Sample records for ponds operable unit

  1. 100-D Ponds closure plan. Revision 1

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Petersen, S.W.

    1997-09-01

    The 100-D Ponds is a Treatment, Storage, and Disposal (TSD) unit on the Hanford Facility that received both dangerous and nonregulated waste. This Closure Plan (Rev. 1) for the 100-D Ponds TSD unit consists of a RCRA Part A Dangerous Waste Permit Application (Rev. 3), a RCRA Closure Plan, and supporting information contained in the appendices to the plan. The closure plan consists of eight chapters containing facility description, process information, waste characteristics, and groundwater monitoring data. There are also chapters containing the closure strategy and performance standards. The strategy for the closure of the 100-D Ponds TSD unit ismore » clean closure. Appendices A and B of the closure plan demonstrate that soil and groundwater beneath 100-D Ponds are below cleanup limits. All dangerous wastes or dangerous waste constituents or residues associated with the operation of the ponds have been removed, therefore, human health and the environment are protected. Discharges to the 100-D Ponds, which are located in the 100-DR-1 operable unit, were discontinued in June 1994. Contaminated sediment was removed from the ponds in August 1996. Subsequent sampling and analysis demonstrated that there is no contamination remaining in the ponds, therefore, this closure plan is a demonstration of clean closure.« less

  2. New factors in the design, operation and performance of waste-stabilization ponds

    PubMed Central

    Marais, G. v. R.

    1966-01-01

    In the developing countries, the unit costs of waste-stabilization ponds are generally low. Moreover, in the tropics and subtropics, the environmental conditions are conducive to a high level of pond performance. In view of this, the theory, operation and performance of such ponds under these conditions have been studied. It is shown that the Hermann & Gloyna and Marais & Shaw theories of the degradation action in oxidation ponds can be integrated, and that account can be taken of the effect of the sludge layer. In Lusaka, Zambia, anaerobic conditions are much more likely to occur in summer than in winter, because of intense stratification. It is confirmed that a series of maturation or oxidation ponds is more efficient than a single pond of equivalent volume. When aqua privies and septic tanks are used as anaerobic pretreatment units, the area of the primary oxidation ponds can be reduced and there is less likelihood that anaerobic conditions will develop in them in summer. The use of self-topping aqua privies, discharging through sewers to oxidation ponds, has made possible the economic installation of water-carriage systems of waste disposal in low-cost high-density housing areas. In the oxidation ponds, typhoid bacteria appear to be more resistant than indicator organisms; helminths, cysts and ova settle out; there are no snails and, if peripheral vegetation is removed, mosquitos will not breed. PMID:5296235

  3. Evaluation of historical and analytical data on the TAN TSF-07 Disposal Pond

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Medina, S.M.

    1993-07-01

    The Technical Support Facility (TSF)-07 Disposal Pond, located at Test Area North at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, has been identified as part of Operable Unit 1-06 under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. The Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Department is conducting an evaluation of existing site characterization data for the TSF-07 Disposal Pond Track 1 investigation. The results from the site characterization data will be used to determine whether the operable unit will undergo a Track 2 investigation, an interim action, a remedial investigation/feasibility study, or result in a no-action decision. This report summarizes activities relevantmore » to wastewaters discharged to the pond and characterization efforts conducted from 1982 through 1991. Plan view and vertical distribution maps of the significant contaminants contained in the pond are included. From this evaluation it was determined that cobalt-60, cesium-137, americium-241, mercury, chromium, and thallium are significant contaminants for soils. This report also evaluates the migration tendencies of the significant contaminants into the perched water zone under the pond and the surrounding terrain to support the investigation.« less

  4. Remedial investigation report on Chestnut Ridge Operable Unit 2 (filled coal ash pond/Upper McCoy Branch) at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Volume 2: Appendixes

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1994-08-01

    This report comprises appendices A--J which support the Y-12 Plant`s remedial action report involving Chestnut Ridge Operable Unit 2 (filled coal ash pond/Upper McCoy Branch). The appendices cover the following: Sampling fish from McCoy Branch; well and piezometer logs; ecological effects of contaminants in McCoy Branch 1989-1990; heavy metal bioaccumulation data; microbes in polluted sediments; and baseline human health risk assessment data.

  5. Superfund Record of Decision (EPA Region 4): Milan Army Ammunition Plant, O-Line Ponds Area, Milan, TN, September 1993

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1993-09-01

    The decision document presents the selected remedial action for Operable Unit Two (OU2) at the O-Line Ponds Area, Milan Army Ammunition Plant, Milan, Tennessee. The goal of the overall cleanup activities at the site is to prevent migration of contaminants from soil at the site and to prevent exposures to these contaminants, so that no adverse health effects will result from current or future off-post or on-post use. Soil contaminated with explosives compounds is known to exist in the O-Line Ponds area, and under current conditions, this contamination poses a potential threat to groundwater at the site. Currently contaminated groundwatermore » is being addressed by separate remedial actions under different Operable Units (OUs).« less

  6. Effects on ground-water quality of seepage from a phosphatic clayey waste settling pond, north-central Florida

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hunn, J.D.; Seaber, P.R.

    1986-01-01

    Water samples were taken from test wells drilled near an inactive phosphatic clayey waste storage settling pond, from the settling pond and its perimeter ditch, and from an active settling pond near White Springs, Hamilton County, in north-central Florida. The purpose was to document the seepage of chemical constituents from the inactive settling pond and ditch into the adjacent surficial groundwater system, and to assess the potential for movement of these constituents into the deeper Floridan aquifer system which is the major source of public supply in the area. The study area is underlain by a 2 ,500-ft-thick sequence of Coastal Plain sediments of Early Cretaceous to Holocene age. The rocks of Tertiary and Quaternary age that underlie the test site area can be grouped into three major geohydrologic units. In descending order, these units are: surficial aquifer, Hawthorn confining unit, and Floridan aquifer system. Phosphate deposits occur in the upper part of the surficial aquifer. Water in the active settling pond is a calcium magnesium sulfate type with a dissolved solids concentration of 250 mg/L, containing greater amounts of phosphorus, iron, aluminum, barium, zinc, and chromium than the other surface waters. Water in the perimeter ditch is a calcium sulfate type with a dissolved solids concentration of 360 to 390 mg/L, containing greater amounts of calcium, sulfate, nitrogen, and fluoride than other surface waters. Water from the inactive settling pond is a calcium magnesium bicarbonate type with a dissolved solids concentration of 140 mg/L, containing more bicarbonate than the other surface waters. Large amounts of chemical constituents in the phosphate waste disposal slurry are apparently trapped in the sediments of the settling ponds. The quality of water in the upper part of the surficial aquifer from wells within 200 to 400 ft of the inactive settling pond shows no signs of chemical contamination from phosphate industry operations. The horizontal groundwater velocity calculated for this aquifer between the ditch surrounding the settling pond and the test wells is between 100 to 2,000 ft/year, which is enough time for water to have reached the test wells in the 6 years the pond has been operating. (Author 's abstract)

  7. Rapid Sand Filtration for Best Practical Treatment of Domestic Wastewater Stabilization Pond Effluent

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boatright, D. T.; Lawrence, C. H.

    1977-01-01

    The technical and economic feasibility of constructing and operating a rapid sand filtration sewage treatment system as an adjunct to a waste water stabilization pond is investigated. The study concludes that such units are within the technical and economic constraints of a small community and comply with the EPA criteria. (BT)

  8. Re-utilization of Industrial CO 2 for Algae Production Using a Phase Change Material

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Joseph, Brian

    This is the final report of a 36-month Phase II cooperative agreement. Under this project, Touchstone Research Laboratory (Touchstone) investigated the merits of incorporating a Phase Change Material (PCM) into an open-pond algae production system that can capture and re-use the CO 2 from a coal-fired flue gas source located in Wooster, OH. The primary objective of the project was to design, construct, and operate a series of open algae ponds that accept a slipstream of flue gas from a coal-fired source and convert a significant portion of the CO 2 to liquid biofuels, electricity, and specialty products, while demonstratingmore » the merits of the PCM technology. Construction of the pilot facility and shakedown of the facility in Wooster, OH, was completed during the first two years, and the focus of the last year was on operations and the cultivation of algae. During this Phase II effort a large-scale algae concentration unit from OpenAlgae was installed and utilized to continuously harvest algae from indoor raceways. An Algae Lysing Unit and Oil Recovery Unit were also received and installed. Initial parameters for lysing nanochloropsis were tested. Conditions were established that showed the lysing operation was effective at killing the algae cells. Continuous harvesting activities yielded over 200 kg algae dry weight for Ponds 1, 2 and 4. Studies were conducted to determine the effect of anaerobic digestion effluent as a nutrient source and the resulting lipid productivity of the algae. Lipid content and total fatty acids were unaffected by culture system and nutrient source, indicating that open raceway ponds fed diluted anaerobic digestion effluent can obtain similar lipid productivities to open raceway ponds using commercial nutrients. Data were also collected with respect to the performance of the PCM material on the pilot-scale raceway ponds. Parameters such as evaporative water loss, temperature differences, and growth/productivity were tracked. The pond with the PCM material was consistently 2 to 5°C warmer than the control pond. This difference did not seem to increase significantly over time. During phase transitions for the PCM, the magnitude of the difference between the daily minimum and maximum temperatures decreased, resulting in smaller daily temperature fluctuations. A thin layer of PCM material reduced overall water loss by 74% and consistently provided algae densities that were 80% greater than the control pond.« less

  9. Site-Specific Research Conducted in Support of the Salton Sea Solar Pond Project - FY 1982 Report

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    French, R. L.; Marsh, H. E.; Roschke, E. J.; Wu, Y. C.

    1984-01-01

    The design and operation of a salt-gradient solar pond power plant at the Salton Sea presents problems not encountered at small research ponds that were built in the United States. The specific characteristics of the Salton Sea site and the desire to construct the pond using the local clay as a sealant represent major deviations from previous solar pond experience. The site-specific research in support of the plant design is described. The research activity included validation of the spectrophotometric light transmission measurement technique, a search for options for clarifying the turbid and colored water of the Salton Sea, development of water clarification specifications in terms common to industry practice, quantification of gas production from microbiological reactions in the ground, a determination of the combined effects of temperature and salinity on the permeation of the local clays, and a preliminary evaluation of material corrosion.

  10. Characterizing bacterial communities in tilapia pond surface sediment and their responses to pond differences and temporal variations.

    PubMed

    Fan, Limin; Barry, Kamira; Hu, Gengdong; Meng, Shunlong; Song, Chao; Qiu, Liping; Zheng, Yao; Wu, Wei; Qu, Jianhong; Chen, Jiazhang; Xu, Pao

    2017-01-01

    Bacterial community compositions in the surface sediment of tilapia ponds and their responses to pond characteristics or seasonal variations were investigated. For that, three ponds with different stocking densities were selected to collect the samples. And the method of Illumina high-throughput sequencing was used to amplify the bacterial 16S rRNA genes. A total of 662, 876 valid reads and 5649 operational taxonomic units were obtained. Further analysis showed that the dominant phyla in all three ponds were Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi, and Acidobacteria. The phyla Planctomycetes, Firmicutes, Chlorobi, and Spirochaetae were also relatively abundant. Among the eight phyla, the abundances of only Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Spirochaetae were affected by seasonal variations, while seven of these (with the exception of Acidobacteria) were affected by pond differences. A comprehensive analysis of the richness and diversity of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene, and of the similarity in bacterial community composition in sediment also showed that the communities in tilapia pond sediment were shaped more by pond differences than by seasonal variations. Linear discriminant analysis further indicated that the influences of pond characteristics on sediment bacterial communities might be related to feed coefficients and stocking densities of genetically improved farmed tilapia (GIFT).

  11. Case study: design, operation, maintenance and water quality management of sustainable storm water ponds for roof runoff.

    PubMed

    Scholz, Miklas

    2004-12-01

    The purpose of this case study was to optimise design, operation and maintenance guidelines, and to assess the water treatment potential of a storm water pond system after 15 months of operation. The system was based on a combined silt trap, attenuation pond and vegetated infiltration basin. This combination was used as the basis for construction of a roof water runoff system from a single domestic property. United Kingdom Building Research Establishment and Construction Industry Research and Information Association, and German Association for Water, Wastewater and Waste design guidelines were tested. These design guidelines failed because they did not consider local conditions. The infiltration function for the infiltration basin was logarithmic. Algal control techniques were successfully applied, and treatment of rainwater runoff from roofs was found to be largely unnecessary for recycling (e.g., watering plants). However, seasonal and diurnal variations of biochemical oxygen demand, dissolved oxygen and pH were recorded.

  12. 216-B-3 expansion ponds closure plan

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1994-10-01

    This document describes the activities for clean closure under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA) of the 216-B-3 Expansion Ponds. The 216-B-3 Expansion Ponds are operated by the US Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office (DOE-RL) and co-operated by Westinghouse Hanford Company (Westinghouse Hanford). The 216-B-3 Expansion Ponds consists of a series of three earthen, unlined, interconnected ponds that receive waste water from various 200 East Area operating facilities. The 3A, 3B, and 3C ponds are referred to as Expansion Ponds because they expanded the capability of the B Pond System. Waste water (primarily cooling water, steammore » condensate, and sanitary water) from various 200 East Area facilities is discharged to the Bypass pipe (Project X-009). Water discharged to the Bypass pipe flows directly into the 216-B-3C Pond. The ponds were operated in a cascade mode, where the Main Pond overflowed into the 3A Pond and the 3A Pond overflowed into the 3C Pond. The 3B Pond has not received waste water since May 1985; however, when in operation, the 3B Pond received overflow from the 3A Pond. In the past, waste water discharges to the Expansion Ponds had the potential to have contained mixed waste (radioactive waste and dangerous waste). The radioactive portion of mixed waste has been interpreted by the US Department of Energy (DOE) to be regulated under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954; the dangerous waste portion of mixed waste is regulated under RCRA.« less

  13. Agricultural Freshwater Pond Supports Diverse and Dynamic Bacterial and Viral Populations

    PubMed Central

    Chopyk, Jessica; Allard, Sarah; Nasko, Daniel J.; Bui, Anthony; Mongodin, Emmanuel F.; Sapkota, Amy R.

    2018-01-01

    Agricultural ponds have a great potential as a means of capture and storage of water for irrigation. However, pond topography (small size, shallow depth) leaves them susceptible to environmental, agricultural, and anthropogenic exposures that may influence microbial dynamics. Therefore, the aim of this project was to characterize the bacterial and viral communities of pond water in the Mid-Atlantic United States with a focus on the late season (October–December), where decreasing temperature and nutrient levels can affect the composition of microbial communities. Ten liters of freshwater from an agricultural pond were sampled monthly, and filtered sequentially through 1 and 0.2 μm filter membranes. Total DNA was then extracted from each filter, and the bacterial communities were characterized using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The remaining filtrate was chemically concentrated for viruses, DNA-extracted, and shotgun sequenced. Bacterial community profiling showed significant fluctuations over the sampling period, corresponding to changes in the condition of the pond freshwater (e.g., pH, nutrient load). In addition, there were significant differences in the alpha-diversity and core bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs) between water fractions filtered through different pore sizes. The viral fraction was dominated by tailed bacteriophage of the order Caudovirales, largely those of the Siphoviridae family. Moreover, while present, genes involved in virulence/antimicrobial resistance were not enriched within the viral fraction during the study period. Instead, the viral functional profile was dominated by phage associated proteins, as well as those related to nucleotide production. Overall, these data suggest that agricultural pond water harbors a diverse core of bacterial and bacteriophage species whose abundance and composition are influenced by environmental variables characteristic of pond topology and the late season. PMID:29740420

  14. Stabilization Pond Operation and Maintenance Manual.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sexauer, Willard N.; Karn, Roger V.

    This manual provides the waste stabilization pond operator with the basics necessary for the treatment of wastewater in stabilization ponds. The material is organized as a comprehensive guide that follows the normal operation and maintenance procedures from the time the wastewater enters the left station until it leaves the pond. A comprehensive…

  15. Devens 2008 Monitoring Update

    EPA Science Inventory

    This document presents results from site monitoring activities during calendar year 2008 at the EPA/ORD Red Cove Study Area relative to site characterization activities under Operable Units 01 (Shepley's Hill Landfill) and 11 (Plow Shop Pond) at the Fort Devens Superfund site. T...

  16. Regional applicability and potential of salt-gradient solar ponds in the United States. Volume 2: Detailed report

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lin, E. I. H.

    1982-01-01

    A comprehensive assessment of the regional applicability and potential of salt-gradient solar ponds in the United States is provided. The assessment is focused on the general characteristics of twelve defined geographic regions. Natural resources essential to solar ponds are surveyed. Meteorological and hydrogeological conditions affecting pond performance are examined. Potentially favorable pond sites are identified. Regional thermal and electrical energy output from solar ponds is calculated. Selected pond design cases are studied. Five major potential market sectors are evaluated in terms of technical and energy-consumption characteristics, and solar-pond applicability and potential. Relevant pond system data and financial factors are analyzed. Solar-pond energy costs are compared with conventional energy costs. The assessment concludes that, excepting Alaska, ponds are applicable in all regions for at least two market sectors. Total solar pond energy supply potential in the five market sectors examined is estimated to be 8.94 quads/yr by the year 2000, approximately 7.2% of the projected total national energy demand.

  17. Regional applicability and potential of salt-gradient solar ponds in the United States. Volume 2: Detailed report

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, E. I. H.

    1982-03-01

    A comprehensive assessment of the regional applicability and potential of salt-gradient solar ponds in the United States is provided. The assessment is focused on the general characteristics of twelve defined geographic regions. Natural resources essential to solar ponds are surveyed. Meteorological and hydrogeological conditions affecting pond performance are examined. Potentially favorable pond sites are identified. Regional thermal and electrical energy output from solar ponds is calculated. Selected pond design cases are studied. Five major potential market sectors are evaluated in terms of technical and energy-consumption characteristics, and solar-pond applicability and potential. Relevant pond system data and financial factors are analyzed. Solar-pond energy costs are compared with conventional energy costs. The assessment concludes that, excepting Alaska, ponds are applicable in all regions for at least two market sectors. Total solar pond energy supply potential in the five market sectors examined is estimated to be 8.94 quads/yr by the year 2000, approximately 7.2% of the projected total national energy demand.

  18. The influence of fish ponds and salinization on groundwater quality in the multi-layer coastal aquifer system in Israel

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tal, A.; Weinstein, Y.; Yechieli, Y.; Borisover, M.

    2017-08-01

    This study focuses on the impact of surface reservoirs (fish ponds) on a multi aquifer coastal system, and the relation between the aquifer and the sea. The study was conducted in an Israeli Mediterranean coastal aquifer, which includes a sandy phreatic unit and two confined calcareous sandstone units. The geological description is based on 52 wells, from which 33 samples were collected for stable isotope analysis and 25 samples for organic and inorganic parameters. Hydraulic head and chemical measurements suggest that there is an hydraulic connection between the fish ponds above the aquifer and the phreatic unit, whereas the connection with the confined units is very limited. The phreatic unit is characterized by a low concentration of oxygen and high concentrations of ammonium and phosphate, while the confined units are characterized by higher oxygen and much lower ammonium and phosphate concentrations. Organic matter fluorescence was found to be a tool to distinguish the contribution of the pond waters, whereby a pond water signature (characterized by proteinaceous (tryptophan-like) and typical humic-matter fluorescence) was found in the phreatic aquifer. The phreatic unit is also isotopically enriched, similar to pond waters, with δ18O of -1‰ and δD of -4.6‰, indicating enhanced evaporation of the pond water before infiltration, whereas there is a depleted isotopic composition in the confined units (δ18O = -4.3‰, δD = -20.4‰), which are also OM-poor. The Phreeqc model was used for quantitative calculation of the effect of pond losses on the different units. The Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen (DIN) in the upper unit increases downstream from the ponds toward the sea, probably due to organic matter degradation, suggesting contribution of DIN from shallow groundwater flow to the sea. 87Sr/86Sr and Mg/Ca in the brackish and saline groundwater of the lower confined units increase toward seawater value, suggesting that the salinization process in the region is connected to seawater intrusion and not to old brine from the underlying Cretaceous aquitard.

  19. Systems Analysis for Large Army Formations.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1984-06-01

    Science & Technology Division, April 1982. 8. Deitel , H.M., An Introduction to Operating Systems, Addison-Wesley Systems Programming Series, 1982, pp...information about enemy units and their structure. The corresponding application program should provide the user with the capability to enter, maintain and...corres- ponding application program should provide the Operations Sub- system personnel the capability to enter, retrieve, and modify proposed changes to

  20. Evaluation of performance of full-scale duckweed and algal ponds receiving septage.

    PubMed

    Papadopoulos, Frantzis H; Metaxa, Eirini G; Iatrou, Miltos N; Papadopoulos, Aristotelis H

    2014-12-01

    The performance of duckweed and algal systems in removing fecal bacteria, organic matter, and nutrients was evaluated in three full-scale ponds operating in series. Trucks collected septage from holding tanks and discharged it into the system, daily. The inflow rates varied between the warm and the cold season. Duckweed and algae naturally colonized the ponds in two successive periods of 10 and 13 months, respectively. Environmental conditions were determined at various pond depths. Without harvesting, the duckweed system was neutral and anoxic. Alkaline and oversaturation conditions were observed in the algal system. The overall removals of 5-day biochemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids, total nitrogen removal, and orthophosphate (ortho-PO4(3-)) ranged from 94 to 97, 62 to 84, 68 to 74, and 0 to 26%, respectively. The E. coli and enterococci reductions varied between 2.2 to 3.0 and 1.1 to 1.4 log units, respectively. The upper values were always associated with the algal system.

  1. Veggie Passive Orbital Nutrient Delivery System (PONDS)

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-02-27

    Project scientists, place seeds in Veggie Passive Orbital Nutrient Delivery System (PONDS) units inside a laboratory at the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Veggie PONDS is a direct follow-on to the Veg-01 and Veg-03 hardware and plant growth validation tests. The primary goal of this newly developed plant growing system, Veggie PONDS, is to demonstrate uniform plant growth. PONDS units have features that are designed to mitigate microgravity effects on water distribution, increase oxygen exchange and provide sufficient room for root zone growth. PONDS is planned for use during Veg-04 and Veg-05 on the International Space Station after the Veggie PONDS Validation flights on SpaceX-14 and OA-9.

  2. Seed Placement into Veggie Pods

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-02-27

    Veggie Passive Orbital Nutrient Delivery System (PONDS) units are being prepared for seed planting inside a laboratory at the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Veggie PONDS is a direct follow-on to the Veg-01 and Veg-03 hardware and plant growth validation tests. The primary goal of this newly developed plant growing system, Veggie PONDS, is to demonstrate uniform plant growth. PONDS units have features that are designed to mitigate microgravity effects on water distribution, increase oxygen exchange and provide sufficient room for root zone growth. PONDS is planned for use during Veg-04 and Veg-05 on the International Space Station after the Veggie PONDS Validation flights on SpaceX-14 and OA-9.

  3. Seed Placement into Veggie Pods

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-02-27

    Seeds are being planted in Veggie Passive Orbital Nutrient Delivery System (PONDS) units inside a laboratory at the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Veggie PONDS is a direct follow-on to the Veg-01 and Veg-03 hardware and plant growth validation tests. The primary goal of this newly developed plant growing system, Veggie PONDS, is to demonstrate uniform plant growth. PONDS units have features that are designed to mitigate microgravity effects on water distribution, increase oxygen exchange and provide sufficient room for root zone growth. PONDS is planned for use during Veg-04 and Veg-05 on the International Space Station after the Veggie PONDS Validation flights on SpaceX-14 and OA-9.

  4. Development of Mobile Tracer Correlation Method for Quantification of Emissions from Landfills and Other Large Area Sources

    EPA Science Inventory

    There is an emerging need to develop cost effective measurement methods for greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions from large area sources such as landfills, waste water treatment ponds, open area processing units, agricultural operations, CO2 sequestration fields, and site r...

  5. Development of Mobile Tracer Correlation Approach for Quantification of Emissions from Landfills and Other Large Area Sources

    EPA Science Inventory

    There is a recognized need to develop cost effective measurement methods for greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions from large area sources such as landfills, waste water treatment ponds, open area processing units, agricultural operations, CO2 sequestration fields, and site ...

  6. Aerated Lagoons. Student Manual. Biological Treatment Process Control.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Andersen, Lorri

    This student manual contains the textual material for a unit which focuses on the structural and operationally unique features of aerated lagoons. Topic areas discussed include: (1) characteristics of completely mixed aerated lagoons; (2) facultative aerated lagoons; (3) aerated oxidation ponds; (4) effects of temperature on aerated lagoons; (5)…

  7. Land availability and land value assessment for solar ponds in the United States

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1982-01-01

    The land availability and land values for solar ponds in the United States as they concern the residential, commercial, and institutional land use categories were investigated. Solar ponds were identified as efficient and economical means for collecting and storing direct and diffuse solar energy. Innovative methodologies were applied to arrive at regional projections regarding the amount of land that might potentially be available for retrofit or future solar pond applications. Regional land values were also documented and analyzed.

  8. Seed Placement into Veggie Pods

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-02-27

    From left, Matthew Romeyn and Dr. Ye Zhang, project scientists, place seeds in Veggie Passive Orbital Nutrient Delivery System (PONDS) units inside a laboratory at the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Veggie PONDS is a direct follow-on to the Veg-01 and Veg-03 hardware and plant growth validation tests. The primary goal of this newly developed plant growing system, Veggie PONDS, is to demonstrate uniform plant growth. PONDS units have features that are designed to mitigate microgravity effects on water distribution, increase oxygen exchange and provide sufficient room for root zone growth. PONDS is planned for use during Veg-04 and Veg-05 on the International Space Station after the Veggie PONDS Validation flights on SpaceX-14 and OA-9.

  9. Seed Placement into Veggie Pods

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-02-27

    Dr. Ye Zhang, a project scientists, places seeds in Veggie Passive Orbital Nutrient Delivery System (PONDS) units inside a laboratory at the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Veggie PONDS is a direct follow-on to the Veg-01 and Veg-03 hardware and plant growth validation tests. The primary goal of this newly developed plant growing system, Veggie PONDS, is to demonstrate uniform plant growth. PONDS units have features that are designed to mitigate microgravity effects on water distribution, increase oxygen exchange and provide sufficient room for root zone growth. PONDS is planned for use during Veg-04 and Veg-05 on the International Space Station after the Veggie PONDS Validation flights on SpaceX-14 and OA-9.

  10. 2005 Annual Operations Report for INTEC Operable Unit 3-13, Group 1, Tank Farm Interim Action

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    D. Shanklin

    2006-07-19

    This annual operations report describes the requirements followed and activities conducted to inspect, monitor, and maintain the items installed during performance of the Waste Area Group 3, Operable Unit 3-13, Group 1, Tank Farm Interim Action, at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center. This report describes inspection and monitoring activities fro the surface-sealed areas within the tank farm, concrete-lined ditches and culverts in and around the tank farm, the lift station, and the lined evaporation pond. These activities are intended to assure that the interim action is functioning adequately to meet the objectives stated in the Operable Unit 3-13,more » Record of Decision for the Group 1, Tank Farm Interim Action, (DOE/ID-10660) and as amended by the agreement to resolve dispute, which was effective in February 2003.« less

  11. 2006 Annual Operations Report for INTEC Operable Unit 3-13, Group 1, Tank Farm Interim Action

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    D. E. Shanklin

    2007-02-14

    This annual operations report describes the requirements followed and activities conducted to inspect, monitor, and maintain the items installed during performance of the Waste Area Group 3, Operable Unit 3-13, Group 1, Tank Farm Interim Action, at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center. This report covers the time period from January 1 through December 31, 2006, and describes inspection and monitoring activities for the surface-sealed areas within the tank farm, concrete-lined ditches and culverts in and around the tank farm, the lift station, and the lined evaporation pond. These activities are intended to assure that the interim action ismore » functioning adequately to meet the objectives stated in the Operable Unit 3-13, Record of Decision for the Group 1, Tank Farm Interim Action (DOE/ID-10660) as described in the Group 1 Remedial Design/Remedial Action Work Plan (DOE/ID-10772).« less

  12. Methods for Estimating Water Withdrawals for Aquaculture in the United States, 2005

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lovelace, John K.

    2009-01-01

    Aquaculture water use is associated with raising organisms that live in water - such as finfish and shellfish - for food, restoration, conservation, or sport. Aquaculture production occurs under controlled feeding, sanitation, and harvesting procedures primarily in ponds, flow-through raceways, and, to a lesser extent, cages, net pens, and tanks. Aquaculture ponds, raceways, and tanks usually require the withdrawal or diversion of water from a ground or surface source. Most water withdrawn or diverted for aquaculture production is used to maintain pond levels and/or water quality. Water typically is added for maintenance of levels, oxygenation, temperature control, and flushing of wastes. This report documents methods used to estimate withdrawals of fresh ground water and surface water for aqua-culture in 2005 for each county and county-equivalent in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands by using aquaculture statistics and estimated water-use coefficients and water-replacement rates. County-level data for commercial and noncommercial operations compiled for the 2005 Census of Aquaculture were obtained from the National Agricultural Statistics Service. Withdrawals of water used at commercial and noncommercial operations for aquaculture ponds, raceways, tanks, egg incubators, and pens and cages for alligators were estimated and totaled by ground-water or surface-water source for each county and county equivalent. Use of the methods described in this report, when measured or reported data are unavailable, could result in more consistent water-withdrawal estimates for aquaculture that can be used by water managers and planners to determine water needs and trends across the United States. The results of this study were distributed to U.S. Geological Survey water-use personnel in each State during 2007. Water-use personnel are required to submit estimated withdrawals for all categories of use in their State to the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Use Information Program for inclusion in a national report describing water use in the United States during 2005. Water-use personnel had the option of submitting the estimates determined by using the methods described in this report, a modified version of these estimates, their own set of estimates, or reported data for the aquaculture category. Estimated withdrawals resulting from the method described in this report are not presented herein to avoid potential inconsistencies with estimated withdrawals for aquaculture that will be presented in the national report, as different methods used by water-use personnel may result in different withdrawal estimates. Estimated withdrawals also are not presented to avoid potential disclosure of confidential information for individual aquaculture operations.

  13. Mechanisms for parasites removal in a waste stabilisation pond.

    PubMed

    Reinoso, Roberto; Blanco, Saúl; Torres-Villamizar, Linda A; Bécares, Eloy

    2011-04-01

    A waste stabilisation pond (WSP) system formed by two anaerobic ponds, a facultative pond and a maturation pond was studied from December 2003 to September 2004 in north-western Spain in order to evaluate its efficiency in the removal of faecal indicator bacteria (total coliforms, Escherichia coli, faecal streptococci), coliphages, helminth eggs and protozoan (oo)cysts (Cryptosporidium and Giardia). Furthermore, sediment samples were collected from the bottom of the ponds to assess the settling rates and thus determine the main pathogen removal mechanisms in the WSPs system. The overall removal ranged from 1.4 log units for coliphages in the cold period to 5.0 log units for E. coli in the hot period. Cryptosporidium oocysts were reduced by an average of 96%, Giardia cysts by 98% and helminth eggs by 100%. The anaerobic ponds showed significantly higher surface removal rates (4.6, 5.2 and 3.7 log (oo)cysts/eggs removed m(-2) day(-1), respectively) than facultative and maturation ponds. Sunlight and water physicochemical conditions were the main factors influencing C. parvum oocysts removal both in the anaerobic and maturation ponds, whereas other factors like predation or natural mortality were more important in the facultative pond. Sedimentation, the most commonly proposed mechanism for cyst removal had, therefore, a negligible influence in the studied ponds.

  14. The potential for facilitating spring discharge from continental climate waste stabilisation ponds by carry-over of treated wastewater: concepts and experimental findings.

    PubMed

    Whalley, C; Pak, L N; Heaven, S

    2007-01-01

    The research investigated some factors influencing the rate of stabilisation of wastewater in the spring period in continental climate waste stabilisation ponds, and in particular the potential for bringing forward the discharge date by optimising storage capacity and dilution. Experiments using pilot and modelscale ponds were set up in Almaty, Kazakhstan. These simulated operating regimes for a facultative and storage/maturation pond system subject to ice cover from late November until late March. Two pilot-scale facultative ponds were operated at hydraulic retention times (HRT) of 20 and 30 days, with surface loading rates of 100 and 67 kg BOD ha(-1) day(-1). Effluent from the 20-day HRT facultative pond was then fed to two pilot-scale storage/maturation ponds which had been partially emptied and allowed to refill over the winter period with no removal of effluent. The paper discusses the results of the experiments with respect to selection of an operating regime to make treated wastewater available early in the spring. Preliminary results indicate that there may be potential for alternative operating protocols designed to maximise their performance and economic potential.

  15. Fuel Pond Sludge - Lessons Learned from Initial De-sludging of Sellafield's Pile Fuel Storage Pond - 12066

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Carlisle, Derek; Adamson, Kate

    2012-07-01

    The Pile Fuel Storage Pond (PFSP) at Sellafield was built and commissioned between the late 1940's and early 1950's as a storage and cooling facility for irradiated fuel and isotopes from the two Windscale Pile reactors. The pond was linked via submerged water ducts to each reactor, where fuel and isotopes were discharged into skips for transfer along the duct to the pond. In the pond the fuel was cooled then de-canned underwater prior to export for reprocessing. The plant operated successfully until it was taken out of operation in 1962 when the First Magnox Fuel Storage Pond took overmore » fuel storage and de-canning operations on the site. The pond was then used for storage of miscellaneous Intermediate Level Waste (ILW) and fuel from the UK's Nuclear Programme for which no defined disposal route was available. By the mid 1970's the import of waste ceased and the plant, with its inventory, was placed into a passive care and maintenance regime. By the mid 1990s, driven by the age of the facility and concern over the potential challenge to dispose of the various wastes and fuels being stored, the plant operator initiated a programme of work to remediate the facility. This programme is split into a number of key phases targeted at sustained reduction in the hazard associated with the pond, these include: - Pond Preparation: Before any remediation work could start the condition of the pond had to be transformed from a passive store to a plant capable of complex retrieval operations. This work included plant and equipment upgrades, removal of redundant structures and the provision of a effluent treatment plant for removing particulate and dissolved activity from the pond water. - Canned Fuel Retrieval: Removal of canned fuel, including oxide and carbide fuels, is the highest priority within the programme. Handling and export equipment required to remove the canned fuel from the pond has been provided and treatment routes developed utilising existing site facilities to allow the fuel to be reprocessed or conditioned for long term storage. - Sludge Retrieval: In excess of 300 m{sup 3} of sludge has accumulated in the pond over many years and is made up of debris arising from fuel and metallic corrosion, wind blown debris and bio-organic materials. The Sludge Retrieval Project has provided the equipment necessary to retrieve the sludge, including skip washer and tipper machines for clearing sludge from the pond skips, equipment for clearing sludge from the pond floor and bays, along with an 'in pond' corral for interim storage of retrieved sludge. Two further projects are providing new plant processing routes, which will initially store and eventually passivate the sludge. - Metal Fuel Retrieval: Metal Fuel from early Windscale Pile operations and various other sources is stored within the pond; the fuel varies considerably in both form and condition. A retrieval project is planned which will provide fuel handling, conditioning, sentencing and export equipment required to remove the metal fuel from the pond for export to on site facilities for interim storage and disposal. - Solid Waste Retrieval: A final retrieval project will provide methods for handling, retrieval, packaging and export of the remaining solid Intermediate Level Waste within the pond. This includes residual metal fuel pieces, fuel cladding (Magnox, aluminium and zircaloy), isotope cartridges, reactor furniture, and miscellaneous activated and contaminated items. Each of the waste streams requires conditioning to allow it to be and disposed of via one of the site treatment plants. - Pond Dewatering and Dismantling: Delivery of the above projects will allow operations to progressively remove the radiological inventory, thereby reducing the hazard/risk posed by the plant. This will then allow subsequent dewatering of the pond and dismantling of the structure. (authors)« less

  16. A Summary Description of a Computer Program Concept for the Design and Simulation of Solar Pond Electric Power Generation Systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1984-01-01

    A solar pond electric power generation subsystem, an electric power transformer and switch yard, a large solar pond, a water treatment plant, and numerous storage and evaporation ponds. Because a solar pond stores thermal energy over a long period of time, plant operation at any point in time is dependent upon past operation and future perceived generation plans. This time or past history factor introduces a new dimension in the design process. The design optimization of a plant must go beyond examination of operational state points and consider the seasonal variations in solar, solar pond energy storage, and desired plant annual duty-cycle profile. Models or design tools will be required to optimize a plant design. These models should be developed in order to include a proper but not excessive level of detail. The model should be targeted to a specific objective and not conceived as a do everything analysis tool, i.e., system design and not gradient-zone stability.

  17. Effects of seepage from fly-ash settling ponds and construction dewatering on ground-water levels in the Cowles unit, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Indiana

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Meyer, William R.; Tucci, Patrick

    1979-01-01

    Part of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore shares a common boundary with the Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO). This area is underlain by unconsolidated deposits approximately 180 feet thick. NIPSCO accumulates fly ash from the burning of coal in electric-power generating units in settling ponds. Seepage from the ponds has raised ground-water levels above natural levels approximately 15 feet under the ponds and more than 10 feet within the Lakeshore. NIPSCO is presently (1977) constructing a nuclear powerplant, and construction activities include pumping ground water to dewater the construction site. The company has installed a slurry wall around the site to prevent lowering of ground-water levels within the Lakeshore. Plans call for continuous pumping through at least December 1979. A multilayered digital flow model was constructed to simulate the ground-water system. The model was used to demonstrate the effects of seepage from the fly-ash ponds on ground-water levels. Also, the model indicated a decline of 3 feet or less in the upper sand unit and 5 feet or less in the lower sand unit within the Lakeshore.

  18. Valuating Ecosystem Services of Urban Ponds - case study from Bangladesh

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Carle, Nina

    2016-04-01

    A climate risk assessment for the city of Barisal was carried out by a consultancy firm, financed by KfW Development Bank of Germany. Due to high dependencies on natural capital of people in developing countries they are facing high vulnerability when it comes to changes of the asset category 'natural capital' (here: urban ponds), whether due to the exposition on climate (change) related impacts, implemented measures or land use change. With a closer view on the city's assets, the question remained open to the author 1) Under current conditions, what is the demand for ecosystem services (ES) 2) What is the value of the benefits and the how much is the contribution to the city's welfare? 3) What are the future changes in the demand for ES? And what are the future changes on the supply side (pressures and threats to the ecosystem)? Methodology: The City of Barisal in Bangladesh has a calculated number of around 10.000 urban rain-fed ponds,representing 6.5% of the city area, which represents a huge natural water supply and gives the city its characteristic face. In August 2015 a user survey was conducted in the city of Barisal, in every ward (administrative unit), to determine the demand for ecosystem services related to urban ponds, evaluating over 600 ponds. The findings will present the huge variation of provisioning ecosystem services and an important regulating service, related to economic and domestic use, in a spatial resolution. It will be shown, how the importance of ES changes, by changing the unit of analysis (families or ponds or the city) and the importance for the livelihood of pond owners and users. A relationship between pond area(m2) and number of users was detected, also the role of compensation payments for the pond owners by the users. It will be shown how natural capital, privately and publicly owned,contributes in an important way in buffering unequal distribution of societies resources in the short- and long-run. However society's demand for ES will change in the future, as climate models indicate a change in precipitation patterns for Barisal. Climate change is operating multisectoral and therefore all assets have to be considered to detect the potential damage. This research can show the pathways of people depending on natural captital in developing countries, sharpening the view for vulnerable groups. Furthermore the research can deliver a contribution to the discussion on (financial) investments to build resilient futures.

  19. Diel changes in water chemistry in an arsenic-rich stream and treatment-pond system

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gammons, C.H.; Grant, T.M.; Nimick, D.A.; Parker, S.R.; DeGrandpre, M.D.

    2007-01-01

    Arsenic concentrations are elevated in surface waters of the Warm Springs Ponds Operable Unit (WSPOU), located at the head of the upper Clark Fork River Superfund site, Montana, USA. Arsenic is derived from historical deposition of smelter emissions (Mill and Willow Creeks) and historical mining and milling wastes (Silver Bow Creek). Although long-term monitoring has characterized the general seasonal and flow-related trends in As concentrations in these streams and the pond system used to treat Silver Bow Creek water, little is known about solubility controls and sorption processes that influence diel cycles in As concentrations. Diel (24-h) sampling was conducted in July 2004 and August 2005 at the outlet of the treatment ponds, at two locations along a nearby reconstructed stream channel that diverts tributary water around the ponds, and at Silver Bow Creek 2??km below the ponds. Dissolved As concentration increased up to 51% during the day at most of the stream sites, whereas little or no diel change was displayed at the treatment-pond outlet. The strong cycle in streams is explained by pH- and temperature-dependent sorption of As onto hydrous metal oxides or biofilms on the streambed. Concentrations of dissolved Ca2+ and HCO3- at the stream sites showed a diel temporal pattern opposite to that of As, and geochemical modeling supports the hypothesis that the concentrations of Ca2+ and HCO3- were controlled by precipitation of calcite during the warm afternoon hours when pH rose above 9.0. Nightly increases in dissolved Mn and Fe(II) concentrations were out of phase with concentrations of other divalent cations and are more likely explained by redox phenomena. ?? 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Data analysis protocol for using resistivity array as an early-warning wastewater pond leak detector

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Typically, holding ponds are used to control runoff from concentrated animal feeding operations. The integrity of these holding ponds has come under increased scrutiny since subsurface leakage has the potential to affect soil and groundwater quality. Traditionally, ponds are monitored by installin...

  1. Treatment of landfill leachate--high tech or low tech? A case study.

    PubMed

    Schwarzenbeck, N; Leonhard, K; Wilderer, P A

    2003-01-01

    At the sanitary landfill of the city of Penzberg (Germany), two diverse approaches to leachate treatment were studied as parts of a three-stage treatment concept. The performance of a simple aerobic pond was compared to that of an advanced multistage treatment unit, the latter comprising a membrane biological reactor and a two-stage activated carbon filter. For 274 days of the year (75%) the pond was able to provide sufficient treatment even under cold weather conditions. For temperatures lower than 5 degrees C, a higher biomass content and temporal storage of the raw leachate (e.g. increasing hydraulic retention time) could close the gap of insufficient treatment. In contrast, the advanced treatment system could only accomplish limited treatment capabilities due to insufficient maintenance, low loading conditions and deficient coordination between the individual treatment steps. As a result, degradation rates were low and operational problems frequent. Limits for Ntot were exceeded regularly (Ntot,e = 60-70 mg/L), throughput broke down and excessive nitrite production occurred (NO2-Ne = 10 mg/L) as a result of microbial activity inside the activated carbon filters. This case study clearly suggests aerobic ponds as an appropriate solution for the treatment of landfill leachate in areas where operational independence is essential.

  2. Decommissioning of magnox Ltd fuel cooling pond facilities in the UK

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bertoncini, Carlo

    2013-07-01

    Magnox reactors were the first generation of nuclear power stations built in the UK; ten sites in total, of which, nine had wet fuel routes with cooling ponds. Five ponds are currently in a decommissioning phase; this paper will focus primarily on Hunterston-A (HNA) Site and the central programme of work which governs its management. During its operation, the Cartridge Cooling Pond at HNA was used to receive the spent fuel discharged from the Site's two reactors, it was then stored for cooling purposes prior to dispatch off site. The current decommissioning phase focusses on draining the 6500 m{sup 3}more » pond. Due to the Site's limited caesium removal facilities, a stand-alone effluent treatment plant was constructed to improve abatement and reduce the pond activity from 200 to 0.7 Bq/ml (β). This was necessary due to increased environmental standards introduced since the site had ceased generation ten years previously. Early characterisation and experience from other sites concluded that if the pond were to be drained without any treatment to the walls, doses to the Operators, during subsequent decommissioning works, would routinely be in excess of 1 mSv.hr{sup -1}(γ). An opportunity was realised within the Ponds Programme that if the surface layer of the pond walls were to be removed during drain-down, ambient dose rates would be reduced by a factor of 10; this would allow for more cost-effective decommissioning options in the future. Ultrahigh pressure water jetting was tested and proved to yield a ∼95% total-activity reduction on treated surfaces. Challenges were overcome in providing safe and secure access to Decommissioning Operators to perform this operation by means of floating platforms on the surface of the pond. As strategies to clear facilities to exemption levels are becoming both cost prohibitive and not reasonably practicable, work is now underway in the Programme to determine the optimum condition for entry into long-term quiescent storage, prior to final demolition. This paper will discuss the strategy and techniques which led to Magnox Ltd ponds to be of national and international interest to the nuclear community. (authors)« less

  3. Principles of Design And Operations Of Wastewater Treatment Pond Systems For Plant Operators, Engineers, And Managers

    EPA Science Inventory

    Wastewater pond systems provide reliable, low cost, and relatively low maintenance treatment for municipal and industrial discharges. However, they do have certain design, operations, and maintenance requirements. While the basic models have not changed in the 30-odd years sinc...

  4. Bird Mortality in Oil Field Wastewater Disposal Facilities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ramirez, Pedro

    2010-11-01

    Commercial and centralized oilfield wastewater disposal facilities (COWDFs) are used in the Western United States for the disposal of formation water produced from oil and natural gas wells. In Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming, COWDFs use large evaporation ponds to dispose of the wastewater. Birds are attracted to these large evaporation ponds which, if not managed properly, can cause wildlife mortality. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted 154 field inspections of 28 COWDFs in Wyoming from March 1998 through September 2008 and documented mortality of birds and other wildlife in 9 COWDFs. Of 269 bird carcasses recovered from COWDFs, grebes (Family Podicipedidae) and waterfowl (Anatidae) were the most frequent casualties. Most mortalities were attributed to oil on evaporation ponds, but sodium toxicity and surfactants were the suspected causes of mortality at three COWDFs. Although the oil industry and state and federal regulators have made much progress in reducing bird mortality in oil and gas production facilities, significant mortality incidents continue in COWDFs, particularly older facilities permitted in the early 1980’s. Inadequate operation and management of these COWDFs generally results in the discharge of oil into the large evaporation ponds which poses a risk for birds and other wildlife.

  5. Bird mortality in oil field wastewater disposal facilities.

    PubMed

    Ramirez, Pedro

    2010-11-01

    Commercial and centralized oilfield wastewater disposal facilities (COWDFs) are used in the Western United States for the disposal of formation water produced from oil and natural gas wells. In Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming, COWDFs use large evaporation ponds to dispose of the wastewater. Birds are attracted to these large evaporation ponds which, if not managed properly, can cause wildlife mortality. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted 154 field inspections of 28 COWDFs in Wyoming from March 1998 through September 2008 and documented mortality of birds and other wildlife in 9 COWDFs. Of 269 bird carcasses recovered from COWDFs, grebes (Family Podicipedidae) and waterfowl (Anatidae) were the most frequent casualties. Most mortalities were attributed to oil on evaporation ponds, but sodium toxicity and surfactants were the suspected causes of mortality at three COWDFs. Although the oil industry and state and federal regulators have made much progress in reducing bird mortality in oil and gas production facilities, significant mortality incidents continue in COWDFs, particularly older facilities permitted in the early 1980's. Inadequate operation and management of these COWDFs generally results in the discharge of oil into the large evaporation ponds which poses a risk for birds and other wildlife.

  6. PONDS Watering System for Veggie

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-03-07

    Tomato plants are growing inside a laboratory at the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The plant growth is being tested in the Veggie Passive Orbital Nutrient Delivery System (PONDS). Veggie PONDS is a direct follow-on to the Veg-01 and Veg-03 hardware and plant growth validation tests. The primary goal of this newly developed plant growing system, Veggie PONDS, is to demonstrate uniform plant growth. PONDS units have features that are designed to mitigate microgravity effects on water distribution, increase oxygen exchange and provide sufficient room for root zone growth. PONDS is planned for use during Veg-04 and Veg-05 on the International Space Station after the Veggie PONDS Validation flights on SpaceX-14 and OA-9.

  7. Salt-gradient Solar Ponds: Summary of US Department of Energy Sponsored Research

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    French, R. L.; Johnson, D. H.; Jones, G. F.; Zangrando, F.

    1984-01-01

    The solar pond research program conducted by the United States Department of Energy was discontinued after 1983. This document summarizes the results of the program, reviews the state of the art, and identifies the remaining outstanding issues. Solar ponds is a generic term but, in the context of this report, the term solar pond refers specifically to saltgradient solar pond. Several small research solar ponds have been built and successfully tested. Procedures for filling the pond, maintaining the gradient, adjusting the zone boundaries, and extracting heat were developed. Theories and models were developed and verified. The major remaining unknowns or issues involve the physical behavior of large ponds; i.e., wind mixing of the surface, lateral range or reach of horizontally injected fluids, ground thermal losses, and gradient zone boundary erosion caused by pumping fluid for heat extraction. These issues cannot be scaled and must be studied in a large outdoor solar pond.

  8. Performance evaluation of pumping systems used in commercial-scale, split-pond aquaculture

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Split-pond aquaculture systems have been adopted widely by United States catfish farmers as a way to improve production performance. The split-pond consists of a fish-culture basin that is connected to a waste-treatment lagoon by two water conveyance structures. Water is circulated between the two b...

  9. Comparison of phytoplankton communities in catfish split-pond aquaculture systems with conventional ponds

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    There has been a growing interest and use of variations of partitioned aquaculture systems (PAS) in recent years by the southeastern United States of America farmed catfish industry. Split-pond systems, one type of PAS, are designed to better manage fish waste byproducts (e.g., ammonia) and dissolv...

  10. Remedial Investigation Report on Chestnut Ridge Operable Unit 2 (Filled Coal Ash Pond/Upper McCoy Branch) at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Volume 1. Main Text

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1994-08-01

    This document is a report on the remedial investigation (RI) of Chestnut Ridge Operable Unit (OU) 2 at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant. Chestnut Ridge OU 2 consists of Upper McCoy Branch (UMB), the Filled Coal Ash Pond (FCAP), and the area surrounding the Sluice Channel formerly associated with coal ash disposal in the FCAP. Chestnut Ridge OU 2 is located within the U.S. Department of Energy`s (DOE`s) Oak Ridge Reservation in Anderson County, Tennessee, approximately 24 miles west of Knoxville. The pond is an 8.5-acre area on the southern slope of Chestnut Ridge, 0.5 mile south of the mainmore » Y-12 Plant and geographically separated from the Y-12 Plant by Chestnut Ridge. The elevation of the FCAP is {approximately} 950 ft above mean sea level (msl), and it is relatively flat and largely vegetated. Two small ponds are usually present at the northeast and northwest comers of the FCAP. The Sluice Channel Area extends {approximately}1000 ft from the northern margin of the FCAP to the crest of Chestnut Ridge, which has an elevation of {approximately}1100 ft above msl. The Sluice Channel Area is largely vegetated also. McCoy Branch runs from the top of Chestnut Ridge across the FCAP into Rogers Quarry and out of the quarry where it runs a short distance into Milton Hill Lake at McCoy Embayment, termed UMB. The portion south of Rogers Quarry, within Chestnut Ridge OU 4, is termed Lower McCoy Branch. The DOE Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant disposed of coal ash from its steam plant operations as a slurry that was discharged into an ash retention impoundment; this impoundment is the FCAP. The FCAP was built in 1955 to serve as a settling basin after coal ash slurried over Chestnut Ridge from the Y-12 Plant. The FCAP was constructed by building an earthen dam across the northern tributary of McCoy Branch. The dam was designed to hold 20 years of Y-12 steam plant ash. By July 1967, ash had filled up the impoundment storage behind the dam to within 4 ft of the top.« less

  11. Integrated Hatchery Operations Team: Operations Plans for Anadromous Fish Production Facilities in the Columbia River Basin, Volume IV of IV; Washington: Rocky Reach Hatchery Addendum, 1992 Annual Report.

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Peck, Larry

    1993-08-01

    Rocky Reach Hatchery is located along the Columbia Paver, just downstream from Rocky Reach Dam. Site elevation is 800 feet above sea level. The Turtle Rock Island facility, located 2 miles upstream, is operated as a satellite facility (shared with the Washington Department of Wildlife). The facility is staffed with 2.75 FTE`S. The hatchery was originally designed as a mile-long spawning channel at Turtle Rock Island. Rearing units consist of eight vinyl raceways at Rocky Reach and four rearing ponds at Turtle Rock. Water rights are held by Chelan County PUD and total 3,613 gpm from the Columbia River. Watermore » available for use in the Turtle Rock rearing ponds averages 12,000 gpm from the Columbia River. Rocky Reach Hatchery and the Turtle Rock satellite facility are owned by Chelan County PUD. They are operated as mitigation facilities for the fishery impacts caused by the construction and operation of Rocky Reach Dam. Rocky Reach Hatchery is used for incubation and early rearing of upriver bright (URB) fall chinook. Fingerlings are later transferred to the Turtle Rock facility for final rearing and release.« less

  12. A review of the salt-gradient solar pond technology

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lin, E. I. H.

    1982-01-01

    The state of the salt-gradient solar pond technology is reviewed. Highlights of findings and experiences from existing ponds to data are presented, and the behavior, energy yield, operational features, and economics of solar ponds are examined. It is concluded that salt-gradient solar ponds represent a technically feasible, environmentally benign, and economically attractive energy producing alternative. In order to bring this emerging technology to maturity, however, much research and development effort remains to be undertaken. Specific R&D areas requiring the attention and action of technical workers and decision-makers are discussed, both from the perspectives of smaller, thermally-oriented ponds and larger, electricity generating ponds.

  13. Laboratory investigation of supported permeable organic covers for the management of odour emissions from anaerobic piggery waste ponds.

    PubMed

    Hudson, N; Casey, K; Melvin, S; Nicholas, P

    2001-01-01

    Australian research has linked much of the odour arising from intensive livestock operations to pond treatment systems. A reduction in emissions from treatment ponds would therefore generally reduce odour emissions from intensive livestock operations. Published data indicates that the application of straw and other biological materials to effluent pond surfaces as a continuous cover reduces odour emissions. The effectiveness of these covers has not, however, been researched under controlled conditions. Using locally available materials, the efficacy of supported covers has been investigated using a series of laboratory anaerobic digesters treating typical piggery effluent. Research to date has focused on: identifying effective cover and cover support materials; quantifying odour reduction; identifying the impact use these covers may have on greenhouse gas emissions; devising practical and effective methods for constructing these covers. Results have confirmed that a variety of cover materials are effective in reducing pond odour emissions. Supporting the pond cover appears to extend the cover life expectancy. While greenhouse gas emissions appear to vary according to cover type, the overall significance of these emissions is not yet clear. The impact of permeable pond covers on overall pond performance requires additional research.

  14. Milan Army Ammunition Plant focused feasibility study for the northern industrial area soil. Final report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Locandro, R.R.; Okusu, N.M.; Case, J.

    1995-04-01

    ICF Kaiser Engineers (ICF) and Environmental Resources Management (ERM) have been contracted by the US Army Environmental Center (USAEC) to perform a Focused Feasibility Study (FS) for contaminated soil within the northern industrial areas of Milan Army Ammunition Plant (MAAP), Tennessee. The purpose of the Focused FS is to develop and evaluate remedial alternatives such that an appropriate remedy can be selected for the site. The MAAP Remedial Investigation (RI) performed in 1989--1991 confirmed that the O-Line Ponds area, facility drainage ditches that received industrial wastewater, and manufacturing and disposal areas have been sources of groundwater contamination. One finding ofmore » the RI Report was that sufficient information was available concerning the O-Line Ponds area to proceed with a Focused FS. The O-Line Ponds area was further divided into two operable units (OUs): OU1 is the groundwater immediately downgradient of the O-Line Ponds area, and OU2 is the soil, surface water, and sediment at the O-Line Ponds area. A Proposed Plan and Record of Decision (ROD) for OU1 were finalized in 1992, which called for groundwater extraction, treatment, and reinjection of the treated water upgradient of the O-Line Ponds. The design of this system was completed in 1993, and construction of the system is currently underway. For OU2, the Proposed Plan and ROD (finalized in 1993) called for the extension of the existing multi-layered cap to cover the contaminated soil around the perimeter of the existing cap. The design of the cap extension was completed in 1994, and construction will begin in late 1994.« less

  15. Bacterial community structure across environmental gradients in permafrost thaw ponds: methanotroph-rich ecosystems

    PubMed Central

    Crevecoeur, Sophie; Vincent, Warwick F.; Comte, Jérôme; Lovejoy, Connie

    2015-01-01

    Permafrost thawing leads to the formation of thermokarst ponds that potentially emit CO2 and CH4 to the atmosphere. In the Nunavik subarctic region (northern Québec, Canada), these numerous, shallow ponds become well-stratified during summer. This creates a physico-chemical gradient of temperature and oxygen, with an upper oxic layer and a bottom low oxygen or anoxic layer. Our objective was to determine the influence of stratification and related limnological and landscape properties on the community structure of potentially active bacteria in these waters. Samples for RNA analysis were taken from ponds in three contrasting valleys across a gradient of permafrost degradation. A total of 1296 operational taxonomic units were identified by high throughput amplicon sequencing, targeting bacterial 16S rRNA that was reverse transcribed to cDNA. β-proteobacteria were the dominant group in all ponds, with highest representation by the genera Variovorax and Polynucleobacter. Methanotrophs were also among the most abundant sequences at most sites. They accounted for up to 27% of the total sequences (median of 4.9% for all samples), indicating the importance of methane as a bacterial energy source in these waters. Both oxygenic (cyanobacteria) and anoxygenic (Chlorobi) phototrophs were also well-represented, the latter in the low oxygen bottom waters. Ordination analyses showed that the communities clustered according to valley and depth, with significant effects attributed to dissolved oxygen, pH, dissolved organic carbon, and total suspended solids. These results indicate that the bacterial assemblages of permafrost thaw ponds are filtered by environmental gradients, and are complex consortia of functionally diverse taxa that likely affect the composition as well as magnitude of greenhouse gas emissions from these abundant waters. PMID:25926816

  16. Performance of pond-wetland complexes as a preliminary processor of drinking water sources.

    PubMed

    Wang, Weidong; Zheng, Jun; Wang, Zhongqiong; Zhang, Rongbin; Chen, Qinghua; Yu, Xinfeng; Yin, Chengqing

    2016-01-01

    Shijiuyang Constructed Wetland (110 hm(2)) is a drinking water source treatment wetland with primary structural units of ponds and plant-bed/ditch systems. The wetland can process about 250,000 tonnes of source water in the Xincheng River every day and supplies raw water for Shijiuyang Drinking Water Plant. Daily data for 28 months indicated that the major water quality indexes of source water had been improved by one grade. The percentage increase for dissolved oxygen and the removal rates of ammonia nitrogen, iron and manganese were 73.63%, 38.86%, 35.64%, and 22.14% respectively. The treatment performance weight of ponds and plant-bed/ditch systems was roughly equal but they treated different pollutants preferentially. Most water quality indexes had better treatment efficacy with increasing temperature and inlet concentrations. These results revealed that the pond-wetland complexes exhibited strong buffering capacity for source water quality improvement. The treatment cost of Shijiuyang Drinking Water Plant was reduced by about 30.3%. Regional rainfall significantly determined the external river water levels and adversely deteriorated the inlet water quality, thus suggesting that the "hidden" diffuse pollution in the multitudinous stream branches as well as their catchments should be the controlling emphases for river source water protection in the future. The combination of pond and plant-bed/ditch systems provides a successful paradigm for drinking water source pretreatment. Three other drinking water source treatment wetlands with ponds and plant-bed/ditch systems are in operation or construction in the stream networks of the Yangtze River Delta and more people will be benefited. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  17. Data report. The fate of human enteric viruses in a natural sewage recycling system

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Vaughn, J.M.; Landry, E.F.

    1980-09-01

    A two-year study was conducted to determine the virus-removing capacity of two man-made ecosystems designed for the treatment of raw domestic wastewater. The first treatment system consisted of two meadows followed by a marsh-pond unit (M/M/P). The second system contained individual marsh and pond units (M/P). All systems demonstrated moderate virus removal, with the marsh/pond system yielding the most consistent removal rates. Within this system, the greater potential for virus removal appeared to occur in the marsh unit. In addition to the production of system-oriented data, improved techniques for the concentration and enumeration of human viruses from sewage-polluted aquatic systemsmore » were developed.« less

  18. PONDS Watering System for Veggie

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-03-07

    Tomato plants are growing under red and blue LED lights in a growth chamber inside a laboratory at the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The plant growth is being tested in the Veggie Passive Orbital Nutrient Delivery System (PONDS). Veggie PONDS is a direct follow-on to the Veg-01 and Veg-03 hardware and plant growth validation tests. The primary goal of this newly developed plant growing system, Veggie PONDS, is to demonstrate uniform plant growth. PONDS units have features that are designed to mitigate microgravity effects on water distribution, increase oxygen exchange and provide sufficient room for root zone growth. PONDS is planned for use during Veg-04 and Veg-05 on the International Space Station after the Veggie PONDS Validation flights on SpaceX-14 and OA-9.

  19. PONDS Watering System for Veggie

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-03-07

    Howard Levine, Ph.D., a research scientist at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, reviews the growth of several tomato plants in a laboratory in the Space Station Processing Facility. The tomato plants are growing in the Veggie Passive Orbital Nutrient Delivery System (PONDS). Veggie PONDS is a direct follow-on to the Veg-01 and Veg-03 hardware and plant growth validation tests. The primary goal of this newly developed plant growing system, Veggie PONDS, is to demonstrate uniform plant growth. PONDS units have features that are designed to mitigate microgravity effects on water distribution, increase oxygen exchange and provide sufficient room for root zone growth. PONDS is planned for use during Veg-04 and Veg-05 on the International Space Station after the Veggie PONDS Validation flights on SpaceX-14 and OA-9.

  20. Waterfowl production on stock-watering ponds in the northern plains

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lokemoen, J.T.

    1973-01-01

    In a 5-year study of stock-watering ponds in western North Dakota, pond size was found to be the major factor influencing duck use. As pond size increased, total pair and brood use per pond increased. Pairs used ponds as small as 0.1 acre in size, but broods were seldom seen on ponds of less than 1.0 surface acre. Dam-type ponds larger than 1.0 surface acre comprised only 29% of all man-made ponds on the study area but received 65% of the pair use and 87% of the brood use. Utilization of fenced ponds by pairs and broods was not significantly different from utilization of unfenced ponds. Grazing rates of 2 to 3 acres per AUM and lower rates permitted the development of grassy shoreline cover preferred by pairs and brushy and emergent shorelines preferred by broods. Duck pairs were significantly more numerous on older ponds and ponds with grassy shorelines but less numerous on ponds that had heavy deposits of sediment or were isolated from other wetlands. Broods were significantly more numerous on ponds with brushy shorelines and emergent vegetation than on those without. Broods were less numerous on turbid and newly constructed ponds. The most suitable stock-watering units for maximum waterfowl production were dam-type ponds of 1.5 surface acres, or larger, built in gentle to rolling terrain away from major sources of siltation.

  1. 33 CFR 117.598 - Eel Pond Channel.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Eel Pond Channel. 117.598 Section 117.598 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY BRIDGES DRAWBRIDGE OPERATION REGULATIONS Specific Requirements Massachusetts § 117.598 Eel Pond Channel. The...

  2. 33 CFR 117.598 - Eel Pond Channel.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Eel Pond Channel. 117.598 Section 117.598 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY BRIDGES DRAWBRIDGE OPERATION REGULATIONS Specific Requirements Massachusetts § 117.598 Eel Pond Channel. The...

  3. 33 CFR 117.598 - Eel Pond Channel.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Eel Pond Channel. 117.598 Section 117.598 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY BRIDGES DRAWBRIDGE OPERATION REGULATIONS Specific Requirements Massachusetts § 117.598 Eel Pond Channel. The...

  4. 33 CFR 117.598 - Eel Pond Channel.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Eel Pond Channel. 117.598 Section 117.598 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY BRIDGES DRAWBRIDGE OPERATION REGULATIONS Specific Requirements Massachusetts § 117.598 Eel Pond Channel. The...

  5. 33 CFR 117.598 - Eel Pond Channel.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Eel Pond Channel. 117.598 Section 117.598 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY BRIDGES DRAWBRIDGE OPERATION REGULATIONS Specific Requirements Massachusetts § 117.598 Eel Pond Channel. The...

  6. Beaver Ponds: Resurgent Nitrogen Sinks for Rural Watersheds in the Northeastern United States.

    PubMed

    Lazar, Julia G; Addy, Kelly; Gold, Arthur J; Groffman, Peter M; McKinney, Richard A; Kellogg, Dorothy Q

    2015-09-01

    Beaver-created ponds and dams, on the rise in the northeastern United States, reshape headwater stream networks from extensive, free-flowing reaches to complexes of ponds, wetlands, and connecting streams. We examined seasonal and annual rates of nitrate transformations in three beaver ponds in Rhode Island under enriched nitrate-nitrogen (N) conditions through the use of N mass balance techniques on soil core mesocosm incubations. We recovered approximately 93% of the nitrate N from our mesocosm incubations. Of the added nitrate N, 22 to 39% was transformed during the course of the incubation. Denitrification had the highest rates of transformation (97-236 mg N m d), followed by assimilation into the organic soil N pool (41-93 mg N m d) and ammonium generation (11-14 mg N m d). Our denitrification rates exceeded those in several studies of freshwater ponds and wetlands; however, rates in those ecosystems may have been limited by low concentrations of nitrate. Assuming a density of 0.7 beaver ponds km of catchment area, we estimated that in nitrate-enriched watersheds, beaver pond denitrification can remove approximately 50 to 450 kg nitrate N km catchment area. In rural watersheds of southern New England with high N loading (i.e., 1000 kg km), denitrification from beaver ponds may remove 5 to 45% of watershed nitrate N loading. Beaver ponds represent a relatively new and substantial sink for watershed N if current beaver populations persist. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

  7. PONDCALC - A Tool to Estimate Discharge from the Alviso Salt Ponds, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Shellenbarger, Gregory; Schoellhamer, David H.; Lionberger, Megan A.

    2007-01-01

    Former commercial salt ponds in Alviso, California, now are operated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to provide habitat for birds. The USFWS has modified the operation of the ponds to prevent exceedingly high salinity. Ponds that were formerly hydraulically isolated from South San Francisco Bay and adjacent sloughs now are managed as flow-through ponds, and some are allowed to discharge to the Bay and sloughs. This discharge is allowed under a permit issued by the Regional Water Quality Control Board. As a requirement of the permit, the USFWS must estimate the amount of discharge from each discharge pond for the period May through November of each year. To facilitate the accurate estimation of pond discharge, a calculation methodology (hereafter referred to as 'calculator' or PONDCALC) for the discharging Alviso ponds has been developed as a Microsoft Excel file and is presented in this report. The presence of flap gates on one end of the discharge culverts, which allow only outflow from a pond, complicates the hydraulic analysis of flow through the culverts. The equation typically used for culvert flow contains an energy loss coefficient that had to be determined empirically using measured water discharge and head at the discharge structure of one of the ponds. A standard weir-flow equation is included in PONDCALC for discharge calculation in the ponds having weir box structures in addition to culverts. The resulting methodology is applicable only to the five Alviso ponds (A2W, A3W, A7, A14, and A16) that discharge to South San Francisco Bay or adjacent sloughs under the management practices for 2005.

  8. Interconnected ponds operation for flood hazard distribution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Putra, S. S.; Ridwan, B. W.

    2016-05-01

    The climatic anomaly, which comes with extreme rainfall, will increase the flood hazard in an area within a short period of time. The river capacity in discharging the flood is not continuous along the river stretch and sensitive to the flood peak. This paper contains the alternatives on how to locate the flood retention pond that are physically feasible to reduce the flood peak. The flood ponds were designed based on flood curve number criteria (TR-55, USDA) with the aim of rapid flood peak capturing and gradual flood retuning back to the river. As a case study, the hydrologic condition of upper Ciliwung river basin with several presumed flood pond locations was conceptually designed. A fundamental tank model that reproducing the operation of interconnected ponds was elaborated to achieve the designed flood discharge that will flows to the downstream area. The flood hazard distribution status, as the model performance criteria, will be computed within Ciliwung river reach in Manggarai Sluice Gate spot. The predicted hazard reduction with the operation of the interconnected retention area result had been bench marked with the normal flow condition.

  9. Corrective Action Decision Document/Closure Report for Corrective Action Unit 478: Area 12 T-Tunnel Ponds, Nevada Test Site

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NSTec Environmental Restoration

    This Corrective Action Decision Document (CADD)/Closure Report (CR) was prepared by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) for Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 478, Area 12 T-Tunnel Ponds. This CADD/CR is consistent with the requirements of the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (FFACO) agreed to by the State of Nevada, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and the U.S. Department of Defense. Corrective Action Unit 478 is comprised of one corrective action site (CAS): • 12-23-01, Ponds (5) RAD Area The purpose of this CADD/CR is to provide justification and documentation supporting the recommendation for closure in place with usemore » restrictions for CAU 478.« less

  10. Shallow ground-water flow, water levels, and quality of water, 1980-84, Cowles Unit, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Cohen, D.A.; Shedlock, R.J.

    1986-01-01

    Since the settling ponds were sealed, the concentration of boron has decreased while concentrations of cadmium, arsenic, zinc, and molybdenum in shallow ground water downgradient of the ponds show no definite trends in time. Arsenic, boron and molybdenum have remained at concentrations above those of shallow ground water in areas unaffected by settling-pond seepage.

  11. Convergent Diversity and Trait Composition in Temporary Streams and Ponds

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-05-19

    of aquatic invertebrate diversity. We used invertebrate assemblage data from seven arid- land streams in southeastern Arizona, United States...collected over 2 yr and nine temperate woodland ponds in Ontario, Canada collected over 2 yr. Our results showed that although invertebrate assemblages...from streams and ponds differ taxonomically, hydroperi- od had similar influence on invertebrate trait structure regardless of biogeographic and habitat

  12. A review of basin morphology and pool hydrology of isolated ponded wetlands: implications for seasonal forest pools of the northeastern United States

    Treesearch

    Robert T. Brooks; Robert T. Brooks

    2005-01-01

    Seasonal forest pools (SFPs) are geographically- and hydrologically- isolated ponded wetlands, in that they are topographically isolated from other surface waters. SFPs occur commonly throughout the temperate forests of the eastern United States and adjacent Canada. SFPs are ephemeral in occurrence, typically drying annually. The regular drying of SFPs excludes fish...

  13. Operation of a pond-cooler: the case of Berezovskaya GRES-1

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Morozova, O. G.; Kamoza, T. L.; Koyupchenko, I. N.; Savelyev, A. S.; Pen, R. Z.; Veselkova, N. S.; Kudryavtsev, M. D.

    2017-08-01

    Pond-coolers at heat and nuclear power stations are natural-technological systems, so the program of their monitoring should include the effect made by the SRPS (state regional power station) on the pond ecosystem, including thermal discharge of cooling water. The objectives of this study were development and implementation of a monitoring program for the cooling pond of Berezovskaya SRPS-1 on the chemical and biological water quality indicators and identification of patterns of the thermal and hydrochemical regime when operating the progressive power plant (from 1996 to 2015). The quality of the cooling water of the pond-cooler BGRES-1 was studied under full-scale conditions by selecting and analyzing the water samples of the pond in accordance with the principles of complexity, systematic observation, and consistency of timing their conduct with the characteristic hydrological phases. Processing of the obtained array of monitoring data by methods of mathematical statistics makes it possible to identify the main factors affecting the water quality of the pond. The data on water quality obtained during their monitoring and mathematical processing over a long time interval are the scientific basis for forecasting the ecological state of the pond, which is necessary to economically ensure the efficient energy production and safety of water use. Recommendations proposed by these authors, including those partially already implemented, have been to prevent the development of eutrophication processes in the pond-cooler: the construction of a dam that cuts off the main peat massif and cleaning the river banks forming the cooling pond.

  14. One-dimensional transient finite difference model of an operational salinity gradient solar pond

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hicks, Michael C.; Golding, Peter

    1992-01-01

    This paper describes the modeling approach used to simulate the transient behavior of a salinity gradient solar pond. A system of finite difference equations are used to generate the time dependent temperature and salinity profiles within the pond. The stability of the pond, as determined by the capacity of the resulting salinity profile to suppress thermal convection within the primary gradient region of the pond, is continually monitored and when necessary adjustments are made to the thickness of the gradient zone. Results of the model are then compared to measurements taken during two representative seasonal periods at the University of Texas at El Paso's (UTEP's) research solar pond.

  15. Decontamination and decommissioning of the BORAX-V leach pond. Final report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Smith, D.L.

    1985-01-01

    This report describes the decontamination and decommissioning (D and D) of the BORAX-V leach pond located at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL). The leach pond became radioactively contaminated from the periodic discharge of low-level liquid waste during operation of the Boiling Water Reactor Experiments (BORAX) from 1954 to 1964. This report describes work performed to accomplish the D and D objectives of stabilizing the leach pond and preventing the spread of contamination. D and D of the BORAX-V leach pond consisted to backfilling the pond with clean soil, grading and seeding the area, and erecting a permanent marker tomore » identify very low-level subsurface contamination.« less

  16. Comparison of intestinal bacterial communities in grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idellus, from two different habitats

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ni, Jiajia; Yu, Yuhe; Zhang, Tanglin; Gao, Lei

    2012-09-01

    The intestinal bacteria of vertebrates form a close relationship with their host. External and internal conditions of the host, including its habitat, affect the intestinal bacterial community. Similarly, the intestinal bacterial community can, in turn, influence the host, particularly with respect to disease resistance. We compared the intestinal bacterial communities of grass carp that were collected from farm-ponds or a lake. We conducted denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of amplified 16S rRNA genes, from which 66 different operational taxonomic units were identified. Using both the unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic means clustering and principal component analysis ordination, we found that the intestinal bacterial communities from the two groups of pond fish were clustered together and inset into the clusters of wild fish, except for DF-7, and there was no significant correlation between genetic diversity of grass carp and their intestinal bacterial communities (Mantel one-tailed test, R=0.157, P=0.175). Cetobacterium appeared more frequently in the intestine of grass carp collected from pond. A more thorough understanding of the role played by intestinal microbiota on fish health would be of considerable benefit to the aquaculture industry.

  17. Reuse of reclaimed wastewater for golf course irrigation in Tunisia.

    PubMed

    Bahri, A; Basset, C; Oueslati, F; Brissaud, F

    2001-01-01

    In Tunisia, golf courses are irrigated with secondary treated effluent stored in landscape impoundments. The impact of the conveyance and storage steps on the physical-chemical and biological quality of irrigation water was evaluated on three golf courses over two years. It was found that the water quality varies all along the water route, from the wastewater treatment plant up to the irrigation site: nutrient and bacteria contents decreased along the route in the three cases. This variation depends on the wastewater quality, the length of the pipes conveying water, the number of regulation reservoirs and ponds, the water residence time in pipes, reservoirs and ponds, and the operation of the ponds. The bacteriological quality of irrigation water deteriorates during the irrigation period in the three golf courses as the ponds are operated as continuous flow reactors. The results obtained in this study indicate the inability of golf water supplies, as currently managed, to properly sanitize reclaimed wastewater and meet target quality criteria recommended by WHO (1989) for water intended for recreational use. For a safe reuse of reclaimed wastewater for golf course irrigation, changes in the design and operation of the ponds should be planned or additional treatment steps provided.

  18. Physical stratigraphy and hydrostratigraphy of Upper Cretaceous and Paleocene sediments, Burke and Screven Counties, Georgia

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Falls, W.F.; Baum, J.S.; Prowell, D.C.

