Dilution of 10Be in detrital quartz by earthquake-induced landslides: Implications for determining denudation rates and potential to provide insights into landslide sediment dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

West, A. Joshua; Hetzel, Ralf; Li, Gen; Jin, Zhangdong; Zhang, Fei; Hilton, Robert G.; Densmore, Alexander L.

2014-06-01

The concentration of 10Be in detrital quartz (10Beqtz) from river sediments is now widely used to quantify catchment-wide denudation rates but may also be sensitive to inputs from bedrock landslides that deliver sediment with low 10Beqtz. Major landslide-triggering events can provide large amounts of low-concentration material to rivers in mountain catchments, but changes in river sediment 10Beqtz due to such events have not yet been measured directly. Here we examine the impact of widespread landslides triggered by the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake on 10Beqtz in sediment samples from the Min Jiang river basin, in Sichuan, China. Landslide deposit material associated with the Wenchuan earthquake has consistently lower 10Beqtz than in river sediment prior to the earthquake. River sediment 10Beqtz decreased significantly following the earthquake downstream of areas of high coseismic landslide occurrence (i.e., with greater than ∼0.3% of the upstream catchment area affected by landslides), because of input of the 10Be-depleted landslide material, but showed no systematic changes where landslide occurrence was low. Changes in river sediment 10Beqtz concentration were largest in small first-order catchments but were still significant in large river basins with areas of 104-105 km. Spatial and temporal variability in river sediment 10Beqtz has important implications for inferring representative denudation rates in tectonically active, landslide-dominated environments, even in large basins. Although the dilution of 10Beqtz in river sediment by landslide inputs may complicate interpretation of denudation rates, it also may provide a possible opportunity to track the transport of landslide sediment. The associated uncertainties are large, but in the Wenchuan case, calculations based on 10Be mixing proportions suggest that river sediment fluxes in the 2-3 years following the earthquake increased by a similar order of magnitude in the 0.25-1 mm and the <0.25 mm size fractions, as determined from 10Beqtz mixing calculations and hydrological gauging, respectively. Such information could provide new insight into sediment transfer, with implications for secondary sediment-related hazards and for understanding the removal of mass from mountains.

Morphodynamics and Sediment connectivity in the Kosi River basin in the Himalaya and their implications for river management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sinha, R.; Mishra, K.; Swrankar, S.; Jain, V.; Nepal, S.; Uddin, K.

2017-12-01

Sediment flux of large tropical rivers is strongly influenced by the degree of linkage between the sediments sources and sink (i.e. sediment connectivity). Sediment connectivity, especially at the catchment scale, depends largely on the morphological characteristics of the catchment such as relief, terrain roughness, slope, elevation, stream network density and catchment shape and the combined effects of land use, particularly vegetation. Understanding the spatial distribution of sediment connectivity and its temporal evolution can be useful for the characterization of sediment source areas. Specifically, these areas represent sites of instability and their connectivity influences the probability of sediment transfer at a local scale that will propagate downstream through a feedback system. This paper evaluates the morphodynamics and sediment connectivity of the Kosi basin in Nepal and India at various spatial and temporal scales. Our results provide the first order assessment of the spatial sediment connectivity in terms of the channel connectivity (IC outlet) and source to channel connectivity (IC channel) of the upstream and midstream Kosi basin. This assessment helped in the characterization of sediment dynamics in the complex morphological settings and in a mixed environment. Further, Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) was used to quantify soil erosion and sediment transport capacity equation is used to quantify sediment flux at each cell basis. Sediment Delivery Ratio (SDR) was calculated for each sub-basin to identify the sediment production and transport capacity limited sub-basin. We have then integrated all results to assess the sediment flux in the Kosi basin in relation to sediment connectivity and the factors controlling the pathways of sediment delivery. Results of this work have significant implications for sediment management of the Kosi river in terms of identification of hotspots of sediment accumulation that will in turn be manifested in morphodynamics of the river in the alluvial reaches.

Spatial heterogeneity of stream environmental conditions and macroinvertebrates community in an agriculture dominated watershed and management implications for a large river (the Liao River, China) basin.

PubMed

Gao, Xin; Niu, Cuijuan; Chen, Yushun; Yin, Xuwang

2014-04-01

Understanding the effects of watershed land uses (e.g., agriculture, urban industry) on stream ecological conditions is important for the management of large river basins. A total of 41 and 56 stream sites (from first to fourth order) that were under a gradient of watershed land uses were monitored in 2009 and 2010, respectively, in the Liao River Basin, Northeast China. The monitoring results showed that a total of 192 taxa belonging to four phyla, seven classes, 21 orders and 91 families were identified. The composition of macroinvertebrate community in the Liao River Basin was dominated by aquatic insect taxa (Ephemeroptera and Diptera), Oligochaeta and Molluscs. The functional feeding group GC (Gatherer/Collector) was dominant in the whole basin. Statistical results showed that sites with less watershed impacts (lower order sites) were characterized by higher current velocity and habitat score, more sensitive taxa (e.g., Ephemeroptera), and the substrate was dominated by high percentage of cobble and pebble. The sites with more impacts from agriculture and urban industry (higher order sites) were characterized by higher biochemical (BOD5) and chemical oxygen demand (COD), more tolerant taxa (e.g., Chironominae), and the substrate was dominated by silt and sand. Agriculture and urban-industry activities have reduced habitat condition, increased organic pollutants, reduced macroinvertebrate abundance, diversity, and sensitive taxa in streams of the lower Liao River Basin. Restoration of degraded habitat condition and control of watershed organic pollutants could be potential management priorities for the Basin.

