Science
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Zhao, Xiaobing. "A spatial-temporal optimization approach to watershed management AMD treatment in the Cheat River Watershed, WV /." Morgantown, W. Va. : [West Virginia University Libraries], 2004. https://etd.wvu.edu/etd/controller.jsp?moduleName=documentdata&jsp%5FetdId=3790.
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2004.Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains xiii, 213 p. : ill. (some col.), maps (some col.). Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 164-172).
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Moreno, Ramírez Denise. "Variables that contribute to the success of watershed organizations: analysis of past efforts in developing nations with an application in the Mexican portion of the upper San Pedro River basin." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 2005. http://etd.library.arizona.edu/etd/GetFileServlet?file=file:///data1/pdf/etd/azu_etd_hy0315_sip1_w.pdf&type=application/pdf.
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Nagel, Alexander Cameron. "Analyzing Dam Feasibility in the Willamette River Watershed." PDXScholar, 2017. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/4012.
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This study conducts a dam-scale cost versus benefit analysis in order to explore the feasibility of each the 13 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) commissioned dams in Oregon’s Willamette River network. Constructed between 1941 and 1969, these structures function in collaboration to comprise the Willamette River Basin Reservoir System (WRBRS). The motivation for this project derives from a growing awareness of the biophysical impacts that dam structures can have on riparian habitats. This project compares each of the 13 dams being assessed, to prioritize their level of utility within the system. The study takes the metrics from the top three services (flood regulation, hydropower generation and recreation) and disservices (fish mortality, structural risk and water temperature hazards) and creates a rubric that scores the feasibility of each dam within the system. Within a range between 0 to 3 for three dam services and 0 to -4.5 for two disservices, the overall calculated score elucidates for each structure whether its contribution to the WRBRS is positive or negative.
Further analysis searches for spatiotemporal trends such as anomalous tributaries or magnified structural risk for structures exceeding a certain age. GIS data from the National Inventory of Dams (NID), U.S. Geologic Survey (USGS) water measurements, raw data from USACE, and peer-reviewed studies comprise the statistics that generate results for this analysis. The computed scores for each dam yield an average overall score of -1.31, and nine of the 13 structures have negative results, indicating that the WRBRS faces challenges going forward. The study seeks to contribute to the increasingly relevant examination of dam networks at the watershed scale.
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Kast, Jeffrey Benjamin. "Manure Management in the Maumee River Watershed and Watershed Modeling to Assess Impacts on Lake Erie's Water Quality." The Ohio State University, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1532009053900119.
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Kenney, Douglas S. 1964. "River basin administration and the Colorado: past practices and future alternatives." Diss., The University of Arizona, 1993. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/191177.
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The vast majority of large river systems in the United States cross (or comprise) one or more state lines, creating numerous administrative challenges. Addressing these multijurisdictional challenges in an efficient and equitable manner often requires the development of sophisticated institutional arrangements. Several types of "regional organizations" have been created for this purpose, including compact commissions, interstate councils, basin interagency committees, interagency-interstate commissions, federal-interstate compact commissions, federal regional agencies, and the single federal administrator format. These organizations feature a wide variety of authorities and responsibilities; what they inevitably share in common is a hostile political environment, a consequence of political geography and bureaucratic entrenchment. In this study, the challenges associated with the governance, administration, and management of interstate water resources are examined, using the Colorado River Basin as a case study. The Colorado is the only major river in the United States utilizing the "single federal administrator" format, an institutional arrangement that is often criticized for its subordination of the states and its concentration of policy-making authorities in the hands of administrators. When evaluated against carefully defined normative criteria, the Colorado is shown to feature many institutional deficiencies that are, in part, derivative of the Colorado's unique institutional arrangements. The primary objective of this study is to determine if the governance and management of the Colorado could be improved by the establishment of an alternative form of regional water organization. It is concluded that a type of federal-interstate compact commission, if carefully tailored to the political realities of the region, could improve many of the observed institutional deficiencies. This study also presents a widely-applicable methodology for the description and evaluation of institutional arrangements.
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Turland, Neil. "Integrated water management in the Credit River watershed, the municipal role." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1999. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/ftp01/MQ40444.pdf.
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Martinez, Rivera Luis Manuel. "Watershed Management to control Pollution in the Ayuquila River, Jalisco, Mexico." DigitalCommons@USU, 2004. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/6613.
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The Ayuquila River watershed is important to western Mexico because of its biodiversity, physiography, fisheries resources, and water production. However, human activities are continuingly affecting natural resources within the basin. Soil erosion, as result of land use change, agriculture in steep land, extensive grazing activities and forest fires; and water diversion and pollution of the Ayuquila River are two relevant issues that have affected the natural resources of this watershed.
This river system plays an important role in wildlife conservation, containing 29 fish species, of which 12 are found inside the BRSM. The River also contains nine species of crustacean, one that is endemic to Jalisco State. The otter (Lontra longicaudis), a species threatened within the BRSM, is found in the Ayuquila- Armeria River watershed.
This research focused on the reduction of river pollution and the reduction of negative impacts of water pollution delivered to those communities, some of the poorest in the state of Jalisco, that live downstream of the valley. This research was also designed as a way to increase the knowledge of soil erosion processes and water quantity and quality in tropical environments and to test and develop new tools that might facilitate parameter estimation and predictive capabilities within the Ayuquila River watershed. Research efforts in this dissertation had focused on the development of new scientific information about point and nonpoint-source pollution within the Ayuquila River based on three main research studies, the investigation into trail erosion, the production of an erosion sensitive map, and documenting and modeling water quantity and quality in the Ayuquila Watershed.
Major concerns that this research seeks to contribute a solution, is to reduce negative impacts on public health, degradation in fisheries resources as source of local food supply, domestic water supplies for those communities, some of the poorest in the state of Jalisco, that live downstream the valley and that do not receive any benefit from the economic development of the Autlan- El Grullo Valley.