    1997-01-01

    Six geologic units are recognized in the Cretaceous and the Paleocene sediments of eastern Burke and Screven Counties in Georgia on the basis of lithologic, geophysical, and paleontologic data collected from three continuously cored testholes in Georgia and one testhole in South Carolina. The six geologic units are separated by regional unconformities and are designated from oldest to youngest as the Cape Fear Formation, the Middendorf Formation, the Black Creek Group (undivided), and the Steel Creek Formation in the Upper Cretaceous section, and the Ellenton and the Snapp Formations in the Paleocene section. The geologic units provide a spatial and temporal framework for the identification and correlation of a basal confining unit beneath the Midville aquifer system and five aquifers and five confining units in the Dublin and the Midville aquifer systems. The Dublin aquifer system is divided hydrostratigraphically into the Millers Pond, the upper Dublin, and the lower Dublin aquifers. The Midville aquifer system is divided hydrostratigraphically into the upper and the lower Midville aquifers. The fine-grained sediments of the Millers Pond, the lower Dublin, and the lower Midville confining units are nonmarine deposits and are present in the upper part of the Snapp Formation, the Black Creek Group (undivided), and the Middendorf Formation, respectively. Hydrologic data for specific sets of monitoring wells at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina and the Millers Pond site in Georgia confirm that these three units are leaky confining units and locally impede vertical ground-water flow between adjacent aquifers. The fine-grained sediments of the upper Dublin and the upper Midville confining units are marine-deltaic deposits of the Ellenton Formation and the Black Creek Group (undivided), respectively. Hydrologic data confirm that the upper Dublin confining unit regionally impedes vertical ground-water flow on both sides of the Savannah River. The upper Midville confining unit impedes vertical ground-water flow in the middle and downdip parts of the study area and is a leaky confining unit in the updip part of the study area. Recognition of the upper Dublin confining unit as a regional confining unit between the Millers Pond and the upper Dublin aquifers also confirms that the Millers Pond aquifer is a separate hydrologic unit from the rest of the Dublin aquifer system. This multi-aquifer framework increases the vertical hydrostratigraphic resolution of hydraulic properties and gradients in the Dublin and Midville aquifer systems for the investigation of ground-water flow beneath the Savannah River in the vicinity of the U.S. Department of Energy Savannah River Site.

  19. Resurgent beaver ponds in the northeastern United States: implications for greenhouse gas emissions.

    PubMed

    Lazar, Julia G; Addy, Kelly; Welsh, Molly K; Gold, Arthur J; Groffman, Peter M

    2014-11-01

    Beaver ponds, a wetland type of increasing density in the northeastern United States, vary spatially and temporally, creating high uncertainty in their impact to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. We used floating static gas chambers to assess diffusive fluxes of methane (CH), carbon dioxide (CO), and nitrous oxide (NO) from the air-water interface of three beaver ponds (0.05-8 ha) in Rhode Island from fall 2012 to summer 2013. Gas flux was based on linear changes of gas concentrations in chambers over 1 h. Our results show that these beaver ponds generated considerable CH and CO emissions. Methane flux (18-556 mg m d) showed no significant seasonal differences, but the shallowest pond generated significantly higher CH flux than the other ponds. Carbon dioxide flux (0.5-22.0 g m d) was not significantly different between sites, but it was significantly higher in the fall, possibly due to the degradation of fresh leaves. Nitrous oxide flux was low (0-2.4 mg m d). Overall, CH and CO comprised most of the global warming potential, 61 and 38%, respectively. The shallowness of the beaver ponds may have limited the time needed for CH oxidation to CO before CH escaped to the atmosphere. Beaver dams also increase the aerial extent of hydric soils, which may transform riparian areas from upland GHG sinks to wetland GHG sources thereby changing the net global warming potential. Further studies tracking the pattern and conditions of beaver pond creation and abandonment will be essential to understanding their role as GHG sources. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

  20. REMEDIAL INVESTIGATION REPORT FOR THE 200-CW-5 U POND & Z DITCHES & 200-CW-2 S POND & 200-SCW-R T POND & 200-SC-1 STEAM CONDENSATE GROUP OU

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    BAUER, R.G.

    2004-08-05

    The purpose of this remedial investigation (RI) report is to evaluate the data generated during the RI and other characterization activities at the 200-CW-5 Operable Unit (OU) to (1) determine if sufficient data have been collected to support risk assessment and remedial decision making, (2) estimate risk at the representative sites based on data collected during the RI and on other existing data, (3) determine the need to proceed with a feasibility study (FS), and (4) determine which constituents and site-specific considerations need to be addressed in the FS. This RI report also provides data to support the evaluation ofmore » alternatives in the FS with regard to meeting potential applicable or relevant and appropriate requirements, risk reduction, and potentially significant data gaps (if any). This RI report includes an evaluation of the baseline risk using characterization data generated during the RI and significant data from other investigations (e.g., historical data from the 216-U-10 Pond and the 216-Z-1D, 216-Z-11, 216-U-14, and 216-Z-19 Ditches). Data generated during the RI will support the closeout of waste sites in the 200-CW-5 OU, as well as the waste sites in the 200-CW-2,200-CW-4, and 200-SC-1 consolidated OUs.« less

  1. Salton Sea Project, Phase 1. [solar pond power plant

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Peelgren, M. L.

    1982-01-01

    A feasibility study was made for a salt gradient solar pond power plant in or near the Salton Sea of California. The conclusions support continuance 5-MWe proof-of-concept experiment, and ultimate construction by an electric utility company of a 600-MWe plant. The Solar Pond concept would be an environmental benefit to the Salton Sea by reversing the increasing salinity trend. The greatest cost drivers are the lake dike construction and pond sealing. Problems to be resolved include method of brine production from Salton Sea water for the first unit (which requires evaporation pond area and time), the high turbidity and color content of the Salton Sea water (which requires pretreatment), and other questions related to pond permeability, bio-activity and soil/brine chemical reactions. All technical and environmental problems appear solvable and/or manageable if care is taken in mitigating impacts.

  2. Parameters for the Operation of Bacterial Thiosalt Oxidation Ponds

    PubMed Central

    Silver, M.

    1985-01-01

    Shake flask and pH-controlled reactor tests were used to determine the mathematical parameters for a mixed-culture bacterial thiosalt treatment pond. Values determined were as follows: Km and Vmax (thiosulfate), 9.83 g/liter and 243.9 mg/liter per h, respectively; Ki (lead), 3.17 mg/liter; Ki (copper), 1.27 mg/liter; Q10 between 10 and 30°C, 1.95. From these parameters, the required bioxidation pond volume and residence time could be calculated. Soluble zinc (0.2 g/liter) and particulate mill products and by-products (0.25 g/liter) were not inhibitory. Correlation with an operating thiosalt biooxidation pond showed the parameters used to be valid for thiosalt concentrations up to at least 2 g/liter, lead concentrations of at least 10 mg/liter, and temperatures of >2°C. PMID:16346885

  3. Health-hazard-evaluation report HETA 87-371-2000, Technical Assistance to the Jamaican Ministry of Health, Kingston, Jamaica

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Matte, T.D.; Burr, G.A.

    1989-12-01

    In response to a request from the Jamaican Ministry of Health, a study was made of possible health hazards existing due to the operation of a secondary lead smelter in Saint Catherine Parish, Jamaica. Emission controls at the site were upgraded in 1974. A cottage industry of clandestine backyard smelters was also in operation in the area. The survey investigated the health of residents in 58 households in the Red Pond Road community and 21 households in Ebony Vale. Soil lead levels in Red Pond exceeded 500 parts per million at 24% of the households tested. Ten paint samples takenmore » from Red Pond homes exceeded 1% lead by weight. The geometric mean blood lead level of those tested in Red Pond was more than twice the level found in those tested in Ebony Vale. Forty four percent of the children under 6 years of age in Red Pond had blood lead levels above 25 micrograms/deciliter. Soil lead contamination was the strongest predictor of blood lead levels among the Red Pond subjects under 12 years of age. Lead smelter work was an important predictor in the older subjects. The authors conclude that the backyard smelters in combination with the secondary smelter caused a high lead poisoning risk for area residents. The authors recommend that residents stop the backyard smelting operations, and that efforts be made to reduce exposure through hazard abatement, education, and establishment of clean play areas for children.« less

  4. Survival of spotted salamander eggs in temporary woodland ponds of coastal Maryland

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Albers, P.H.; Prouty, R.M.

    1987-01-01

    Temporary ponds on the Atlantic Coastal Plain in maryland were characterized according to water chemistry, rain input, phytoplankton, zooplankton and use by the spotted salamander Ambystoma maculatum during March-October 1983-1984. Neither the number of egg masses per unit of pond surface (abundance) nor the survival of spotted salamander embryos was significantly correlated (P>0.05) with pond pH. Rainfall during May-July significantly increased the hydrogen ion concentration of 5 of 11 ponds evaluated for the impact of rainfall during the previous 48h and the previous week. Survival of egg masses transferred among eight ponds with pH3.66-4.45 and one pond with pH5.18 was significantly reduced (P

  5. Earth Observations taken by the Expedition 10 crew

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-11-12

    ISS010-E-06681 (12 November 2004) --- Shark Bay, Australia is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 10 crewmember on the International Space Station (ISS). This image shows large solar salt works developed in Useless Loop and Useless Inlet, Shark Bay, Western Australia. The salt (sodium chloride) is produced when ponds are repeatedly flooded with seawater, which is progressively concentrated by evaporation. This particular salt farm opened in 1967 and expanded operations in the 1990s. Today, this salt farm comprises over 50 ponds, the newest pond in the outermost pond in Useless Inlet, which provides the first evaporation cycle to increase the salinity of the water prior to entering the next pond. Complex chemical and biological adjustments occur in the system each time the configuration of ponds is changed.

  6. Dairy shed effluent treatment and recycling: Effluent characteristics and performance.

    PubMed

    Fyfe, Julian; Hagare, Dharma; Sivakumar, Muttucumaru

    2016-09-15

    Dairy farm milking operations produce considerable amounts of carbon- and nutrient-rich effluent that can be a vital source of nutrients for pasture and crops. The study aim was to characterise dairy shed effluent from a commercial farm and examine the changes produced by treatment, storage and recycling of the effluent through a two-stage stabilisation pond system. The data and insights from the study are broadly applicable to passive pond systems servicing intensive dairy and other livestock operations. Raw effluent contained mostly poorly biodegradable particulate organic material and organically bound nutrients, as well as a large fraction of fixed solids due to effluent recycling. The anaerobic pond provided effective sedimentation and biological treatment, but hydrolysis of organic material occurred predominantly in the sludge and continually added to effluent soluble COD, nutrients and cations. Sludge digestion also suppressed pH in the pond and increased salt levels through formation of alkalinity. High sludge levels significantly impaired pond treatment performance. In the facultative pond, BOD5 concentrations were halved; however smaller reductions in COD showed the refractory nature of incoming organic material. Reductions in soluble N and P were proportional to reductions in respective particulate forms, suggesting that respective removal mechanisms were not independent. Conditions in the ponds were unlikely to support biological nutrient removal. Recycling caused conservative inert constituents to accumulate within the pond system. Material leaving the system was mostly soluble (86% TS) and inert (65% TS), but salt concentrations remained below thresholds for safe land application. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Analysis of changes in farm pond network connectivity in the peri-urban landscape of the Taoyuan area, Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Huang, Shu-Li; Lee, Ying-Chieh; Budd, William W; Yang, Min-Chia

    2012-04-01

    The farm pond system for irrigation is the most prominent feature in the Taoyuan area, Taiwan, giving the region a unique landscape and hydrological character. Although this area had more than 3,290 ponds in the 1970s, fewer than 1,800 now remain. This study analyzes changes in irrigation farm ponds and the canal network landscape in the Taoyuan area. The spatial and temporal changes to ponds and the canal network on the Taoyuan plain were examined graphically for each spatial unit (2,765 m × 2,525 m) using aerial photographs for 1979 and 2005. Landscape metrics were calculated to analyze landscape change associated with increased urbanization. Landscape indices of connectivity and circuitry were utilized to describe changes in the configuration of ponds and canal networks. The total length of canals and total number of ponds in the study area decreased significantly during 1979-2005. The average values of connectivity indices (γ- and α-index) also decreased during 1979-2005, reflecting degradation of canal networks due to urban sprawl. A multivariate technique was applied to portion the study area into three zones according to changes to land cover, ponds, and canal networks. The effects of urban sprawl on the spatial pattern of ponds and canal networks are discussed.

  8. Culture et Gestion d'Etangs a Poissons d'Eau Douce (Freshwater Fish Pond Culture and Management). Appropriate Technologies for Development. Manual Series--M37.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chakroff, Marilyn; Druben, Laurel, Ed.

    This is the French translation of a "how-to" manual, designed as a working and teaching tool for extension agents as they establish and/or maintain local fish pond operations. The manual presents information to facilitate technology transfer and to provide a clear guide for warm water fish pond construction and management. Major topic…

  9. Cultivo y Manejo de Estanques Pesqueros de Agua Fresca (Freshwater Fish Pond Culture and Management). Appropriate Technologies for Development. Manual M-1D.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chakroff, Marilyn; Druben, Laurel, Ed.

    This is the Spanish translation of a "how-to" manual, designed as a working and teaching tool for extension agents as they establish and/or maintain local fish pond operations. The manual presents information to facilitate technology transfer and to provide a clear guide for warm water fish pond construction and management. Major topic…

  10. Energy production from biosolids: A cattle feedlot demonstration system

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fedler, C.B.; Parker, N.C.

    1996-12-31

    About 5 million head of cattle are produced annually from about 200 feedlots in the Texas High Plains with about 3.5 million head standing. Annually, the 3.5 million head of cattle produce about 28 millions metric tons of were manure (88% water). If anaerobically digested, the manure would yield about 1.4 million m{sup 3} of biogas, or about 4.4 million kWh daily. With cogeneration and nutrient recovery, the sum of the revenue sources in over $500 million annually and does no include the value of water or other byproducts such as fish and plants that could be produced from anmore » integrated system. A demonstration unit to treat the waste from a 1000-head cattle and a 280 sow farrow-to-finish swine operation is constructed. This system employs a 6 m deep anaerobic pit for production and capture of biogas integrated with a facultative pond, a shallow pond for production of aquatic plants, and a pond for production of fish or other aquatic species. The resulting related agribusinesses would not only produce additional revenues, but would also produce energy, improve the environment though extraction of nitrogen compounds, capture of gaseous emissions, reduction of odor, and creation of wildlife habitat in consturcted wetlants.« less

  11. Exploring synergistic benefits of Water-Food-Energy Nexus through multi-objective reservoir optimization schemes.

    PubMed

    Uen, Tinn-Shuan; Chang, Fi-John; Zhou, Yanlai; Tsai, Wen-Ping

    2018-08-15

    This study proposed a holistic three-fold scheme that synergistically optimizes the benefits of the Water-Food-Energy (WFE) Nexus by integrating the short/long-term joint operation of a multi-objective reservoir with irrigation ponds in response to urbanization. The three-fold scheme was implemented step by step: (1) optimizing short-term (daily scale) reservoir operation for maximizing hydropower output and final reservoir storage during typhoon seasons; (2) simulating long-term (ten-day scale) water shortage rates in consideration of the availability of irrigation ponds for both agricultural and public sectors during non-typhoon seasons; and (3) promoting the synergistic benefits of the WFE Nexus in a year-round perspective by integrating the short-term optimization and long-term simulation of reservoir operations. The pivotal Shihmen Reservoir and 745 irrigation ponds located in Taoyuan City of Taiwan together with the surrounding urban areas formed the study case. The results indicated that the optimal short-term reservoir operation obtained from the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II) could largely increase hydropower output but just slightly affected water supply. The simulation results of the reservoir coupled with irrigation ponds indicated that such joint operation could significantly reduce agricultural and public water shortage rates by 22.2% and 23.7% in average, respectively, as compared to those of reservoir operation excluding irrigation ponds. The results of year-round short/long-term joint operation showed that water shortage rates could be reduced by 10% at most, the food production rate could be increased by up to 47%, and the hydropower benefit could increase up to 9.33 million USD per year, respectively, in a wet year. Consequently, the proposed methodology could be a viable approach to promoting the synergistic benefits of the WFE Nexus, and the results provided unique insights for stakeholders and policymakers to pursue sustainable urban development plans. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Habitat fragmentation causes bottlenecks and inbreeding in the European tree frog (Hyla arborea).

    PubMed Central

    Andersen, Liselotte W.; Fog, Kåre; Damgaard, Christian

    2004-01-01

    A genetic study of the European tree frog, Hyla arborea, in Denmark was undertaken to examine the population structure on mainland Jutland and the island of Lolland after a period of reduction in suitable habitat and population sizes. The two regions have experienced the same rate of habitat loss but fragmentation has been more severe on Lolland. Genetic variation based on 12 polymorphic DNA microsatellites was analysed in 494 tree frogs sampled from two ponds in Jutland and 10 ponds on Lolland. A significant overall deviation from Hardy-Weinberg expectations could be attributed to three ponds, all on Lolland. This was most probably caused by an inbreeding effect reducing fitness, which was supported by the observed significant negative correlation between larva survival and mean F(IS) value and mean individual inbreeding coefficient. A significant reduction in genetic variation (bottleneck) was detected in most of the ponds on Lolland. Population-structure analysis suggested the existence of at least 11 genetically different populations, corresponding to most of the sampled population units. The results indicated that the populations were unique genetic units and could be used to illustrate the migration pattern between newly established ponds arisen either by natural colonization of tree frogs or by artificial introduction. A high degree of pond fidelity in the tree frogs was suggested. A severe fragmentation process reducing population size and fitness within some of the populations probably caused the significant reduction in genetic variation of tree frog populations on Lolland. PMID:15306354

  13. Breeding biology of the spotted salamander Ambystoma maculatum (Shaw) in acidic temporary ponds at Cape Cod, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Portnoy, J.W.

    1990-01-01

    The relationship between water chemistry and breeding success of spotted salamanders Ambystoma maculatum (Shaw) was examined in temporary woodland ponds on outer Cape Cod, Massachusetts in 1985 and 1986. Most pond waters were dilute (3median coductivity = 57 umhos cm-1 (1 umhos cm-1 = 0?1 mSm-1)), acidic (median pH = 4?82), and highly colored (median = 140 Pt-Co units). Most acidity was due to abundant organic acids. Salamander survival to hatching was over 80% at 8 of 12 ponds monitored. Complete mortality, preceded by gross abnormalities, was observed only among embryos in the most acidic spawning pond (pH 4?3-4?5) in both years. Embryo transfers between ponds and laboratory studies indicated that reduced survival was due to the interaction of low pH with high tannin-lignin concentration. The use of amphibian embryonic survival to indicate acid rain effects is complicated by multiple habitat parameters and should only be attempted in conjunction with long-term population monitoring.

  14. Seasonal patterns of activity and community structure in an amphibian assemblage at a pond network with variable hydrology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vignoli, Leonardo; Bologna, Marco A.; Luiselli, Luca

    2007-03-01

    We studied community structure and seasonal activity patterns in a system of four ponds with seasonally-variable hydrology at a Mediterranean area in central Italy. We used a set of field methods to assess species presence and relative frequency of observation. The network of ponds was inhabited by six species of amphibians, two salamanders and four frogs. The breeding phenology of the six species did not vary remarkably among ponds, but there were significant differences among species in use of ponds. Factorial analysis of pond similarity drawn from percentage composition of the amphibian fauna, revealed that each of the four ponds was treatable as independent units, with no influence of relative inter-pond distance. PCA analysis allowed us to spatially arrange the amphibian species into three main groups: two were monospecific groups (i.e., Triturus vulgaris and Bufo bufo) and the third consisted of those species that selected not only the largest-deepest ponds, but also the ephemeral ones (i.e., Triturus carnifex, Hyla intermedia, the green frogs and Rana dalmatina). Our results suggest that the inter-pond differences in riparian vegetation, water depth, aquatic vegetation structure/abundance, and soil composition may produce differences among pond ecological characteristics (i.e., water turbidity and temperature, shelter availability, abundance of oviposition micro-sites), which may in turn influence different patterns of use by amphibians. To our knowledge, this is the first study emphasizing the potential role of heterochrony in the maintenance of a high species richness in Mediterranean amphibian communities. Preservation of freshwater vertebrate biodiversity requires management and protection not only of the main ponds and water bodies but also the temporary and ephemeral shallow ponds.

  15. Dissolved oxygen and aeration in ictalurid catfish aquaculture

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Feed-based production of ictalurid catfish in ponds is the largest aquaculture sector in the United States. The feed biochemical oxygen demand (FBOD) typically is 1.1-1.2 kg O2/kg feed. Feed also results in a substantial increase of carbon dioxide, ammonia nitrogen, and phosphate to ponds, and this ...

  16. Regional applicability and potential of salt-gradient solar ponds in the United States. Volume 1: Executive summary

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lin, E. I. H.

    1982-01-01

    Findings of a survey concerning salt ponds are summarized. The residential, commercial, and institutional buildings sector is discussed. The industrial process heat sector is considered. The agricultural process heat sector is examined. The electrical power sector is reviewed. The desalinization sector is considered.

  17. A highly sensitive underwater video system for use in turbid aquaculture ponds.

    PubMed

    Hung, Chin-Chang; Tsao, Shih-Chieh; Huang, Kuo-Hao; Jang, Jia-Pu; Chang, Hsu-Kuang; Dobbs, Fred C

    2016-08-24

    The turbid, low-light waters characteristic of aquaculture ponds have made it difficult or impossible for previous video cameras to provide clear imagery of the ponds' benthic habitat. We developed a highly sensitive, underwater video system (UVS) for this particular application and tested it in shrimp ponds having turbidities typical of those in southern Taiwan. The system's high-quality video stream and images, together with its camera capacity (up to nine cameras), permit in situ observations of shrimp feeding behavior, shrimp size and internal anatomy, and organic matter residues on pond sediments. The UVS can operate continuously and be focused remotely, a convenience to shrimp farmers. The observations possible with the UVS provide aquaculturists with information critical to provision of feed with minimal waste; determining whether the accumulation of organic-matter residues dictates exchange of pond water; and management decisions concerning shrimp health.

  18. Evaluation of High Rate Algae Ponds for treatment of anaerobically digested wastewater: Effect of CO2 addition and modification of dilution rate.

    PubMed

    de Godos, I; Arbib, Z; Lara, E; Rogalla, F

    2016-11-01

    High Rate Algae Ponds (HRAP) are the simplest way to grow microalgae biomass and an interesting alternative for wastewater treatment. In this work the performance of these systems was evaluated using anaerobically digested wastewater as culture medium. Two variables were studied in long-term mode: the carbon dioxide supply and the modification of the dilution rates. The results showed that CO2 supply increases the productivity but less than expected considering the potential biomass generation calculated based on the ratios of carbon to nitrogen of microalgae and wastewater. The assimilation into biomass only accounted for 57% of the inlet nitrogen under the best conditions because nitrification and volatilization reduced the availability of this element. The operation under short hydraulic retention times presented a more interesting performance with higher biomass productivities. The biomass produced was efficiently harvested with in a Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) unit. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Sustainability of algae derived biodiesel: a mass balance approach.

    PubMed

    Pfromm, Peter H; Amanor-Boadu, Vincent; Nelson, Richard

    2011-01-01

    A rigorous chemical engineering mass balance/unit operations approach is applied here to bio-diesel from algae mass culture. An equivalent of 50,000,000 gallons per year (0.006002 m3/s) of petroleum-based Number 2 fuel oil (US, diesel for compression-ignition engines, about 0.1% of annual US consumption) from oleaginous algae is the target. Methyl algaeate and ethyl algaeate diesel can according to this analysis conceptually be produced largely in a technologically sustainable way albeit at a lower available diesel yield. About 11 square miles of algae ponds would be needed with optimistic assumptions of 50 g biomass yield per day and m2 pond area. CO2 to foster algae growth should be supplied from a sustainable source such as a biomass-based ethanol production. Reliance on fossil-based CO2 from power plants or fertilizer production renders algae diesel non-sustainable in the long term. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Hatching success in salamanders and chorus frogs at two sites in Colorado, USA: Effects of acidic deposition and climate

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Muths, E.; Campbell, D.H.; Corn, P.S.

    2003-01-01

    The snowpack in the vicinity of the Mount Zirkel Wilderness Area is among the most acidic in the western United States. We analyzed water chemistry and examined hatching success in tiger salamanders and chorus frogs at ponds there and at nearby Rabbit Ears Pass (Dumont) to determine whether acid deposition affects amphibians or their breeding habitats at these potentially sensitive locations. We found a wide range of acid neutralizing capacity among ponds within sites; the minimum pH recorded during the experiment was 5.4 at one of 12 ponds with all others at pH ??? 5.7. At Dumont, hatching success for chorus frogs was greater in ponds with low acid neutralizing capacity; however, lowest pHs were >5.8. At current levels of acid deposition, weather and pond characteristics are likely more important than acidity in influencing hatching success in amphibian larvae at these sites.

  1. Transport of trace metals in runoff from soil and pond ash feedlot surfaces

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Vogel, J.R.; Gilley, J.E.; Cottrell, G.L.; Woodbury, B.L.; Berry, E.D.; Eigenbert, R.A.

    2011-01-01

    The use of pond ash (fly ash that has been placed in evaporative ponds for storage and subsequently dewatered) for feedlot surfaces provides a drier environment for livestock and furnishes economic benefits. However, pond ash is known to have high concentrations of trace elements, and the runoff water-quality effects of feedlot surfaces amended with pond ash are not well defined. For this study, two experimental units (plots) were established in eight feedlot pens. Four of the pens contained unamended soil surfaces, and the remaining four pens had pond-ash amended surfaces. Before each test, unconsolidated surface material was removed from four of the plots for each of the amendment treatments, resulting in eight unamended plots and eight pond-ash amended plots. Concentrations for 23 trace elements were measured in cattle feedlot surface material and in the runoff water from three simulated rainfall events. Trace element concentrations in surface material and runoff did not differ between surface consolidation treatments. Amending the feedlot surface material with pond ash resulted in a significant increase in concentration for 14 of the 17 trace elements. Runoff concentrations for 21 trace elements were affected by pond-ash amendment. Sixteen of 21 trace element concentrations that differed significantly were greater in runoff from unamended soil surfaces. Concentrations in runoff were significantly correlated with concentrations in feedlot surface material for boron, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, and uranium.

  2. In-situ arsenic removal during groundwater recharge through unsaturated alluvium

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    O'Leary, David; Izbicki, John; T.J. Kim,; Clark Ajawani,; Suarez, Donald; Barnes, Thomas; Thomas Kulp,; Burgess, Matthew K.; Tseng, Iwen

    2015-01-01

    OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility and sustainability of in-situ removal of arsenic from water infiltrated through unsaturated alluvium. BACKGROUND Arsenic is naturally present in aquifers throughout the southwestern United States and elsewhere. In January 2006, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lowered the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for arsenic from 50 to 10 micrograms per liter (g/L). This raised concerns about naturally-occurring arsenic in groundwater. Although commercially available systems using sorbent iron or aluminum oxide resins are available to treat high-arsenic water, these systems are expensive to build and operate, and may generate hazardous waste. Iron and aluminum oxides occur naturally on the surfaces of mineral grains that compose alluvial aquifers. In areas where alluvial deposits are unsaturated, these oxides may sorb arsenic in the same manner as commercial resins, potentially providing an effective low-cost alternative to commercially engineered treatment systems. APPROACH The Antelope Valley within the Mojave Desert of southern California contains a shallow water-table aquifer with arsenic concentrations of 5 g/L, and a deeper aquifer with arsenic concentrations of 30 g/L. Water was pumped from the deep aquifer into a pond and infiltrated through an 80 m-thick unsaturated zone as part of field-scale and laboratory experiments to treat high-arsenic groundwater and recharge the shallow water table aquifer at the site. The field-scale recharge experiment included the following steps: 1) construction of a recharge pond 2) test drilling for sample collection and instrument installation adjacent to the pond 3) monitoring downward migration of water infiltrated from the pond 4) monitoring changes in selected trace-element concentrations as water infiltrated through the unsaturated zone Data from instruments within the borehole adjacent to the pond were supplemented with borehole and surface geophysical data to evaluate the lateral spreading of water as it moved downward through the unsaturated zone. Three laboratory studies were undertaken. Sequential extraction was used to evaluate the abundance of iron, aluminum, and manganese oxides and selected trace elements on operationally defined sites on the surfaces of mineral grains collected before and after infiltration from the pond. Secondly, radio-labeled arsenic-73 microcosm experiments evaluated the potential for incorporation of arsenic sorbed to exchange sites on mineral grains into less reactive crystalline mineral structures with time. Finally, column studies evaluated arsenic sorption and the pH dependence of sorption for selected unsaturated zone materials.RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS Between December 2010 and July 2012, more than 120,000 cubic meters (m3 ) (about 97 acre-feet) of high-arsenic groundwater was pumped from the deep aquifer into a 0.11 hectare (about 0.27 acres) pond and infiltrated though an 80-meter (about 260 feet) thick unsaturated zone to recharge a water-table aquifer. Arsenic concentrations were lowered from 30 to 2 g/L as water infiltrated though the unsaturated zone at the site. Some uranium, possibly associated with past agricultural land use at the site, was mobilized to concentrations as high as 66 g/L within the unsaturated zone during the experiment. Uranium was resorbed and the high uranium concentrations did not reach the water table at the site. Concentrations of other trace elements, including antimony, chromium, vanadium, and selenium were low throughout the study. Infiltration rates from the pond were as high as 0.4 meters per day (1.1 feet per day, ft/d), and the wetting front moved downward about 25 centimeters per day (cm/d) (0.8 ft/d) to a depth of about 50 m (about 165 feet). Clay layers at that depth slowed the downward movement of the wetting front to about 5 cm/d (0.16 ft/d). Lateral movement of the wetting front was monitored using sequential direct-current (DC) surface and sequential electromagnetic (EM) and DC borehole resistivity. Most lateral movement occurred on a clay layer about 50 m (about 165 feet) below land surface. Infiltrated water reached the water table in January 2013. At the water table, the “wetted footprint” of water infiltrated from the pond, indicated by surface resistivity data, was about 13 hectares (about 32 acres). On the basis of data collected at the site, there is enough sorbent material to operate this pond and treat groundwater having an arsenic concentration of 30 g/L to 2 g/L for about 500 years. Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) data showed arsenic concentrations to be below hazardous levels beneath the pond after the experiment. Pond maintenance may be required to keep infiltration rates high, and prevent accumulation of organic material on the pond bottom, although organic material on the pond bottom may increase removal of other trace elements in infiltrated water including chromium, selenium, and vanadium. Laboratory results are consistent with the field data and show sorption of arsenic in 10 cm (0.3 feet) columns to about 2 g/L over a pH range of 6 to 8, and at influent arsenic concentrations as high as 300 g/L, without breakthrough in 50 pore volumes. Column results suggest that the insitu treatment may remove arsenic in a range of hydrogeologic settings, and would not necessarily be restricted to alkaline alluvial aquifers common throughout the southwestern United States. Radiolabeled arsenic-73 experiments show that although arsenic is initially weakly sorbed (and potentially mobile), with time arsenic is incorporated into amorphous materials. One year after sorption onto surface exchange sites, most sorbed arsenic is incorporated into crystalline oxide minerals on the surfaces of primary mineral grains and is less mobile. Results of the study suggest that long-term land use restrictions on sites used for in-situ treatment of arsenic may not be needed to control water applied to surface materials. This minimizes some regulatory concerns about future land use at sites used for in-situ arsenic treatment. However, future land uses that may alter reduction-oxidation conditions in the subsurface should be avoided, such as infiltration of stormwater recharge or recharge with other water having high organic carbon concentrations (including unsewered residential land use, dairy or other confined animal operations).

  3. The cost benefit and efficiency of waste water treatment using domestic ponds—the ultimate solution in Southern Africa

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ntengwe, F. W.

    Wastewater treatment has become a challenge to most countries in Southern Africa because of the fluctuating economies that have been hit by high levels of debts. The treatment of domestic wastewater using ponds, if carefully utilized, as has been observed in most countries in the world, is the most cost effective means of handling wastewaters. When compared to the conventional use of treatment plants, the ponds have been observed to be the ultimate solution for the countries in Southern Africa especially those that are classified as Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) because of little or no operating costs associated with the treatment. The study conducted on Kitwe Waste Water Treatment Ponds to evaluate the cost benefit and efficiencies has revealed low levels of operating cost and high removal efficiencies of oxygen demanding wastes (BOD removal of 86% and TSS removal of 75%), pH values ranged from 7 to 8 indicating an increasing alkalinity from facultative to maturation ponds while other parameters such as nitrates, phosphates and temperature were found to be within acceptable levels thereby releasing effluent that makes the environment sustainable. The overall social benefit was found to be much higher than the operating costs.

  4. Pits, pipes, ponds--and me.

    PubMed

    Mara, Duncan

    2013-05-01

    My life in low-cost sanitation and low-cost wastewater treatment and the use of treated wastewater in agriculture and aquaculture really has been 'pits, pipes and ponds' - 'pits' are low-cost sanitation technologies (LCST) such as VIP latrines and pour-flush toilets; 'pipes' are low-cost sewerage, principally condominial (simplified) sewerage; and 'ponds' are low-cost wastewater treatment systems, especially waste stabilization ponds, and the use of treated wastewater in agriculture and aquaculture. 'Pits' were mainly working on World Bank LCST research projects, with fieldwork principally in Zimbabwe, 'pipes' were working on condominial sewerage projects in Brazil and disseminating this LCST to a wider global audience, and 'ponds' were waste stabilization ponds, with fieldwork mainly in Brazil, Colombia, Portugal and the United Kingdom, the development of aerated rock filters to polish facultative-pond effluents, and the human-health aspects of treated wastewater use in agriculture and aquaculture, with fieldwork in Brazil and the UK, and the application of quantitative microbial risk analysis. The paper provides a professional perspective and lessons from historical developments and gives recommended future directions based on my career working on low-cost sanitation technologies and treated wastewater use in agriculture and aquaculture. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Distribution and postbreeding environmental relationships of Northern leopard frogs (Rana [Lithobates] pipiens) in Washington

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Germaine, S.S.; Hays, D.W.

    2009-01-01

    Northern leopard frogs (Rana [Lithobates] pipiens) are considered sensitive, threatened, or endangered in all western states and western Canadian provinces. Historically present in eastern Washington in 6 major river drainages, leopard frogs are now only known to occur at 2 localized areas in the Crab Creek drainage in Grant County. During the summers of 2002-2005, we surveyed both areas to document extent of leopard frog distributions and to describe habitat and vertebrate community characteristics associated with leopard frog site occupancy. At Gloyd Seeps, 2 juvenile leopard frogs were observed in a total of 8.2 person-days of searching along a 5-km stream reach. At Potholes Reservoir, we surveyed 243 wetland sites in 7 management units known to have been occupied by leopard frogs during the 1980s. We confirmed leopard frog presence at only 87 sites (36%) in 4 management units. Site occupancy models for individual ponds indicated that, compared to unoccupied sites, occupied sites had slightly greater pond depths, less tall emergent vegetation, more herbaceous vegetative cover, and fewer neighboring ponds containing nonnative predatory fish. Models developed at the 1-km2 scale indicated that occupied areas had greater average midsummer pond depths, fewer ponds occupied by bullfrogs (Rana [Lithobates] catesbeiana) and carp (Cyprinus carpio), and more herbaceous vegetation surrounding ponds. The Gloyd Seeps population now appears defunct, and the Potholes Reservoir population is in sharp decline. Unless management actions are taken to reduce nonnative fish and bullfrogs and to enhance wetland vegetation, leopard frogs may soon be extirpated from both sites and possibly, therefore, from Washington.

  6. Hydrologic Controls on Sediment Retention in a Diversion-Fed Coastal Wetland

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Keogh, M.; Kolker, A.; Snedden, G.; Renfro, A. A.

    2017-12-01

    The morphodynamics of river-dominated deltas are largely controlled by the supply and retention of sediment within deltaic wetlands and the rate of relative sea-level rise. Yet, sediment budgets for deltas are often poorly constrained. In the Mississippi River Delta, a system rapidly losing land to natural and anthropogenic causes, restoration efforts seek to build new land through the use of river diversions. At Davis Pond Freshwater Diversion, a new crevasse splay has emerged since construction was completed in 2002. Here, we use beryllium-7 (7Be) activity in sediment cores and USGS measurements of discharge and turbidity to calculate seasonal sediment input, deposition, and retention within the Davis Pond receiving basin. In winter/spring 2015, Davis Pond received 104,000 metric tons of sediment, 43.8% of which was retained within the basin. During this time, mean flow velocity was 0.21 m/s and turbidity was 56 formazin nephelometric units (FNU). In summer/fall 2015, Davis Pond received 35,100 metric tons of sediment, 82.1% of which was retained. Mean flow velocity in summer/fall was 0.10 m/s and turbidity was 55 FNU. The increase in sediment retention from winter/spring 2015 to summer/fall 2015 is likely due to the corresponding drop in water flow velocity, which allowed more sediment to settle out of suspension. Although high water discharge increases sediment input and deposition, increased turbulence associated with higher current velocity may increase sediment throughput and decrease the percent of sediments retained in the system. Sediment retention in Davis Pond is on the high end of the range seen in deltaic wetlands, likely due to the enclosed geometry of the receiving basin. Future diversion design and operation should target moderate water discharge and flow velocities in order to jointly maximize sediment deposition and retention and provide optimal conditions for delta growth.

  7. Removal of chromium ions from wastewater by duckweed, Lemna minor L. by using a pilot system with continuous flow.

    PubMed

    Uysal, Y

    2013-12-15

    The aim of this study was to determine the ability of Lemna minor to remove Cr (VI) ions from wastewater in a continuous flow pond system. This system was used to simulate a wastewater treatment pond and a natural wetland as habitat of plants. In order to find optimal conditions for chromium removal, ponds were operated with aqueous solutions having different pH (4.0-7.0) and chromium concentration of 0.25 mgCr(+6)/L, then plants were exposed to different chromium concentrations (0.25-5.0 mgCr(+6)/L) at pH 4.0. Chromium concentrations, both in biomass and wastewater, were measured and removal efficiency was determined throughout water flow. Growth factors such as growth rates, chlorophyll contents and dry/fresh weight ratios of plants were also determined to measure toxic effects of chromium. The percentages of chromium uptake (PMU) and bioconcentration factors (BCF) were calculated for each run. The highest accumulated chromium concentration (4.423 mgCr/g) was found in plants grown in the first chamber of pond operated at pH 4.0 and 5.0 mgCr/L, while the minimum accumulated chromium concentration (0.122 mgCr/g) was in plants grown in the last chamber of pond operated at pH 4.0 and 0.25 mgCr(+6)/L. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Mass cultures of marine algae for energy farming in coastal deserts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wagener, K.

    1983-09-01

    This paper provides a description of construction and subsequent operation of a seawater based system for biomass farming of micro-algae. Seawater was pumped through shallow artificial ponds located in coastal areas of Calabria, Italy. We describe pond construction, mixing procedure for micro algae mass cultures, optimization of the carbon and mineral nutrient budget, potential algal yields, methods for harvesting micro-algae, a source of energy to run the seawater pumps, and environmental variables of the pond system under subtropical conditions of Calabria, Italy.

  9. Concentrated Brine Treatment using New Energy in Coal Mine Evaporation Ponds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Ting; Li, Jingfeng

    2017-12-01

    Recently, more and more coal mine water is being advanced treated and reused in China. The concentrated brine that results from advanced treatment methods can only be evaporated in an evaporation pond. Because of limited treatment capabilities and winter freezing, evaporation ponds often overflow, causing environment contamination. In this paper, based on analysis of brine water quality and economic-technical feasibility, we present a suitable treatment method for brine in evaporation ponds as electrodialysis using solar energy. In addition, we propose a new system to treat brine in coal mine evaporation ponds, which is powered by solar and wind. The operating efficiency of this treatment system proposed in this paper can meet the concentrated brine treatment demands in most coal mines in western mining areas of China and it places the photovoltaic power generation plates on the surface of the evaporation pond on a fixed floating island, which reduces any risk associated with land acquisition. This system can enhance brine treatment efficiency, requires a reduced evaporation pond area, increases the utilization of coal mine water, and minimizes the risk of environment contamination.

  10. MONITORING OF A RETENTION POND BEFORE AND AFTER MAINTENANCE

    EPA Science Inventory

    The USEPA’s Urban Watershed Management Branch monitored a retention pond with wetland plantings in the Richmond Creek (RC) watershed. This BMP, designated RC-5, is owned and operated by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) as part of the Bluebelt progr...

  11. Performance evaluation of 388 full-scale waste stabilization pond systems with seven different configurations.

    PubMed

    Espinosa, Maria Fernanda; von Sperling, Marcos; Verbyla, Matthew E

    2017-02-01

    Waste stabilization ponds (WSPs) and their variants are one the most widely used wastewater treatment systems in the world. However, the scarcity of systematic performance data from full-scale plants has led to challenges associated with their design. The objective of this research was to assess the performance of 388 full-scale WSP systems located in Brazil, Ecuador, Bolivia and the United States through the statistical analysis of available monitoring data. Descriptive statistics were calculated of the influent and effluent concentrations and the removal efficiencies for 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD 5 ), total suspended solids (TSS), ammonia nitrogen (N-Ammonia), and either thermotolerant coliforms (TTC) or Escherichia coli for each WSP system, leading to a broad characterization of actual treatment performance. Compliance with different water quality and system performance goals was also evaluated. The treatment plants were subdivided into seven different categories, according to their units and flowsheet. The median influent concentrations of BOD 5 and TSS were 431 mg/L and 397 mg/L and the effluent concentrations varied from technology to technology, but median values were 50 mg/L and 47 mg/L, respectively. The median removal efficiencies were 85% for BOD 5 and 75% for TSS. The overall removals of TTC and E. coli were 1.74 and 1.63 log 10 units, respectively. Future research is needed to better understand the influence of design, operational and environmental factors on WSP system performance.

  12. The use of vertical constructed wetland and ultrasound in aquaponic systems.

    PubMed

    Krivograd Klemenčič, A; Griessler Bulc, T

    2015-01-01

    Treatment performance, fish production, crop plant biomass production, water consumption, and water use efficiency of a pilot aquaponic system for small-scale land-based cyprinid fish farms were evaluated. The system consisted of a 36 m(3) Pond A with an initial carp load of 0.6 kg/m(3); of a treatment chain with a lamellar settler, a roughing filter, a vertical constructed wetland filled with expanded clay and planted with tomatoes; and of a low power ultrasound unit installed in the corner of the pond. The average circulation of the water in the system was 1.2 times per day. Pond A was compared with Pond B of the same dimensions and fish load but with no treatment chain or ultrasound. The treatment chain was efficient in mass removal of total suspended solids , biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, NH4-N, total nitrogen, and total phosphorous (57, 49, 35, 42, 31, and 25 %, respectively). Negative removal of NO3-N, NO2-N, and PO4-P indicated the need for the introduction of additional hydroponic beds in the system. Pond A had markedly lower nutrient concentrations compared with Pond B. Fish body weight increase and specific growth rate in Pond A were higher than in Pond B (102.6 %, 72.1 %; 0.19 %/day, 0.14 %/day, respectively) indicating better rearing conditions in Pond A. Tomato biomass production was high. Water use efficiency was higher in Pond A compared with Pond B (0.31 kg of produced fish/m(3) inflow water and 0.22 kg of produced fish/m(3) inflow water, respectively). The presented aquaponic system could be useful for semi-natural fish farming with fish loads up to 2 kg/m(3).

  13. Effects of conversion of mangroves into gei wai ponds on accumulation, speciation and risk of heavy metals in intertidal sediments.

    PubMed

    Li, Rongyu; Qiu, Guo Yu; Chai, Minwei; Shen, Xiaoxue; Zan, Qijie

    2018-06-23

    Mangroves are often converted into gei wai ponds for aquaculture, but how such conversion affects the accumulation and behavior of heavy metals in sediments is not clear. The present study aims to quantify the concentration and speciation of heavy metals in sediments in different habitats, including gei wai pond, mangrove marsh dominated by Avicennia marina and bare mudflat, in a mangrove nature reserve in South China. The results showed that gei wai pond acidified the sediment and reduced its electronic conductivity and total organic carbon (TOC) when compared to A. marina marsh and mudflat. The concentrations of Cd, Cu, Zn and Pb at all sediment depths in gei wai pond were lower than the other habitats, indicating gei wai pond reduced the fertility and the ability to retain heavy metals in sediment. Gei wai pond sediment also had a lower heavy metal pollution problem according to multiple evaluation methods, including potential ecological risk coefficient, potential ecological risk index, geo-accumulation index, mean PEL quotients, pollution load index, mean ERM quotients and total toxic unit. Heavy metal speciation analysis showed that gei wai pond increased the transfer of the immobilized fraction of Cd and Cr to the mobilized one. According to the acid-volatile sulfide (AVS) and simultaneously extracted metals (SEM) analysis, the conversion of mangroves into gei wai pond reduced values of ([SEM] - [AVS])/f oc , and the role of TOC in alleviating heavy metal toxicity in sediment. This study demonstrated the conversion of mangrove marsh into gei wai pond not only reduced the ecological purification capacity on heavy metal contamination, but also enhanced the transfer of heavy metals from gei wai pond sediment to nearby habitats.

  14. Effects of conversion of mangroves into gei wai ponds on sediment heavy metals accumulation in tidal flat estuary, South China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, R.; Qiu, G.; Chai, M.; Li, R.

    2017-12-01

    Gei wai ponds act as important component in mangrove ecosystem, but the conversion of mangroves into gei wai ponds and its ecological function on heavy metal accumulation is still not clear. The study quantified the sediment heavy metal concentration and speciation in gei wai pond, Avicennia marina marsh and mudflat in Futian mangrove wetlands, South China. The results showed that gei wai pond acidified the sediment and reduced its fertility due to reduced pH, electronic conductivity (EC) and total organic carbon (TOC) compared to A. marina marsh and mudflat. The concentrations of Cd, Cu, Zn and Pb at all depth in gei wai pond sediment were also lower than other sites, indicating reduced storage function on heavy metals. Multiple analysis implied that heavy metals in all sites could be attributed to anthropogenic sources, with Cr as natural and anthropogenic sources in gei wai pond. Gei wai pond sediment had lower heavy metal pollution based on multiple evaluation methods, including potential ecological risk coefficient (Eir), potential ecological risk index (RI), geo-accumulation index (Igeo), mean PEL quotients (m-PEL-q), pollution load index (PLI), mean ERM quotients (m-ERM-q) and total toxic unit (∑TU). Heavy metal speciation analysis indicated that gei wai pond improved the conversion from the immobilized Cd and Cr to the mobilized fraction. SEM-AVS analysis indicated no adverse toxicity occurred in all sites, and the role of TOC in relieving sediment heavy metal toxicity of gei wai pond is limited.

  15. Pollutant removal in a multi-stage municipal wastewater treatment system comprised of constructed wetlands and a maturation pond, in a temperate climate.

    PubMed

    Rivas, A; Barceló-Quintal, I; Moeller, G E

    2011-01-01

    A multi-stage municipal wastewater treatment system is proposed to comply with Mexican standards for discharge into receiving water bodies. The system is located in Santa Fe de la Laguna, Mexico, an area with a temperate climate. It was designed for 2,700 people equivalent (259.2 m3/d) and consists of a preliminary treatment, a septic tank as well as two modules operating in parallel, each consisting of a horizontal subsurface-flow wetland, a maturation pond and a vertical flow polishing wetland. After two years of operation, on-site research was performed. An efficient biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) (94-98%), chemical oxygen demand (91-93%), total suspended solids (93-97%), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (56-88%) and fecal coliform (4-5 logs) removal was obtained. Significant phosphorus removal was not accomplished in this study (25-52%). Evapotranspiration was measured in different treatment units. This study demonstrates that during the dry season wastewater treatment by this multi-stage system cannot comply with the limits established by Mexican standards for receiving water bodies type 'C'. However, it has demonstrated the system's potential for less restrictive uses such as agricultural irrigation, recreation and provides the opportunity for wastewater treatment in rural areas without electric energy.

  16. Analytical results from an environmental investigation of six sites on Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, 1993-94

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wilcox, Ralph

    1995-01-01

    The six sites investigated include silver recovery units; a buried caustic drain line; a neutralization pit; an evaporation/infiltration pond; the Manzano fire training area; and a waste oil underground storage tank. Environmental samples of soil, pond sediment, soil gas, and water and gas in floor drains were collected and analyzed. Field quality-control samples were also collected and analyzed in association with the environmental samples. The six sites were investigated because past or current activities could have resulted in contamination of soil, pond sediment, or water and sediment in drains.

  17. Resource-Saving Cleaning Technologies for Power Plant Waste-Water Cooling Ponds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zakonnova, Lyudmila; Nikishkin, Igor; Rostovzev, Alexandr

    2017-11-01

    One of the frequently encountered problems of power plant small cooling ponds is rapid eutrophication and related intensified development of phytoplankton ("hyperflow") and overgrowing of ponds by higher aquatic vegetation. As a result of hyper-flowering, an enormous amount of detritus settles on the condenser tubes, reducing the efficiency of the power plant operation. The development of higher aquatic vegetation contributes to the appearing of the shoals. As a result the volume, area and other characteristics of the cooling ponds are getting changed. The article describes the environmental problems of small manmade ponds of power plants and coal mines in mining regions. Two approaches to the problem of eutrophication are considered: technological and ecological. The negative effects of herbicides application to aquatic organisms are experimentally proved. An ecological approach to solving the problem by fish-land reclamation method is shown.

  18. Relation between species assemblages of fishes and water quality in salt ponds and sloughs in South San Francisco Bay

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Mejia, F.; Saiki, M.K.; Takekawa, John Y.

    2008-01-01

    This study was conducted to characterize fishery resources inhabiting salt-evaporation ponds and sloughs in South San Francisco Bay, and to identify key environmental variables that influence distribution of fishes. The ponds, which were originally constructed and operated for commercial production of salt, have undergone preliminary modifications (installation of culverts, gates, and other water-control structures) in preparation for full restoration to mostly tidal wetlands over the next 2 decades. We sampled fish from two salt-pond complexes (Alviso complex and Eden Landing complex), each consisting of several pond systems and their associated sloughs. Cluster analysis of species of fish indicated that at least two species assemblages were present, one characteristic of ponds and the other characteristic of sloughs and slough-like ponds. The slough-like ponds exhibited water-quality conditions (especially salinity) that resembled conditions found in the sloughs. Pond fishes were represented by 12 species, whereas slough fishes were represented by 22 species. Except for bay pipefish (Syngnathus leptorhynchus), which was unique to ponds, all species present in ponds also were in sloughs and slough-like ponds. These results indicated that species of fish in ponds originated from the sloughs. According to canonical-discriminant analysis, four environmental variables were useful for discriminating between the two species assemblages. Most discriminatory power was contributed by the index of habitat connectivity, a measure of minimum distance that a fish must travel to reach a particular pond from the nearest slough. Apparently, as fish from sloughs enter and move through interconnected salt ponds, environmental stress factors increase in severity until only the more tolerant species remain. The most likely source of stress is salinity, because this variable was second in importance to the index of habitat connectivity in discriminating between the two species assemblages. Water temperature and concentration of dissolved oxygen also seemingly influenced spatial distribution of fishes, although they were less important than salinity.

  19. In vitro evaluation of the antimicrobial agent AquaFrin(TM) as a bactericide and selective algicide for use in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) aquaculture

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Producers of pond-raised channel catfish in the southeastern United States can experience huge economic losses due to the bacterial diseases enteric septicemia of catfish (ESC) and columnaris and to the presence of the certain odor-producing cyanobacteria in production ponds that result in “off-flav...

  20. What Adventures Can You Have in Wetlands, Lakes, Ponds, and Puddles? A Marine Education Infusion Unit on Wet Environments. Revised Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Butzow, John W.; And Others

    Intended for use in middle and junior high schools, these nine classroom and field activities help students better understand the great diversity of natural communities and the complex interactions of aquatic organisms. A background information section presents teachers with an overview of wetlands, streams, lakes and ponds, and puddles. Classroom…

  1. The Algae Testbed Public-Private Partnership (ATP 3 ) framework; establishment of a national network of testbed sites to support sustainable algae production

    DOE PAGES

    McGowen, John; Knoshaug, Eric P.; Laurens, Lieve M. L.; ...

    2017-07-01

    Well-controlled experiments that directly compare seasonal algal productivities across geographically distinct locations have not been reported before. To fill this gap, six cultivation testbed facilities were chosen across the United States to evaluate different climatic zones with respect to algal biomass productivity potential. The geographical locations and climates were as follows: Southwest, desert; Western, coastal; Southeast, inland; Southeast, coastal; Pacific, tropical; and Midwest, greenhouse. The testbed facilities were equipped with identical systems for inoculum production and open pond operation and methods were standardized across all testbeds to ensure accurate measurement of physical and biological variables. The ability of the testbedmore » sites to culture and analyze the same algal species, Nannochloropsis oceanica KA32, using identical pond operational and data collection procedures was evaluated during the same seasonal timeframe. This manuscript describes the results of a first-of-its-kind coordinated testbed validation field study while providing critical details on how geographical variations in temperature, light, and weather variables influenced algal productivity, nitrate consumption, and biomass composition. We found distinct differences in growth characteristics due to the geographic location and the resulting climatic and seasonal conditions across the sites, with the highest productivities observed at the desert Southwest and tropical Pacific regions, followed by the Western coastal region. The lowest productivities were observed at the Southeast inland and Midwest greenhouse locations. These differences in productivities among the sites correlated with the differences in pond water temperature and available solar radiation. In addition two sites, the tropical Pacific and Southeast inland experienced unusual events, spontaneous flocculation, and unusually cold and wet (rainfall) conditions respectively, that negatively affected outdoor algal growth. In addition, minor variability in productivity was observed between the different experimental treatments at each site, much smaller compared to differences due to geographic location. Finally, the successful demonstration of the coordinated and standardized operation of the testbed sites established a rigorous basis for future validation of algal strains and operational conditions and protocols across a geographically diverse testbed network.« less

  2. The Algae Testbed Public-Private Partnership (ATP 3 ) framework; establishment of a national network of testbed sites to support sustainable algae production

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    McGowen, John; Knoshaug, Eric P.; Laurens, Lieve M. L.

    Well-controlled experiments that directly compare seasonal algal productivities across geographically distinct locations have not been reported before. To fill this gap, six cultivation testbed facilities were chosen across the United States to evaluate different climatic zones with respect to algal biomass productivity potential. The geographical locations and climates were as follows: Southwest, desert; Western, coastal; Southeast, inland; Southeast, coastal; Pacific, tropical; and Midwest, greenhouse. The testbed facilities were equipped with identical systems for inoculum production and open pond operation and methods were standardized across all testbeds to ensure accurate measurement of physical and biological variables. The ability of the testbedmore » sites to culture and analyze the same algal species, Nannochloropsis oceanica KA32, using identical pond operational and data collection procedures was evaluated during the same seasonal timeframe. This manuscript describes the results of a first-of-its-kind coordinated testbed validation field study while providing critical details on how geographical variations in temperature, light, and weather variables influenced algal productivity, nitrate consumption, and biomass composition. We found distinct differences in growth characteristics due to the geographic location and the resulting climatic and seasonal conditions across the sites, with the highest productivities observed at the desert Southwest and tropical Pacific regions, followed by the Western coastal region. The lowest productivities were observed at the Southeast inland and Midwest greenhouse locations. These differences in productivities among the sites correlated with the differences in pond water temperature and available solar radiation. In addition two sites, the tropical Pacific and Southeast inland experienced unusual events, spontaneous flocculation, and unusually cold and wet (rainfall) conditions respectively, that negatively affected outdoor algal growth. In addition, minor variability in productivity was observed between the different experimental treatments at each site, much smaller compared to differences due to geographic location. Finally, the successful demonstration of the coordinated and standardized operation of the testbed sites established a rigorous basis for future validation of algal strains and operational conditions and protocols across a geographically diverse testbed network.« less

  3. Differentiation between microcystin contaminated and uncontaminated fish by determination of unconjugated MCs using an ELISA anti-Adda test based on receiver-operating characteristic curves threshold values: application to Tinca tinca from natural ponds.

    PubMed

    Moreno, Isabel María; Herrador, M Ángeles; Atencio, Loyda; Puerto, María; González, A Gustavo; Cameán, Ana María

    2011-02-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) anti-Adda technique could be used to monitor free microcystins (MCs) in biological samples from fish naturally exposed to toxic cyanobacteria by using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve software to establish an optimal cut-off value for MCs. The cut-off value determined by ROC curve analysis in tench (Tinca tinca) exposed to MCs under laboratory conditions by ROC curve analysis was 5.90-μg MCs/kg tissue dry weight (d.w.) with a sensitivity of 93.3%. This value was applied in fish samples from natural ponds (Extremadura, Spain) in order to asses its potential MCs bioaccumulation by classifying samples as either true positive (TP), false positive (FP), true negative (TN), or false negative (FN). In this work, it has been demonstrated that toxic cyanobacteria, mainly Microcystis aeruginosa, Aphanizomenon issatchenkoi, and Anabaena spiroides, were present in two of these ponds, Barruecos de Abajo (BDown) and Barruecos de Arriba (BUp). The MCs levels were detected in waters from both ponds with an anti-MC-LR ELISA immunoassay and were of similar values (between 3.8-6.5-μg MC-LR equivalent/L in BDown pond and 4.8-6.0-μg MC-LR equivalent/L in BUp). The MCs cut-off values were applied in livers from fish collected from these two ponds using the ELISA anti-Adda technique. A total of 83% of samples from BDown pond and only 42% from BUp were TP with values of free MCs higher than 8.8-μg MCs/kg tissue (d.w.). Copyright © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  4. Increasing the collected energy and reducing the water requirements in salt-gradient solar ponds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Suarez, F. I.; Ruskowitz, J. A.; Tyler, S. W.; Childress, A. E.

    2013-12-01

    Salt-gradient solar ponds are low-cost, large-scale solar collectors with integrated storage that can be used as an energy source in many thermal systems. For instance, solar ponds have proven to be a promising solution to drive thermal desalination in arid zones. However, in zones with limited water availability, where evaporation constrains the use of solar ponds in areas with the greatest potential for solar energy development, evaporation losses at the surface of the pond constrain their use. Therefore, evaporation represents a significant challenge for development of these low-cost solar systems in arid settings. In this investigation, different transparent floating elements were tested to suppress evaporation: flat discs, hemispheres, and a continuous cover. Flat discs were the most effective evaporation suppression element. Evaporation decreased from 4.8 to 2.5 mm/day when 88% of the pond was covered with the flat discs. In addition, the highest temperature increased from 34 to 43°C and the heat content increased from 179 to 220 MJ (a 22% increase). Reduced evaporative losses at the surface of the pond resulted in lower conductive losses from the storage zone and increased the collected energy. The magnitude of evaporation reduction observed in this work is important as it allows solar pond operation in locations with limited water supply for replenishment. The increase in stored heat allows more energy to be withdrawn from the pond for use in external applications, which significantly improves the thermal efficiencies of solar ponds.

  5. Operations Plans for Anadromous Fish Production Facilities in the Columbia River Basin, Volume II of V; 1992 Annual Report.

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hutchison, Bill

    1993-05-01

    Clearwater Hatchery is located on the north bank of the North Fork of the Clearwater River, downstream from Dworshak Dam. It is approximately 72 miles from Lower Granite Dam, and 504 miles from the mouth of the Columbia River. Site elevation is approximately 994 feet above sea level. The hatchery is staffed with 7 FTE's. Clearwater Hatchery has two pipelines from Dworshak Reservoir. One is attached to a floating platform and is capable of providing various temperatures at varying depths. The other is a stationary intake about 245 feet below the top of the dam. All water is gravity fedmore » to the hatchery. An l8 inch intake pipe provides an estimated 10 cfs with temperature remaining constant at approximately 40 F. The primary 42-inch intake pipe can draw water from 5 to 45 feet in depth with temperatures ranging from 55 to 60 F and 70 cfs of flow. The hatchery facility consists of 11 chinook raceways, 24 steelhead raceways, 2 adult holding ponds, a covered spawning area with 2 live wells and 60 concrete rearing vats. There are 40 double stacks of Heath-type incubators and each vat also has an incubation jar. All facility units are in excellent condition. Clearwater Hatchery also supports satellite facilities at Red River, Crooked River and Powell. The Red River satellite facility is located approximately 15 miles east of Elk City, Idaho. It is approximately 186 miles upstream from Lower Granite Dam and 618 miles from the mouth of the Columbia River. It was first built in 1974 by the Columbia River Project and then remodeled by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1986. Red River is supplied by gravity flow from an intake located at the bottom of the South Fork of Red River, 225 yards upstream from the facility. Water rights allow for 10 cfs and during low flows in the summer about 5 cfs is available. Temperatures range from 40 F in the spring to 71 F in early August. The facility consists of two adult holding ponds, a removable tripod and panel weir, and a rearing pond. All units are in good condition due to the recent remodeling. The Crooked River satellite facility is located 20 miles downstream of Red River. The trap is located 0.5 miles upstream of the mouth of Crooked River, a tributary of the South Fork of the Clearwater River. The rearing ponds are 10 miles upstream from the Crooked River adult trap. Crooked River water is supplied by gravity flow by an intake 200 yards upstream of the facility raceways. Water rights allow for 10 cfs at the rearing facility and 10 cfs at the trapping facility. Water temperatures range from 42 to 70 F. The trap and weir are located at the mouth of Crooked River. Ten miles upstream from the mouth are two raceways, a cleaning waste pond and final settling pond. All facility units are in good condition. The Powell satellite facility is located 122 miles east of the Clear-water Hatchery at the headwaters of the Lochsa River, the confluence of the Crooked Fork Creek and White Sands Creek. Powell is 192.5 miles from Lower Granite Dam and 624 miles from the mouth of the Columbia River. The Powell Facility receives gravity flow water from Walton Creek at a rate of 7 cfs with the intake being located 100 yards upstream from the facility. Powell also has a pumped supply from White Sands Creek at 3 cfs. Water temperature ranges from 45.8 to 50.2 F from the Walton Creek intake and 41 to 65 F from the White Sands pump station. The facility consists of one rearing pond, a diversion and intake screen, two adult holding ponds, a floating weir, and an open bay spawning shelter. All facility units are in good condition.« less

  6. A highly sensitive underwater video system for use in turbid aquaculture ponds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hung, Chin-Chang; Tsao, Shih-Chieh; Huang, Kuo-Hao; Jang, Jia-Pu; Chang, Hsu-Kuang; Dobbs, Fred C.

    2016-08-01

    The turbid, low-light waters characteristic of aquaculture ponds have made it difficult or impossible for previous video cameras to provide clear imagery of the ponds’ benthic habitat. We developed a highly sensitive, underwater video system (UVS) for this particular application and tested it in shrimp ponds having turbidities typical of those in southern Taiwan. The system’s high-quality video stream and images, together with its camera capacity (up to nine cameras), permit in situ observations of shrimp feeding behavior, shrimp size and internal anatomy, and organic matter residues on pond sediments. The UVS can operate continuously and be focused remotely, a convenience to shrimp farmers. The observations possible with the UVS provide aquaculturists with information critical to provision of feed with minimal waste; determining whether the accumulation of organic-matter residues dictates exchange of pond water; and management decisions concerning shrimp health.

  7. A highly sensitive underwater video system for use in turbid aquaculture ponds

    PubMed Central

    Hung, Chin-Chang; Tsao, Shih-Chieh; Huang, Kuo-Hao; Jang, Jia-Pu; Chang, Hsu-Kuang; Dobbs, Fred C.

    2016-01-01

    The turbid, low-light waters characteristic of aquaculture ponds have made it difficult or impossible for previous video cameras to provide clear imagery of the ponds’ benthic habitat. We developed a highly sensitive, underwater video system (UVS) for this particular application and tested it in shrimp ponds having turbidities typical of those in southern Taiwan. The system’s high-quality video stream and images, together with its camera capacity (up to nine cameras), permit in situ observations of shrimp feeding behavior, shrimp size and internal anatomy, and organic matter residues on pond sediments. The UVS can operate continuously and be focused remotely, a convenience to shrimp farmers. The observations possible with the UVS provide aquaculturists with information critical to provision of feed with minimal waste; determining whether the accumulation of organic-matter residues dictates exchange of pond water; and management decisions concerning shrimp health. PMID:27554201

  8. Survey of flue gas desulfurization systems: Duck Creek Station, Central Illinois Light Co. Final report, Jul-Dec 1978

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Laseke, B.A. Jr.

    The report presents the results of a survey of operational flue gas desulfurization (FGD) systems on coal-fired utility boilers in the United States. The FGD system installed on Unit 1 at the Duck Creek Station of Central Illinois Light Company is described in terms of design and performance. The system consists of four parallel, wet-limestone, rod-deck scrubber modules designed for 25% capacity each, providing a total sulfur dioxide removal efficiency of 85%. The bottom ash, fly ash, and scrubbing wastes are disposed of in a sludge pond lined with a natural impermeable material. The first module of this four modulemore » FGD system was placed in service on July 1, 1976, and operated intermittently throughout the remainder of the year and for approximately one month in early 1977. On July 23, 1978, the three remaining modules were completed and all four modules were placed in the gas path for treatment of high sulfur flue gas.« less

  9. First Season Catfish Farming. A Workbook for Beginning Pond and Cage Culture of Channel Catfish. Teacher Edition and Student Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oklahoma State Board of Vocational and Technical Education, Stillwater. Curriculum and Instructional Materials Center.

    This workbook, comprised of both the teacher and student editions, presents guidelines useful for first-year catfish farmers in Oklahoma using pond or cage cultures to raise channel catfish. The teacher edition is a set of unit guidelines only. Contents include a list of suggested readings, important addresses with types of information available…

  10. Operation Plans for Anadromous Fish Production Facilities in the Columbia River Basin : Annual Report 1995 : Volume III - Washington.

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Colville Confederated Tribes; US Fish and Wildlife Service; Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

    1996-06-01

    Beaver Creek Hatchery is located on the Elochoman River about 10 miles upstream from the river mouth. The Elochoman River is a north bank tributary of the lower Columbia River, just downstream of Cathlamet, Washington. The facility consists of 10 intermediate raceways, 20 raceways, (1) earthen rearing pond, (2) adult holding ponds, and a hatchery building with 60 troughs. It is staffed with 4 FTE`s. Water rights total 16,013 gpm from three sources: Elochoman River, Beaver Creek and a well. Beaver Creek water is gravity flow while the other two sources are pumped. The Elochoman River is used in summermore » and fall while Beaver Creek water is used from mid-November through mid-May. Filtered well water (1 cfs) is used to incubate eggs and for early rearing of fry. Water use in summer is about 5,800 gpm. Gobar Pond, a 0.93-acre earthen rearing pond located on Gobar Creek (Kalama River tributary), is operated as a satellite facility.« less

  11. Renewable Water: Direct Contact Membrane Distillation Coupled With Solar Ponds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Suarez, F. I.; Tyler, S. W.; Childress, A. E.

    2010-12-01

    The exponential population growth and the accelerated increase in the standard of living have increased significantly the global consumption of two precious resources: water and energy. These resources are intrinsically linked and are required to allow a high quality of human life. With sufficient energy, water may be harvested from aquifers, treated for potable reuse, or desalinated from brackish and seawater supplies. Even though the costs of desalination have declined significantly, traditional desalination systems still require large quantities of energy, typically from fossil fuels that will not allow these systems to produce water in a sustainable way. Recent advances in direct contact membrane distillation can take advantage of low-quality or renewable heat to desalinate brackish water, seawater or wastewater. Direct contact membrane distillation operates at low pressures and can use small temperature differences between the feed and permeate water to achieve a significant freshwater production. Therefore, a much broader selection of energy sources can be considered to drive thermal desalination. A promising method for providing renewable source of heat for direct contact membrane distillation is a solar pond, which is an artificially stratified water body that captures solar radiation and stores it as thermal energy at the bottom of the pond. In this work, a direct contact membrane distillation/solar pond coupled system is modeled and tested using a laboratory-scale system. Freshwater production rates on the order of 2 L day-1 per m2 of solar pond (1 L hr-1 per m2 of membrane area) can easily be achieved with minimal operating costs and under low pressures. While these rates are modest, they are six times larger than those produced by other solar pond-powered desalination systems - and they are likely to be increased if heat losses in the laboratory-scale system are reduced. Even more, this system operates at much lower costs than traditional desalination systems, thus, it can be used to meet the future needs of energy and water use in a sustainable way.

  12. Design Considerations and Economics of Water Harvesting System for Crop Production

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pali, A. K.

    2016-06-01

    By and large, the design of water harvesting pond is generally based on thumb rules and needs to be upgraded on scientific and engineering principles. In this study, the design procedure of on-farm water harvesting pond has been discussed and two farm ponds of circular, rectangular and square shapes were designed for 50, 60, 75 and 80 % probability of occurrence of rainfall and runoff. Though, the circular shape resulted in the least mean water surface area, but due to not being practicable for agricultural operations, it was discarded. The square shaped ponds resulted in giving least water surface areas as 0.761 ha for the micro watershed of 8.19 ha and as 0.246 ha for the micro watershed of 1.7 ha at 80 % probability level of rainfall and runoff at 80 % level of probability. The storage capacity of the first pond was found as 32,314 m3 and it was 12,962 m3 for the second farm pond. The area to be occupied by the two ponds was worked out as about 11 % of the total land area (8.19 ha) of the first micro watershed and about 18-22 % of the area (1.7 ha) of second micro watershed. Results indicated that the designed size of the first farm pond can be acceptable for construction. The economics of farm pond based agricultural production showed that the highest B/C ratio of 2 and 1.9 were possible for the farm pond designed at 80 and 75 % probability of occurrence of rainfall and runoff respectively.

  13. Rio Grande valley Colorado new Mexico and Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ellis, Sherman R.; Levings, Gary W.; Carter, Lisa F.; Richey, Steven F.; Radell, Mary Jo

    1993-01-01

    Two structural settings are found in the study unit: alluvial basins and bedrock basins. The alluvial basins can have through-flowing surface water or be closed basins. The discussion of streamflow and water quality for the surface-water system is based on four river reaches for the 750 miles of the main stem. the quality of the ground water is affected by both natural process and human activities and by nonpoint and point sources. Nonpoint sources for surface water include agriculture, hydromodification, and mining operations; point sources are mainly discharge from wastewater treatment plants. Nonpoint sources for ground water include agriculture and septic tanks and cesspools; point sources include leaking underground storage tanks, unlined or manure-lined holding ponds used for disposal of dairy wastes, landfills, and mining operations.

  14. Small ponds play big role in greenhouse gas emissions from inland waters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Holgerson, M.; Raymond, P. A.

    2017-12-01

    Inland waters are an important part of the global carbon cycle, but there is uncertainty in estimating their greenhouse gas emissions. Uncertainty stems from different models and variable estimates of surface water gas concentrations, gas exchange rates, and the global size distribution of water bodies. Emissions from small water bodies are especially difficult to estimate because they are not globally mapped and few studies have assessed their greenhouse gas concentrations and gas exchange rates. To overcome these limitations, we studied greenhouse gases and gas exchange rates in small ponds in temperate forests of the northeastern United States. We then compiled our data with direct measurements of CO2 and CH4 concentrations from 427 ponds and lakes worldwide, and upscaled to estimate greenhouse gas emissions using estimates of gas exchange rates and the size distribution of lakes. We found that small ponds play a disproportionately large role in greenhouse gas emissions. While small ponds only account for about 9% of global lakes and ponds by area, they contribute 15% of CO2 and 41% of diffusive CH4 emissions from inland freshwaters. Secondly, we measured gas exchange velocities (k) in small ponds and compiled direct measurements of k from 67 global water bodies. We found that k is low but highly variable in small ponds, and increases and becomes even more variable with lake size, a finding that is not currently included in global carbon models. In a third study, we found that gas exchange in small ponds is highly sensitive to overnight cooling, which can lead to short bursts of increased k at night, with implications for greenhouse gas emissions. Overall, these studies show that small ponds are a critical part of the global carbon cycle, and also highlight many knowledge gaps. Therefore, understanding small pond carbon cycling is an important research priority.

  15. Pond Identification, Classification, and Inundation Dynamics at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge in northwest Florida, USA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Riley, J. W.; Calhoun, D.; Barichivich, J.

    2012-12-01

    The persistence and resilience of amphibian communities is largely dependent on adequate breeding habitat. This is especially important for threatened and endangered species that may often exist as isolated populations and have specific requirements for breeding. A study currently being conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey is investigating the feasibility of a repatriation effort of the Striped Newt (Notophthalmus perstriatus), a federal candidate species, within the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge (SMNWR) in northwest Florida. This amphibian species requires ponds that are free of fishes and, for this reason, generally chooses ephemeral ponds as breeding sites. The delineation of potential breeding habitat is a first step in selecting candidate areas for repatriation. To achieve this, a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) derived digital elevation model (DEM) and a topographic position index (TPI) classification scheme was used to identify and classify isolated depressions across the landscape. The TPI evaluates the difference in elevation from a central DEM cell to the mean elevation of a neighborhood of surrounding DEM cells and is a robust tool for locating depressional features within a landscape. These candidate depression features were then screened to remove large perennial ponds and smaller connected ponds from further consideration. In addition, the perimeters of twenty-two field identified ephemeral ponds were surveyed with a high precision RTK GPS (Real Time Kinematic Global Positioning System) unit to provide a calibration dataset to evaluate the performance of the feature identification method. This set of ponds was also instrumented with water-level recorders to investigate inundation dynamics across a wide range of hydrologic conditions. We anticipate being able to classify pond hydroperiod—thus each pond's potential as breeding habitat—at the monitored locations through this combination of approaches. Using estimates of pond size, morphology, and landscape position derived from the DEM, the classifications will be extended to other ponds on the refuge.

  16. Colonial Era Impoundment of the Northeastern United States: Beaver Trapping and Low- head Dam Construction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Salant, N.; Bain, D.; Brandt, S.

    2008-12-01

    Hydrologic systems of the northeastern United States were transformed by European settler activities. The colonial economy shifted engineered water structures from beaver dams to human dams built for power generation. While the geomorphic effects of human-constructed dams have recently garnered considerable attention, few studies have investigated how intensive trapping for the fur trade, the near extermination of the Northeast beaver population, and the consequent loss of beaver ponds altered the regional water balance. Although reconstructions of colonial beaver populations have been made, none link the decline in beavers to its hydrologic impact. Beaver population models based on pre-colonial population estimates, historic harvest rates, and current-day population dynamics were used to simulate the corresponding decrease in pond numbers over time. Beaver populations declined dramatically during the seventeenth century, with harvest rates estimated at 2,000-10,000 beavers per year, resulting in expatriation in some sub-regions by the early 1700s. Using contemporary estimates of beaver pond volumes, the calculated loss in pond storage between 1600 and 1840 was approximately 17 million cubic meters of water and sediment, considerably larger than estimated storage gains from dam construction in the same period, suggesting that beaver eradication was a major driver of hydrologic change during the colonial era.

  17. 33 CFR 208.27 - Fort Cobb Dam and Reservoir, Pond (Cobb) Creek, Oklahoma.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... Engineer showing the elevation of the reservoir level; number of river outlet works gates in operation with... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Fort Cobb Dam and Reservoir, Pond..., DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FLOOD CONTROL REGULATIONS § 208.27 Fort Cobb Dam and Reservoir...

  18. 33 CFR 208.27 - Fort Cobb Dam and Reservoir, Pond (Cobb) Creek, Oklahoma.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... Engineer showing the elevation of the reservoir level; number of river outlet works gates in operation with... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Fort Cobb Dam and Reservoir, Pond..., DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FLOOD CONTROL REGULATIONS § 208.27 Fort Cobb Dam and Reservoir...

  19. Understanding "Romeo and Juliet": A Thematic Unit.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Koveleski, Erin

    This curriculum unit for Grade 9 combines the classic Shakespeare play "Romeo and Juliet" with three young adult novels: "The Outsiders" (S.E. Hinton), "Summer of My German Soldier" (Bette Greene), and "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" (Elizabeth George Speare). To complete the unit, all students will be…

  20. Changes in waste stabilisation pond performance resulting from the retrofit of activated sludge treatment upstream: part II--Management and operating issues.