South Platte River Basin - Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dennehy, Kevin F.; Litke, David W.; Tate, Cathy M.; Heiny, Janet S.

1993-01-01

The South Platte River Basin was one of 20 study units selected in 1991 for investigation under the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program. One of the initial tasks undertaken by the study unit team was to review the environmental setting of the basin and assemble ancillary data on natural and anthropogenic factors in the basin. The physical, chemical, and biological quality of the water in the South Platte River Basin is explicitly tied to its environmental setting. The resulting water quality is the product of the natural conditions and human factors that make up the environmental setting of the basin.This description of the environmental setting of the South Platte River Basin and its implications to the water quality will help guide the design of the South Platte NAWQA study. Natural conditions such as physiography, climate, geology, and soils affect the ambient water quality while anthropogenic factors such as water use, population, land use and water-management practices can have a pronounced effect on water quality in the basin. The relative effects of mining, urban, and agricultural land- and water-uses on water-quality constituents are not well understood. The interrelation of the surface-water and ground-water systems and the chemical and biological processes that affect the transport of constituents needs to be addressed. Interactions between biological communities and the water resources also should be considered. The NAWQA program and the South Platte River Basin study will provide information to minimize existing knowledge gaps, so that we may better understand the effect these natural conditions and human factors have on the water-quality conditions in the basin, now and in the future.

Environmental setting of the upper Illinois River basin and implications for water quality

USGS Publications Warehouse

Arnold, Terri L.; Sullivan, Daniel J.; Harris, Mitchell A.; Fitzpatrick, Faith A.; Scudder, Barbara C.; Ruhl, Peter M.; Hanchar, Dorothea W.; Stewart, Jana S.

1999-01-01

The upper Illinois River Basin (UIRB) is the 10,949 square mile drainage area upstream from Ottawa, Illinois, on the Illinois River. The UIRB is one of 13 studies that began in 1996 as part of the U.S. Geological Survey?s National Water- Quality Assessment program. A compilation of environmental data from Federal, State, and local agencies provides a description of the environmental setting of the UIRB. Environmental data include natural factors such as bedrock geology, physiography and surficial geology, soils, vegetation, climate, and ecoregions; and human factors such as land use, urbanization trends, and population change. Characterization of the environmental setting is useful for understanding the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of surface and ground water in the UIRB and the possible implications of that environmental setting for water quality. Some of the possible implications identified include depletion of dissolved oxygen because of high concentrations of organic matter in wastewater, increased flooding because of suburbanization, elevated arsenic concentrations in ground water because of weathering of shale bedrock, and decreasing ground-water levels because of heavy pumping of water from the bedrock aquifers.

Uranium isotopes (U-234/U-238) in rivers of the Yukon Basin (Alaska and Canada) as an aid in identifying water sources, with implications for monitoring hydrologic change in arctic regions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kraemer, Thomas F.; Brabets, Timothy P.

2012-01-01

The ability to detect hydrologic variation in large arctic river systems is of major importance in understanding and predicting effects of climate change in high-latitude environments. Monitoring uranium isotopes (234U and 238U) in river water of the Yukon River Basin of Alaska and northwestern Canada (2001–2005) has enhanced the ability to identify water sources to rivers, as well as detect flow changes that have occurred over the 5-year study. Uranium isotopic data for the Yukon River and major tributaries (the Porcupine and Tanana rivers) identify several sources that contribute to river flow, including: deep groundwater, seasonally frozen river-valley alluvium groundwater, and high-elevation glacial melt water. The main-stem Yukon River exhibits patterns of uranium isotopic variation at several locations that reflect input from ice melt and shallow groundwater in the spring, as well as a multi-year pattern of increased variability in timing and relative amount of water supplied from higher elevations within the basin. Results of this study demonstrate both the utility of uranium isotopes in revealing sources of water in large river systems and of incorporating uranium isotope analysis in long-term monitoring of arctic river systems that attempt to assess the effects of climate change.

Field evaluation of lead effects on Canada geese and mallards in the Coeur d'Alene River Basin, Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Henny, Charles J.; Blus, L.J.; Hoffman, D.J.; Sileo, L.; Audet, Daniel J.; Snyder, Mark R.