Results from the commercial trail study, with sediment productions close to 100 ton/ha/yr, showed the importance of the application of conservation practices to reduce the potential erosion from commercial trails in my study area and potentially other tropical forests of Latin-American. The WEPP model used to predict soil erosion in the tropical mountain environments of Mexico was shown to be an adequate tool even with WEPP's limitations for tropical soil environments. WEPP effectively contributed to the estimation of sediment plume production on trails, detected vegetation type differences in runoff and soil erosion, predicted the amount of rainfall as runoff well, and adequately developed soil erosion sensitive maps. Water diversion and pollution within the Ayuquila River are important sources of disturbance in the ecological conditions of riparian ecosystems. These two impacts cause a potential break in the ecological continuity of the Ayuquila River. Water quantity and quality modeling will provide opportunities for discussion and analysis of alternatives to water management and possible impacts to the river.
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Scott, Casey G. "Biological water quality assessment of the Little Wolf River watershed /." Link to full text, 2007. http://epapers.uwsp.edu/thesis/2007/scott.pdf.
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Hess, Anna N. "The Wolf River and Rock River watersheds : developing a regional curve for bankfull stage /." Link to full text, 2009. http://epapers.uwsp.edu/thesis/2009/Hess.pdf.
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Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stevens Point, 2009.Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree Master of Science in Natural Resources (Water Resources), College of Natural Resources. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 113-115).
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Samba, Idrissa. "Simulation of rainfall, runoff, peakflow and soil loss in the upper Gambia River Basin." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 1986. http://etd.library.arizona.edu/etd/GetFileServlet?file=file:///data1/pdf/etd/azu_etd_hy0324_sip1_w.pdf&type=application/pdf.
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Mott, Lacroix Kelly, Bailey Kennett, Ashley Hullinger, Christopher Fullerton, Mark Apel, and William Brandau. "Wet Water and Paper Water in the Upper Gila River Watershed." College of Agriculture, University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ), 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/625412.
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5 pp.As one of Arizona’s principal surface water systems, the Gila River has and will continue to be a valuable and highly sought after water source. The river, its tributaries, and underlying groundwater reserves have enabled a robust farming, ranching, and mining heritage, while providing a rich and diverse riparian landscape in an arid region. However, as much as these water resources have shaped the history of the watershed, a variety of legal, economic, and climatic uncertainties will undoubtedly – and potentially drastically – influence future water supplies. An understanding of the area’s water limits and a broad-based effort to more efficiently manage water usage are critically needed to cope with these uncertainties and maintain a secure water supply to support community health and preserve the rural lifestyle so central to the region. This document summarizes the legal system for water in the Upper Gila Watershed and a conceptual water budget analysis to quantify the region’s available supply, relative to current and projected future demand.
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Kilpatrick, Gerrod Wayne. "Watershed Based Analysis For Water Quality Management Within The Escatawpa River System." MSSTATE, 2001. http://sun.library.msstate.edu/ETD-db/theses/available/etd-04052001-123036/.
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Assessment of water quality within the Escatawpa River system was accomplished utilizing the Better Assessment Science Integrating Point and Nonpoint Sources (BASINS 2.0) to develop the watershed model, and the CE-QUAL-W2 software to develop the estuary model. The watershed model was utilized to quantify both hydrodynamic and water quality (fecal coliforms) characteristics of the watershed for a simulation period spanning from 1990 through 1999. Herein, calibration and application results are presented for watershed and estuary simulations made in an uncoupled manner. The models were developed such that loose coupling of watershed and estuary models can be accomplished as a subsequent phase of this ongoing project. CE-QUAL-W2 model calibration was performed utilizing a set of site specific data acquired on the Escatawpa Estuary System during an intensive survey period of September 10-15, 1997. Dissolved oxygen levels in the system were closely examined, with regards to the impacts from point source discharges.
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Grow, David Earl. "Effects of substrate on dendrochronologic streamflow reconstruction: Paria River, Utah with fractal application to dendrochronology." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2002. http://etd.library.arizona.edu/etd/GetFileServlet?file=file:///data1/pdf/etd/azu_e9791_2002_312_sip1_w.pdf&type=application/pdf.
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Choquette, Carolyne. "Evaluating management practices to limit phosphorus losses from agricultural fields in the Castor watershed using the WEND model." Thesis, McGill University, 2005. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=81612.
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The objective of this study was to apply the WEND model, a nutrient mass balance model, to the Castor watershed in southern Quebec to evaluate phosphorus movement, storage and export over time. The WEND model was customized to run on a field-scale and then individually applied to 266 fields on the watershed for a 30-year simulation period. Field-specific information for the period of 1997-1999, was used as basic inputs to the model. Climatic information was obtained from local sources. The additional information required to run the model was derived from the literature. Model outputs were analysed at three different levels: (i) the overall watershed impacts, (ii) by cropping system, and (iii) for field management practices presenting a high risk of P losses. Specific outputs examined were: soil test Mehlich-III P, soil P saturation with aluminium, RUSLE soil loss potential and TP export.The model was used to examine the impacts of crop rotations, fertilizer application and tillage management on TP export. For the Castor watershed, the soil test P increased at a mean rate of 3.71 kg Mehlich-III P ha -1 yr-1, equivalent to a mean input of about 32 kg P2O5 ha-1 yr-1 in excess of plant requirements, assuming current field management practices remain constant.
If TP export is considered the most important parameter in terms of P contamination, crop rotations are a good alternative to continuous corn monocropping under which losses could reach as high as 3.36 kg TP ha-1 yr -1. Crop rotations were shown to be an important management practice that should be more carefully examined when establishing field management practices. Just one year of grassland within a rotation can greatly improve the overall environmental health of a watershed. The management of P inputs is also an important target for improvement, as fertiliser inputs often surpassed plant requirements by two- or three-fold.
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Cockerill, Coreen Henry. "Exploring the vested interest perspective as it applies to public involvement in watershed management planning lessons from an Ohio watershed /." Columbus, Ohio : Ohio State University, 2006. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=osu1148938093.
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Wolf, Graf Esther 1971. "Using HSPF to evaluate stormwater Best Management Practices in the Charles River Watershed." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/9718.