    PubMed

    Sweeney, D G; O'Brien, M J; Cromar, N J; Fallowfield, H J

    2005-01-01

    Bolivar Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) was originally commissioned with trickling filter secondary treatment, followed by waste stabilisation pond (WSP) treatment and marine discharge. In 1999, a dissolved air flotation/filtration (DAFF) plant was commissioned to treat a portion of the WSP effluent for horticultural reuse. In 2001, the trickling filters were replaced with activated sludge treatment. A shift in WSP ecology became evident soon after this time, characterised by a statistically significant reduction in algal counts in the pond effluent, and increased variability in algal counts and occasional population crashes in the ponds. While the photosynthetic capacity of the WSPs has been reduced, the concomitant reduction in organic loading has meant that the WSPs have not become overloaded. As a result of the improvement in water quality leaving the ponds, significant cost savings and improved product water quality have been realised in the subsequent DAFF treatment stage. A number of operating issues have arisen from the change, however, including the re-emergence of a midge fly nuisance at the site. Control of midge flies using chemical spraying has negated the cost savings realised in the DAFF treatment stage. While biomanipulation of the WSP may provide a less aggressive method of midge control, this case demonstrates the difficulty of predicting in advance all ramifications of a retrospective process change.

  1. Using full-scale duckweed ponds as the finish stage for swine waste treatment with a focus on organic matter degradation.

    PubMed

    Mohedano, R A; Costa, R H R; Hofmann, S M; Belli Filho, P

    2014-01-01

    The rapid increase in the number of swine has caused pronounced environmental impacts worldwide, especially on water resources. As an aggregate, smallholdings have an important role in South American pork production, contributing to the net diffusion of pollution. Thus, duckweed ponds have been successfully used for swine waste polishing, mainly for nutrient removal. Few studies have been carried out to assess organic matter degradation in duckweed ponds. Hence, the present study evaluated the efficiency of two full-scale duckweed ponds for organic matter reduction of swine waste on small pig farms. Duckweed ponds, in series, received the effluent after an anaerobic biodigester and storage pond, with a flow rate of 1 m(3) day(-1). After 1 year of monitoring, an improvement in effluent quality was observed, with a reduction in biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and total chemical oxygen demand (tCOD), respectively, of 94.8 and 96.7%, operating at a loading rate of approximately 27 kgBOD ha(-1) day(-1) and 131 kgCOD ha(-1) day(-1). Algae inhibition due to duckweed coverage was strongly observed in the pond effluent, where chlorophyll a and turbidity remained below 25 μg L(-1) and 10 NTU. Using the study conditions described herein, duckweed ponds were shown to be a suitable technology for swine waste treatment, contributing to the environmental sustainability of rural areas.

  2. Salt budget for West Pond, Utah, April 1987 to June 1989

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wold, S.R.; Waddell, K.M.

    1994-01-01

    During operation of the West Desert pumping project, April 10. 1987, to June 30, 1989, data were collected as part of a monitoring program to evaluate the effects of pumping brine from Great Salt Lake into West Pond in northern Utah. The removal of brine from Great Sail was part of an effort to lower the level of Great Salt Lake when the water level was at a high in 1986. These data were used to prepare a salt budget that indicates about 695 million tons of salt or about 14.2 percent of salt contained in Great Salt Lake was pumped into West Pond. Of the 695 million tons of salt pumped into West Pond, 315 million tons (45 percent) were dissolved in West Pond, 71 million tons (10.2 percent) formed a salt crust at the bottom of the pond, 10 million tons (1.4 percent) infiltrated the subsurface areas inundated by storage in the pond, 88 million tons (12.7 percent) were withdrawn by American Magnesium Corporation, and 123 million tons (17.7 percent) discharged from the pond through the Newfoundland weir. About 88 million tons (13 percent) of the salt pumped from the lake could not be accounted for in the salt budget. About 94 million tons of salt (1.9 percent of the total salt in Great Salt Lake) flowed back to Great Salt Lake.

  3. Regional thermal and electric energy output of salt-gradient solar ponds in the U.S.

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Singer, M. J.; Lin, E. I. H.

    1982-01-01

    Salt-gradient solar pond thermal and electrical energy output was calculated for each of twelve regions within the United States as part of an effort to assess solar pond applicability and extent of requisite physical resources on a regional basis. The energy output level is one of the key factors affecting the economic feasibility of solar ponds. Calculated thermal energy output ranges from 6.9 Wt/sq m in Fairbanks, Alaska, to 73.1 Wt/sq m in Daggett, California, at an energy extraction temperature of 45 C. The output ranges from 0.0 Wt/sq m in Fairbanks to 63.2 Wt/sq m in Daggett at 60 C. Electrical energy output ranges from 0.0 We/sq m in Fairbanks to 3.11 We/sq m in Daggett. Although these estimates constitute a reasonable basis for regional comparison, site-specific analysis must be performed for an actual application design.

  4. Real time fish pond monitoring and automation using Arduino

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Harun, Z.; Reda, E.; Hashim, H.

    2018-03-01

    Investment and operating costs are the biggest obstacles in modernizing fish ponds in an otherwise very lucrative industry i.e. food production, in this region. Small-scale farmers running on small ponds could not afford to hire workers to man daily operations which usually consists of monitoring water levels, temperature and feeding fish. Bigger scale enterprises usually have some kinds of automation for water monitoring and replacement. These entities have to consider employing pH and dissolved oxygen (DO) sensors to ensure the health and growth of fish, sooner or later as their farms grow. This project identifies one of the sites, located in Malacca. In this project, water, temperature, pH and DO levels are measured and integrated with aerating and water supply pumps using Arduino. User could receive information at predetermined intervals on preferred communication or display gadgets as long as they have internet. Since integrating devices are comparatively not expensive; it usually consists of Arduino board, internet and relay frames and display system, farmer could source these components easily. A sample of two days measurements of temperature, pH and DO levels show that this farm has a high-quality water. Oxygen levels increases in the day as sunshine supports photosynthesis in the pond. With this integration system, farmer need not hire worker at their site, consequently drive down operating costs and improve efficiency.

  5. Regional-scale comparison of the effects of lakes and reservoirs versus streams on water quality

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schmadel, N. M.; Harvey, J. W.; Alexander, R. B.; Schwarz, G. E.; Moore, R. B.; Gomez-Velez, J. D.; Scott, D.; Boyer, E. W.

    2017-12-01

    Recent physically-based modeling at regional scales has revealed that the potential for biogeochemical transformations of nitrogen—such as denitrification—along a fluvial network may be dominated by hyporheic exchange. However, fluvial networks are comprised of a mosaic of water body types from headwaters to coasts, each potentially playing a different role in water quality. For example, depending on conditions, streams or ponded waters (lakes, reservoirs) may disproportionately act as biogeochemical hotspots. Because downstream water quality reflects an accumulation or blending of processes, it is not clear how ponded waters that vary in number and location across a network influence downstream water quality. Here, we quantified the effects of ponded waters along fluvial networks on the fate of nitrogen in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. We used a spatially referenced model calibrated to land use and water quality data and considered both the number and location of ponded waters across the regions. We experimentally modeled the replacement of nearly 30,000 ponded waters with streams using corresponding estimates of hydraulic geometry and nitrogen removal, thereby providing a direct comparison of the role of ponded waters versus the role of streams with regard to nitrogen removal. We found that pond size, density (total pond area to drainage area), and position within a network were all important factors. These findings complement field measurements and reach-scale modeling by upscaling to reveal cumulative effects. This regional-scale modeling of ponded waters is useful toward developing better strategies for prioritizing creation of new reservoirs or removal of dams, or informing stream restoration at ecologically-relevant scales. This research is a product of the John Wesley Powell Center River Corridor Working Group. powellcenter.usgs.gov/view-project

  6. Determination of the Distribution and Inventory of Radionuclides within a Savannah River Site Waterway - 13202

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hiergesell, R.A.; Phifer, M.A.

    2013-07-01

    An investigation was conducted to evaluate the radionuclide inventory within the Lower Three Runs (LTR) Integrator Operable Unit (IOU) at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Savannah River Site (SRS). The scope of this effort included the analysis of previously existing sampling and analysis data as well as additional stream bed and flood plain sampling and analysis data acquired to delineate horizontal and vertical distributions of the radionuclide as part of the ongoing SRS environmental restoration program, and specifically for the LTR IOU program. While cesium-137 (Cs-137) is the most significant and abundant radionuclide associated with the LTR IOU itmore » is not the only radionuclide, hence the scope included evaluating all radionuclides present and includes an evaluation of inventory uncertainty for use in sensitivity and uncertainty analyses. The scope involved evaluation of the radionuclide inventory in the P-Reactor and R-Reactor cooling water effluent canal systems, PAR Pond (including Pond C) and the flood plain and stream sediment sections of LTR between the PAR Pond Dam and the Savannah River. The approach taken was to examine all of the available Sediment and Sediment/Soil analysis data available along the P- and R-Reactor cooling water re-circulation canal system, the ponds situated along those canal reaches and along the length of LTR below Par Pond dam. By breaking the IOU into a series of sub-components and sub-sections, the mass of contaminated material was estimated and a representative central concentration of each radionuclide was computed for each compartment. The radionuclide inventory associated with each sub-compartment was then aggregated to determine the total radionuclide inventory that represented the full LTR IOU. Of special interest was the inventory of Cs-137 due to its role in contributing to the potential dose to an offsite member of the public. The overall LTR IOU inventory of Cs-137 was determined to be 2.87 E+02 GBq, which is similar to two earlier estimates. This investigation provides an independent, ground-up estimate of Cs-137 inventory in LTR IOU utilizing the most recent field data. (authors)« less

  7. Constructed wetlands and waste stabilization ponds for small rural communities in the United Kingdom: a comparison of land area requirements, performance and costs.

    PubMed

    Mara, D D

    2006-07-01

    Land area requirements for secondary subsurface horizontal-flow constructed wetlands (CW) and primary and secondary facultative ponds with either unaerated or aerated rock filters were determined for three levels of effluent quality: that specified in the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD) (< or = 25 mg filtered BOD l(-1) and < or = 150 mg SS l(-1) for waste stabilization ponds (WSP) effluents, and < or = 25 mg unfiltered BOD l(-1) for CW effluents (mean values); and two common requirements of the Environment Agency: < or = 40 mg BOD l(-1) and < or = 60 mg SS l(-1), and < or = 10 mg BOD l(-1), < or = 15 mg SS l(-1) and < or = 5 mg ammonia-N l(-1) (95-percentile values). A secondary CW requires 60 percent more land than a secondary facultative pond to produce an UWWTD-quality effluent, 38 percent more land than a secondary facultative pond and an unaerated rock filter to produce a 40/60 effluent and, were it to be used to produce a 10/15/5 effluent, it would require approximately 480 percent more land than a secondary facultative pond and an aerated rock filter. Its estimated 2005 cost is pound 1100-2600 p.e.(-1), whereas that of a primary facultative pond and rock filter is approximately pound 400 p.e.(-1). On the basis of land area requirements, performance and cost, facultative ponds and unaerated or aerated rock filters are to be preferred to secondary subsurface horizontal-flow constructed wetlands.

  8. Sludge accumulation and distribution impact the hydraulic performance in waste stabilisation ponds.

    PubMed

    Coggins, Liah X; Ghisalberti, Marco; Ghadouani, Anas

    2017-03-01

    Waste stabilisation ponds (WSPs) are used worldwide for wastewater treatment, and throughout their operation require periodic sludge surveys. Sludge accumulation in WSPs can impact performance by reducing the effective volume of the pond, and altering the pond hydraulics and wastewater treatment efficiency. Traditionally, sludge heights, and thus sludge volume, have been measured using low-resolution and labour intensive methods such as 'sludge judge' and the 'white towel test'. A sonar device, a readily available technology, fitted to a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) was shown to improve the spatial resolution and accuracy of sludge height measurements, as well as reduce labour and safety requirements. Coupled with a dedicated software package, the profiling of several WSPs has shown that the ROV with autonomous sonar device is capable of providing sludge bathymetry with greatly increased spatial resolution in a greatly reduced profiling time, leading to a better understanding of the role played by sludge accumulation in hydraulic performance of WSPs. The high-resolution bathymetry collected was used to support a much more detailed hydrodynamic assessment of systems with low, medium and high accumulations of sludge. The results of the modelling show that hydraulic performance is not only influenced by the sludge accumulation, but also that the spatial distribution of sludge plays a critical role in reducing the treatment capacity of these systems. In a range of ponds modelled, the reduction in residence time ranged from 33% in a pond with a uniform sludge distribution to a reduction of up to 60% in a pond with highly channelized flow. The combination of high-resolution measurement of sludge accumulation and hydrodynamic modelling will help in the development of frameworks for wastewater sludge management, including the development of more reliable computer models, and could potentially have wider application in the monitoring of other small to medium water bodies, such as channels, recreational water bodies, and commercial ports. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Enhancing nitrification at low temperature with zeolite in a mining operations retention pond.

    PubMed

    Miazga-Rodriguez, Misha; Han, Sukkyun; Yakiwchuk, Brian; Wei, Kai; English, Colleen; Bourn, Steven; Bohnert, Seth; Stein, Lisa Y

    2012-01-01

    Ammonium nitrate explosives are used in mining operations at Diavik Diamond Mines Inc. in the Northwest Territories, Canada. Residual nitrogen is washed into the mine pit and piped to a nearby retention pond where its removal is accomplished by microbial activity prior to a final water treatment step and release into the sub-Arctic lake, Lac de Gras. Microbial removal of ammonium in the retention pond is rapid during the brief ice-free summer, but often slows under ice cover that persists up to 9 months of the year. The aluminosilicate mineral zeolite was tested as an additive to retention pond water to increase rates of ammonium removal at 4°C. Water samples were collected across the length of the retention pond monthly over a year. The structure of the microbial community (bacteria, archaea, and eukarya), as determined by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of PCR-amplified small subunit ribosomal RNA genes, was more stable during cold months than during July-September, when there was a marked phytoplankton bloom. Of the ammonia-oxidizing community, only bacterial amoA genes were consistently detected. Zeolite (10 g) was added to retention pond water (100 mL) amended with 5 mM ammonium and incubated at 12°C to encourage development of a nitrifying biofilm. The biofilm community was composed of different amoA phylotypes from those identified in gene clone libraries of native water samples. Zeolite biofilm was added to fresh water samples collected at different times of the year, resulting in a significant increase in laboratory measurements of potential nitrification activity at 4°C. A significant positive correlation between the amount of zeolite biofilm and potential nitrification activity was observed; rates were unaffected in incubations containing 1-20 mM ammonium. Addition of zeolite to retention ponds in cold environments could effectively increase nitrification rates year-round by concentrating active nitrifying biomass.

  10. Application of environmental DNA analysis to inform invasive fish eradication operations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Davison, Phillip I.; Copp, Gordon H.; Créach, Véronique; Vilizzi, Lorenzo; Britton, J. R.

    2017-04-01

    Environmental DNA (eDNA) detection of non-native species has considerable potential to inform management decisions, including identifying the need for population control and/or eradication. An invasive species of European concern is the Asian cyprinid fish, topmouth gudgeon ( Pseudorasbora parva) . Here, eDNA analyses were applied at a commercial angling venue in southern England to inform operations aiming to eradicate P. parva, which had only ever been observed in one of the venue's seven unconnected angling ponds. Eradication of P. parva was initially attempted by repeated depletion of the population using fish traps (crayfish traps fitted with 5 mm mesh netting) and the introduction of native predators over a 4-year period. The very low number of P. parva captured following these eradication efforts suggested a possible population crash. Conventional PCR analysis of water samples using species-specific primers was applied to all seven ponds to confirm that P. parva was present in only one pond, that the eradication attempt had indeed failed and that the species' distribution in the pond appeared to be restricted to three bankside locations. The continued presence of P. parva at these locations was confirmed by subsequent trapping. Water samples from an adjacent, unconnected stream were also analysed using the eDNA methodology, but no DNA of P. parva was detected. The results suggest that further management action to eradicate P. parva be focused on the pond shown to contain the isolated P. parva population and thereby eliminate the risk of further dispersal. This study is the first to apply eDNA analysis to assess the efficacy of an eradication attempt and to provide evidence that the species was unlikely to be present in the other ponds, thus reducing the resources needed to control the species.

  11. Application of environmental DNA analysis to inform invasive fish eradication operations.

    PubMed

    Davison, Phillip I; Copp, Gordon H; Créach, Véronique; Vilizzi, Lorenzo; Britton, J R

    2017-04-01

    Environmental DNA (eDNA) detection of non-native species has considerable potential to inform management decisions, including identifying the need for population control and/or eradication. An invasive species of European concern is the Asian cyprinid fish, topmouth gudgeon (Pseudorasbora parva). Here, eDNA analyses were applied at a commercial angling venue in southern England to inform operations aiming to eradicate P. parva, which had only ever been observed in one of the venue's seven unconnected angling ponds. Eradication of P. parva was initially attempted by repeated depletion of the population using fish traps (crayfish traps fitted with 5 mm mesh netting) and the introduction of native predators over a 4-year period. The very low number of P. parva captured following these eradication efforts suggested a possible population crash. Conventional PCR analysis of water samples using species-specific primers was applied to all seven ponds to confirm that P. parva was present in only one pond, that the eradication attempt had indeed failed and that the species' distribution in the pond appeared to be restricted to three bankside locations. The continued presence of P. parva at these locations was confirmed by subsequent trapping. Water samples from an adjacent, unconnected stream were also analysed using the eDNA methodology, but no DNA of P. parva was detected. The results suggest that further management action to eradicate P. parva be focused on the pond shown to contain the isolated P. parva population and thereby eliminate the risk of further dispersal. This study is the first to apply eDNA analysis to assess the efficacy of an eradication attempt and to provide evidence that the species was unlikely to be present in the other ponds, thus reducing the resources needed to control the species.

  12. Hydrology and Water and Sediment Quality at James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge near Kahuku, Island of Oahu, Hawaii

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hunt, Charles D.; De Carlo, Eric H.

    2000-01-01

    The James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge occupies two lowland marsh and pond complexes on the northern coastal plain of Oahu: the mostly natural ponds and wetlands of the Punamano Unit and the constructed ponds of the Kii Unit. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages the Refuge primarily to protect and enhance habitat for four endangered species of Hawaiian waterbirds. Kii Unit is fed by artesian wells and rainfall, whereas Punamano Unit is fed naturally by rainfall, runoff, and ground-water seepage. Streams drain from the uplands into lowland ditches that pass through Kii Unit on their way to the ocean. A high-capacity pump transfers water from the inner ditch terminus at Kii to the ocean outlet channel. Stormwaters also exit the inner ditch system over flood-relief swales near the outlet pump and through a culvert with a one-way valve. A hydrologic investigation was done from November 1996 through February 1998 to identify and quantify principal inflows and outflows of water to and from the Refuge, identify hydraulic factors affecting flooding, document ground-water/surface-water interactions, determine the adequacy of the current freshwater supply, and determine water and sediment quality. These goals were accomplished by installing and operating a network of stream-gaging stations, meteorology stations, and shallow ground-water piezometers, by computing water budgets for the two Refuge units, and by sampling and analyzing water and pond-bottom sediments for major ions, trace metals, and organic compounds. Streamflow during the study was dominated by winter stormflows, followed by a gradual recession of flow into summer 1997, as water that had been stored in alluvial fans drained to lowland ditches. Outflow at the ditch terminus in 1997 was 125 million gallons greater than measured inflow to the coastal plain, mainly reflecting gains from ground water along the ditches between outlying gages and the ditch terminus. Of the measured 1997 outflow, 98 percent was through the Kii outlet pump, with the outlet culvert valve only opening for brief periods during storms. Large volumes of stormflow overflowed the flood-relief swales unmeasured. The largest storm of the study, in November 1996, was estimated to have a flood frequency of about 3 to 4 years. Streamflow exceeded culvert capacity and overtopped Kamehameha Highway at Kalaeokahipa Stream and Hospital ditch. Slight overbank flooding in Kii ditch resulted strictly from high discharge. Minor overbank flooding farther out on the coastal plain probably was caused mainly by the small hydraulic gradients available to convey stormflows along the lowland ditches. Stormwaters flooded Kii ponds and flowed back upstream along Punamano ditch into Punamano marsh, introducing suspended sediment and possibly other contaminants to the Refuge. Two smaller storms in January 1997 resulted in smaller flows and no overbank flooding. The Kii outlet pump ran continuously for 7 days during the November 1996 storm and for 1 to 2 days during the January 1997 storms. During all three storms, the outlet culvert valve opened and the inner ditches overtopped the flood-relief swales, allowing free outflow of water from the inner ditch. Backwater effects hindered drainage during the January 1997 storms at Hospital ditch at Kamehameha Highway, and at Punamano ditch at Nudist Camp Road (where the backflow into Punamano marsh in November 1996 constituted an extreme backwater effect). A probable marine backwater effect was imposed at the ocean outlet ditch during the November 1996 storm through a combination of high spring tides and wave setup from large surf. Whether this backwater effect propagated upstream in the ditches to affect inland sites could not be determined conclusively. A sand plug may have built up in the ocean outlet channel before the November 1996 storm, but if so, it probably washed out prior to, or early in the storm, and was not present at the time of peak stage at inlan

  13. Nitrogen removal in maturation waste stabilisation ponds via biological uptake and sedimentation of dead biomass.

    PubMed

    Camargo Valero, M A; Mara, D D; Newton, R J

    2010-01-01

    In this work a set of experiments was undertaken in a pilot-scale WSP system to determine the importance of organic nitrogen sedimentation on ammonium and total nitrogen removals in maturation ponds and its seasonal variation under British weather conditions, from September 2004 to May 2007. The nitrogen content in collected sediment samples varied from 4.17% to 6.78% (dry weight) and calculated nitrogen sedimentation rates ranged from 273 to 2868 g N/ha d. High ammonium removals were observed together with high concentrations of chlorophyll-a in the pond effluent. Moreover, chlorophyll-a had a very good correlation with the corresponding increment of VSS (algal biomass) and suspended organic nitrogen (biological nitrogen uptake) in the maturation pond effluents. Therefore, when ammonium removal reached its maximum, total nitrogen removal was very poor as most of the ammonia taken up by algae was washed out in the pond effluent in the form of suspended solids. After sedimentation of the dead algal biomass, it was clear that algal-cell nitrogen was recycled from the sludge layer into the pond water column. Recycled nitrogen can either be taken up by algae or washed out in the pond effluent. Biological (mainly algal) uptake of inorganic nitrogen species and further sedimentation of dead biomass (together with its subsequent mineralization) is one of the major mechanisms controlling in-pond nitrogen recycling in maturation WSP, particularly when environmental and operational conditions are favourable for algal growth.

  14. Mathematical Analysis for the Optimization of Wastewater Treatment Systems in Facultative Pond Indicator Organic Matter

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sunarsih; Widowati; Kartono; Sutrisno

    2018-02-01

    Stabilization ponds are easy to operate and their maintenance is simple. Treatment is carried out naturally and they are recommended in developing countries. The main disadvantage of these systems is large land area they occupy. The aim of this study was to perform an optimization of the wastewater treatment systems in a facultative pond, considering a mathematical analysis of the methodology to determine the model constrains organic matter. Matlab optimization toolbox was used for non linear programming. A facultative pond with the method was designed and then the optimization system was applied. The analyse meet the treated water quality requirements for the discharge to the water bodies. The results show a reduction of hydraulic retention time by 4.83 days, and the efficiency of of wastewater treatment of 84.16 percent.

  15. Tree-regeneration and mortality patterns and hydrologic change in a forested karst wetland--Sinking Pond, Arnold Air Force Base, Tennessee

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wolfe, William J.; Evans, Jonathan P.; McCarthy, Sarah; Gain, W. Scott; Bryan, Bradley A.

    2004-01-01

    Multiple lines of evidence point to climate change as the driving factor suppressing tree regeneration since 1970 in Sinking Pond, a 35-hectare seasonally flooded karst depression located on Arnold Air Force Base near Manchester, Tennessee. Annual censuses of 162-193 seedling plots from 1997 through 2001 demonstrate that the critical stage for tree survival is the transition from seedling to sapling and that this transition is limited to shallow (less than 0.5 meters) ponding depths. Recruitment of saplings to the small adult class also was restricted to shallow areas. Analysis of the spatial and elevation distribution of tree-size classes in a representative 2.3-hectare area of Sinking Pond showed a general absence of overcup oak saplings and young adults in deep (ponding depth greater than 1 meter) and intermediate (ponding depth 0.5-1 meter) areas, even though overcup oak seedlings and mature trees are concentrated in these areas. Analysis of tree rings from 45 trees sampled in a 2.3-hectare spatial-analysis plot showed an even distribution of tree ages across ponding-depth classes from the 1800s through 1970, followed by complete suppression of recruitment in deep and intermediate areas after 1970. Trees younger than 30 years were spatially and vertically concentrated in a small area with shallow ponding depth, about 0.5 meter below the spillway elevation. Results of hydrologic modeling, based on rainfall and temperature records covering the period January 1854 through September 2002, show ponding durations after 1970 considerably longer than historical norms, across ponding-depth classes. This increase in ponding duration corresponds closely with similar increases documented in published analyses of streamflow and precipitation in the eastern United States and with the suppression of tree regeneration at ponding depths greater than 0.5 meter indicated by tree-ring analysis. Comparison of the simulated stage record for Sinking Pond with the ages and elevations of sampled trees shows that prolonged (200 days or more per year) inundation in more than 2 of the first 5 years after germination is inversely related to successful tree recruitment and that such inundation was rare before 1970 and common afterwards.

  16. Environmental Education [30 Instructional Mini-units for K-6].

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Minnesota State Dept. of Education, St. Paul.

    These 30 self-contained instructional units, for K-6, are structured to promote learning exercises outside the classroom; from the playground, local factory, or city hall to pond, farm, or woodland, places where students may touch the pulse of community life. Attractively packaged in plastic folders, each "mini-unit" provides a teacher's guide…

  17. Microbiological quality of a waste stabilization pond effluent used for restricted irrigation in Valle Del Cauca, Colombia.

    PubMed

    Madera, C A; Peña, M R; Mara, D D

    2002-01-01

    This paper discusses the applicability of effluent reuse in agriculture after treatment in a series of anaerobic, facultative and maturation ponds. The WSP system is located in Ginebra municipality, a small town in southwest Colombia. The total HRT is 12 days. Several samples of the final effluent were taken over a 55 day period and were analysed for E. coli, Streptococcus spp. and helminth eggs. Some additional grab samples were taken to determine the presence of pathogenic bacteria such as Salmonella spp. and Shigella spp. The results showed that the system was able to remove 4 log units of E. coli, 1 log unit of Streptococcus spp. and 100% of helminth eggs. Meanwhile, Salmonella spp. were detected in the effluent of the facultative pond whilst Shigella spp. were not detected in any sample. The main species of helminth eggs encountered were Taenia spp., Ascaris spp., Trichuris spp., Hymenolepis nana, H. diminuta and Enterobius vermicularis. Removal efficiencies were satisfactory despite the relatively short HRT. Nevertheless, WHO guidelines were slightly surpassed in the case of E. coli for unrestricted irrigation. The helminth egg value was always below the maximum WHO limit. Hence, this effluent can be safely used for restricted irrigation provided that field workers are protected from direct contact with wastewater given the presence of Salmonella spp. in the facultative pond effluent.

  18. Bathymetry mapping using a GPS-sonar equipped remote control boat: Application in waste stabilisation ponds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Coggins, Liah; Ghadouani, Anas; Ghisalberti, Marco

    2014-05-01

    Traditionally, bathymetry mapping of ponds, lakes and rivers have used techniques which are low in spatial resolution, sometimes subjective in terms of precision and accuracy, labour intensive, and that require a high level of safety precautions. In waste stabilisation ponds (WSP) in particular, sludge heights, and thus sludge volume, are commonly measured using a sludge judge (a clear plastic pipe with length markings). A remote control boat fitted with a GPS-equipped sonar unit can improve the resolution of depth measurements, and reduce safety and labour requirements. Sonar devices equipped with GPS technology, also known as fish finders, are readily available and widely used by people in boating. Through the use of GPS technology in conjunction with sonar, the location and depth can be recorded electronically onto a memory card. However, despite its high applicability to the field, this technology has so far been underutilised. In the case of WSP, the sonar can measure the water depth to the top of the sludge layer, which can then be used to develop contour maps of sludge distribution and to determine sludge volume. The coupling of sonar technology with a remotely operative vehicle has several advantages of traditional measurement techniques, particularly in removing human subjectivity of readings, and the sonar being able to collect more data points in a shorter period of time, and continuously, with a much higher spatial resolution. The GPS-sonar equipped remote control boat has been tested on in excess of 50 WSP within Western Australia, and has shown a very strong correlation (R2 = 0.98) between spot readings taken with the sonar compared to a sludge judge. This has shown that the remote control boat with GPS-sonar device is capable of providing sludge bathymetry with greatly increased spatial resolution, while greatly reducing profiling time. Remotely operated vehicles, such as the one built in this study, are useful for not only determining sludge distribution, but also in calculating sludge accumulation rates, and in evaluating pond hydraulic efficiency (e.g., as input bathymetry for computational fluid dynamics models). This technology is not limited to application for wastewater management, and could potentially have a wider application in the monitoring of other small to medium water bodies, including reservoirs, channels, recreational water bodies, river beds, mine tailings dams and commercial ports.

  19. 75 FR 143 - Lockhart Power Company; Notice of Application Accepted for Filing, Soliciting Motions To...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-01-04

    ... submersible turbine/generator unit in the hydro canal bank and provide for seasonal fluctuations of head pond... generating unit would have an installed capacity of 534 kW and an estimated hydraulic capacity of 280 cfs...

  20. New Conceptual Model for Soil Treatment Units: Formation of Multiple Hydraulic Zones during Unsaturated Wastewater Infiltration.

    PubMed

    Geza, Mengistu; Lowe, Kathryn S; Huntzinger, Deborah N; McCray, John E

    2013-07-01

    Onsite wastewater treatment systems are commonly used in the United States to reclaim domestic wastewater. A distinct biomat forms at the infiltrative surface, causing resistance to flow and decreasing soil moisture below the biomat. To simulate these conditions, previous modeling studies have used a two-layer approach: a thin biomat layer (1-5 cm thick) and the native soil layer below the biomat. However, the effect of wastewater application extends below the biomat layer. We used numerical modeling supported by experimental data to justify a new conceptual model that includes an intermediate zone (IZ) below the biomat. The conceptual model was set up using Hydrus 2D and calibrated against soil moisture and water flux measurements. The estimated hydraulic conductivity value for the IZ was between biomat and the native soil. The IZ has important implications for wastewater treatment. When the IZ was not considered, a loading rate of 5 cm d resulted in an 8.5-cm ponding. With the IZ, the same loading rate resulted in a 9.5-cm ponding. Without the IZ, up to 3.1 cm d of wastewater could be applied without ponding; with the IZ, only up to 2.8 cm d could be applied without ponding. The IZ also plays a significant role in soil moisture distribution. Without the IZ, near-saturation conditions were observed only within the biomat, whereas near-saturation conditions extended below the biomat with the IZ. Accurate prediction of ponding is important to prevent surfacing of wastewater. The degree of water and air saturation influences pollutant treatment efficiency through residence time, volatility, and biochemical reactions. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

  1. Inactivation of Escherichia coli in a baffled pond with attached growth: treating anaerobic effluent under the Sahelian climate.

    PubMed

    Moumouni, D A; Andrianisa, H A; Konaté, Y; Ndiaye, A; Maïga, A H

    2016-01-01

    This study aimed to investigate and understand the zero-level detection of Escherichia coli (E. coli) at the outlet of an improved waste stabilization pond. Wastewaters were collected from the International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering (2iE) campus and were subjected to biological treatment. The system included two-stage Anaerobic Reactors followed by a Baffled Pond (AR-BP) with recycled plastic media as a medium for attached growth and a control pond (CP). Three vertical baffles were installed, giving four compartments in the baffled pond (BP). The research was conducted on the pilot scale from March to July 2014, by monitoring E. coli, pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO) and chlorophyll-a in each compartment and at different depths. The results show that E. coli concentrations were lower in top layers of all compartments with an undetectable level in the last compartment up to 0.60 m deep. E. coli mean removal efficiencies and decay rates were achieved by significant difference in BP (4.5 log-units, 9.1 day(-1)) and CP (1.1 log-units, 1.1 day(-1)). Higher values of pH (≥9), temperature (≥32°C), DO (≥ 8 mg/L) and chlorophyll-a (≥ 1000 µg/L) were observed at the surface of BP, whereas lower values were shown at the bottom. Sedimentation combined with the synergetic effects of the physicochemical parameters and environmental factors would be responsible for the inactivation of E. coli in BP. It was concluded that the AR-BP could be applied as an alternative low-cost wastewater treatment technology for developing countries and recommended for reuse of their effluent for restricted peri-urban irrigation.

  2. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Paller, M.; Blas, S.

    The upper portion of Lower Three Runs includes several ponds, reservoirs, and canals that were formerly used as a cooling system for nuclear production reactors. This area was divided into nine exposure areas (EAs) for the assessment of environmental contamination resulting from past reactor operations and other industrial processes. A tiered screening process identified several contaminants of potential concern including aluminum, cyanide, lead, manganese, mercury, DDD, DDE, and DDT. Risks posed by these contaminants to ecological receptors (river otter, belted kingfisher, raccoon, and blue heron) were assessed using contaminant exposure models that estimated contaminant intake resulting from ingestion of food,more » water, and sediment/ soil and compared these intakes with toxicity reference values (TRVs). The contaminant exposure models showed that the TRVs were not exceeded in the otter model, exceeded by aluminum in EA 7 (Pond 2 and associated canals) in the raccoon model, and exceeded by mercury in EAs 2, 3 (Pond B), 6 (Par Pond), and 8 (Ponds 4 and 5 and Canal to Pond C) in both the kingfisher and blue heron models. Hazard quotients (total exposure dose divided by the TRV) were 2.8 for aluminum and 1.7- 3.6 for mercury. The primary route of exposure for aluminum was the ingestion of soil, and the primary route of exposure for mercury was the ingestion of mercury contaminated fish. Elevated levels of mercury in fish were at least partly the result of the aerial deposition of mercury onto Lower Three Runs and its watershed. The atmospheric deposition of mercury creates pervasive contamination in fish throughout the Savannah River basin. Another possible source of mercury was the discharge of mercury contaminated Savannah River water into the Lower Three Runs cooling ponds and canals during previous years of reactor operation. This contamination originated from industries located upstream of the SRS. The aluminum exceedance for the raccoon was likely the result of naturally high aluminum levels in SRS soils rather than SRS operations. Aluminum exceedances have previously been observed in relatively undisturbed background locations as well as areas affected by SRS operations. Aluminum exceedances are more likely with the raccoon than the other receptors because it consumes more soil as a result of its feeding habits. Sensitivity analysis showed that model uncertainty can be reduced by adequate sampling of key variables (e.g., fish and sediments). Although sediment samples were collected from all EAs, fish samples were not collected from three EAs and some analytes (pesticides and cyanide) were not measured in fish. Water-to-fish concentration ratios were used to estimate contaminant levels in fish when direct measurements from fish were unavailable; however, such estimates are potentially less accurate than direct measurements.« less

  3. Laboratory simulated transport of microcystin-LR and cylindrospermopsin in groundwater under the influence of stormwater ponds: implications for harvesting of infiltrated stormwater

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    O'Reilly, Andrew M.; Wanielista, Martin P.; Loftin, Keith A.; Chang, Ni-Bin; Schirmer, Mario; Hoehn, Eduard; Vogt, Tobias

    2011-01-01

    Water shortages in the southeastern United States have led to a need for more intensive management and usage of stormwater for beneficial uses such as irrigation. Harvesting of infiltrated stormwater from horizontal wells in sandy aquifer sediments beneath stormwater ponds has emerged as an alternative in need of evaluation. Cyanobacteria may proliferate in stormwater ponds; cyanotoxins produced by these organisms represent potential public health concerns. Results of two, saturated flow, sand column experiments indicate breakthrough of microcystin-LR (MCLR) and cylindrospermopsin (CYL) within 1―2 pore volumes indicating little removal attributable to sorption. Concentration-based MCLR removal efficiencies up to 90% were achieved, which we hypothesize were predominantly due to biodegradation. In contrast, CYL removal efficiencies were generally less than 15%. On the basis of these results, removal of sandy soil in the stormwater pond bottom and addition of sorption media with greater binding affinities to cyanotoxins may enhance natural attenuation processes prior to water withdrawal.

  4. Construction and startup performance of the Miamisburg salt-gradient solar pond

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wittenberg, L. J.; Harris, M. J.

    1981-02-01

    An account is given of the construction and 1.5 years of operation of the Miamisburg, Ohio salt-gradient solar pond which, with 2020 sq m, is the largest solar collector in the U.S. The 18% sodium chloride solution pond has reached storage temperatures of 64 C in July and 28 C in February. Under steady-state conditions, conservative heat-yield estimates on the order of 962 million Btu have been made. The heat is used to warm-up a summer outdoor swimming pool and in winter a recreational building. Installation costs were only $35/sq m, and heat costs based on a 15-year depreciation of installation costs is below that of fuel oil heating, at $9.45 per million Btu. Further study is recommended for maintenance of water clarity, metallic component corrosion and assurance of pond water containment.

  5. Understanding the biological activity of high rate algae ponds through the calculation of oxygen balances.

    PubMed

    Arbib, Zouhayr; de Godos Crespo, Ignacio; Corona, Enrique Lara; Rogalla, Frank

    2017-06-01

    Microalgae culture in high rate algae ponds (HRAP) is an environmentally friendly technology for wastewater treatment. However, for the implementation of these systems, a better understanding of the oxygenation potential and the influence of climate conditions is required. In this work, the rates of oxygen production, consumption, and exchange with the atmosphere were calculated under varying conditions of solar irradiance and dilution rate during six months of operation in a real scale unit. This analysis allowed determining the biological response of these dynamic systems. The rates of oxygen consumption measured were considerably higher than the values calculated based on the organic loading rate. The response to light intensity in terms of oxygen production in the bioreactor was described with one of the models proposed for microalgae culture in dense concentrations. This model is based on the availability of light inside the culture and the specific response of microalgae to this parameter. The specific response to solar radiation intensity showed a reasonable stability in spite of the fluctuations due to meteorological conditions. The methodology developed is a useful tool for optimization and prediction of the performance of these systems.

  6. Aquatic Plant Control Research Program. A Survey of the Continental United States for Pathogens of Eurasian Watermilfoil

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1988-04-01

    Res. Old boat basin Chelan 13 Sep 1984 Rock Island Res. Mouth of Wenatchee River Chelan 13 Sep 1984 Rock Island Res. Hannah Mining Co. Douglas 13 Sep...States, including ponds, lakes, reser- voirs, rivers , and canals. At the conclusion of the survey, 792 isolates had been collected from tissue samples...acre (9-ha) pond located in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, and an area near the Northeast River in Cecil County, Maryland--and suggested the declines

  7. The effect of aeration and effluent recycling on domestic wastewater treatment in a pilot-plant system of duckweed ponds.

    PubMed

    Ben-shalom, Miriam; Shandalov, Semion; Brenner, Asher; Oron, Gideon

    2014-01-01

    Three pilot-scale duckweed pond (DP) wastewater treatment systems were designed and operated to examine the effect of aeration and effluent recycling on treatment efficiency. Each system consisted of two DPs in series fed by pre-settled domestic sewage. The first system (duckweed+ conventional treatment) was 'natural' and included only duckweed plants. The second system (duckweed aeration) included aeration in the second pond. The third system (duckweed+ aeration+ circulation) included aeration in the second pond and effluent recycling from the second to the first pond. All three systems demonstrated similarly efficient removal of organic matter and nutrients. Supplemental aeration had no effect on either dissolved oxygen levels or on pollutant removal efficiencies. Although recycling had almost no influence on nutrient removal efficiencies, it had a positive impact on chemical oxygen demand and total suspended solids removals due to equalization of load and pH, which suppressed algae growth. Recycling also improved the appearance and growth rate of the duckweed plants, especially during heavy wastewater loads.

  8. Nuclear Fuel Traces Definition in Storage Ponds of Research VVR-2 and OR Reactors in NRC 'Kurchatov Institute'

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Stepanov, Alexey; Simirskii, Iurii; Stepanov, Vyacheslav

    2015-07-01

    The Gas Plant complex is the experimental base of the Institute of Nuclear Reactors, which is part of the Kurchatov Institute. In 1954 the commissioning of the first Soviet water-cooled water-moderated research reactor VVR-2 on enriched uranium, and until 1983 the complex operated two research water-cooled water-moderated reactors 3 MW (VVR-2) and 300 kW (OR) capacity, which were dismantled in connection with the overall upgrades of the complex. The complex has three storage ponds in the reactor building. They are sub-surface vessels filled with water (the volume of water in each is about 6 m{sup 3}). In 2007-2013 the spentmore » nuclear fuel from storages was removed for processing to 'Mayk'. Survey of Storage Ponds by Underwater Collimated Spectrometric System shows a considerable layer of slime on the bottom of ponds and traces of spent nuclear fuel in one of the storage. For determination qualitative and the quantitative composition of radionuclide we made complex α-, β-, γ- spectrometric research of water and bottom slimes from Gas Plant complex storage ponds. We found the spent nuclear fuel in water and bottom slime in all storage ponds. Specific activity of radionuclides in the bottom slime exceeded specific activity of radionuclides in the ponds water and was closed to levels of high radioactive waste. Analysis of the obtained data and data from earlier investigation of reactor MR storage ponds showed distinctions of specific activity of uranium and plutonium radionuclides. (authors)« less

  9. Utilization by fishes of the Alviso Island ponds and adjacent waters in south san francisco bay following restoration to tidal influence

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Saiki, M.K.; Mejia, F.H.

    2009-01-01

    Earthen levees of three isolated salt ponds known locally as the Alviso Island Ponds were intentionally breached in March 2006 to allow tidal exchange of the ponds with water from Coyote Creek. The water exchange transformed the previously fishless hypersaline ponds into lower salinity habitats suitable for fish life. This study documented fish utilization of the ponds, adjacent reaches of Coyote Creek, and an upstream reach in nearby Artesian Slough during May-July 2006. By the time the study was initiated, water quality conditions in the ponds were similar to conditions in adjacent reaches of Coyote Creek. The only variable exhibiting a strong gradient within the study area was salinity, which increased progressively from upstream to downstream in Coyote Creek. A total of 4,034 fish represented by 18 species from 14 families was caught during the study. Judging from cluster analysis of presence-absence data that excluded rare fish species, the 10 sampling units (3 ponds, 6 reaches in Coyote Creek, and 1 reach in Artesian Slough) formed two clusters or groups, suggesting two species assemblages. The existence of two groups was also suggested by ordination with non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMS). One group, which was composed of the three ponds and four of the lowermost reaches of Coyote Creek, was characterized by mostly estuarine or marine species (e.g., topsmelt, Atherinops affinis; northern anchovy, Engraulis mordax; and longjaw mudsucker, Gillichthys mirabilis). The second group, which was composed of the two uppermost reaches of Coyote Creek and the one reach of Artesian Slough, was characterized by freshwater species (e.g., Sacramento sucker, Catostomus occidentalis) and by an absence of the estuarine/marine species noted in the first assemblage. Judging from a joint plot of selected water quality variables overlaying the ordination results, salinity was the only important variable associated with spatial distribution of fish species. Water temperature, dissolved oxygen, and pH had little influence on fish distribution during this study.

  10. Comparative performance evaluation of full-scale anaerobic and aerobic wastewater treatment processes in Brazil.

    PubMed

    von Sperling, M; Oliveira, S C

    2009-01-01

    This article evaluates and compares the actual behavior of 166 full-scale anaerobic and aerobic wastewater treatment plants in operation in Brazil, providing information on the performance of the processes in terms of the quality of the generated effluent and the removal efficiency achieved. The observed results of effluent concentrations and removal efficiencies of the constituents BOD, COD, TSS (total suspended solids), TN (total nitrogen), TP (total phosphorus) and FC (faecal or thermotolerant coliforms) have been compared with the typical expected performance reported in the literature. The treatment technologies selected for study were: (a) predominantly anaerobic: (i) septic tank + anaerobic filter (ST + AF), (ii) UASB reactor without post-treatment (UASB) and (iii) UASB reactor followed by several post-treatment processes (UASB + POST); (b) predominantly aerobic: (iv) facultative pond (FP), (v) anaerobic pond followed by facultative pond (AP + FP) and (vi) activated sludge (AS). The results, confirmed by statistical tests, showed that, in general, the best performance was achieved by AS, but closely followed by UASB reactor, when operating with any kind of post-treatment. The effluent quality of the anaerobic processes ST + AF and UASB reactor without post-treatment was very similar to the one presented by facultative pond, a simpler aerobic process, regarding organic matter.

  11. Aerated treatment pond technology with biofilm promoting mats for the bioremediation of benzene, MTBE and ammonium contaminated groundwater.

    PubMed

    Jechalke, Sven; Vogt, Carsten; Reiche, Nils; Franchini, Alessandro G; Borsdorf, Helko; Neu, Thomas R; Richnow, Hans H

    2010-03-01

    A novel aerated treatment pond for enhanced biodegradation of groundwater contaminants was tested under field conditions. Coconut fibre and polypropylene textiles were used to encourage the development of contaminant-degrading biofilms. Groundwater contaminants targeted for removal were benzene, methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and ammonium. Here, we present data from the first 14 months of operation and compare contaminant removal rates, volatilization losses, and biofilm development in one pond equipped with coconut fibre to another pond with polypropylene textiles. Oxygen concentrations were constantly monitored and adjusted by automated aeration modules. A natural transition from anoxic to oxic zones was simulated to minimize the volatilization rate of volatile organic contaminants. Both ponds showed constant reductions in benzene concentrations from 20 mg/L at the inflow to about 1 microg/L at the outflow of the system. A dynamic air chamber (DAC) measurement revealed that only 1% of benzene loss was due to volatilization, and suggests that benzene loss was predominantly due to aerobic mineralization. MTBE concentration was reduced from around 4 mg/L at the inflow to 3.4-2.4 mg/L in the system effluent during the first 8 months of operation, and was further reduced to 1.2 mg/L during the subsequent 6 months of operation. Ammonium concentrations decreased only slightly from around 59 mg/L at the inflow to 56 mg/L in the outflow, indicating no significant nitrification during the first 14 months of continuous operation. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) demonstrated that microorganisms rapidly colonized both the coconut fibre and polypropylene textiles. Microbial community structure analysis performed using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) revealed little similarity between patterns from water and textile samples. Coconut textiles were shown to be more effective than polypropylene fibre textiles for promoting the recruitment and development of MTBE-degrading biofilms. Biofilms of both textiles contained high numbers of benzene metabolizing bacteria suggesting that these materials provide favourable growth conditions for benzene degrading microorganisms. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Use of Aquaculture Ponds and Other Habitats by Autumn Migrating Shorebirds Along the Lower Mississippi River

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lehnen, Sarah E.; Krementz, David G.

    2013-08-01

    Populations of many shorebird species are declining; habitat loss and degradation are among the leading causes for these declines. Shorebirds use a variety of habitats along interior migratory routes including managed moist soil units, natural wetlands, sandbars, and agricultural lands such as harvested rice fields. Less well known is shorebird use of freshwater aquaculture facilities, such as commercial cat- and crayfish ponds. We compared shorebird habitat use at drained aquaculture ponds, moist soil units, agricultural areas, sandbars and other natural habitat, and a sewage treatment facility in the in the lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley (LMAV) during autumn 2009. Six species: Least Sandpiper ( Calidris minutilla), Killdeer ( Charadrius vociferous), Semipalmated Sandpiper ( Calidris pusilla), Pectoral Sandpiper ( C. melanotos), Black-necked Stilt ( Himantopus himantopus), and Lesser Yellowlegs ( Tringa flavipes), accounted for 92 % of the 31,165 individuals observed. Sewage settling lagoons (83.4, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 25.3-141.5 birds/ha), drained aquaculture ponds (33.5, 95 % CI 22.4-44.6 birds/ha), and managed moist soil units on public lands (15.7, CI 11.2-20.3 birds/ha) had the highest estimated densities of shorebirds. The estimated 1,100 ha of drained aquaculture ponds available during autumn 2009 provided over half of the estimated requirement of 2,000 ha by the LMAV Joint Venture working group. However, because of the decline in the aquaculture industry, autumn shorebird habitats in the LMAV may be limited in the near future. Recognition of the current aquaculture habitat trends will be important to the future management activities of federal and state agencies. Should these aquaculture habitat trends continue, there may be a need for wildlife biologists to investigate other habitats that can be managed to offset the current and expected loss of aquaculture acreages. This study illustrates the potential for freshwater aquaculture to provide habitat for a taxa at risk. With the rapid growth of aquaculture worldwide, the practices of this industry deserve attention to identify benefits as well as risks to wildlife.

  13. Reduction of metal exposure of Daubenton's bats (Myotis daubentonii) following remediation of pond sediment as evidenced by metal concentrations in hair.

    PubMed

    Flache, Lucie; Ekschmitt, Klemens; Kierdorf, Uwe; Czarnecki, Sezin; Düring, Rolf-Alexander; Encarnação, Jorge A

    2016-03-15

    Transfer of contaminants from freshwater sediments via aquatic insects to terrestrial predators is well documented in spiders and birds. Here, we analyzed the metal exposure of Myotis daubentonii using an urban pond as their preferred foraging area before and after a remediation measure (sediment dredging) at this pond. Six metal elements (Zn, Cu, Cr, Cd, Pb and Ni) were measured in the sediment of the pond, in EDTA extracts of the sediment and in hair samples of M. daubentonii foraging at the pond. Samples were taken before remediation in 2011 and after remediation in 2013. Metal concentrations were quantified by ICP-OES after miniaturized microwave assisted extraction. In 2011, the pond sediment exhibited a high contamination with nickel, a moderate contamination with copper and chromium and low contents of zinc, cadmium and lead. While sediment metal contents declined only weakly after remediation, a much more pronounced reduction in the concentrations of zinc, copper, chromium and lead concentrations was observed in bat hair. Our results suggest a marked decline in metal exposure of the bats foraging at the pond as a consequence of the remediation measure. It is concluded that Daubenton's bats are suitable bioindicators of metal contamination in aquatic environments, integrating metal exposure via prey insects over their entire foraging area. We further suggest that bat hair is a useful monitoring unit, allowing a non-destructive and non-invasive assessment of metal exposure in bats. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Issues, impacts, and implications of shrimp aquaculture in Thailand

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dierberg, Forrest E.; Kiattisimkul, Woraphan

    1996-09-01

    Water quality impacts to and from intensive shrimp aquaculture in Thailand are substantial. Besides the surface and subsurface salinization of freshwaters, loadings of solids, oxygen-consuming organic matter, and nutrients to receiving waters are considerable when the cumulative impacts from water exchange during the growout cycle, pond drainage during harvesting, and illegal pond sediment disposal are taken into account. Although just beginning to be considered in Thailand, partial recirculating and integrated intensive farming systems are producing promising, if somewhat limited, results. By providing on-site treatment of the effluent from the shrimp growout ponds, there is less reliance on using outside water supplies, believed to be the source of the contamination. The explosion in the number of intensively operated shrimp farms has not only impacted the coastal zone of Thailand, but has also resulted in an unsustainable aquaculture industry. Abandonment of shrimp ponds due to either drastic, disease-caused collapses or more grandual, year-to-year reductions in the productivity of the pond is common. To move Thailand towards a more sustainable aquaculture industry and coastal zone environment, integrated aquaculture management is needed. Components of integrated aquaculture management are technical and institutional. The technical components involve deployment of wastewater treatment and minimal water-use systems aimed at making aquaculture operations more hydraulically closed. Before this is possible, technical and economic feasibility studies on enhanced nitrification systems and organic solids removal by oxidation between production cycles and/or the utilization of plastic pond liners need to be conducted. The integration of semi-intensive aquaculture within mangrove areas also should be investigated since mangrove losses attributable to shrimp aquaculture are estimated to be between 16 and 32% of the total mangrove area destroyed betweeen 1979 and 1993. Government policy needs to devote as much attention to sustainability issues as it has on promoting intensive pond culture. Such a balanced policy would include training and education monitoring and enforcement, rehabilitating abandoned ponds, managing land use within the coastal zone, more community involvement, and government reorganization to eliminate overlapping jurisdictions among agencies. As integrated aquaculture management becomes more the practice than the exception, less risk of crop failure to the industry and reduced discharge loadings from intensively managed shrimp ponds to receiving waters can be expected. Projected limitations on growing and marketing shrimp in the future, such as scarcity of land and broodstock, continued disease outbreaks, negative publicity, regulatory enforcement, water treatment and solids disposal costs, and increased competition from growers in other Asian countries will also drive the government and the industry towards adopting integrated aquaculture management.

  15. 11. VIEW NORTH, SOUTH FRONT OF MAIN OFFICE UNIT (BUILDING ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    11. VIEW NORTH, SOUTH FRONT OF MAIN OFFICE UNIT (BUILDING I, 2); SOUTH AND EAST FRONTS OF SEED STORAGE BUILDING (BUILDING 21); EAST FRONT OF GREENHOUSE #1 (BUILDING 5) - U.S. Plant Introduction Station, 11601 Old Pond Road, Glenn Dale, Prince George's County, MD

  16. TerraSAR-X high-resolution radar remote sensing: an operational warning system for Rift Valley fever risk.

    PubMed

    Vignolles, Cécile; Tourre, Yves M; Mora, Oscar; Imanache, Laurent; Lafaye, Murielle

    2010-11-01

    In the vicinity of the Barkedji village (in the Ferlo region of Senegal), the abundance and aggressiveness of the vector mosquitoes for Rift Valley fever (RVF) are strongly linked to rainfall events and associated ponds dynamics. Initially, these results were obtained from spectral analysis of high-resolution (~10 m) Spot-5 images, but, as a part of the French AdaptFVR project, identification of the free water dynamics within ponds was made with the new high-resolution (down to 3-meter pixels), Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite (TerraSAR-X) produced by Infoterra GmbH, Friedrichshafen/Potsdam, Germany. During summer 2008, within a 30 x 50 km radar image, it was found that identified free water fell well within the footprints of ponds localized by optical data (i.e. Spot-5 images), which increased the confidence in this new and complementary remote sensing technique. Moreover, by using near real-time rainfall data from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), NASA/JAXA joint mission, the filling-up and flushing-out rates of the ponds can be accurately determined. The latter allows for a precise, spatio-temporal mapping of the zones potentially occupied by mosquitoes capable of revealing the variability of pond surfaces. The risk for RVF infection of gathered bovines and small ruminants (~1 park/km(2)) can thus be assessed. This new operational approach (which is independent of weather conditions) is an important development in the mapping of risk components (i.e. hazards plus vulnerability) related to RVF transmission during the summer monsoon, thus contributing to a RVF early warning system.

  17. Environmental problems associated with decommissioning the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Cooling Pond.

    PubMed

    Oskolkov, B Ya; Bondarkov, M D; Gaschak, S P; Maksymenko, A M; Maksymenko, V M; Martynenko, V I; Farfán, E B; Jannik, G T; Marra, J C

    2010-11-01

    Decommissioning of nuclear power plants and other nuclear fuel cycle facilities associated with residual radioactive contamination of their territories is an imperative issue. Significant problems may result from decommissioning of cooling ponds with residual radioactive contamination. The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (ChNPP) Cooling Pond is one of the largest self-contained water reservoirs in the Chernobyl region and Ukrainian and Belorussian Polesye region. The 1986 ChNPP Reactor Unit Number Four significantly contaminated the ChNPP Cooling Pond. The total radionuclide inventory in the ChNPP Cooling Pond bottom deposits are as follows: ¹³⁷Cs: 16.28 ± 2.59 TBq; ⁹⁰Sr: 2.4 ± 0.48 TBq; and ²³⁹+²⁴⁰Pu: 0.00518 ± 0.00148 TBq. The ChNPP Cooling Pond is inhabited by over 500 algae species and subspecies, over 200 invertebrate species, and 36 fish species. The total mass of the living organisms in the ChNPP Cooling Pond is estimated to range from about 60,000 to 100,000 tons. The territory adjacent to the ChNPP Cooling Pond attracts many birds and mammals (178 bird species and 47 mammal species were recorded in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone). This article describes several options for the ChNPP Cooling Pond decommissioning and environmental problems associated with its decommissioning. The article also provides assessments of the existing and potential exposure doses for the shoreline biota. For the 2008 conditions, the estimated total dose rate values were 11.4 40 μGy h⁻¹ for amphibians, 6.3 μGy h⁻¹ for birds, 15.1 μGy h⁻¹ for mammals, and 10.3 μGy h⁻¹ for reptiles, with the recommended maximum dose rate being equal to 40 μGy h⁻¹. However, drying the ChNPP Cooling Pond may increase the exposure doses to 94.5 μGy h⁻¹ for amphibians, 95.2 μGy h⁻¹ for birds, 284.0 μGy h⁻¹ for mammals, and 847.0 μGy h⁻¹ for reptiles. All of these anticipated dose rates exceed the recommended values.

  18. Ecological relationships of breeding blue-winged teal to prairie potholes

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Drewien, R.C.; Springer, P.F.

    1969-01-01

    Ecology of breeding blue-winged teal (Anas discors) was studied on the Waubay Study Area in Day County, South Dakota, in 1965 and 1966. Breeding pair use of the wetland habitat and importance of Type 1 ponds in the wetland complex were evaluated. Changes in breeding pair densities and wetland habitat conditions on the study area were compared for the 16-year period, 1950-66.Blue-winged teal pair densities of 30.7 and 33.0 per square mile in 1965 and 1966, respectively, were above the 16-year average from 1950 to 1966 and near the maximum for this period. Blue-winged teal comprised 46.7 per cent of the waterfowl breeding population in 1965 and 51.7 per cent in 1966. Number of water areas per square mile through mid-spring 1965 was comparable to the average for the 16-year period, whereas during late spring 1965 and throughout the 1966 spring breeding seasons the number of water areas increased to near optimum conditions.Annual breeding-pair densities from 1950 to 1966 appeared to be largely influenced by water conditions, and pair-density fluctuations resulted from changes in number of wet ponds from late April through mid-May. Variations in water conditions after this period did not appear to have as great an effect on numbers of breeding teal.Use of wetland habitat by pairs changed throughout the spring breeding seasons. During the post-arrival period, teal congregated on larger wetlands. With onset of egg-laying, pairs dispersed into ponds throughout the wetland complex to establish breeding home ranges. Other factors that influenced changes in habitat use included: 1) pond type and size, 2) breeding cycle phenology, 3) availability of wet ponds, and 4) land use. Number of blue-winged teal pairs per unit area of water was highest in 1965 and 1966 on Type 1B ponds, followed in decreasing order by Types 3, 1A, and 4 and 5. Greater use of Type 1B ponds was probably related to larger ratio of edge or shore line to unit area of water. Interspersion of many small wetlands throughout the breeding habitat provided for maximum pair dispersal during egg-laying and early incubation stages of the reproductive cycle.

  19. Ecosystem function in waste stabilisation ponds: Improving water quality through a better understanding of biophysical coupling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ghadouani, Anas; Reichwaldt, Elke S.; Coggins, Liah X.; Ivey, Gregory N.; Ghisalberti, Marco; Zhou, Wenxu; Laurion, Isabelle; Chua, Andrew

    2014-05-01

    Wastewater stabilisation ponds (WSPs) are highly productive systems designed to treat wastewater using only natural biological and chemical processes. Phytoplankton, microbial communities and hydraulics play important roles for ecosystem functionality of these pond systems. Although WSPs have been used for many decades, they are still considered as 'black box' systems as very little is known about the fundamental ecological processes which occur within them. However, a better understanding of how these highly productive ecosystems function is particularly important for hydrological processes, as treated wastewater is commonly discharged into streams, rivers, and oceans, and subject to strict water quality guidelines. WSPs are known to operate at different levels of efficiency, and treatment efficiency of WSPs is dependent on physical (flow characteristics and sludge accumulation and distribution) and biological (microbial and phytoplankton communities) characteristics. Thus, it is important to gain a better understanding of the role and influence of pond hydraulics and vital microbial communities on pond performance and WSP functional stability. The main aim of this study is to investigate the processes leading to differences in treatment performance of WSPs. This study uses a novel and innovative approach to understand these factors by combining flow cytometry and metabolomics to investigate various biochemical characteristics, including the metabolite composition and microbial community within WSPs. The results of these analyses will then be combined with results from the characterisation of pond hydrodynamics and hydraulic performance, which will be performed using advanced hydrodynamic modelling and advanced sludge profiling technology. By understanding how hydrodynamic and biological processes influence each other and ecosystem function and stability in WSPs, we will be able to propose ways to improve the quality of the treatment using natural processes, with less reliance on chemical treatment. This will in turn contribute to the reduction in the cost of operation, but more importantly reduce the impact on the environment (i.e., discharge, GHGs), and increase water quality and the potential for water reuse worldwide.

  20. 78 FR 32244 - Combined Notice of Filings #1

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-05-29

    .... Applicants: Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc. Description: Midcontinent Independent System.... Applicants: Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc. Description: Midcontinent Independent System... Company submits: Interconnection Agreement Between MECO and French River Land Co. re Tannery Pond to be...

  1. Using on-farm sedimentation ponds to improve microbial quality of irrigation water in urban vegetable farming in Ghana.

    PubMed

    Keraita, B; Drechsel, P; Konradsen, F

    2008-01-01

    This paper presents an assessment of the potential of using on-farm ponds to reduce levels of microbial contamination in wastewater--contaminated irrigation water. The study involved observations on the use of ponds in urban agriculture in Kumasi, Ghana, and more than 300 irrigation water samples were taken for physico-chemical and microbial laboratory analysis. The study shows that while on-farm ponds are commonly used, their potential to remove pathogens through sedimentation has not been fully optimized. Two-thirds of helminth eggs were in the sediments and careful collection of irrigation water without disturbing sediments reduced helminth eggs in irrigation water by about 70%. Helminth eggs reduced from about 5 to less than 1 egg per litre in three days in both dry and wet seasons while thermotolerant coliforms took six days in the dry season to reduce from about 8 to 4 log units per 100 ml, to meet the WHO guidelines. For optimal pathogen removal, better pond designs, farmers' training on collection of water with minimal disturbance and any other means to enhance sedimentation and pathogen die-off can be essential components of a multiple-barrier approach complementing farm-based measures like simple filtration techniques, better irrigation methods and post-harvest contamination.

  2. Sulfide production kinetics and model of stormwater retention ponds.

    PubMed

    D'Aoust, P M; Pick, F R; Wang, R; Poulain, A; Rennie, C; Chen, L; Kinsley, C; Delatolla, R

    2018-06-01

    Stormwater retention ponds can play a critical role in mitigating the detrimental effects of urbanization on receiving waters that result from increases in polluted runoff. However, the benthic oxygen demand of stormwater facilities may cause significant hypoxia and trigger the production of hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S). This process is not well-documented and further research is needed to characterize benthic processes in stormwater retention ponds in order to improve their design and operation. In this study, sediment oxygen demand (SOD), sediment ammonia release (SAR) and sediment sulfide production (SSP) kinetics were characterized in situ and in the laboratory. In situ SOD and SSP data were utilized to develop a stormwater retention pond water sulfide concentration model which demonstrates strong correlation with sulfide concentrations observed in situ (r = 0.724, N = 91, p < 0.001) and in laboratory experiments (r = 0.691, N = 38, p < 0.001). At 4 °C, in situ rates of SOD, SAR and SSP were higher than those measured in laboratory. Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) represented 4.99% of the bacteria present in the top 30 cm of the pond sediment, with Desulfobulbaceae spp., Desulfobacteraceae spp. and Desulfococcus spp. being the dominant SRB taxa identified.

  3. Solar-powered aeration and disinfection, anaerobic co-digestion, biological CO2 scrubbing and biofuel production: the energy and carbon management opportunities of waste stabilisation ponds.

    PubMed

    Shilton, A N; Mara, D D; Craggs, R; Powell, N

    2008-01-01

    Waste stabilisation pond (WSP) technology offers some important advantages and interesting possibilities when viewed in the light of sustainable energy and carbon management. Pond systems stand out as having significant advantages due to simple construction; low (or zero) operating energy requirements; and the potential for bio-energy generation. Conventional WSP requires little or no electrical energy for aerobic treatment as a result of algal photosynthesis. Sunlight enables WSP to disinfect wastewaters very effectively without the need for any chemicals or electricity consumption and their associated CO(2) emissions. The energy and carbon emission savings gained over electromechanical treatment systems are immense. Furthermore, because algal photosynthesis consumes CO(2), WSP can be utilised as CO(2) scrubbers. The environmental and financial benefits of pond technology broaden further when considering the low-cost, energy production opportunities of anaerobic ponds and the potential of algae as a biofuel. As we assess future best practice in wastewater treatment technology, perhaps one of the greatest needs is an improved consideration of the carbon footprint and the implications of future increases in the cost of electricity and the value of biogas. (c) IWA Publishing 2008.

  4. Portable instrument for inspecting irradiated nuclear-fuel assemblies in a water-filled storage pond by measurement of induced Cerenkov radiation

    DOEpatents

    Nicholson, N.; Dowdy, E.J.; Holt, D.M.; Stump, C.J. Jr.

    1982-05-13

    A portable instrument for measuring induced Cerenkov radiation associated with irradiated nuclear fuel assemblies in a water-filled storage pond is disclosed. The instrument includes a photomultiplier tube and an image intensifier which are operable in parallel and simultaneously by means of a field lens assembly and an associated beam splitter. The image intensifier permits an operator to aim and focus the apparatus on a submerged fuel assembly. Once the instrument is aimed and focused, an illumination reading can be obtained with the photomultiplier tube. The instrument includes a lens cap with a carbon-14/phosphor light source for calibrating the apparatus in the field.

  5. Who Bravely Dares Must Sometimes Risk a Fall. The Balance Between Tactical and Operational Risk in War.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2004-02-09

    for Sicily (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1943), 71-91. xvi Ibid., 76. xvii Ibid. xviii Ibid. xix Ibid., 77. xx Ibid. xxi Hugh Pond. Sicily (London...of the Life at Quebec and of the Famous Battle at Saratoga. Introduction by: Sydney Jackman Toronto: Macmillan, 1963. Bird, Harrison. March...University of Michigan Press, 1998. Pond, Hugh . Sicily. London: William Kimber & Clark Limited, 1962. Strassler, Robert B. The Landmark Thucydides

  6. Process Design and Economics for the Production of Algal Biomass: Algal Biomass Production in Open Pond Systems and Processing Through Dewatering for Downstream Conversion

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Davis, Ryan; Markham, Jennifer; Kinchin, Christopher

    2016-02-17

    This report describes in detail a set of aspirational design and process targets to better understand the realistic economic potential for the production of algal biomass for subsequent conversion to biofuels and/or coproducts, based on the use of open pond cultivation systems and a series of dewatering operations to concentrate the biomass up to 20 wt% solids (ash-free dry weight basis).

  7. The reasons behind the performance superiority of a high rate algal pond over three facultative ponds in series.

    PubMed

    El Hamouri, B; Rami, A; Vasel, J L

    2003-01-01

    Results from a tracer study were used to determine and to compare actual and standard (k(20 degrees C)) first order reaction rate constants for COD removal in a High Rate Algal Pond (HRAP) and in 3 facultative ponds (FP) in series. An annual average k(20 degreesC) of 0.123 day(-1) was found for the HRAP while the values of 0.097, 0.025 and 0.003 d(-1) were found for facultative ponds 1, 2 and 3 respectively. Also, comparing nominal and tracer study hydraulic retention times showed large differences for the FP but not for the HRAP indicating that the former were suffering from severe short-circuiting. Loading rate within the range of operation exhibited a positive correlation with k(20 degrees C) for the HRAP but did not show such a relationship for any of the FP. Optimal chlorophyll-a concentration was found to be 3 mg/l for the HRAP and only 1.1 mg/l for the FP. Pollutant specific removal rates (SRR), that translate the hydrodynamic efficiency and the rate of COD biodegradation into pond performance per m2 and per day were calculated. They show that the adoption of the HRAP in place of a series of 3 FP reduces the net land area requirement (LAR) by at least 40%.

  8. Radionuclides in bats using a contaminated pond on the Nevada National Security Site, USA

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Warren, Ronald W.; Hall, Derek B.; Greger, Paul D.

    In this study, perched groundwater percolating through radionuclide contamination in the E Tunnel Complex on the Nevada National Security Site, formerly the Nevada Test Site, emerges and is stored in a series of ponds making it available to wildlife, including bats. Since many bat species using the ponds are considered sensitive or protected/regulated and little information is available on dose to bats from radioactive water sources, bats were sampled to determine if the dose they were receiving exceeded the United States Department of Energy dose limit of 1.0E-3 Gy/day. Radionuclide concentrations in water, sediment, and flying insects were also measuredmore » as input parameters to the dose rate model and to examine trophic level relationships. The RESRAD-Biota model was used to calculate dose rates to bats using different screening levels. Efficacy of RESRAD-Biota and suggested improvements are discussed. Finally, dose to bats foraging and drinking at these ponds is well below the dose limit set to protect terrestrial biota populations.« less

  9. Radionuclides in bats using a contaminated pond on the Nevada National Security Site, USA

    DOE PAGES

    Warren, Ronald W.; Hall, Derek B.; Greger, Paul D.

    2014-01-03

    In this study, perched groundwater percolating through radionuclide contamination in the E Tunnel Complex on the Nevada National Security Site, formerly the Nevada Test Site, emerges and is stored in a series of ponds making it available to wildlife, including bats. Since many bat species using the ponds are considered sensitive or protected/regulated and little information is available on dose to bats from radioactive water sources, bats were sampled to determine if the dose they were receiving exceeded the United States Department of Energy dose limit of 1.0E-3 Gy/day. Radionuclide concentrations in water, sediment, and flying insects were also measuredmore » as input parameters to the dose rate model and to examine trophic level relationships. The RESRAD-Biota model was used to calculate dose rates to bats using different screening levels. Efficacy of RESRAD-Biota and suggested improvements are discussed. Finally, dose to bats foraging and drinking at these ponds is well below the dose limit set to protect terrestrial biota populations.« less

  10. Anadromous alewives, Alosa pseudoharengus, as prey for white perch, Morone americana

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Moring, J.R.; Mink, L.H.

    2002-01-01

    The reintroduction of anadromous alewives, Alosa pseudoharengus, to their historic habitats in the inland waters of the United States and Canada, has prompted concerns about possible interactions with a popular sport fish, white perch, Morone americana. Both species are now widely distributed in northeastern North America. Diets of white perch in Lake George, Maine, U.S.A., where alewives were absent, were monitored and compared with those of white perch populations that were sympatric with anadromous alewives in two coastal Maine lakes, Biscay Pond and North Pond. In the presence of introduced alewives, the diet of adult white perch became almost exclusively juvenile alewives by late summer in ponds where both species were present. White perch that were sympatric with alewives were more piscivorus than were Lake George white perch, which primarily consumed Cladocera. Not only were alewives the principal prey item in the diet of white perch in Biscay and North ponds, but adult alewives were largely cannibalistic by August. Thus, success of reintroducing anadromous alewives in waters containing white perch may be negatively impacted by predation as well as cannibalism.

  11. An innovative attached-growth biological system for purification of pond water.

    PubMed

    Chang, Chia-Yuan; Chang, Jing-Song; Chen, Chien-Min; Chiemchaisri, Chart; Vigneswaran, Saravanamuthu

    2010-03-01

    This study applied the non-woven material from used diaper as the carrier for bio-film process to purify the recycled water from a landscape pond at the Tainan City Municipal Culture Center (TCMCC), Taiwan. An on-site system was installed and the experiment was accomplished through three stages in 192 days with different time periods of 70 days, 63 days, and 59 days, respectively. The results showed that the non-woven media is functional for SS removal. The average SS removal of stages 1, 2, and 3 were 91%, 96%, and 95%, respectively. The highest SCOD removal efficiency of 90% occurred at stage 3. A significant color improvement of the pond water was achieved through this non-woven bio-carrier treatment system. Whole system can be without any maintenance for 139 days. The result indicated that the non-woven medium system was with a great potential in treating and recycling the pond water with stable operation and satisfactory removal performance. 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. A farm pond water irrigation management system in Mid-South United States

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    In the mid-southern United States, though most states receive more than 1000 mm of annual precipitation, only 20% irrigation is from surface water in this region. The majority of rainfall occurs in fall, winter and spring, but water deficit still exists during crop critical growing season from May t...

  13. Development and on-site field testing of the power-tube airlift aerator and chances for commercialization

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Aeration of ponds when dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations are low is the principal management tool that allows for higher feeding rates, increased production, and decreased cost per unit fish produced. Recent research conducted at the USDA-ARS Warmwater Aquaculture Research Unit has shown that fee...

  14. A Comparison of Nannochloropsis salina Growth Performance in Two Outdoor Pond Designs: Conventional Raceways versus the ARID Pond with Superior Temperature Management

    DOE PAGES

    Crowe, Braden; Attalah, Said; Agrawal, Shweta; ...

    2012-01-01

    The present study examines how climatic conditions and pond design affect the growth performance of microalgae. From January to April of 2011, outdoor batch cultures of Nannochloropsis salina were grown in three replicate 780 L conventional raceways, as well as in an experimental 7500 L algae raceway integrated design (ARID) pond. The ARID culture system utilizes a series of 8-20 cm deep basins and a 1.5 m deep canal to enhance light exposure and mitigate temperature variations and extremes. The ARID culture reached the stationary phase 27 days earlier than the conventional raceways, which can be attributed to its superiormore » temperature management and shallower basins. On a night when the air temperature dropped to -9°C, the water temperature was 18°C higher in the ARID pond than in the conventional raceways. Lipid and fatty acid content ranged from 16 to 25% and from 5 to15%, respectively, as a percentage of AFDW. Palmitic, palmitoleic, and eicosapentaenoic acids comprised the majority of fatty acids. While the ARID culture system achieved nearly double the volumetric productivity relative to the conventional raceways (0.023 versus 0.013 g L -1day -1), areal biomass productivities were of similar magnitude in both pond systems (3.47 versus 3.34 g m -2day -1), suggesting that the ARID pond design has to be further optimized, most likely by increasing the culture depth or operating at higher cell densities while maintaining adequate mixing.« less

  15. A comparison of Nannochloropsis salina growth performance in two outdoor pond designs: conventional raceways versus the ARID pond with superior temperature management

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Crowe, Braden J.; Attalah, Said; Agrawal, Shweta

    2012-10-01

    The present study examines how climatic conditions and pond design affect the growth performance of microalgae. From January to April of 2011, outdoor batch cultures of Nannochloropsis salina were grown in three replicate 780 L conventional raceways, as well as in an experimental 7500 L ARID (Algae Raceway Integrated Design) pond. The ARID culture system utilizes a series of 8 to 20 cm deep basins and a 1.5 m deep canal to enhance light exposure and mitigate temperature variations and extremes. The ARID culture reached the stationary phase 27 days earlier than the conventional raceways, which can be attributed tomore » its superior temperature management and shallower basins. On a night when the air temperature dropped to -9 °C, the water temperature was 18 °C higher in the ARID pond than in the conventional raceways. Lipid and fatty acid content ranged from 16 - 25 % and 5 - 15 %, respectively, as a percentage of AFDW. Palmitic, palmitoleic, and eicosapentaenoic acid comprised the majority of fatty acids. While the ARID culture system achieved nearly double the volumetric productivity relative to the conventional raceways (0.023 vs 0.013 g L-1day-1), areal biomass productivities were of similar magnitude in both pond systems (3.34 vs. 3.47 g m-2day-1), suggesting that the ARID pond design has to be further optimized, most likely by increasing the culture depth or operating at higher cell densities while maintaining adequate mixing.« less

  16. Produced water ponds are an important source of aromatics and alcohols in Rocky Mountain oil and gas basins

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lyman, S. N.