2000-01-01

Hatch year (HY) mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) in the Coeur d'Alene (CDA) River Basin had higher concentrations of lead in their blood than HY Western Canada geese (Branta canadensis moffitti) (geometric means 0.98 versus 0.28 μg/g, wet weight). The pattern for adults of both species was similar, although geometric means (1.77 versus 0.41 μg/g) were higher than in HY birds. HY mallards captured in the CDA River Basin in 1987 contained significantly lower lead concentrations in their blood than in 1994–95 (0.36 versus 0.98 μg/g); however, some very young mallards were sampled in 1987, and concentrations in adults were not significantly different in 1987, 1994, or 1995 (1.52, 2.07, 1.55 μg/g, respectively). Both species in the CDA River Basin in 1994–95 showed significantly reduced red blood cell delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) activity compared to the reference areas: Canada geese (HY −65.4 to −86.0%, adults −82.3%), and mallards (HY −90.7 to −95.5%, adults −94.1%). Canada goose goslings were divided into size classes, and the two smaller classes from the CDA River Basin had significantly elevated free erythrocyte protoporphyrin (protoporphyrin) levels compared to the reference area (15.2× and 6.9×). HY and adult mallards both had significantly elevated protoporphyrin (5.9× and 7.5×). Recognizing that interspecific differences exist in response and sensitivity to lead, it appears (at least for hemoglobin and hematocrit) that Canada geese were more sensitive to lead than mallards, i.e., adverse hematologic effects occur at lower blood lead concentrations. Only Canada geese from the CDA River Basin, in spite of lower blood lead concentrations, had significantly reduced mean hemoglobin and hematocrit values. No euthanized Canada geese (all HYs) from CDA River Basin were classified as clinically lead poisoned, but 38 Canada geese found dead in the CDA River Basin during a concurrent study succumbed to lead poisoning between 1992 and 1997. Only 6 (15.8%) of these 38 contained ingested lead shot, which contrasts greatly with the 75–94% incidence of ingested lead shot when mortality was due to lead shot ingestion. Lead from other contaminated sources (i.e., sediments and vegetation) in the CDA River Basin was strongly implicated in most Canada goose deaths. Based on the 31 live mallards and Canada geese collected in the CDA River Basin, which were representative of the live populations blood sampled only, the prevalence of subclinical and clinical lead poisoning (as determined by liver lead concentrations, excluding birds with ingested lead shot) was higher in mallards: subclinical (4 of 8, 50% HYs and 6 of 11, 55% adults); clinical (0% HYs and 4 of 11, 36% adults), with less data available for Canada geese (only 1 of 9, 11% HYs marginally subclinical). The clinically lead-poisoned mallards had extremely high concentrations of lead in blood (2.69–8.82 μg/g) and liver (6.39–17.89 μg/g). Eight mallards found dead in the CDA River Basin during a concurrent study were diagnosed as lead poisoned, and only one (12.5%) contained ingested lead shot, which again strongly implicates other lead sources. The finding of dead lead poisoned Canada geese together with the high percentage of live mallards classified as subclinically or clinically lead poisoned, in combination with the low incidence of ingested lead shot causes us concern for both of these species, which live in association with lead-contaminated sediment in the CDA River Basin.

Climate-driven disturbances in the San Juan River sub-basin of the Colorado River

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bennett, Katrina E.; Bohn, Theodore J.; Solander, Kurt; McDowell, Nathan G.; Xu, Chonggang; Vivoni, Enrique; Middleton, Richard S.

2018-01-01

Accelerated climate change and associated forest disturbances in the southwestern USA are anticipated to have substantial impacts on regional water resources. Few studies have quantified the impact of both climate change and land cover disturbances on water balances on the basin scale, and none on the regional scale. In this work, we evaluate the impacts of forest disturbances and climate change on a headwater basin to the Colorado River, the San Juan River watershed, using a robustly calibrated (Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency 0.76) hydrologic model run with updated formulations that improve estimates of evapotranspiration for semi-arid regions. Our results show that future disturbances will have a substantial impact on streamflow with implications for water resource management. Our findings are in contradiction with conventional thinking that forest disturbances reduce evapotranspiration and increase streamflow. In this study, annual average regional streamflow under the coupled climate-disturbance scenarios is at least 6-11 % lower than those scenarios accounting for climate change alone; for forested zones of the San Juan River basin, streamflow is 15-21 % lower. The monthly signals of altered streamflow point to an emergent streamflow pattern related to changes in forests of the disturbed systems. Exacerbated reductions of mean and low flows under disturbance scenarios indicate a high risk of low water availability for forested headwater systems of the Colorado River basin. These findings also indicate that explicit representation of land cover disturbances is required in modeling efforts that consider the impact of climate change on water resources.

Nature and tectonic implications of uneven sedimentary filling of the South China Sea oceanic basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Shaoru; Li, Jiabiao; Ding, Weiwei; Fang, Yinxia

2017-04-01

The IODP Expedition 349 in 2014, for the first time, illustrated significant differences of sediment rate and lithology in the central South China Sea (SCS) oceanic basin. Based on seismic reflection profiles tied to IODP349 drilling data, we investigated characteristics of sedimentary filling of the whole SCS oceanic basin, and examined their implications for tectonics. Results show that sediments fill the SCS oceanic basin mainly in three depositional patterns. Firstly, during the Oligocene to middle Miocene, sediments amassed almost solely and then connected like a band parallel to the continent in a low average sediment rate (<10 m/Myr) in the northern oceanic basin. These sediments were deposited mainly in the form of submarine fans and mass transport deposits. Sediments were predominately supplied by the Red and Pearl Rivers and the Dongsha Islands. The sedimentary characteristics likely reflect the latest early Miocene end of seafloor spreading of the SCS and the first-phase rapid uplift of the Tibetan Plateau. Secondly, during the late Miocene, deposition mainly occurred in the Northwest Sub-basin and extended southeastward with a middle average sediment rate ( 30 m/Myr). Sediments were mostly transported by the Red River and Xisha Trough and deposited in the form of submarine fans. The abnormal increase of sediment rate in the Northwest Sub-basin reflects late Miocene slip reversal of the Red River Fault. Finally, since the Pliocene, sediments gradually propagated northeastward in the Southwestern Sub-basin, and accumulated rapidly in the southeastern and northeastern basin, especially in the northern Manila Trench during the Quaternary, in an average sediment rate about 60-80 m/Myr. These sediments were transported mainly by submarine canyons and settled in the form of submarine fans and canyon-overbank deposition. Sediments came from four major sources, including Taiwan, Dongsha Islands, Mekong River, and northern Palawan. The Pliocene to Quaternary explosion of uneven sedimentary filling in the SCS oceanic basin points to the combined action of local and regional tectonics, including the two-phase rapid uplift of the Tibetan Plateau, the Pliocene to Quaternary increased northwestward movement of the Philippine Sea plate and Dongsha event. This study exhibits hitherto most completed observation of sedimentary filling of the SCS oceanic basin and provides new geophysical evidences for the local and regional important tectonics.