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Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering; and, (S.M.M.O.T.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, Technology and Policy Program, 1999.Includes bibliographical references (p. 168-174).
This thesis describes how the hydrologic computer model HSPF was used to model hydrologic and sediment transport in the Charles River Watershed and subsequently to evaluate stormwater management practices in the watershed. The thesis briefly describes the problem of stormwater pollution. It discusses U.S. federal laws, regulations and programs that are intended to address the issue, and then focuses on the state of Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has recently issued Stormwater Management Standards, which are used as guidelines by Conservation Commissions throughout the state, and which will soon become part of the Code of Massachusetts Regulations, DEP's Stormwater Management Standards require the use of any number of Best Management Practices (BMPs) that will reduce the average annual load of total suspended solids (TSS) in stormwater by 80%. This thesis briefly describes some common BMPs and discusses the validity of using TSS as a target pollutant. The thesis then describes in detail how the HSPF computer model was calibrated to predict sediment washoff and transport in the Charles River Watershed. It, then shows how the model was used to test the effectiveness of DEP's Stormwater Management Standards. The Standards were applied to the town of Franklin in the lower part of the watershed by changing the land use in the town in order to simulate development. The solids load from this new development was then reduced by 80%. According to the model predictions, if the Standards are applied only to the part of the watershed that falls under the jurisdiction of the law, then there might be little improvement seen in the river, However, if the standards arc applied wherever development occurs in the town, there may be noticeable improvement in tho levels of TSS concentration in the Charles River.
by Esther Wolf Graf.
S.M.M.O.T.
S.M.
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Materechera, Fenji. "Towards integrated catchment management : challenges surrounding implementation in the Gamtoos River catchment." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1018553.
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Water resource management has become a pertinent issue of global environmental concern in response to the conditions of a growing global population, increasing development and a limited freshwater supply. It is against the backdrop of such conditions that effective water resource management has gained popularity in seeking to ensure that the needs of the growing population will be met and secured for future generations. The notion of integrated water resource management (IWRM) is a perspective on water resource management that has evolved out of the global opinion that social and ecological systems are linked and therefore cannot be managed separately. The department of water affairs (DWA) in South Africa highlights the importance of approaching management of water resources from a catchment perspective which forms the basis for a particular integrated approach to management called integrated catchment management (ICM). ICM recognizes the catchment as the correct administrative unit for management. It integrates water resources and the land that forms the catchment area in planning and management. Researchers have described the implementation of ICM as being complicated and difficult. This is no exception to South Africa. Principles of ICM have received widespread prominence in South Africa as they have been incorporated into national water policy. Actual implementation however is still in its infancy. The study is therefore a case study of ICM with respect to factors influencing implementation amongst different stakeholders. The study aims to explore the theme of implementation of ICM within the context of the Gamtoos River Catchment with a view toward identifying and addressing challenges that may be more broadly applicable. The study adopts an inductive, exploratory approach to the connection between theory and practice. A systems-based framework characterized by sequential steps similar to that employed in a case study conducted by Bellamy et al. (2001) in Queensland Australia is used to facilitate the evaluation of ICM in the Gamtoos River Catchment. The evaluation is achieved through a three step process of exploration in the current study. Triangulation is applied to the choice of methods of analysis which involves the use of a global analysis method, the use of learning scenarios and a grounded theory method. Findings reveal seven core themes which help to provide a detailed, contextual understanding relating to the status quo for ICM in the catchment. Results from a grounded theory analysis summarized the main challenges to implementation into five broad categories. Based on this analysis method and the application of the three learning scenarios for the Gamtoos River Catchment, the extent to which these challenges exist was discovered. The state of ICM in the catchment was classified as falling within a condition of a level of success being achieved with room for improvement to a condition of optimal ICM. The study concludes that based on the context of ICM being an example of a Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS), this state of ICM in the Gamtoos River Catchment is subject to change. This therefore necessitates the consideration of approaches to implementation that are adaptive to change. Findings may serve to inform decision making on how ICM can be effectively implemented elsewhere in a South African context.
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Hancock, Jodie. "Understanding the emergence of adaptive water governance: a case study of the Cache River watershed of Southern Illinois." OpenSIUC, 2017. https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/theses/2220.
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The sustainable management of coupled social-ecological systems, such as water resource systems, requires institutional mechanisms for managing uncertainties and building more resilient social-ecological systems. Adaptive governance is an outcome of the search for a way to manage uncertainties and complexities within social-ecological systems. The concept of adaptive governance has emerged as a product of resilience theory and theoretical insights on common pool resources management. Adaptive governance refers to flexible multi-level institutions that connect state and non-state actors to facilitate a collaborative and learning-based approach to ecosystem management. As such, it has the potential to integrate social considerations into the decision process while also dealing with uncertainties in complex water resource systems. However, little is understood on how transitions toward adaptive governance systems take place and what criteria qualify a given institutional mechanism as an adaptive governance regime.
This thesis presents results on a study that was aimed at understanding the process and outcomes of transitions toward adaptive water governance by using the Cache River Joint Venture Partnership (CRWJVP) within the Cache River Watershed in Southern Illinois as a case study. Qualitative data for the study were generated through key informant interviews among members of the CRWJVP and other knowledgeable actors, document review, and participant observation. The results revealed that the transformation of the governance of the Cache River watershed through the emergence of the CRWJVP was the result of ecological crises that began a citizen-led effort to preserve the Cache River wetlands. Additionally, the transition process was facilitated through trust-building, incentives, leadership, enabling legislation, and the role of bridging organizations. The results also showed that when compared to the attributes of an adaptive governance system, the current governance system of the Cache River watershed does not fully exhibit all the ideal attributes. However, the CRWJVP is moving towards an adaptive governance regime through the recent utilization of decision-making processes for recognizing and managing conflicts and uncertainties in the management of the watershed. Barriers in the transition process and recommendations for overcoming them are also discussed in the thesis. In all, findings from this study should be of relevance to scientists and decision-makers interested in understanding and enhancing transitions toward adaptive governance for the sustainable management of land and water resources in the Cache River watershed and elsewhere.