    2017-12-01

    Most of the water extracted with oil and natural gas (i.e., produced water) is disposed of by injection into the subsurface. In the arid western United States, however, a significant portion of produced water is discharged in ponds for evaporative disposal, and produced water is often stored in open ponds prior to subsurface injection. Even though they are common in the West (Utah's Uinta Basin has almost 200 ha), produced water ponds have been excluded from oil and gas emissions inventories because little information about their emission rates and speciation is available. We used flux chambers and inverse plume modeling to measure emissions of methane, C2-C11 hydrocarbons, light alcohols, carbonyls, and carbon dioxide from oil and gas produced water storage and disposal ponds in the Uinta Basin and the Upper Green River Basin, Wyoming, during 2013-2017. Methanol was the most abundant organic compound in produced water (91 ± 2% of the total volatile organic concentration; mean ± 95% confidence interval) but accounted for only 25 ± 30% of total organic compound emissions from produced water ponds. Non-methane hydrocarbons, especially C6-C9 alkanes and aromatics, accounted for the majority of emitted organics. We were able to predict emissions of individual compounds based on water concentrations, but only to within an order of magnitude. The speciation and magnitude of emissions varied strongly across facilities and was influenced by water age, the presence or absence of oil sheens, and with meteorological conditions (especially ice cover). Flux chamber measurements were lower than estimates from inverse modeling techniques.Based on our flux chamber measurements, we estimate that produced water ponds are responsible for between 3 and 9% of all non-methane organic compound emissions in the Uinta Basin (or as much as 18% if we rely on our inverse modeling results). Emissions from produced water ponds contain little methane and are more reactive (i.e., they have higher maximum incremental reactivity) than typical oil and gas-related emissions. Produced water ponds emit about 11% and 28%, respectively, of all aromatics and alcohols from the Uinta Basin oil and gas industry.

  17. Reproductive physiology in eastern snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) exposed to runoff from a concentrated animal feeding operation.

    PubMed

    Meyer, Jennifer L; Rogers-Burch, Sara; Leet, Jessica K; Villeneuve, Daniel L; Ankley, Gerald T; Sepúlveda, Maria S

    2013-10-01

    The eastern snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) is widely distributed throughout the eastern and central US and is a useful model organism to study land-use impacts on water quality. We compared the reproductive condition of turtles from a pond impacted by runoff from land applied with animal manure from a concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) relative to animals from a control pond. Turtles from the CAFO site were heavier and had higher plasma concentrations of vitellogenin (VTG, mean ± SE; females; 859 ± 115 vs. 401 ± 127 ng/mL from controls) and testosterone (T, males; 39 ± 7.0 vs. 3.8 ± 6.9 ng/mL from controls). No VTG was detected in males. Body mass was positively correlated with VTG and T. Our results suggest that nutrient pollution of the CAFO pond indirectly resulted in higher plasma VTG in females and T in males because of an increase in body mass. The population-level consequences of these effects are not clear, but could result in females producing larger clutches.

  18. Global stratigraphy. [of planet Mars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tanaka, Kenneth L.; Scott, David H.; Greeley, Ronald

    1992-01-01

    Attention is given to recent major advances in the definition and documentation of Martian stratigraphy and geology. Mariner 9 provided the images for the first global geologic mapping program, resulting in the recognition of the major geologic processes that have operated on the planet, and in the definition of the three major chronostratigraphic divisions: the Noachian, Hesperian, and Amazonian Systems. Viking Orbiter images permitted the recognition of additional geologic units and the formal naming of many formations. Epochs are assigned absolute ages based on the densities of superposed craters and crater-flux models. Recommendations are made with regard to future areas of study, namely, crustal stratigraphy and structure, the highland-lowland boundary, the Tharsis Rise, Valles Marineris, channels and valley networks, and possible Martian oceans, lakes, and ponds.

  19. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hitchcock, Daniel; Barton, Christopher, D.; Rebel, Karin, T.

    Hitchcock, Daniel R., C.D. Barton, K.T. Rebel, J. Singer, J.C. Seaman, J.D. Strawbridge, S.J. Riha, and J.I. Blake. 2005. A containment and disposition strategy for tritium-contaminated groundwater at the Savannah River Site, South Carolina, United States.. Env. Geosci. 12(1): 17-28. Abstract - A containment and disposition water management strategy has been implemented at the Savannah River Site to minimize the discharge of tritiated groundwater from the Old Radioactive Waste Burial Ground to Four Mile Branch, a tributary of the Savannah River. This paper presents a general overview of the water management strategy, which includes a two-component (pond and irrigation) system,more » and a summary of operations and effectiveness for the first 3 yr of operations. Tritiated groundwater seep discharge was impounded by a dam and distributed via irrigation to a 22-ac (8.9-ha) upland forested area comprised of mixed pines (loblolly and slash) and hardwoods(primarily sweetgum and laurel oak). As of March 2004, the system has irrigated approximately 133.2 million L (35.2 million gal) and prevented approximately 1880 Ci of tritium from entering Four Mile Branch via forest evapotranspiration, as well as via pond storage and evaporation. Prior to installation of the containment and disposition strategy, tritium activity in Four Mile Branch downstream of the seep averaged approximately 500 pCi mL_1. Six months after installation, tritium activity averaged approximately 200 pCi mL_1 in Fourmile Branch. After 1 yr of operations, tritium activity averaged below 100 pCi mL_1 in Fourmile Branch, and a range of 100-200 pCi mL_1 tritium activity has been maintained as of March 2004. Complex hydrological factors and operational strategies influence remediation system success. Analyses may assist in developing groundwater management and remediation strategies for future projects at the Savannah River Site and other facilities located on similar landscapes.« less

  20. Autecology of the Endangered Plant Howellia Aquatilis; Implications for Management and Reserve Design.

    PubMed

    Lesica, Peter

    1992-11-01

    Howellia aquatilis is an annual aquatic plant of ephemeral ponds. It is considered extirpated or endangered throughout its range in the United States Pacific Northwest. I studied populations in the Swan Valley of Montana to determine life history traits and ecological attributed in order to influence planning decisions on lands managed for multiple use. Germination trials demonstrated that seeds of H. aquatilis require an aerobic environment and cool temperatures to germinate. Germination was highest with daily alternating temperatures and total darkness, and was unaffected by different light regime and aeration retreatment conditions of 50- and 100-d durations. Natural seed banks were largest immediately following seed dispersal and pond drawdown, but were reduced 82-90% by the following spring. Seeds remaining in the seed bank showed reduced germinability and vigor. Aquarium experiments indicate that growth of H. aquatilis is best in the peat substrate in which it occurs naturally, and is reduced by 45% in a more fine-textured organic soil and by 85% in a mineral soil. Multiple regression analyses of 12 environmental variables from 23 H. aquatilis ponds and comparisons between ponds with and without H. aquatilis suggest that pond depth, amount of dissolved solids in pond water, depth and composition of pond substrate, and degree of human-caused disturbance have significant effects on the abundance of H. aquatilis in the Swan Valley. Taken together, these results suggest that Howellia aquatilis is rare because it can persist in only a small subset of wetlands-freshwater ephemeral ponds with a shallow, coarse textured organic surface horizon. Thus, H. aquatilis will be sensitive to disturbances that alter pond water quality or substrate composition. Lack of a persistent seed bank makes H. aquatilis prone to large fluctuations in population size due to environmental fluctuations. Both habitat specificity and large variations in population size are often associated with a high risk of extinction. Howellia aquatilis can only persist during periods of climatic fluctuation as a metapopulation in an area that contains large numbers of appropriate ponds of various depths. Consequently, long-term protection of this rare species will require habitat protection in large wetland complexes throughout its range. © 1992 by the Ecological Society of America.

  1. A Novel Adaptation Mechanism Underpinning Algal Colonization of a Nuclear Fuel Storage Pond.

    PubMed

    MeGraw, Victoria E; Brown, Ashley R; Boothman, Christopher; Goodacre, Royston; Morris, Katherine; Sigee, David; Anderson, Lizzie; Lloyd, Jonathan R

    2018-06-26

    Geochemical analyses alongside molecular techniques were used to characterize the microbial ecology and biogeochemistry of an outdoor spent nuclear fuel storage pond at Sellafield, United Kingdom, that is susceptible to seasonal algal blooms that cause plant downtime. 18S rRNA gene profiling of the filtered biomass samples showed the increasing dominance of a species closely related to the alga Haematococcus pluvialis , alongside 16S rRNA genes affiliated with a diversity of freshwater bacteria, including Proteobacteria and Cyanobacteria High retention of 137 Cs and 90 Sr on pond water filters coincided with high levels of microbial biomass in the pond, suggesting that microbial colonization may have an important control on radionuclide fate in the pond. To interpret the unexpected dominance of Haematococcus species during bloom events in this extreme environment, the physiological response of H. pluvialis to environmentally relevant ionizing radiation doses was assessed. Irradiated laboratory cultures produced significant quantities of the antioxidant astaxanthin, consistent with pigmentation observed in pond samples. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy suggested that radiation did not have a widespread impact on the metabolic fingerprint of H. pluvialis in laboratory experiments, despite the 80-Gy dose. This study suggests that the production of astaxanthin-rich encysted cells may be related to the preservation of the Haematococcus phenotype, potentially allowing it to survive oxidative stress arising from radiation doses associated with the spent nuclear fuel. The oligotrophic and radiologically extreme conditions in this environment do not prevent extensive colonization by microbial communities, which play a defining role in controlling the biogeochemical fate of major radioactive species present. IMPORTANCE Spent nuclear fuel is stored underwater in large ponds prior to processing and disposal. Such environments are intensively radioactive but can be colonized by microorganisms. Colonization of such inhospitable radioactive ponds is surprising, and the survival mechanisms that microbes use is of fundamental interest. It is also important to study these unusual ecosystems, as microbes growing in the pond waters may accumulate radionuclides present in the waters (for bioremediation applications), while high cell loads can hamper management of the ponds due to poor visibility. In this study, an outdoor pond at the U.K. Sellafield facility was colonized by a seasonal bloom of microorganisms, able to accumulate high levels of 137 Cs and 90 Sr and dominated by the alga Haematococcus This organism is not normally associated with deep water bodies, but it can adapt to radioactive environments via the production of the pigment astaxanthin, which protects the cells from radiation damage. Copyright © 2018 MeGraw et al.

  2. The laboratory environmental algae pond simulator (LEAPS) photobioreactor: Validation using outdoor pond cultures of Chlorella sorokiniana and Nannochloropsis salina

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Huesemann, M.; Williams, P.; Edmundson, S.

    A bench-scale photobioreactor system, termed Laboratory Environmental Algae Pond Simulator (LEAPS), was designed and constructed to simulate outdoor pond cultivation for a wide range of geographical locations and seasons. The LEAPS consists of six well-mixed glass column photobioreactors sparged with CO2-enriched air to maintain a set-point pH, illuminated from above by a programmable multicolor LED lighting (0 to 2,500 µmol/m2-sec), and submerged in a temperature controlled water-bath (-2 °C to >60 °C). Measured incident light intensities and water temperatures deviated from the respective light and temperature set-points on average only 2.3% and 0.9%, demonstrating accurate simulation of light and temperaturemore » conditions measured in outdoor ponds. In order to determine whether microalgae strains cultured in the LEAPS exhibit the same linear phase biomass productivity as in outdoor ponds, Chlorella sorokiniana and Nannochloropsis salina were cultured in the LEAPS bioreactors using light and temperature scripts measured previously in the respective outdoor pond studies. For Chlorella sorokiniana, the summer season biomass productivity in the LEAPS was 6.6% and 11.3% lower than in the respective outdoor ponds in Rimrock, Arizona, and Delhi, California; however, these differences were not statistically significant. For Nannochloropsis salina, the winter season biomass productivity in the LEAPS was statistically significantly higher (15.2%) during the 27 day experimental period than in the respective outdoor ponds in Tucson, Arizona. However, when considering only the first 14 days, the LEAPS biomass productivity was only 9.2% higher than in the outdoor ponds, a difference shown to be not statistically significant. Potential reasons for the positive or negative divergence in LEAPS performance, relative to outdoor ponds, are discussed. To demonstrate the utility of the LEAPS in predicting productivity, two other strains – Scenedesmus obliquus and Stichococcus minor – were evaluated using the summer season script for Rimrock, Arizona. For both strains, the productivity was around 11.6 g/m2-day at a 25 cm culture depth. In conclusion, the LEAPS is an accurate pond simulator and thus offers a reliable, fast, and cost-effective way for screening microalgae strains and operating conditions for high biomass productivity and co-product yields, using sunlight intensity and water temperature scripts generated by the Biomass Assessment Tool for any geographic location of choice where meteorological data are available.« less

  3. Environmental Projects. Volume 8: Modifications of wastewater evaporation ponds

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1989-01-01

    The Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex (GDSCC), located in the Mojave Desert about 45 miles north of Barstow, California, and about 160 miles northeast of Pasadena, is part of NASA's Deep Space Network, one of the world's largest and most sensitive scientific telecommunications and radio navigation networks. The Goldstone Complex is managed, technically directed, and operated for NASA by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California. Activities at the GDSCC are carried out in support of seven parabolic dish antennas. These activities may give rise to environmental hazards: use of hazardous chemicals, asbestos, and underground storage tanks as well as the generation of hazardous wastes and the disposal of wastewater. Federal, state, and local laws governing the management of hazardous substances, asbestos, underground storage tanks and wastewater disposal have become so complex there is a need to devise specific programs to comply with the many regulations that implement these laws. In support of the national goal of the preservation of the environment and the protection of human health and safety, NASA, JPL, and the GDSCC have adopted a position that their operating installations shall maintain a high level of compliance with these laws. One of the environmental problems at the GDSCC involved four active, operational, wastewater evaporation ponds designed to receive and evaporate sewage effluent from upstream septic tank systems. One pair of active wastewater evaporation ponds is located at Echo Site, while another operational pair is at Mars Site.

  4. Cyanide

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Creekmore, Lynn H.

    1999-01-01

    Cyanide poisoning of birds is caused by exposure to cyanide in two forms: inorganic salts and hydrogen cyanide gas (HCN). Two sources of cyanide have been associated with bird mortalities: gold and silver mines that use cyanide in the extraction process and a predator control device called the M-44 sodium cyanide ejector, which uses cyanide as the toxic agent.Most of the cyanide mortality documented in birds is a result of exposure to cyanide used in heap leach and carbonin-pulp mill gold or silver mining processes. At these mines, the animals are exposed when they ingest water that contains cyanide salts used in mining processes or, possibly, when they inhale HCN gas. In heap leach mining operations, the ore is placed on an impermeable pad over which a cyanide solution is sprayed or dripped. The cyanide solution dissolves and attaches to or “leaches out” the gold. The cyanide and gold solution is then drained to a plastic-lined pond, which is commonly called the pregnant pond. The gold is extracted, and the remaining solution is moved into another lined pond, which is commonly called the barren pond. The cyanide concentration in this pond is increased so that the solution is again suitable for use in the leaching process, and the solution is used again on the ore heap (Fig. 46.1). Bird use of the HCN-contaminated water in the ponds (Fig. 46.2) or contaminated water on or at the base of the heap leach pads (Fig. 46.3) can result in mortality.

  5. Leachate characterization and performance evaluation of leachate treatment plant in Cipayung landfill, Indonesia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Noerfitriyani, E.; Hartono, D. M.; Moersidik, S. S.; Gusniani, I.

    2018-01-01

    The operation of landfill can cause environmental problems due to waste decomposition in the form of leachate production. Cipayung Landfill has a leachate treatment plant using stabilization ponds. The objective of this research is to evaluate the performance of stabilization ponds at Cipayung Landfill. The data were analyzed based on leachate samples from treatment unit’s influent and effluent under rainy season condition from April to May 2017. The results show the average leachate quality based on parameters of temperature by 34.81°C, Total Suspended Solid (TSS) of 72.33 mg/L, pH of 7.83, Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) of 3,959.63 mg/L, Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) of 6,860 mg/L, Total Nitrogen of 373.33 mg/L, and heavy metal Mercury of 0.0016 mg/L. The treatment plant’s effluent quality exceeds the leachate standard limit based on Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment and Forestry Law No. 59 of 2016. The results of design evaluation show that the anaerobic pond, facultative pond, and maturation pond system do not meet the design criteria. Therefore, a design improvement is needed to increase the performance of the leachate treatment plant and to ensure that the leachate discharged to water bodies does not exceed the standard limit to prevent contamination of the environment.

  6. Comparison of experimental ponds for the treatment of dye wastewater under controlled and semi-natural conditions.

    PubMed

    Yaseen, Dina A; Scholz, Miklas

    2017-07-01

    This study compares the performance of simulated shallow ponds vegetated with Lemna minor L. under controlled and semi-natural conditions for the treatment of simulated wastewater containing textile dyes. The objectives were to assess the water quality outflow parameters, the potential of L. minor concerning the removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and four azo dyes (Acid blue 113, reactive blue 198, Direct Orange 46 and Basic Red 46) and the plants' growth rate. Findings show that all mean outflow values of COD, total dissolved solids (TDS) and electrical conductivity (EC) were significantly (p < 0.05) lower within the outdoor compared to the indoor experiment except the dissolved oxygen (DO). The COD removal was low for both experiments. The outflow TDS values were acceptable for all ponds. The pond systems were able to reduce only BR46 significantly (p < 0.05) for the tested boundary conditions. Removals under laboratory conditions were better than those for semi-natural environments, indicating the suitability of operating the pond system as a polishing step in warmer regions. The mean outflow values of zinc and copper were below the thresholds set for drinking and irrigation waters and acceptable for L. minor. The dyes inhibited the growth of the L. minor.

  7. Metal removal from oil sands tailings pond water by indigenous micro-alga.

    PubMed

    Mahdavi, Hamed; Ulrich, Ania C; Liu, Yang

    2012-09-01

    This paper reports the removal of ten target metals of environmental concern ((53)Cr, Mn, Co, (60)Ni, (65)Cu, (66)Zn, As, (88)Sr, (95)Mo, and Ba) from oil sands tailings pond water. The organism responsible for removal was found to be an indigenous green micro-alga identified as Parachlorella kessleri by sequencing of the 23S rRNA gene. P. kessleri grew in tailings pond water samples taken from two oil sands operators (Syncrude Canada Ltd. and Albian Sands Energy Inc.), and enriched with low (0.24 mM NO(3)(-) and 0.016 mM PO(4)(-3)) and high (1.98 mM NO(3)(-) and 0.20mM PO(4)(-3)) concentrations of nutrient supplements (the most realistic scenario). The removal of (60)Ni, (65)Cu, As, (88)Sr, (95)Mo, and Ba from Syncrude tailings pond water was significantly enhanced by high concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus, whereas the high nutrient concentrations adversely affected the removal of Co, (60)Ni, As, (88)Sr, and Mo in samples of Albian tailings pond water. Based on ANOVA two-factor analysis, higher nutrient concentration does not always result in higher metal removal, and TPW source must also be considered. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  8. Removal of Organic Pollutants from Municipal Wastewater by Applying High-Rate Algal Pond in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Alemu, Keneni; Assefa, Berhanu; Kifle, Demeke; Kloos, Helmut

    2018-05-01

    The discharge of inadequately treated municipal wastewater has aggravated the pollution load in developing countries including Ethiopia. Conventional wastewater treatment methods that require high capital and operational costs are not affordable for many developing nations, including Ethiopia. This study aimed to investigate the performance of two high-rate algal ponds (HRAPs) in organic pollutant removal from primary settled municipal wastewater under highland tropical climate conditions in Addis Ababa. The experiment was done for 2 months at hydraulic retention times (HRTs) ranging from 2 to 8 days using an organic loading rates ranging 333-65 kg {BOD}5 /ha/day using two HRAPs, 250 and 300 mm deep, respectively. In this experiment, Chlorella sp., Chlamydomonas sp., and Scenedesmus sp., the class of Chlorophyceae, were identified as the dominant species. Chlorophyll-a production was higher in the shallower ponds (250 mm) throughout the course of the study, whereas the deeper HRAP (300 mm) showed better dissolved oxygen production. The maximum COD and {BOD}5 removal of 78.03 and 81.8% was achieved at a 6-day HRT operation in the 250-mm-deep HRAP. Therefore, the 300-mm-deep HRAP is promising for scaling up organic pollutant removal from municipal wastewater at a daily average organic loading rate of 109.3 kg {BOD}5 /ha/day and a 6-day HRT. We conclude that the removal of organic pollutants in HRAP can be controlled by pond depth, organic loading rate, and HRT.

  9. Retention and mitigation of metals in sediment, soil, water, and plant of a newly constructed root-channel wetland (China) from slightly polluted source water.

    PubMed

    Wang, Baoling; Wang, Yu; Wang, Weidong

    2014-01-01

    Constructed root-channel wetland (CRCW) is a term for pre-pond/wetland/post-pond complexes, where the wetland includes plant-bed/ditch landscape and root-channel structure. Source water out of pre-ponds flows through alternate small ditches and plant beds with root-channels via a big ditch under hydraulic regulation. Then source water flows into post-ponds to finish final polishing. This article aims to explore the potential of components of a pilot CRCW in China on mitigating metals in micro-polluted source water during its initial operation stage. We investigated six heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Zn, and Pb) in surface sediment, plant-bed subsurface soil, water, and aquatic plants during 2012-2013. Monitoring results showed that pond/ditch sediments and plant-bed soil retained a significant amount of Cr, Ni, and Zn with 93.1%, 72.4%, and 57.5% samples showing contamination factor above limit 1 respectively. Remarkably the high values of metal enrichment factor (EF) occurred in root-channel zones. Water monitoring results indicated that Ni, Zn, and Pb were removed by 78.5% (66.7%), 57.6% (59.6%), and 26.0% (7.5%) in east (west) wetland respectively. Mass balance estimation revealed that heavy metal mass in the pond/ditch sediments accounted for 63.30% and that in plant-bed soil 36.67%, while plant uptake occupied only 0.03%. The heavy metal accretion flux in sediments was 0.41 - 211.08 μg · cm(-2) · a(-1), less than that in plant-bed soil (0.73 - 543.94 μg · cm(-2) · a(-1)). The 1.83 ha wetland has retained about 86.18 kg total heavy metals within 494 days after operation. This pilot case study proves that constructed root-channel wetland can reduce the potential ecological risk of purified raw water and provide a new and effective method for the removal of heavy metals from drinking water sources.

  10. Performance study of a laboratory model shallow solar pond with and without single transparent glass cover for solar thermal energy conversion applications.

    PubMed

    Ganesh, S; Arumugam, S

    2016-12-01

    The thermal performance of a shallow solar pond with and without the single transparent glass cover has been investigated experimentally. This experiment has been performed during the summer season of 2014 under the operational condition for five different storage volumes of water upto a maximum of 10liter. The pond performance is investigated in terms of the rate of energy collected and its collection efficiency. A Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) black sheet liner of 200μm thickness was laid on all the interior sides of the pond for solar energy absorption. A clear transparent PVC plastic sheet of 150μm thickness was laid over the water surface as evaporation suppressing membrane. Calibrated Copper constantan thermocouples were used to measure the temperatures of the system. A highest temperature of 81.5°C has been achieved for the stored volume of 2liter of water, when the pond was used with a single transparent glass cover of 5mm thickness. When the shallow solar pond was used without the transparent glass cover the system attained a maximum temperature of 62°C for the same stored volume of 2liter. A comparison between the two conditions of with and without the transparent glass cover, on the thermal performance of the SSP has been reported. A shallow solar pond system of the present type could be used us a source of warm water, of desired temperature, below 10°C which are required for the domestic and industrial utilities. The global warming is increased day by day; inorder to reduce global warming a typical method of small scale shallow solar pond has been used to absorb the radiation from the sun to convert it to useful heat energy by the source of water. The SSP is an eco friendly way to generate energy without polluting our environment and in an environment safety manner. Based on environmental safety this study has experimentally investigated the thermal performance of the shallow solar pond. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Operation of Wastewater Treatment Plants: A Field Study Training Program. Volume I. Second Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    California State Univ., Sacramento. Dept. of Civil Engineering.

    This manual was prepared by experienced wastewater collection system workers to provide a home study course to develop new qualified workers and expand the abilities of existing workers. This volume is directed primarily towards entry-level operators and the operators of ponds, package plants, or small treatment plants. Ten chapters examine the…

  12. Measurement of Emissions from Produced Water Ponds: Upstream Oil and Gas Study #1; Final Report

    EPA Science Inventory

    Significant uncertainty exists regarding air pollutant emissions from upstream oil and gas production operations. Oil and gas operations present unique and challenging emission testing issues due to the large variety and quantity of potential emissions sources. This report summ...

  13. Algal wastewater treatment systems for seasonal climates: application of a simple modelling approach to generate local and regional design guidelines.

    PubMed

    Heaven, Sonia; Salter, Andrew M; Clarke, Derek; Pak, Lyubov N

    2012-05-01

    Algal waste stabilisation ponds (WSP) provide a means of treating wastewater, and also a potential source of water for re-use in irrigation, aquaculture or algal biomass cultivation. The quantities of treated water available and the periods in which it is suitable for use or discharge are closely linked to climatic factors. This paper describes the application, at a continent-wide scale, of a modelling approach based on the use of readily available climate datasets to provide WSP design and performance guidelines linked to geographical location. Output is presented in regionally-based contour maps covering a wide area of Russia and central Asia and indicating pond area, earliest discharge date, discharge duration, wastewater inflow:outflow ratio and salinity under user-specified conditions. The results confirm that broad-brush discharge guidelines of the type commonly used in North America can safely be applied; but suggest that a more detailed approach is worthwhile to optimise operating regimes for local conditions. The use of long-series climate data can also permit tailoring of designs to specific sites. The work considers a simple 2-pond system, but other configurations and operating regimes should be investigated, especially for the wide range of locations across the world that are intermediate between the 'one short discharge per year' mode and year-round steady-state operation. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Subpart W Rulemaking Activity: Documents

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This report was prepared by Golder Associates Inc. (Golder) to assist Energy Fuels Resources Corporate (EFRC) in developing its operating plan for the Pinon Ridge tailings cells and evaporation ponds.

  15. Teaching Basic Science Environmentally, The Concept: The cell is basic unit of structure of most organisms.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Busch, Phyllis S.

    1985-01-01

    Suggests simple ways to introduce students to the concept that the cell is the basic unit of structure of most organisms. Mentions materials for microscope study that are readily available and easy to handle, e.g., membranes from between the scales of the onion bulb, thin-leaved plants, pond water, and pollen. (JHZ)

  16. Combustion characteristics and emissions from burning organic soils

    Treesearch

    Charles K. McMahon; Dale D. Wade; Skevos N. Tsoukalas

    1980-01-01

    Organic soils cover many millions of hectares in the United States, including 2.8 million hectares in the Southern United States and about 1.0 million in south Florida. Organic soils form when plants such as pond weeds, grasses, shrubs, and trees die and are covered by water for extended periods. With oxygen excluded, decomposition is very slow. As residues accumulate...

  17. Modelling of temperature effects on removal efficiency and dissolved oxygen concentrations in stormwater ponds.

    PubMed

    German, J; Svensson, G; Gustafsson, L G; Vikström, M

    2003-01-01

    The performance of stormwater ponds, operated under winter conditions, was modelled using the commercial software Mike21 and MOUSE. Direct and indirect effects of changing temperature were investigated. The most important effect of winter conditions is the changed hydrology, characterised by long periods with no runoff followed by snowmelt events with large runoff volumes during several days. This gives lower removal efficiencies than during a period with the same precipitation but without winter conditions. For the concentration of dissolved oxygen, wind is an important factor. Consequently the most important effect of an ice cover on the pond is that it prevents the oxygenation effects of the wind. The direct temperature effects on the removal processes are negligible compared to the indirect effects in changed hydrology and forming of ice cover.

  18. Emissions of organic compounds from produced water ponds I: Characteristics and speciation.

    PubMed

    Lyman, Seth N; Mansfield, Marc L; Tran, Huy N Q; Evans, Jordan D; Jones, Colleen; O'Neil, Trevor; Bowers, Ric; Smith, Ann; Keslar, Cara

    2018-04-01

    We measured fluxes of methane, a suite of non-methane hydrocarbons (C2-C11), light alcohols, and carbon dioxide from oil and gas produced water storage and disposal ponds in Utah (Uinta Basin) and Wyoming (Upper Green River Basin) United States during 2013-2016. In this paper, we discuss the characteristics of produced water composition and air-water fluxes, with a focus on flux chamber measurements. In companion papers, we will (1) report on inverse modeling methods used to estimate emissions from produced water ponds, including comparisons with flux chamber measurements, and (2) discuss the development of mass transfer coefficients to estimate emissions and place emissions from produced water ponds in the context of all regional oil and gas-related emissions. Alcohols (made up mostly of methanol) were the most abundant organic compound group in produced water (91% of total volatile organic concentration, with upper and lower 95% confidence levels of 89 and 93%) but accounted for only 34% (28 to 41%) of total organic compound fluxes from produced water ponds. Non-methane hydrocarbons, which are much less water-soluble than methanol and less abundant in produced water, accounted for the majority of emitted organics. C6-C9 alkanes and aromatics dominated hydrocarbon fluxes, perhaps because lighter hydrocarbons had already volatilized from produced water prior to its arrival in storage or disposal ponds, while heavier hydrocarbons are less water soluble and less volatile. Fluxes of formaldehyde and other carbonyls were low (1% (1 to 2%) of total organic compound flux). The speciation and magnitude of fluxes varied strongly across the facilities measured and with the amount of time water had been exposed to the atmosphere. The presence or absence of ice also impacted fluxes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Remotely-sensed predictive models of forest composition: community-unit classification versus continuous gradient modeling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hilgendorf, Z.; Hoppie, B. W.; Matteson, S.

    2016-12-01

    In 2012, a surge pond with 4.2E4 m3 capacity was constructed along a drainage ditch that services 650 ha of cropland 30 km south of Mankato, Minnesota. Built to retain the runoff of a typical 10-year event, it consists of 0.2 ha of submerged pool and 1.1 ha of subaerial shelf supporting native grasses and sedges. In 2016, continuous incoming/outgoing streamflow was metered and water from each runoff was secured by automatic samplers and analyzed at a nearby, certified laboratory. Nineteen runoff events inundated the pond with flows between 6.4 and 1,735 L/s. Pond water residence time was between 6.9 hours during large events and 5.9 days during baseflow. Incoming versus outgoing flow possessed load changes in total suspended solids (TSS) from -1,082 to +20,359 kg, total phosphorus (TP) from -6.3 to +92.2 kg, and nitrate + nitrite (NO3+NO2) from -324 to +788 kg, where negative values represent storage and positive values are net exports. TSS yields were reduced during 37% of the events but the overall annual balance was 5.6E4 kg of export. TP outflow occurred during 16 of 19 events, totaling 544 kg. Although nine separate events produced net NO3+NO2 reductions, the annual output from the pond was +3.5E4 kg. These results show that the pond has a limited ability to sequester the sediment and nutrient loads of this agriculturally dominated watershed. Furthermore, this study indicates that the surge pond can actually become a source of downstream sediment and nutrients during flows as little as 190 L/s.

  20. Quantification of methane sources in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region of Alberta by aircraft mass balance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baray, Sabour; Darlington, Andrea; Gordon, Mark; Hayden, Katherine L.; Leithead, Amy; Li, Shao-Meng; Liu, Peter S. K.; Mittermeier, Richard L.; Moussa, Samar G.; O'Brien, Jason; Staebler, Ralph; Wolde, Mengistu; Worthy, Doug; McLaren, Robert

    2018-05-01

    Aircraft-based measurements of methane (CH4) and other air pollutants in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region (AOSR) were made during a summer intensive field campaign between 13 August and 7 September 2013 in support of the Joint Canada-Alberta Implementation Plan for Oil Sands Monitoring. Chemical signatures were used to identify CH4 sources from tailings ponds (BTEX VOCs), open pit surface mines (NOy and rBC) and elevated plumes from bitumen upgrading facilities (SO2 and NOy). Emission rates of CH4 were determined for the five primary surface mining facilities in the region using two mass-balance methods. Emission rates from source categories within each facility were estimated when plumes from the sources were spatially separable. Tailings ponds accounted for 45 % of total CH4 emissions measured from the major surface mining facilities in the region, while emissions from operations in the open pit mines accounted for ˜ 50 %. The average open pit surface mining emission rates ranged from 1.2 to 2.8 t of CH4 h-1 for different facilities in the AOSR. Amongst the 19 tailings ponds, Mildred Lake Settling Basin, the oldest pond in the region, was found to be responsible for the majority of tailings ponds emissions of CH4 ( > 70 %). The sum of measured emission rates of CH4 from the five major facilities, 19.2 ± 1.1 t CH4 h-1, was similar to a single mass-balance determination of CH4 from all major sources in the AOSR determined from a single flight downwind of the facilities, 23.7 ± 3.7 t CH4 h-1. The measured hourly CH4 emission rate from all facilities in the AOSR is 48 ± 8 % higher than that extracted for 2013 from the Canadian Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program, a legislated facility-reported emissions inventory, converted to hourly units. The measured emissions correspond to an emissions rate of 0.17 ± 0.01 Tg CH4 yr-1 if the emissions are assumed as temporally constant, which is an uncertain assumption. The emission rates reported here are relevant for the summer season. In the future, effort should be devoted to measurements in different seasons to further our understanding of the seasonal parameters impacting fugitive emissions of CH4 and to allow for better estimates of annual emissions and year-to-year variability.

  1. Biogasification of Walt Disney World biomass waste blend. Final report, January 1982-December 1985

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Biljetina, R.; Chynoweth, D.P.; Srivastava, V.J.

    1986-10-01

    The objective of the research is to develop efficient processes for conversion of biomass-waste blends to methane and other resources. To evaluate the technical and economic feasibility, an experimental test unit (ETU) was designed and operated at the Reedy Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. The facility integrates a biomethanogenic-conversion process with a wastewater-treatment process employing water hyacinth ponds for secondary and tertiary treatment of sewage. Harvested water hyacinth is subsequently combined with sludge from the primary wastewater clarifier and fed at 1-wet-ton per day to the ETU digester. This results in themore » production of methane and other useful products. The digester was operated as a non-mixed, solids concentrating digester to encourage higher solids and microorganism retention times. Data collected during six steady-state operating periods confirmed earlier laboratory observations that this digester consistently produces 15 to 25% higher methane yields and conversions when compared to conventional stirred-tank digester. Digester operation was evaluated at different loading rates, solids blend ratios and feed configurations. Results from the program have provided a data base for the design of larger conversion systems.« less

  2. Algicide Constituents from Swinglea glutinosa

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Oscillatoria perornata, a cyanobacterium (blue-green alga) common in catfish production ponds in the southeastern United States, produces the monoterpene 2-methylisoborneol (MIB) which is absorbed into catfish flesh and imparts a “musty” taste rendering them unpalatable and unmarketable. Algicides t...

  3. Early Paleozoic development of the Maine-Quebec boundary Mountains region

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gerbi, C.C.; Johnson, S.E.; Aleinikoff, J.N.; Bedard, J.H.; Dunning, G.R.; Fanning, C.M.

    2006-01-01

    Pre-Silurian bedrock units played key roles in the early Paleozoic history of the Maine-Quebec Appalachians. These units represent peri-Laurentian material whose collision with the craton deformed the Neoproteozoic passive margin and initiated the Appalachian mountain-building cycle. We present new field, petrological, geochronological, and geochemical data to support the following interpretations related to these units. (1) The Boil Mountain Complex and Jim Pond Formation do not represent part of a coherent ophiolite. (2) Gabbro and tonalite of the Boil Mountain Complex intruded the Chain Lakes massif at ca. 477 Ma. (3) The Skinner pluton, an arc-related granodiorite, intruded the Chain Lakes massif at ca. 472 Ma. (4) The Attean pluton, with a reconfirmed age of ca. 443 Ma, is unrelated to Early Ordovician orogenesis. (5) The most likely timing for the juxtaposition of the Jim Pond Formation and the Boil Mountain Complex was during regional Devonian deformation. These interpretations suggest that the Boundary Mountains were once part of a series of arcs extending at least from central New England through Newfoundland. ?? 2006 NRC Canada.

  4. Association of amphibians with attenuation of ultraviolet-b radiation in montane ponds.

    PubMed

    Adams, Michael J; Schindler, Daniel E; Bury, Bruce R

    2001-08-01

    Ambient ultraviolet-b (UV-B) radiation (280-320 nm) has increased at north-temperate latitudes in the last two decades. UV-B can be detrimental to amphibians, and amphibians have shown declines in some areas during this same period. We documented the distribution of amphibians and salmonids in 42 remote, subalpine and alpine ponds in Olympic National Park, Washington, United States. We inferred relative exposure of amphibian habitats to UV-B by estimating the transmission of 305- and 320-nm radiation in pond water. We found breeding Ambystoma gracile, A. macrodactylum and Rana cascadae at 33%, 31%, and 45% of the study sites, respectively. Most R. cascadae bred in fishless shallow ponds with relatively low transmission of UV-B. The relationship with UV-B exposure remained marginally significant even after the presence of fish was included in the model. At 50 cm water depth, there was a 55% reduction in incident 305-nm radiation at sites where breeding populations of R. cascadae were detected compared to other sites. We did not detect associations between UV-B transmission and A. gracile or A. macrodactylum. Our field surveys do not provide evidence for decline of R. cascadae in Olympic National Park as has been documented in Northern California, but are consistent with the hypothesis that the spatial distribution of R. cascadae breeding sites is influenced by exposure to UV-B. Substrate or pond depth could also be related to the distribution of R. cascadae in Olympic National Park.

  5. Association of amphibians with attenuation of ultraviolet-b radiation in montane ponds

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Adams, Michael J.; Schindler, Daniel E.; Bury, R. Bruce

    2001-01-01

    Ambient ultraviolet-b (UV-B) radiation (280–320 nm) has increased at north-temperate latitudes in the last two decades. UV-B can be detrimental to amphibians, and amphibians have shown declines in some areas during this same period. We documented the distribution of amphibians and salmonids in 42 remote, subalpine and alpine ponds in Olympic National Park, Washington, United States. We inferred relative exposure of amphibian habitats to UV-B by estimating the transmission of 305- and 320-nm radiation in pond water. We found breeding Ambystoma gracile, A. macrodactylum and Rana cascadae at 33%, 31%, and 45% of the study sites, respectively. Most R. cascadae bred in fishless shallow ponds with relatively low transmission of UV-B. The relationship with UV-B exposure remained marginally significant even after the presence of fish was included in the model. At 50 cm water depth, there was a 55% reduction in incident 305-nm radiation at sites where breeding populations of R. cascadae were detected compared to other sites. We did not detect associations between UV-B transmission and A. gracile or A. macrodactylum. Our field surveys do not provide evidence for decline of R. cascadae in Olympic National Park as has been documented in Northern California, but are consistent with the hypothesis that the spatial distribution of R. cascadae breeding sites is influenced by exposure to UV-B. Substrate or pond depth could also be related to the distribution of R. cascadae in Olympic National Park.

  6. Changing the Rules on Fuel Export at Sellafield's First Fuel Storage Pond - 12065

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Carlisle, Derek

    2012-07-01

    The Pile Fuel Storage Pond (PFSP) was built in 1949/50 to receive, store and de-can fuel and isotopes from the Windscale Piles. Following closure of the Piles in 1957, plant operations were scaled down until fuel processing eventually ceased in 1962. The facility has held an inventory of metal fuel both from the Piles and from other programmes since that time. The pond is currently undergoing remediation and removal of the fuel is a key step in that process, unfortunately the fuel export infrastructure on the plant is no longer functional and due to the size and limited lifting capability,more » the plant is not compatible with today's large volume heavy export flasks. The baseline scheme for the plant is to package fuel into a small capacity flask and transfer it to another facility for treatment and repackaging into a flask compatible with other facilities on site. Due to programme priorities the repackaging facility is not available to do this work for several years causing a delay to the work. In an effort accelerate the programme the Metal Fuel Pilot Project (MFPP) was initiated to challenge the norms for fuel transfer and develop a new methodology for transferring the fuel. In developing a transfer scheme the team had to overcome challenges associated with unknown fuel condition, transfers outside of bulk containment, pyro-phoricity and oxidisation hazards as well as developing remote control and recovery systems for equipment not designed for this purpose. A combination of novel engineering and enhanced operational controls were developed which resulted in the successful export of the first fuel to leave the Pile Fuel Storage Pond in over 40 years. The learning from the pilot project is now being considered by the main project team to see how the new methodology can be applied to the full inventory of the pond. (author)« less

  7. Environmental Problems Associated with Decommissioning of Chernobyl Power Plant Cooling Pond

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Foley, T. Q.; Oskolkov, B. Y.; Bondarkov, M. D.; Gashchak, S. P.; Maksymenko, A. M.; Maksymenko, V. M.; Martynenko, V. I.; Jannik, G. T.; Farfan, E. B.; Marra, J. C.

    2009-12-01

    Decommissioning of nuclear power plants and other nuclear fuel cycle facilities associated with residual radioactive contamination is a fairly pressing issue. Significant problems may result from decommissioning of cooling ponds. The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (ChNPP) Cooling Pond is one of the largest self-contained bodies of water in the Chernobyl Region and Ukrainian Polesye with a water surface area of 22.9 km2. The major hydrological feature of the ChNPP Cooling Pond is that its water level is 6-7 m higher than the water level in the Pripyat River and water losses due to seepage and evaporation are replenished by pumping water from the Pripyat River. In 1986, the accident at the ChNPP #4 Reactor Unit significantly contaminated the ChNPP Cooling Pond. According to the 2001 data, the total radionuclide inventory in the ChNPP Cooling Pond bottom deposits was as follows: 16.28 ± 2.59 TBq for 137Cs; 2.4 ± 0.48 TBq for 90Sr, and 0.00518 ± 0.00148 TBq for 239+240Pu. Since ChNPP is being decommissioned, the ChNPP Cooling Pond of such a large size will no longer be needed and cost effective to maintain. However, shutdown of the water feed to the Pond would expose the contaminated bottom deposits and change the hydrological features of the area, destabilizing the radiological and environmental situation in the entire region in 2007 - 2008, in order to assess potential consequences of draining the ChNPP Cooling Pond, the authors conducted preliminary radio-ecological studies of its shoreline ecosystems. The radioactive contamination of the ChNPP Cooling Pond shoreline is fairly variable and ranges from 75 to 7,500 kBq/m2. Three areas with different contamination levels were selected to sample soils, vegetation, small mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptilians in order to measure their 137Cs and 90Sr content. Using the ERICA software, their dose exposures were estimated. For the 2008 conditions, the estimated dose rates were found to be as follows: amphibians - 11.4 µGy/hr; birds - 6.3 µGy/hr; mammals - 15.1 µGy/hr; reptilians - 10.3 µGy/hr, with the recommended maximum allowable limit of 40 µGy/hr. The conservative risk coefficient ranged from 0.51 for birds to 1.82 for amphibians. In spite of a high contamination level of the shoreline areas, the current total doses received by the animals do not reach the recommended maximum allowable doses. However, drainage of the ChNPP Cooling Pond is likely to increase the dose rates as follows: amphibians - 94.5, birds - 95.2, mammals - 284.0, reptilians - 847.0 µGy/hr, which will significantly exceed the maximum allowable values. These predictions are conservative and prior to making the final decision on the fate of the ChNPP Cooling Pond, a detailed radio-ecological assessment of its drainage will have to be performed.

  8. Remedial investigation work plan for Bear Creek Valley Operable Unit 1 (S-3 Ponds, Boneyard/Burnyard, Oil Landfarm, Sanitary Landfill 1, and the Burial Grounds, including Oil Retention Ponds 1 and 2) at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Volume 1, Main text

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1993-09-01

    The intent and scope of the work plan are to assemble all data necessary to facilitate selection of remediation alternatives for the sites in Bear Creek Valley Operable Unit 1 (BCV OU 1) such that the risk to human health and the environment is reduced to acceptable levels based on agreements with regulators. The ultimate goal is to develop a final Record Of Decision (ROD) for all of the OUs in BCV, including the integrator OU. However, the initial aim of the source OUs is to develop a ROD for interim measures. For source OUs such as BCV OU 1,more » data acquisition will not be carried out in a single event, but will be carried out in three stages that accommodate the schedule for developing a ROD for interim measures and the final site-wide ROD. The three stages are as follows: Stage 1, Assemble sufficient data to support decisions such as the need for removal actions, whether to continue with the remedial investigation (RI) process, or whether no further action is required. If the decision is made to continue the RI/FS process, then: Stage 2, Assemble sufficient data to allow for a ROD for interim measures that reduce risks to the human health and the environment. Stage 3, Provide input from the source OU that allows a final ROD to be issued for all OUs in the BCV hydrologic regime. One goal of the RI work plan will be to ensure that sampling operations required for the initial stage are not repeated at later stages. The overall goals of this RI are to define the nature and extent of contamination so that the impact of leachate, surface water runoff, and sediment from the OU I sites on the integrator OU can be evaluated, the risk to human health and the environment can be defined, and the general physical characteristics of the subsurface can be determined such that remedial alternatives can be screened.« less

  9. A hybrid froth flotation-filtration system as a pretreatment for oil sands tailings pond recycle water management: Bench- and pilot-scale studies.

    PubMed

    Loganathan, Kavithaa; Bromley, David; Chelme-Ayala, Pamela; Gamal El-Din, Mohamed

    2015-09-15

    Through sustainable water management, oil sands companies are working to reduce their reliance on fresh water by minimizing the amount of water required for their operations and by recycling water from tailings ponds. This study was the first pilot-scale testing of a hybrid technology consisting of froth flotation combined with filtration through precoated submerged stainless steel membranes used to treat recycle water from an oil sands facility. The results indicated that the most important factor affecting the performance of the hybrid system was the influent water quality. Any rise in the levels of suspended solids or total organic carbon of the feed water resulted in changes of chemical consumption rates, flux rates, and operating cycle durations. The selections of chemical type and dosing rates were critical in achieving optimal performance. In particular, the froth application rate heavily affected the overall recovery of the hybrid system as well as the performance of the flotation process. Optimum surfactant usage to generate froth (per liter of treated water) was 0.25 mL/L at approximately 2000 NTU of influent turbidity and 0.015 mL/L at approximately 200 NTU of influent turbidity. At the tested conditions, the optimal coagulant dose was 80 mg/L (as Al) at approximately 2000 NTU of influent turbidity and <40 mg/L (as Al) at approximately 200 NTU of influent turbidity. Precoat loading per unit membrane surface area tested during the pilot study was approximately 30 g/m(2). The results of this study indicated that this hybrid technology can potentially be considered as a pre-treatment step for reverse osmosis treatment of recycle water. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Drought and Heat Wave Impacts on Electricity Grid Reliability in Illinois

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stillwell, A. S.; Lubega, W. N.

    2016-12-01

    A large proportion of thermal power plants in the United States use cooling systems that discharge large volumes of heated water into rivers and cooling ponds. To minimize thermal pollution from these discharges, restrictions are placed on temperatures at the edge of defined mixing zones in the receiving waters. However, during extended hydrological droughts and heat waves, power plants are often granted thermal variances permitting them to exceed these temperature restrictions. These thermal variances are often deemed necessary for maintaining electricity reliability, particularly as heat waves cause increased electricity demand. Current practice, however, lacks tools for the development of grid-scale operational policies specifying generator output levels that ensure reliable electricity supply while minimizing thermal variances. Such policies must take into consideration characteristics of individual power plants, topology and characteristics of the electricity grid, and locations of power plants within the river basin. In this work, we develop a methodology for the development of these operational policies that captures necessary factors. We develop optimal rules for different hydrological and meteorological conditions, serving as rule curves for thermal power plants. The rules are conditioned on leading modes of the ambient hydrological and meteorological conditions at the different power plant locations, as the locations are geographically close and hydrologically connected. Heat dissipation in the rivers and cooling ponds is modeled using the equilibrium temperature concept. Optimal rules are determined through a Monte Carlo sampling optimization framework. The methodology is applied to a case study of eight power plants in Illinois that were granted thermal variances in the summer of 2012, with a representative electricity grid model used in place of the actual electricity grid.

  11. 7 CFR 624.6 - Program administration.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ..., terraces, embankment ponds, diversions, and water conservation systems, except where the recovery measures..., qualified Indian tribe or tribal organization, or unit of local government. Private entities or individuals... with the eligible local organization responsible for the works of improvement. (iii) NRCS may authorize...

  12. 7 CFR 624.6 - Program administration.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ..., terraces, embankment ponds, diversions, and water conservation systems, except where the recovery measures..., qualified Indian tribe or tribal organization, or unit of local government. Private entities or individuals... with the eligible local organization responsible for the works of improvement. (iii) NRCS may authorize...

  13. Freshwater ice as habitat: partitioning of phytoplankton and bacteria between ice and water in central European reservoirs.

    PubMed

    McKay, Robert M L; Prášil, Ondrej; Pechar, Libor; Lawrenz, Evelyn; Rozmarynowycz, Mark J; Bullerjahn, George S

    2015-12-01

    Abundant phytoplankton and bacteria were identified by high-throughput 16S rRNA tag Illumina sequencing of samples from water and ice phases collected during winter at commercial fish ponds and a sand pit lake within the UNESCO Třeboň Basin Biosphere Reserve, Czech Republic. Bacterial reads were dominated by Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes. Despite dominance by members of just two phyla, UniFrac principal coordinates analysis of the bacterial community separated the water community of Klec fish pond, as well as the ice-associated community of Klec-Sand Pit from other samples. Both phytoplankton and cyanobacteria were represented with hundreds of sequence reads per sample, a finding corroborated by microscopy. In particular, ice from Klec-Sand Pit contained high contributions from photoautotrophs accounting for 25% of total reads with reads dominated by single operational taxonomic units (OTUs) of the cyanobacterium Planktothrix sp. and two filamentous diatoms. Dominant OTUs recovered from ice were largely absent (< 0.01%) from underlying water suggestive of low floristic similarity of phytoplankton partitioned between these phases. Photosynthetic characterization of phototrophs resident in water and ice analysed by variable chlorophyll a fluorescence showed that communities from both phases were photosynthetically active, thus supporting ice as viable habitat for phytoplankton in freshwater lakes and reservoirs. © 2015 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  14. Solar-Powered Desalination: A Modelling and Experimental Study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Leblanc, Jimmy; Andrews, John

    2007-10-01

    Water shortage is becoming one of the major problems worldwide. As such, desalination technologies have been implemented to meet growing demands for fresh water. Among the desalination technologies, thermal desalination, including multi stage flash (MSF) and multi effect evaporation (MEE), is the current leading desalination process. Reverse osmosis (RO) is also being increasingly used. Despite technological improvements, thermal desalination and reverse osmosis continue to be intensive fossil-fuel consumers and contribute to increased levels of greenhouse gases. As energy costs rise, thermal desalination by solar energy and/or low cost waste heat is likely to become increasingly attractive. As part of a project investigating the productive use of saline land and the development of sustainable desalination systems, the feasibility of producing potable water from seawater or brackish water using desalination systems powered by renewable energy in the form of low-temperature solar-thermal sources has been studied. A salinity-gradient solar pond and an evacuated tube solar collector system have been used as heat sources. Solar ponds combine solar energy collection with long-term storage and can provide reliable thermal energy at temperature ranges from 50 to 90 °C. A visual basic computer model of the different multi-stage flash desalination processes coupled with a salinity-gradient solar pond was developed to determine which process is preferable in regards to performance and greenhouse impact. The governing mathematical equations are derived from mass balances, heat energy balances, and heat transfer characteristics. Using the results from the modelling, a small-scale solar-powered desalination system, capable of producing up to 500 litres of fresh water per day, was designed and manufactured. This single-stage flash system consists of two main units: the heat supply and storage system and the flash desalination unit. Two different condenser heat exchanger materials were investigated: copper-nickel and a commercially available plastic. The modelling and design of a three effects MEE system is also discussed. The effects of the important design and operating parameters (recovery ratio, thermal energy, parasitic electrical energy, distillate production and solar collection area) controlling the cost of fresh water determined both from the computer simulation and experimental results are presented and analysed in this paper. Future work in the overall research program is also outlined.

  15. Human-induced contaminant impacts on migratory birds: lessons from the North American eared grebe (Podiceps nigricollis)

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sladky, Kurt K.; Quist, Charlotte; Ramirez, Pedro; Hill, David; Dein, F. Joshua

    2003-01-01

    The effects of aquatic contaminants generated by soda ash mining processes on the North American eared grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) population illustrates important issues associated with human-induced habitat degradation on the health of migratory species. Eared grebes have been extensively studied in their staging and breeding habitats, but little is known about their 2- to 3-day migratory periods. During migration, few bodies of water are available to the birds for refuge between freshwater breeding areas in Canada and hypersaline lakes (e.g., Great Salt Lake in Utah or Mono Lake in California) to which they migrate. One geographic refuge area includes a series of "tailings" ponds associated with soda ash mining operations in southwestern Wyoming. The ponds range from 100-1200 acres, with water containing high concentrations of sodium decahydrate (Na2CO3•10H2O). At cool temperatures (generally < 40°F) sodium decahydrate precipitates out of the water and crystallizes on solid objects in the ponds or on the water surface. Bird mortality on these ponds has been recognized since the early 1970's, and the mining companies have developed hazing strategies and rehabilitation programs in order to minimize mortality. In order to determine causes of grebe mortality and devise strategies to reduce mortality, a field epidemiologic investigation was developed with the following objectives: 1) to determine whether eared grebes have quantifiable physiologic abnormalities associated with exposure to soda ash mine pond water; 2) to evaluate physical effects of sodium decahydrate crystallization on grebe survival; 3) to establish cause of death based on necropsy of deceased grebes; 4) to determine long-term survivability of eared grebes after exposure to the pond water; and 5) to evaluate water quality and determine whether aquatic invertebrates are present in the ponds as a possible food source.

  16. Assessing the efficiency of a coastal Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) system in Cyprus.

    PubMed

    Tzoraki, Ourania; Dokou, Zoi; Christodoulou, George; Gaganis, Petros; Karatzas, George

    2018-06-01

    Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) is becoming an attractive water management option, with more than 223 sites operating in European countries. The quality of the produced water, available for drinking or irrigation processes is strongly depended on the aquifer's hydrogeochemical characteristics and on the MAR system design and operation. The objective of this project is the assessment of the operation efficiency of a MAR system in Cyprus. The coupling of alternative methodologies is used such as water quality monitoring, micro-scale sediment sorption experiments, simulation of groundwater flow and phosphate and copper transport in the subsurface using the FEFLOW model and evaluation of the observed change in the chemical composition of water due to mixing using the geochemical model PHREEQC. The above methodology is tested in the Ezousa MAR project in Cyprus, where treated effluent from the Paphos Waste Water Treatment Plant, is recharged into the aquifer through five sets of artificial ponds along the riverbed. Additionally, groundwater is pumped for irrigation purposes from wells located nearby. A slight attenuation of nutrients is observed, whereas copper in groundwater is overcoming the EPA standards. The FEFLOW simulations reveal no effective mixing in some intermediate infiltration ponds, which is validated by the inverse modeling simulation of the PHREEQC model. Based on the results, better control of the infiltration capacity of some of the ponds and increased travel times are some suggestions that could improve the efficiency of the system. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Monitoring induced denitrification during managed aquifer recharge in an infiltration pond

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grau-Martínez, Alba; Folch, Albert; Torrentó, Clara; Valhondo, Cristina; Barba, Carme; Domènech, Cristina; Soler, Albert; Otero, Neus

    2018-06-01

    Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) is a well-known technique for improving water quality and increasing groundwater resources. Denitrification (i.e. removal of nitrate) can be enhanced during MAR by coupling an artificial recharge pond with a permeable reactive layer (PRL). In this study, we examined the suitability of a multi-isotope approach for assessing the long-term effectiveness of enhancing denitrification in a PRL containing vegetal compost. Batch laboratory experiments confirmed that the PRL was still able to enhance denitrification two years after its installation in the infiltration pond. At the field scale, changes in redox indicators along a flow path and below the MAR-PRL system were monitored over 21 months during recharge and non-recharge periods. Results showed that the PRL was still releasing non-purgeable dissolved organic carbon five years after its installation. Nitrate concentration coupled with isotopic data collected from the piezometer network at the MAR system indicated that denitrification was occurring in the saturated zone immediately beneath the infiltration pond, where recharged water and native groundwater mix. Furthermore, longer operational periods of the MAR-PRL system increased denitrification extent. Multi-isotope analyses are therefore proved to be useful tools in identifying and quantifying denitrification in MAR-PRL systems.

  18. Effects of lead and hydrocarbons from snowmobile exhaust on brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Adams, E.S.

    1975-01-01

    Lead and hydrocarbons from snowmobile exhaust were found in the water at high levels during the week following ice-out in a Maine pond. Fingerling brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) held in fish cages in the pond showed lead and hydrocarbon uptake. These contaminants accumulated during the previous winter when snowmobile operation on the pond was equivalent to one snowmobile burning 250 liters of fuel per season on a .405 hectare pond with average depth of 1 m. Lead content of the water rose from 4.1 ppb before snowmobiling to 135 ppb at ice-out; exposed trout contained 9 to 16 times moremore » lead than controls. Hydrocarbon levels undetectable prior to snowmobiling reached 10 ppm in the water and 1 ppm in exposed fish. Trout held in aquaria for 3 weeks in melted snow containing three different concentrations of snowmobile exhaust also showed lead and hydrocarbon uptake. Their digestive tract tissue contained the most lead (2 ppm) and gills the least (0.2 ppm). Stamina, as measured by the ability to swim against a current, was significantly less in trout exposed to snowmobile exhaust than in control fish. (auth)« less

  19. Geologic evidence northeast of Puerto Rico for an Atlantic tsunami in the last 500 years

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Atwater, B. F.; Tuttle, M. P.

    2008-12-01

    A historical tsunami of undetermined origin best explains a suite of probably related features at Anegada, British Virgin Islands: shore-normal scours, fields of cobbles and boulders, a horizon of sand and shell, and salt ponds. Anegada's exposed location and low-lying landscape make the island a natural tsunami recorder. Facing the Puerto Rico Trench at the northeast corner of the Caribbean, barely 10 km from the top of the continental slope, Anegada can receive tsunamis almost directly from the open North Atlantic. The island's highest ground consists of a limestone platform that crests 8 m above sea level. Many of Anegada's shores adjoin beach ridges, composed of distinctively pink bioclastic sand, that stand less than 5 m above sea level. Behind the ridges are salt ponds that rarely rise above high tide levels of the surrounding sea. The island's name, coined in 1493 during Columbus's second voyage, means "drowned." Local eyewitnesses to Hurricane Donna, at category 4 when its eye crossed Anegada in 1960, recounted no storm-caused versions of the following features: SCOURS. Dozens of coast-normal scours cut across beach ridges of the island's north-central shore. The largest of them holds a pond 200 m long and a few tens of meters wide. The scours are better explained by overwash of the ridges than by inheritance of any pre-existing carbonate landform; they differ in size and shape from spurs and grooves of the island's barrier reef and from the sinkholes of the limestone platform. More than one time of overwash is permitted by differences among the headward limits of the scours. COBBLES AND BOULDERS. Inland from the scours, as much as 1 km inland of Anegada's north-central shore, fields of limestone cobbles and boulders extend tens of meters southward from limestone knolls. Like the scours, they imply overwash from the north. SAND AND SHELL BED. An event horizon as much as 25 cm thick probably extends 2 km southward beneath bottom sediments and fringing microbial mats of the main salt pond studied (Bumber Well Pond). The horizon contains a basal northern unit of pink bioclastic sand that probably relates to the cutting of scours or to enlargement of pre- existing scours in the beach ridges to the north. The horizon also contains a widespread unit of marine molluscan shells that extends as float onto the limestone platform. SALT PONDS. The sand and shell horizon marks an event that changed the island's interior water bodies from nearly marine to hypersaline. The nearly marine conditions are recorded by mollusk-rich lagoonal mud below the event horizon, while the hypersaline conditions are marked mollusk-free salt-pond deposits above. The salinity change probably resulted from choking of the lagoon's likely inlet (or inlets) on Anegada's south side. A tsunami from the north, after scouring beach ridges and moving cobbles and boulders, probably also built sandy fans into the former inlet(s). This inferred tsunami probably postdates 1460-1620 C.E., the two-sigma range corresponding to the youngest radiocarbon age obtained on individual detrital shells in the event horizon. Potential correlates, in addition to earthquakes along the Puerto Rico Trench, include the transatlantic tsunami associated with the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. This work is part of Nuclear Regulatory Commission project N6480, a tsunam-hazard assessment for the eastern United States. We especially thank, in addition, Cindy Rolli of BVI Disaster Management and field assistant Caitlin Herlihy.

  20. Identification of Putative Geographically Isolated Wetlands of the Conterminous United States

    EPA Science Inventory

    Geographically isolated wetlands (GIWs) are unique landscape features, defined as wetlands completely surrounded by uplands. Densely occurring in certain parts of the North America, GIWs include wetland types such as Prairie Potholes, Delmarva Ponds, West Coast or California Vern...

  1. Smooth pond-like deposits on asteroid 4 Vesta: First results from the Dawn mission.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hiesinger, H.; Ruesch, O.; Jaumann, R.; Nathues, A.; Raymond, C. A.; Russell, C. T.

    2012-04-01

    The Dawn spacecraft arrived at Vesta on July 16, 2011 to study the asteroid with a Framing Camera (FC), a Visible & Infrared Spectrometer (VIR), and a Gamma Ray and Neutron Detector (GRaND) [1]. Dawn provides the first high-resolution data from its survey orbit, high-altitude mapping orbit (HAMO), and low-altitude mapping orbit (LAMO). FC data revealed smooth pond-like deposits of ambiguous origin, similar to deposits on other asteroids, including Eros and Itokawa [2,3]. Several scenarios for the origin of these deposits can be tested with Dawn data, including volcanism, impact sedimentation, impact melt deposition, dust levitation and transport, seismic shaking, or landslides. We measured 83 small (~7 km2 average size) smooth deposits distributed across the surface of Vesta. Most ponds on Vesta occur on the floors of impact craters and in irregular depressions. We did not observe inflow of material into the depressions. Most of these deposits have well-defined geological contacts, indicating that they are younger than the surrounding terrain. However, lunar impact melt pools that formed contemporaneously with surrounding ejecta blankets show similar stratigraphic relationships. Sometimes the albedo of these ponds is lower than the surrounding terrain, in other cases the ponds are indistinguishable from the adjacent terrain. The ponds preferentially occur in a band between -10 and 30 degrees latitude with fewer ponds north of ~30 degrees and even fewer ponds in the southern hemisphere, i.e., the Rheasilvia region. The largest cluster of ponds occurs in the vicinity of the Marcia impact crater, which is part of the so-called snowman craters. Similar, but smaller (<230 m diameter) smooth ponds were also reported from the surface of asteroid Eros [2]. Robinson et al. [2] found that most smooth ponds on Eros occur in equatorial regions and concluded that the most likely process for their formation is electrostatic levitation and redistribution of the finest regolith components (<100 µm). Sierks et al. [4] argued that along the terminator, particularly strong electric fields can develop between the sun-lit and shaded areas, e.g., within craters, resulting in particle motion from sun-lit to dark regions. Dust levitation and transport was also discussed for asteroid 25143 Itokawa [3]. [1] Russell et al., (2007), Earth Moon Planets, 101; [2] Robinson et al., (2002), Met. Planet. Sci., 37; [3] Yano et al., (2006), Science, 312; [4] Sierks et al., (2011), Space Sci. Rev., doi:10.1007/s11214-011-9745-4. This research has been supported by the German Space Agency (DLR) and NASA. We would like to thank the Dawn Operations Team for their success-ful planning and acquisition of high-quality Vesta data.

  2. Effectiveness of Reducing P Fertilizer and Adding Fish Pond Mud Waste on Growth and Yield of Soybean in Peatland

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Asie, Erina Riak; Rumbang, Nyahu; Winarti, Sih; Sinaga, Soaloon

    2018-02-01

    The objective of the study was to assess the effectiveness of P fertilizer reduction and the addition of fish pond sludge waste on the growth and yield of soybean crop in peatland. Research used Complete Randomized Design factorial with two factors. The first factor was the reduction of P fertilizer from the dose of 150 kg.ha-1 consisting of 4 levels, namely P0: 100% (2.944 g/polybag), P1: 75% (2.208 g/polybag), P2: 50% (1.472 g/polybag), and P3: 25% (0.736 g/polybag). The second factor was the addition of fish pond mud waste (L) from the dose of 15 ton.ha-1 consisting of 4 levels, namely L0: 25% (73.595 g/polybag), L1: 50% (147.19 g/polybag), L2: 75% (220.78 g/polybag), and L3: 100% (294.38 g/polybag). Each treatment combination was replicated 3 times to obtain 48 experimental units. The results showed that (1) fish pond mud waste was effective to reduce the use of P fertilizer, (2) the reduction of P fertilizer up to 50% from recommendation dosage by addition of fish pond sludge waste at 75% dose of 15 ton/ha was the best combination due to providing the best plant growth and the highest P concentration of plant tissue. The highest number of pods and weight of seed obtained in the combination were 60.33 pods/plant and 7.30 g/plant, respectively.

  3. Study of the liquid-film-forming apparatus as an alternative aeration system: design criteria and operating condition.

    PubMed

    Hongprasith, Narapong; Imai, Tsuyoshi; Painmanakul, Pisut

    2017-06-01

    Aeration is an important factor in aquaculture systems because it is a vital condition for all organisms that live in water and respire aerobically. Generally, mechanical surface aerators are widely used in Thailand due to their advantage for increasing dissolved oxygen (DO) and for their horizontal mixing of aquaculture ponds with large surface areas. However, these systems still have some drawbacks, primarily the low oxygen transfer efficiency (OTE) and energy. Regarding this issue, alternative aeration systems should be studied and applied. Therefore, this research aims to study the aeration mechanism obtained by the diffused-air aeration combined with a liquid-film-forming apparatus (LFFA). The effect of gas flow rates, types, and patterns of aerator installation were investigated in an aquaculture pond of 10 m × 10 m × 1.5 m. The analytical parameters were volumetric mass transfer coefficient (k L a), OTE, and aeration efficiency (AE). From the results, the '4-D' with partitions was proposed as the suitable pattern for the LFFA installation. The advantage could be obtained from high energy performance with 1.2 kg/kW h of AE. Then, the operation conditions can be applied as a design guideline for this alternative aeration system in the aquaculture ponds.

  4. Neogene and Quaternary foraminifera and paleoenvironments of a corehole from Horn Island, Mississippi

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gibson, Thomas G.

    1994-01-01

    The only semipermanent surface water available on the Southern High Plains plateau of Texas and New Mexico is contained in saline lakes and in the playa lakes that form in shallow depressions, called playa basins, following heavy rainfall. The playas generally are accepted as the main source of recharge to the underlying High Plains (Ogallala) aquifer of the region, and they constitute the major wildlife habitat on the Southern High Plains. Their use as water sources, holding ponds, and waste-disposal sites by agricultural and industrial operations may potentially lead to ground-water contamination and habitat degradation. Therefore, playa lakes will play an essential role in the collection of surface-water quality and ecological data for the Southern High Plains study unit of the National Water-Quality Assessment program of the U.S. Geological Survey.

  5. Microbial community structures in high rate algae ponds for bioconversion of agricultural wastes from livestock industry for feed production.

    PubMed

    Mark Ibekwe, A; Murinda, Shelton E; Murry, Marcia A; Schwartz, Gregory; Lundquist, Trygve

    2017-02-15

    Dynamics of seasonal microbial community compositions in algae cultivation ponds are complex. However, there is very limited knowledge on bacterial communities that may play significant roles with algae in the bioconversion of manure nutrients to animal feed. In this study, water samples were collected during winter, spring, summer, and fall from the dairy lagoon effluent (DLE), high rate algae ponds (HRAP) that were fed with diluted DLE, and municipal waste water treatment plant (WWTP) effluent which was included as a comparison system for the analysis of total bacteria, Cyanobacteria, and microalgae communities using MiSeq Illumina sequencing targeting the 16S V4 rDNA region. The main objective was to examine dynamics in microbial community composition in the HRAP used for the production of algal biomass. DNA was extracted from the different sample types using three commercially available DNA extraction kits; MoBio Power water extraction kit, Zymo fungi/bacterial extraction kit, and MP Biomedicals FastDNA SPIN Kit. Permutational analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) using distance matrices on each variable showed significant differences (P=0.001) in beta-diversity based on sample source. Environmental variables such as hydraulic retention time (HRT; P<0.031), total N (P<0.002), total inorganic N (P<0.002), total P (P<0.002), alkalinity (P<0.002), pH (P<0.022), total suspended solid (TSS; P<0.003), and volatile suspended solids (VSS; P<0.002) significantly affected microbial communities in DLE, HRAP, and WWTP. Of the operational taxonomic units (OTUs) identified to phyla level, the dominant classes of bacteria identified were: Cyanobacteria, Alpha-, Beta-, Gamma-, Epsilon-, and Delta-proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Planctomycetes. Our data suggest that microbial communities were significantly affected in HRAP by different environmental variables, and care must be taken in extraction procedures when evaluating specific groups of microbial communities for specific functions. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  6. PeRL: a circum-Arctic Permafrost Region Pond and Lake database

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Muster, Sina; Roth, Kurt; Langer, Moritz; Lange, Stephan; Cresto Aleina, Fabio; Bartsch, Annett; Morgenstern, Anne; Grosse, Guido; Jones, Benjamin; Sannel, A. Britta K.; Sjöberg, Ylva; Günther, Frank; Andresen, Christian; Veremeeva, Alexandra; Lindgren, Prajna R.; Bouchard, Frédéric; Lara, Mark J.; Fortier, Daniel; Charbonneau, Simon; Virtanen, Tarmo A.; Hugelius, Gustaf; Palmtag, Juri; Siewert, Matthias B.; Riley, William J.; Koven, Charles D.; Boike, Julia

    2017-06-01

    Ponds and lakes are abundant in Arctic permafrost lowlands. They play an important role in Arctic wetland ecosystems by regulating carbon, water, and energy fluxes and providing freshwater habitats. However, ponds, i.e., waterbodies with surface areas smaller than 1. 0 × 104 m2, have not been inventoried on global and regional scales. The Permafrost Region Pond and Lake (PeRL) database presents the results of a circum-Arctic effort to map ponds and lakes from modern (2002-2013) high-resolution aerial and satellite imagery with a resolution of 5 m or better. The database also includes historical imagery from 1948 to 1965 with a resolution of 6 m or better. PeRL includes 69 maps covering a wide range of environmental conditions from tundra to boreal regions and from continuous to discontinuous permafrost zones. Waterbody maps are linked to regional permafrost landscape maps which provide information on permafrost extent, ground ice volume, geology, and lithology. This paper describes waterbody classification and accuracy, and presents statistics of waterbody distribution for each site. Maps of permafrost landscapes in Alaska, Canada, and Russia are used to extrapolate waterbody statistics from the site level to regional landscape units. PeRL presents pond and lake estimates for a total area of 1. 4 × 106 km2 across the Arctic, about 17 % of the Arctic lowland ( < 300 m a.s.l.) land surface area. PeRL waterbodies with sizes of 1. 0 × 106 m2 down to 1. 0 × 102 m2 contributed up to 21 % to the total water fraction. Waterbody density ranged from 1. 0 × 10 to 9. 4 × 101 km-2. Ponds are the dominant waterbody type by number in all landscapes representing 45-99 % of the total waterbody number. The implementation of PeRL size distributions in land surface models will greatly improve the investigation and projection of surface inundation and carbon fluxes in permafrost lowlands. Waterbody maps, study area boundaries, and maps of regional permafrost landscapes including detailed metadata are available at https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.868349.

  7. PeRL: a circum-Arctic Permafrost Region Pond and Lake database

    DOE PAGES

    Muster, Sina; Roth, Kurt; Langer, Moritz; ...

    2017-06-06

    Ponds and lakes are abundant in Arctic permafrost lowlands. They play an important role in Arctic wetland ecosystems by regulating carbon, water, and energy fluxes and providing freshwater habitats. However, ponds, i.e., waterbodies with surface areas smaller than 1.0 × 10 4 m 2, have not been inventoried on global and regional scales. The Permafrost Region Pond and Lake (PeRL) database presents the results of a circum-Arctic effort to map ponds and lakes from modern (2002–2013) high-resolution aerial and satellite imagery with a resolution of 5 m or better. The database also includes historical imagery from 1948 to 1965 withmore » a resolution of 6 m or better. PeRL includes 69 maps covering a wide range of environmental conditions from tundra to boreal regions and from continuous to discontinuous permafrost zones. Waterbody maps are linked to regional permafrost landscape maps which provide information on permafrost extent, ground ice volume, geology, and lithology. This paper describes waterbody classification and accuracy, and presents statistics of waterbody distribution for each site. Maps of permafrost landscapes in Alaska, Canada, and Russia are used to extrapolate waterbody statistics from the site level to regional landscape units. PeRL presents pond and lake estimates for a total area of 1.4 × 10 6 km 2 across the Arctic, about 17 % of the Arctic lowland ( < 300 m a.s.l.) land surface area. PeRL waterbodies with sizes of 1.0 ×10 6 m 2 down to 1.0 ×10 2 m 2 contributed up to 21 % to the total water fraction. Waterbody density ranged from 1.0 ×10 to 9.4 × 10 1 km –2. Ponds are the dominant waterbody type by number in all landscapes representing 45–99 % of the total waterbody number. In conclusion, the implementation of PeRL size distributions in land surface models will greatly improve the investigation and projection of surface inundation and carbon fluxes in permafrost lowlands.« less

  8. PeRL: a circum-Arctic Permafrost Region Pond and Lake database

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Muster, Sina; Roth, Kurt; Langer, Moritz

    Ponds and lakes are abundant in Arctic permafrost lowlands. They play an important role in Arctic wetland ecosystems by regulating carbon, water, and energy fluxes and providing freshwater habitats. However, ponds, i.e., waterbodies with surface areas smaller than 1.0 × 10 4 m 2, have not been inventoried on global and regional scales. The Permafrost Region Pond and Lake (PeRL) database presents the results of a circum-Arctic effort to map ponds and lakes from modern (2002–2013) high-resolution aerial and satellite imagery with a resolution of 5 m or better. The database also includes historical imagery from 1948 to 1965 withmore » a resolution of 6 m or better. PeRL includes 69 maps covering a wide range of environmental conditions from tundra to boreal regions and from continuous to discontinuous permafrost zones. Waterbody maps are linked to regional permafrost landscape maps which provide information on permafrost extent, ground ice volume, geology, and lithology. This paper describes waterbody classification and accuracy, and presents statistics of waterbody distribution for each site. Maps of permafrost landscapes in Alaska, Canada, and Russia are used to extrapolate waterbody statistics from the site level to regional landscape units. PeRL presents pond and lake estimates for a total area of 1.4 × 10 6 km 2 across the Arctic, about 17 % of the Arctic lowland ( < 300 m a.s.l.) land surface area. PeRL waterbodies with sizes of 1.0 ×10 6 m 2 down to 1.0 ×10 2 m 2 contributed up to 21 % to the total water fraction. Waterbody density ranged from 1.0 ×10 to 9.4 × 10 1 km –2. Ponds are the dominant waterbody type by number in all landscapes representing 45–99 % of the total waterbody number. In conclusion, the implementation of PeRL size distributions in land surface models will greatly improve the investigation and projection of surface inundation and carbon fluxes in permafrost lowlands.« less

  9. Development, characterization and simulation of boundary lubricant functionalized hydrogels for use as a low-friction cartilage substitute

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Blum, Michelle M.