Climate Change Impacts on River Temperature in the Southeastern United States: A Case Study of the Tennessee River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Y.; Niemeyer, R. J.; Mao, Y.; Yearsley, J. R.; Nijssen, B.

2016-12-01

In the coming decades, climate change and population growth are expected to affect water and energy supply as well as demand in the southeastern United States. Changes in temperature and precipitation impact river flow and stream temperature with implications for hydropower generation, industrial and municipal water supply, cooling for thermo-electric power plants, agricultural irrigation, ecosystem functions and flood control. At the same time, water and energy demand are expected to change in response to temperature increase, population growth and changing crop water requirements. As part of a multi-institution study of the food-energy-water nexus in the southeastern U.S., we are developing coupled hydrological and stream temperature models that will be linked to water resources, power systems and crop models at a later stage. Here we evaluate the ability of our system to simulate water supply and stream temperature in the Tennessee River Basin using the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) macroscale hydrology model coupled to the River Basin Model (RBM), a 1-D semi-Lagrangian river temperature model, which has recently been expanded with a two-layer reservoir temperature model. Simulations with VIC-RBM were performed for the Tennessee River Basin at 1/8-degree spatial resolution and a temporal resolution of 1 day or less. Reservoir releases were prescribed based on historic operating rules. In future iterations, these releases will be modeled directly by a water resources model that incorporates flood control, and power and agricultural water demands. We compare simulated flows, as well as stream and reservoir temperatures with observed flows and temperatures throughout the basin. In preparation for later stages of the project, we also perform a set of climate change sensitivity experiments to evaluate how changes in climate may impact river and reservoir temperature.

Connections between meteorological and hydrological droughts in a semi-arid basin of the middle Yellow River

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Binquan; Zhu, Changchang; Liang, Zhongmin; Wang, Guoqing; Zhang, Yu

2018-06-01

Differences between meteorological and hydrological droughts could reflect the regional water consumption by both natural elements and human water-use. The connections between these two drought types were analyzed using the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) and Standardized Streamflow Index (SSI), respectively. In a typical semi-arid basin of the middle Yellow River (Qingjianhe River basin), annual precipitation and air temperature showed significantly downward and upward trends, respectively, with the rates of -2.37 mm yr-1 and 0.03 °C yr-1 (1961-2007). Under their synthetic effects, water balance variable (represented by SPEI) showed obviously downward (drying) trend at both upstream and whole basin areas. For the spatial variability of precipitation, air temperature and the calculated SPEI, both upstream and downstream areas experienced very similar change characteristics. Results also suggested that the Qingjianhe River basin experienced near normal condition during the study period. As a whole, this semi-arid basin mainly had the meteorological drought episodes in the mid-1960s, late-1990s and the 2000s depicted by 12-month SPEI. The drying trend could also be depicted by the hydrological drought index (12-month SSI) at both upstream and downstream stations (Zichang and Yanchuan), but the decreasing trends were not significant. A correlation analysis showed that hydrological system responds rapidly to the change of meteorological conditions in this semi-arid region. This finding could be an useful implication to drought research for those semi-arid basins with intensive human activities.

Extreme multi-basin flooding linked with extra-tropical cyclones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Luca, Paolo; Hillier, John K.; Wilby, Robert L.; Quinn, Nevil W.; Harrigan, Shaun

2017-11-01

Fluvial floods are typically investigated as ‘events’ at the single basin-scale, hence flood management authorities may underestimate the threat of flooding across multiple basins driven by large-scale and nearly concurrent atmospheric event(s). We pilot a national-scale statistical analysis of the spatio-temporal characteristics of extreme multi-basin flooding (MBF) episodes, using peak river flow data for 260 basins in Great Britain (1975-2014), a sentinel region for storms impacting northwest and central Europe. During the most widespread MBF episode, 108 basins (~46% of the study area) recorded annual maximum (AMAX) discharge within a 16 day window. Such episodes are associated with persistent cyclonic and westerly atmospheric circulations, atmospheric rivers, and precipitation falling onto previously saturated ground, leading to hydrological response times <40 h and documented flood impacts. Furthermore, peak flows tend to occur after 0-13 days of very severe gales causing combined and spatially-distributed, yet differentially time-lagged, wind and flood damages. These findings have implications for emergency responders, insurers and contingency planners worldwide.

Regional medicine use in the Rhine basin and its implication on water quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hut, R.; Van De Giesen, N.; de Jong, S.

2011-12-01

Do Germans use more painkillers than the French? An analysis is presented relating medicine residue in the river Rhine to the amount of people living in its watershed. An extensive measuring campaign was carried out, sampling river Rhine at 42 locations from its source to the start of its delta (Dutch-German border). The samples were analyzed for 40 common pharmaceuticals. Using discharge data, digital elevation models and demographic data from Eurostat, the relation between total load of drug residue and population is analyzed. Results show regional differences in drug use as well as implications for (downstream) use of river water for drinking purposes.