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Torpen, David Randal. "Stakeholder Preferences for Water Quality Alternatives in the Red River Basin." Thesis, North Dakota State University, 2007. https://hdl.handle.net/10365/29799.
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The objective of this research is to estimate stakeholder preferences for management alternatives within the Red River of the North basin. Specifically, this thesis analyzes preferences related to water quality, water-based recreation, water supply, and institution. Results are estimated using choice experiments. Data show that residents are willing to pay approximately $84 per year for wetland restoration, $76 per year for additional bike trails, and $117 for enhanced fishery management. Taken to an aggregate level of all counties with land in the basin, willingness to pay is approximately $24 million for wetlands, $22 million for bike trails, and $34 million for enhanced fishery management. These values can assist institutions in making decisions related to the basin's water resources.National Institute for Water Research
Geological Survey (U.S.)
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Pitchford, Jonathan L. "Stream Restoration| Project Evaluation and Site Selection in the Cacapon River Watershed, West Virginia." Thesis, West Virginia University, 2013. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3538240.
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Stream restoration is being conducted throughout the world at unprecedented rates to address stream channel degradation and water quality concerns. Natural Channel Design (NCD) is a common method used for restoration and has received governmental endorsement; however, the effects of NCD on channel stability and ecosystem functioning are poorly studied. We examined the effects of a reach-scale NCD project on channel stability, riparian vegetation, and water quality along the Cacapon River, West Virginia using a before-after-control-impact design and determined that restoration increased the abundance and diversity of woody vegetation, but had minimal effects on streambank stability and water quality. Increased erosion rates in some portions of the restored reach were attributed to differences in pre-restoration stability, vegetation removal, and soil composition among sub-reaches. No differences in in-stream concentrations of total phosphorus, nitrates, ammonia, or total suspended solids were detected following restoration; however, in-stream turbidity was drastically increased during construction. This study is a clear example of the value of monitoring streambank migration, vegetation communities, and soils to evaluate the effects of stream restoration and to provide insight on potential reasons for treatment failure. Ideally, pre-restoration monitoring should be used to inform project design by determining restoration potential of areas selected for restoration.
As a surrogate for process monitoring, we created a maximum entropy model of streambank erosion potential (SEP) in a Geographic Information System (GIS) framework to prioritize sites for management and to determine which variables in the watershed are associated with excessive rates of streambank erosion. Model development included measuring erosion rates throughout a central Appalachian watershed, application of a quantitative approach to locate target areas for management termed Target Eroding Areas (TEAs), and collection of environmental data throughout the study extent using high resolution, remotely sensed data. A likelihood distribution of TEAs from occurrence records and associated environmental variables over our study extent was constructed using the program Maxent. All model validation procedures indicated that the model was an excellent predictor of TEAs, and that the major environmental variables controlling these processes were streambank slope, soil characteristics, shear stress, underlying geology, and riparian vegetation. A classification scheme with low, moderate, and high levels of erosion potential derived from logistic model output was able to differentiate sites with low erosion potential from sites with moderate and high erosion potential. This type of modeling framework can be used in any watershed to address uncertainty in stream restoration planning and practice.
To address the need for accurate, high resolution estimation of streambank erosion, we also explored the role of laser scanning for estimating streambank migration and volumetric sediment loss. This was accomplished by comparing estimates of streambank migration and volumetric sediment loss derived from repeated erosion pin, streambank profile, and combined airborne and terrestrial light detection and ranging (LiDAR) surveys. Results indicated that LiDAR derived estimates were larger and highly variable compared to estimates derived from erosion pin and streambank profile surveys, which more accurately represented change along the study reach. Inflated LiDAR estimates were most likely the result of combining high resolution terrestrial LiDAR with relatively low resolution airborne LiDAR that could not effectively capture topographic features such as undercut banks. Although cost-prohibitive in some cases, repeated terrestrial LiDAR scans would likely circumvent these issues with higher point densities and better scan angles facilitating more accurate representation of streambank geometry, ultimately providing more accurate estimates of channel change.
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Arufe, Jorge A. "Urbanization, water quality, and aquatic ecosystem condition in the lower Truckee River watershed." abstract and full text PDF (free order & download UNR users only), 2006. http://0-gateway.proquest.com.innopac.library.unr.edu/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:1436471.
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Stone, Jacob D. "REACHING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY WITH THE HIWASSEE RIVER WATERSHED COALITION." Miami University / OhioLINK, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1369150195.
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Wu, Xia. "Integrated river basin management : looking into the experiences of EU and China." Thesis, University of Macau, 2012. http://umaclib3.umac.mo/record=b2586417.
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Abedrabboh, Walid Yousef. "Multi-objective decision making applied for watershed development planning of Zarqa River Basin in Jordan." Diss., The University of Arizona, 1988. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/191142.
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In developing natural resources, decision makers are seeking to achieve different objectives, which cannot be reduced to a single objective such as economic efficiency, this covers only part of the problem. Tradeoffs between multiple objective of unequal importance is unavoidable in the process of selection or ranking of alternative developmental projects or plans. Multiobjective technique has the ability to deal with qualitative and quantitative objectives, also it enhances the planning process by involving broader segments of the society in the process of decision making. Compromise programming (CP) and utility worth analysis (UWA), two multiobjective methods were applied on Zarqa River Basin Project (ZRBP) in Jordan. Their appropriateness and suitability as decision aiding tools was examined in this study. For the purpose of the study, five criteria were developed to serve as a basis for the evaluation and 61 farmers and 15 technicians, planners and decision makers were interviewed. High consistency was observed among the results of ranking the six alternatives when both methods were applied, at the same time the ranking of the alternatives according to benefit/cost ratio and the internal rates of return as economic efficiency measures showed no agreement with the multiobjective ranking.
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Senyah, Hubert A. "Comparing Nitrogen and Phosphorous Trends in Two Watersheds: The Case of the Urban Cuyahoga and Agricultural Maumee Rivers." Connect to this document online, 2005. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=miami1133368795.