    Canada is the second highest producer of hydroelectric energy in the world. Nearly 50 of the hydroelectric reservoirs in the country have a capacity larger than 1 billion m3. Despite the great number and extent of hydropower developments in Canada and around the world, relatively little is known about how dams and their operations influence terrestrial and semi-aquatic wildlife. Reservoirs at northern latitudes are characterized by large fluctuations in water level, which create modified shorelines called drawdown zones. To evaluate the impact of these disturbances on amphibians and reptiles, I conducted visual encounter surveys at two sites in the drawdown zone of Kinbasket Reservoir, near Valemount, B.C. From April to August of 2010 and 2011, I documented the habitat use, reproductive phenology, and body condition of two amphibian species (Anaxyrus boreas and Rana luteiventris) as well as the growth, movements, diet, and distribution of one species of garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis). At two sites in the drawdown zone, A. boreas and R. luteiventris were present for the duration of the summer and utilized several ponds for reproduction. The presence and abundance of Rana luteiventris eggs were generally associated with ponds that had higher mean temperatures, higher mean pH, and the presence of fish. In 2010, there was sufficient time for amphibian breeding and metamorphosis to occur before the reservoir inundated the drawdown zone, but low precipitation levels in that year led to desiccation of many breeding ponds. In 2011, high rainfall and snowmelt led to early inundation of breeding ponds, and thousands of tadpoles were presumably swept into the reservoir. Gravid Thamnophis sirtalis were found at just one of two sites in the drawdown zone, but both sites were frequented by foraging individuals of this species. Anaxyrus boreas appears to be the primary prey of T. sirtalis in the drawdown zone. An improved understanding of how the amphibians and reptiles at Kinbasket Reservoir have persisted in this highly disturbed environment may be vital to their conservation---the activation of a new generating unit at Mica Dam in 2014 will alter the pattern and timing of reservoir inundation for the first time since it was constructed 40 years previously.

  10. Antibacterial activity of acylglucinol derivatives against Flavobacterium columnare

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Columnaris disease is one of the most common bacterial diseases of pond-raised channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) in the southeastern United States of America. The Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium Flavobacterium columnare is the cause of columnaris disease. Direct economic losses to catfish pr...

  11. Ecosystem Services in Lakes of the Northeastern United States: An Assessment of Lakes Ecosystem Services Beneficiaries

    EPA Science Inventory

    : Lakes and ponds provide numerous ecosystem services including fishing, swimming, drinking water, and aesthetic enjoyment. Much analysis to date has focused on understanding the interplay between ecological condition and availability of services. For instance, prior analyses s...

  12. 7 CFR 650.24 - Scenic beauty (visual resource).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... planning assistance to individual landowners, groups, units of government, and watershed and resource... management, access roads, critical area treatment; design and management of ponds, stream margins, odd areas..., erosion control, and recreation or wildlife uses be carried out with full attention to visual resource...

  13. 7 CFR 650.24 - Scenic beauty (visual resource).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... planning assistance to individual landowners, groups, units of government, and watershed and resource... management, access roads, critical area treatment; design and management of ponds, stream margins, odd areas..., erosion control, and recreation or wildlife uses be carried out with full attention to visual resource...

  14. The big-fish-little-pond effect on mathematics self-concept: Evidence from the United Arab Emirates.

    PubMed

    Areepattamannil, Shaljan; Khine, Myint Swe; Al Nuaimi, Samira

    2017-08-01

    This study examined the big-fish-little-pond effect (BFLPE; Marsh, 1987) on mathematics self-concept of 7404 adolescents (female = 3767 [51%], male = 3637 [49%]; M age  = 15.85 years, SD = 0.28) from 456 schools in the United Arab Emirates, one of the Arab states of the Persian Gulf. The results of multilevel regression analyses indicated good support for the BFLPE's theoretical predictions: the effect of individual student mathematics achievement on individual student mathematics self-concept was positive and statistically significant, whereas the effect of school-average mathematics achievement on individual student mathematics self-concept was negative and statistically significant. Moreover, the interaction between school-average mathematics achievement and individual student mathematics achievement was small and non-significant. Implications of the findings for policy and practice are briefly discussed. Copyright © 2017 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Long-term assessment at field scale of Floating Treatment Wetlands for improvement of water quality and provision of ecosystem services in a eutrophic urban pond.

    PubMed

    Olguín, Eugenia J; Sánchez-Galván, Gloria; Melo, Francisco J; Hernández, Víctor J; González-Portela, Ricardo E

    2017-04-15

    Pollution of urban water bodies requires stringent control measures and the development of low-cost and highly efficient alternative technologies. In contrast to Constructed Wetlands, Floating Treatment Wetlands (FTWs) have the advantage of not requiring large surface of land since they operate in situ. However, there is limited information about their long-term evaluation while operating at field scale. The aim of this work was to assess the performance of FTWs using a combination of Pontederia sagittata and Cyperus papyrus for the improvement of the water quality and provision of ecosystem services of a eutrophic urban pond. The FTWs were built with low-cost material easy to acquire and to ensemble. Two FTWs (17.5m 2 and 33m 2 ) located in Pond 1 within a complex of 4 urban artificial ponds were evaluated for two years. They promoted an increase in the dissolved oxygen (D.O.) within a range of 15 to 67%, a removal of fecal coliforms in the range of 9 to 86% and a nitrate removal in the range of 9 to 76%. The plant productivity reached a maximum of 363g dm m -2 d -1 in the FTW1 and 536g dm m -2 d -1 in the FTW2 during the period March-June 2016. The TKN and the TP content in the plant were in the range of 18.3 to 28.1 and of 0.05 to 0.196gkg -1 dry matter, respectively. In conclusion, the tested FTWs have proved to be a very beneficial low-cost technology for the improvement of water quality and provision of ecosystem services. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. In situ removal of dissolved and suspended contaminants from a eutrophic pond using hybrid sand-filter.

    PubMed

    Vijayaraghavan, K; Joshi, Umid Man; Ping, Han; Reuben, Sheela; Burger, David F

    2014-01-01

    In this study, in situ hybrid sand filters were designed to remove dissolved and suspended contaminants from eutrophic pond. Currently, there are no attempts made to eradicate dissolved as well as suspended contaminants from eutrophic water system in a single step. Monitoring studies revealed that examined pond contain high chlorophyll-a content (101.8 μg L(-1)), turbidity (39.5 NTU) and total dissolved solids concentration (0.04 g L(-1)). Samples were further exposed to extensive water quality analysis, which include examining physicochemical parameters (pH, conductivity, total dissolved solids, salinity, turbidity and chlorophyll-a), metals (Na, K, Ca, Mg, Al, Fe, Cu, Cd, Pb, Zn, Cr, and Ni) and anions (NO3, NO2, PO4, SO4, Cl, F and Br). To tackle pollutants, filtration system was designed to comprise of several components including fine sand, coarse sand/sorbent mix and gravel from top to bottom loaded in fiberglass tanks. All the filters (activated carbon, Sargassum and zeolite) completely removed algal biomass and showed potential to decrease pH during entire operational period of 20 h at 120 L h(-1). To examine the efficiency of filters in adverse conditions, the pond water was spiked with heavy metals (Cu, Cd, Pb, Zn, Cr, and Ni). Of the different filter systems, Sargassum-loaded filter performed exceedingly well with concentrations of heavy metals never exceeded the Environmental protection agency regulations for freshwater limits during total operational period. The total uptake capacities at the end of the fifth event were 24.9, 20.5, 0.58, 5.2, 0.091 and 2.8 mg/kg for Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb, respectively.

  17. Environmental Assessment: Maintenance of the Bear Lake Storm Water Retention Pond Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-10-01

    Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington VA 22202-4302. Respondents should be...and fugitive dust The noise environment due to construction vehicle operations Biological resources and wetlands due to land and water disturbance...construction vehicle operations ; Biological resources and wetlands due to land and water disturbance; Water quality due to land and water disturbance

  18. Water-hyacinth production primary and advanced treatment of wastewater. Final report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Schwegler, B.R. Jr.

    1983-01-01

    A prototype water hyacinth wastewater treatment system has been in operation for two years at Walt Disney World, near Orlando, Florida. Typically, the hyacinth system removes 80-90% total suspended solids and B.O.D. from the influent stream. Major impacts on water quality exiting the system are: seasonal variations in solar radiation, air and water temperature; operational problems, particularly harvesting equipment breakdown, and retention time in the ponds. Phosphorus and nitrogen removal show a strong seasonal dependence, with removal rates varying from 0.08 to 1.11 g/m/sup 2//day for N and from 0.05 to 0.29 g/m/sup 2//day for P. Nitrogen removal rates showmore » a strong dependence on retention times, with a retention time of 5 days appearing to be a critical limit for the establishment of an active population of denitrifying bacteria. Hyacinth biomass productivity of the system was approximately 66.7 dry metric tons per hectare year (30 dry tons/acre year) during the second year of operation. An Experimental Test Unit (ETU) for anaerobic digestion of hyacinths to methane will be installed by late 1983.« less

  19. Centuries of intense surface melt on Larsen C Ice Shelf

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bevan, Suzanne L.; Luckman, Adrian; Hubbard, Bryn; Kulessa, Bernd; Ashmore, David; Kuipers Munneke, Peter; O'Leary, Martin; Booth, Adam; Sevestre, Heidi; McGrath, Daniel

    2017-12-01

    Following a southward progression of ice-shelf disintegration along the Antarctic Peninsula (AP), Larsen C Ice Shelf (LCIS) has become the focus of ongoing investigation regarding its future stability. The ice shelf experiences surface melt and commonly features surface meltwater ponds. Here, we use a flow-line model and a firn density model (FDM) to date and interpret observations of melt-affected ice layers found within five 90 m boreholes distributed across the ice shelf. We find that units of ice within the boreholes, which have densities exceeding those expected under normal dry compaction metamorphism, correspond to two climatic warm periods within the last 300 years on the Antarctic Peninsula. The more recent warm period, from the 1960s onwards, has generated distinct sections of dense ice measured in two boreholes in Cabinet Inlet, which is close to the Antarctic Peninsula mountains - a region affected by föhn winds. Previous work has classified these layers as refrozen pond ice, requiring large quantities of mobile liquid water to form. Our flow-line model shows that, whilst preconditioning of the snow began in the late 1960s, it was probably not until the early 1990s that the modern period of ponding began. The earlier warm period occurred during the 18th century and resulted in two additional sections of anomalously dense ice deep within the boreholes. The first, at 61 m in one of our Cabinet Inlet boreholes, consists of ice characteristic of refrozen ponds and must have formed in an area currently featuring ponding. The second, at 69 m in a mid-shelf borehole, formed at the same time on the edge of the pond area. Further south, the boreholes sample ice that is of an equivalent age but which does not exhibit the same degree of melt influence. This west-east and north-south gradient in the past melt distribution resembles current spatial patterns of surface melt intensity.

  20. 77 FR 130 - Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Intercontinental...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-01-03

    ... issues: Water availability; Impacts from subsidence; Impacts to oil and gas exploration and operation in... processing facilities, including the ore process plant, dry stack tailings pile, evaporation ponds, water...

  1. Box Model of a Series of Salt Ponds, as Applied to the Alviso Salt Pond Complex, South San Francisco Bay, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lionberger, Megan A.; Schoellhamer, David H.; Shellenbarger, Gregory; Orlando, James L.; Ganju, Neil K.

    2007-01-01

    This report documents the development and application of a box model to simulate water level, salinity, and temperature of the Alviso Salt Pond Complex in South San Francisco Bay. These ponds were purchased for restoration in 2003 and currently are managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to maintain existing wildlife habitat and prevent a build up of salt during the development of a long-term restoration plan. The model was developed for the purpose of aiding pond managers during the current interim management period to achieve these goals. A previously developed box model of a salt pond, SPOOM, which calculates daily pond volume and salinity, was reconfigured to simulate multiple connected ponds and a temperature subroutine was added. The updated model simulates rainfall, evaporation, water flowing between the ponds and the adjacent tidal slough network, and water flowing from one pond to the next by gravity and pumps. Theoretical and measured relations between discharge and corresponding differences in water level are used to simulate most flows between ponds and between ponds and sloughs. The principle of conservation of mass is used to calculate daily pond volume and salinity. The model configuration includes management actions specified in the Interim Stewardship Plan for the ponds. The temperature subroutine calculates hourly net heat transfer to or from a pond resulting in a rise or drop in pond temperature and daily average, minimum, and maximum pond temperatures are recorded. Simulated temperature was compared with hourly measured data from pond 3 of the Napa?Sonoma Salt Pond Complex and monthly measured data from pond A14 of the Alviso Salt-Pond Complex. Comparison showed good agreement of measured and simulated pond temperature on the daily and monthly time scales.

  2. Suitability of ponds formed by strip mining in eastern Oklahoma for public water supply, aquatic life, waterfowl habitat, livestock watering, irrigation, and recreation

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Parkhurst, Renee S.

    1994-01-01

    A study of coal ponds formed by strip mining in eastern Oklahoma included 25 ponds formed by strip mining from the Croweburg, McAlester, and Iron Post coal seams and 6 noncoal-mine ponds in the coal-mining area. Water-quality samples were collected in the spring and summer of 1985 to determine the suitability of the ponds for public water supply, aquatic life, waterfowl habitat, livestock watering, irrigation, and recreation. The rationale for water-quality criteria and the criteria used for each proposed use are discussed. The ponds were grouped by the coal seam mined or as noncoal-mine ponds, and the number of ponds from each group containing water that exceeded a given criterion is noted. Water in many of the ponds can be used for public water supplies if other sources are not available. Water in most of these ponds exceeds one or more secondary standards, but meets all primary standards. Water samples from the epilimnion (shallow strata as determined by temperature) of six ponds exceeded one or more primary standards, which are criteria protective of human health. Water samples from five of eight Iron Post ponds exceeded the selenium criterion. Water samples from all 31 ponds exceeded one or more secondary standards, which are for the protection of human welfare. The criteria most often exceeded were iron, manganese, dissolved solids, and sulfate, which are secondary standards. The criteria for iron and manganese were exceeded more frequently in the noncoal-mine ponds, whereas ponds formed by strip mining were more likely to exceed the criteria for dissolved solids and sulfate. The ponds are marginally suited for aquatic life. Water samples from the epilimnion of 18 ponds exceeded criteria protective of aquatic life. The criteria for mercury and iron were exceeded most often. Little difference was detected between mine ponds and noncoal-mine ponds. Dissolved oxygen concentrations in the hypolimnion (deepest strata) of all the ponds were less than the minimum criterion during the summer. This decreases available fish habitat and affects the type and number of benthic invertebrates. The ponds are generally well suited for use by wintering and migrating waterfowl. Thirteen of the ponds contained water that exceeded the pH, alkalinity, and selenium criteria. The noncoal-mine ponds had the largest percentage of ponds exceeding pH and alkalinity criteria. Water samples from five of eight Iron Post ponds exceeded the selenium criterion. All ponds are generally unsuitable as waterfowl habitat during the summer because of high temperatures and low dissolved oxygen. Most of the ponds are well suited for livestock watering. Water samples from the epilimnion of 29 ponds met all chemical and physical criteria. Water samples from five ponds exceeded the criteria in the hypolimnion. Mine ponds exceeded chemical and physical criteria more often than noncoal-mine ponds. All the ponds contained phytoplankton species potentially toxic to livestock. Water from most of the ponds is marginally suitable for irrigation of sensitive crops, but is more suitable for irrigation of semitolerant and tolerant crops. Most major cash crops grown in eastern Oklahoma are semitolerant and tolerant crops. Water from the epilimnion of 14 ponds was suitable for irrigation under almost all conditions. Water from the epilimnion of 20 ponds was suitable for irrigation of semitolerant crops, and water from the epilimnion of 25 ponds is suitable for irrigation of tolerant crops. The dissolved solids criterion was exceeded the most often. Most of the ponds would not be suitable for swimming. The pH criterion was exceeded in 17 ponds and turbidity restricts visibility needed for diving in 23 ponds. Little difference was detected between mine ponds and noncoal-mine ponds. Many of the ponds formed by strip mining have steep banks that may be dangerous to swimmers.

  3. Sampling protocol for monitoring abiotic and biotic characteristics of mountain ponds and lakes

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hoffman, Robert L.; Tyler, Torrey J.; Larson, Gary L.; Adams, Michael J.; Wente, Wendy; Galvan, Stephanie

    2005-01-01

    This document describes field techniques and procedures used for sampling mountain ponds and lakes. These techniques and procedures will be used primarily to monitor, as part of long-term programs in National Parks and other protected areas, the abiotic and biotic characteristics of naturally occurring permanent montane lentic systems up to 75 ha in surface area. However, the techniques and procedures described herein also can be used to sample temporary or ephemeral montane lentic sites. Each Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) section addresses a specific component of the limnological investigation, and describes in detail field sampling methods pertaining to parameters to be measured for each component.

  4. Carbon dioxide as a tool to deter the movement of invasive bigheaded carps

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Michael R. Donaldson,; Amberg, Jon J.; Shivani Adhikari,; Cupp, Aaron R.; Jensen, Nathan; Romine, Jason G.; Adam Wright,; Gaikowski, Mark; Cory D. Suski,

    2016-01-01

    Nonnative bigheaded carps are established in the Mississippi River and there is substantial concern about their potential entry into the interconnected Laurentian Great Lakes. While electrical barriers currently exist as a preventative measure, there is need for additional control mechanisms to promote barrier security through redundancy. We tested the effectiveness of infused carbon dioxide gas (CO2) as a tool to influence the movement and behavior invasive bigheaded carps, namely Bighead Carp Hypophthalmichthys nobilis and Silver Carp H. molitrix, as well as native Bigmouth Buffalo Ictiobus cyprinellus, Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus, Paddlefish Polyodon spathula, and Yellow Perch Perca flavescens in an experimental pond. Individuals were monitored with acoustic telemetry before, during, and after CO2 addition to the pond. We noted distinct changes in fish behavior following CO2 addition. Each species except Paddlefish maintained farther distances from the CO2 infusion manifold relative to controls. Both bigheaded carp species had slower persistence velocities (persistence of a movement in a given direction) following CO2 infusion and Bighead Carp used a smaller area of the pond immediately after CO2 addition. Pond pH progressively decreased up to 1.5 units following CO2 infusion. This work provides evidence that could inform future research to enhance existing control measures used to deter high-risk invasive fishes, such as bigheaded carps.

  5. Tracking Legionella in air generated from a biological treatment plant: a case study of the outbreak of legionellosis in Norway

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Blatny, Janet M.; Olsen, Jaran S.; Andreassen, Øyvind; Waagen, Viggo; Reif, Bjørn Anders P.

    2011-05-01

    Two outbreaks of legionellosis occurred in the Sarpsborg/Fredrikstad region southeast of Norway in 2005 and 2008 where more than 60 exposed individuals were infected and 10 case patients died. The air scrubber at Borregaard, a wood-based chemical factory, was identified as the outbreak source. High concentration levels of Legionella species, including the etiological agent L. pneumophila SG1 was found in the aeration ponds, which belongs to Borregaard's biological treatment plant. Results showed that these ponds were able to generate Legionella-containing aerosols that were transported by the wind as such aerosols were measured up to 200 meters downwind of the pond. Our studies did not detect L. pneumophila SG1 isolates, only L. pneumophila SG4 during the air sampling measurement campaign. Furthermore, the operational conditions of the air scrubber proved to be harsh for Legionella growth as the outbreak L. pneumophila strains were not able to grow at 45ºC and pH8 (conditions during the outbreaks). These results, together, lead us to suggest that the aeration pond should be regarded as the primary amplifier and disseminator of Legionella and L. pneumophila and thereby most likely being the outbreak source.

  6. Carbon isotope variations in a solar pond microbial mat: Role of environmental gradients as steering variables

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schidlowski, Manfred; Gorzawski, Hendrik; Dor, Inka

    1994-05-01

    A biogeochemical traverse is presented for a juvenile benthic mat covering the depth profile of an artificially stratified and eutrophicated hypersaline heliothermal pond with known gradients of temperature, salinity, pH, and light transmission. It can be shown that visual mat development depends primarily on temperature and salinity as main environmental steering variables whose increase with depth goes along with the attenuation and final disappearance of a visible microbial film in the pond's hypolimnic compartment. Recorded biogeochemical parameters (C org content, cell numbers, chlorophyll-a content) evidently reflect, as either biomass- or productivity-related index functions, the visually perceptible growth gradient of the microbial ecosystem along the pond slope. The observed coincidence of maxima in these index functions with maxima in δ13Corg clearly identifies high rates of primary productivity as the agent ultimately responsible for the generation of isotopically heavy ( 13C-enriched) biomass in these and related environments. Extreme demands placed on the local feeder pool of dissolved inorganic carbon by high rates of primary productivity entertained by the mat-forming microbenthos obviously give rise to severe CO 2 limitation, enforcing the operation of a diffusion-(supply-)limited assimilatory pathway with an isotopically indiscriminate metabolization of the available CO 2 resources.

  7. Algae Production from Wastewater Resources: An Engineering and Cost Analysis

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Schoenung, Susan; Efroymson, Rebecca Ann

    Co-locating algae cultivation ponds near municipal wastewater (MWW) facilities provides the opportunity to make use of the nitrogen and phosphorus compounds in the wastewater as nutrient sources for the algae. This use benefits MWW facilities, the algae biomass and biofuel or bioproduct industry, and the users of streams where treated or untreated waste would be discharged. Nutrient compounds can lead to eutrophication, hypoxia, and adverse effects to some organisms if released downstream. This analysis presents an estimate of the cost savings made possible to cultivation facilities by using the nutrients from wastewater for algae growth rather than purchase of themore » nutrients. The analysis takes into consideration the cost of pipe transport from the wastewater facility to the algae ponds, a cost factor that has not been publicly documented in the past. The results show that the savings in nutrient costs can support a wastewater transport distance up to 10 miles for a 1000-acre-pond facility, with potential adjustments for different operating assumptions.« less

  8. Control of algal production in a high rate algal pond: investigation through batch and continuous experiments.

    PubMed

    Derabe Maobe, H; Onodera, M; Takahashi, M; Satoh, H; Fukazawa, T

    2014-01-01

    For decades, arid and semi-arid regions in Africa have faced issues related to water availability for drinking, irrigation and livestock purposes. To tackle these issues, a laboratory scale greywater treatment system based on high rate algal pond (HRAP) technology was investigated in order to guide the operation of the pilot plant implemented in the 2iE campus in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso). Because of the high suspended solids concentration generally found in effluents of this system, the aim of this study is to improve the performance of HRAPs in term of algal productivity and removal. To determine the selection mechanism of self-flocculated algae, three sets of sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) and three sets of continuous flow reactors (CFRs) were operated. Despite operation with the same solids retention time and the similarity of the algal growth rate found in these reactors, the algal productivity was higher in the SBRs owing to the short hydraulic retention time of 10 days in these reactors. By using a volume of CFR with twice the volume of our experimental CFRs, the algal concentration can be controlled during operation under similar physical conditions in both reactors.

  9. Climatic change and wetland desiccation cause amphibian decline in Yellowstone National Park.

    PubMed

    McMenamin, Sarah K; Hadly, Elizabeth A; Wright, Christopher K

    2008-11-04

    Amphibians are a bellwether for environmental degradation, even in natural ecosystems such as Yellowstone National Park in the western United States, where species have been actively protected longer than anywhere else on Earth. We document that recent climatic warming and resultant wetland desiccation are causing severe declines in 4 once-common amphibian species native to Yellowstone. Climate monitoring over 6 decades, remote sensing, and repeated surveys of 49 ponds indicate that decreasing annual precipitation and increasing temperatures during the warmest months of the year have significantly altered the landscape and the local biological communities. Drought is now more common and more severe than at any time in the past century. Compared with 16 years ago, the number of permanently dry ponds in northern Yellowstone has increased 4-fold. Of the ponds that remain, the proportion supporting amphibians has declined significantly, as has the number of species found in each location. Our results indicate that climatic warming already has disrupted one of the best-protected ecosystems on our planet and that current assessments of species' vulnerability do not adequately consider such impacts.

  10. Climatic change and wetland desiccation cause amphibian decline in Yellowstone National Park

    PubMed Central

    McMenamin, Sarah K.; Hadly, Elizabeth A.; Wright, Christopher K.

    2008-01-01

    Amphibians are a bellwether for environmental degradation, even in natural ecosystems such as Yellowstone National Park in the western United States, where species have been actively protected longer than anywhere else on Earth. We document that recent climatic warming and resultant wetland desiccation are causing severe declines in 4 once-common amphibian species native to Yellowstone. Climate monitoring over 6 decades, remote sensing, and repeated surveys of 49 ponds indicate that decreasing annual precipitation and increasing temperatures during the warmest months of the year have significantly altered the landscape and the local biological communities. Drought is now more common and more severe than at any time in the past century. Compared with 16 years ago, the number of permanently dry ponds in northern Yellowstone has increased 4-fold. Of the ponds that remain, the proportion supporting amphibians has declined significantly, as has the number of species found in each location. Our results indicate that climatic warming already has disrupted one of the best-protected ecosystems on our planet and that current assessments of species' vulnerability do not adequately consider such impacts. PMID:18955700

  11. Unmanned aerial vehicles for the assessment and monitoring of environmental contamination: An example from coal ash spills.

    PubMed

    Messinger, Max; Silman, Miles

    2016-11-01

    Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) offer new opportunities to monitor pollution and provide valuable information to support remediation. Their low-cost, ease of use, and rapid deployment capability make them ideal for environmental emergency response. Here we present a UAV-based study of the third largest coal ash spill in the United States. Coal ash from coal combustion is a toxic industrial waste material present worldwide. Typically stored in settling ponds in close proximity to waterways, coal ash poses significant risk to the environment and drinking water supplies from both chronic contamination of surface and ground water and catastrophic pond failure. We sought to provide an independent estimate of the volume of coal ash and contaminated water lost during the rupture of the primary coal ash pond at the Dan River Steam Station in Eden, NC, USA and to demonstrate the feasibility of using UAVs to rapidly respond to and measure the volume of spills from ponds or containers that are open to the air. Using structure-from-motion (SfM) imagery analysis techniques, we reconstructed the 3D structure of the pond bottom after the spill, used historical imagery to estimate the pre-spill waterline, and calculated the volume of material lost. We estimated a loss of 66,245 ± 5678 m 3 of ash and contaminated water. The technique used here allows rapid response to environmental emergencies and quantification of their impacts at low cost, and these capabilities will make UAVs a central tool in environmental planning, monitoring, and disaster response. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Estimation of VOC emissions from produced-water treatment ponds in Uintah Basin oil and gas field using modeling techniques

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tran, H.; Mansfield, M. L.; Lyman, S. N.; O'Neil, T.; Jones, C. P.

    2015-12-01

    Emissions from produced-water treatment ponds are poorly characterized sources in oil and gas emission inventories that play a critical role in studying elevated winter ozone events in the Uintah Basin, Utah, U.S. Information gaps include un-quantified amounts and compositions of gases emitted from these facilities. The emitted gases are often known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which, beside nitrogen oxides (NOX), are major precursors for ozone formation in the near-surface layer. Field measurement campaigns using the flux-chamber technique have been performed to measure VOC emissions from a limited number of produced water ponds in the Uintah Basin of eastern Utah. Although the flux chamber provides accurate measurements at the point of sampling, it covers just a limited area of the ponds and is prone to altering environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, pressure). This fact raises the need to validate flux chamber measurements. In this study, we apply an inverse-dispersion modeling technique with evacuated canister sampling to validate the flux-chamber measurements. This modeling technique applies an initial and arbitrary emission rate to estimate pollutant concentrations at pre-defined receptors, and adjusts the emission rate until the estimated pollutant concentrations approximates measured concentrations at the receptors. The derived emission rates are then compared with flux-chamber measurements and differences are analyzed. Additionally, we investigate the applicability of the WATER9 wastewater emission model for the estimation of VOC emissions from produced-water ponds in the Uintah Basin. WATER9 estimates the emission of each gas based on properties of the gas, its concentration in the waste water, and the characteristics of the influent and treatment units. Results of VOC emission estimations using inverse-dispersion and WATER9 modeling techniques will be reported.

  13. Vulnerability of Rhode Island Salt Marshes to Sea Level Rise and Poor Water Quality

    EPA Science Inventory

    Across the northeastern Unites States, salt marshes are losing ground. Edges are eroding, tidal channel networks are expanding, and new ponds are forming and expanding within salt marshes. This leaves shorelines - and in some cases houses - more vulnerable to nor'easters and tr...

  14. Stream Studies.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hamilton City Board of Education (Ontario).

    This manual provides teachers with some knowledge of ecological study methods and techniques used in collecting data when plants and animals are studied in the field. Most activities deal with the interrelatedness of plant and animal life to the structure and characteristics of a stream and pond. Also included in this unit plan designed for the…

  15. Compounds from Terminalli brownii extracts with toxicity against the fish pathogenic bacterium Flavobacterium columnare

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The pond-raised channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) industry in the United States of America can incur losses of over a $100 million annually due to bacterial diseases including columnaris disease caused by Flavobacterium columnare. One management approach available to catfish producers is the use...

  16. Investigations in Life Science, Junior High.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stephenson, Robert L.

    Developed for teachers of junior high school science classes, this unit presents ten investigations on plant growth, animal life, pond life, and general science interests. These investigations are designed to accompany any popular life science textbooks, may be used to supplement a year-long course in life science, are intended as a springboard…

  17. Complete genome sequence of multidrug-resistant plesiomonas shigelloides strain MS-17-188

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Plesiomonas shigelloides is the predominant species isolated from intestinal microflora of catfish, catfish pond sediment, and water in the southeastern United States. P. shigelloides strain MS-17-188 was recovered from a diseased catfish in 2017 from the Aquatic Diagnostic Laboratory at the College...

  18. Using a computer model to calculate copper sulfate treatments for Ich

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Copper sulfate (CuSO4) is often used to control infestations of Ichthyophthirius multifiliis (Ich) in pond aquaculture in the United States. In this study, we determined the acute toxicity of CuSO4 to the free-swimming theronts of Ich in reconstituted waters. Water chemistry characteristics, inclu...

  19. Facultative Lagoons. Student Manual. Biological Treatment Process Control.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Andersen, Lorri

    The textual material for a unit on facultative lagoons is presented in this student manual. Topic areas discussed include: (1) loading; (2) microbial theory; (3) structure and design; (4) process control; (5) lagoon start-up; (6) data handling and analysis; (7) lagoon maintenance (considering visual observations, pond structure, safety, odor,…

  20. KSC-07pd0722

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2007-03-29

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Lesser yellowlegs wade through a pond near Kennedy Space Center. The yellowleg is a smaller edition of the greater yellowleg, with a shorter bill. The species inhabits marshy ponds, lake and river shores, mud flats and, in the breeding season, boreal bogs. They range throughout Alaska and Canada, wintering from the southern United States throughout South America. KSC shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which surrounds it. The refuge is a habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. In addition, the refuge supports 19 endangered or threatened wildlife species on Federal or State lists, more than any other single refuge in the U.S. Photo credit: NASA/Ken Thornsley

  1. KSC-07pd0723

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2007-03-29

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A lesser yellowleg slows for landing in a pond near Kennedy Space Center. The yellowleg is a smaller edition of the greater yellowleg, with a shorter bill. The species inhabits marshy ponds, lake and river shores, mud flats and, in the breeding season, boreal bogs. They range throughout Alaska and Canada, wintering from the southern United States throughout South America. KSC shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which surrounds it. The refuge is a habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. In addition, the refuge supports 19 endangered or threatened wildlife species on Federal or State lists, more than any other single refuge in the U.S. Photo credit: NASA/Ken Thornsley

  2. KSC-07pd0724

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2007-03-29

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A turtle cruises past a lesser yellowleg in a pond near Kennedy Space Center. The yellowleg is a smaller edition of the greater yellowleg, with a shorter bill. The species inhabits marshy ponds, lake and river shores, mud flats and, in the breeding season, boreal bogs. They range throughout Alaska and Canada, wintering from the southern United States throughout South America. KSC shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which surrounds it. The refuge is a habitat for more than 310 species of birds, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles. In addition, the refuge supports 19 endangered or threatened wildlife species on Federal or State lists, more than any other single refuge in the U.S. Photo credit: NASA/Ken Thornsley

  3. Simultaneous biogas upgrading and centrate treatment in an outdoors pilot scale high rate algal pond.

    PubMed

    Posadas, Esther; Marín, David; Blanco, Saúl; Lebrero, Raquel; Muñoz, Raúl

    2017-05-01

    The bioconversion of biogas to biomethane coupled to centrate treatment was evaluated in an outdoors pilot scale high rate algal pond interconnected to an external CO 2 -H 2 S absorption column (AC) via settled broth recirculation. CO 2 -removal efficiencies ranged from 50 to 95% depending on the alkalinity of the cultivation broth and environmental conditions, while a complete H 2 S removal was achieved regardless of the operational conditions. A maximum CH 4 concentration of 94% with a limited O 2 and N 2 stripping was recorded in the upgraded biogas at recycling liquid/biogas ratios in the AC of 1 and 2. Process operation at a constant biomass productivity of 15gm -2 d -1 and the minimization of effluent generation supported high carbon and nutrient recoveries in the harvested biomass (C=66±8%, N=54±18%, P≈100% and S=16±3%). Finally, a low diversity in the structure of the microalgae population was promoted by the environmental and operational conditions imposed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Estimating the Creation and Removal Date of Fracking Ponds Using Trend Analysis of Landsat Imagery.

    PubMed

    Platt, Rutherford V; Manthos, David; Amos, John

    2018-02-01

    Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a process of introducing liquid at high pressure to create fractures in shale rock formations, thus releasing natural gas. Flowback and produced water from fracking operations is typically stored in temporary open-air earthen impoundments, or frack ponds. Unfortunately, in the United States there is no public record of the location of impoundments, or the dates that impoundments are created or removed. In this study we use a dataset of drilling-related impoundments in Pennsylvania identified through the FrackFinder project led by SkyTruth, an environmental non-profit. For each impoundment location, we compiled all low cloud Landsat imagery from 2000 to 2016 and created a monthly time series for three bands: red, near-infrared (NIR), and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). We identified the approximate date of creation and removal of impoundments from sudden breaks in the time series. To verify our method, we compared the results to date ranges derived from photointerpretation of all available historical imagery on Google Earth for a subset of impoundments. Based on our analysis, we found that the number of impoundments built annually increased rapidly from 2006 to 2010, and then slowed from 2010 to 2013. Since newer impoundments tend to be larger, however, the total impoundment area has continued to increase. The methods described in this study would be appropriate for finding the creation and removal date of a variety of industrial land use changes at known locations.

  5. Estimating the Creation and Removal Date of Fracking Ponds Using Trend Analysis of Landsat Imagery

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Platt, Rutherford V.; Manthos, David; Amos, John

    2018-02-01

    Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a process of introducing liquid at high pressure to create fractures in shale rock formations, thus releasing natural gas. Flowback and produced water from fracking operations is typically stored in temporary open-air earthen impoundments, or frack ponds. Unfortunately, in the United States there is no public record of the location of impoundments, or the dates that impoundments are created or removed. In this study we use a dataset of drilling-related impoundments in Pennsylvania identified through the FrackFinder project led by SkyTruth, an environmental non-profit. For each impoundment location, we compiled all low cloud Landsat imagery from 2000 to 2016 and created a monthly time series for three bands: red, near-infrared (NIR), and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). We identified the approximate date of creation and removal of impoundments from sudden breaks in the time series. To verify our method, we compared the results to date ranges derived from photointerpretation of all available historical imagery on Google Earth for a subset of impoundments. Based on our analysis, we found that the number of impoundments built annually increased rapidly from 2006 to 2010, and then slowed from 2010 to 2013. Since newer impoundments tend to be larger, however, the total impoundment area has continued to increase. The methods described in this study would be appropriate for finding the creation and removal date of a variety of industrial land use changes at known locations.

  6. A Screening Model to Predict Microalgae Biomass Growth in Photobioreactors and Raceway Ponds

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Huesemann, Michael H.; Van Wagenen, Jonathan M.; Miller, Tyler W.

    A microalgae biomass growth model was developed for screening novel strains for their potential to exhibit high biomass productivities under nutrient-replete conditions in photobioreactors or outdoor ponds. Growth is modeled by first estimating the light attenuation by biomass according to Beer-Lambert’s law, and then calculating the specific growth rate in discretized culture volume slices that receive declining light intensities due to attenuation. The model requires only two physical and two species-specific biological input parameters, all of which are relatively easy to determine: incident light intensity, culture depth, as well as the biomass light absorption coefficient and the specific growth ratemore » as a function of light intensity. Roux bottle culture experiments were performed with Nannochloropsis salina at constant temperature (23 °C) at six different incident light intensities (5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 250, and 850 μmol/m2∙ sec) to determine both the specific growth rate under non-shading conditions and the biomass light absorption coefficient as a function of light intensity. The model was successful in predicting the biomass growth rate in these Roux bottle cultures during the light-limited linear phase at different incident light intensities. Model predictions were moderately sensitive to minor variations in the values of input parameters. The model was also successful in predicting the growth performance of Chlorella sp. cultured in LED-lighted 800 L raceway ponds operated at constant temperature (30 °C) and constant light intensity (1650 μmol/m2∙ sec). Measurements of oxygen concentrations as a function of time demonstrated that following exposure to darkness, it takes at least 5 seconds for cells to initiate dark respiration. As a result, biomass loss due to dark respiration in the aphotic zone of a culture is unlikely to occur in highly mixed small-scale photobioreactors where cells move rapidly in and out of the light. By contrast, as supported also by the growth model, biomass loss due to dark respiration occurs in the dark zones of the relatively less well mixed pond cultures. In addition to screening novel microalgae strains for high biomass productivities, the model can also be used for optimizing the pond design and operation. Additional research is needed to validate the biomass growth model for other microalgae species and for the more realistic case of fluctuating temperatures and light intensities observed in outdoor pond cultures.« less

  7. A screening model to predict microalgae biomass growth in photobioreactors and raceway ponds.

    PubMed

    Huesemann, M H; Van Wagenen, J; Miller, T; Chavis, A; Hobbs, S; Crowe, B

    2013-06-01

    A microalgae biomass growth model was developed for screening novel strains for their potential to exhibit high biomass productivities under nutrient-replete conditions in photobioreactors or outdoor ponds. Growth is modeled by first estimating the light attenuation by biomass according to Beer-Lambert's Law, and then calculating the specific growth rate in discretized culture volume slices that receive declining light intensities due to attenuation. The model uses only two physical and two species-specific biological input parameters, all of which are relatively easy to determine: incident light intensity, culture depth, as well as the biomass light absorption coefficient and the specific growth rate as a function of light intensity. Roux bottle culture experiments were performed with Nannochloropsis salina at constant temperature (23°C) at six different incident light intensities (10, 25, 50, 100, 250, and 850 µmol/m(2)  s) to determine both the specific growth rate under non-shading conditions and the biomass light absorption coefficient as a function of light intensity. The model was successful in predicting the biomass growth rate in these Roux bottle batch cultures during the light-limited linear phase at different incident light intensities. Model predictions were moderately sensitive to minor variations in the values of input parameters. The model was also successful in predicting the growth performance of Chlorella sp. cultured in LED-lighted 800 L raceway ponds operated in batch mode at constant temperature (30°C) and constant light intensity (1,650 µmol/m(2)  s). Measurements of oxygen concentrations as a function of time demonstrated that following exposure to darkness, it takes at least 5 s for cells to initiate dark respiration. As a result, biomass loss due to dark respiration in the aphotic zone of a culture is unlikely to occur in highly mixed small-scale photobioreactors where cells move rapidly in and out of the light. By contrast, as supported also by the growth model, biomass loss due to dark respiration occurs in the dark zones of the relatively less well-mixed pond cultures. In addition to screening novel microalgae strains for high biomass productivities, the model can also be used for optimizing the pond design and operation. Additional research is needed to validate the biomass growth model for other microalgae species and for the more realistic case of fluctuating temperatures and light intensities observed in outdoor pond cultures. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  8. 55. VIEW OF STEAMOPERATED LOG HOIST TO PUT IN COMING ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    55. VIEW OF STEAM-OPERATED LOG HOIST TO PUT IN COMING LOGS INTO RALPH HULL LUMBER CO. LOG POND. PHOTOGRAPHER: UNKNOWN. DATE: 1942. COURTESY OF RALPH HULL. - Hull-Oakes Lumber Company, 23837 Dawson Road, Monroe, Benton County, OR

  9. Reassessment of the effects of construction dewatering on ground-water levels in the Cowles Unit, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Indiana : Supplement to Geological Survey Water Resources Investigations 78-138

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gillies, Daniel C.; Lapham, Wayne W.

    1980-01-01

    A revised dewatering plan for the construction of a nuclear power plant at the Northern Indiana Public Service Company 's (NIPSCO) Bailly Generating Station and evidence that suggests that a change in the characteristics of the confining unit 2 in and near Cowles Bog National Landmark may exist have resulted in a reassessment of the effects of construction dewatering on ground-water levels in the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Model results indicate that the revision in the dewatering plan produces water-level declines that do not differ significantly from those described previously. However, when the change in the confining unit beneath Cowles Bog is considered, simulations of the simultaneous decline of a seepage mound after sealing of the fly-ash-ponds and the second phase of construction dewatering indicate that the simulated water-level declines in the aquifer unit 1 at Cowles Bog may be below the water levels tolerated by the National Park Service after 18 months. The water levels may even decline below the tolerable levels in spite of NIPSCO 's proposed plan of artificially recharging the aquifer unit 1 near the excavation site at 400 gal/min. The magnitude of the simulated water-level declines in unit 1 within the Lakeshore, caused by pumping from the excavation, depends on the relation in time between the second phase of dewatering and the decline of the seepage mound after sealing of the fly-ash-ponds, but not on the duration of dewatering beyond 18 months. (USGS)

  10. ATP3 Unified Field Study Data

    DOE Data Explorer

    Wolfrum, Ed (ORCID:0000000273618931); Knoshug, Eric (ORCID:000000025709914X); Laurens, Lieve (ORCID:0000000349303267); Harmon, Valerie; Dempster, Thomas (ORCID:000000029550488X); McGowan, John (ORCID:0000000266920518); Rosov, Theresa; Cardello, David; Arrowsmith, Sarah; Kempkes, Sarah; Bautista, Maria; Lundquist, Tryg; Crowe, Brandon; Murawsky, Garrett; Nicolai, Eric; Rowe, Egan; Knurek, Emily; Javar, Reyna; Saracco Alvarez, Marcela; Schlosser, Steve; Riddle, Mary; Withstandley, Chris; Chen, Yongsheng; Van Ginkel, Steven; Igou, Thomas; Xu, Chunyan; Hu, Zixuan

    2017-10-20

    ATP3 Unified Field Study Data The Algae Testbed Public-Private Partnership (ATP3) was established with the goal of investigating open pond algae cultivation across different geographic, climatic, seasonal, and operational conditions while setting the benchmark for quality data collection, analysis, and dissemination. Identical algae cultivation systems and data analysis methodologies were established at testbed sites across the continental United States and Hawaii. Within this framework, the Unified Field Studies (UFS) were designed to characterize the cultivation of different algal strains during all 4 seasons across this testbed network. The dataset presented here is the complete, curated, climatic, cultivation, harvest, and biomass composition data for each season at each site. These data enable others to do in-depth cultivation, harvest, techno-economic, life cycle, resource, and predictive growth modeling analysis, as well as develop crop protection strategies for the nascent algae industry. NREL Sub award Number: DE-AC36-08-GO28308

  11. Event-based stormwater management pond runoff temperature model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sabouri, F.; Gharabaghi, B.; Sattar, A. M. A.; Thompson, A. M.

    2016-09-01

    Stormwater management wet ponds are generally very shallow and hence can significantly increase (about 5.4 °C on average in this study) runoff temperatures in summer months, which adversely affects receiving urban stream ecosystems. This study uses gene expression programming (GEP) and artificial neural networks (ANN) modeling techniques to advance our knowledge of the key factors governing thermal enrichment effects of stormwater ponds. The models developed in this study build upon and compliment the ANN model developed by Sabouri et al. (2013) that predicts the catchment event mean runoff temperature entering the pond as a function of event climatic and catchment characteristic parameters. The key factors that control pond outlet runoff temperature, include: (1) Upland Catchment Parameters (catchment drainage area and event mean runoff temperature inflow to the pond); (2) Climatic Parameters (rainfall depth, event mean air temperature, and pond initial water temperature); and (3) Pond Design Parameters (pond length-to-width ratio, pond surface area, pond average depth, and pond outlet depth). We used monitoring data for three summers from 2009 to 2011 in four stormwater management ponds, located in the cities of Guelph and Kitchener, Ontario, Canada to develop the models. The prediction uncertainties of the developed ANN and GEP models for the case study sites are around 0.4% and 1.7% of the median value. Sensitivity analysis of the trained models indicates that the thermal enrichment of the pond outlet runoff is inversely proportional to pond length-to-width ratio, pond outlet depth, and directly proportional to event runoff volume, event mean pond inflow runoff temperature, and pond initial water temperature.

  12. Novel Polarization Techniques and Instrumentation for Glacial Melt Pond Laser Bathymetry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barton-Grimley, R. A.; Gisler, A.; Thayer, J. P.; Stillwell, R. A.; Grigsby, S.; Crowley, G.

    2015-12-01

    Melt ponds contribute significantly to the feedback processes that serve to amplify the polar response to climate change. A substantial volume of melt water is found in shallow ponds during the Arctic summer on the Greenland Ice Sheet, which have consequences on glacial dynamics and ice loss, however, the water content and subsurface topography of the ponds has proven difficult to measure. The need for instrumentation to provide high-resolution depth measurements in shallow water is addressed by utilizing novel polarization discrimination techniques in a high repetition rate, low power, 532nm photon counting lidar system. Recent advances demonstrate the ability to achieve kHz acquisition rates with a depth precision of 1cm. Use of this technique eliminates the necessity for short laser pulses and high-bandwidth detectors and instead provides a less complex, smaller, and more economical solution to airborne lidar instrumentation. Recent deployment of the lidar system aboard the NASA DC-8 research aircraft, during the 2015 NASA SARP campaign, provided critical engineering data and experience to facilitate further advancement of an airborne bathymetric lidar system for melt pond studies. Signal performance from flight indicates a 50 cm horizontal ground resolution at nominal altitudes below 1000 feet above ground level, and also indicates that maintaining a vertical precision of 1cm is achievable, though these results will be further examined. Results from the DC-8 aircraft deployment are promising, and the modest system size opens up the possibility for future integration into a UAS. This presentation will highlight the measurement capabilities of this novel lidar system, and explore polarization scattering properties of laser light with snow, ice, liquid water. System performance metrics will be evaluated for operating during summer periods in the Polar Regions and discuss the scientific contribution to Cryosphere research - most notably the depth and subsurface ice topography of glacial melt ponds.

  13. 10 CFR Appendix B to Subpart A of... - Environmental Effect of Renewing the Operating License of a Nuclear Power Plant

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... environmental impacts of renewing the operating license for a nuclear power plant as required by section 102(2... cooling ponds and is not expected to be a problem during the license renewal term. Aquatic Ecology (for... depression beyond the site boundary. Impacts of large ground-water withdrawal for cooling tower makeup at...

  14. PeRL: A circum-Arctic Permafrost Region Pond and Lake database

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Muster, Sina; Roth, Kurt; Langer, Moritz; Lange, Stephan; Cresto Aleina, Fabio; Bartsch, Annett; Morgenstern, Anne; Grosse, Guido; Jones, Benjamin M.; Sannel, A.B.K.; Sjoberg, Ylva; Gunther, Frank; Andresen, Christian; Veremeeva, Alexandra; Lindgren, Prajna R.; Bouchard, Frédéric; Lara, Mark J.; Fortier, Daniel; Charbonneau, Simon; Virtanen, Tarmo A.; Hugelius, Gustaf; Palmtag, J.; Siewert, Matthias B.; Riley, William J.; Koven, Charles; Boike, Julia

    2017-01-01

    Ponds and lakes are abundant in Arctic permafrost lowlands. They play an important role in Arctic wetland ecosystems by regulating carbon, water, and energy fluxes and providing freshwater habitats. However, ponds, i.e., waterbodies with surface areas smaller than 1. 0 × 104 m2, have not been inventoried on global and regional scales. The Permafrost Region Pond and Lake (PeRL) database presents the results of a circum-Arctic effort to map ponds and lakes from modern (2002–2013) high-resolution aerial and satellite imagery with a resolution of 5 m or better. The database also includes historical imagery from 1948 to 1965 with a resolution of 6 m or better. PeRL includes 69 maps covering a wide range of environmental conditions from tundra to boreal regions and from continuous to discontinuous permafrost zones. Waterbody maps are linked to regional permafrost landscape maps which provide information on permafrost extent, ground ice volume, geology, and lithology. This paper describes waterbody classification and accuracy, and presents statistics of waterbody distribution for each site. Maps of permafrost landscapes in Alaska, Canada, and Russia are used to extrapolate waterbody statistics from the site level to regional landscape units. PeRL presents pond and lake estimates for a total area of 1. 4 × 106 km2 across the Arctic, about 17 % of the Arctic lowland ( <  300 m a.s.l.) land surface area. PeRL waterbodies with sizes of 1. 0 × 106 m2 down to 1. 0 × 102 m2 contributed up to 21 % to the total water fraction. Waterbody density ranged from 1. 0 × 10 to 9. 4 × 101 km−2. Ponds are the dominant waterbody type by number in all landscapes representing 45–99 % of the total waterbody number. The implementation of PeRL size distributions in land surface models will greatly improve the investigation and projection of surface inundation and carbon fluxes in permafrost lowlands. Waterbody maps, study area boundaries, and maps of regional permafrost landscapes including detailed metadata are available at https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.868349.

  15. Effects of Genotype by Environment Interaction on Genetic Gain and Genetic Parameter Estimates in Red Tilapia (Oreochromis spp.)

    PubMed Central

    Nguyen, Nguyen H.; Hamzah, Azhar; Thoa, Ngo P.

    2017-01-01

    The extent to which genetic gain achieved from selection programs under strictly controlled environments in the nucleus that can be expressed in commercial production systems is not well-documented in aquaculture species. The main aim of this paper was to assess the effects of genotype by environment interaction on genetic response and genetic parameters for four body traits (harvest weight, standard length, body depth, body width) and survival in Red tilapia (Oreochromis spp.). The growth and survival data were recorded on 19,916 individual fish from a pedigreed population undergoing three generations of selection for increased harvest weight in earthen ponds from 2010 to 2012 at the Aquaculture Extension Center, Department of Fisheries, Jitra in Kedah, Malaysia. The pedigree comprised a total of 224 sires and 262 dams, tracing back to the base population in 2009. A multivariate animal model was used to measure genetic response and estimate variance and covariance components. When the homologous body traits in freshwater pond and cage were treated as genetically distinct traits, the genetic correlations between the two environments were high (0.85–0.90) for harvest weight and square root of harvest weight but the estimates were of lower magnitudes for length, width and depth (0.63–0.79). The heritabilities estimated for the five traits studied differed between pond (0.02 to 0.22) and cage (0.07 to 0.68). The common full-sib effects were large, ranging from 0.23 to 0.59 in pond and 0.11 to 0.31 in cage across all traits. The direct and correlated responses for four body traits were generally greater in pond than in cage environments (0.011–1.561 vs. −0.033–0.567 genetic standard deviation units, respectively). Selection for increased harvest body weight resulted in positive genetic changes in survival rate in both pond and cage culture. In conclusion, the reduced selection response and the magnitude of the genetic parameter estimates in the production environment (i.e., cage) relative to those achieved in the nucleus (pond) were a result of the genotype by environment interaction and this effect should be taken into consideration in the future breeding program for Red tilapia. PMID:28659970

  16. Estimated hydrologic budgets of kettle-hole ponds in coastal aquifers of southeastern Massachusetts

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Walter, Donald A.; Masterson, John P.

    2011-01-01

    Water fluxes through the ponds are a function of several factors, including the size, shape, and bathymetry of the pond, orientation of the pond relative to the regional hydraulic gradient, and hydrologic setting relative to the proximity of groundwater divides and discharge boundaries. Total steady-state fluxes through the ponds range from more than 3,300,000 to less than 2,000 cubic feet per day. For ponds without surface-water inlets or outlets, groundwater inflow accounts for 98 to 3 percent of total inflow; conversely, recharge onto the pond surface accounts for the remainder of inflow (between 2 and 97 percent). All natural flows from these ponds are through recharge from the pond into the aquifer. In one pond, about 94 percent of the total outflow is removed for water supply. For ponds that are connected to surface-water drainages, most inflow and outflow are through streams. Ponds that receive water from streams receive most (58 to 89 percent) of their water from those streams. Ponds that are drained by streams lose between 5 and 100 percent of their water to those streams.

  17. Assessment of the ecosystem services provided by ponds in hilly areas.

    PubMed

    Fu, Bin; Xu, Pei; Wang, Yukuan; Yan, Kun; Chaudhary, Suresh

    2018-06-18

    Ponds are an important ecosystem in rural landscapes. They play an important role in water retention, aquatic products supply and biodiversity conservation. By using a questionnaire-based survey of rural households in a small watershed in the Three Gorges Reservoir area, we analyzed the distribution of ponds, their size and current status. The Integrated Valuation of Environmental Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model was used to evaluate the regulation, provision and culture services of the ponds. We found that pond density was high throughout hilly areas. About 20 ponds were within an area of 1 km 2 . They were mainly distributed in the middle and lower parts of the basin. The presence of such a large number of ponds was considered remarkable. Water retention was the primary ecosystem service. On average, each pond contained about 4500 mm depth of water, which was 10 times that of the surrounding forest. However, with the transformation of agriculture in mountainous areas, the irrigation and domestic water services provided by ponds have declined. In recent years, ponds have been used predominantly for fish farming and leisure services. Aquaculture and multi-function ponds accounted for 54.55% and 27.7% of the surveyed ponds, respectively. Multi-function ponds consumed more water, but fish farming ponds were the most economically valuable. Due to weak environmental management and the decreasing economic value of ponds, it is necessary to conduct ecological management of ponds in accordance with societal changes in mountainous areas and to promote the protection and use of ponds. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Agricultural ponds support amphibian populations

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Knutson, M.G.; Richardson, W.B.; Reineke, D.M.; Gray, B.R.; Parmelee, J.R.; Weick, S.E.

    2004-01-01

    In some agricultural regions, natural wetlands are scarce, and constructed agricultural ponds may represent important alternative breeding habitats for amphibians. Properly managed, these agricultural ponds may effectively increase the total amount of breeding habitat and help to sustain populations. We studied small, constructed agricultural ponds in southeastern Minnesota to assess their value as amphibian breeding sites. Our study examined habitat factors associated with amphibian reproduction at two spatial scales: the pond and the landscape surrounding the pond. We found that small agricultural ponds in southeastern Minnesota provided breeding habitat for at least 10 species of amphibians. Species richness and multispecies reproductive success were more closely associated with characteristics of the pond (water quality, vegetation, and predators) compared with characteristics of the surrounding landscape, but individual species were associated with both pond and landscape variables. Ponds surrounded by row crops had similar species richness and reproductive success compared with natural wetlands and ponds surrounded by nongrazed pasture. Ponds used for watering livestock had elevated concentrations of phosphorus, higher turbidity, and a trend toward reduced amphibian reproductive success. Species richness was highest in small ponds, ponds with lower total nitrogen concentrations, tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum) present, and lacking fish. Multispecies reproductive success was best in ponds with lower total nitrogen concentrations, less emergent vegetation, and lacking fish. Habitat factors associated with higher reproductive success varied among individual species. We conclude that small, constructed farm ponds, properly managed, may help sustain amphibian populations in landscapes where natural wetland habitat is rare. We recommend management actions such as limiting livestock access to the pond to improve water quality, reducing nitrogen input, and avoiding the introduction of fish.

  19. Evidence of counter-gradient growth in western pond turtles (Actinemys marmorata) across thermal gradients

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Snover, Melissa; Adams, Michael J.; Ashton, Donald T.; Bettaso, Jamie B.; Welsh, Hartwell H.

    2015-01-01

    Given the importance of size and age at reproductive maturity to population dynamics, this information on counter-gradient growth will improve our ability to understand and predict the consequences of dam operations for downstream turtle populations.

  20. Recirculating Aquaculture (4th edition)

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Typically recirculating (closed) aquatic production systems have higher capital and operating costs than many of the extensive systems such as cage culture in natural waters and raceway and/or pond culture systems. However, when the control provided by recirculating systems and the benefits this env...

  1. Benchmarking Quality in Online Degree Programs Status and Prospects

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mariasingam, Michael A.; Hanna, Donald E.

    2006-01-01

    The number of online degree programs offered by universities, both within the United States and in other countries around the globe, has expanded remarkably from the year 2000 to 2005. Recent research [Pond (2002), Twigg, (2001), Swail and Kampits (2001), Nielson (1997)] indicates that this rapid expansion has superceded the understanding of how…

  2. 76 FR 14984 - Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Penobscot, Kennebec, and Waldo Counties, ME, and...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-18

    ..., wildlife observation and photography, and environmental education and interpretation. We will review and... Sunkhaze Meadows NWR and Carlton Pond WPA. We will conduct the environmental review of this project and..., including American woodcock, red-winged blackbird, and bobolink. The Sandy Stream Unit is mainly comprised...

  3. Structure of Pine Stands in the Southeast

    Treesearch

    William A. Bechtold; Gregory A. Ruark

    1988-01-01

    Distributional and statistical information associated with stand age, site index, basal area per acre, number of stems per acre, and stand density index is reported for major pine cover types of the Southeastern United States. Means, standard deviations, and ranges of these variables are listed by State and physiographic region for loblolly, slash, longleaf, pond,...

  4. Evidence of counter-gradient growth in western pond turtles (Actinemys marmorata) across thermal gradients

    Treesearch

    Melissa L. Snover; Michael J. Adams; Donald T. Ashton; Jamie B. Bettaso; Hartwell H. Welsh

    2015-01-01

    Summary1. Counter-gradient growth, where growth per unit temperature increases as temperature decreases, can reduce the variation in ectothermic growth rates across environmental gradients. Understanding how ectothermic species respond to changing temperatures is essential to their conservation and management due to human-altered habitats and changing...

  5. Transplanting native dominant plants to facilitate community development in restored coastal plain wetlands

    Treesearch

    Diane De Steven; Rebecca R. Sharitz

    2007-01-01

    Drained depressional wetlands are typically restored by plugging ditches or breaking drainage tiles to allow recovery of natural ponding regimes, while relying on passive recolonization from seed banks and dispersal to establish emergent vegetation. However, in restored depressions of the southeastern United States Coastal Plain, certain characteristic rhizomatous...

  6. Effects of pond draining on biodiversity and water quality of farm ponds.

    PubMed

    Usio, Nisikawa; Imada, Miho; Nakagawa, Megumi; Akasaka, Munemitsu; Takamura, Noriko

    2013-12-01

    Farm ponds have high conservation value because they contribute significantly to regional biodiversity and ecosystem services. In Japan pond draining is a traditional management method that is widely believed to improve water quality and eradicate invasive fish. In addition, fishing by means of pond draining has significant cultural value for local people, serving as a social event. However, there is a widespread belief that pond draining reduces freshwater biodiversity through the extirpation of aquatic animals, but scientific evaluation of the effectiveness of pond draining is lacking. We conducted a large-scale field study to evaluate the effects of pond draining on invasive animal control, water quality, and aquatic biodiversity relative to different pond-management practices, pond physicochemistry, and surrounding land use. The results of boosted regression-tree models and analyses of similarity showed that pond draining had little effect on invasive fish control, water quality, or aquatic biodiversity. Draining even facilitated the colonization of farm ponds by invasive red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii), which in turn may have detrimental effects on the biodiversity and water quality of farm ponds. Our results highlight the need for reconsidering current pond management and developing management plans with respect to multifunctionality of such ponds. Efectos del Drenado de Estanques sobre la Biodiversidad y la Calidad del Agua en Estanques de Cultivo. © 2013 Society for Conservation Biology.

  7. Post-Closure Report for Closed Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Corrective Action Units, Nevada National Security Site, Nevada for fiscal year 2013 (October 2012 - September 2013)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    None, None

    2014-01-31

    This report serves as the combined annual report for post-closure activities for the following closed Corrective Action Units (CAUs): CAU 90, Area 2 Bitcutter Containment; CAU 91, Area 3 U-3fi Injection Well; CAU 92, Area 6 Decon Pond Facility; CAU 110, Area 3 WMD U-3ax/bl Crater; CAU 111, Area 5 WMD Retired Mixed Waste Pits; and, CAU 112, Area 23 Hazardous Waste Trenches.

  8. Mapping the Relative Probability of Common Toad Occurrence in Terrestrial Lowland Farm Habitat in the United Kingdom.

    PubMed

    Salazar, Rosie D; Montgomery, Robert A; Thresher, Sarah E; Macdonald, David W

    2016-01-01

    The common toad (Bufo bufo) is of increasing conservation concern in the United Kingdom (UK) due to dramatic population declines occurring in the past century. Many of these population declines coincided with reductions in both terrestrial and aquatic habitat availability and quality and have been primarily attributed to the effect of agricultural land conversion (of natural and semi-natural habitats to arable and pasture fields) and pond drainage. However, there is little evidence available to link habitat availability with common toad population declines, especially when examined at a broad landscape scale. Assessing such patterns of population declines at the landscape scale, for instance, require an understanding of how this species uses terrestrial habitat. We intensively studied the terrestrial resource selection of a large population of common toads in Oxfordshire, England, UK. Adult common toads were fitted with passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags to allow detection in the terrestrial environment using a portable PIT antenna once toads left the pond and before going into hibernation (April/May-October 2012 and 2013). We developed a population-level resource selection function (RSF) to assess the relative probability of toad occurrence in the terrestrial environment by collecting location data for 90 recaptured toads. The predicted relative probability of toad occurrence for this population was greatest in wooded habitat near to water bodies; relative probability of occurrence declined dramatically > 50 m from these habitats. Toads also tended to select habitat near to their breeding pond and toad occurrence was negatively related to urban environments.

  9. Analysis of Salmonella sp bacterial contamination on Vannamei Shrimp using binary logit model approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oktaviana, P. P.; Fithriasari, K.

    2018-04-01

    Mostly Indonesian citizen consume vannamei shrimp as their food. Vannamei shrimp also is one of Indonesian exports comodities mainstay. Vannamei shrimp in the ponds and markets could be contaminated by Salmonella sp bacteria. This bacteria will endanger human health. Salmonella sp bacterial contamination on vannamei shrimp could be affected by many factors. This study is intended to identify what factors that supposedly influence the Salmonella sp bacterial contamination on vannamei shrimp. The researchers used the testing result of Salmonella sp bacterial contamination on vannamei shrimp as response variable. This response variable has two categories: 0 = if testing result indicate that there is no Salmonella sp on vannamei shrimp; 1 = if testing result indicate that there is Salmonella sp on vannamei shrimp. There are four factors that supposedly influence the Salmonella sp bacterial contamination on vannamei shrimp, which are the testing result of Salmonella sp bacterial contamination on farmer hand swab; the subdistrict of vannamei shrimp ponds; the fish processing unit supplied by; and the pond are in hectare. This four factors used as predictor variables. The analysis used is Binary Logit Model Approach according to the response variable that has two categories. The analysis result indicates that the factors or predictor variables which is significantly affect the Salmonella sp bacterial contamination on vannamei shrimp are the testing result of Salmonella sp bacterial contamination on farmer hand swab and the subdistrict of vannamei shrimp ponds.

  10. A survey of catfish pond water chemistry parameters for copper toxicity modelling

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Water samples were collected from 20 catfish ponds in 2015 to obtain data useful in predicting copper toxicity and chemical behavior. Ponds were located in major catfish producing areas of west Alabama, east Arkansas, and Mississippi. Pond types included traditional levee ponds, split-ponds, water...

  11. Effects of hydrology on zooplankton communities in high-mountain ponds, Mount Rainier National Park, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Girdner, Scott; Larson, Gary L.

    1995-01-01

    Ten high-mountain ponds in Mount Rainier National Park, Washington State, were studied from ice-out in June through September1992 to investigate the influences of fluctuating pond volumes on zooplankton communities. All of the ponds were at maximum volume immediately after ice-out. The temporary pond with the shortest wet phase was inhabited by rotifer taxa with short generation times and a crustacean taxon with the ability to encyst as drought-resistant resting bodies at immature stages of development. Dominant zooplankton taxa in three other temporary ponds and six permanent ponds were similar. Rotifer densities typically were lower in temporary ponds relative to those in permanent ponds, although Brachionus urceolaris was abundant shortly before the temporary ponds dried. Large volume loss was associated with large declines in total abundances of crustacean populations. Daphnia rosea was not present in temporary ponds following fall recharge. In deep-permanent ponds, copepods had slower developmental rates, smaller temporal changes in total abundances of crustacean populations and two additional large-bodied crustacean taxa were present relative to the characteristics of crustacean communities in shallow-permanent ponds. Owing to their small sizes and sensitivity to environmental change, collectively ponds such as these may provide an early signal of long-term climate change in aquatic systems.

  12. Corrective Action Investigation Plan for Corrective Action Unit 151: Septic Systems and Discharge Area, Nevada Test Site, Nevada, Rev. No.: 0

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    David A. Strand

    2004-06-01

    This Corrective Action Investigation Plan (CAIP) contains project-specific information for conducting site investigation activities at Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 151: Septic Systems and Discharge Area, Nevada Test Site, Nevada. Information presented in this CAIP includes facility descriptions, environmental sample collection objectives, and criteria for the selection and evaluation of environmental corrective action alternatives. Corrective Action Unit 151 is located in Areas 2, 12, 18, and 20 of the Nevada Test Site, which is 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. Corrective Action Unit 151 is comprised of the nine Corrective Action Sites (CAS) listed below: (1) 02-05-01, UE-2ce Pond; (2)more » 12-03-01, Sewage Lagoons (6); (3) 12-04-01, Septic Tanks; (4) 12-04-02, Septic Tanks; (5) 12-04-03, Septic Tank; (6) 12-47-01, Wastewater Pond; (7) 18-03-01, Sewage Lagoon; (8) 18-99-09, Sewer Line (Exposed); and (9) 20-19-02, Photochemical Drain. The CASs within CAU 151 are discharge and collection systems. Corrective Action Site 02-05-01 is located in Area 2 and is a well-water collection pond used as a part of the Nash test. Corrective Action Sites 12-03-01, 12-04-01, 12-04-02, 12-04-03, and 12-47-01 are located in Area 12 and are comprised of sewage lagoons, septic tanks, associated piping, and two sumps. The features are a part of the Area 12 Camp housing and administrative septic systems. Corrective Action Sites 18-03-01 and 18-99-09 are located in the Area 17 Camp in Area 18. These sites are sewage lagoons and associated piping. The origin and terminus of CAS 18-99-09 are unknown; however, the type and configuration of the pipe indicates that it may be a part of the septic systems in Area 18. Corrective Action Site 20-19-02 is located in the Area 20 Camp. This site is comprised of a surface discharge of photoprocessing chemicals.« less

  13. Big Savings from Smart Motors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1984-01-01

    Chesebrough-Pond's operates 32 plants across the nation and in those plants are more than 10,000 electric motors. In an effort to cut down on waste of electrical power used by these motors, Chesebrough organized a Corporate Advanced Technology Group to devise ways of improving productivity and cut manufacturing costs. Chesebrough used NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center's Power Factor Controller technology as a departure point for development of their own computerized motor controller that enables motors to operate at maximum efficiency regardless of the motor's applications or operating condition.

  14. Impact of design and operation variables on the performance of vertical-flow constructed wetlands and intermittent sand filters treating pond effluent.

    PubMed

    Torrens, Antonina; Molle, Pascal; Boutin, Catherine; Salgot, Miquel

    2009-04-01

    With the aim of improving the quality of the effluent from a waste stabilization pond (WSP) different types of vertical-flow constructed wetlands (VFCWs) and intermittent sand filters (ISFs) were tested at a pilot plant in Aurignac (France). The effectiveness of each design at upgrading the pond effluent was studied over a period of 2 years. Physicochemical parameters were monitored by taking composite samples over 24h and grab samples every week. The hydraulic behaviour of the filters was studied using (NaCl) tracer tests and monitoring the infiltration rate. This paper describes the influence on the performance of the beds of: (a) the characteristics of the medium (type of sand, depth, and presence of Phragmites); (b) feed modes; and (c) the presence of an algae clogging layer. The study demonstrates the viability of VFCWs and ISFs as means of upgrading effluent from WSPs. For hydraulic loads (HL) of up to 80cm/day, both technologies effectively retain algae, complete organic matter degradation, and nitrify the pond effluent. The presence of plants did not significantly affect the performance of the filters although it was important in terms of maintenance. The deeper filters presented better removals for all the parameter tested, due to higher hydraulic detention times (HDTs). The dosing regime and resting period duration all affected the hydraulic performance and purification efficiency of the filters.

  15. Zoo-heleoplankton structure in three artificial ponds of North-eastern Argentina.

    PubMed

    Frutos, S M; Carnevali, R

    2008-09-01

    The aim of the present study was to compare the abundance and species richness of zoo-heleoplankton bigger than 53 microm in an annual cycle under similar climate conditions in three artificial ponds, in order to observe the changes during an annual cycle. Samples were taken monthly from June 1993 to July 1994 in Corrientes, Argentina. The first pond (A) was covered an 80% by Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.), the second one (B) with bloom of Microcystis aeruginosa (Kurtzing) and the last one (C) with organic matter deposited in the bottom. The water was more acidic at pond A, and the water at pond B contained more dissolved oxygen concentration than the water at the other two ponds. The zoo-heleoplankton densities varied between 20-1728 ind.l(-1) at pond A, 42-4082 ind.l(-1) at pond B and 148-2447 ind.l(-1) at pond C. The maximum zoo-heleoplankton abundance was found in the pond with cyanobacteria bloom during Autumn 1994 and the minimum abundance was found in the one with a predominance of E. crassipes. The rank of species richness was pond A > pond B > pond C. Rotifera was the most abundant group in pond A whereas the larval stages of Copepoda were abundant in the other two ponds. Anuraeopsis navicula Rousselt 1910 was the dominant population in the pond with macrophytes prevalence. Brachionus calyciflorus Pallas 1776 and larval stage of Copepoda had variable proportions in the pond with cyanobacteria bloom. Thermocyclops decipiens (Kiefer 1929) was present during the annual cycle only in the pond with organic matter deposited in the bottom. The succession of taxa was observed in the pond with coverage of aquatic macrophytes and with cyanobacteria bloom. Differences in species richness and low similarity in zoo-heleoplankton between ponds were determined by differences in the quality of the water in relation to the presence of macrophytes, cyanobacteria, organic matter deposited in the bottom and fish predation. Multiple regression analysis (stepwise) revealed that water transparency, dissolved oxygen and conductivity were the environmental variables that explained more than 42% of variability in the abundance of the dominant species.

  16. Western pond turtle: Biology, sampling techniques, inventory and monitoring, conservation, and management: Northwest Fauna No. 7

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bury, R.B.; Welsh, Hartwell H.; Germano, David J.; Ashton, Donald T.

    2012-01-01

    One of only two native, freshwater turtle species in the western United States, western pond turtles are declining in portions of their original range. Declines are mostly due to habitat loss, introduction of non-native species, pollution, and lack of connectivity among populations. USGS zoologist R. Bruce Bury and colleagues from the U.S. Forest Service, California State University, and other agencies compiled and edited a new review and field manual of this charismatic species. Objectives were to determine its current distribution and abundance, summarize and evaluate population features, review techniques to detect population and habitat changes, and improve monitoring for long-term trends. Methods described in the manual should improve consistency, efficiency, and accuracy of survey data, resulting in improved management and conservation efforts.

  17. 75 FR 59184 - Proposed Flood Elevation Determinations

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-09-27

    .... Ponding Area 17 Ponding area bounded by None *51 City of Deltona. Applegate Terrace to the north, East... south. Ponding Area 20 Ponding area bounded by None *51 City of Deltona. Gallagher Avenue to the north... Road to the east. Ponding Area 33 Ponding area bounded by None *51 City of Deltona. Coventry Street to...

  18. A review of the sustainable value and disposal techniques, wastewater stabilisation ponds sludge characteristics and accumulation.

    PubMed

    Keffala, Chéma; Harerimana, Casimir; Vasel, Jean-luc

    2013-01-01

    Based on worldwide works available in international literature, this paper describes the status of sewage sludge resulting from settleable solids in waste stabilisation ponds (WSP). This review presents, in detail, sludge characteristics, production and accumulation rates in order to provide background information to those who expect to advise or get involved with sewage disposal in situations where resources are limited. Knowing that several years are usually required for a sludge removal operation and that the long-term sustainability of WSP systems is dependent on the safe and effective management of their sludge, its cost must be estimated and taken into account in the annual maintenance costs of the processes. Thus, this paper intends to summarise desludging methods and their financial estimation. Even when ponds have been functioning for several years, most of the sediments are stabilised well, the final disposal is an issue in terms of risk due, for example, to their content in nematode eggs. More generally, the pathogen content in sludge from WSP ponds has to be known to define an appropriate management and to safeguard public health. Based on existing data, the rates and distribution of helminth eggs will be presented and practical treatment methods will be suggested. A number of sludge utilisation and disposal pathways will also be summarised. Sludge activity in terms of oxygen consumption is also discussed in order to gather more information to improve pond design and keep an economic and sustainable value of WSP. The objectives of the present review are to advance knowledge and gather scientific and technical information on all aspects of sludge management including production, characterisation, management, agricultural reuse and ultimate disposal.

  19. Monitoring and modeling infiltration-recharge dynamics of managed aquifer recharge with desalinated seawater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ganot, Yonatan; Holtzman, Ran; Weisbrod, Noam; Nitzan, Ido; Katz, Yoram; Kurtzman, Daniel

    2017-09-01

    We study the relation between surface infiltration and groundwater recharge during managed aquifer recharge (MAR) with desalinated seawater in an infiltration pond, at the Menashe site that overlies the northern part of the Israeli Coastal Aquifer. We monitor infiltration dynamics at multiple scales (up to the scale of the entire pond) by measuring the ponding depth, sediment water content and groundwater levels, using pressure sensors, single-ring infiltrometers, soil sensors, and observation wells. During a month (January 2015) of continuous intensive MAR (2.45 × 106 m3 discharged to a 10.7 ha area), groundwater level has risen by 17 m attaining full connection with the pond, while average infiltration rates declined by almost 2 orders of magnitude (from ˜ 11 to ˜ 0.4 m d-1). This reduction can be explained solely by the lithology of the unsaturated zone that includes relatively low-permeability sediments. Clogging processes at the pond-surface - abundant in many MAR operations - are negated by the high-quality desalinated seawater (turbidity ˜ 0.2 NTU, total dissolved solids ˜ 120 mg L-1) or negligible compared to the low-permeability layers. Recharge during infiltration was estimated reasonably well by simple analytical models, whereas a numerical model was used for estimating groundwater recharge after the end of infiltration. It was found that a calibrated numerical model with a one-dimensional representative sediment profile is able to capture MAR dynamics, including temporal reduction of infiltration rates, drainage and groundwater recharge. Measured infiltration rates of an independent MAR event (January 2016) fitted well to those calculated by the calibrated numerical model, showing the model validity. The successful quantification methodologies of the temporal groundwater recharge are useful for MAR practitioners and can serve as an input for groundwater flow models.

  20. Seasonal-Scale Sedimentology and Restoration Potential in a Diversion-Fed Coastal Louisiana Wetland

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Keogh, M.; Kolker, A.

    2016-02-01

    Coastal Louisiana is threatened by high rates of subsidence and rapid land loss. One promising method to mitigate this land loss is to divert Mississippi River water into surrounding wetlands. This study examines the impacts of one such diversion. Completed in 2002, Davis Pond Freshwater Diversion is located approximately 35 river km upstream of New Orleans. Although initially designed and operated to reduce salinity levels in the interior marsh, the diversion also delivers sediment and nutrients to the subsiding wetland. As a result, new land has emerged adjacent to the Davis Pond outfall channel in recent years. Here we examine patterns of seasonal-scale sediment accumulation and retention in the marsh surrounding Davis Pond diversion. Twenty-two short (5-cm) sediment cores were collected in spring 2015 immediately following a 13-day experimental release of Mississippi River water through the diversion. During this time, discharge increased from a base flow of approximately 28 m3s-1 (1,000 ft3s-1) to an elevated flow of between 142 and 283 m3s-1 (5,000 and 10,000 ft3s-1), before returning to base flow. A second set of cores were collected in fall 2015 after a 6-month period of base flow. Sediment cores were analyzed for organic content, bulk density, and grain size. In addition, inventories of beryllium-7 were used to calculate seasonal-scale sediment accumulation and retention rates. This work leads to the development of a sediment budget for the Davis Pond area and determination of long-term sediment trapping rates. Davis Pond Freshwater Diversion is an understudied system that can provide a scalable model for coast-wide restoration projects critical to the protection of Gulf Coast communities.