Tertiary basin development and tectonic implications, Whipple detachment system, Colorado River extensional corridor, California and Arizona

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nielson, J. E.; Beratan, K. K.

1990-01-01

This paper reports on geologic mapping, stratigraphic and structural observations, and radiometric dating of Miocene deposits of the Whipple detachment system, Colorado River extensional corridor of California and Arizona. From these data, four regions are distinguished in the study area that correspond to four Miocene depositional basins. It is shown that these basins developed in about the same positions, relative to each other and to volcanic sources, as they occupy at present. They formed in the early Miocene from a segmentation of the upper crust into blocks bounded by high-angle faults that trended both parallel and perpendicular to the direction of extension and which were terminated at middle crustal depths by a low-angle detachment fault.

Climate-driven disturbances in the San Juan River sub-basin of the Colorado River

DOE PAGES

Bennett, Katrina E.; Bohn, Theodore J.; Solander, Kurt; ...

2018-01-26

Accelerated climate change and associated forest disturbances in the southwestern USA are anticipated to have substantial impacts on regional water resources. Few studies have quantified the impact of both climate change and land cover disturbances on water balances on the basin scale, and none on the regional scale. In this work, we evaluate the impacts of forest disturbances and climate change on a headwater basin to the Colorado River, the San Juan River watershed, using a robustly calibrated (Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency 0.76) hydrologic model run with updated formulations that improve estimates of evapotranspiration for semi-arid regions. Our results show that futuremore » disturbances will have a substantial impact on streamflow with implications for water resource management. Our findings are in contradiction with conventional thinking that forest disturbances reduce evapotranspiration and increase streamflow. In this study, annual average regional streamflow under the coupled climate–disturbance scenarios is at least 6–11 % lower than those scenarios accounting for climate change alone; for forested zones of the San Juan River basin, streamflow is 15–21 % lower. The monthly signals of altered streamflow point to an emergent streamflow pattern related to changes in forests of the disturbed systems. Exacerbated reductions of mean and low flows under disturbance scenarios indicate a high risk of low water availability for forested headwater systems of the Colorado River basin. Furthermore, these findings also indicate that explicit representation of land cover disturbances is required in modeling efforts that consider the impact of climate change on water resources.« less

Climate-driven disturbances in the San Juan River sub-basin of the Colorado River

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

Bennett, Katrina E.; Bohn, Theodore J.; Solander, Kurt

Accelerated climate change and associated forest disturbances in the southwestern USA are anticipated to have substantial impacts on regional water resources. Few studies have quantified the impact of both climate change and land cover disturbances on water balances on the basin scale, and none on the regional scale. In this work, we evaluate the impacts of forest disturbances and climate change on a headwater basin to the Colorado River, the San Juan River watershed, using a robustly calibrated (Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency 0.76) hydrologic model run with updated formulations that improve estimates of evapotranspiration for semi-arid regions. Our results show that futuremore » disturbances will have a substantial impact on streamflow with implications for water resource management. Our findings are in contradiction with conventional thinking that forest disturbances reduce evapotranspiration and increase streamflow. In this study, annual average regional streamflow under the coupled climate–disturbance scenarios is at least 6–11 % lower than those scenarios accounting for climate change alone; for forested zones of the San Juan River basin, streamflow is 15–21 % lower. The monthly signals of altered streamflow point to an emergent streamflow pattern related to changes in forests of the disturbed systems. Exacerbated reductions of mean and low flows under disturbance scenarios indicate a high risk of low water availability for forested headwater systems of the Colorado River basin. Furthermore, these findings also indicate that explicit representation of land cover disturbances is required in modeling efforts that consider the impact of climate change on water resources.« less

Contrasting fish assemblages in free-flowing and impounded tributaries to the Upper Delaware River: Implications for conserving biodiversity

USGS Publications Warehouse

Baldigo, Barry P.; Delucia, Mari-Beth; Keller, Walter D.; Schuler, George E.; Apse, Colin D.; Moberg, Tara

2015-01-01

The Neversink River and the Beaver Kill in southeastern New York are major tributaries to the Delaware River, the longest undammed river east of the Mississippi. While the Beaver Kill is free flowing for its entire length, the Neversink River is subdivided by the Neversink Reservoir, which likely affects the diversity of local fish assemblages and health of aquatic ecosystems. The reservoir is an important part of the New York City waster-supply system that provides drinking water to more than 9 million people. Fish population and community data from recent quantitative surveys at comparable sites in both basins were assessed to characterize the differences between free-flowing and impounded rivers and the extent of reservoir effects to improve our capacity to define ecosystems responses that two modified flow-release programs (implemented in 2007 and 2011) should produce in the Neversink River. In general, the continuum of changes in fish assemblages which normally occur between headwaters and mouth was relatively uninterrupted in the Beaver Kill, but disrupted by the mid-basin impoundment in the Neversink River. Fish assemblages were also adversely affected at several acidified sites in the upper Neversink River, but not at most sites assessed herein. The reservoir clearly excluded diadromous species from the upper sub-basin, but it also substantially reduced community richness, diversity, and biomass at several mid-basin sites immediately downstream from the impoundment. There results will aid future attempts to determine if fish assemblages respond to more natural, yet highly regulated, flow regimes in the Neversink River. More important, knowledge gained from this study can help optimize use of valuable water resources while promoting species of special concern, such as American eel (Anguilla rostrata) and conserving biodiversity in Catskill Mountain streams.