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Thesis (M.A.)--Miami University, Dept. of Geography, 2005.Title from first page of PDF document. Document formatted into pages; contains [1], iv, 49, [6] p. : ill., maps. Includes bibliographical references (p. 44-49).
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Lockhart, Trevor E. "Water management issues in the Turtle River Watershed Conservation District, from theory to practice." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 2000. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk1/tape4/PQDD_0008/MQ53181.pdf.
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Brown, James E. (James Edward) 1969. "Encouraging low-impact-development stormwater-management practices / Assabet River Watershed sub-basin case study." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/31121.
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Thesis (M. Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2005.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 74-77).
Regulatory codes and ordinances create a framework that guide stormwater management decision processes. These regulations are designed to protect the health and safety of the public and to preserve the natural integrity of the environment. Using a case-study approach in Acton, Massachusetts, a two-part examination is performed. The first is a comprehensive review of Acton's developmental code and ordinances. The second part of the study is a site redevelopment design using LID technologies for site-level stormwater management. To facilitate the regulatory review, a code and ordinance worksheet (COW) developed by The Center for Watershed Protection (CWP) was used to evaluate Acton's regulations against the CWP's twenty-two model development principles. Acton's score was then compared to previously completed worksheets from eighteen other eastern seaboard communities. The Discovery Museums, a children's museum in Acton, was chosen for the site redevelopment. The museum expressed a desire to remove an existing parking area and reconfigure another lot to absorb the displaced spaces. The EPA's Low-Impact Development Design Strategies manual was used to guide the museum site planning and design development. The design evaluation included comprehensive hydrologic and water quality analyses to determine pre- and post- development performance. The results of the regulatory review demonstrate that Acton's existing developmental codes and ordinances do not presently encourage LID practices and have only a 62% agreement with the CWP model development principles. The museum site redevelopment design proves that site-level stormwater management technologies can be incorporated into the site landscape and be used to return the site's hydrologic volume, rate, and water quality to a pre-developed condition.
by James E. Brown, Jr.
M.Eng.
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Smith, Heather M. "At a watershed : the emerging relationship between river basin management planning and development planning in Scotland." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 2011. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk:80/webclient/DeliveryManager?pid=174697.
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This project has explored the implementation of an integrative and collaborative policy _ vision in a real world setting - the emerging relationship between the river basin management planning (RBMP) and development planning regimes in Scotland. This relationship fits comfortably with some of the latest paradigms in the fields of water management and land use planning. Both fields espouse the need for greater integration and collaboration, particularly within and between public sector organisations. Such approaches are often portrayed as key to achieving ambitions for sustainability. The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) places particular emphasis on building linkages between water management and land use planning systems. There is growing understanding that such linkages can emerge as a patchwork of overlapping and interrelated institutions. However, there is still limited empirical understanding of such institutional relationships and what they mean in practical terms for those involved. This project's approach is based in interpretive policy analysis, and it has explored how various public bodies have constructed different understandings of this emerging relationship - what it is, how it works, and why it is needed. Methods included analyses of key documents, as well as in-depth interviews, primarily with RBMP and planning staff from local authorities, SEPA and other agencies. The findings show that the locus of the relationship is 'downshifting' towards lower levels of the planning regime - i.e. local development plans, and development management. In keeping with this, some higher level issues - such as the wider tradeoffs between enabling new development and ensuring the protection and improvement of the water environment - are not being discussed in this context. This pattern is shaped by wider socio-political aims, such as the government's central purpose of increasing sustainable economic growth. These findings support the need for higher-level interactions in which these wider aims can be discussed and debated.
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Kramer, Julie M. "Implementation of River Basin Management in Mexico." Ohio University / OhioLINK, 2006. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1148567251.
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Hood, Paula Elizabeth. "Effects of Selective Logging and Roads on Instream Fine Sediments and Macroinvertebrate Assemblages in the Clackamas Basin, Oregon." PDXScholar, 2015. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/2407.
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Logging and associated skid trails, haul routes, and roads can have significant impacts on the magnitude and timing of sediments in streams in forested watersheds. Loss of vegetation, soil compaction, use of heavy logging equipment, and alteration of natural hydrologic patterns within the watershed can increase landslide rates, create erosion, and generate fine sediments. Selective logging, also called thinning, is a logging practice that leaves some trees within sale units unharvested. The ecological impacts of thinning on stream ecosystems are not fully understood and need further study. My hypothesis was that macroinvertebrate assemblages would be different in streams in non-reference areas that contain recent selective logging compared to streams in reference areas, and in downstream vs. upstream of selective logging units. I also hypothesized that selective logging and high road densities would be associated with increased instream fine sediments. I sampled water quality parameters and macroinvertebrates in three managed and three reference streams in the Clackamas River Basin during the field season of 2013. Turbidity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, total dissolved solids (TDS), suspended sediment concentrations (SSC), and flow were sampled at each stream on four occasions during spring through early fall. Macroinvertebrates were sampled once in late summer or early fall. EPA rapid habitat assessments, canopy cover, pebble counts, embeddedness, and slope were also determined. Water quality parameters and macroinvertebrate indices in reference and non-reference sites were compared using t-tests, Welch's tests, or rank based equivalents. Macroinvertebrate assemblage patterns and associated environmental variables were characterized using non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) ordination plots and envfit overlays. Macroinvertebrates had higher abundance and taxa richness in non-reference streams, and indices suggested poorer water quality in non-reference streams. Non-reference streams had a lower percentage of shredders and a higher portion of gatherer-collectors. Associations between land use, fine sediments, and changes in macroinvertebrate metrics and community assemblages were apparent at the reference vs. non-reference scale. It is likely that macroinvertebrates are responding, at least in part, to past logging and high road densities in non-reference streams. Fewer indications were found that recent logging may be affecting water quality and macroinvertebrates. Pearson's correlation coefficients show that the percent of recent logging upstream of study sites was correlated with several measures of fine sediments, suggesting that recent land use may be affecting sediment levels at the subwatershed scale. Stream temperatures increased from upstream to downstream in non-reference sites. Though no continual stream temperature data were collected in this study, the history of continuing temperature standard exceedances in the area suggest that further investigation of how selective logging may be affecting stream temperature and other water quality parameters in the Clackamas Basin is warranted. No other differences in water quality parameters were found from upstream to downstream, possibly because water quality was sufficiently protected, or because signals from land use impacts may be obscured by a several factors, including upstream confounding factors such as roads and past logging, and natural variability.