  1. THE BEHAVIOR OF MICROORGANISMS RESISTANT TO MERCURY FROM PAVLODAR, KAZAKHSTAN

    EPA Science Inventory

    There is extensive mercury contamination surrounding a chloralkali plant in Pavlodar, Kazakhstan that operated from 1970 to 1990. High-level mercury contamination exists within the confines of the plant, at nearby off-site waste storage and evaporation ponds, in Balkyldak Lake w...

  2. Sport fishery potential of power plant cooling ponds: Final report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Heidinger, R.C.; Lewis, W.M.

    1986-10-01

    This research was undertaken to determine if cooling ponds could serve as habitat for several coolwater fish species and also to evaluate the potential use of cooling ponds as nursery areas for receiving waters. The work was conducted on two cooling ponds in northern Illinois. Walleye (Stizostedion vitreum), muskellunge (Esox masquinongy), striped bass (Morone saxatilis) fingerlings, and adult threadfin shad (Dorosoma petenense) were stocked into both cooling ponds. The hybrids between the striped bass and white bass (M. chrysops) had been previously stocked into Collins Pond. Smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieui) fingerlings and larval striped bass and walleye were stocked inmore » Dresden Pond. Several sampling techniques including seining, electrofishing, and rotenoning were used to monitor growth and survival of stocked species. In addition, escapement of stocked and indigenous species was monitored at the Dresden Pond spillway. Walleye, muskellunge, striped bass and hybrid striped bass exhibited excellent growth in Collins Pond as did smallmouth bass in Dresden Pond. One of the primary differences between an open system (such as Dresden Pond) and a closed system (such as Collins Pond) is the potential that the open system has to serve as a fish nursery area for receiving waters. The stocking of ''coolwater'' species in a closed type system such as Collins Pond is an effective way to control and maintain selected sport species. Dresden Pond was not open to public fishing during this study, but Collins Pond developed an excellent sport fishery as a result of these stockings.« less

  3. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nelson, Jody K.

    Remedial investigation and cleanup at the Rocky Flats, Colorado, Site was completed in 2005. Uplands, riparian, and wetland habitat were disturbed during cleanup and closure activities and required extensive revegetation. Unavoidable disturbances to habitat of the Preble's meadow jumping mouse (a federally listed species) and wetlands required consultation with regulatory agencies and mitigation. Mitigation wetlands were constructed in two drainages, and a third developed naturally where a soil borrow area intercepted the groundwater table. During the 50-plus years of site operations, 12 ponds were constructed in three drainages to manage and retain runoff and sewage treatment plant discharges prior tomore » release off site. A batch-release protocol has been used for the past several decades at the terminal ponds, which has affected the riparian communities downstream. To return the hydrologic regime to a more natural flow-through system similar to the pre-industrial-use conditions, seven interior dams (of 12) have been breached, and the remaining five dams are scheduled for breaching between 2011 and 2020. At the breached dams, the former open water areas have transformed to emergent wetlands, and the stream reaches have returned to a flow-through system. Riparian and wetland vegetation has established very well. The valves of the terminal ponds were opened in fall 2011 to begin flow-through operations and provide water to the downstream plant communities while allowing reestablishment of vegetation in the former pond bottoms prior to breaching. A number of challenges and issues were addressed during the revegetation effort. These included reaching an agreement on revegetation goals, addressing poor substrate quality and soil compaction problems, using soil amendments and topsoil, selecting seeds, determining the timing and location of revegetation projects relative to continuing closure activities, weed control, erosion control, revegetation project field oversight, and contractual limitations. A variety of ecological restoration techniques were conducted at the site to meet these challenges. These efforts have resulted in vegetation becoming well established in most locations. (author)« less

  4. Recovery of aquatic insect-mediated methylmercury flux from ponds following drying disturbance.

    PubMed

    Chumchal, Matthew M; Drenner, Ray W; Greenhill, Frank M; Kennedy, James H; Courville, Ashlyn E; Gober, Charlie A A; Lossau, Luke O

    2017-08-01

    Small ponds exist across a permanence gradient, and pond permanence is hypothesized to be a primary determinant of insect community structure and insect-mediated methylmercury (MeHg) flux from ponds to the surrounding terrestrial landscape. The present study describes the first experiment examining the recovery of insect-mediated MeHg flux following a drying disturbance that converted permanent ponds with insectivorous fish to semipermanent ponds without fish. Floating emergence traps were used to collect emergent insects for 10 wk in the spring and summer from 5 ponds with fish (permanent) and 5 ponds that were drained to remove fish, dried, and refilled with water (semipermanent). During the 73-d period after semipermanent ponds were refilled, total MeHg flux from semipermanent ponds was not significantly different than total MeHg flux from permanent ponds, indicating that insect-mediated MeHg flux had rapidly recovered in semipermanent ponds following the drying disturbance. Methylmercury fluxes from dragonflies (Odonata: Anisoptera) and phantom midges (Diptera: Chaoboridae) were significantly greater from newly refilled semipermanent ponds than permanent ponds, but the MeHg fluxes from the other 8 emergent insect taxa did not differ between treatments. The present study demonstrates the impact of drying disturbance and the effect of community structure on the cross-system transport of contaminants from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:1986-1990. © 2017 SETAC. © 2017 SETAC.

  5. REGULATORY PERSPECTIVE ON MANAGING RISKS AT ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Over 700 sites in the United States have been identified where wood preserving operations have been conducted. The most common types of wood preservatives found at these sites are creosote, pentachlorophenol (PCP), and copper chromated arsenate (CCA). When properly used and disposed of, these preservatives do not impose a significant health risk. However, due to operating procedures (many of which were accepted industry practices at the time), wood treating operations have contributed to soil and groundwater contamination. Primary sources of pollution at these sites are lagoons, waste ponds, drip raacki areas and chemical storage and treatment tanks. To better understand the risks associated with the use of wood preserving compounds, it is important to identify the constituents of concern. Creosote is produced as a distillate from coal tar and hence, is a variable mixture of hundreds of compounds, mostly semivolatile organics (SVOCs). Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) generally, account for up to 85%, by weight, of the chemical constituents found in undiluted creosote. Genetic toxicity if individual PAHs increase with m,olecular weight. USEPA has determined that 7 PAHs are probable human carcinogens and has set forth order-of-magnitue relative potency factors for these constituents, Pentachlorophenol (PCP0 is another preservative used in wood preserving processes and is prepared by dissolving technical grade PCP in oil to produce a solution that

  6. The critical role of islands for waterbird breeding and foraging habitat in managed ponds of the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project, South San Francisco Bay, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ackerman, Joshua T.; Hartman, C. Alex; Herzog, Mark P.; Smith, Lacy M.; Moskal, Stacy M.; De La Cruz, Susan E. W.; Yee, Julie L.; Takekawa, John Y.

    2014-01-01

    The South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project aims to restore 50–90 percent of former salt evaporation ponds into tidal marsh in South San Francisco Bay, California. However, large numbers of waterbirds use these ponds annually as nesting and foraging habitat. Islands within ponds are particularly important habitat for nesting, foraging, and roosting waterbirds. To maintain current waterbird populations, the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project plans to create new islands within former salt ponds in South San Francisco Bay. In a series of studies, we investigated pond and individual island attributes that are most beneficial to nesting, foraging, and roosting waterbirds.

  7. Polarimetric C-/X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar Observations of Melting Sea Ice in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Casey, J. A.; Beckers, J. F.; Brossier, E.; Haas, C.

    2013-12-01

    Operational ice information services rely heavily on space-borne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data for the production of ice charts to meet their mandate of providing timely and accurate sea ice information to support safe and efficient marine operations. During the summer melt period, the usefulness of SAR data for sea ice monitoring is limited by the presence of wet snow and melt ponds on the ice surface, which can mask the signature of the underlying ice. This is a critical concern for ice services whose clients (e.g. commercial shipping, cruise tourism, resource exploration and extraction) are most active at this time of year when sea ice is at its minimum extent, concentration and thickness. As a result, there is a need to further quantify the loss of ice information in SAR data during the melt season and to identify what information can still be retrieved about ice surface conditions and melt pond evolution at this time of year. To date the majority of studies have been limited to analysis of single-polarization C-band SAR data. This study will investigate the potential complimentary and unique sea ice information that polarimetric C- and X-band SAR data can provide to supplement the information available from traditional single co-polarized C-band SAR data. A time-series of polarimetric C- and X-band SAR data was acquired over Jones Sound in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, in the vicinity of the Grise Fiord, Nunavut. Five RADARSAT-2 Wide Fine Quad-pol images and 11 TerraSAR-X StripMap dual-pol (HH/VV) images were acquired. The time-series begins at the onset of melt in early June and extends through advanced melt conditions in late July. Over this period several ponding and drainage events and two snowfall events occurred. Field observations of sea ice properties were collected using an Ice Mass Balance (IMB) buoy, hourly photos from a time-lapse camera deployed on a coastal cliff, and manual in situ measurements of snow thickness and melt pond depth. Where available, clear-sky data from optical sensors (MODIS, Landsat-8, and WorldView) are also used to provide supplementary information on melt pond coverage and evolution. Meteorological data are available from an Environment Canada weather station in Grise Fiord. In this presentation we will discuss the sea ice information provided by each polarization and frequency and evaluate the impact of melt pond evolution on SAR backscatter. Results to date indicate that C- and X-band provide predominantly redundant information, and cross-polarized backscatter (only acquired at C-band) is often very low and near the system noise floor. Early in the melt season a thick wet snow pack is present and both frequencies provide very little ice information. This is attributed to the strong attenuation of the microwave signal by the wet snow. At this time the underlying ice is effectively obscured. During heavily ponded periods backscatter is highly variable, attributed to changing winds and thus variable melt pond surface roughness. In the final week of observations the fast ice in the region is breaking up and open water is present in some images. In these images C-band appears to provide greater contrast between the melting ice and open water than X-band. Analysis of polarimetric parameters is ongoing.

  8. Hydrology, water quality, and water-supply potential of ponds at Hunter Army Airfield, Chatham County, Georgia, November 2008-July 2009

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Clarke, John S.; Painter, Jaime A.

    2010-01-01

    The hydrology, water quality, and water-supply potential of four ponds constructed to capture stormwater runoff at Hunter Army Airfield, Chatham County, Georgia, were evaluated as potential sources of supplemental irrigation supply. The ponds are, Oglethorpe Lake, Halstrum Pond, Wilson Gate Pond, and golf course pond. During the dry season, when irrigation demand is highest, ponds maintain water levels primarily from groundwater seepage. The availability of water from ponds during dry periods is controlled by the permeability of surficial deposits, precipitation and evaporation, and the volume of water stored in the pond. Net groundwater seepage (Gnet) was estimated using a water-budget approach that used onsite and nearby climatic and hydrologic data collected during November-December 2008 including precipitation, evaporation, pond stage, and discharge. Gnet was estimated at three of the four sites?Oglethorpe Lake, Halstrum Pond, and Wilson Gate Pond?during November-December 2008. Pond storage volume in the three ponds ranged from 5.34 to 12.8 million gallons. During November-December 2008, cumulative Gnet ranged from -5.74 gallons per minute (gal/min), indicating a net loss in pond volume, to 19 gal/min, indicating a net gain in pond volume. During several periods of stage recovery, daily Gnet rates were higher than the 2-month cumulative amount, with the highest rates of 178 to 424 gal/min following major rainfall events during limited periods. These high rates may include some contribution from stormwater runoff; more typical recovery rates were from 23 to 223 gal/min. A conservative estimate of the volume of water available for irrigation supply from three of the ponds was provided by computing the rate of depletion of pond volume for a variety of withdrawal rates based on long-term average July precipitation and evaporation and the lowest estimated Gnet rate at each pond. Withdrawal rates of 1,000, 500, and 250 gal/min were applied during an 8-hour daily pumping period. At a withdrawal rate of 1,000 gal/min, available pond volume would be depleted in 13-29 days, at a rate of 500 gal/min in 24-60 days, and at a rate of 250 gal/min, in 44 to 130 days. In each case, Halstrum Pond had the largest amount of available pond volume. The water-supply potential at the golf course pond was assessed by measuring flow downstream from the pond during February-July 2009, and examining historic stormflow measurements collected during 1979-87. Streamflow during both of these periods exceeded average daily (2005-2007) golf course water use. Assuming an 8-hour daily irrigation period, the average discharge rate required to meet Golf Course water demand during peak demand months of March-May and July-October exceeds 200 gal/min, with the greatest rate of 531 gal/min during July. During February-July 2009, daily average streamflow downstream of the golf course pond exceeded 238 gal/min 90 percent of the time. Based on samples collected for chemical analysis during April 2009, water from all four ponds at Hunter Army Airfield is fresh and suitable for irrigation supply, with chloride concentrations below 12 milligrams per liter. With the exception of iron in Wilson Gate Pond, constituent concentrations are below U.S. Environmental Protection Agency primary and secondary drinking water maximum contaminant levels. Water in Wilson Gate Pond contained an iron concentration of 419 mg/L, which exceeds the secondary maximum contaminant level of 300 micrograms per liter. Although not a health hazard, when the iron concentration exceeds 300 micrograms per liter, iron staining of sidewalks and plumbing fixtures may occur. Levels of dissolved oxygen were below the Georgia Environmental Protection Divison standard of 4 milligrams per liter for waters supporting warm-water fishes at deeper depths in Oglethorpe Lake, Wilson Gate Pond, and Halstrum Pond, and in the composite sample at the golf course pond.

  9. Hydrogeology of eastern Michaud Flats, Fort Hall Indian Reservation, Idaho

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Jacobson, N.D.

    1984-01-01

    Groundwater in Michaud Flats, southeastern Idaho, is developed extensively for irrigation and industry. Extensive clay beds overlie the Bighole Basalt and Sunbeam Formation, which yield most of the water for irrigation and industrial wells; artesian aquifers in these rock units have heads below land surface and near those in the shallow water-table aquifer in the overlying Michaud Gravel. Transmissivities in artesian aquifers range from 19,6000 to 444,000 feet squared per day. High levels of arsenic were detected in groundwater in the Flats in 1972. During 1982, concentrations of arsenic twice exceeded the recommended drinking water limit of 50 micrograms per liter. Concentrations of other chemical constituents were generally within drinking water limits. Stable-isotope data suggest more than one source of aquifer recharge and indicate some mixing between waters from industrial ponds and local groundwater. Management alternatives are being implemented by two industries for control of groundwater contamination. These include reduction of effluent, installation of liners and leachate recovery systems in ponds, and removal and reclamation of precipitates in old slurry and evaporation ponds. Six sites will be monitored through 1985 to determine changes in groundwater chemistry and migration of contaminants. (USGS)

  10. Pilot-scale continuous recycling of growth medium for the mass culture of a halotolerant Tetraselmis sp. in raceway ponds under increasing salinity: a novel protocol for commercial microalgal biomass production.

    PubMed

    Fon Sing, S; Isdepsky, A; Borowitzka, M A; Lewis, D M

    2014-06-01

    The opportunity to recycle microalgal culture medium for further cultivation is often hampered by salinity increases from evaporation and fouling by dissolved and particulate matter. In this study, the impact of culture re-use after electro-flocculation of seawater-based medium on growth and biomass productivity of the halotolerant green algal strain Tetraselmis sp., MUR 233, was investigated in pilot-scale open raceway ponds over 5months. Despite a salinity increase from 5.5% to 12% (w/v) NaCl, Tetraselmis MUR 233 grown on naturally DOC-enriched recycled medium produced 48-160% more ash free dry weight (AFDW) biomass daily per unit pond area than when grown on non-recycled medium. A peak productivity of 37.5±3.1gAFDWm(-2)d(-1) was reached in the recycled medium upon transition from ∼14% to ∼7% NaCl. The combination of high biomass-yielding mixotrophic growth under high salinity has been proven to be a successful sustainable cultivation strategy. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Utilization of surface mine ponds in East Tennessee by breeding amphibians

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Turner, L.J.; Fowler, D.K.

    1981-06-01

    Of 24 ponds examined on Ollis Creek Surface Mine, Campbell County, Tennessee, 21 contained breeding amphibians. Twelve species of amphibians were identified in ponds that ranged from 4.0 to 8.0 in pH. Although ponds with low pH values were used by breeding amphibians, significantly more amphibian species were found in ponds with higher pH values. The average pH of ponds occupied by each amphibian species varied. Spring peepers (Hyla crucifer) occupied ponds with the lowest average pH (5.22) while upland chorus frogs (Pseudacris triseriata feriarum) utilized ponds with the highest average pH (6.33). Findings indicated high biological productivity in surfacemore » mine ponds. Aquatic vegetation was present in 20 of the 24 ponds. Aquatic insects and a diverse wildlife fauna utilized the study ponds. Large mammals (3 species), waterbirds (17 species), and snakes (2 species) were among those species observed. Surface mine ponds were found to supply an important habitat component for a variety of wildlife species and therefore improve the quality of wildlife habitat on the surface mines. In some areas, mine ponds are the only source of surface water available for wildlife use. 23 references, 9 figures, 5 tables.« less

  12. Considerations when using variable frequency drive technology for pond aquculture

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Some farmers have decided to use variable frequency drives (VFDs) to control pump speed and water flow rate to reduce operational cost and costs associated with repairs and maintenance. Mixed performance issues with VFDs and electric motors have been reported. Examples include frequent drive failure...

  13. Distribution of living larger benthic foraminifera in littoral environments of the United Arab Emirates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fiorini, Flavia; Lokier, Stephen W.

    2015-04-01

    The distribution of larger benthic foraminifera in Recent littoral environment of the United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi and Western regions) was investigated with the aim of understanding the response of those foraminifera to an increase in water salinity. For this purpose, 100 sediment samples from nearshore shelf, beach-front, channel, lagoon, and intertidal environment were collected. Sampling was undertaken at a water depth shallower than 15 m in water with a temperature of 22 to 35˚C, a salinity ranging from 40 to 60‰ and a pH of 8. Samples were stained with rose Bengal at the moment of sample collection in order to identify living specimens. The most abundant epiphytic larger benthic foraminifera in the studied area were Peneroplis pertusus and P. planatus with less common Spirolina areatina, S. aciculate and Sorites marginalis. The living specimens of the above mentioned species with normal test growing were particularly abundant in the nearshore shelf and lagoonal samples collected on seaweed. Dead specimens were concentrated in the coarser sediments of the beach-front, probably transported from nearby environments. Shallow coastal ponds are located in the upper intertidal zone and have a maximum salinity of 60‰ and contain abundant detached seagrass. Samples collected from these ponds possess a living foraminifera assemblage dominated by Peneroplis pertusus and P. planatus. High percentages (up to 50% of the stained assemblage) of Peneroplis presented abnormality in test growth, such as the presence of multiple apertures with reduced size, deformation in the general shape of the test, irregular suture lines and abnormal coiling. The high percentage of abnormal tests reflects natural environmental stress mainly caused by high and variable salinity. The unique presence of living epiphytic species, suggests that epiphytic foraminifera may be transported into the pond together with seagrass and continued to live in the pond. This hypothesis is supported by the fact that all of the foraminifera with abnormal test growth were adults and exhibiting a normal proloculus and normal growth of the earlier chambers.

  14. Sedimentation rates and patterns in beaver ponds in a mountain environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Butler, David R.; Malanson, George P.

    1995-09-01

    Sediment depth was measured at several sites within each of eight beaver ponds in Glacier National Park, Montana, and sediment samples wen; collected from five of these ponds. Accumulation rates of sediments far exceeded published rates from boreal forest landscapes in eastem and central North America. Pond area strongly predicts volume of sedimentation. Textural differences illustrated spatial variations associated with position in a pond and along a pond sequence. Organic matter content was significantly higher in older ponds, and has ramifications for the development of the benthos and the long-term storage of matter in ponds. The role of beavers as biogeomorphic agents is profound, but requires further elucidation to distinguish between fluvial sediment deposition in ponds and sediment deposition associated with beaver excavational activity.

  15. An Example of Effective Urban Outreach: Cleveland Metroparks' NatureTracks Program.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Volbrecht, Vera E.; Hereford, Ray

    1996-01-01

    Describes a mobile interpretive unit of the Cleveland Metroparks that is involved with interpreting natural and cultural history to urban core audiences. The program focuses on plant and animal life in forest, pond, meadow, and urban environments with content targeted to urban youths who are often unable to visit Cleveland Metroparks and are…

  16. Use of artificial wildlife ponds by reptiles in eastern Texas

    Treesearch

    Cory K. Adams; Dan Saenz

    2011-01-01

    Reptiles and amphibians can make up a significant part of the biomass in some ecosystems in southeastern North America. Habitat alterations occur on most of the land in the United States and can have both negative and positive effects on the herpetofauna. However, some modifications are intended primarily as wildlife habitat improvement, such as the creation of...

  17. An Old-Growth Definition for Wet Pine Forests, Woodlands, and Savannas

    Treesearch

    William R. Harms

    1996-01-01

    The ecological, site, and vegetation characteristics of pine wetland forests of the flatwoods region of the Southeastern United States are described. Provisional working definitions of old-growth characteristics are provided for longleaf pine, slash pine, and pond pine forests. These definitions can be used to identify and evaluate stands for retention in old-growth...

  18. Veneer cutting and drying properties of tupelo

    Treesearch

    Forest Products Laboratory (U.S.).

    1963-01-01

    There are three commercially important tupelo species: Water tupelo (Nyssa aquatica), black tupelo (N. sylvatica), and swamp tupelo (N. sylvatica var. biflora). Water tupelo and swamp tupelo, as the names indicate, are water-loving trees and grow principally in the fresh-water swamps and along the edges of streams and ponds in southeastern United States. Black tupelo,...

  19. The Galli Galli Sim Sim Story Pond: Inspiring Children as Storytellers in India

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Batada, Ameena; Joshi, Ira; Sharma, Garima; Mehta, Swati

    2010-01-01

    Children have long enjoyed a special status in the family and the community in India, where traditional teaching techniques include song, dance, play, and storytelling. In India, play-oriented, child-centered approaches to teaching and learning, which are common in the United States, Canada, Europe, and elsewhere, are the exception to the norm…

  20. Tree plantings in depression wetland restorations show mixed success (South Carolina)

    Treesearch

    Rebecca R. Sharitz; Christopher D. Barton; Diane De Steven

    2006-01-01

    Studies of bottomland forest restoration in the southeastern United States indicate that success can be improved by protecting planted tree seedlings from herbivores and controlling competing vegetation. Reforesting “isolated” depressional wetlands may present different challenges: growing-season ponding may expose seedlings to flooding stress, and competition control...

  1. Effects of the Herbicide Imazapyr on Benthic Macroinvertebrates in a Logged Pond Cypress Dome

    Treesearch

    Mark D. Fowlkes; Jerry L. Michael; Thomas L. Crisman; Joseph P. Prenger

    2003-01-01

    Increased herbicide use in silviculture over the last several decades has led to concern over potential water contamination, which may affect biotic health. In the southeastern United States, pine Ratwoods are important for timber production and are often interspersed with cypress wetlands. Cypress domes are isolated, shallow basins that collect surficial waters from...

  2. Implementation of reactive and predictive real-time control strategies to optimize dry stormwater detention ponds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gaborit, Étienne; Anctil, François; Vanrolleghem, Peter A.; Pelletier, Geneviève

    2013-04-01

    Dry detention ponds have been widely implemented in U.S.A (National Research Council, 1993) and Canada (Shammaa et al. 2002) to mitigate the impacts of urban runoff on receiving water bodies. The aim of such structures is to allow a temporary retention of the water during rainfall events, decreasing runoff velocities and volumes (by infiltration in the pond) as well as providing some water quality improvement from sedimentation. The management of dry detention ponds currently relies on static control through a fixed pre-designed limitation of their maximum outflow (Middleton and Barrett 2008), for example via a proper choice of their outlet pipe diameter. Because these ponds are designed for large storms, typically 1- or 2-hour duration rainfall events with return periods comprised between 5 and 100 years, one of their main drawbacks is that they generally offer almost no retention for smaller rainfall events (Middleton and Barrett 2008), which are by definition much more common. Real-Time Control (RTC) has a high potential for optimizing retention time (Marsalek 2005) because it allows adopting operating strategies that are flexible and hence more suitable to the prevailing fluctuating conditions than static control. For dry ponds, this would basically imply adapting the outlet opening percentage to maximize water retention time, while being able to open it completely for severe storms. This study developed several enhanced RTC scenarios of a dry detention pond located at the outlet of a small urban catchment near Québec City, Canada, following the previous work of Muschalla et al. (2009). The catchment's runoff quantity and TSS concentration were simulated by a SWMM5 model with an improved wash-off formulation. The control procedures rely on rainfall detection and measures of the pond's water height for the reactive schemes, and on rainfall forecasts in addition to these variables for the predictive schemes. The automatic reactive control schemes implemented here increased the pond's TSS (and associated pollution) removal efficiency from 46% (current state) to between 70 and 90%, depending on the pond's capacity considered. The RTC strategies allow simultaneously maximizing the detention time of water, while minimizing the hydraulic shocks induced to the receiving water bodies and preventing overflow. A constraint relative to a maximum time of 4 days with water accumulated in the pond was thus respected to avoid mosquito breeding issues. The predictive control schemes (taking rainfall forecasts into consideration) can further reinforce the safety of the management strategies, even if meteorological forecasts are, of course, not error-free. With RTC, the studied pond capacity could thus have been limited to 1250 m3 instead of the 4000 m3 capacity currently used under static control. References Marsalek, J. 2005. Evolution of urban drainage: from cloaca maxima to environmental sustainability. Paper presented at Acqua e Citta, I Convegno Nazionale di Idraulica Urbana, Cent. Stud. Idraul. Urbana, Sant'Agnello di Sorrento, Italy, 28- 30 Sept. Middleton, J.R. and Barrett, M.E. 2008. Water quality performance of a batch-type stormwater detention basin. Water Environment Research, 80 (2): 172-178. Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.2175/106143007X220842 Muschalla, D., Pelletier, G., Berrouard, É., Carpenter, J.-F., Vallet, B., and Vanrolleghem, P.A. 2009. Ecohydraulic-driven real-time control of stormwater basins. In: Proceedings 8th International Conference on Urban Drainage Modelling (8UDM), Tokyo, Japan, September 7-11. National Research Council, 1993. Managing Wastewater in Coastal Urban Areas. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. Shammaa, Y., Zhu, D.Z., Gyürék, L.L., and Labatiuk C.W. 2002. Effectiveness of dry ponds for stormwater total suspended solids removal. Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, 29 (2): 316-324 (9). Doi: 10.1139/l02-008

  3. Revisiting salt marsh resilience to sea level rise: Are ponds responsible for permanent land loss?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mariotti, G.

    2016-12-01

    Ponds are un-vegetated rounded depressions commonly present on marsh platforms. The role of ponds on the long-term morphological evolution of tidal marshes is unclear - at times ponds expand but eventually recover the marsh platform, at other times ponds never recover and lead to permanent marsh loss. Existing field observations indicate that episodic disturbances of the marsh vegetation cause the formation of small (1-10 m) isolated ponds, even if the vegetated platform keeps pace with Relative Sea Level Rise (RSLR), and that isolated ponds tend to deepen and enlarge until they eventually connect to the channel network. Here I implement a simple model to study the vertical and planform evolution of a single connected pond. A newly connected pond recovers if its bed lies above the limit for marsh plant growth, or if the inorganic deposition rate is larger than the RSLR rate. A pond that cannot accrete faster than RSLR will deepen and enlarge, eventually entering a runaway erosion by wave edge retreat. A large tidal range, a large sediment supply, and a low rate of RSLR favor pond recovery. The model suggests that inorganic sediment deposition alone controls pond recovery, even in marshes where organic matter dominates accretion of the vegetated platform. As such, halting permanent marsh loss by pond collapse requires to increase inorganic sediment deposition. Because pond collapse is possible even if the vegetated platform keeps pace with RSLR, I conclude that marsh resilience to RSLR is less than previously quantified.

  4. Estimation of Melt Ponds over Arctic Sea Ice using MODIS Surface Reflectance Data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ding, Y.; Cheng, X.; Liu, J.

    2017-12-01

    Melt ponds over Arctic sea ice is one of the main factors affecting variability of surface albedo, increasing absorption of solar radiation and further melting of snow and ice. In recent years, a large number of melt ponds have been observed during the melt season in Arctic. Moreover, some studies have suggested that late spring to mid summer melt ponds information promises to improve the prediction skill of seasonal Arctic sea ice minimum. In the study, we extract the melt pond fraction over Arctic sea ice since 2000 using three bands MODIS weekly surface reflectance data by considering the difference of spectral reflectance in ponds, ice and open water. The preliminary comparison shows our derived Arctic-wide melt ponds are in good agreement with that derived by the University of Hamburg, especially at the pond distribution. We analyze seasonal evolution, interannual variability and trend of the melt ponds, as well as the changes of onset and re-freezing. The melt pond fraction shows an asymmetrical growth and decay pattern. The observed melt ponds fraction is almost within 25% in early May and increases rapidly in June and July with a high fraction of more than 40% in the east of Greenland and Beaufort Sea. A significant increasing trend in the melt pond fraction is observed for the period of 2000-2017. The relationship between melt pond fraction and sea ice extent will be also discussed. Key Words: melt ponds, sea ice, Arctic

  5. The study of recirculating aquaculture system in pond and its purification effect

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qu, Jiangqi; Zhang, Qingjing; Jia, Chengxia; Liu, Pan; Yang, Mu

    2017-05-01

    In this paper, a recirculating aquaculture purification system (RAPS) was designed to solve the problems of aquaculture pollution and shortage of freshwater resource according to the characteristic of northern freshwater ponds of China. The system were arranged in series and composed of high density culture pond, deposit pond, floating and submerged plant pond, ecological floating bed pond and biofilm filtrate pond. At the fish density of 20~30kg/m3 in the high density culture pond, the water quality parameters were monitored seasonally. The results indicated that the removal rate of total nitrogen, total phosphorus, ammonia nitrogen and nitrite nitrogen in the recirculating aquaculture system were 69.59%, 77.89%, 72.54% and 68.68%, respectively. The floating and submerged plant pond and ecological floating bed pond can remove TN and TP obviously, and increase dissolved oxygen and transparency significantly. And the biofilm filtrate pond has good effect of removing ammonium nitrogen and nitrite nitrogen, meanwhile, the microbial communities in the recirculating aquaculture system regulate on the water quality. Therefore, the RAPS show significant effects on water saving and pollution emission reducing.

  6. Staunton 1 reclamation demonstration project. Aquatic ecosystems. Final report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Vinikour, W. S.

    1981-02-01

    To provide long-term indications of the potential water quality improvements following reclamation efforts at the Staunton 1 Reclamation Demonstration Project, macroinvertebrates were collected from three on-site ponds and from the receiving stream (Cahokia Creek) for site drainage. Implications for potential benthic community differences resulting from site runoff were disclosed, but macroinvertebrate diversity throughout Cahokia Creek was limited due to an unstable, sandy substrate. The three ponds sampled were the New Pond, which was created as part of the reclamation activities; the Shed Pond, which and the Old Pond, which, because it was an existing, nonimpacted pond free of site runoff,more » served as a control. Comparisons of macroinvertebrates from the ponds indicated the potential for the New Pond to develop into a productive ecosystem. Macroinvertebrates in the New Pond were generally species more tolerant of acid mine drainage conditions. However, due to the present limited faunal densities and the undesirable physical and chemical characteristics of the New Pond, the pond should not be stocked with fish at this time.« less

  7. Pond and Irrigation Model (PIM): a tool for simultaneously evaluating pond water availability and crop irrigation demand

    Treesearch

    Ying Ouyang; Gary Feng; Theodor D. Leininger; John Read; Johnie N. Jenkins

    2018-01-01

    Agricultural ponds are an important alternative source of water for crop irrigation to conserve surface and ground water resources. In recent years more such ponds have been constructed in Mississippi and around the world. There is currently, however, a lack of a tool to simultaneously estimate crop irrigation demand and pond water availability. In this study, a Pond-...

  8. Epicatechin, a component of dark chocolate, enhances memory formation if applied during the memory consolidation period.

    PubMed

    Fernell, Maria; Swinton, Cayley; Lukowiak, Ken

    2016-01-01

    Epicatechin (Epi), a flavanol found in foods such as dark chocolate has previously been shown to enhance memory formation in our model system, operant conditioning of aerial respiration in Lymnaea. In those experiments snails were trained in Epi. Here we ask whether snails exposed to Epi before training, during the consolidation period immediately following training, or 1 h after training would enhance memory formation. We report here that Epi is only able to enhance memory if snails are placed in Epi-containing pond water immediately after training. That is, Epi enhances memory formation if it is applied during the memory consolidation period as well as if snails are trained in Epi-containing pond water.

  9. Epicatechin, a component of dark chocolate, enhances memory formation if applied during the memory consolidation period

    PubMed Central

    Fernell, Maria; Swinton, Cayley; Lukowiak, Ken

    2016-01-01

    ABSTRACT Epicatechin (Epi), a flavanol found in foods such as dark chocolate has previously been shown to enhance memory formation in our model system, operant conditioning of aerial respiration in Lymnaea. In those experiments snails were trained in Epi. Here we ask whether snails exposed to Epi before training, during the consolidation period immediately following training, or 1 h after training would enhance memory formation. We report here that Epi is only able to enhance memory if snails are placed in Epi-containing pond water immediately after training. That is, Epi enhances memory formation if it is applied during the memory consolidation period as well as if snails are trained in Epi-containing pond water. PMID:27574544

  10. Hydrogeology and chemical quality of water and bottom sediment at three stormwater detention ponds, Pinellas County, Florida

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Fernandez, Mario; Hutchinson, C.B.

    1993-01-01

    An investigation of three detention ponds in Pinellas County, Florida indicated little potential for chemical contamination of surficial-aquifer ground water; however, concentrations of contami- nants in some sediments are sufficient to indicate possible hazardous levels of bioconcentration in benthic organisms. The general direction of ground- water movement at three pond sites indicates that the ponds are ground-water discharge points. Shallow ground water tends to move laterally toward these ponds, which have surface outflow, instead of from the ponds into the aquifer. Surface-water and pond-sediment samples from a 1-year-old pond were collected and analyzed for inorganic constituents and organic compounds. The concentrations were either near or below analytical detection limits. Surface-water and pond-sediment samples from the other two ponds, 20- and 30-years old, respectively, also were analyzed for inorganic constituents and organic compounds. The water quality of these older ponds was not significantly different from that of the 1-year-old pond. However, bottom sediments in the 20- and 30-year-old ponds contained 16 and 23 organic compounds, respectively. None of the organic compounds were in sufficient concentrations to cause concern about their chronic effects on aquatic life. Concentrations of dichlordiphenyl-trichlorethane, dieldrin, and heptachlor were above the hazardous level with respect to bioconcentration in the food chain.

  11. Simple Patchy-Based Simulators Used to Explore Pondscape Systematic Dynamics

    PubMed Central

    Fang, Wei-Ta; Chou, Jui-Yu; Lu, Shiau-Yun

    2014-01-01

    Thousands of farm ponds disappeared on the tableland in Taoyuan County, Taiwan since 1920s. The number of farm ponds that have disappeared is 1,895 (37%), 2,667 ponds remain (52%), and only 537 (11%) new ponds were created within a 757 km2 area in Taoyuan, Taiwan between 1926 and 1960. In this study, a geographic information system (GIS) and logistic stepwise regression model were used to detect pond-loss rates and to understand the driving forces behind pondscape changes. The logistic stepwise regression model was used to develop a series of relationships between pondscapes affected by intrinsic driving forces (patch size, perimeter, and patch shape) and external driving forces (distance from the edge of the ponds to the edges of roads, rivers, and canals). The authors concluded that the loss of ponds was caused by pond intrinsic factors, such as pond perimeter; a large perimeter increases the chances of pond loss, but also increases the possibility of creating new ponds. However, a large perimeter is closely associated with circular shapes (lower value of the mean pond-patch fractal dimension [MPFD]), which characterize the majority of newly created ponds. The method used in this study might be helpful to those seeking to protect this unique landscape by enabling the monitoring of patch-loss problems by using simple patchy-based simulators. PMID:24466281

  12. The refreezing of melt ponds on Arctic sea ice

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Flocco, Daniela; Feltham, Daniel L.; Bailey, Eleanor; Schroeder, David

    2015-02-01

    The presence of melt ponds on the surface of Arctic sea ice significantly reduces its albedo, inducing a positive feedback leading to sea ice thinning. While the role of melt ponds in enhancing the summer melt of sea ice is well known, their impact on suppressing winter freezing of sea ice has, hitherto, received less attention. Melt ponds freeze by forming an ice lid at the upper surface, which insulates them from the atmosphere and traps pond water between the underlying sea ice and the ice lid. The pond water is a store of latent heat, which is released during refreezing. Until a pond freezes completely, there can be minimal ice growth at the base of the underlying sea ice. In this work, we present a model of the refreezing of a melt pond that includes the heat and salt balances in the ice lid, trapped pond, and underlying sea ice. The model uses a two-stream radiation model to account for radiative scattering at phase boundaries. Simulations and related sensitivity studies suggest that trapped pond water may survive for over a month. We focus on the role that pond salinity has on delaying the refreezing process and retarding basal sea ice growth. We estimate that for a typical sea ice pond coverage in autumn, excluding the impact of trapped ponds in models overestimates ice growth by up to 265 million km3, an overestimate of 26%.

  13. Simple Rules Govern the Patterns of Arctic Sea Ice Melt Ponds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Popović, Predrag; Cael, B. B.; Silber, Mary; Abbot, Dorian S.

    2018-04-01

    Climate change, amplified in the far north, has led to rapid sea ice decline in recent years. In the summer, melt ponds form on the surface of Arctic sea ice, significantly lowering the ice reflectivity (albedo) and thereby accelerating ice melt. Pond geometry controls the details of this crucial feedback; however, a reliable model of pond geometry does not currently exist. Here we show that a simple model of voids surrounding randomly sized and placed overlapping circles reproduces the essential features of pond patterns. The only two model parameters, characteristic circle radius and coverage fraction, are chosen by comparing, between the model and the aerial photographs of the ponds, two correlation functions which determine the typical pond size and their connectedness. Using these parameters, the void model robustly reproduces the ponds' area-perimeter and area-abundance relationships over more than 6 orders of magnitude. By analyzing the correlation functions of ponds on several dates, we also find that the pond scale and the connectedness are surprisingly constant across different years and ice types. Moreover, we find that ponds resemble percolation clusters near the percolation threshold. These results demonstrate that the geometry and abundance of Arctic melt ponds can be simply described, which can be exploited in future models of Arctic melt ponds that would improve predictions of the response of sea ice to Arctic warming.

  14. Evaluation of the preservation value and location of farm ponds in Yunlin County, Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Chou, Wen-Wen; Lee, Soen-Han; Wu, Chen-Fa

    2013-12-31

    Farm ponds in Yunlin County first appeared in 1,622 and have played roles in habitation, production, the ecology, culture, and disaster reduction. Farm ponds largely disappeared with the development of urban areas and the industrial sector; thus, effective preservation of the remaining ponds is critical. The criteria to evaluate the preservation value of farm ponds is established by expert questionnaires which follow the Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM) and Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP), and GIS, which are integrated into a spatial analysis of the remaining 481 farm ponds in Yunlin County. The results show that 28 ponds should be preserved to continue the cultural interaction between farm ponds and settlements; 36 ponds should preserved to connect coasts and streams, which are important habitats for birds; 30 ponds should be preserved to increase storage capacity, recharge groundwater, and reduce land subsidence; four ponds should be preserved as Feng-Shui ponds in front of temples in settlements or as recreation areas for local citizens; and four farms should be preserved (high priority) in agricultural production areas to support irrigation. In short, FAHP and GIS are integrated to evaluate the number and locations of farm ponds that provide water for habitation, production, the ecology, culture, and disaster reduction and maintain the overall preservation value in Yunlin County. The results could inform governmental departments when considering conservation policies.

  15. Evaluation of the Preservation Value and Location of Farm Ponds in Yunlin County, Taiwan

    PubMed Central

    Chou, Wen-Wen; Lee, Soen-Han; Wu, Chen-Fa

    2013-01-01

    Farm ponds in Yunlin County first appeared in 1,622 and have played roles in habitation, production, the ecology, culture, and disaster reduction. Farm ponds largely disappeared with the development of urban areas and the industrial sector; thus, effective preservation of the remaining ponds is critical. The criteria to evaluate the preservation value of farm ponds is established by expert questionnaires which follow the Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM) and Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP), and GIS, which are integrated into a spatial analysis of the remaining 481 farm ponds in Yunlin County. The results show that 28 ponds should be preserved to continue the cultural interaction between farm ponds and settlements; 36 ponds should preserved to connect coasts and streams, which are important habitats for birds; 30 ponds should be preserved to increase storage capacity, recharge groundwater, and reduce land subsidence; four ponds should be preserved as Feng-Shui ponds in front of temples in settlements or as recreation areas for local citizens; and four farms should be preserved (high priority) in agricultural production areas to support irrigation. In short, FAHP and GIS are integrated to evaluate the number and locations of farm ponds that provide water for habitation, production, the ecology, culture, and disaster reduction and maintain the overall preservation value in Yunlin County. The results could inform governmental departments when considering conservation policies. PMID:24384776

  16. Simple Rules Govern the Patterns of Arctic Sea Ice Melt Ponds.

    PubMed

    Popović, Predrag; Cael, B B; Silber, Mary; Abbot, Dorian S

    2018-04-06

    Climate change, amplified in the far north, has led to rapid sea ice decline in recent years. In the summer, melt ponds form on the surface of Arctic sea ice, significantly lowering the ice reflectivity (albedo) and thereby accelerating ice melt. Pond geometry controls the details of this crucial feedback; however, a reliable model of pond geometry does not currently exist. Here we show that a simple model of voids surrounding randomly sized and placed overlapping circles reproduces the essential features of pond patterns. The only two model parameters, characteristic circle radius and coverage fraction, are chosen by comparing, between the model and the aerial photographs of the ponds, two correlation functions which determine the typical pond size and their connectedness. Using these parameters, the void model robustly reproduces the ponds' area-perimeter and area-abundance relationships over more than 6 orders of magnitude. By analyzing the correlation functions of ponds on several dates, we also find that the pond scale and the connectedness are surprisingly constant across different years and ice types. Moreover, we find that ponds resemble percolation clusters near the percolation threshold. These results demonstrate that the geometry and abundance of Arctic melt ponds can be simply described, which can be exploited in future models of Arctic melt ponds that would improve predictions of the response of sea ice to Arctic warming.

  17. Effect of co-culture of Chinese shrimp ( Fenneropenaeus chinensis) and sea cucumber ( Apostichopus japonicus Selenka) on pond environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yu, Haibo; Gao, Qinfeng; Dong, Shuanglin; Sun, Yongjun; Wang, Fang

    2016-10-01

    Monoculture of sea cucumber (pond S) and polyculture of shrimp with sea cucumber (pond SS) were established to evaluate the effect of shrimp on the environmental conditions of sea cucumber farming pond. Contributions of sediment organic matter (SOM2) resuspended from benthic sediment and the suspended particulate organic matter (SPOM) deposited from the water column to the precipitated organic matter (SOM1) collected with sediment traps were estimated with carbon stable isotope analysis. The results showed that the levels of SPOM and SOM2 in pond SS significantly decreased in comparison with those in pond S at the end of experiment ( P < 0.05), indicating that co-culturing shrimp in sea cucumber farming pond could purify the farming water. Carbon stable isotope analysis showed that the proportion of SOM2 in SOM1 in pond SS (84.97% ± 0.38%) was significantly lower than that in pond S (95.20% ± 0.30%) ( P < 0.05), suggesting that the resuspension of organic matter from benthic sediment into overlying water was reduced in polyculture pond. In contrast, the proportion of SPOM in SOM1 in pond SS (15.03% ± 0.38%) was significantly higher than that in pond S (4.80% ± 0.30%) ( P < 0.05), indicating that the sedimentation of SPOM from water column was enhanced in pond SS owing to the biodeposition effect of shrimp.

  18. Simulated ground-water flow for a pond-dominated aquifer system near Great Sandy Bottom Pond, Pembroke, Massachusetts

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Carlson, Carl S.; Lyford, Forest P.

    2005-01-01

    A ground-water flow simulation for a 66.4-square-mile area around Great Sandy Bottom (GSB) Pond (105 acres) near Pembroke, Massachusetts, was developed for use by local and State water managers to assess the yields for public water supply of local ponds and wells for average climatic and drought conditions and the effects of water withdrawals on nearby water levels and streamflows. Wetlands and ponds cover about 30 percent of the study area and the aquifer system is dominated by interactions between ground water and the ponds. The three largest surface-water bodies in the study area are Silver Lake (640 acres), Monponsett Pond (590 acres), and Oldham Pond (236 acres). The study area is drained by tributaries of the Taunton River to the southwest, the South and North Rivers to the northeast, and the Jones River to the southeast. In 2002, 10.8 million gallons per day of water was exported from ponds and 3.5 million gallons per day from wells was used locally for public supply. A transient ground-water-flow model with 69 monthly stress periods spanning the period from January 1998 through September 2003 was calibrated to stage at GSB Pond and nearby Silver Lake and streamflow and water levels collected from September 2002 through September 2003. The calibrated model was used to assess hydrologic responses to a variety of water-use and climatic conditions. Simulation of predevelopment (no pumping or export) average monthly (1949-2002) water-level conditions caused the GSB Pond level to increase by 6.3 feet from the results of a simulation using average 2002 pumping for all wells, withdrawals, and exports. Most of this decline can be attributed to pumping, withdrawals, and exports of water from sites away from GSB Pond. The effects of increasing the export rate from GSB Pond by 1.25 and 1.5 times the 2002 rate were a lowering of pond levels by a maximum of 1.6 and 2.8 feet, respectively. Simulated results for two different drought conditions, one mild drought similar to that of 1979-82 and a more severe drought similar to that of 1963-66, but with current (2002) pumping, were compared to results for average monthly recharge conditions (1949-2002). Simulated mild drought conditions showed a reduction of GSB Pond level of about 1.3 feet and a lower streamflow of about 1.7 percent in the nearby stream. Simulated severe drought conditions reduced the pond level at GSB Pond by almost 7 feet and lowered streamflow by about 37 percent. Varying cranberry-irrigation practices had little effect on simulated GSB Pond water levels, but may be important in other ponds. The model was most sensitive to changes in areal recharge. An increase and decrease of 22 percent in recharge produced changes in the GSB Pond water level of +1.4 feet and -2.4 feet, respectively. The accuracy of simulation results was best in the central portion of the study area in the immediate location of GSB Pond. The model was developed with the study-area boundary far enough away from the GSB Pond area that the boundary would have minimal effect on the water levels in GSB Pond, nearby ponds, and the underlying aquifer system. The model is best suited for use by local and State water managers to assess the effects of different withdrawal scenarios for wells and ponds near GSB Pond and for general delineation of areas contributing recharge to wells and ponds in the vicinity of GSB Pond. The model in its current form may not be well suited to detailed analyses of water budgets and flow patterns for parts of the study area farther from GSB Pond without further investigation, calibration, and data collection.

  19. The color of melt ponds on Arctic sea ice

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lu, Peng; Leppäranta, Matti; Cheng, Bin; Li, Zhijun; Istomina, Larysa; Heygster, Georg

    2018-04-01

    Pond color, which creates the visual appearance of melt ponds on Arctic sea ice in summer, is quantitatively investigated using a two-stream radiative transfer model for ponded sea ice. The upwelling irradiance from the pond surface is determined and then its spectrum is transformed into RGB (red, green, blue) color space using a colorimetric method. The dependence of pond color on various factors such as water and ice properties and incident solar radiation is investigated. The results reveal that increasing underlying ice thickness Hi enhances both the green and blue intensities of pond color, whereas the red intensity is mostly sensitive to Hi for thin ice (Hi < 1.5 m) and to pond depth Hp for thick ice (Hi > 1.5 m), similar to the behavior of melt-pond albedo. The distribution of the incident solar spectrum F0 with wavelength affects the pond color rather than its intensity. The pond color changes from dark blue to brighter blue with increasing scattering in ice, and the influence of absorption in ice on pond color is limited. The pond color reproduced by the model agrees with field observations for Arctic sea ice in summer, which supports the validity of this study. More importantly, the pond color has been confirmed to contain information about meltwater and underlying ice, and therefore it can be used as an index to retrieve Hi and Hp. Retrievals of Hi for thin ice (Hi < 1 m) agree better with field measurements than retrievals for thick ice, but those of Hp are not good. The analysis of pond color is a new potential method to obtain thin ice thickness in summer, although more validation data and improvements to the radiative transfer model will be needed in future.

  20. Molecular diversity of the ammonia-oxidizing bacteria community in disused tin-mining ponds located within Kampar, Perak, Malaysia.

    PubMed

    Sow, S L S; Khoo, G; Chong, L K; Smith, T J; Harrison, P L; Ong, H K A

    2014-02-01

    Disused tin-mining ponds make up a significant amount of water bodies in Malaysia particularly at the Kinta Valley in the state of Perak where tin-mining activities were the most extensive, and these abundantly available water sources are widely used in the field of aquaculture and agriculture. However, the natural ecology and physicochemical conditions of these ponds, many of which have been altered due to secondary post-mining activities, remains to be explored. As ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) are directly related to the nutrient cycles of aquatic environments and are useful bioindicators of environmental variations, the focus of this study was to identify AOBs associated with disused tin-mining ponds that have a history of different secondary activities in comparison to ponds which were left untouched and remained as part of the landscape. The 16S rDNA gene was used to detect AOBs in the sediment and water sampled from the three types of disused mining ponds, namely ponds without secondary activity, ponds that were used for lotus cultivation and post-aquaculture ponds. When the varying pond types were compared with the sequence and phylogenetic analysis of the AOB clone libraries, both Nitrosomonas and Nitrosospira-like AOB were detected though Nitrosospira spp. was seen to be the most ubiquitous AOB as it was present in all ponds types. However, AOBs were not detected in the sediments of idle ponds. Based on rarefaction analysis and diversity indices, the disused mining pond with lotus culture indicated the highest richness of AOBs. Canonical correspondence analysis indicated that among the physicochemical properties of the pond sites, TAN and nitrite were shown to be the main factors that influenced the community structure of AOBs in these disused tin-mining ponds.

  1. Farmed Areas Predict the Distribution of Amphibian Ponds in a Traditional Rural Landscape

    PubMed Central

    Hartel, Tibor; von Wehrden, Henrik

    2013-01-01

    Background Traditional rural landscapes of Eastern Europe are undergoing major changes due to agricultural intensification, land abandonment, change in agricultural practices and infrastructural development. Small man-made ponds are important yet vulnerable components of rural landscapes. Despite their important role for biodiversity, these ponds tend to be excluded from conservation strategies. Methodology/Findings Our study was conducted in a traditional rural landscape in Eastern Europe. The aim of this study is twofold: (i) to model the distribution of four major man-made pond types and (ii) to present the importance of man-made ponds for the endangered Yellow Bellied Toad (Bombina variegata) and the Common Toad (Bufo bufo). Six environmental variables were used to model pond distribution: Corine landcover, the heterogeneity of the landcover, slope, road distance, distance to closest village and the human population density. Land cover heterogeneity was the most important driver for the distribution of fishponds. Areas used for agriculture with significant areas of natural vegetation were the most important predictors for the distribution of temporary ponds. In addition, areas covered by transitional woodland and scrub were important for the open cattle ponds. Bombina variegata was found predominantly in the temporary ponds (e.g. ponds created by cattle and buffalo, dirt road ponds and concrete ponds created for livestock drinking) and Bufo bufo in fishponds. Conclusions/Significance Our Maxent models revealed that the highest probability of occurrence for amphibian ponds was in areas used as farmland. The traditional farming practices combined with a low level of infrastructure development produces a large number of amphibian ponds. The challenge is to harmonize economic development and the maintenance of high densities of ponds in these traditional rural landscapes. PMID:23704928

  2. Farmed areas predict the distribution of amphibian ponds in a traditional rural landscape.

    PubMed

    Hartel, Tibor; von Wehrden, Henrik

    2013-01-01

    Traditional rural landscapes of Eastern Europe are undergoing major changes due to agricultural intensification, land abandonment, change in agricultural practices and infrastructural development. Small man-made ponds are important yet vulnerable components of rural landscapes. Despite their important role for biodiversity, these ponds tend to be excluded from conservation strategies. Our study was conducted in a traditional rural landscape in Eastern Europe. The aim of this study is twofold: (i) to model the distribution of four major man-made pond types and (ii) to present the importance of man-made ponds for the endangered Yellow Bellied Toad (Bombina variegata) and the Common Toad (Bufo bufo). Six environmental variables were used to model pond distribution: Corine landcover, the heterogeneity of the landcover, slope, road distance, distance to closest village and the human population density. Land cover heterogeneity was the most important driver for the distribution of fishponds. Areas used for agriculture with significant areas of natural vegetation were the most important predictors for the distribution of temporary ponds. In addition, areas covered by transitional woodland and scrub were important for the open cattle ponds. Bombina variegata was found predominantly in the temporary ponds (e.g. ponds created by cattle and buffalo, dirt road ponds and concrete ponds created for livestock drinking) and Bufo bufo in fishponds. Our Maxent models revealed that the highest probability of occurrence for amphibian ponds was in areas used as farmland. The traditional farming practices combined with a low level of infrastructure development produces a large number of amphibian ponds. The challenge is to harmonize economic development and the maintenance of high densities of ponds in these traditional rural landscapes.

  3. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon contamination in stormwater detention pond sediments in coastal South Carolina.

    PubMed

    Weinstein, John E; Crawford, Kevin D; Garner, Thomas R

    2010-03-01

    The purpose of this study was to characterize the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contamination in the sediments of stormwater detention ponds in coastal South Carolina. Levels of the sum of PAH analytes were significantly higher in the sediments of commercial ponds compared to that of reference, golf course, low-density residential, and high-density residential ponds. Isomer ratio analysis suggested that the predominant source of PAHs were pyrogenic; however, many ponds had a PAH signature consistent with mixed uncombusted and combusted PAH sources. PAH levels in these sediments could be modeled using both pond drainage area and pond surface area. These results demonstrate that the sediment from most commercial ponds, and a few residential and golf course ponds, were moderately contaminated with PAHs. PAH levels in these contaminated ponds exceeded between 42% and 75% of the ecological screening values for individual PAH analytes established by US EPA Region IV, suggesting that they may pose a toxicological risk to wildlife.

  4. Bacterial abundance and diversity in pond water supplied with different feeds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qin, Ya; Hou, Jie; Deng, Ming; Liu, Quansheng; Wu, Chongwei; Ji, Yingjie; He, Xugang

    2016-10-01

    The abundance and diversity of bacteria in two types of ponds were investigated by quantitative PCR and Illumina MiSeq sequencing. The results revealed that the abundance of bacterial 16S rRNA genes in D ponds (with grass carp fed sudan grass) was significantly lower than that in E ponds (with grass carp fed commercial feed). The microbial communities were dominated by Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria in both E and D ponds, while the abundance of some genera was significantly different between the two types of ponds. Specifically, some potential pathogens such as Acinetobacter and Aeromonas were found to be significantly decreased, while some probiotics such as Comamonadaceae unclassified and Bacillales unclassified were significantly increased in D ponds. In addition, water quality of D ponds was better than that of E ponds. Temperature, dissolved oxygen and nutrients had significant influence on bacterial communities. The differences in bacterial community compositions between the two types of ponds could be partially explained by the different water conditions.

  5. Ecological value of macrophyte cover in creating habitat for microalgae (diatoms) and zooplankton (rotifers and crustaceans) in small field and forest water bodies.

    PubMed

    Celewicz-Gołdyn, Sofia; Kuczyńska-Kippen, Natalia

    2017-01-01

    Due to their small area and shallow depth ponds are usually treated as a single sampling unit, while various microhabitats offer different environmental conditions. Thus, we tested the effect of different habitat types typically found within small ponds on the microalgae and zooplankton communities. We found that submerged macrophytes have the strongest impact on microalgae and zooplankton communities out of all the analysed habitats. Some epontic diatoms (e.g. Fragilaria dilatata, Cymbella affinis) and littoral-associated zooplankton species (e.g. Simocephalus vetulus, Lecane bulla) were significantly related to elodeids. However, pelagic species (e.g. bosminids) preferred less complex helophytes, which suggests that the most heterogeneous elodeid habitats were not an anti-predator shelter for cladocerans. Selection of different macrophyte types by taxonomically various organisms suggests that it is not only macrophyte cover that is desired for healthy aquatic environment but that a level of habitat mosaic is required to ensure the well-being of aquatic food webs. Species-specific preferences for different types of macrophytes indicate the high ecological value of macrophyte cover in ponds and a potential direction for the management of small water bodies towards maintaining a great variation of aquatic plants. Moreover, the type of surrounding landscape, reflecting human-induced disturbance (28 field ponds) and natural catchment (26 forest ponds), significantly influenced only zooplankton, while diatoms were affected indirectly through the level of conductivity. Nutrient overload (higher content of TRP) and increased conductivity in the field landscape contributed to a rise in microalgae (e.g. Amphora pediculus, Gomphonema parvulum) and zooplankton (e.g. Thermocyclops oithonoides, Eubosmina coregoni) abundance. An awareness of the responses of both components of plankton communities to environmental factors is necessary for maintaining the good state of small water bodies in various types of landscape.

  6. On the risks from sediment and overlying water by replenishing urban landscape ponds with reclaimed wastewater.

    PubMed

    Ao, Dong; Chen, Rong; Wang, Xiaochang C; Liu, Yanzheng; Dzakpasu, Mawuli; Zhang, Lu; Huang, Yue; Xue, Tao; Wang, Nan

    2018-05-01

    The extensive use of reclaimed wastewater (RW) as a source of urban landscape pond replenishment, stimulated by the lack of surface water (SW) resources, has raised public concern. Greater attention should be paid to pond sediments, which act as 'sinks' and 'sources' of contaminants to the overlying pond water. Three ponds replenished with RW (RW ponds) in three Chinese cities were chosen to investigate 22 indices of sediment quality in four categories: eutrophication, heavy metal, ecotoxicity and pathogens risk. RW ponds were compared with other ponds of similar characteristics in the same cities that were replenished with SW (SW ponds). Our results show a strong impact of RW to the eutrophication and pathogenic risks, which are represented by organic matter, water content, total nitrogen, total phosphorus and phosphorus fractions, and pathogens. In particular, total phosphorus concentrations in the RW pond sediments were, on average, 50% higher than those of SW ponds. Moreover, the content of phosphorus, extracted by bicarbonate/dithionite (normally represented by BD-P) and NaOH (NaOH-P), were 2.0- and 2.83-times higher in RW ponds, respectively. For pathogens, the concentrations of norovirus and rotavirus in RW pond sediments were, on average, 0.52 and 0.30- log times those of SW ponds. The duration of RW replenishment was proved to have a marked impact on the eutrophication and pathogens risks from sediments. The continued use of RW for replenishment increases the eutrophication risk, and the pathogens risk, especially by viral pathogens, becomes greater. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Intermediate Pond Sizes Contain the Highest Density, Richness, and Diversity of Pond-Breeding Amphibians

    PubMed Central

    Semlitsch, Raymond D.; Peterman, William E.; Anderson, Thomas L.; Drake, Dana L.; Ousterhout, Brittany H.

    2015-01-01

    We present data on amphibian density, species richness, and diversity from a 7140-ha area consisting of 200 ponds in the Midwestern U.S. that represents most of the possible lentic aquatic breeding habitats common in this region. Our study includes all possible breeding sites with natural and anthropogenic disturbance processes that can be missing from studies where sampling intensity is low, sample area is small, or partial disturbance gradients are sampled. We tested whether pond area was a significant predictor of density, species richness, and diversity of amphibians and if values peaked at intermediate pond areas. We found that in all cases a quadratic model fit our data significantly better than a linear model. Because small ponds have a high probability of pond drying and large ponds have a high probability of fish colonization and accumulation of invertebrate predators, drying and predation may be two mechanisms driving the peak of density and diversity towards intermediate values of pond size. We also found that not all intermediate sized ponds produced many larvae; in fact, some had low amphibian density, richness, and diversity. Further analyses of the subset of ponds represented in the peak of the area distribution showed that fish, hydroperiod, invertebrate density, and canopy are additional factors that drive density, richness and diversity of ponds up or down, when extremely small or large ponds are eliminated. Our results indicate that fishless ponds at intermediate sizes are more diverse, produce more larvae, and have greater potential to recruit juveniles into adult populations of most species sampled. Further, hylid and chorus frogs are found predictably more often in ephemeral ponds whereas bullfrogs, green frogs, and cricket frogs are found most often in permanent ponds with fish. Our data increase understanding of what factors structure and maintain amphibian diversity across large landscapes. PMID:25906355

  8. Dissolved Oxygen in Guadalupe Slough and Pond A3W, South San Francisco Bay, California, August and September 2007

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Shellenbarger, Gregory; Schoellhamer, David H.; Morgan, Tara L.; Takekawa, John Y.; Athearn, Nicole D.; Henderson, Kathleen D.

    2008-01-01

    Initial restoration of former salt evaporation ponds under the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project in San Francisco Bay included the changing of water-flow patterns and the monitoring of water quality of discharge waters from the ponds. Low dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations became evident in discharge waters when the ponds first were opened in 2004. This was a concern, because of the potential for low-DO pond discharge to decrease the DO concentrations in the sloughs that receive water from the ponds. However, as of summer 2007, only limited point-measurements of DO concentrations had been made in the receiving sloughs adjacent to the discharge ponds. In this report, we describe two short studies aimed at understanding the natural variability of slough DO and the effect of pond discharge on the DO concentrations in the sloughs. Pond A3W (a discharge pond) and the adjacent Guadalupe Slough were instrumented in August and September 2007 to measure DO, temperature, conductivity, and pH. In addition, Mowry and Newark Sloughs were instrumented during the August study to document DO variability in nearby sloughs that were unaffected by pond discharge. The results showed that natural tidal variability in the slough appeared to dominate and control the slough DO concentrations. Water-quality parameters between Guadalupe Slough and Mowry and Newark Sloughs could not be directly compared because deployment locations were different distances from the bay. Pond-discharge water was identified in Guadalupe Slough using the deployed instruments, but, counter to the previous assumption, the pond discharge, at times, increased DO concentrations in the slough. The effects of altering the volume of pond discharge were overwhelmed by natural spring-neap tidal variability in the slough. This work represents a preliminary investigation by the U.S. Geological Survey of the effects of pond discharge on adjacent sloughs, and the results will be used in designing a comprehensive DO study to determine normal variability for this region.

  9. OCCURRENCE OF MERCURY-RESISTANT MICROORGANISMS IN MERCURY-CONTAMINATED SOILS AND SEDIMENTS IN PAVLODAR, KAZAKHSTAN

    EPA Science Inventory

    There is extensive mercury contamination of soil surrounding a chloralkali plant in Pavlodar, Kazakhstan that operated from 1970 to 1990. High-level mercury contamination exists within the confines of the plant, at nearby off-site waste storage and evaporation ponds, and in Balky...

  10. 78 FR 26383 - Environmental Assessment of the Proposed Increase in Operation, Maintenance and Replacement...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-05-06

    ... regulating ponds to accommodate the changing pattern of water demand and increased urbanization. DATES: Date... Water Efficiency Project AGENCY: Central Utah Project Completion Act Office, Interior. ACTION: Notice of... amended, the Department of the Interior, the Central Utah Water Conservancy District, and the Utah...

  11. Development of a Mobile Tracer Correlation Techniques for Assessment of Air Emissions from Landfills and Other Area Sources

    EPA Science Inventory

    Improved understanding of air emissions from large area sources such as landfills, waste water ponds, open-source processing, and agricultural operations is a topic of increasing environmental importance. In many cases, the size of the area source, coupled with spatial-heteroge...

  12. OCCURRENCE OF MICROORGANISMS RESISTANT TO MERCURY IN MERCURY CONTAMINATED SOILS AND SEDIMENTS IN PAVLODAR, KAZAKHSTAN

    EPA Science Inventory

    There is extensive mercury contamination of soil surrounding a chloralkali plant in Pavlodar, Kazakhstan that operated from 1970 to 1990. High-level mercury contamination exists within the confines of the plant, at nearby off-site waste storage and evaporation ponds, and in Balky...

  13. Abundance and fate of antibiotics and hormones in a vegetative treatment system receiving cattle feedlot runoff

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Vegetative treatment systems (VTS) have been developed and built as an alternative to conventional holding pond systems for managing run-off from animal feeding operations. Initially developed to manage runoff nutrients via uptake by grasses, their effectiveness at removing other runoff contaminant...

  14. Remedial investigation/feasibility study badger army ammunition plant Baraboo, Wisconsin. Volume 2. Feasibility study report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    1994-08-01

    This Feasibility Study (FS) report for the Badger Army Ammunition Plant (BAAP) in Baraboo, Wisconsin, was prepared by ABB Environmental Services, Inc. (ABB-ES) as a component of Task Order 1 of Contract DAAAl5-91-D-OOO8 with the U.S. Army Environmental Center (USAEC). This report uses the results presented in the Final Remedial Investigation (RI) report (ABB-ES, 1993a) to develop and screen alternatives for remediation of contaminated media at BAAP. The purpose of this FS report is to develop, screen, and evaluate site-specific remedial alternatives to mitigate the impact of site-derived chemicals and ultimately provide protection of human health and the environment. Preferredmore » alternatives for each site are included in this report. Based on previous environmental studies at BAAP, 11 potential hazardous waste sites were ranked according to potential contributions of hazardous chemicals to the environment. These sites were designated as Waste Management Areas because some of the sites contain multiple Solid Waste Management Units (SWMUs). The sites selected to undergo facility assessment and corrective actions are: the Propellant Burning Ground (including Landfill), Deterrent Burning Ground, existing Landfill, Settling Ponds and Spoils Disposal Area, Rocket Paste Area, Oleum Plant and Oleum Plant Pond, Nitroglycerine Pond, old Acid Area, new Acid Area, and Ballistics Pond. The USAEC added an 11th site, the Old Fuel Oil Tank, to the list in October 1989 after discovery of fuel-contaminated soils during excavation of a water line in the vicinity of the old fuel oil tank foundation.« less

  15. Remedial investigation/feasibility study badger army ammunition plant Baraboo, Wisconsin. Volume 3. Feasibility study report (Final)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    1994-08-01

    This Feasibility Study (FS) report for the Badger Army Ammunition Plant (BAAP) in Baraboo, Wisconsin, was prepared by ABB Environmental Services, Inc. (ABB-ES) as a component of Task Order 1 of Contract DAAAl5-91-D-OOO8 with the U.S. Army Environmental Center (USAEC). This report uses the results presented in the Final Remedial Investigation (RI) report (ABB-ES, 1993a) to develop and screen alternatives for remediation of contaminated media at BAAP. The purpose of this FS report is to develop, screen, and evaluate site-specific remedial alternatives to mitigate the impact of site-derived chemicals and ultimately provide protection of human health and the environment. Preferredmore » alternatives for each site are included in this report. Based on previous environmental studies at BAAP, 11 potential hazardous waste sites were ranked according to potential contributions of hazardous chemicals to the environment. These sites were designated as Waste Management Areas because some of the sites contain multiple Solid Waste Management Units (SWMUs). The sites selected to undergo facility assessment and corrective actions are: the Propellant Burning Ground (including Landfill), Deterrent Burning Ground, existing Landfill, Settling Ponds and Spoils Disposal Area, Rocket Paste Area, Oleum Plant and Oleum Plant Pond, Nitroglycerine Pond, old Acid Area, new Acid Area, and Ballistics Pond. The USAEC added an 11th site, the Old Fuel Oil Tank, to the list in October 1989 after discovery of fuel-contaminated soils during excavation of a water line in the vicinity of the old fuel oil tank foundation.« less

  16. Remedial investigation/feasibility study badger army ammunition plant Baraboo, Wisconsin. Volume 1. Feasibility study report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    1994-08-01

    This Feasibility Study (FS) report for the Badger Army Ammunition Plant (BAAP) in Baraboo, Wisconsin, was prepared by ABB Environmental Services, Inc. (ABB-ES) as a component of Task Order 1 of Contract DAAAl5-91-D-OOO8 with the U.S. Army Environmental Center (USAEC). This report uses the results presented in the Final Remedial Investigation (RI) report (ABB-ES, 1993a) to develop and screen alternatives for remediation of contaminated media at BAAP. The purpose of this FS report is to develop, screen, and evaluate site-specific remedial alternatives to mitigate the impact of site-derived chemicals and ultimately provide protection of human health and the environment. Preferredmore » alternatives for each site are included in this report. Based on previous environmental studies at BAAP, 11 potential hazardous waste sites were ranked according to potential contributions of hazardous chemicals to the environment. These sites were designated as Waste Management Areas because some of the sites contain multiple Solid Waste Management Units (SWMUs). The sites selected to undergo facility assessment and corrective actions are: the Propellant Burning Ground (including Landfill), Deterrent Burning Ground, existing Landfill, Settling Ponds and Spoils Disposal Area, Rocket Paste Area, Oleum Plant and Oleum Plant Pond, Nitroglycerine Pond, old Acid Area, new Acid Area, and Ballistics Pond. The USAEC added an 11th site, the Old Fuel Oil Tank, to the list in October 1989 after discovery of fuel-contaminated soils during excavation of a water line in the vicinity of the old fuel oil tank foundation.« less

  17. Novel derivatives of 9,10-anthraquinone are selective algicides against the musty-odor cyanobacterium Oscillatoria perornata.

    PubMed

    Schrader, Kevin K; Nanayakkara, N P Dhammika; Tucker, Craig S; Rimando, Agnes M; Ganzera, Markus; Schaneberg, Brian T

    2003-09-01

    Musty "off-flavor" in pond-cultured channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) costs the catfish production industry in the United States at least 30 million US dollars annually. The cyanobacterium Oscillatoria perornata (Skuja) is credited with being the major cause of musty off-flavor in farm-raised catfish in Mississippi. The herbicides diuron and copper sulfate, currently used by catfish producers as algicides to help mitigate musty off-flavor problems, have several drawbacks, including broad-spectrum toxicity towards the entire phytoplankton community that can lead to water quality deterioration and subsequent fish death. By use of microtiter plate bioassays, a novel group of compounds derived from the natural compound 9,10-anthraquinone have been found to be much more selectively toxic towards O. perornata than diuron and copper sulfate. In efficacy studies using limnocorrals placed in catfish production ponds, application rates of 0.3 micro M (125 micro g/liter) of the most promising anthraquinone derivative, 2-[methylamino-N-(1'-methylethyl)]-9,10-anthraquinone monophosphate (anthraquinone-59), dramatically reduced the abundance of O. perornata and levels of 2-methylisoborneol, the musty compound produced by O. perornata. The abundance of green algae and diatoms increased dramatically 2 days after application of a 0.3 micro M concentration of anthraquinone-59 to pond water within the limnocorrals. The half-life of anthraquinone-59 in pond water was determined to be 19 h, making it much less persistent than diuron. Anthraquinone-59 appears to be promising for use as a selective algicide in catfish aquaculture.

  18. Novel Derivatives of 9,10-Anthraquinone Are Selective Algicides against the Musty-Odor Cyanobacterium Oscillatoria perornata

    PubMed Central

    Schrader, Kevin K.; Dhammika Nanayakkara, N. P.; Tucker, Craig S.; Rimando, Agnes M.; Ganzera, Markus; Schaneberg, Brian T.

    2003-01-01

    Musty “off-flavor” in pond-cultured channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) costs the catfish production industry in the United States at least $30 million annually. The cyanobacterium Oscillatoria perornata (Skuja) is credited with being the major cause of musty off-flavor in farm-raised catfish in Mississippi. The herbicides diuron and copper sulfate, currently used by catfish producers as algicides to help mitigate musty off-flavor problems, have several drawbacks, including broad-spectrum toxicity towards the entire phytoplankton community that can lead to water quality deterioration and subsequent fish death. By use of microtiter plate bioassays, a novel group of compounds derived from the natural compound 9,10-anthraquinone have been found to be much more selectively toxic towards O. perornata than diuron and copper sulfate. In efficacy studies using limnocorrals placed in catfish production ponds, application rates of 0.3 μM (125 μg/liter) of the most promising anthraquinone derivative, 2-[methylamino-N-(1′-methylethyl)]-9,10-anthraquinone monophosphate (anthraquinone-59), dramatically reduced the abundance of O. perornata and levels of 2-methylisoborneol, the musty compound produced by O. perornata. The abundance of green algae and diatoms increased dramatically 2 days after application of a 0.3 μM concentration of anthraquinone-59 to pond water within the limnocorrals. The half-life of anthraquinone-59 in pond water was determined to be 19 h, making it much less persistent than diuron. Anthraquinone-59 appears to be promising for use as a selective algicide in catfish aquaculture. PMID:12957919

  19. Chemical treatment costs reduced with in-pond receway systems comopared to traditional pond aquaculture

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Production systems such as in-pond raceway systems (IPRS) and split ponds are providing an alternative to traditional pond culture for raising catfish in several southeastern states. One advantage noted by farmers utilizing these systems is the reduced cost associated with the chemical treatment of...

  20. Economic Evaluation and Overall Assessment of Water Harvesting Ponds based on Scorecard System: A Case Study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dabral, P. P.; Kumar, Santosh; Kiku, Karmchand

    2017-12-01

    In the present study, an attempt has been made to carry out an economic analysis of three (03) water harvesting ponds situated in the district of Lakhimpur (Assam), India. Economic analysis was carried out using three important economic criteria, namely Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR), Net Present Worth (NPW) and the Internal Rate of Returns (IRR). Ponds of the study area were compared with adopting score card system. All the water harvesting ponds were found economically viable as the BCR was more than unity at 12% discount rate. Net present worth was the highest for the water harvesting pond of Radhapukheri Fish Seed Farm, Department of Fisheries, Govt. of Assam, Narayanpur and the least for water harvesting pond of St. Xavier's School, Harmoti. The IRR was found to be the highest (60%) for water harvesting ponds of St. Xavier's School, Harmoti followed by water harvesting pond of a farmer of Narayanpur (48%) and water harvesting pond of Radhapukheri Fish Seed Farm (19.2%).Water harvesting pond of Radhapukheri Fish Seed Farm, Narayanpur scored the highest score (84 marks) followed by water harvesting pond of a farmer of Narayanpur (80 marks) and St. Xavier's school, Harmoti (61 marks).

  1. Breeding site heterogeneity reduces variability in frog recruitment and population dynamics

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    McCaffery, Rebecca M.; Eby, Lisa A.; Maxell, Bryce A.; Corn, Paul Stephen

    2013-01-01

    Environmental stochasticity can have profound effects on the dynamics and viability of wild populations, and habitat heterogeneity provides one mechanism by which populations may be buffered against the negative effects of environmental fluctuations. Heterogeneity in breeding pond hydroperiod across the landscape may allow amphibian populations to persist despite variable interannual precipitation. We examined recruitment dynamics over 10 yr in a high-elevation Columbia spotted frog (Rana luteiventris) population that breeds in ponds with a variety of hydroperiods. We combined these data with matrix population models to quantify the consequences of heterogeneity in pond hydroperiod on net recruitment (i.e. number of metamorphs produced) and population growth rates. We compared our heterogeneous system to hypothetical homogeneous environments with only ephemeral ponds, only semi-permanent ponds, and only permanent ponds. We also examined the effects of breeding pond habitat loss on population growth rates. Most eggs were laid in permanent ponds each year, but survival to metamorphosis was highest in the semi-permanent ponds. Recruitment success varied by both year and pond type. Net recruitment and stochastic population growth rate were highest under a scenario with homogeneous semi-permanent ponds, but variability in recruitment was lowest in the scenario with the observed heterogeneity in hydroperiods. Loss of pond habitat decreased population growth rate, with greater decreases associated with loss of permanent and semi-permanent habitat. The presence of a diversity of pond hydroperiods on the landscape will influence population dynamics, including reducing variability in recruitment in an uncertain climatic future.