Centralized versus distributed reservoirs: an investigation of their implications on environmental flows and sustainable water resources management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eriyagama, Nishadi; Smakhtin, Vladimir; Udamulla, Lakshika

2018-06-01

Storage of surface water is widely regarded as a form of insurance against rainfall variability. However, creation of surface storage often endanger the functions of natural ecosystems, and, in turn, ecosystem services that benefit humans. The issues of optimal size, placement and the number of reservoirs in a river basin - which maximizes sustainable benefits from storage - remain subjects for debate. This study examines the above issues through the analysis of a range of reservoir configurations in the Malwatu Oya river basin in the dry zone of Sri Lanka. The study produced multiple surface storage development pathways for the basin under different scenarios of environmental flow (EF) releases and reservoir network configurations. The EF scenarios ranged from zero to very healthy releases. It is shown that if the middle ground between the two extreme EF scenarios is considered, the theoretical maximum safe yield from surface storage is about 65-70 % of the mean annual runoff (MAR) of the basin. It is also identified that although distribution of reservoirs in the river network reduces the cumulative yield from the basin, this cumulative yield is maximized if the ratio among the storage capacities placed in each sub drainage basin is equivalent to the ratio among their MAR. The study suggests a framework to identify drainage regions having higher surface storage potential, to plan for the right distribution of storage capacity within a river basin, as well as to plan for EF allocations.

Dynamic Changes of Landscape Pattern and Vulnerability Analysis in Qingyi River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Ziwei; Xie, Chaoying; He, Xiaohui; Guo, Hengliang; Wang, Li

2017-11-01

Environmental vulnerability research is one of the core areas of global environmental change research. Over the past 10 years, ecologically fragile zones or transition zones had been significantly affected by environmental degradation and climate change and human activities. In this paper, we analyzed the spatial and temporal changes of landscape pattern and landscape vulnerability degree in Qingyi River Basin by calculating the landscape sensitivity index and landscape restoration degree index based on Landsat images of 2005, 2010 and 2015. The results showed that: (1) The top conversion area was farmland, woodland and grassland area decreased, city land and rural residential land increased fastest. (2) The fragility of the landscape pattern along the Qingyi River gradually increased between 2005 and 2015, the downstream area was influenced by the influence of human activities. (3) Landscape pattern changes and fragility are mainly affected by urbanization. These findings are helpful for understanding the evolution of landscape pattern as well as urban ecology, which both have significant implications for urban planning and minimize the potential environmental impacts of urbanization in Qingyi River Basin.

Results of a prototype surface water network design for pesticides developed for the San Joaquin River Basin, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Domagalski, Joseph L.

1997-01-01

A nested surface water monitoring network was designed and tested to measure variability in pesticide concentrations in the San Joaquin River and selected tributaries during the irrigation season. The network design an d sampling frequency necessary for determining the variability and distribution in pesticide concentrations were tested in a prototype study. The San Joaquin River Basin, California, was sampled from April to August 1992, a period during the irrigation season where there was no rainfall. Orestimba Creek, which drains a part of the western San Joaquin Valley, was sampled three times per week for 6 weeks, followed by a once per week sampling for 6 weeks, and the three times per week sampling for 6 weeks. A site on the San Joaquin River near the mouth of the basin, and an irrigation drain of the eastern San Joaquin Valley, were sampled weekly during the entire sampling period. Pesticides were most often detected in samples collected from Orestimba Creek. This suggests that the western valley was the principal source of pesticides to the San Joaquin River during the irrigation season. Irrigation drainage water was the source of pesticides to Orestimba Creek. Pesticide concentrations of Orestimba Creek showed greater temporal variability when sampled three times per week than when sampled once a week, due to variations in field management and irrigation. The implication for the San Joaquin River basin (an irrigation-dominated agricultural setting) is that frequent sampling of tributary sites is necessary to describe the variability in pesticides transported to the San Joaquin River.

Structure and sediment budget of Yinggehai-Song Hong basin, South China Sea: Implications for Cenozoic tectonics and river basin reorganization in Southeast Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lei, Chao; Ren, Jianye; Sternai, Pietro; Fox, Matthew; Willett, Sean; Xie, Xinong; Clift, Peter D.; Liao, Jihua; Wang, Zhengfeng

2015-08-01

The temporal link between offshore stratigraphy and onshore topography is of key importance for understanding the long-term surface evolution of continental margins. Here we present a grid of regional, high-quality reflection seismic and well data to characterize the basin structure. We identify fast subsidence of the basin basement and a lack of brittle faulting of the offshore Red River fault in the Yinggehai-Song Hong basin since 5.5 Ma, despite dextral strike-slip movement on the onshore Red River fault. We calculate the upper-crustal, whole-crustal, and whole-lithospheric stretching factors for the Yinggehai-Song Hong basin, which show that the overall extension observed in the upper crust is substantially less than that observed for the whole crust or whole lithosphere. We suggest that fast basement subsidence after 5.5 Ma may arise from crustal to lithospheric stretching by the regional dynamic lower crustal/mantle flow originated by collision between India-Eurasia and Indian oceanic subduction below the Eurasian margin. In addition, we present a basin wide sediment budget in the Yinggehai-Song Hong basin to reconstruct the sedimentary flux from the Red River drainage constrained by high-resolution age and seismic stratigraphic data. The sediment accumulation rates show a sharp increase at 5.5 Ma, which suggests enhanced onshore erosion rates despite a slowing of tectonic processes. This high sediment supply filled the accommodation space produced by the fast subsidence since 5.5 Ma. Our data further highlight two prominent sharp decreases of the sediment accumulation at 23.3 Ma and 12.5 Ma, which could reflect a loss of drainage area following headwater capture from the Paleo-Red River. However, the low accumulation rate at 12.5 Ma also correlates with drier and therefore less erosive climatic conditions.