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Alafifi, Ayman H. "Integrated Systems Modeling to Improve Watershed Habitat Management and Decision Making." DigitalCommons@USU, 2018. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/6970.
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Regulated rivers provide opportunities to improve habitat quality by managing the times, locations, and magnitudes of reservoir releases and diversions across the watershed. To identify these opportunities, managers select priority species and determine when, where, and how to allocate water between competing human and environmental users in the basin. Systems models have been used to recommend allocation of water between species. However, many models consider species’ water needs as constraints on instream flow that is managed to maximize human beneficial uses. Many models also incorporate uncertainty in the system and report an overwhelmingly large number of management alternatives. This dissertation presents three new novel models to recommend the allocation of water and money to improve habitat quality. The new models also facilitate communicating model results to managers and to the public. First, a new measurable and observable habitat metric quantifies habitat area and quality for priority aquatic, floodplain, and wetland habitat species. The metric is embedded in a systems model as an ecological objective to maximize. The systems model helps managers to identify times and locations at which to apply scarce water to most improve habitat area and quality for multiple competing species. Second, a cluster analysis approach is introduced to reduce large dimensional uncertainty problems in habitat models and focus management efforts on the important parameters to measure and monitor more carefully. The approach includes manager preferences in the search for clusters. It identifies a few, easy-to-interpret management options from a large multivariate space of possible alternatives. Third, an open-access web tool helps water resources modelers display model outputs on an interactive web map. The tool allows modelers to construct node-link networks on a web map and facilitates sharing and visualizing spatial and temporal model outputs. The dissertation applies all three studies to the Lower Bear River, Utah, to guide ongoing habitat conservation efforts, recommend water allocation strategies, and provide important insights on ways to improve overall habitat quality and area.
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Braun, David P., Thomas III Maddock, and William B. Lord. "WATERBUD: A SPREADSHEET-BASED MODEL OF THE WATER BUDGET AND WATER MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS OF THE UPPER SAN PEDRO RIVER BASIN, ARIZONA." Department of Hydrology and Water Resources, University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ), 1992. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/614145.
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This report describes the development and application of a spreadsheet -based
model of the water budget and water management systems of the Upper San Pedro River
Basin in southeastern Arizona. The model has been given the name, WATERBUD.
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Lymburner, Leo. "Mapping riparian vegetation functions using remote sensing and terrain analysis." Connect to thesis, 2005. http://repository.unimelb.edu.au/10187/2821.
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Land use practices over the last 200 years have dramatically altered the distribution and amount of riparian vegetation throughout many catchments in Australia. This has lead to a number of negative impacts including a decrease in water quality, an increase in sediment transport and a decrease in the quality of terrestrial and aquatic habitats. The task of restoring the functions of riparian zones is an enormous one and requires spatial and temporal prioritisation. An analysis of the existing and historical functions of riparian zones and their spatial distribution is a major aid to this process and will enable efficient use of remediation resources. The approach developed in this thesis combines remote sensing, field measurement and terrain analysis to describe the distribution of five riparian zone functions: sediment trapping, bank stabilization, denitrification, stream shading and large woody debris production throughout a large semi-arid catchment in central Queensland.
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Zhong, Hua. "ESSAYS ON FARMER WILLINGNESS TO PARTICIPATE IN BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN THE KENTUCKY RIVER WATERSHED." UKnowledge, 2016. http://uknowledge.uky.edu/agecon_etds/40.
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This dissertation explores the adoption of Best Management Practices (BMPs) in the Kentucky River watershed. Through a survey of farmers in the Kentucky River watershed, chapter two investigates farmers’ current BMP adoption and their willingness to engage in additional adoption incentivized through a proposed Water Quality Trading (WQT) program. This chapter includes two parts: the first part is to investigate the factors influencing farmers’ current usage of BMPs; the second part is to estimate farmers’ willingness to implement BMPs given different levels of compensation specified in the survey. Farmers’ experiences about BMPs are more likely to persuade them to adopt additional BMPs. The activities of using riparian buffers, fencing off animals and building up waste storage facilities are found to be responsive to the levels of compensation offered.
The third chapter discusses farmers’ expected economic benefits from BMP adoption, and addresses the missing data issue. In the survey, of those respondents who indicated that they accept the offered level of compensation, about 20% of them did not answer the follow-up question of how much they would adopt the practice, creating missing data. We compare three methods to handle the issue of missing data: deletion method, mean imputation, and multiple imputation method. Following these methods, we estimate factors affecting how much farmers may engage in BMPs using a Tobit or Poisson model. The results show that increasing the compensation for using BMPs is more likely to encourage farmers to adopt riparian buffers. Results obtained using the method of multivariate imputation by chained equation are more promising than using the deletion or mean imputation method.
The fourth chapter examines whether wealth change and local community interaction may affect BMP adoption. Survey data on BMP adoption are combined with the local community data from publically available sources. Results show that the decrease in land values between 2007 and 2012 discouraged the adoption of riparian buffers; the equine inventory in local communities has positive impact on the adoption of animal fences and nutrient management; the more rural the local communities are, the less likely farmers would fence off livestock from water resources.
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Anderson, Jahue. "Red earth, salty waters a history of environmental knowledge in the upper Red River Basin /." [Fort Worth, Tex.] : Texas Christian University, 2009. http://etd.tcu.edu/etdfiles/available/etd-05132009-163119/unrestricted/Anderson.pdf.