  2. Sediments in marsh ponds of the Gulf Coast Chenier Plain: Effects of structural marsh management and salinity

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bolduc, F.; Afton, A.D.

    2005-01-01

    Physical characteristics of sediments in coastal marsh ponds (flooded zones of marsh associated with little vegetation) have important ecological consequences because they determine compositions of benthic invertebrate communities, which in turn influence compositions of waterbird communities. Sediments in marsh ponds of the Gulf Coast Chenier Plain potentially are affected by (1) structural marsh management (levees, water control structures and impoundments; SMM), and (2) variation in salinity. Based on available literature concerning effects of SMM on sediments in emergent plant zones (zones of marsh occasionally flooded and associated with dense vegetation) of coastal marshes, we predicted that SMM would increase sediment carbon content and sediment hardness, and decrease oxygen penetration (O2 depth) and the silt-clay fraction in marsh pond sediments. Assuming that freshwater marshes are more productive than are saline marshes, we also predicted that sediments of impounded freshwater marsh ponds would contain more carbon than those of impounded oligohaline and mesohaline marsh ponds, whereas C:N ratio, sediment hardness, silt-clay fraction, and O2 depth would be similar among pond types. Accordingly, we measured sediment variables within ponds of impounded and unimpounded marshes on Rockefeller State Wildlife Refuge, near Grand Chenier, Louisiana. To test the above predictions, we compared sediment variables (1) between ponds of impounded (IM) and unimpounded mesohaline marshes (UM), and (2) among ponds of impounded freshwater (IF), oligohaline (IO), and mesohaline (IM) marshes. An a priori multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) contrast indicated that sediments differed between IM and UM marsh ponds. As predicted, the silt-clay fraction and O2 depth were lower and carbon content, C:N ratio, and sediment hardness were higher in IM than in UM marsh ponds. An a priori MANOVA contrast also indicated that sediments differed among IF, IO, and IM marsh ponds. As predicted, carbon content was higher in IF marsh ponds than in ponds of other impounded marsh types. In contrast to our predictions, C:N ratio and sediment hardness were lowest and silt-clay fraction and O2 depth were highest in IO and IM marsh ponds. Our results indicated that SMM has affected physical properties of sediments in coastal marsh ponds. Moreover, sediments in IF marsh ponds were affected more so than were those in IO and IM marsh ponds. Our results, in conjunction with those of previous studies, indicated that sediments of marsh ponds and emergent plant zones differed greatly. We predict that changes in pond sediments due to SMM will promote greater epifaunal macroinvertebrate biomass, which in turn should attract larger populations of wintering waterbirds. However, waterbirds that filter or probe soft sediments may be negatively affected by SMM because of the expected decrease in infaunal invertebrate biomass. ?? Springer 2005.

  3. Modeling annual mallard production in the prairie-parkland region

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Miller, M.W.

    2000-01-01

    Biologists have proposed several environmental factors that might influence production of mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) nesting in the prairie-parkland region of the United States and Canada. These factors include precipitation, cold spring temperatures, wetland abundance, and upland breeding habitat. I used long-term historical data sets of climate, wetland numbers, agricultural land use, and size of breeding mallard populations in multiple regression analyses to model annual indices of mallard production. Models were constructed at 2 scales: a continental scale that encompassed most of the mid-continental breeding range of mallards and a stratum-level scale that included 23 portions of that same breeding range. The production index at the continental scale was the estimated age ratio of mid-continental mallards in early fall; at the stratum scale my production index was the estimated number of broods of all duck species within an aerial survey stratum. Size of breeding mallard populations in May, and pond numbers in May and July, best modeled production at the continental scale. Variables that best modeled production at the stratum scale differed by region. Crop variables tended to appear more in models for western Canadian strata; pond variables predominated in models for United States strata; and spring temperature and pond variables dominated models for eastern Canadian strata. An index of cold spring temperatures appeared in 4 of 6 models for aspen parkland strata, and in only 1 of 11 models for strata dominated by prairie. Stratum-level models suggest that regional factors influencing mallard production are not evident at a larger scale. Testing these potential factors in a manipulative fashion would improve our understanding of mallard population dynamics, improving our ability to manage the mid-continental mallard population.

  4. Rift Valley fever in a zone potentially occupied by Aedes vexans in Senegal: dynamics and risk mapping

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tourre, Y. M.; Vignolles, C.; Lacaux, J.-P.; Bigeard, G.; Ndione, J.-A.; Lafaye, M.

    2009-09-01

    This paper presents an analysis of the interaction between the various variables associated with Rift Valley fever (RVF) such as the mosquito vector, available hosts and rainfall distribution. To that end, the varying zones potentially occupied by mosquitoes (ZPOM), rainfall events and pond dynamics, and the associated exposure of hosts to the RVF virus by Aedes vexans, were analyzed in the Barkedji area of the Ferlo, Senegal, during the 2003 rainy season. Ponds were identified by remote sensing using a high-resolution SPOT-5 satellite image. Additional data on ponds and rainfall events from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission were combined with in-situ entomological and limnimetric measurements, and the localization of vulnerable ruminant hosts (data derived from QuickBird satellite). Since "Ae. vexans productive events” are dependent on the timing of rainfall for their embryogenesis (six days without rain are necessary to trigger hatching), the dynamic spatio-temporal distribution of Ae. vexans density was based on the total rainfall amount and pond dynamics. Detailed ZPOM mapping was obtained on a daily basis and combined with aggressiveness temporal profiles. Risks zones, i.e. zones where hazards and vulnerability are combined, are expressed by the percentages of parks where animals are potentially exposed to mosquito bites. This new approach, simply relying upon rainfall distribution evaluated from space, is meant to contribute to the implementation of a new, operational early warning system for RVF based on environmental risks linked to climatic and environmental conditions.

  5. Chemical treatment costs reduced with use of in-pond raceway systems compared to traditional pond aquaculture

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Production systems such as in-pond raceway systems (IPRS) and split ponds are providing an alternative to traditional pond culture for raising catfish in several southeastern states. One advantage noted by farmers utilizing these systems is the reduced cost associated with the chemical treatment of ...

  6. The potential for remote sensing and hydrologic modelling to assess the spatio-temporal dynamics of ponds in the Ferlo Region (Senegal)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Soti, V.; Puech, C.; Lo Seen, D.; Bertran, A.; Vignolles, C.; Mondet, B.; Dessay, N.; Tran, A.

    2010-08-01

    In the Ferlo Region in Senegal, livestock depend on temporary ponds for water but are exposed to the Rift Valley Fever (RVF), a disease transmitted to herds by mosquitoes which develop in these ponds. Mosquito abundance is related to the emptying and filling phases of the ponds, and in order to study the epidemiology of RVF, pond modelling is required. In the context of a data scarce region, a simple hydrologic model which makes use of remote sensing data was developed to simulate pond water dynamics from daily rainfall. Two sets of ponds were considered: those located in the main stream of the Ferlo Valley whose hydrological dynamics are essentially due to runoff, and the ponds located outside, which are smaller and whose filling mechanisms are mainly due to direct rainfall. Separate calibrations and validations were made for each set of ponds. Calibration was performed from daily field data (rainfall, water level) collected during the 2001 and 2002 rainy seasons and from three different sources of remote sensing data: 1) very high spatial resolution optical satellite images to access pond location and surface area at given dates, 2) Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data to estimate pond catchment area and 3) Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) data for rainfall estimates. The model was applied to all ponds of the study area, the results were validated and a sensitivity analysis was performed. Water height simulations using gauge rainfall as input were compared to water level measurements from four ponds and Nash coefficients >0.7 were obtained. Comparison with simulations using TRMM rainfall data gave mixed results, with poor water height simulations for the year 2001 and good estimations for the year 2002. A pond map derived from a Quickbird satellite image was used to assess model accuracy for simulating pond water areas for all the ponds of the study area. The validation showed that modelled water areas were mostly underestimated but significantly correlated, particularly for the larger ponds. The results of the sensitivity analysis showed that parameters relative to pond shape and catchment area estimation have less effects on model simulation than parameters relative to soil properties (rainfall threshold causing runoff in dry soils and the coefficient expressing soil moisture decrease with time) or the water loss coefficient. Overall, our results demonstrate the possibility of using a simple hydrologic model with remote sensing data to track pond water heights and water areas in a homogeneous arid area.

  7. Ecology and reproductive biology of the endangered pondberry, Lindera melissifolia (Walt) Blume

    Treesearch

    Margaret Devall; Nathan Schiff; Douglas Boyette

    2001-01-01

    Lindera melissifolia [Walt] Blume (pondberry) is an endangered woody plant that grows in seasonally flooded wetlands and on the edges of sinks and ponds in six States of the Southern United States: Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, and South Carolina. It is a stoloniferous, clonal shrub up to 2 m in height and is dioecious, with small...

  8. Using fire regimes to delineate zones in a high-resolution lake sediment record from the western United States

    Treesearch

    Jesse L. Morris; Andrea Brunelle; R. Justin DeRose; Heikki Seppa; Mitchell J. Power; Vachel Carter; Ryan Bares

    2013-01-01

    Paleoenvironmental reconstructions are important for understanding the influence of long-term climate variability on ecosystems and landscape disturbance dynamics. In this paper we explore the linkages among past climate, vegetation, and fire regimes using a high-resolution pollen and charcoal reconstruction from Morris Pond located on the Markagunt Plateau in...

  9. Capturing temporal and spatial variability in the chemistry of shallow permafrost ponds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Morison, Matthew Q.; Macrae, Merrin L.; Petrone, Richard M.; Fishback, LeeAnn

    2017-12-01

    Across the circumpolar north, the fate of small freshwater ponds and lakes (< 1 km2) has been the subject of scientific interest due to their ubiquity in the landscape, capacity to exchange carbon and energy with the atmosphere, and their potential to inform researchers about past climates through sediment records. A changing climate has implications for the capacity of ponds and lakes to support organisms and store carbon, which in turn has important feedbacks to climate change. Thus, an improved understanding of pond biogeochemistry is needed. To characterize spatial and temporal patterns in water column chemistry, a suite of tundra ponds were examined to answer the following research questions: (1) does temporal variability exceed spatial variability? (2) If temporal variability exists, do all ponds (or groups of ponds) behave in a similar temporal pattern, linked to seasonal hydrologic drivers or precipitation events? Six shallow ponds located in the Hudson Bay Lowlands region were monitored between May and October 2015 (inclusive, spanning the entire open-water period). The ponds span a range of biophysical conditions including pond area, perimeter, depth, and shoreline development. Water samples were collected regularly, both bimonthly over the ice-free season and intensively during and following a large summer storm event. Samples were analysed for nitrogen speciation (NO3-, NH4+, dissolved organic nitrogen) and major ions (Cl-, SO42-, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+). Across all ponds, temporal variability (across the season and within a single rain event) exceeded spatial variability (variation among ponds) in concentrations of several major species (Cl-, SO42-, K+, Ca2+, Na+). Evapoconcentration and dilution of pond water with precipitation and runoff inputs were the dominant processes influencing a set of chemical species which are hydrologically driven (Cl-, Na+, K+, Mg2+, dissolved organic nitrogen), whereas the dissolved inorganic nitrogen species were likely mediated by processes within ponds. This work demonstrates the importance of understanding hydrologically driven chemodynamics in permafrost ponds on multiple scales (seasonal and event scale).

  10. Accumulation, distribution, and toxicity of copper in sediments of catfish ponds receiving periodic copper sulfate applications.

    PubMed

    Han, F X; Hargreaves, J A; Kingery, W L; Huggett, D B; Schlenk, D K

    2001-01-01

    Copper sulfate (CuSO4) is applied periodically to commercial channel catfish (Ictalurus panctatus) ponds as an algicide or parasiticide. Current understanding of the chemistry of copper in soil-water systems suggests that copper may accumulate in pond sediments, although the forms and potential bioavailability of copper in catfish pond sediments are not known. This study investigated the accumulation and distribution of copper in the sediment of catfish ponds receiving periodic additions of CuSO4.5H2O. All ponds were constructed in Sharkey (very-fine, smectitic, thermic Chromic Epiaquert) soil. Nine 0.40-ha ponds received 59 applications of 2.27 kg CuSO4.5H2O per application per pond over 3 yr; no CuSO4.5H2O applications were made to nine additional ponds. Total Cu concentration in the sediments of CuSO4.5H2O-amended catfish ponds (172.5 mg kg(-1)) was four to five times higher than that in the sediments of nonamended ponds (36.1 mg kg(-1)). Copper accumulated in catfish pond sediments at a rate of 41 microg kg(-1) dry sediment for each 1 kg ha(-1) of CuSO4. 5H2O applied to ponds. Copper in the sediments of amended ponds was mainly in the organic matter-bound (30.7%), carbonate-bound (31.8%), and amorphous iron oxide-bound (22.1%) fractions with a considerable fraction (3.4%; 3 to 8 mg kg(-1)) in soluble and exchangeable fractions. This indicates that Cu accumulates differentially in various fractions, with proportionally greater initial accumulation in potentially bioavailable forms. However, toxicity bioassays with amphipods (Hyallela azteca) and common cattail (Typha latifolia L.) indicated that the effect of exposure to amended or nonamended pond sediments was not different.

  11. Implications of Fecal Bacteria Input from Latrine-Polluted Ponds for Wells in Sandy Aquifers

    PubMed Central

    Knappett, Peter S. K.; McKay, Larry D.; Layton, Alice; Williams, Daniel E.; Alam, Md. J.; Huq, Md. R.; Mey, Jacob; Feighery, John E.; Culligan, Patricia J.; Mailloux, Brian J.; Zhuang, Jie; Escamilla, Veronica; Emch, Michael; Perfect, Edmund; Sayler, Gary S.; Ahmed, Kazi M.; van Geen, Alexander

    2012-01-01

    Ponds receiving latrine effluents may serve as sources of fecal contamination to shallow aquifers tapped by millions of tube-wells in Bangladesh. To test this hypothesis, transects of monitoring wells radiating away from four ponds were installed in a shallow sandy aquifer underlying a densely populated village and monitored for 14 months. Two of the ponds extended to medium sand. Another pond was sited within silty sand and the last in silt. The fecal indicator bacterium E. coli was rarely detected along the transects during the dry season and was only detected near the ponds extending to medium sand up to 7 m away during the monsoon. A log-linear decline in E. coli and Bacteroidales concentrations with distance along the transects in the early monsoon indicates that ponds excavated in medium sand were the likely source of contamination. Spatial removal rates ranged from 0.5-1.3 log10/m. After the ponds were artificially filled with groundwater to simulate the impact of a rain storm, E. coli levels increased near a pond recently excavated in medium sand, but no others. These observations show that adjacent sediment grain-size and how recently a pond was excavated influence how much fecal contamination ponds receiving latrine effluents contribute to neighboring groundwater. PMID:22191430

  12. Hydrologic aspects of marsh ponds during winter on the Gulf Coast Chenier Plain, USA: Effects of structural marsh management

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bolduc, F.; Afton, A.D.

    2004-01-01

    The hydrology of marsh ponds influences aquatic invertebrate and waterbird communities. Hydrologic variables in marsh ponds of the Gulf Coast Chenier Plain are potentially affected by structural marsh management (SMM: levees, water control structures and impoundments) that has been implemented since the 1950s. Assuming that SMM restricts tidal flows and drainage of rainwater, we predicted that SMM would increase water depth, and concomitantly decrease salinity and transparency in impounded marsh ponds. We also predicted that SMM would increase seasonal variability in water depth in impounded marsh ponds because of the potential incapacity of water control structures to cope with large flooding events. In addition, we predicted that SMM would decrease spatial variability in water depth. Finally, we predicted that ponds of impounded freshwater (IF), oligohaline (IO), and mesohaline (IM) marshes would be similar in water depth, temperature, dissolved oxygen (O2), and transparency. Using a priori multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) contrast, we tested these predictions by comparing hydrologic variables within ponds of impounded and unimpounded marshes during winters 1997-1998 to 1999-2000 on Rockefeller State Wildlife Refuge, near Grand Chenier, Louisiana. Specifically, we compared hydrologic variables (1) between IM and unimpounded mesohaline marsh ponds (UM); and (2) among IF, IO, and IM marshes ponds. As predicted, water depth was higher and salinity and O2 were lower in IM than in UM marsh ponds. However, temperature and transparency did not differ between IM and UM marsh ponds. Water depth varied more among months in IM marsh ponds than within those of UM marshes, and variances among and within ponds were lower in IM than UM marshes. Finally, all hydrologic variables, except salinity, were similar among IF, IO, and IM marsh ponds. Hydrologic changes within marsh ponds due to SMM should (1) promote benthic invertebrate taxa that tolerate low levels of O2 and salinity; (2) deter waterbird species that cannot cope with increased water levels; and (3) reduce waterbird species diversity by decreasing spatial variability in water depth among and within marsh ponds.

  13. The depositional environment and petrology of the White Rim Sandstone Member of the Permian Cutler Formation, Canyonlands National Park, Utah

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Steele-Mallory, B. A.

    1982-01-01

    The White Rim Sandstone Member of the Cutler Formation of Permian age in Canyonlands National Park, Utah, was deposited in coastal eolian and associated interdune environments. This conclusion is based on stratigraphic relationships primary sedimentary structures, and petrologic features. The White Rim consists of two major genetic units. The first represents a coastal dune field and the second represents related interdune ponds. Distinctive sedimentary structures of the coastal dune unit include large- to medium-scale, unidirectional, tabular-planar cross-bedding; high-index ripples oriented parallel to dip direction of the foresets; coarse-grained lag layers; avalanche or slump marks; and raindrop impressions. Cross-bedding measurements suggest the dunes were deposited as transverse ridges by a dominantly northwest to southeast wind. Distinctive sedimentary structures of the interdune pond unit include wavy, horizontally laminated bedding, adhesion ripples, and desiccation polygons. These features may have been produced by alternate wetting and drying of sediment during water-table fluctuations. Evidence of bioturbation is also present in this unit. Petrologic characteristics of the White Rim helped to define the depositional environment as coastal. A crinoid fragment was identified at one location; both units are enriched in heavy minerals, and small amounts of well rounded, reworked glauconite were found in the White Rim throughout the study area. Earlier work indicates that the White Rim sandstone is late Wolfcampian to early Leonardian in age. During this time, the Canyonlands area was located in a depositional area alternately dominated by marine and nonmarine environments. Results of this study suggest the White Rim represents a coastal dune field that was deposited by predominantly on-shore winds during a period of marine transgression.

  14. Multinational Operations: A Selected Bibliography

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-02-01

    Backgrounder: Logistics Support for NATO Operations. Brus - sels: NATO, February 2006. 12pp. http://www.nato.int/docu/logistics/logistics-e.pdf North...racks: U.S. Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, 2004. 112pp. (U413 .A66P64 2004) http://handle.dtic.mil/100.2/ADA429105 Pond, Elizabeth ...U.S., Britain, Europe, and the War in Iraq. New York: Public Af- fairs, 2004. 261pp. (DS79.76 .S31 2004) Sherwood-Randall, Elizabeth . Alliances and

  15. Optimization of Native and Formaldehyde iPOND Techniques for Use in Suspension Cells.

    PubMed

    Wiest, Nathaniel E; Tomkinson, Alan E

    2017-01-01

    The isolation of proteins on nascent DNA (iPOND) technique developed by the Cortez laboratory allows a previously unparalleled ability to examine proteins associated with replicating and newly synthesized DNA in mammalian cells. Both the original, formaldehyde-based iPOND technique and a more recent derivative, accelerated native iPOND (aniPOND), have mostly been performed in adherent cell lines. Here, we describe modifications to both protocols for use with suspension cell lines. These include cell culture, pulse, and chase conditions that optimize sample recovery in both protocols using suspension cells and several key improvements to the published aniPOND technique that reduce sample loss, increase signal to noise, and maximize sample recovery. Additionally, we directly and quantitatively compare the iPOND and aniPOND protocols to test the strengths and limitations of both. Finally, we present a detailed protocol to perform the optimized aniPOND protocol in suspension cell lines. © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Thermal evolutions of two kinds of melt pond with different salinity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Joo-Hong; Wilkinson, Jeremy; Moon, Woosok; Hwang, Byongjun; Granskog, Mats

    2016-04-01

    Melt ponds are water pools on sea ice. Their formation reduces ice surface albedo and alter surface energy balance, by which the ice melting and freezing processes are regulated. Thus, better understanding of their radiative characteristics has been vital to improve the simulation of melting/freezing of sea ice in numerical models. A melt pond would preserve nearly fresh water if it formed on multi-year ice and no flooding of sea water occurred, whereas a melt pond would contain more salty water if it formed on thinner and porous first-year ice, if there were an inflow of sea water by streams or cracks. One would expect that the fluid dynamic/thermodynamic properties (e.g., turbulence, stability, etc.) of pond water are influenced by the salinity, so that the response of pond water to any heat input (e.g., shortwave radiation) would be different. Therefore, better understanding of the salinity-dependent thermal evolution also has significant potential to improve the numerical simulation of the sea ice melting/freezing response to radiative thermal forcing. To observe and understand the salinity-dependent thermal evolution, two ice mass balance buoys (IMBs) were deployed in two kinds (fresh and salty) of melt pond on a same ice floe on 13 August 2015 during Araon Arctic cruise. The thermistor chain, extending from the air through the pond and ice into the sea water, was deployed through a drilled borehole inside the pond. Besides, the IMBs were also accompanied with three broadband solar radiation sensors (two (up and down) in the air over melt pond and one upward-looking under sea ice) to measure the net shortwave radiation at the pond surface and the penetrating solar radiation through ice. Also, the web camera was installed to observe any updates in the conditions of equipment and surrounding environment (e.g., weather, surface state, etc.). On the date of deployment, the fresh pond had salinity of 2.3 psu, light blue color, lots of slush ice particles which increased opacity, and under-pond ice thickness of 219 cm, whereas the salty pond had salinity of 20 psu, dark blue color, only transparent water, and under-pond ice thickness of 100 cm. Temporal evolutions of mean water temperature of the two ponds are contrasted and showed that the fresh pond had about 1degC warmer temperature than the salty pond. The existence of slush ice particles in the pond seems to be responsible for this temperature difference. Multiple scattering by slush ice particles could lead to more absorption of shortwave radiation. A comparison of vertical profiles of water temperature shows that there existed an internal maximum heating layer in the fresh pond. Possibly, this profile might indicate the the below layer unstable, which might have efficient thermal propagation to the ice surface. On the other hand, the vertical temperature profile of the salty pond had internal thermocline near the pond bottom, but so that the upper heating may not efficiently propagate downward to the ice surface.

  17. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Greenberg, Cathryn, H.; Tanner, George, W.

    ABSTRACT: We used data from 10 years of continuous, concurrent monitoring of oak toads at eight isolated, ephemeral ponds in Florida longleaf pine-wiregrass uplands to address: (1) did weather variables affect movement patterns of oak toads?; (2) did pond hydrology and the condition of surrounding uplands affect pond selection by adults or juvenile recruitment?; (3) were population trends evident?; and (4) did a classical metapopulation model best represent their population ecology? Of 4076 oak toads captured, 92.2% were adults. Substantial (n _ 30 exiting juveniles) recruitment occurred only three times (once each at three ponds during two years). Males outnumberedmore » females (average for all years 2.3:1). Most captures occurred during May–September. Adult captures during June–August increased with heavier rainfall but were not influenced by the durations of preceding dry periods. Movement patterns of metamorphs suggested that oak toads emigrated when moisture conditions become favorable. Pond use by adults was correlated with maximum change in pond depth (May–September). Juvenile recruitment was negatively correlated with minimum pond depth and the number of weeks since a pond was last dry, and positively correlated with the maximum number of weeks a pond held water continuously. The number of breeding adults and juvenile recruitment were highest at ponds within the hardwood-invaded upland matrix. The direction of most immigrations and emigrations was nonrandom, but movement occurred from all directions, and the mean direction of pond entry and exit did not always correspond. A total of 21.1% of individuals was recaptured; 13.3% of first captures were recaptured during the same year, and 7.7% during a subsequent year. Only 1.9% of captured oak toads moved among ponds, mostly within a distance of 132 m. We did not detect adult population trends over the 10- yr studied. Presence or absence at ponds in any given year was a poor indicator of overall use. We saw little evidence of local extinction or ‘‘rescue,’’ but were unable to determine whether juveniles returned to natal ponds or colonized new ponds for breeding as adults. Oak toad conservation can best be ensured by maintaining multiple ponds within a landscape to increase the probability of recruitment within the landscape neighborhood during at least some years and at some ponds, and to increase the likelihood of interpond movement.« less

  18. Identifying biogeochemical processes beneath stormwater infiltration ponds in support of a new best management practice for groundwater protection

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    O'Reilly, Andrew M.; Chang, Ni-Bin; Wanielista, Martin P.; Xuan, Zhemin; Schirmer, Mario; Hoehn, Eduard; Vogt, Tobias

    2011-01-01

     When applying a stormwater infiltration pond best management practice (BMP) for protecting the quality of underlying groundwater, a common constituent of concern is nitrate. Two stormwater infiltration ponds, the SO and HT ponds, in central Florida, USA, were monitored. A temporal succession of biogeochemical processes was identified beneath the SO pond, including oxygen reduction, denitrification, manganese and iron reduction, and methanogenesis. In contrast, aerobic conditions persisted beneath the HT pond, resulting in nitrate leaching into groundwater. Biogeochemical differences likely are related to soil textural and hydraulic properties that control surface/subsurface oxygen exchange. A new infiltration BMP was developed and a full-scale application was implemented for the HT pond. Preliminary results indicate reductions in nitrate concentration exceeding 50% in soil water and shallow groundwater beneath the HT pond.

  19. Lethal and sublethal effects of embryonic and larval exposure of Hyla versicolor to Stormwater pond sediments.

    PubMed

    Brand, Adrianne B; Snodgrass, Joel W; Gallagher, Matthew T; Casey, Ryan E; Van Meter, Robin

    2010-02-01

    Stormwater ponds are common features of modern stormwater management practices. Stormwater ponds often retain standing water for extended periods of time, develop vegetative characteristics similar to natural wetlands, and attract wildlife. However, because stormwater ponds are designed to capture pollutants, wildlife that utilize ponds might be exposed to pollutants and suffer toxicological effects. To investigate the toxicity of stormwater pond sediments to Hyla versicolor, an anuran commonly found using retention ponds for breeding, we exposed embryos and larvae to sediments in laboratory microcosms. Exposure to pond sediments reduced survival of embryos by approximately 50% but did not affect larval survival. Larvae exposed to stormwater pond sediment developed significantly faster (x = 39 days compared to 42 days; p = 0.005) and were significantly larger at metamorphosis (x = 0.49 g compared to 0.36 g; p < 0.001) than controls that were exposed to clean sand. Substantial amounts (712-2215 mg/l) of chloride leached from pond sediments into the water column of treatment microcosms; subsequently, survival of embryos was negatively correlated (r (2) = 0.50; p < 0.001) with water conductivity during development. Our results, along with the limited number of other toxicological studies of stormwater ponds, suggest that road salt contributes to the degradation of stormwater pond habitat quality for amphibian reproduction and that future research should focus on understanding interactions among road salts and other pollutants and stressors characteristic of urban environments.

  20. Trends and habitat associations of waterbirds using the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project, San Francisco Bay, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    De La Cruz, Susan E. W.; Smith, Lacy M.; Moskal, Stacy M.; Strong, Cheryl; Krause, John; Wang, Yiwei; Takekawa, John Y.

    2018-04-02

    Executive SummaryThe aim of the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project (hereinafter “Project”) is to restore 50–90 percent of former salt evaporation ponds to tidal marsh in San Francisco Bay (SFB). However, hundreds of thousands of waterbirds use these ponds over winter and during fall and spring migration. To ensure that existing waterbird populations are supported while tidal marsh is restored in the Project area, managers plan to enhance the habitat suitability of ponds by adding islands and berms to change pond topography, manipulating water salinity and depth, and selecting appropriate ponds to maintain for birds. To help inform these actions, we used 13 years of monthly (October–April) bird abundance data from Project ponds to (1) assess trends in waterbird abundance since the inception of the Project, and (2) evaluate which pond habitat characteristics were associated with highest abundances of different avian guilds and species. For comparison, we also evaluated waterbird abundance trends in active salt production ponds using 10 years of monthly survey data.We assessed bird guild and species abundance trends through time, and created separate trend curves for Project and salt production ponds using data from every pond that was counted in a year. We divided abundance data into three seasons—fall (October–November), winter (December–February), and spring (March–April). We used the resulting curves to assess which periods had the highest bird abundance and to identify increasing or decreasing trends for each guild and species.

  1. Characterizing Heterogeneity in Infiltration Rates During Managed Aquifer Recharge.

    PubMed

    Mawer, Chloe; Parsekian, Andrew; Pidlisecky, Adam; Knight, Rosemary

    2016-11-01

    Infiltration rate is the key parameter that describes how water moves from the surface into a groundwater aquifer during managed aquifer recharge (MAR). Characterization of infiltration rate heterogeneity in space and time is valuable information for MAR system operation. In this study, we utilized fiber optic distributed temperature sensing (FO-DTS) observations and the phase shift of the diurnal temperature signal between two vertically co-located fiber optic cables to characterize infiltration rate spatially and temporally in a MAR basin. The FO-DTS measurements revealed spatial heterogeneity of infiltration rate: approximately 78% of the recharge water infiltrated through 50% of the pond bottom on average. We also introduced a metric for quantifying how the infiltration rate in a recharge pond changes over time, which enables FO-DTS to be used as a method for monitoring MAR and informing maintenance decisions. By monitoring this metric, we found high-spatial variability in how rapidly infiltration rate changed during the test period. We attributed this variability to biological pore clogging and found a relationship between high initial infiltration rate and the most rapid pore clogging. We found a strong relationship (R 2  = 0.8) between observed maximum infiltration rates and electrical resistivity measurements from electrical resistivity tomography data taken in the same basin when dry. This result shows that the combined acquisition of DTS and ERT data can improve the design and operation of a MAR pond significantly by providing the critical information needed about spatial variability in parameters controlling infiltration rates. © 2016, National Ground Water Association.

  2. Geohydrology of the Flints Pond Aquifer, Hollis, New Hampshire

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ayotte, Joseph D.; Dorgan, Tracy H.

    1995-01-01

    Flints pond has been subjected to accelerated eutrophication as a result of watershed development (building of new homes and conversion of summer cottages into permanent homes) since the 1930's. Ground-water flow is the primary recharge and discharge mechanism for Flints Pond. The saturated thickness, transmissive properties, and altitude of the water table were determined by use of surface geophysics, test drilling, and aquifer-test data. Information on the geohydrology of the adjacent Flints Pond aquifer can be used in developing a water and nutrient budget for the pond-aquifer system. Ground-penetrating-radar surveys were done over more than 4 miles of the study area and on Flints Pond. Three distinct reflection signatures were commonly identifiable on the radar profiles: (1) thin, relatively flat-lying, continuous reflectors that represent fine-grained lacustrine sediment; (2) subparallel to hummocky and chaotic, coarse-grained reflectors that possibly represent coarse-grained ice-contact deposits or deltaic sediments in a lacustrine environment; and (3) sharply diffracted, fine-grained, chaotic reflectors that represent till and (or) till over bedrock. The saturated thickness of the aquifer exceeds 90 feet in the northern end of the study area and averages 30 to 50 feet in the southern and eastern parts. The saturated thickness of the western part is generally less than 10 feet. Test borings were completed at 19 sites and 13 wells (6 of which were nested pairs) were installed in various lithologic units. A water-table map, constructed from data collected in November 1994, represents average water-table conditions in the aquifer. Horizontal hydraulic conductivities calculated from single-well aquifer test data for stratified drift range from 2.8 to 226 feet per day. Hydraulic conductivities were quantitatively correlated with the reflector signatures produced with ground-penetrating radar so that transmissivities could be inferred for areas where well data were unavailable but where ground- penetrating-radar surveys were done. A saturated- thickness and transmissivity map for the aquifer shows that transmissivities exceeds 3,000 feet squared per day in the southern and east-central parts of the aquifer. Transmissivity ranges from 1,000 to 2,000 feet squared per day in the northern part of the aquifer and is generally less than 1,000 feet squared per day in the western part.

  3. Delineation of discharge areas of two contaminant plumes by use of diffusion samplers, Johns Pond, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 1998

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Savoie, Jennifer G.; LeBlanc, D.R.; Blackwood, D.S.; McCobb, T.D.; Rendigs, R. R.; Clifford, Scott

    2000-01-01

    Diffusion samplers were installed in the bottom of Johns Pond, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to confirm that volatile organic compounds from the Storm Drain-5 (SD-5) plume emanating from the Massachusetts Military Reservation (MMR) were discharging into the pond. An array of 134 vapor-diffusion samplers was buried by divers about 0.5 feet below the pond bottom in the presumed discharge area of the SD-5 plume and left in place for about 2 weeks to equilibrate. Two areas of high concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were identified. Samples from the first area contained trichloroethene (TCE) and tetrachloroethene with concentrations in vapor as high as 890 and 667 parts per billion by volume, respectively. This discharge area is about 1,000 feet wide, extends from 100 to 350 feet offshore, and is interpreted to be the discharge area of the SD-5 plume. Samples from the second area were located closer to shore than the discharge area of the SD-5 plume and contained unexpectedly high vapor concentrations of TCE (more than 40,000 parts per billion by volume). Ground-water samples collected with a drive-point sampler near the second area had aqueous TCE concentrations as high as 1,100 micrograms per liter. Subsequently, a more closely spaced array of 110 vapor-diffusion samplers was installed to map the area of elevated TCE concentrations . The discharge area detected with the samplers is about 75 feet wide and extends from about 25 to 200 feet offshore . TCE vapor concentrations in this area were as high as 42,800 parts per billion by volume. TCE concentrations in micrograms per liter in water-diffusion samples from 15 selected sites in the two discharge areas were about 35 times lower than the TCE concentrations in parts per billion by volume in corresponding vapor-diffusion samples. The difference in values is due to the volatile nature of TCE and the different units of measure. TCE was detected in diffusion samplers set in the pond water column above the plume discharge areas, but the TCE concentrations were 20 to 30 times lower than the corresponding levels in diffusion samplers buried in the pond bottom.

  4. Shrew species richness and abundance in relation to vernal pond habitat in southern New England

    Treesearch

    Robert T. Brooks; Katherine L. Doyle

    2001-01-01

    Vernal ponds are important aquatic habitat for many species of amphibians and invertebrates. While many aspects of such ponds have been investigated, small mammal populations in the adjacent upland [catchment] habitat are largely unstudied. We selected three ponds in central Massachusetts to determine whether the presence of vernal ponds in forested habitat influences...

  5. Floristics of ephemeral ponds in east-central Texas

    Treesearch

    Barbara R. MacRoberts; Michael H. MacRoberts; D. Craig Rudolph; David W. Peterson

    2014-01-01

    Beginning in 2009, we surveyed the vegetation of ephemeral ponds in Sabine and Nacogdoches counties in east-central Texas. These ponds are shallow and flat-bottomed, with a small but distinct flora dominated by grasses (Poaceae) and sedges (Cyperaceae). The floras of these ponds are most similar to those of flatwoods ponds located on the lower coastal plain. Once more...

  6. Morphology-dependent water budgets and nutrient fluxes in arctic thaw ponds

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Koch, Joshua C.; Gurney, Kirsty; Wipfli, Mark S.

    2014-01-01

    Thaw ponds on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska are productive ecosystems, providing habitat and food resources for many fish and bird species. Permafrost in this region creates unique pond morphologies: deep troughs, shallow low-centred polygons (LCPs) and larger coalescent ponds. By monitoring seasonal trends in pond volume and chemistry, we evaluated whether pond morphology and size affect water temperature and desiccation, and nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fluxes. Evaporation was the largest early-summer water flux in all pond types. LCPs dried quickly and displayed high early-summer nutrient concentrations and losses. Troughs consistently received solute-rich subsurface inflows, which accounted for 12 to 42 per cent of their volume and may explain higher P in the troughs. N to P ratios increased and ammonium concentrations decreased with pond volume, suggesting that P and inorganic N availability may limit ecosystem productivity in older, larger ponds. Arctic summer temperatures will likely increase in the future, which may accelerate mid-summer desiccation. Given their morphology, troughs may remain wet, become warmer and derive greater nutrient loads from their thawing banks. Overall, seasonal- to decadal-scale warming may increase ecosystem productivity in troughs relative to other Arctic Coastal Plain ponds. 

  7. Reproductive physiology in eastern snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) exposed to runoff from a concentrated animal feeding operation

    EPA Science Inventory

    The eastern snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) is widely distributed throughout the eastern and central U.S. and may be a useful model organism to study land use impacts on water quality. We compared the reproductive condition of C. serpentina from a pond impacted by runoff fr...

  8. Plasma Vitellogenin and Hormone Levels in Common Snapping Turtles (Chelydra serpentina) from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) Ponds versus a Reference Site

    EPA Science Inventory

    Runoff from land treated with animal manure may contaminate adjacent aquatic ecosystems and negatively impact organisms living in these environments. Of notable concern, influx of estrogens can result in endocrine disruption and affect reproduction in aquatic vertebrates. Vitel...

  9. Idaho National Laboratory Vadose Zone Research Park Geohydrological Monitoring Results

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kristine Baker

    2006-01-01

    Vadose zone lithology, hydrological characterization of interbed sediments, and hydrological data from subsurface monitoring of Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center wastewater infiltration are presented. Three-dimensional subsurface lithology of the vadose zone beneath the Vadose Zone Research Park is represented in a 2 dimensional (2 D) diagram showing interpolated lithology between monitoring wells. Laboratory-measured values for saturated hydraulic conductivity and porosity are given for three major interbeds, denoted as the B BC interbed (20 to 35 m bls), the C D interbed (40 to 45 m bls), and the DE 1 2 interbed (55 to 65 m bls), along withmore » an overall physical description of the sediments and geologic depositional environments. Pre-operational pore water pressure conditions are presented to show the presence and location of perched water zones before pond discharge at the New Percolation Ponds. Subsurface infiltration conditions during initial high-volume discharge are presented to show water arrival times and arrival sequences. Steady-state conditions are then presented to show formation and locations of perched water zones and recharge sources after several months of discharge to the New Percolation Ponds.« less

  10. Implementation of a best management practice (BMP) system for a clay mining facility in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Lin, Jen-Yang; Chen, Yen-Chang; Chen, Walter; Lee, Tsu-Chuan; Yu, Shaw L

    2006-01-01

    The present paper describes the planning and implementation of a best management practice (BMP) system for a clay mining facility in Northern Taiwan. It is a challenge to plan and design BMPs for mitigating the impact of clay mining operations due to the fact that clay mining drainage typically contains very high concentrations of suspended solids (SS), Fe-ions, and [H+] concentrations. In the present study, a field monitoring effort was conducted to collect data for runoff quality and quantity from a clay mining area in Northern Taiwan. A BMP system including holding ponds connected in series was designed and implemented and its pollutant removal performance was assessed. The assessment was based on mass balance computations and an analysis of the relationship between BMP design parameters such as pond depth, detention time, surface loading rate, etc. and the pollutant removal efficiency. Field sampling results showed that the surface-loading rate is exponential related to the removing rate. The results provide the basis for a more comprehensive and efficient BMP implementation plan for clay mining operations.

  11. The use of hand-held 35 mm color infrared imagery for estimates of suspended solids - A progress report. [in water pollution monitoring

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Miller, W. F.; Whisler, F. D.; Robinette, H. R.; Finnie, D.; Cannon, T.

    1975-01-01

    A cost-effective aerial surveillance technique is proposed for detection and identification of suspended solids which would be operational for both governmental monitoring organizations and private individuals operating catfish farms. Sixteen catfish ponds were flown daily for seven days using two hand-held 35 mm cameras with both Kodachrome X and Ektachrome infrared film. Hue, value, and chroma designations were recorded for each pond on each date by three interpreters, and the accepted color was that recorded by at least two of the interpreters, or if there was a three hue range, the median was accepted. Relations between suspended solids and color designations were analyzed graphically, and chroma was discarded due to an apparent lack of correlation. The data obtained were then analyzed by multiple regression. Significant correlations were revealed between hue and value and total and inorganic suspended solids. If perfected, this technique could be developed to sufficent accuracy for large-scale reconnaissance surveys to monitor the quality of rivers and streams.

  12. Waterbird use of saltmarsh ponds created for open marsh water management

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Erwin, R.M.; Hatfield, J.S.; Howe, M.A.; Klugman, S.K.

    1994-01-01

    Open Marsh Water Management (OMWM) as an alternative to pesticides for mosquito control in saltmarshes along the Atlantic Coast has created debate among biologists. We designed an experiment to determine waterbird (American black duck (Anas rubripes) and other waterfowl, wading birds, shorebirds, gulls, and terns) use (during daylight) of ponds created for mosquito control compared with use of pre-existing water bodies (i.e., natural tidal ponds, creeks, old ditches) and refuge impoundments. We also evaluated the influence of pond size and depth on waterbird use of wetlands. We documented bird use of different habitats for 1 year. The highest densities of waterfowl, in autumn, occurred in 0.030.06ha ponds (P lt 0.05) versus ponds either lt 0.02 ha or gt 0.08 ha; highest shorebird densities occurred in summer in ponds gt 0.10 ha (P lt 0.05). Pond depth affected shorebird and other waterfowl use in some seasons. Comparisons of mean number of birds using created (OMWM) ponds with mean number of birds using other water bodies revealed that most species showed no pattern (P gt 0.05) of disproportionate use versus availability. At high tidal levels, most species groups used OMWM ponds in the marsh more often (P lt 0.05) than other water bodies. Black ducks and other waterfowl used nearby refuge impoundments in higher densities than they did OMWM ponds, for nesting and during autumn-winter (all Ps lt 0.05). Creating small ( lt 0.1 ha) ponds for mosquito control does not enhance waterbird habitat, at least not where large impoundments are in close proximity. We recommend that in areas where OMWM practices seem appropriate, fewer large ( gt 0.10 ha) ponds be constructed with shallow ( lt 15 cm) basins and sloping sides.

  13. Pond bank access as an approach for managing toxic cyanobacteria in beef cattle pasture drinking water ponds.

    PubMed

    Wilson, Alan E; Chislock, Michael F; Yang, Zhen; Barros, Mário U G; Roberts, John F

    2018-03-25

    Forty-one livestock drinking water ponds in Alabama beef cattle pastures during were surveyed during the late summer to generally understand water quality patterns in these important water resources. Since livestock drinking water ponds are prone to excess nutrients that typically lead to eutrophication, which can promote blooms of toxigenic phytoplankton such as cyanobacteria, we also assessed the threat of exposure to the hepatotoxin, microcystin. Eighty percent of the ponds studied contained measurable microcystin, while three of these ponds had concentrations above human drinking water thresholds set by the US Environmental Protection Agency (i.e., 0.3 μg/L). Water quality patterns in the livestock drinking water ponds contrasted sharply with patterns typically observed for temperate freshwater lakes and reservoirs. Namely, we found several non-linear relationships between phytoplankton abundance (measured as chlorophyll) and nutrients or total suspended solids. Livestock had direct access to all the study ponds. Consequently, the proportion of inorganic suspended solids (e.g., sediment) increased with higher concentrations of total suspended solids, which underlies these patterns. Unimodal relationships were also observed between microcystin and phytoplankton abundance or nutrients. Euglenoids were abundant in the four ponds with chlorophyll concentrations > 250 μg/L (and dominated three of these ponds), which could explain why ponds with high chlorophyll concentrations would have low microcystin concentrations. Based on observations made during sampling events and available water quality data, livestock-mediated bioturbation is causing elevated total suspended solids that lead to reduced phytoplankton abundance and microcystin despite high concentrations of nutrients, such as phosphorus and nitrogen. Thus, livestock could be used to manage algal blooms, including toxic secondary metabolites, in their drinking water ponds by allowing them to walk in the ponds to increase turbidity.

  14. A simple model for the evolution of melt pond coverage on permeable Arctic sea ice

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Popović, Predrag; Abbot, Dorian

    2017-05-01

    As the melt season progresses, sea ice in the Arctic often becomes permeable enough to allow for nearly complete drainage of meltwater that has collected on the ice surface. Melt ponds that remain after drainage are hydraulically connected to the ocean and correspond to regions of sea ice whose surface is below sea level. We present a simple model for the evolution of melt pond coverage on such permeable sea ice floes in which we allow for spatially varying ice melt rates and assume the whole floe is in hydrostatic balance. The model is represented by two simple ordinary differential equations, where the rate of change of pond coverage depends on the pond coverage. All the physical parameters of the system are summarized by four strengths that control the relative importance of the terms in the equations. The model both fits observations and allows us to understand the behavior of melt ponds in a way that is often not possible with more complex models. Examples of insights we can gain from the model are that (1) the pond growth rate is more sensitive to changes in bare sea ice albedo than changes in pond albedo, (2) ponds grow slower on smoother ice, and (3) ponds respond strongest to freeboard sinking on first-year ice and sidewall melting on multiyear ice. We also show that under a global warming scenario, pond coverage would increase, decreasing the overall ice albedo and leading to ice thinning that is likely comparable to thinning due to direct forcing. Since melt pond coverage is one of the key parameters controlling the albedo of sea ice, understanding the mechanisms that control the distribution of pond coverage will help improve large-scale model parameterizations and sea ice forecasts in a warming climate.

  15. Influence of drought on salamander occupancy of isolated wetlands on the southeastern Coastal Plain of the United States

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Walls, Susan C.; Barichivich, William J.; Brown, Mary E.; Scott, David E.; Hossack, Blake R.

    2013-01-01

    In the southeastern U.S., changes in temperature and precipitation over the last three decades have been the most dramatic in winter and spring seasons. Continuation of these trends could negatively impact pond-breeding amphibians, especially those that rely on winter and spring rains to fill seasonal wetlands, trigger breeding, and ensure reproductive success. From 2009 to 2012, we monitored Spring and Fall presence of aquatic stages (larval and paedomorphic, gilled adult) of a winter-breeding amphibian (the mole salamander, Ambystoma talpoideum) and used multi-season models to estimate occupancy, local colonization and extinction. Seasonal estimates of occupancy, corrected for imperfect detection, declined from 22.3 % of ponds in Spring 2009 to 9.9 % in Fall 2012. Our best supported model suggested that changes in occupancy were driven by increased rates of extinction that corresponded with drought-related drying of ponds. Based on uncertainty in climate change projections for the Southeast, we present a conceptual model of predicted changes in wetland hydroperiods across a landscape with projected decreases and increases in future precipitation. Such precipitation changes could alter wetland hydroperiods, facilitate extinctions of species adapted to short, intermediate or long hydroperiod environments and, ultimately, modify the composition of amphibian communities within freshwater wetland ecosystems.

  16. Anaerobes, aerobes and phototrophs. A winning team for wastewater management.

    PubMed

    Gijzen, H J

    2001-01-01

    Current mainstream technologies for wastewater treatment, such as activated sludge and tertiary nutrient removal, are too costly to provide a satisfactory solution for the increasing wastewater problems in developing regions. Besides, these technologies do not allow for re-use of valuable energy and nutrients contained in the wastewater. In light of these limitations, it is important to reconsider the technology and strategic approaches in wastewater management. This paper introduces the "Cleaner Production" concept to sewage management, which combines two approaches: pollution prevention and re-use. Pollution prevention includes a shift towards low water use sanitation technology. The more concentrated wastewater, becomes more attractive for re-use oriented treatment schemes. A combination of anaerobic pre-treatment followed by macrophyte-covered stabilisation ponds is proposed for the effective recovery of energy and nutrients from sewage. By selecting optimal applications of the plant biomass and pond effluent, nutrients will end up as fish and crop protein. This contrasts favourably to tertiary nitrogen removal in activated sludge systems, which recycles ammonia through molecular nitrogen at the expense of energy and high costs. Macrophyte ponds are proposed as a key step in waste recycling, because these form the central unit of a recycling engine, driven by photosynthesis. The process is energy efficient, cost effective and applicable under a wide variety of rural and urban conditions.

  17. Effects of hydrologic connectivity and environmental nariables on nekton assemblage in a coastal marsh system

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kang, Sung-Ryong; King, Sammy L.

    2013-01-01

    Hydrologic connectivity and environmental variation can influence nekton assemblages in coastal ecosystems. We evaluated the effects of hydrologic connectivity (permanently connected pond: PCP; temporary connected pond: TCP), salinity, vegetation coverage, water depth and other environmental variables on seasonal nekton assemblages in freshwater, brackish, and saline marshes of the Chenier Plain, Louisiana, USA. We hypothesize that 1) nekton assemblages in PCPs have higher metrics (density, biomass, assemblage similarity) than TCPs within all marsh types and 2) no nekton species would be dominant across all marsh types. In throw traps, freshwater PCPs in Fall (36.0 ± 1.90) and Winter 2009 (43.2 ± 22.36) supported greater biomass than freshwater TCPs (Fall 2009: 9.1 ± 4.65; Winter 2009: 8.3 ± 3.42). In minnow traps, saline TCPs (5.9 ± 0.85) in Spring 2009 had higher catch per unit effort than saline PCPs (0.7 ± 0.67). Our data only partially support our first hypothesis as freshwater marsh PCPs had greater assemblage similarity than TCPs. As predicted by our second hypothesis, no nekton species dominated across all marsh types. Nekton assemblages were structured by individual species responses to the salinity gradient as well as pond habitat attributes (submerged aquatic vegetation coverage, dissolved oxygen, hydrologic connectivity).

  18. Spatio-temporal distribution of perchlorate and its toxicity in Hydrilla verticillata.

    PubMed

    Vijaya Nadaraja, Anupama; Pushpangadhan Saraswathy, Divya; Cheruvathery Ravindran, Sayana; Mariya, Anie; Godwin Russel, Jasmin; Selvanesan, Pradeep; Pereira, Benno; Bhaskaran, Krishnakumar

    2017-10-01

    The spatio-temporal distribution of perchlorate in water sources around an ammonium perchlorate production unit and its toxicity response on a dominant aquatic plant, Hydrilla verticillata are reported in this study. Samples (n=453) from ground water (open well) and surface water sources within 5km from the production unit over a period of 12 months (2014, June - 2015, May) were screened for ClO 4 - . During the period, ClO 4 - concentration in ground water samples close to the production unit increased to >40,000μg/L, and ClO 4 - was detected at 1740μg/L in well water 1.6km away from the production unit. A community pond in the area also showed an increase in ClO 4 - level up to 29,000μg/L. In all water sources, ClO 4 - level was maximum during the rainy season (July, monsoon). A natural degradation of ClO 4 - was not observed in the area as evident from its persistent level and spreading to more areas. H. verticillata, the dominant vegetation in the pond exhibited severe toxic response like massive decay and loss of photosynthetic pigments such as chlorophyll and carotene due to ClO 4 - exposure. The plant accumulated ClO 4 - up to 60 ± 0.8mg/kg wet weight with a Bio-Concentration Factor 2.06±0.005. This is the first report on spatio-temporal distribution of ClO 4 - at higher levels in a natural environment and its toxicity response to plants under natural condition. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. KSC-2014-4611

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2014-12-01

    SAN DIEGO, Calif. – U.S. Navy and Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 8 salute Rear Admiral Fernandez L. "Frank" Ponds, Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group 3, during his visit on the deck of the USS Anchorage near Naval Base San Diego in California. The ship is heading out to sea in the Pacific Ocean. NASA and the U.S. Navy are making preparations ahead of Orion's flight test for recovery of the crew module, forward bay cover and parachutes on its return from space and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is leading the recovery efforts. The first unpiloted flight test of Orion is scheduled to launch this week atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket. During its two-orbit, 4.5-hour flight, Orion will venture 3,600 miles in altitude and travel nearly 60,000 miles before returning to Earth for a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/orion. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston

  20. Oil

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Rocke, T.E.

    1999-01-01

    Each year, an average of 14 million gallons of oil from more than 10,000 accidental spills flow into fresh and saltwater environments in and around the United States. Most accidental oil spills occur when oil is transported by tankers or barges, but oil is also spilled during highway, rail, and pipeline transport, and by nontransportation-related facilities, such as refinery, bulk storage, and marine and land facilities (Fig. 42.1). Accidental releases, however, account for only a small percentage of all oil entering the environment; in heavily used urban estuaries, the total petroleum hydrocarbon contributions due to transportation activities may be 10 percent or less. Most oil is introduced to the environment by intentional discharges from normal transport and refining operations, industrial and municipal discharges, used lubricant and other waste oil disposal, urban runoff, river runoff, atmospheric deposition, and natural seeps. Oil-laden wastewater is often released into settling ponds and wetlands (Fig. 42.2). Discharges of oil field brines are a major source of the petroleum crude oil that enters estuaries in Texas.

  1. Effects of wetland management on carrying capacity of diving ducks and shorebirds in a coastal estuary

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Brand, L. Arriana; Takekawa, John Y.; Shinn, Joel; Graham, Tanya; Buffington, Kevin; Gustafson, K. Benjamin; Smith, Lacy M.; Spring, Sarah E.; Miles, A. Keith

    2014-01-01

    With global loss of natural wetlands, managed wetlands increasingly support energy requirements for wintering shorebirds and waterfowl. Despite numerous studies of avian bioenergetics in freshwater systems, less is known of the energetic capacity of estuarine systems. In San Francisco Bay, managed saline ponds converted from former commercial salt evaporation ponds form part of the largest wetland restoration project on the Pacific coast of North America. A daily-ration model was applied to assess carrying capacity for diving ducks and shorebirds during four winter seasons (2007–2010) in seasonal and circulation ponds, each in two salinity classes. Diving ducks comprised an estimated 35,450 ± 1,559 (x ± SE) in average years and 45,458 ± 1,653 in peak years with > 95% in circulation ponds. Shorebirds comprised 64,253 ± 14,838 (x ± SE) in average years and 108,171 ± 4,854 in peak years with > 64% in seasonal ponds. Macroinvertebrate energy density was highest in mesohaline (5–30 ppt) circulation ponds and lowest in seasonal ponds for both guilds. Energy requirements for diving ducks in mesohaline followed by low-hyperhaline (30–80 ppt) circulation ponds were mostly met by available prey energy. Available energy for shorebirds was substantially less than they required in seasonal ponds but exceeded their needs in mesohaline circulation ponds. Mesohaline circulation ponds supported 9,443 ± 1,649 (x ± SE) shorebird use-days·ha-1 of accessible habitat and 2,297 ± 402 diving duck use-days·ha-1 of accessible habitat, twice the capacity of low-hyperhaline circulation ponds and greater than five times that of seasonal ponds for both guilds. Our results indicated that reducing salinity to mesohaline levels and altering water depth to increase accessibility substantially increased energy available for these species in estuarine managed ponds.

  2. Effects of wetland management on carrying capacity of diving ducks and shorebirds in a coastal estuary

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Brand, Arianna L.; Takekawa, John Y.; Shinn, Joel; Graham, Tanya R.; Buffington, Kevin J.; Gustafson, K. Ben; Smith, Lacy M.; Spring, Sarah E.; Miles, A. Keith

    2014-01-01

    With global loss of natural wetlands, managed wetlands increasingly support energy requirements for wintering shorebirds and waterfowl. Despite numerous studies of avian bioenergetics in freshwater systems, less is known of the energetic capacity of estuarine systems. In San Francisco Bay, managed saline ponds converted from former commercial salt evaporation ponds form part of the largest wetland restoration project on the Pacific coast of North America. A daily-ration model was applied to assess carrying capacity for diving ducks and shorebirds during four winter seasons (2007–2010) in seasonal and circulation ponds, each in two salinity classes. Diving ducks comprised an estimated 35,450 ± 1,559 ( ± SE) in average years and 45,458 ± 1,653 in peak years with > 95% in circulation ponds. Shorebirds comprised 64,253 ± 14,838 ( ± SE) in average years and 108,171 ± 4,854 in peak years with > 64% in seasonal ponds. Macroinvertebrate energy density was highest in mesohaline (5–30 ppt) circulation ponds and lowest in seasonal ponds for both guilds. Energy requirements for diving ducks in mesohaline followed by low-hyperhaline (30–80 ppt) circulation ponds were mostly met by available prey energy. Available energy for shorebirds was substantially less than they required in seasonal ponds but exceeded their needs in mesohaline circulation ponds. Mesohaline circulation ponds supported 9,443 ± 1,649 ( ± SE) shorebird use-days·ha-1 of accessible habitat and 2,297 ± 402 diving duck use-days·ha-1 of accessible habitat, twice the capacity of low-hyperhaline circulation ponds and greater than five times that of seasonal ponds for both guilds. Our results indicated that reducing salinity to mesohaline levels and altering water depth to increase accessibility substantially increased energy available for these species in estuarine managed ponds.

  3. The effect of beaver ponds on water quality in rural coastal plain streams

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bason, Christopher W.; Kroes, Daniel; Brinson, Mark M.

    2017-01-01

    We compared water-quality effects of 13 beaver ponds on adjacent free-flowing control reaches in the Coastal Plain of rural North Carolina. We measured concentrations of nitrate, ammonium, soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), and suspended sediment (SS) upstream and downstream of paired ponds and control reaches. Nitrate and SS concentrations decreased, ammonium concentrations increased, and SRP concentrations were unaffected downstream of the ponds and relative to the control reaches. The pond effect on nitrate concentration was a reduction of 112 ± 55 μg-N/L (19%) compared to a control-reach—influenced reduction of 28 ± 17 μg-N/L. The pond effect on ammonium concentration was an increase of 9.47 ± 10.9 μg-N/L (59%) compared to the control-reach—influenced reduction of 1.49 ± 1.37 μg-N/L. The pond effect on SS concentration was a decrease of 3.41 ± 1.68 mg/L (40%) compared to a control-reach—influenced increase of 0.56 ± 0.27 mg/L. Ponds on lower-order streams reduced nitrate concentrations by greater amounts compared to those in higher-order streams. Older ponds reduced SS concentrations by greater amounts compared to younger ponds. The findings of this study indicate that beaver ponds provide water-quality benefits to rural Coastal Plain streams by reducing concentrations of nitrate and suspended sediment.

  4. Heat transfer in melt ponds with convection and radiative heating: observationally-inspired modelling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wells, A.; Langton, T.; Rees Jones, D. W.; Moon, W.; Kim, J. H.; Wilkinson, J.

    2016-12-01

    Melt ponds have key impacts on the evolution of Arctic sea ice and summer ice melt. Small changes to the energy budget can have significant consequences, with a net heat-flux perturbation of only a few Watts per square metre sufficient to explain the thinning of sea ice over recent decades. Whilst parameterisations of melt-pond thermodynamics often assume that pond temperatures remain close to the freezing point, recent in-situ observations show more complex thermal structure with significant diurnal and synoptic variability. We here consider the energy budget of melt ponds and explore the role of internal convective heat transfer in determining the thermal structure within the pond in relatively calm conditions with low winds. We quantify the energy fluxes and temperature variability using two-dimensional direct numerical simulations of convective turbulence within a melt pond, driven by internal radiative heating and surface fluxes. Our results show that the convective flow dynamics are modulated by changes to the incoming radiative flux and sensible heat flux at the pond surface. The evolving pond surface temperature controls the outgoing longwave emissions from the pond. Hence the convective flow modifies the net energy balance of a melt pond, modulating the relative fractions of the incoming heat flux that is re-emitted to the atmosphere or transferred downward into the sea ice to drive melt.

  5. Modeling Nitrogen Decrease in Water Lettuce Ponds from Waste Stabilization Ponds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Putri, Gitta Agnes; Sunarsih

    2018-02-01

    This paper presents about the dynamic modeling of the Water Lettuce ponds as a form of improvement from the Water Hyacinth ponds. The purpose of this paper is to predict nitrogen decrease and nitrogen transformation in Water Lettuce ponds integrated with Waste Stabilization Ponds. The model consists of 4 mass balances, namely Dissolved Organic Nitrogen (DON), Particulate Organic Nitrogen (PON), ammonium (NH4+), Nitrate and Nitrite (NOx). The process of nitrogen transformation which considered in a Water Lettuce ponds, namely hydrolysis, mineralization, nitrification, denitrification, plant and bacterial uptake processes. Numerical simulations are performed by giving the values of parameters and the initial values of nitrogen compounds based on a review of previous studies. Numerical results show that the rate of change in the concentration of nitrogen compounds in the integration ponds of waste stabilization and water lettuce decreases and reaches stable at different times.

  6. Patterns of microbial diversity along a salinity gradient in the Guerrero Negro solar saltern, Baja CA Sur, Mexico

    PubMed Central

    Dillon, Jesse G.; Carlin, Mark; Gutierrez, Abraham; Nguyen, Vivian; McLain, Nathan

    2013-01-01

    The goal of this study was to use environmental sequencing of 16S rRNA and bop genes to compare the diversity of planktonic bacteria and archaea across ponds with increasing salinity in the Exportadora de Sal (ESSA) evaporative saltern in Guerrero Negro, Baja CA S., Mexico. We hypothesized that diverse communities of heterotrophic bacteria and archaea would be found in the ESSA ponds, but that bacterial diversity would decrease relative to archaea at the highest salinities. Archaeal 16S rRNA diversity was higher in Ponds 11 and 12 (370 and 380 g l−1 total salts, respectively) compared to Pond 9 (180 g l−1 total salts). Both Pond 11 and 12 communities had high representation (47 and 45% of clones, respectively) by Haloquadratum walsbyi-like (99% similarity) lineages. The archaeal community in Pond 9 was dominated (79%) by a single uncultured phylotype with 99% similarity to sequences recovered from the Sfax saltern in Tunisia. This pattern was mirrored in bop gene diversity with greater numbers of highly supported phylotypes including many Haloquadratum-like sequences from the two highest salinity ponds. In Pond 9, most bop sequences, were not closely related to sequences in databases. Bacterial 16S rRNA diversity was higher than archaeal in both Pond 9 and Pond 12 samples, but not Pond 11, where a non-Salinibacter lineage within the Bacteroidetes >98% similar to environmental clones recovered from Lake Tuz in Turkey and a saltern in Chula Vista, CA was most abundant (69% of community). This OTU was also the most abundant in Pond 12, but only represented 14% of clones in the more diverse pond. The most abundant OTU in Pond 9 (33% of community) was 99% similar to an uncultured gammaproteobacterial clone from the Salton Sea. Results suggest that the communities of saltern bacteria and archaea vary even in ponds with similar salinity and further investigation into the ecology of diverse, uncultured halophile communities is warranted. PMID:24391633

  7. Optimization of pilot high rate algal ponds for simultaneous nutrient removal and lipids production.

    PubMed

    Arbib, Zouhayr; de Godos, Ignacio; Ruiz, Jesús; Perales, José A

    2017-07-01

    Special attention is required to the removal of nitrogen and phosphorous in treated wastewaters. Although, there are a wide range of techniques commercially available for nutrient up-take, these processes entail high investment and operational costs. In the other hand, microalgae growth can simultaneously remove inorganic constituents of wastewater and produce energy rich biomass. Among all the cultivation technologies, High Rate Algae Ponds (HRAPs), are accepted as the most appropriate system. However, the optimization of the operation that maximizes the productivity, nutrient removal and lipid content in the biomass generated has not been established. In this study, the effect of two levels of depth and the addition of CO 2 were evaluated. Batch essays were used for the calculation of the kinetic parameters of microbial growth that determine the optimum conditions for continuous operation. Nutrient removal and lipid content of the biomass generated were analyzed. The best conditions were found at depth of 0.3m with CO 2 addition (biomass productivity of 26.2gTSSm -2 d -1 and a lipid productivity of 6.0glipidsm -2 d -1 ) in continuous mode. The concentration of nutrients was in all cases below discharge limits established by the most restrictive regulation for wastewater discharge. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Influence of the Trojan Nickel Mine on surface water quality, Mazowe valley, Zimbabwe: Runoff chemistry and acid generation potential of waste rock

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lupankwa, Keretia; Love, David; Mapani, Benjamin; Mseka, Stephen; Meck, Maideyi

    The impacts of mining on the environment depend on the nature of the ore body, the type of mining and the size of operation. The focus of this study is on Trojan Nickel Mine which is located 90 km north of Harare, Zimbabwe. It produces nickel from iron, iron-nickel and copper-nickel sulphides and disposes of waste rock in a rock dump. Surface water samples were taken at 11 points selected from a stream which drains the rock dump, a stream carrying underground water and the river into which these streams discharge. Samples were analysed for metals using atomic absorption spectrometry, for sulphates by gravitation and for carbonates and bicarbonates by back titration. Ninteen rock samples were collected from the dump and static tests were performed using the Sobek acid base accounting method. The results show that near neutral runoff (pH 7.0-8.5) with high concentrations of sulphate (over 100 mg/L) and some metals (Pb > 1.0 mg/L and Ni > 0.2 mg/L) emanates from the dump. This suggests that acid mine drainage is buffered in the dump (probably by carbonates). This is supported by the static tests, which show that the fine fraction of dump material neutralises acid. Runoff from the dump flows into a pond. Concentrations of sulphates and metals decrease after the dump runoff enters the pond, but sufficient remains to increase levels of calcium, sulphate, bicarbonate, iron and lead in the Pote River. The drop in concentrations at the pond indicates that the settling process has a positive effect on water quality. This could be enhanced by treating the pond water to raise pH, thus precipitating out metals and decreasing their concentrations in water draining from the pond.

  9. Response of Bighead Carp and Silver Carp to repeated water gun operation in an enclosed shallow pond

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Romine, Jason G.; Jensen, Nathan; Parsley, Michael J.; Gaugush, Robert F.; Severson, Todd J.; Hatton, Tyson W.; Adams, Ryan F.; Gaikowski, Mark P.

    2015-01-01

    The Bighead Carp Hypophthalmichthys nobilis and Silver Carp H. molitrix are nonnative species that pose a threat to Great Lakes ecosystems should they advance into those areas. Thus, technologies to impede Asian carp movement into the Great Lakes are needed; one potential technology is the seismic water gun. We evaluated the efficacy of a water gun array as a behavioral deterrent to the movement of acoustic-tagged Bighead Carp and Silver Carp in an experimental pond. Behavioral responses were evaluated by using four metrics: (1) fish distance from the water guns (D); (2) spatial area of the fish's utilization distribution (UD); (3) persistence velocity (Vp); and (4) number of times a fish transited the water gun array. For both species, average D increased by 10 m during the firing period relative to the pre-firing period. During the firing period, the spatial area of use within the pond decreased. Carp were located throughout the pond during the pre-firing period but were concentrated in the north end of the pond during the firing period, thus reducing their UDs by roughly 50%. Overall, Vp decreased during the firing period relative to the pre-firing period, as fish movement became more tortuous and confined, suggesting that the firing of the guns elicited a change in carp behavior. The water gun array was partially successful at impeding carp movement, but some fish did transit the array. Bighead Carp moved past the guns a total of 78 times during the pre-firing period and 15 times during the firing period; Silver Carp moved past the guns 96 times during the pre-firing period and 13 times during the firing period. Although the water guns did alter carp behavior, causing the fish to move away from the guns, this method was not 100% effective as a passage deterrent.

  10. Wartime scars or reservoirs of biodiversity? The value of bomb crater ponds in aquatic conservation

    PubMed Central

    Vad, Csaba F.; Péntek, Attila L.; Cozma, Nastasia J.; Földi, Angéla; Tóth, Adrienn; Tóth, Bence; Böde, NóraA.; Móra, Arnold; Ptacnik, Robert; Ács, Éva; Zsuga, Katalin; Horváth, Zsófia

    2017-01-01

    Considering the ongoing loss of aquatic habitats, anthropogenic ponds are gaining importance as substitute habitats. It is therefore important to assess their functioning in comparison to their natural precursors. Here we assess the biodiversity value of sodic bomb crater ponds by comparing their gamma diversity to that of natural reference habitats, astatic soda pans, and assess their importance on the landscape level by studying alpha and beta diversity. We studied aquatic organisms ranging from algae to vertebrates in a dense cluster of 54 sodic bomb crater ponds in Central Europe. Despite the overall small area of the pond cluster, gamma diversity was comparable to that found in surveys of natural habitats that encompassed much wider spatial and temporal scales. We also found a considerable number of species shared with reference habitats, indicating that these anthropogenic habitats function as important refuge sites for several species that are associated with the endangered soda pans. Moreover, we found a number of regionally or worldwide rare species. Among the components of beta diversity, species replacement dominated community assembly. Individual ponds contributed similarly to beta diversity in terms of replacement, being equally important for maintaining high gamma diversity and emphasising the role of the pond network rather than individual ponds. This pattern was seen in all studied groups. Bomb crater ponds therefore acted as important contributors to aquatic biodiversity. Considering the tremendous losses of ponds throughout Europe, anthropogenic ponds should be taken into consideration in nature conservation, especially when occurring in pond networks. PMID:28529346

  11. Poorly known microbial taxa dominate the microbiome of permafrost thaw ponds.

    PubMed

    Wurzbacher, Christian; Nilsson, R Henrik; Rautio, Milla; Peura, Sari

    2017-08-01

    In the transition zone of the shifting permafrost border, thaw ponds emerge as hotspots of microbial activity, processing the ancient carbon freed from the permafrost. We analyzed the microbial succession across a gradient of recently emerged to older ponds using three molecular markers: one universal, one bacterial and one fungal. Age was a major modulator of the microbial community of the thaw ponds. Surprisingly, typical freshwater taxa comprised only a small fraction of the community. Instead, thaw ponds of all age classes were dominated by enigmatic bacterial and fungal phyla. Our results on permafrost thaw ponds lead to a revised perception of the thaw pond ecosystem and their microbes, with potential implications for carbon and nutrient cycling in this increasingly important class of freshwaters.

  12. A long-term monitoring study of chlorophyll, microbial contaminants, and pesticides in a coastal residential stormwater pond and its adjacent tidal creek.

    PubMed

    DeLorenzo, Marie E; Thompson, Brian; Cooper, Emily; Moore, Janet; Fulton, Michael H

    2012-01-01

    Stormwater ponds are commonly used in residential and commercial areas to control flooding. The accumulation of urban contaminants in stormwater ponds can lead to water-quality problems including nutrient enrichment, chemical contamination, and bacterial contamination. This study presents 5 years of monitoring data assessing water quality of a residential subdivision pond and adjacent tidal creek in coastal South Carolina, USA. The stormwater pond is eutrophic, as described by elevated concentrations of chlorophyll and phosphorus, and experiences periodic cyanobacterial blooms. A maximum monthly average chlorophyll concentration of 318.75 μg/L was measured in the stormwater pond and 227.63 μg/L in the tidal creek. Fecal coliform bacteria (FCB) levels were measured in both the pond and the tidal creek that exceeded health and safety standards for safe recreational use. A maximum monthly average FCB level of 1,247 CFU/100 mL was measured in the stormwater pond and 12,850 CFU/100 mL in the tidal creek. In addition, the presence of antibiotic resistant bacteria and pathogenic bacteria were detected. Low concentrations of herbicides (atrazine and 2,4-D: ), a fungicide (chlorothalonil), and insecticides (pyrethroids and imidacloprid) were measured. Seasonal trends were identified, with the winter months having the lowest concentrations of chlorophyll and FCB. Statistical differences between the stormwater pond and the tidal creek were also noted within seasons. The tidal creek had higher FCB levels than the stormwater pond in the spring and summer, whereas the stormwater pond had higher chlorophyll levels than the tidal creek in the summer and fall seasons. Chlorophyll and FCB levels in the stormwater pond were significantly correlated with monthly average temperature and total rainfall. Pesticide concentrations were also significantly correlated with temperature and rainfall. Pesticide concentrations in the stormwater pond were significantly correlated with pesticide concentrations in the adjacent tidal creek. Chlorophyll and FCB levels in the tidal creek, however, were not significantly correlated with levels in the pond. While stormwater ponds are beneficial in controlling flooding, they may pose environmental and human health risks due to biological and chemical contamination. Management to reduce residential runoff may improve water quality in coastal stormwater ponds and their adjacent estuarine ecosystems.

  13. Reflective properties of melt ponds on sea ice

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Malinka, Aleksey; Zege, Eleonora; Istomina, Larysa; Heygster, Georg; Spreen, Gunnar; Perovich, Donald; Polashenski, Chris

    2018-06-01

    Melt ponds occupy a large part of the Arctic sea ice in summer and strongly affect the radiative budget of the atmosphere-ice-ocean system. In this study, the melt pond reflectance is considered in the framework of radiative transfer theory. The melt pond is modeled as a plane-parallel layer of pure water upon a layer of sea ice (the pond bottom). We consider pond reflection as comprising Fresnel reflection by the water surface and multiple reflections between the pond surface and its bottom, which is assumed to be Lambertian. In order to give a description of how to find the pond bottom albedo, we investigate the inherent optical properties of sea ice. Using the Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin approximation approach to light scattering by non-spherical particles (brine inclusions) and Mie solution for spherical particles (air bubbles), we conclude that the transport scattering coefficient in sea ice is a spectrally independent value. Then, within the two-stream approximation of the radiative transfer theory, we show that the under-pond ice spectral albedo is determined by two independent scalar values: the transport scattering coefficient and ice layer thickness. Given the pond depth and bottom albedo values, the bidirectional reflectance factor (BRF) and albedo of a pond can be calculated with analytical formulas. Thus, the main reflective properties of the melt pond, including their spectral dependence, are determined by only three independent parameters: pond depth z, ice layer thickness H, and transport scattering coefficient of ice σt.The effects of the incident conditions and the atmosphere state are examined. It is clearly shown that atmospheric correction is necessary even for in situ measurements. The atmospheric correction procedure has been used in the model verification. The optical model developed is verified with data from in situ measurements made during three field campaigns performed on landfast and pack ice in the Arctic. The measured pond albedo spectra were fitted with the modeled spectra by varying the pond parameters (z, H, and σt). The coincidence of the measured and fitted spectra demonstrates good performance of the model: it is able to reproduce the albedo spectrum in the visible range with RMSD that does not exceed 1.5 % for a wide variety of melt pond types observed in the Arctic.

  14. Assessing Chemical Retention Process Controls in Ponds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Torgersen, T.; Branco, B.; John, B.

    2002-05-01

    Small ponds are a ubiquitous component of the landscape and have earned a reputation as effective chemical retention devices. The most common characterization of pond chemical retention is the retention coefficient, Ri= ([Ci]inflow-[Ci] outflow)/[Ci]inflow. However, this parameter varies widely in one pond with time and among ponds. We have re-evaluated literature reported (Borden et al., 1998) monthly average retention coefficients for two ponds in North Carolina. Employing a simple first order model that includes water residence time, the first order process responsible for species removal have been separated from the water residence time over which it acts. Assuming the rate constant for species removal is constant within the pond (arguable at least), the annual average rate constant for species removal is generated. Using the annual mean rate constant for species removal and monthly water residence times results in a significantly enhanced predictive capability for Davis Pond during most months of the year. Predictive ability remains poor in Davis Pond during winter/unstratified periods when internal loading of P and N results in low to negative chemical retention. Predictive ability for Piedmont Pond (which has numerous negative chemical retention periods) is improved but not to the same extent as Davis Pond. In Davis Pond, the rate constant for sediment removal (each month) is faster than the rate constant for water and explains the good predictability for sediment retention. However, the removal rate constant for P and N is slower than the removal rate constant for sediment (longer water column residence time for P,N than for sediment). Thus sedimentation is not an overall control on nutrient retention. Additionally, the removal rate constant for P is slower than for TOC (TOC is not the dominate removal process for P) and N is removed slower than P (different in pond controls). For Piedmont Pond, sediment removal rate constants are slower than the removal rate constant for water indicating significant sediment resuspension episodes. It appears that these sediment resuspension events are aperiodic and control the loading and the chemical retention capability of Piedmont Pond for N,P,TOC. These calculated rate constants reflect the differing internal loading processes for each component and suggest means and mechanisms for the use of ponds in water quality management.