Transforming Surface Water Hydrology Through SWOT Altimetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alsdorf, Douglas; Mognard, Nelly; Rodriguez, Ernesto

2013-09-01

SWOT will measure water surface elevations across rivers, lakes, wetlands, and reservoirs with a 120km wide swath using decimeter-scale pixels having centimetric-scale height accuracies. Nothing like this "water surface topography" has been collected on a consistent basis from any method. Thus, SWOT will provide a transformative measurement for global hydrology. Storage change measurements from SWOT are expected to have an error of 10% or better for 250m2 and larger water bodies. Discharge estimation is complicated by the lack of channel bathymetric knowledge. Nevertheless, two model-based studies of the Ohio River suggest SWOT discharge errors will be 10%. Important questions will be addressed via SWOT measurements, e.g., (1) What is the water balance of the Congo Basin and indeed of any basin? (2) Where does a wetland receive its water: from upland runoff or from an adjacent river? (3) What are the implications for transboundary rivers?

The earliest well-dated archeological site in the hyper-arid Tarim Basin and its implications for prehistoric human migration and climatic change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, WenXia; Yu, LuPeng; Lai, ZhongPing; Madsen, David; Yang, Shengli

2014-07-01

The routes and timing of human occupation of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) are crucial for understanding the evolution of Tibetan populations and associated paleoclimatic conditions. Many archeological sites have been found in/around the Tarim Basin, on the northern margin of the Tibetan Plateau. Unfortunately, most of these sites are surface sites and cannot be directly dated. Their ages can only be estimated based on imprecise artifact comparisons. We recently found and dated an archeological site on a terrace along the Keriya River. Our ages indicate that the site was occupied at ~ 7.0-7.6 ka, making it the earliest well-dated archeological site yet identified in the Tarim Basin. This suggests that early human foragers migrated into this region prior to ~ 7.0-7.6 ka during the early to mid-Holocene climatic optimum, which may have provided the impetus for populating the region. We hypothesize that the Keriya River, together with the other rivers originating from the TP, may have served as access routes onto the TP for early human foragers. These rivers may also have served as stepping stones for migration further west into the now hyper-arid regions of the Tarim Basin, leading ultimately to the development of the Silk Road.

Where and why hyporheic exchange is important: Inferences from a parsimonious, physically-based river network model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gomez-Velez, J. D.; Harvey, J. W.

2014-12-01

Hyporheic exchange has been hypothesized to have basin-scale consequences; however, predictions throughout river networks are limited by available geomorphic and hydrogeologic data as well as models that can analyze and aggregate hyporheic exchange flows across large spatial scales. We developed a parsimonious but physically-based model of hyporheic flow for application in large river basins: Networks with EXchange and Subsurface Storage (NEXSS). At the core of NEXSS is a characterization of the channel geometry, geomorphic features, and related hydraulic drivers based on scaling equations from the literature and readily accessible information such as river discharge, bankfull width, median grain size, sinuosity, channel slope, and regional groundwater gradients. Multi-scale hyporheic flow is computed based on combining simple but powerful analytical and numerical expressions that have been previously published. We applied NEXSS across a broad range of geomorphic diversity in river reaches and synthetic river networks. NEXSS demonstrates that vertical exchange beneath submerged bedforms dominates hyporheic fluxes and turnover rates along the river corridor. Moreover, the hyporheic zone's potential for biogeochemical transformations is comparable across stream orders, but the abundance of lower-order channels results in a considerably higher cumulative effect for low-order streams. Thus, vertical exchange beneath submerged bedforms has more potential for biogeochemical transformations than lateral exchange beneath banks, although lateral exchange through meanders may be important in large rivers. These results have implications for predicting outcomes of river and basin management practices.

The Jianchuan Basin, Yunnan: Implications on the Evolution of SE Tibet During the Eocene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gourbet, L.; Mahéo, G.; Leloup, P. H.; Jean-Louis, P.; Sorrel, P.; Eymard, I.; Antoine, P. O.; Sterb, M.; Wang, G.; Cao, K.; Chevalier, M. L.; Lu, H.