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Wherry, Susan Amelia. "Climate Change Effects and Water Vulnerability in the Molalla Pudding River Basin, Oregon, USA." PDXScholar, 2012. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/556.
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Water management plans are typically developed using historical data records and historical return periods for extreme events, such as floods or droughts. Since these analyses of return periods typically assume a certain degree of stationarity (constant mean, standard deviation, distribution) in hydrologic variables, the potential future impacts of climate change are excluded. In developing water management plans, predicted changes to climate variables should be considered to evaluate the degree of non-stationarity that may exist in the future. In this way, regions most sensitive to climate change can be identified and managed appropriately. This study performed such a task by using predicted climate data that were downscaled from general circulation models (GCM) by regional climate models (RCM) to compare climate variables in the historical period of 1971-1998 to the future period of 2041-2068. The study evaluated the precipitation and minimum/maximum temperature data from five different GCM/RCM combinations: 1) CCSM/CRCM; 2) CCSM/WRFG; 3) CGCM3/CRCM; 4) CGCM3/WRFG; and 5) HadCM3/HRM3. The five datasets were then used to calculate drought indices and drive a calibrated PRMS model of the Molalla Pudding river basin in order to evaluate changes in droughts and streamflow. The predicted changes in droughts and streamflow were then evaluated with social/economic factors for twelve cities in the Molalla Pudding river basin by two different water vulnerability indices. The index values were used to determine a rank for each city that indicated its relative vulnerability to water scarcity as compared to the other cities. In this study, three out of the five datasets predicted increased precipitation (+97-115 mm/year) over the Molalla Pudding basin and the two datasets using the CCSM GCM data predicted either no change or slightly decreased precipitation (-60 mm/year) over the Molalla Pudding basin in 2041-2068. All datasets predicted increased minimum and maximum average temperature of +1.5°C and +1.4°C respectively, and all datasets displayed increasing trends in temperature. The drought indices predicted fewer drought events (-2.4 events) over 2041-2068 with no change in duration, and no change to the number of serious drought events over 2041-2068 but with increased durations (+1.9 months). Results from the hydrologic modeling predicted increased streamflow (+4-249 cfs) in four out of the five future datasets. Using the predicted changes in hydrologic variables and social/economic census data from 2000, two types of water vulnerability indices were calculated for the twelve cities of interest. The results suggested that cities in the western portion of the basin would be more susceptible to current and future water vulnerability due to high irrigation demands for water and high social vulnerability as determined by minority populations and higher poverty, while the small cities with less dependence on agriculture would be less vulnerable.
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Swindasz, Jaime Alison. "Land-use & Water Quality in the Headwaters of the Alafia River Watershed." Scholar Commons, 2015. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/6035.
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The objective of this study is to investigate land-use changes and water quality trends within the headwaters of the Alafia River watershed. Water quality data were obtained from the Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County (EPCHC). Eleven water quality parameters selected for analysis included: temperature (˚C), dissolved oxygen (DO), percent saturation of DO, conductivity, pH, total phosphorous (TP), total nitrogen (TN), ammonium, chlorophyll-a (uncorrected), fecal coliforms, and enterococci. ArcMap® & SWFWMD data were used to map EPCHC sampling stations, calculate contributing watershed size, and determine land-use changes over the course of the sampling period; 17 stations were chosen for this study. The annual average for each of the water quality parameters was calculated along with a Mann-Kendall Trend Analysis in order to determine if any of the observed trends were statistically significant. A non-parametric Kendall’s tau-b correlation and stepwise multiple linear regression tests were conducted in SPSS to determine if any statistically significant relationships between water quality data, land-use and basin size exist.
The land-use results showed every basin consisted of some percentage of Low Density Residential, Cropland & Pastureland, Reservoirs, and Streams & Lake Swamps. In addition, no basin comprised of more than 20% wetlands and often it appears urbanization was at the sacrifice of agricultural lands, as opposed to wetlands. The trends in water quality showed eight of the 17 basins had at least one statistically significant trend. Analysis of the data used for this study has shown instances where water quality measurements were in violation of state standards. Changes in water quality can be statistically related to changes in land-use and basin size as both the correlation and the regression showed consistent relationships between several LULC types and water quality parameters: increases in Commercial & Services causes increased nutrients (TP and TN); Cropland & Pastureland causes decreased DO and DO% Saturation; increases in Tree Crops causes a decrease in pH; increasing Other Open Lands Rural causes a decrease in temperature; and increases in Shrub & Brushland cause decreases in conductivity and pH. As these relationships are based on the results from both analyses, it would seem that these relationships are the most reliable, and are key results of the study. These key relationships might be areas that future water resource managers may want to focus on in order to more efficiently improve or regulate water quality within headwater streams.
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DeAngelo, Matthew Thomas. "Watershed Management and Private Lands: Moving Beyond Financial Incentives to Encourage Land Stewardship." PDXScholar, 2016. http://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/3034.
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Public water utilities are tasked with providing high quality, inexpensive water often sourced from watersheds representing a diverse mix of public and private land ownership. There is increasing recognition amongst water resource managers of the role that private landowners play in determining downstream water quality, but bringing together landowners with a wide variety of land management objectives under the umbrella of watershed stewardship has proven difficult. Recently, a large number of "Payment for Watershed Services" programs have aimed to engage private landowners in watershed stewardship initiatives by offering financial incentives for adopting watershed best management practices. However, a growing field of research suggests that financial incentives alone may be of limited utility to encourage widespread and long-standing behavior change, and instead understanding landowner attitudes and non-financial barriers to stewardship program enrollment has become a focus of research.
This research examines a population of rural landowners representing a diversity of agricultural, forestry, recreational, and investment objectives in the Clackamas River watershed, Oregon. I designed and distributed a mail and web-based survey instrument intended to measure land uses and land ownership objectives, attitudes towards watershed stewardship programs, barriers to enrollment in stewardship programs, and preferred incentives and goals that would promote enrollment. I received 281 valid responses for a response rate of 29%. I conducted two primary analyses: one focused on relating attitudes and barriers to intent to enroll in a watershed stewardship program, and one focused on identifying how diverse landowners differ according to factors influencing enrollment in stewardship programs. I found that landowners did not report financial considerations to be a primary barrier to enrollment and expressed low interest in receiving financial incentives. Instead, landowners reported that primary barriers related to lack of trust, ecological understanding, and concerns that stewardship program enrollment would be incompatible with their land management objectives. I do not discount the potential utility of financial incentives under certain circumstances, but emphasize the importance of addressing these other considerations before incentives can make a meaningful impact.