  15. The feeding activity of Colossoma macropomum larvae (tambaqui) in fishponds with water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) fertilizer.

    PubMed

    Sipaúba-Tavares, L H; Braga, F M S

    2007-08-01

    Analysis of macrophyte water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) as an organic fertilizer of Colossoma macropomum (tambaqui) larvae in ponds is provided. Water hyacinth produce an organic fertilizer at the ratio of 100 g x m(-2) in tambaqui ponds. Two groups of 5,000 larvae were transferred to two fishponds with and without water hyacinth fertilizer and reared until day 43. The fertilized pond evidenced more plankton abundance during the entire production period when compared with the control pond (P < 0.001). The phytoplankton community in the pond was not significantly different than in gut contents (P > 0.05) in both ponds (with and without organic fertilizer). Fish larvae failed to show any preference or selectivity in relation to the different algae (P > 0.01) in the pond, but exhibited high ingestion selectivity for zooplankton (P < 0.05). Application of fertilizer increased (P < 0.05) the abundance of phytoplankton and zooplankton in the treatment pond. Since water hyacinth fertilizer is quite cheap and easily available, it may be conveniently used to enhance fish yield in ponds.

  16. Isolation of Edwardsiella tarda from Swine

    PubMed Central

    Owens, Dwight R.; Nelson, Stuart L.; Addison, J. Bruce

    1974-01-01

    Edwardsiella tarda was isolated from the intestinal tract of a 2-month-old pig. This is the first reported isolation of Edwardsiella tarda from swine in the United States. Swine have been reported as potential carriers of Edwardsiella tarda, but pathogenicity of this organism for swine has not been determined. Although the pig had access to several farm ponds, the exact source of infection was not determined. PMID:4825978

  17. Response of sunshine bass (Morone chrysops x M. saxatilis) to digestible protein/dietary lipid density and ration size at summer culture temperatures in the Southern United States

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Temperature and ammonia levels often increase dramatically in ponds during summer production of sunshine bass and summer temperatures are projected to increase in the Southern US. Extended periods of high ammonia result in fish stress, disease, mortality and significant loss of feeding days as pro...

  18. Activities for Studying Ponds (Limnology), Grade Level 5-6. Environmental Education Series, Bulletin No. 247-D.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, MD.

    This bulletin is one in a series of environmental education activity guides for grades K-12, developed and field-tested by teachers in the Montgomery County (Maryland) Public Schools. Primarily for use in the middle grades four through six, the guides are not intended to constitute complete units in themselves. They are, rather, a compilation of…

  19. A containment and disposition strategy for tritium-contaminated groundwater at the Savannah River Site, South Carolina, United States

    Treesearch

    Daniel R. Hitckcock; Christopher D. Barton; Karin T. Rebel; Julian Singer; John C. Seanman; J. Dan Strawbridge; Susan J. Riha; John I. Blake

    2005-01-01

    A containment and disposition water management strategy has been implemented at the Savannah River Site to minimize the discharge of tritiated groundwater from the Old Radioactive Waste Burial Ground to Fourmile Branch, a tributary of the Savannah River. This paper presents a general overview of the water management strategy, which includes a two-component (pond and...

  20. Prevalence of Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica and Listeria monocytogenes at public access watershed sites in a California central coast agricultural region

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Produce contaminated with enteric pathogens is a major source of foodborne illness in the United States. Surface water regions serves as both a source and a vehicle for transport of pathogens to produce in the field. Lakes, streams, rivers, and ponds at 30 locations in the vicinity of a leafy green ...

  1. A Generation at Risk: When the Baby Boomers Reach Golden Pond.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Butler, Robert N.

    The 20th century has seen average life expectancy in the United States move from under 50 years to over 70 years. Coupled with this increase in average life expectancy is the aging of the 76.4 million persons born between 1946 and 1964. As they approach retirement, these baby-boomers will have to balance their own needs with those of living…

  2. Linkage between seasonal hydrology and carbon flux dynamics in tundra ponds: Samoylov Island, Lena River Delta, Siberia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abnizova, Anna; Bornemann, Niko; Boike, Julia

    2010-05-01

    Arctic ponds have been recently recognized as being highly sensitive to changing climate. To date, ponds and lakes are disappearing in Alaska, Siberia and Canadian High Arctic because of climate warming (Fitzgerald et al. 2003; Smith et al. 2005; and Smol et al. 2007). While numerous limnological studies have been done on arctic ponds located in the Canadian High Arctic (Douglas and Smol, 1994; Hamilton et al. 2001; Lim et al., 2001), there is a limited number of studies on tundra ponds located in other circumpolar environments (e.g. Northern Siberia). Duff et al. (1999) describes tundra lakes in northern Russia as clear, dilute, oligotrophic lakes with low nutrients and dissolved organic carbon concentration. While numerous ponds and lakes exists in the Lena River Delta averaging to 2120 lakes of all sizes for every 1000 km2, no studies have been done to understand carbon flux dynamics of these freshwater ecosystems. In this study hydrological monitoring based on water balance framework was applied to a series of ponds and lakes located on Samoylov Island, 120 km south of the Arctic Ocean in the southern central Lena River Delta (72° 22' N, 126 ° 30' E) from July to September 2008. To better understand spatial differences in pond hydrology and carbon flux dynamics, the physical and biochemical data was collected from 42 tundra ponds. The selection of the ponds was based on their size (small, medium, large) and depth values ranging from 10 to 120 cm. The estimation of the seasonal water budget in 2008 showed that losses through evapotranspiration were offset by similar precipitation inputs and resulted in the equilibrium storage values in the study ponds prior to the freeze-back. Preliminary analysis showed that more than 50% of the ponds had DOC > 6.5 mg/l which exceeds average value of other Arctic ponds reported in literature (Duff et al. 1999 and Hamilton et al. 2001). Elevated DOC concentrations (> 8 mg/l) were found in the small and medium ponds with depth values ranging from 15 to 30 cm. The values of other environmental variables were significantly correlated with high correlations among Ca, Mg and Sr (r = 0.89 to 0.92). Similar to Duff et al. (1999) significant but weak correlations were found between conductivity, Al, Ca, Fe, Mn and DOC values. While arctic pond ecosystems are highly sensitive to the harmful effect of ultraviolet radiation, such elevated DOC values in the study ponds might contribute to better resilience of the pond ecosystem.

  3. Fields of Coal: An analysis of industry and sedimentology in Dolores, Texas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oaden, A.; Besonen, M. R.

    2013-12-01

    Research was conducted on a historically significant pond located in the former mining town of Dolores, located north of Laredo, Texas. The intention of this work was, to determine the influence of local mining operations on the environment and determine the extent of coal production from the sedimentary record. The pond is located ~160 m downslope from a former coal mine and waste pile, and was therefore a likely site of coal accumulations, as well as other debris. Additionally, this pond was created only 130 years ago, in 1882, giving a distinct time frame for any sedimentary records. Field work was conducted to obtain sediment core samples from the pond, and corroborating evidence was gathered using historical documents from archives in Laredo, online resources, as well as library records and inter library loan. Sedimentary cores obtained were shorter than desired as a result of the densely packed clay, which reduceding the penetration of coring equipment, leaving the historical extent of the cores limited. The limited sedimentary record also gives little indication as to the extent of production in the nearby mine and how it may have varied over time. The split cores were scanned with a Minolta CM-2600d spectrophotometer, and the results were transformed into first derivative spectrum equivalent data to identify common sedimentary minerals according to their first derivative signatures. The spectral analysis on the cores determined a large amount of clay minerals, and also limonite/goethite according to prominent first derivative peaks centered on ~440 and 540 nm. This agrees with visual observations given the all minerals showing spectra most intense in the 625 -725 nm portion of the visible spectrum, giving the cores their largely yellowish-reddish/brown hue of the cores. Magnetic susceptibility analysis indicated great changes in mineral contentmagnetism, some possibly associated with ash from fires. Bulk density and loss-on-ignition analysis to further characterize the sediments is underway. Basic conclusions indicate the present environment to be minimally affected by the coal operations and resulting tipple pile, but with a large variance over time in mineralogy and composition of sediment, with further research necessary to determine the full effects of industry in the area.

  4. Enhancing biomass energy yield from pilot-scale high rate algal ponds with recycling.

    PubMed

    Park, J B K; Craggs, R J; Shilton, A N

    2013-09-01

    This paper investigates the effect of recycling on biomass energy yield in High Rate Algal Ponds (HRAPs). Two 8 m(3) pilot-scale HRAPs treating primary settled sewage were operated in parallel and monitored over a 2-year period. Volatile suspended solids were measured from both HRAPs and their gravity settlers to determine biomass productivity and harvest efficiency. The energy content of the biomass was also measured. Multiplying biomass productivity and harvest efficiency gives the 'harvestable biomass productivity' and multiplying this by the energy content defines the actual 'biomass energy yield'. In Year 1, algal recycling was implemented in one of the ponds (HRAPr) and improved harvestable biomass productivity by 58% compared with the control (HRAPc) without recycling (HRAPr: 9.2 g/m(2)/d; HRAPc: 5.8 g/m(2)/d). The energy content of the biomass grown in HRAPr, which was dominated by Pediastrun boryanum, was 25% higher than the control HRAPc which contained a mixed culture of 4-5 different algae (HRAPr: 21.5 kJ/g; HRAPc: 18.6 kJ/g). In Year 2, HRAPc was then seeded with the biomass harvested from the P. boryanum dominated HRAPr. This had the effect of shifting algal dominance from 89% Dictyosphaerium sp. (which is poorly-settleable) to over 90% P. boryanum in 5 months. Operation of this pond was then switched to recycling its own harvested biomass, which maintained P. boryanum dominance for the rest of Year 2. This result confirms, for the first time in the literature, that species control is possible for similarly sized co-occurring algal colonies in outdoor HRAP by algal recycling. With regard to the overall improvement in biomass energy yield, which is a critical parameter in the context of algal cultivation for biofuels, the combined improvements that recycling triggered in biomass productivity, harvest efficiency and energy content enhanced the harvested biomass energy yield by 66% (HRAPr: 195 kJ/m(2)/day; HRAPc: 118 kJ/m(2)/day). Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. The genetics of amphibian decline: population substructure and molecular differentiation in the Yosemite toad, Bufo canorus (Anura, Bufonidae) based on single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis (SSCP) and mitochondrial DNA sequence data

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Shaffer, H. Bradley; Fellers, Gary M.; Magee, Allison; Voss, S. Randal

    2000-01-01

    We present a comprehensive survey of genetic variation across the range of the narrowly distributed endemic Yosemite toad Bufo canorus, a declining amphibian restricted to the Sierra Nevada of California. Based on 322 bp of mitochondrial cytochrome b sequence data, we found limited support for the monophyly of B. canorus and its closely related congener B. exsul to the exclusion of the widespread western toad B. boreas. However, B. exsul was always phylogenetically nested within B. canorus, suggesting that the latter may not be monophyletic. SSCP (single-strand conformation polymorphism) analysis of 372 individual B. canorus from 28 localities in Yosemite and Kings Canyon National Parks revealed no shared haplotypes among these two regions and lead us to interpret these two parks as distinct management units for B. canorus. Within Yosemite, we found significant genetic substructure both at the level of major drainages and among breeding ponds. Kings Canyon samples show a different pattern, with substantial variation among breeding sites, but no substructure among drainages. Across the range of B. canorus as well as among Yosemite ponds, we found an isolation-by-distance pattern suggestive of a stepping stone model of migration. However, in Kings Canyon we found no hint of such a pattern, suggesting that movement patterns of toads may be quite different in these nearby parklands. Our data imply that management for B. canorus should focus at the individual pond level, and effective management may necessitate reintroductions if local extirpations occur. A brief review of other pond-breeding anurans suggests that highly structured populations are often the case, and thus that our results for B. canorus may be general for other species of frogs and toads.

  6. Source, movement, and effects of nitrogen and phosphorus in three ponds in the headwaters of Hop Brook, Marlborough, Massachusetts

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Briggs, John C.; Silvey, William D.

    1984-01-01

    The headwaters of Hop Brook near Marlborough, Massachusetts, contain a series of three in-line ponds--Hager Pond, Brist Millpond, and Carding Millpond--which receive over half of their surface-water inflow as effluent from the Marlborough Easterly Wastewater Treatment Plant. These ponds have a history of summer algal blooms and fish kills. Water entering these ponds contains quantities of nitrogen and phosphorus far higher than the levels known to promote excessive growth of aquatic vegetation. As the water moves through the three ponds, nitrogen levels decrease. Although some nitrogen is lost to the atmosphere by denitrification, the bulk of the nitrogen probably is retained in the pond sediments. There is a net decrease in phosphorus in the water leaving Carding Millpond compared to the water entering Hager Pond. However, during most sampling periods, the phosphorus concentration of water leaving Carding Millpond is still above the level known to cause excessive growth of aquatic vegetation in lakes. During certain summer periods, there appears to be release of some phosphorus from the sediments in Carding and Grist Millponds. No improvement in water quality of the three ponds can be expected until the concentrations of nutrients entering Hager Pond are reduced to levels that will not support excessive growth of aquatic vegetation. (USGS)

  7. Simple rules govern the patterns of Arctic sea ice melt ponds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Popovic, P.; Cael, B. B.; Abbot, D. S.; Silber, M.

    2017-12-01

    Climate change, amplified in the far north, has led to a rapid sea ice decline in recent years. Melt ponds that form on the surface of Arctic sea ice in the summer significantly lower the ice albedo, thereby accelerating ice melt. Pond geometry controls the details of this crucial feedback. However, currently it is unclear how to model this intricate geometry. Here we show that an extremely simple model of voids surrounding randomly sized and placed overlapping circles reproduces the essential features of pond patterns. The model has only two parameters, circle scale and the fraction of the surface covered by voids, and we choose them by comparing the model to pond images. Using these parameters the void model robustly reproduces all of the examined pond features such as the ponds' area-perimeter relationship and the area-abundance relationship over nearly 7 orders of magnitude. By analyzing airborne photographs of sea ice, we also find that the typical pond scale is surprisingly constant across different years, regions, and ice types. These results demonstrate that the geometric and abundance patterns of Arctic melt ponds can be simply described, and can guide future models of Arctic melt ponds to improve predictions of how sea ice will respond to Arctic warming.

  8. Aquatic vegetation and trophic condition of Cape Cod (Massachusetts, U.S.A.) kettle ponds

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Roman, C.T.; Barrett, N.E.; Portnoy, J.W.

    2001-01-01

    The species composition and relative abundance of aquatic macrophytes was evaluated in five Cape Cod, Massachusetts, freshwater kettle ponds, representing a range of trophic conditions from oligotrophic to eutrophic. At each pond, aquatic vegetation and environmental variables (slope, water depth, sediment bulk density, sediment grain size, sediment organic content and porewater inorganic nutrients) were measured along five transects extending perpendicular to the shoreline from the upland border into the pond. Based on a variety of multivariate methods, including Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA), an indirect gradient analysis technique, and Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA), a direct gradient approach, it was determined that the eutrophic Herring Pond was dominated by floating aquatic vegetation (Brasenia schreberi, Nymphoides cordata, Nymphaea odorata), and the algal stonewort, Nitella. Partial CCA suggested that high porewater PO4-P concentrations and fine-grained sediments strongly influenced the vegetation of this eutrophic pond. In contrast, vegetation of the oligotrophic Duck Pond was sparse, contained no floating aquatics, and was dominated by emergent plants. Low porewater nutrients, low sediment organic content, high water clarity and low pH (4.8) best defined the environmental characteristics of this oligotrophic pond. Gull Pond, with inorganic nitrogen-enriched sediments, also exhibited a flora quite different from the oligotrophic Duck Pond. The species composition and relative abundance of aquatic macrophytes provide good indicators of the trophic status of freshwater ponds and should be incorporated into long-term monitoring programs aimed at detecting responses to anthropogenically-derived nutrient loading.

  9. Aquatic vegetation and trophic condition of Cape Cod (Massachusetts, USA) kettle ponds

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Roman, C.T.; Barrett, N.E.; Portnoy, J.W.

    2001-01-01

    The species composition and relative abundance of aquatic macrophytes was evaluated in five Cape Cod, Massachusetts, freshwater kettle ponds, representing a range of trophic conditions from oligotrophic to eutrophic. At each pond, aquatic vegetation and environmental variables (slope, water depth, sediment bulk density, sediment grain size, sediment organic content and porewater inorganic nutrients) were measured along five transects extending perpendicular to the shoreline from the upland border into the pond. Based on a variety of multivariate methods, including Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA), an indirect gradient analysis technique, and Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA), a direct gradient approach, it was determined that the eutrophic Herring Pond was dominated by floating aquatic vegetation (Brasenia schreberi, Nymphoides cordata, Nymphaea odorata), and the algal stonewort, Nitella. Partial CCA suggested that high porewater PO4-P concentrations and fine-grained sediments strongly influenced the vegetation of this eutrophic pond. In contrast, vegetation of the oligotrophic Duck Pond was sparse, contained no floating aquatics, and was dominated by emergent plants. Low porewater nutrients, low sediment organic content, high water clarity and low pH (4.8) best defined the environmental characteristics of this oligotrophic pond. Gull Pond, with inorganic nitrogen-enriched sediments, also exhibited a flora quite different from the oligotrophic Duck Pond. The species composition and relative abundance of aquatic macrophytes provide good indicators of the trophic status of freshwater ponds and should be incorporated into long-term monitoring programs aimed at detecting responses to anthropogenically-derived nutrient loading.

  10. The Importance of Supratidal Habitats for Wintering Shorebirds and the Potential Impacts of Shrimp Aquaculture

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yasué, M.; Dearden, P.

    2009-06-01

    Intensive black tiger shrimp ( Penaeus monodon) aquaculture ponds have replaced significant areas of coastal wetlands throughout tropical Asia. Few studies have assessed potential impacts on avian foraging habitats. At Khao Sam Roi Yod National Park, Thailand, seminatural wetlands have been converted to either shrimp ponds or to salinization ponds that provide saline water for shrimp aquaculture. Although shorebirds cannot feed in aquaculture ponds, hypersaline ponds can provide productive foraging areas. Thus, the overall impact of the shrimp industry on shorebirds depends partly on the relative quality of the salt ponds compared to seminatural wetlands. In this study, we examined wintering shorebird use of tidal ( N = 5 sites) and supratidal areas (four wetland sites, four salt pond sites) and compared the shorebird community (14 species), prey availability, profitability, and disturbance rates between wetlands and salt ponds. Two shorebird species fed in higher densities in wetlands, whereas seven species were more abundant in salt ponds. Large juvenile fish and dragonfly larvae were more abundant in wetlands, whereas there were more small Chironomid midge and fly larvae in salt ponds. We conclude that salt ponds might provide higher-quality foraging habitats compared to wetlands for small shorebirds species because of the abundance of small larvae. However, the shrimp aquaculture industry reduces habitat availability for shorebirds feeding on larger prey. This study demonstrates a comprehensive, multispecies approach to assess the impacts of a large-scale change in coastal habitats for wintering shorebirds.

  11. Effects of marsh pond terracing on coastal wintering waterbirds before and after Hurricane Rita.

    PubMed

    O'Connell, Jessica L; Nyman, John A

    2011-11-01

    From February to March 2005-2006, we surveyed wintering waterbirds to test effects of terracing on coastal pond use before and after Hurricane Rita. Marsh terracing is intended to slow coastal marsh loss in the Chenier Plain by slowing marsh erosion and encouraging vegetation expansion. Terraces also increase marsh edge in ponds, possibly benefiting waterbirds. We monitored paired terraced and unterraced ponds in three sites within southwestern Louisiana's Chenier Plain. Waterbirds were 75% more numerous in terraced than unterraced ponds. Waterbird richness was similar among ponds when corrected for number of individuals, suggesting terracing increased bird density but did not provide habitat unique from unterraced ponds. Birds were 93% more numerous following Hurricane Rita, mostly due to an influx of migrating waterfowl. Year round residents were similar in number before and after Hurricane Rita. Resident richness did not differ among years after correcting for number of observed individuals. Wading and dabbling foragers were more abundant in terraced ponds and these two guilds represented 74% of birds observed. We detected no difference among ponds for other guilds, i.e., probing, aerial, and diving foragers. Increasing proportion of mash edge increased bird density disproportionately: On average ponds with 10% edge had 6 birds observed and ponds with 30% edge had 16 birds observed. Terraces increased habitat interspersion and were an effective tool for increasing numbers of wintering waterfowl and wading birds. The extent to which terraces were sustainable following hurricane forces is unknown.

  12. Effects of Marsh Pond Terracing on Coastal Wintering Waterbirds Before and After Hurricane Rita

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    O'Connell, Jessica L.; Nyman, John A.

    2011-11-01

    From February to March 2005-2006, we surveyed wintering waterbirds to test effects of terracing on coastal pond use before and after Hurricane Rita. Marsh terracing is intended to slow coastal marsh loss in the Chenier Plain by slowing marsh erosion and encouraging vegetation expansion. Terraces also increase marsh edge in ponds, possibly benefiting waterbirds. We monitored paired terraced and unterraced ponds in three sites within southwestern Louisiana's Chenier Plain. Waterbirds were 75% more numerous in terraced than unterraced ponds. Waterbird richness was similar among ponds when corrected for number of individuals, suggesting terracing increased bird density but did not provide habitat unique from unterraced ponds. Birds were 93% more numerous following Hurricane Rita, mostly due to an influx of migrating waterfowl. Year round residents were similar in number before and after Hurricane Rita. Resident richness did not differ among years after correcting for number of observed individuals. Wading and dabbling foragers were more abundant in terraced ponds and these two guilds represented 74% of birds observed. We detected no difference among ponds for other guilds, i.e., probing, aerial, and diving foragers. Increasing proportion of mash edge increased bird density disproportionately: On average ponds with 10% edge had 6 birds observed and ponds with 30% edge had 16 birds observed. Terraces increased habitat interspersion and were an effective tool for increasing numbers of wintering waterfowl and wading birds. The extent to which terraces were sustainable following hurricane forces is unknown.

  13. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Beeston, Michael Philip; University of Exeter in Cornwall; Tuen van Elteren, Johannes

    A methodology is presented to study the physico-chemical processes in old tailings ponds using an array of analytical-physical chemistry approaches. A case study was conducted on the sorption/desorption behaviour of arsenic in tailings pond 2406, at the King Edward Mine (KEM) in Cornwall, UK. The tailings pond was in operation from approximately 1907 to 1921. The methodology involves two principal stages: (1) sequential extraction followed by subsequent arsenic species determination to characterise the material with regards to the association of arsenic with soil phases and identification of As (III/V) in the easily accessible soil phase; (2) batch contacting/equilibrating the tailingsmore » pond material with As(III/V), followed by a similar procedure as in stage 1 to establish the material's As(III/V) phase distribution kinetics/thermodynamics. By extrapolating the data from present day samples we infer past and future elemental mobility. From this study it is concluded that adsorption and desorption from tailings material is a rapid process for the most unstable soil phases (non-specific and specific) and a slow process for the more stable phases (poorly crystalline and well crystalline). The hypothetical application of this conclusion to the tailings from dam 2406 is that, during the initial phases of the dam's creation (ca. 100 years ago), when arsenic was both in solution and bound to mineralogical components, arsenic must have dispersed into the environment as a result of slow As(V) adsorption/phase distribution processes. Aging of the tailings material sees the movement of the arsenic to the more stable soil phases, producing a situation that is seen at present day.« less

  14. What Controls Sediment Retention in an Emerging Delta?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Keogh, M.; Kolker, A.

    2016-12-01

    What controls sediment retention in an emerging delta? Here, we examine the effects of river discharge and flow velocity on sediment retention rate, using a developing crevasse splay in the Lower Mississippi Delta as a study location. With a controlled discharge that ranges from 28 to 280 m3/s, Davis Pond Freshwater Diversion connects the Mississippi River to the adjacent wetland, allowing river water, sediment, and nutrients to flow into the marsh. Although Davis Pond was primarily designed to regulate salinity within Barataria Basin rather than to build land, a new crevasse splay has recently emerged at the mouth of the diversion's outfall channel. Short (5 cm) sediment cores were collected at 22 locations around the Davis Pond receiving basin in spring 2015, fall 2015, and spring 2016. All cores were analyzed for sediment geotechnical parameters including organic content, bulk density, and grain size. Sediment input into the receiving basin was calculated using a ratings curve. Activity of the radioisotope beryllium-7 was used to calculate rates of sediment accumulation and retention. We find that while sediment input is greater during high flow, rate of retention is greater during low flow. This is likely due to the increase in flow velocity that accompanies high discharge, which retains sediment in suspension and leads to more throughput of material. Furthermore, the diversion operation regime of sustained low flow punctuated by short-duration high discharge events has increased soil bulk density, mineral sediment accumulation, and marsh platform elevation. River diversions such as Davis Pond mimic the land-building processes of natural crevasse splays and provide a promising method to restore deltaic wetlands worldwide.

  15. Increasing the fertilizer value of palm oil mill sludge: bioaugmentation in nitrification.

    PubMed

    Onyia, C O; Uyu, A M; Akunna, J C; Norulaini, N A; Omar, A K

    2001-01-01

    Malaysia is essentially an agricultural country and her major polluting effluents have been from agro-based industries of which palm oil and rubber industries together contribute about 80% of the industrial pollution. Palm oil sludge, commonly referred to, as palm oil mill effluent (POME) is brown slurry composed of 4-5% solids, mainly organic, 0.5-1% residual oil, and about 95% water. The effluent also contains high concentrations of organic nitrogen. The technique for the treatment of POME is basically biological, consisting of pond systems, where the organic nitrogen is converted to ammonia, which is subsequently transformed to nitrate, in a process called nitrification. A 15-month monitoring program of a pond system (combined anaerobic, facultative, and aerobic ponds in series) confirmed studies by other authors and POME operators that nitrification in a pond system demands relatively long hydraulic retention time (HRT), which is not easily achieved, due to high production capacity of most factories. Bioaugmentation of POME with mixed culture of nitrifiers (ammonia and nitrite oxidizers) has been identified as an effective tool not only for enhancing nitrification of POME but also for improving quality of POME as source of liquid nitrogen fertilizer for use in the agricultural sector, especially in oil palm plantations. Nitrate is readily absorbable by most plants, although some plants are able to absorb nitrogen in the form of ammoniun. In this study, up to 60% reduction in HRT (or up to 20% reduction in potential land requirement) was achieved when bioaugmentation of POME was carried out with the aim of achieving full nitrification.

  16. Review of the bioenvironmental methods for malaria control with special reference to the use of larvivorous fishes and composite fish culture in central Gujarat, India.

    PubMed

    Kant, Rajni; Haq, S; Srivastava, H C; Sharma, V P

    2013-03-01

    Mosquito control with the use of insecticides is faced with the challenges of insecticide resistance in disease vectors, community refusal, their high cost, operational difficulties, and environmental concern. In view of this, integrated vector control strategies with the use of larvivorous fishes such as Guppy (Poecilia reticulata) and Gambusia (G. affinis) as biological control agents were used in controlling mosquito breeding in different types of breeding places such as intradomestic containers, various types of wells, rice-fields, pools, ponds and elsewhere in malaria prone rural areas of central Gujarat. Attempts were also made to demonstrate composite fish culture in unused abandoned village ponds by culturing Guppy along with the food fishes such as Rohu (Labeo rohita), Catla (Catla catla) and Mrigal (Cirrhinus mrigala). Income generated from these ponds through sale of fishes was utilized for mosquito control and village development. The technology was later adopted by the villagers themselves and food fish culture was practised in 23 ponds which generated an income of Rs 1,02,50,992 between 1985 and 2008. The number of villages increased from 13 to 23 in 2008 and there was also gradual increase of income from Rs 3,66,245 in 1985-90 to Rs 55,06,127 in 2002-08 block. It is concluded that larvivorous fishes can be useful tool in controlling mosquito breeding in certain situations and their use along with composite fish culture may also generate income to make the programme self-sustainable.

  17. Preparation for Retrievals from Sellafield Legacy Ponds Installation of the Gantry Refurbishment System

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ellison, M.

    2008-07-01

    Retrieval of sludge and fuel from the First Generation Magnox Fuel Storage Pond, and its safe long term storage is one of the NDA's top priorities in the UK clean up programme. The plant is currently undergoing a series of major modifications in preparation for the retrievals operations. The most visible example of these modifications is the Gantry Refurbishment System (GRS), a major work platform which has recently been lifted onto the pond long travel girders used by the Skip Handler. This paper describes the design, manufacture, works test, and site installation of this major piece of equipment. The installationmore » lift, involving the use of an 800Te crane was one of the largest lifts undertaken at Sellafield. The GRS is a mobile platform structure which is designed to be pushed or pulled along the long travel girders by the Skip Handler. Its principle function is to provide a safe and shielded working platform from which to undertake refurbishment of the Skip Handler long travel girders and support structure. The potential hazards and consequences resulting from the modification were fully understood and controls were put in place to ensure that the risk of carrying out the work was as low as reasonably practicable. The work was authorised by the NII, Sellafield Nuclear Safety Committee and an independent readiness review panel. Despite less than perfect weather in the run up to the lift, the GRS was successfully and safely lifted onto the pond on 18 October 2006, the culmination of three years of planning, engineering and construction. (authors)« less

  18. South Bay Salt Pond Tidal Marsh Restoration at Pond A17 Project

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Information about the SFBWQP South Bay Salt Pond Tidal Marsh Restoration at Pond A17 Project, part of an EPA competitive grant program to improve SF Bay water quality focused on restoring impaired waters and enhancing aquatic resources.

  19. Walden Pond, Massachusetts: Environmental Setting and Current Investigations

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Colman, John A.; Waldron, Marcus C.

    1998-01-01

    Introduction Walden Pond, in Concord, Massachusetts, is famous among lakes because of its unique social history. Walden was the setting for American naturalist Henry David Thoreau's well-known essay 'Walden; or, Life in the Woods,' first published in 1854. Thoreau lived and wrote at Walden Pond from July 1845 to September 1847. In 'Walden,' Thoreau combined highly admired writing on Transcendental philosophy with pioneering observations of aquatic ecology and physical aspects of limnology, the study of lakes. Because Thoreau also defended so effectively the value of living close to nature in the Walden woods, the pond is considered by many to be the birthplace of the American conservation movement. Visitors come from all over the world to the pond, which has been designated a National Historic Landmark, and its fame has resulted in a major fund drive to preserve the surrounding woods. Walden Pond has no surfacewater inflow or outflow, and much of its ground-water contributing area likely is preserved within the Walden Pond Reservation area (fig. 1). Only 15 miles from Boston, the pond is unusually clear and pristine for an urban-area lake. However, point sources of nutrients near the pond, and a large annual visitor attendance, concentrated during the summer when the swimming beach (fig. 2) is open, may contribute a nutrient load sufficient to change the pond environment. The occurrence of nuisance algal species, a recent beach closing, and an awareness of water-quality problems suffered by other ponds in the region raise concerns about the risk of ecological change at Walden Pond. Despite the role of Walden Pond as a cultural and environmental icon, little is known about the pond's ecological features, such as its internal nutrient cycling or the structure of its food web, nor have consistent measurements been made to determine whether these features are changing or are stable. Production rates of aquatic plants in lakes and ponds naturally undergo a slow increase as plant nutrients, organic matter, and soil are leached and eroded from the surrounding watershed. This process is known as eutrophication. The term 'cultural eutrophication' refers to an accelerated form of the natural process in which extra soil and nutrients are derived from people's use of fertilizer, rerouting of surface drainage, and disposal of domestic and industrial waste. Cultural eutrophication can lead to excessive growth of aquatic plants, pond filling by decayed plants and eroded soils, reduced water clarity, and depletion of dissolved oxygen in deep water with subsequent loss of cold-water fish habitat. In order to document the longterm ecological health of Walden Pond, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), working in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Management (MDEM), is investigating factors that could contribute to cultural eutrophication of Walden. Through measurements of mass balance of nutrients and oxygen in the pond's deep water, the investigation will establish a baseline data set on Walden's trophic state, which is a measure of the pond's ability to support plant growth. The baseline data will be used to detect trends and give early warning of trophic changes or trophic response to pond remediation projects. This Fact Sheet provides background information on the environmental setting, limnological features, and cultural eutrophication of Walden Pond, and describes the joint USGS/MDEM study.

  20. Experimental canopy removal enhances diversity of vernal pond amphibians.

    PubMed

    Skelly, David K; Bolden, Susan R; Freidenburg, L Kealoha

    2014-03-01

    Vernal ponds are often treated as protected environments receiving special regulation and management. Within the landscapes where they are found, forest vegetation frequently dominates surrounding uplands and can grow to overtop and shade pond basins. Two bodies of research offer differing views of the role of forest canopy for vernal pond systems. Studies of landscape conversion suggest that removing forest overstory within uplands can cause local extinctions of amphibians by altering terrestrial habitat or hindering movement. Studies of canopy above pond basins imply an opposite relationship; encroachment of overstory vegetation can be associated with local extinctions potentially via changes in light, thermal, and food resource environments. Unresolved uncertainties about the role of forest canopy reveal significant gaps in our understanding of wetland species distributions and dynamics. Any misunderstanding of canopy influences is simultaneously important to managers because current practices emphasize promoting or conserving vegetation growth particularly within buffers immediately adjacent to ponds. We evaluated this apparent contradiction by conducting a landscape-scale, long-term experiment using 14 natural vernal ponds. Tree felling at six manipulated ponds was limited in spatial scope but was nevertheless effective in increasing water temperature. Compared with eight control ponds, manipulated ponds maintained more amphibian species during five years post-manipulation. There was little evidence that any species was negatively influenced, and the reproductive effort of species for which we estimated egg inputs maintained pretreatment population densities in manipulated compared with control ponds. Overall, our experiment shows that a carefully circumscribed reduction of overhead forest canopy can enhance the capacity of vernal ponds to support wildlife diversity and suggests a scale dependence of canopy influences on amphibians. These findings have implications for the connection between current wetland management practices and the goals of wetland stewardship and conservation of wetland-dependent species.

  1. Mapping elevations of tidal wetland restoration sites in San Francisco Bay: Comparing accuracy of aerial lidar with a singlebeam echosounder

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Athearn, N.D.; Takekawa, John Y.; Jaffe, B.; Hattenbach, B.J.; Foxgrover, A.C.

    2010-01-01

    The southern edge of San Francisco Bay is surrounded by former salt evaporation ponds, where tidal flow has been restricted since the mid to late 1890s. These ponds are now the focus of a large wetland restoration project, and accurate measurement of current pond bathymetry and adjacent mud flats has been critical to restoration planning. Aerial light detection and ranging (lidar) has become a tool for mapping surface elevations, but its accuracy had rarely been assessed for wetland habitats. We used a singlebeam echosounder system we developed for surveying shallow wetlands to map submerged pond bathymetry in January of 2004 and compared those results with aerial lidar surveys in two ponds that were dry in May of 2004. From those data sets, we compared elevations for 5164 (Pond E9, 154 ha) and 2628 (Pond E14, 69 ha) echosounder and lidar points within a 0.375-m radius of each other (0.750-m diameter lidar spot size). We found that mean elevations of the lidar points were lower than the echosounder results by 5 ?? 0.1 cm in Pond E9 and 2 ?? 0.2 cm in Pond E14. Only a few points (5% in Pond E9, 2% in Pond E14) differed by more than 20 cm, and some of these values may be explained by residual water in the ponds during the lidar survey or elevation changes that occurred between surveys. Our results suggest that aerial lidar may be a very accurate and rapid way to assess terrain elevations for wetland restoration projects. ?? 2010 Coastal Education and Research Foundation.

  2. First description of underwater acoustic diversity in three temperate ponds.

    PubMed

    Desjonquères, Camille; Rybak, Fanny; Depraetere, Marion; Gasc, Amandine; Le Viol, Isabelle; Pavoine, Sandrine; Sueur, Jérôme

    2015-01-01

    The past decade has produced an increased ecological interest in sonic environments, or soundscapes. However, despite this rise in interest and technological improvements that allow for long-term acoustic surveys in various environments, some habitats' soundscapes remain to be explored. Ponds, and more generally freshwater habitats, are one of these acoustically unexplored environments. Here we undertook the first long term acoustic monitoring of three temperate ponds in France. By aural and visual inspection of a selection of recordings, we identified 48 different sound types, and according to the rarefaction curves we calculated, more sound types are likely present in one of the three ponds. The richness of sound types varied significantly across ponds. Surprisingly, there was no pond-to-pond daily consistency of sound type richness variation; each pond had its own daily patterns of activity. We also explored the possibility of using six acoustic diversity indices to conduct rapid biodiversity assessments in temperate ponds. We found that all indices were sensitive to the background noise as estimated through correlations with the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). However, we determined that the AR index could be a good candidate to measure acoustic diversities using partial correlations with the SNR as a control variable. Yet, research is still required to automatically compute the SNR in order to apply this index on a large data set of recordings. The results showed that these three temperate ponds host a high level of acoustic diversity in which the soundscapes were variable not only between but also within the ponds. The sources producing this diversity of sounds and the drivers of difference in daily song type richness variation both require further investigation. Such research would yield insights into the biodiversity and ecology of temperate ponds.

  3. Preoperational Subsurface Conditions at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center Service Waste Disposal Facility

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ansley, Shannon Leigh

    2002-02-01

    The Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) Service Wastewater Discharge Facility replaces the existing percolation ponds as a disposal facility for the INTEC Service Waste Stream. A preferred alternative for helping decrease water content in the subsurface near INTEC, closure of the existing ponds is required by the INTEC Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Record of Decision (ROD) for Waste Area Group 3 Operable Unit 3-13 (DOE-ID 1999a). By August 2002, the replacement facility was constructed approximately 2 miles southwest of INTEC, near the Big Lost River channel. Because groundwater beneath the Idaho National Engineering andmore » Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) is protected under Federal and State of Idaho regulations from degradation due to INEEL activities, preoperational data required by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Order 5400.1 were collected. These data include preexisting physical, chemical, and biological conditions that could be affected by the discharge; background levels of radioactive and chemical components; pertinent environmental and ecological parameters; and potential pathways for human exposure or environmental impact. This document presents specific data collected in support of DOE Order 5400.1, including: four quarters of groundwater sampling and analysis of chemical and radiological parameters; general facility description; site specific geology, stratigraphy, soils, and hydrology; perched water discussions; and general regulatory requirements. However, in order to avoid duplication of previous information, the reader is directed to other referenced publications for more detailed information. Documents that are not readily available are compiled in this publication as appendices. These documents include well and borehole completion reports, a perched water evaluation letter report, the draft INEEL Wellhead Protection Program Plan, and the Environmental Checklist.« less

  4. A case study of enteric virus removal and insights into the associated risk of water reuse for two wastewater treatment pond systems in Bolivia.

    PubMed

    Symonds, E M; Verbyla, M E; Lukasik, J O; Kafle, R C; Breitbart, M; Mihelcic, J R

    2014-11-15

    Wastewater treatment ponds (WTP) are one of the most widespread treatment technologies in the world; however, the mechanisms and extent of enteric virus removal in these systems are poorly understood. Two WTP systems in Bolivia, with similar overall hydraulic retention times but different first stages of treatment, were analyzed for enteric virus removal. One system consisted of a facultative pond followed by two maturation ponds (three-pond system) and the other consisted of an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor followed by two maturation (polishing) ponds (UASB-pond system). Quantitative polymerase chain reaction with reverse transcription (RT-qPCR) was used to measure concentrations of norovirus, rotavirus, and pepper mild mottle virus, while cell culture methods were used to measure concentrations of culturable enteroviruses (EV). Limited virus removal was observed with RT-qPCR in either system; however, the three-pond system removed culturable EV with greater efficiency than the UASB-pond system. The majority of viruses were not associated with particles and only a small proportion was associated with particles larger than 180 μm; thus, it is unlikely that sedimentation is a major mechanism of virus removal. High concentrations of viruses were associated with particles between 0.45 and 180 μm in the UASB reactor effluent, but not in the facultative pond effluent. The association of viruses with this size class of particles may explain why only minimal virus removal was observed in the UASB-pond system. Quantitative microbial risk assessment of the treated effluent for reuse for restricted irrigation indicated that the three-pond system effluent requires an additional 1- to 2-log10 reduction of viruses to achieve the WHO health target of <10(-4) disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost per person per year; however, the UASB-pond system effluent may require an additional 2.5- to 4.5-log10 reduction of viruses. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Temporal and spatial distributions of sediment mercury at salt pond wetland restoration sites, San Francisco Bay, CA, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Miles, A.K.; Ricca, M.A.

    2010-01-01

    Decommissioned agricultural salt ponds within south San Francisco Bay, California, are in the process of being converted to habitat for the benefit of wildlife as well as water management needs and recreation. Little is known of baseline levels of contaminants in these ponds, particularly mercury (Hg), which has a well established legacy in the Bay. In this study we described spatial and short-term temporal variations in sediment Hg species concentrations within and among the Alviso and Eden Landing salt ponds in the southern region of San Francisco Bay. We determined total Hg (Hgt) and methylmercury (MeHg) in the top 5 cm of sediment of most ponds in order to establish baseline conditions prior to restoration, sediment Hgt concentrations in a subset of these ponds after commencement of restoration, and variation in MeHg concentrations relative to sediment Hgt, pH, and total Fe concentrations and water depth and salinity in the subset of Alviso ponds. Inter-pond differences were greatest within the Alviso pond complex, where sediment Hgt concentrations averaged (arithmetic mean) 0.74 ??g/g pre and 1.03 ??g/g post-restoration activity compared to 0.11 ??g/g pre and post at Eden Landing ponds. Sediment Hgt levels at Alviso were fairly stable temporally and spatially, whereas MeHg levels were variable relative to restoration activities across time and space. Mean (arithmetic) sediment MeHg concentrations increased (2.58 to 3.03 ng/g) in Alviso and decreased (2.20 to 1.03 ng/g) in Eden Landing restoration ponds during the study. Differences in MeHg levels were related to water depth and pH, but these relationships were not consistent between years or among ponds and were viewed with caution. Factors affecting MeHg levels in these ponds (and in general) are highly complex and require in-depth study to understand.

  6. Hydrogeology and water chemistry of Montezuma Well in Montezuma Castle National Monument and surrounding area, Arizona

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Konieczki, Alice D.; Leake, Stanley A.

    1997-01-01

    Increasing population and associated residential and commercial development have greatly increased water use and consumption in the Verde Valley near Montezuma Well, a unit of Montezuma Castle National Monument in central Arizona. Flow from Montezuma Well and water levels in eight wells that are measured annually do not indicate that the ground-water system has been affected by development. Additional data are needed to develop an adequate ground-water monitoring program so that future effects of development can be detected. Monitoring the ground-water system would detect changes in discharge from the Montezuma Well or changes in the ground-water system that might indicate a potential change of flow to the well. Water samples were collected, and field measurements of specific conductance, pH, temperature, and dissolved oxygen were made throughout the pond at Montezuma Well during an exploration in May 1991. The exploration included two fissures in the bottom of the pond that were filled with sand. The sand in the fissures was kept in suspension by water entering the pond. Water chemistry indicates that the ground water from the area is a mixed combination of calcium, magnesium, sodium, and bicarbonate type water. The analyses for 18O/16O and 2H/1H show that the water from the wells and springs in the area, including Montezuma Well, has been exposed to similar environmental conditions and could have had similar flow paths. The MODFLOW finite-difference ground-water model was used to develop an uncalibrated interpretive model to study possible mechanisms for discharge of water at Montezuma Well. The study presents the hypothesis that ground water in the Supai Formation is the source of discharge to Montezuma Well because of the differences between the surface elevation of the pond at Montezuma Well and the stage in the adjacent Wet Beaver Creek. A series of simulations shows that upward flow from the Supai Formation is a possible mechanism for discharge to Montezuma Well, and that a geologic structure in the Supai Formation could play a role in the upward movement of water to Montezuma Well. The mechanism for inflow from the Verde Formation is not understood; however, this study concludes that the Verde Formation, Supai Formation, and other underlying rock units are probably the sources of water to Montezuma Well.

  7. Vermont lakes and ponds: a pilot recreation planning process

    Treesearch

    Daniel T. Malone; John J. Lindsay

    1992-01-01

    This report analyzes a pilot planning study conducted on two Vermont ponds by University of Vermont outdoor recreation planning students. It discusses the planning process used for these ponds and offers ways in which a statewide lake and pond planning process could be implemented.

  8. CORRECTIVE ACTION DECISION DOCUMENT FOR CORRECTIVE ACTION UNIT 383: AREA 12 E-TUNNEL SITES, NEVADA TEST SITE, REV. NO. 0

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mark McLane

    2005-03-01

    This Corrective Action Decision Document (CADD) was prepared by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office (NNSA/NSO). The recommendations and corrective actions described within this document apply to the future closure of Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 383, Area 12 E-Tunnel Sites, which is a joint DTRA and NNSA/NSO site. The CAU consists of three (3) Corrective Action Sites (CASs): CAS 12-06-06 (Muckpile); CAS 12-25-02 (Oil Spill); and CAS 12-28-02 (Radioactive Material). In addition to these CASs, E-Tunnel Ponds One, Two, and Three, and the Drainage Area above themore » ponds were included since closure of the Muckpile will impact these areas. This CADD is consistent with the requirements of the ''Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order'' agreed to by the State of Nevada, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the U.S. Department of Defense. The DTRA point of contact is the Nevada Operations Office, Environmental Project Manager; currently Ms. Tiffany A. Lantow. The NNSA/NSO point of contact is the Environmental Restoration, Industrial Sites Project Manager; currently Ms. Janet Appenzeller-Wing. The purpose of this CADD is to identify and provide the rationale for the selection of a recommended corrective action alternative for CAU 383. This document presents the recommended corrective action for CAU 383 (E-Tunnel Sites); however, implementation may be affected by the corrective action (to be determined) for CAU 551 (Area 12 Muckpiles) due to the close proximity of B, C, D, and F-Tunnels. The scope of this CADD consists of the following tasks: (1) Develop corrective action objectives; (2) Identify corrective action alternative screening criteria; (3) Develop corrective action alternatives; (4) Perform detailed and comparative evaluations of the corrective action alternatives in relation to the corrective action objectives and screening criteria; and (5) Recommend and justify a preferred corrective action alternative for CAU 383.« less

  9. Depositional environments of some Pleistocene coastal terrace deposits, southwestern Oregon - case history of progradational beach and dune sequence.

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hunter, R.E.

    1980-01-01

    These deposits comprise a basal gravelly unit and 3 overlying sandy units, each with mud beds, a paleosol, or the modern soil in its uppermost part. The gravelly unit is interpreted as a progradational deposit. The main parts of the sandy units are made up of 1) a crossbedded sand facies, the dominant structure in which is medium-scale crossbedding (interpreted as the product of small eolian dunes), and 2) an irregularly bedded sand facies, which is locally pebbly and is dominated by scour-and-fill structures, interpreted as deposits of interdune ephemeral streams, ephemeral ponds, and wet to dry subaerial flats. The mud beds and paleosols represent times of temporary stabilization of the dune field.- from Author

  10. Phosphorus in a ground-water contaminant plume discharging to Ashumet Pond, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 1999

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    McCobb, Timothy D.; LeBlanc, Denis R.; Walter, Donald A.; Hess, Kathryn M.; Kent, Douglas B.; Smith, Richard L.

    2003-01-01

    The discharge of a plume of sewagecontaminated ground water emanating from the Massachusetts Military Reservation to Ashumet Pond on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, has caused concern about excessive loading of nutrients, particularly phosphorus, to the pond. The U.S. Air Force is considering remedial actions to mitigate potentially adverse effects on the ecological characteristics of the pond from continued phosphorus loading. Concentrations as great as 3 milligrams per liter of dissolved phosphorus (as P) are in ground water near the pond's shoreline; concentrations greater than 5 milligrams per liter of phosphorus are in ground water farther upgradient. Temporary drive-point wells were used to collect water samples from 2 feet below the pond bottom to delineate concentration distributions in the pore waters of the pond-bottom sediments. Measurements in the field of specific conductance and colorimetrically determined orthophosphate concentrations provided real-time data to guide the sampling. The contaminant plume discharges to the Fishermans Cove area of Ashumet Pond as evidenced by elevated levels of specific conductance and boron, which are chemically conservative indicators of the sewage-contaminated ground water. Concentrations of nonconservative species, such as dissolved phosphorus, manganese, nitrate, and ammonium, also were elevated above background levels in ground water discharging to the pond, but in spatially complex distributions that reflect their distributions in ground water upgradient of the pond. Phosphorus concentrations exceeded background levels (greater than 0.10 milligram per liter) in the pond-bottom pore water along 875 feet of shoreline. Greatest concentrations (greater than 2 milligrams per liter) occurred within 30 feet of the shore in an area about 225 feet long. Calculations of phosphorus flux in the aquifer upgradient of Ashumet Pond, as determined from water-flux estimates from a steady-state ground-water-flow model and phosphorus concentrations (in 1999) from multilevel samplers about 75 feet upgradient of the pond, indicate that dissolved phosphorus moves towards the pond and discharges to it with the inflowing ground water at a rate as high as about 316 kilograms per year.

  11. 10 CFR Appendix B to Subpart A of... - Environmental Effect of Renewing the Operating License of a Nuclear Power Plant

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ..., from other State or local agencies. Temperature effects on sediment transport capacity 1 SMALL. These... cooling ponds and is not expected to be a problem. Effects of cooling water discharge on dissolved oxygen... mitigated. Eutrophication (nutrient loading) and resulting effects on chemical and biological oxygen demands...

  12. 40 CFR 422.53 - Effluent limitations and guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... discharge of process wastewater pollutants to navigable waters. (b) Process waste water pollutants from a cooling water recirculation system designed, constructed and operated to maintain a surge capacity equal... cause the water level in the pond to rise into the surge capacity. Process waste water must be treated...

  13. 40 CFR 422.53 - Effluent limitations and guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... discharge of process wastewater pollutants to navigable waters. (b) Process waste water pollutants from a cooling water recirculation system designed, constructed and operated to maintain a surge capacity equal... cause the water level in the pond to rise into the surge capacity. Process waste water must be treated...

  14. 40 CFR 422.43 - Effluent limitations and guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... shall be no discharge of process wastewater pollutants to navigable waters. (b) Process waste water pollutants from a cooling water recirculation system designed, constructed and operated to maintain a surge... precipitation events cause the water level in the pond to rise into the surge capacity. Process waste water must...

  15. 40 CFR 422.42 - Effluent limitations and guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... process waste water pollutants to navigable waters. (b) Process waste water pollutants from a cooling water recirculation system designed, constructed and operated to maintain a surge capacity equal to the... water level in the pond to rise into the surge capacity. Process waste water must be treated and...

  16. 40 CFR 422.42 - Effluent limitations and guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... process waste water pollutants to navigable waters. (b) Process waste water pollutants from a cooling water recirculation system designed, constructed and operated to maintain a surge capacity equal to the... water level in the pond to rise into the surge capacity. Process waste water must be treated and...

  17. 40 CFR 422.43 - Effluent limitations and guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... shall be no discharge of process wastewater pollutants to navigable waters. (b) Process waste water pollutants from a cooling water recirculation system designed, constructed and operated to maintain a surge... precipitation events cause the water level in the pond to rise into the surge capacity. Process waste water must...

  18. 40 CFR 422.53 - Effluent limitations and guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... discharge of process wastewater pollutants to navigable waters. (b) Process waste water pollutants from a cooling water recirculation system designed, constructed and operated to maintain a surge capacity equal... cause the water level in the pond to rise into the surge capacity. Process waste water must be treated...

  19. 40 CFR 422.42 - Effluent limitations and guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... process waste water pollutants to navigable waters. (b) Process waste water pollutants from a cooling water recirculation system designed, constructed and operated to maintain a surge capacity equal to the... water level in the pond to rise into the surge capacity. Process waste water must be treated and...

  20. 40 CFR 422.43 - Effluent limitations and guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... shall be no discharge of process wastewater pollutants to navigable waters. (b) Process waste water pollutants from a cooling water recirculation system designed, constructed and operated to maintain a surge... precipitation events cause the water level in the pond to rise into the surge capacity. Process waste water must...

  1. 77 FR 12906 - Notice of Release From Federal Grant Assurance Obligations at Fresno Yosemite International...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-03-02

    ... continue to use the land as passive wetlands, which will keep the property vacant and compatible with the... generating potential. The planned land use is for water recharge, ponding basin, and passive wetlands. The property will be kept mitigated to ensure that its passive use does not interfere with airport operations...

  2. Tundra ponds of the Yukon Delta, Alaska, and their macroinvertebrate communities.

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Maciolek, J.A.

    1989-01-01

    The Yukon Delta, a low alluvial tundra in western Alaska, has more than 105 thaw-basin ponds within its 70000 km2 area. In 1984 and 1985, 68 ponds in three interior areas of the Delta were surveyed to determine limnological features, macroinvertebrate fauna, and trophic character. Ponds ranged up to 90 ha in area, 2 m in depth, and 17 m in elevation, and occurred in various temporal stages of growth and senescence. Among the 18 major invertebrate taxa collected, in order of decreasing frequency of occurrence, Trichoptera, Hemiptera, Diptera, Pelecypoda, Isopoda, Coleoptera, Gastropoda, and Oligochaeta were found in over 50% of the ponds. Trichoptera, the only taxon occurring in all ponds, was represented by 22 species of 6 families. The average Delta pond had 6.6 of the nine more common taxa. This measure of faunal richness was similar among study areas but was higher in low-tundra (sea level) ponds and in older ponds on raised tundra. In comparison, lentic invertebrate communities in five other areas of Alaskan and Canadian tundra had fewer taxa and also lower average richness based on occurrence of the same nine taxa.

  3. Habitat selection by Forster's Terns (Sterna forsteri) at multiple spatial scales in an urbanized estuary: The importance of salt ponds

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bluso-Demers, Jill; Ackerman, Joshua T.; Takekawa, John Y.; Peterson, Sarah

    2016-01-01

    The highly urbanized San Francisco Bay Estuary, California, USA, is currently undergoing large-scale habitat restoration, and several thousand hectares of former salt evaporation ponds are being converted to tidal marsh. To identify potential effects of this habitat restoration on breeding waterbirds, habitat selection of radiotagged Forster's Terns (Sterna forsteri) was examined at multiple spatial scales during the pre-breeding and breeding seasons of 2005 and 2006. At each spatial scale, habitat selection ratios were calculated by season, year, and sex. Forster's Terns selected salt pond habitats at most spatial scales and demonstrated the importance of salt ponds for foraging and roosting. Salinity influenced the types of salt pond habitats that were selected. Specifically, Forster's Terns strongly selected lower salinity salt ponds (0.5–30 g/L) and generally avoided higher salinity salt ponds (≥31 g/L). Forster's Terns typically used tidal marsh and managed marsh habitats in proportion to their availability, avoided upland and tidal flat habitats, and strongly avoided open bay habitats. Salt ponds provide important habitat for breeding waterbirds, and restoration efforts to convert former salt ponds to tidal marsh may reduce the availability of preferred breeding and foraging areas.

  4. Quantifying Melt Ponds in the Beaufort MIZ using Linear Support Vector Machines from High Resolution Panchromatic Images

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ortiz, M.; Graber, H. C.; Wilkinson, J.; Nyman, L. M.; Lund, B.

    2017-12-01

    Much work has been done on determining changes in summer ice albedo and morphological properties of melt ponds such as depth, shape and distribution using in-situ measurements and satellite-based sensors. Although these studies have dedicated much pioneering work in this area, there still lacks sufficient spatial and temporal scales. We present a prototype algorithm using Linear Support Vector Machines (LSVMs) designed to quantify the evolution of melt pond fraction from a recently government-declassified high-resolution panchromatic optical dataset. The study area of interest lies within the Beaufort marginal ice zone (MIZ), where several in-situ instruments were deployed by the British Antarctic Survey in joint with the MIZ Program, from April-September, 2014. The LSVM uses four dimensional feature data from the intensity image itself, and from various textures calculated from a modified first-order histogram technique using probability density of occurrences. We explore both the temporal evolution of melt ponds and spatial statistics such as pond fraction, pond area, and number pond density, to name a few. We also introduce a linear regression model that can potentially be used to estimate average pond area by ingesting several melt pond statistics and shape parameters.

  5. Evolution of gigantism in nine-spined sticklebacks.

    PubMed

    Herczeg, Gábor; Gonda, Abigél; Merilä, Juha

    2009-12-01

    The relaxation of predation and interspecific competition are hypothesized to allow evolution toward "optimal" body size in island environments, resulting in the gigantism of small organisms. We tested this hypothesis by studying a small teleost (nine-spined stickleback, Pungitius pungitius) from four marine and five lake (diverse fish community) and nine pond (impoverished fish community) populations. In line with theory, pond fish tended to be larger than their marine or lake conspecifics, sometimes reaching giant sizes. In two geographically independent cases when predatory fish had been introduced into ponds, fish were smaller than those in nearby ponds lacking predators. Pond fish were also smaller when found in sympatry with three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) than those in ponds lacking competitors. Size-at-age analyses demonstrated that larger size in ponds was achieved by both increased growth rates and extended longevity of pond fish. Results from a common garden experiment indicate that the growth differences had a genetic basis: pond fish developed two to three times higher body mass than marine fish during 36 weeks of growth under similar conditions. Hence, reduced risk of predation and interspecific competition appear to be chief forces driving insular body size evolution toward gigantism.

  6. Pumping performance of a slow-rotating paddlewheel for split-ponds

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Commercial catfish farmers are intensifying production by retrofitting ponds with variations of the partitioned aquaculture system. The split-pond system is the most common variation used commercially. The split-pond consists of a small fish-holding basin connected to a waste treatment lagoon by two...

  7. Chemical treatment costs reduced with in-pond raceway systems

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Production systems such as in-pond raceway systems (IPRS) and split ponds are providing an alternative to traditional pond culture for raising catfish in several southeastern states. One advantage noted by farmers utilizing these systems is the reduced cost associated with the chemical treatment of ...

  8. Distribution and Migration of Ordnance-Related Compounds and Oxygen and Hydrogen Stable Isotopes in Ground Water near Snake Pond, Sandwich, Massachusetts

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    LeBlanc, Denis R.; Massey, Andrew J.; Cochrane, Jessica J.; King, Jonathan H.; Smith, Kirk P.

    2008-01-01

    Explosive compounds, such as RDX (hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine) and HMX (octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine), and the propellant compound perchlorate are present in ground water near Snake Pond, a ground-water flow-through glacial kettle pond in the glacial sand and gravel aquifer on western Cape Cod near Camp Edwards on the Massachusetts Military Reservation. The contaminants originate from the J-3 Range ordnance training and testing area. Ground-water samples were collected at 10 sites near the pond to determine the paths of the contaminants as they underflow or completely or partially discharge into the pond. Water-quality profiles were developed for sites on opposite ends of a 200-foot-long intermittent island near the northern, upgradient end of the pond by collecting water samples from two temporary drive-point borings. RDX was detected at both locations between 60 and 90 feet below the pond level. The highest RDX concentration was 0.99 micrograms per liter. Perchlorate was detected at only one location on the island, between 95 and 100 feet below the pond level at a concentration of 0.61 micrograms per liter. Profiles of oxygen and hydrogen stable isotopes were developed for seven sites spaced 300 to 600 feet apart along the southern, downgradient shore of the pond. A transition from heavier to lighter oxygen and hydrogen isotopes was observed at an altitude of about -50 feet. This transition most likely is the boundary between evaporation-affected pond water that is seeping into the aquifer and ground water that has passed beneath the pond. RDX was not detected in the ground-water samples collected south of the pond. Perchlorate was detected only in one sample from a shallow depth in one boring. The results of these analyses indicate that the J-3 Range plume contains low concentrations of RDX and perchlorate (less than 1 microgram per liter) as it passes beneath the northern end of Snake Pond. Results of ground-water-flow modeling indicate that ground water containing these low levels of RDX and perchlorate discharges into the pond south of the island. If the contaminated ground water should travel as far as the southern shore of the pond, it would be overlain near the shore by a zone of pond water seeping into the aquifer that is about 100 feet thick.

  9. Exploring the Utilization of Complex Algal Communities to Address Algal Pond Crash and Increase Annual Biomass Production for Algal Biofuels

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hamilton, Cyd E.

    2014-03-25

    This white paper briefly reviews the research literature exploring complex algal communities as a means of increasing algal biomass production via increased tolerance, resilience, and resistance to a variety of abiotic and biotic perturbations occurring within harvesting timescales. This paper identifies what data are available and whether more research utilizing complex communities is needed to explore the potential of complex algal community stability (CACS) approach as a plausible means to increase biomass yields regardless of ecological context and resulting in decreased algal-based fuel prices by reducing operations costs. By reviewing the literature for what we do and do not know,more » in terms of CACS methodologies, this report will provide guidance for future research addressing pond crash phenomena.« less

  10. Spatial Distribution of Nitrate in Mizoro-Ga a Pond with Floating at Bog

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shimamura, Tetsuya; Takemon, Yasuhiro; Osaka, Ken'ichi; Itoh, Masayuki; Ohte, Nobuhito

    Artificial nutrient loading has been linked to the decrease in plant diversity in peatlands, riparian areas, and swamps. Mizoro-ga-ike pond is one of the natural monuments of Japan and contains temperate floating mat and diverse plant community. The pond had experienced eutrophication by sewage and tap water. As the inflows of nutrient-rich water had been lessened, the amount of source area of the pond has decreased to 30%. We investigated factors that control water chemistry in and around the pond to assess the present situation of the pond. The pond has two mouths of inflows. One of the inflows includes leaked water from a tap water reserver. The other is the surface flow collected by a ditch. The result of water quality census indicates the pond has two sources of nutrient-rich water. One is the drainage from the surface water polluted by the road for automobile that flows into the northern coast of the pond, and the other is the tap water-contaminated water entering from the southern coast. Also the result of the census indicates that emergent plants such as reeds and wild rice modify the effect of nutrient-rich water by exploiting nutrients. Especially, it was suggested that the nursery effects of emergent grasslands that spread southern part of the pond protect the less robust plants, Nuphar subintegerrimum.

  11. Further contributions to the understanding of nitrogen removal in waste stabilization ponds.

    PubMed

    Bastos, R K X; Rios, E N; Sánchez, I A

    2018-06-01

    A set of experiments were conducted in Brazil in a pilot-scale waste stabilization pond (WSP) system (a four-maturation-pond series) treating an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor effluent. Over a year and a half the pond series was monitored under two flow rate conditions, hence also different hydraulic retention times and surface loading rates. On-site and laboratory trials were carried out to assess: (i) ammonia losses by volatilization using acrylic capture chambers placed at the surface of the ponds; (ii) organic nitrogen sedimentation rates using metal buckets placed at the bottom of the ponds for collecting settled particulate matter; (iii) nitrogen removal by algal uptake based on the nitrogen content of the suspended particulate matter in samples from the ponds' water column. In addition, nitrification and denitrification rates were measured in laboratory-based experiments using pond water and sediment samples. The pond system achieved high nitrogen removal (69% total nitrogen and 92% ammonia removal). The average total nitrogen removal rates varied from 10,098 to 3,849 g N/ha·d in the first and the last ponds, respectively, with the following fractions associated with the various removal pathways: (i) 23.5-45.6% sedimentation of organic nitrogen; (ii) 13.1-27.8% algal uptake; (iii) 1.2-3.1% ammonia volatilization; and (iv) 0.15-0.34% nitrification-denitrification.

  12. Spatial Distribution of Nitrate in Mizoro-Ga a Pond with Floating Mat Bog

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shimamura, Tetsuya; Takemon, Yasuhiro; Osaka, Ken'ichi; Itoh, Masayuki; Ohte, Nobuhito

    Artificial nutrient loading has been linked to the decrease in plant diversity in peatlands, riparian areas, and swamps. Mizoro-ga-ike pond is one of the natural monuments of Japan and contains temperate floating mat and diverse plant community. The pond had experienced eutrophication by sewage and tap water. As the inflows of nutrient-rich water had been lessened, the amount of source area of the pond has decreased to 30%. We investigated factors that control water chemistry in and around the pond to assess the present situation of the pond. The pond has two mouths of inflows. One of the inflows includes leaked water from a tap water reserver. The other is the surface flow collected by a ditch. The result of water quality census indicates the pond has two sources of nutrient-rich water. One is the drainage from the surface water polluted by the road for automobile that flows into the northern coast of the pond, and the other is the tap water-contaminated water entering from the southern coast. Also the result of the census indicates that emergent plants such as reeds and wild rice modify the effect of nutrient-rich water by exploiting nutrients. Especially, it was suggested that the nursery effects of emergent grasslands that spread southern part of the pond protect the less robust plants, Nuphar subintegerrimum.

  13. Samples of Asteroid Surface Ponded Deposits in Chondritic Meteorites

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Zolensky, M. E.; Lee, R.; Le, L.

    2004-01-01

    One of the many unexpected observations of asteroid 433 Eros by the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) mission was the many ponds of fine-grained materials [1-3]. The ponds have smooth surfaces, and define equipotential surfaces up to 10's of meters in diameter [4]. The ponds have a uniformly sub-cm grain size and appear to be cohesive or indurated to some degree, as revealed by slumping. The ponds appear to be concentrated within 30 degrees of the equator of Eros, where gravity is lowest. There is some insight into the mineralogy and composition of the ponds surfaces from NEAR spectroscopy [2,4,5,6]. Compared to the bulk asteroid, ponds: (1) are distinctly bluer (high 550/760 nm ratio), (2) have a deeper 1um mafic band, (3) have reflectance elevated by 5%.

  14. The Western Pond Turtle; Habitat and History, 1993-1994 Final Report.

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Holland, Dan C.

    1994-08-01

    The western pond turtle is known from many areas of Oregon. The majority of sightings and other records occur in the major drainages of the Klamath, Rogue, Umpqua, Willamette and Columbia River systems. A brief overview is presented of the evolution of the Willamette-Puget Sound hydrographic basin. A synopsis is also presented of the natural history of the western pond turtle, as well as, the status of this turtle in the Willamette drainage basin. The reproductive ecology and molecular genetics of the western pond turtle are discussed. Aquatic movements and overwintering of the western pond turtle are evaluated. The effectmore » of introduced turtle species on the status of the western pond turtle was investigated in a central California Pond. Experiments were performed to determine if this turtle could be translocated as a mitigation strategy.« less

  15. Factors Influencing Fecal Contamination in Pond of Bangladesh

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Knappett, P. S.; Escamilla, V.; Layton, A.; McKay, L. D.; Emch, M.; Mailloux, B. J.; Williams, D. E.; Huq, M. R.; Alam, M.; Farhana, L.; Ferguson, A. S.; Sayler, G. S.; Ahmed, K.; Serre, M. L.; Akita, Y.; Yunus, M.; van Geen, A.

    2010-12-01

    Occurrence of diarrheal disease in villages in rural Bangladesh remains relatively common, even though many households have switched to tubewell water for drinking and cooking. One factor contributing to this may be exposure to fecal contamination in ponds, which are often used for bathing and fishing. The objective of this study is to determine the dominant sources of fecal pollution in typical ponds and to explore the relationship between local population, latrine density, latrine quality and concentrations of fecal bacteria and pathogens in pond water. Forty-three ponds were sampled and analyzed for E. coli using culture-based methods and for E. coli, Bacteroides and adenovirus using quantitative PCR. Population and sanitation infrastructure were surveyed and compared to levels of pond fecal contamination. Molecular fecal source tracking using Bacteroides, determined that humans were the dominant source of fecal contamination in 79% of the ponds. Ponds directly receiving latrine effluent had the highest concentrations of fecal indicator bacteria. Concentrations of fecal indicator bacteria correlated with population surveyed within a distance of 30-70 m (p<0.01) and total latrines surveyed within 50-70 m (p<0.05). Unsanitary latrines with visible effluent within the pond drainage basin were also significantly correlated to fecal indicator concentrations (p<0.05). The vast majority of the surveyed ponds contained unsafe levels of fecal contamination primarily due to unsanitary latrines, and to lesser extent to sanitary latrines and cattle. Since the majority of fecal pollution is from humans, use of pond water could help explain the persistence of diarrheal disease in rural Bangladesh.

  16. Acidic, neutral and alkaline forest ponds as a landscape element affecting the biodiversity of freshwater snails

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Spyra, Aneta

    2017-10-01

    In recent years, the number of areas remaining under the influence of acidity has increased. At all levels of ecosystems, biodiversity decreases with acidification, due to the elimination of species that are most sensitive to low pH. Forest ponds belong to a specific group that varied in location, a huge amount of leaf litter, and isolation from other aquatic environments. They are crucial in the industrial landscape with well-developed industry and human activity. The aim was to investigate the relative importance of water chemistry in explaining snail assemblage compositions and species richness in forest ponds of contrasting pH. Patterns in gastropod communities were determined from an analysis in 26 forest ponds with multivariate gradient analysis. Ponds ranged in a base mean pH from 3.0 to 9.0. pH has been found to be an important factor influencing gastropod fauna. Neutral ponds support diverse communities, typical of small water bodies. In two acidic pond types, snail fauna was different. Among the species characteristic for acidic ponds (pH < 6) were Anisus spirorbis and Aplexa hypnorum. The greatest distinct characterised alkaline ponds with the numerous appearance of alien Physa acuta. The most diverse gastropod fauna was found in neutral ponds, whereas the lowest degree of diversity was found in ponds with the lowest pH. Current knowledge of pH-associated changes in aquatic ecosystems is still incomplete because anthropogenic acidification is a recent phenomenon. It is extremely important in forest habitats, since they react more intensively to climatic factors and are often used in landscape management and planning.

  17. Shallow ponds are heterogeneous habitats within a temperate salt marsh ecosystem

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Spivak, Amanda C.; Gosselin, Kelsey; Howard, Evan; Mariotti, Giulio; Forbrich, Inke; Stanley, Rachel; Sylva, Sean P.

    2017-06-01

    Integrating spatial heterogeneity into assessments of salt marsh biogeochemistry is becoming increasingly important because disturbances that reduce plant productivity and soil drainage may contribute to an expansion of shallow ponds. These permanently inundated and sometimes prominent landscape features can exist for decades, yet little is known about pond biogeochemistry or their role in marsh ecosystem functioning. We characterized three ponds in a temperate salt marsh (MA, USA) over alternating periods of tidal isolation and flushing, during summer and fall, by evaluating the composition of plant communities and organic matter pools and measuring surface water oxygen, temperature, and conductivity. The ponds were located in the high marsh and had similar depths, temperatures, and salinities. Despite this, they had different levels of suspended particulate, dissolved, and sediment organic matter and abundances of phytoplankton, macroalgae, and Ruppia maritima. Differences in plant communities were reflected in pond metabolism rates, which ranged from autotrophic to heterotrophic. Integrating ponds into landcover-based estimates of marsh metabolism resulted in slower rates of net production (-8.1 ± 0.3 to -15.7 ± 0.9%) and respiration (-2.9 ± 0.5 to -10.0 ± 0.4%), compared to rates based on emergent grasses alone. Seasonality had a greater effect on pond water chemistry, organic matter pools, and algal abundances than tidal connectivity. Alternating stretches of tidal isolation and flushing did not affect pond salinities or algal communities, suggesting that exchange between ponds and nearby creeks was limited. Overall, we found that ponds are heterogeneous habitats and future expansion could reduce landscape connectivity and the ability of marshes to capture and store carbon.

  18. Rotenone persistence in freshwater ponds: Effects of temperature and sediment adsorption

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Dawson, V.K.; Gingerich, W.H.; Davis, R.A.; Gilderhus, P.A.

    1991-01-01

    The persistence of rotenone was compared between a cement-lined pond (0.04 hectare) and an earthen-bottom pond (0.02 hectare) treated with 5 I?L Noxfish/L (250 I?g rotenone/L) during spring, summer, and fall. Water temperatures on the days of treatment in each season were 8, 22, and 15A?C, respectively. Both ponds were filled with pond water from a common source 1 week before each of the three treatments. Water samples (filtered and unfiltered) and sediment samples were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography to monitor the decrease of rotenone until residues were at or below the detection limit (<2.0 I?g/L for water and < 25 ng/g for sediments). The loss of rotenone from water generally followed a first-order rate ofdecay. Rotenone disappeared two to three times faster in the earthen pond than in the concrete pond. The rotenone half-life times in the spring, summer, and fall treatments were 3.7, 1.3, and 5.2 d, respectively, in the concrete pond, and 1.8, 0.7, and 1.8 d in the earthen pond. Rates of decay in both ponds were directly correlated with water temperature. Filtered water samples from both ponds contained less rotenone than unfiltered water, indicating that some rotenone was bound to suspended material. The highest concentration of rotenone in sediment samples was 102 ng/g; residues decreased to below the detection limit within 14 d in the spring treatment and within 3 d in the summer and fall treatments.

  19. Evaluating the performance of a retrofitted stormwater wet pond for treatment of urban runoff.

    PubMed

    Schwartz, Daniel; Sample, David J; Grizzard, Thomas J

    2017-06-01

    This paper describes the performance of a retrofitted stormwater retention pond (Ashby Pond) in Northern Virginia, USA. Retrofitting is a common practice which involves modifying existing structures and/or urban landscapes to improve water quality treatment, often compromising standards to meet budgetary and site constraints. Ashby Pond is located in a highly developed headwater watershed of the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay. A total maximum daily load (TMDL) was imposed on the Bay watershed by the US Environmental Protection Agency in 2010 due to excessive sediment and nutrient loadings leading to eutrophication of the estuary. As a result of the TMDL, reducing nutrient and sediment discharged loads has become the key objective of many stormwater programs in the Bay watershed. The Ashby Pond retrofit project included dredging of accumulated sediment to increase storage, construction of an outlet structure to control flows, and repairs to the dam. Due to space limitations, pond volume was less than ideal. Despite this shortcoming, Ashby Pond provided statistically significant reductions of phosphorus, nitrogen, and suspended sediments. Compared to the treatment credited to retention ponds built to current state standards, the retrofitted pond provided less phosphorus but more nitrogen reduction. Retrofitting the existing stock of ponds in a watershed to at least partially meet current design standards could be a straightforward way for communities to attain downstream water quality goals, as these improvements represent reductions in baseline loads, whereas new ponds in new urban developments simply limit future load increases or maintain the status quo.

  20. Wetland use, settling patterns, and recruitment in mallards

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Krapu, Gary L.; Greenwood, Raymond J.; Dwyer, Chris P.; Kraft, Kathy M.; Cowardin, Lewis M.

    1997-01-01

    The correlation between number of May ponds in the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of North America and size of the continental mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) breeding population the following spring weakened from the 1950s to the 1980s, suggesting possible changes in suitability of prairie ponds for meeting reproductive needs. We studied wetland use and preferences of radioequipped female mallards by reproductive stage (1988-90) in eastern North Dakota and westcentral Minnesota and evaluated effect of land use on pair distribution in eastern North Dakota (1987-91). May pond density varied among years and study areas, with changes in number of temporary and seasonal ponds accounting for 93% of variation in total ponds. During all reproductive stages, semipermanent basins were used most by females, but temporary and seasonal ponds were preferred during prenesting and egg production. Accounting for number of relocations, number of ponds used varied by year, by reproductive stage and with pond density during egg production. Numbers of breeding mallard pairs in stratum 46 in eastern North Dakota increased as May ponds increased from 1963 to 1985, but 33,659 fewer breeding pairs on average were present in 1971-85 than in 1963-70. Number of breeding pairs declined relative to May ponds from the 1960s to the 1980s, probably because fewer pairs settle in temporary and seasonal ponds as the percent of landscape in cropland increases. Waterfowl managers in the PPR should target efforts to increase duck production on landscapes where non-cropped temporarily and seasonally flooded wetland habitats are plentiful, thereby increasing cost effectiveness of management actions taken to increase nest success rate.

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