I compared how barriers to enrollment were perceived by landowners with different land management objectives relating to production, investment, and conservation. I found that landowner attitudes were differentiated from one another primarily by their use of land for production purposes; however, I found a large amount of diversity between producers and non-producers in the degree to which they considered investment and conservation objectives in their land management, and these two variables added further explanatory power to understanding fine-scale differences in how landowner typologies relate to conservation programs.
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Doyle, Micelis Clyde. "Turbidity Dynamics during High-Flow Storm Events in the Clackamas River, Oregon 2006-2012." PDXScholar, 2017. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/3884.
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Turbidity is a useful parameter that can be utilized to help understand the water quality in a river and is an expression of the optical properties of a liquid that cause light rays to be scattered and absorbed rather than transmitted in straight lines. A total of 41 storm events occurring during water years 2006-2012 were analyzed for this study. A hysteresis index (HI) was used to assess the difference in turbidity on the rising and falling limbs of a storm-hydrograph. The upstream Carter Bridge site exhibited a clockwise (C) hysteresis in 38 of 41 storm events and counter-clockwise (CC) hysteresis in three storm events. The downstream Oregon City site exhibited clockwise hysteresis in 29 of 41 storm events and counter-clockwise hysteresis in 12 storm events. Paired t-test comparisons of calculated HI measured during storm events showed that the upstream forested site Carter Bridge had a statistically significant higher HI than the downstream Oregon City site, suggesting that particles that contribute to increasing turbidity and suspended sediment at the upstream site are delivered to the river earlier in the storm event in comparison to the downstream Oregon City site. In contrast particulate matter and suspended sediment was more likely to be higher on the receding limb of the storm hydrograph at the downstream site in comparison to the upstream monitoring location.
Multiple linear regression analysis determined the major hydrological and meteorological controls influencing turbidity over the period of a storm event. The log value of the change (Log ΔQ) in discharge explained 81% of the log value of change in turbidity (Log ΔTb) at Carter Bridge and 48% of the change in turbidity at Oregon City for all storms. Log ΔQ explained 85% and 50% variations of Log ΔTb at Carter Bridge and at Oregon City, respectively in the wet season. Log ΔQ explained 82% of Log ΔTb at Carter Bridge during the Dry Season and together with 3-day antecedent precipitation, Log ΔQ explained 84% of variation in Log ΔTb at Oregon City during the Dry Season. The findings of this study, which offers information about the dynamics that lead to increased turbidity events, could be helpful to researchers, regulatory agencies and water resource managers in maintaining high water quality in rivers.
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MacLeod, Andrew Harris. "Characterization of Sediment Yield Variation, Little Colorado River Basin Near Saint Johns Arizona." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 2001. http://etd.library.arizona.edu/etd/GetFileServlet?file=file:///data1/pdf/etd/azu_e9791_2001_222_sip1_w.pdf&type=application/pdf.
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Holmen, Sarah Ann. "Riparian Wetland Response to Livestock Exclusion in the Lower Columbia River Basin." PDXScholar, 2011. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/284.
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The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics of riparian plant communities along a succession gradient of livestock exclusion in the Lower Columbia River Basin (LCRB). Livestock exclusion is an example of a passive restoration practice throughout the region. However, few studies have focused on the effects of livestock or livestock exclusion on riparian wetland ecosystems in this area. Two passive restoration sites, 3 and 13 years since livestock exclusion, and a control site with a continued livestock grazing presence were examined. It was hypothesized that native plant species richness would be lower in the excluded wetlands than in the grazed wetland due to the competitive exclusion from an increase in non-native plant dominance in the absence of grazing. Data were collected along six (45-60m) randomly distributed transects which were aligned perpendicular to the wetland shoreline of each site, providing a total of 18 transects with an accumulative length of approximately 990 meters. Vegetation cover data were collected for 10 cm intervals along these transects using the line intercept method during low water periods in August and September of 2009. The Kruskal-Wallis one-way nonparametric analysis of variance by ranks and the Mann-Whitney U test were used to detect significant (p
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Flack, Rebecca Lynn. "An economic analysis of a large scale ashe juniper clearing project in the Leon River watershed." [College Station, Tex. : Texas A&M University, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/ETD-TAMU-1372.
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Wall, Steven S. "A framework for the development of a community-based watershed management plan for the Cedar River Watershed, a proposal for the long-term sustainability of the fishery resource." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1999. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk1/tape8/PQDD_0004/MQ45161.pdf.
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Childs, Erin. "Take Me to the River: Revitalizing LA's Lost Monument." Scholarship @ Claremont, 2012. http://scholarship.claremont.edu/pomona_theses/56.
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The tale of South Korea's Cheonggyecheon River is one to warm an urban environmentalist's heart. Cheonggyecheon runs through the center of Seoul, a bustling metropolis of ten million that has been the capital of Korea since the 14th century. The Japanese were the first to sacrice Cheonggyecheon on the altar of urbanization, turning the River into a sewage system during their 35 year occupation between 1910 and 1945. Already thusvdegraded, it was easy for later administrations to eventually completely cover the river with the Cheonggye Road and Cheonggye Elevated Highway between 1958 and 1976. Cheonggyecheon became an exemplar of the expendability of urban environments in the face of modernization and economic growth, particularly the need for transportation in a quickly developing city. In the early 1990s it was discovered that extensive repair would be necessary to maintain the Highway, and with heavy political leadership of Mayoral Candidate Myung-Bak Lee, now the president of South Korea, the decision was made to restore the river rather than repair the road (Park, 2006).