2015-12-01

The Jianchuan basin, Yunnan Province, China, is the widest continental Cenozoic sedimentary basin in the southeastern Tibetan plateau. It is located ~10 km east of the Red River fault zone. Climatic simulations and palaeoenvironment studies suggest that SE Asia has experienced a variable intensity monsoon system for 40 Ma. Because sediments can record deformation, climate and environment changes, the Jianchuan basin provides the opportunity to assess the relative role of climate and tectonics on the Tibetan plateau formation. Sediments consist of floodplain siltites, massive fluvial sandstone, few carbonate levels, coal and volcanosedimentary deposits. U/Pb dating of zircons from dykes, volcanodetrital deposits and lava flows respectively cutting and interbedded within the sediments was performed by in-situ LA-ICPMS. All ages range from 38 to 35 Ma. Such absolute dating is confirmed by palaeontological evidence. Dental remains of Zaisanamynodonwere found in coal deposits. This giant Rhino lived in Asia during the Ergilian (late Eocene). Our data allow us to propose a revised stratigraphy for the Jianchuan basin: contrary to what was suggested by previous studies, i.e. a continuous sedimentation from the Paleocene to the Miocene, nearly no sedimentation occurred after 34 Ma. Combined with a sedimentological analysis, the data indicate that during the late Eocene, the Jianchuan area was covered by a large (>15 km) braided river system that coexisted with local transient lakes, in a moderate-slope and semi-arid environment. This major sedimentation event was followed by a period of more humid conditions that may be related to an intensification of the monsoon. The end of the sedimentation seems to be contemporaneous with the Ailao Shan-Red River fault activation. The new stratigraphy has also implications for regional studies that need robust age constraints, for example for reconstructing palaeoelevation or provenance of sediments.

Indian Summer Monsoon Rainfall: Implications of Contrasting Trends in the Spatial Variability of Means and Extremes

PubMed Central

Ghosh, Subimal; Vittal, H.; Sharma, Tarul; Karmakar, Subhankar; Kasiviswanathan, K. S.; Dhanesh, Y.; Sudheer, K. P.; Gunthe, S. S.

2016-01-01

India’s agricultural output, economy, and societal well-being are strappingly dependent on the stability of summer monsoon rainfall, its variability and extremes. Spatial aggregate of intensity and frequency of extreme rainfall events over Central India are significantly increasing, while at local scale they are spatially non-uniform with increasing spatial variability. The reasons behind such increase in spatial variability of extremes are poorly understood and the trends in mean monsoon rainfall have been greatly overlooked. Here, by using multi-decadal gridded daily rainfall data over entire India, we show that the trend in spatial variability of mean monsoon rainfall is decreasing as exactly opposite to that of extremes. The spatial variability of extremes is attributed to the spatial variability of the convective rainfall component. Contrarily, the decrease in spatial variability of the mean rainfall over India poses a pertinent research question on the applicability of large scale inter-basin water transfer by river inter-linking to address the spatial variability of available water in India. We found a significant decrease in the monsoon rainfall over major water surplus river basins in India. Hydrological simulations using a Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model also revealed that the water yield in surplus river basins is decreasing but it is increasing in deficit basins. These findings contradict the traditional notion of dry areas becoming drier and wet areas becoming wetter in response to climate change in India. This result also calls for a re-evaluation of planning for river inter-linking to supply water from surplus to deficit river basins. PMID:27463092

Indian Summer Monsoon Rainfall: Implications of Contrasting Trends in the Spatial Variability of Means and Extremes.

PubMed

Ghosh, Subimal; Vittal, H; Sharma, Tarul; Karmakar, Subhankar; Kasiviswanathan, K S; Dhanesh, Y; Sudheer, K P; Gunthe, S S

2016-01-01

India's agricultural output, economy, and societal well-being are strappingly dependent on the stability of summer monsoon rainfall, its variability and extremes. Spatial aggregate of intensity and frequency of extreme rainfall events over Central India are significantly increasing, while at local scale they are spatially non-uniform with increasing spatial variability. The reasons behind such increase in spatial variability of extremes are poorly understood and the trends in mean monsoon rainfall have been greatly overlooked. Here, by using multi-decadal gridded daily rainfall data over entire India, we show that the trend in spatial variability of mean monsoon rainfall is decreasing as exactly opposite to that of extremes. The spatial variability of extremes is attributed to the spatial variability of the convective rainfall component. Contrarily, the decrease in spatial variability of the mean rainfall over India poses a pertinent research question on the applicability of large scale inter-basin water transfer by river inter-linking to address the spatial variability of available water in India. We found a significant decrease in the monsoon rainfall over major water surplus river basins in India. Hydrological simulations using a Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model also revealed that the water yield in surplus river basins is decreasing but it is increasing in deficit basins. These findings contradict the traditional notion of dry areas becoming drier and wet areas becoming wetter in response to climate change in India. This result also calls for a re-evaluation of planning for river inter-linking to supply water from surplus to deficit river basins.

Geomorphic evolution of the Le Sueur River, Minnesota, USA, and implications for current sediment loading

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gran, K.B.; Belmont, P.; Day, S.S.; Jennings, C.; Johnson, Aaron H.; Perg, L.; Wilcock, P.R.

2009-01-01

There is clear evidence that the Minnesota River is the major sediment source for Lake Pepin and that the Le Sueur River is a major source to the Minnesota River. Turbidity levels are high enough to require management actions. We take advantage of the well-constrained Holocene history of the Le Sueur basin and use a combination of remote sensing, fi eld, and stream gauge observations to constrain the contributions of different sediment sources to the Le Sueur River. Understanding the type, location, and magnitude of sediment sources is essential for unraveling the Holocene development of the basin as well as for guiding management decisions about investments to reduce sediment loads. Rapid base-level fall at the outlet of the Le Sueur River 11,500 yr B.P. triggered up to 70 m of channel incision at the mouth. Slope-area analyses of river longitudinal profi les show that knickpoints have migrated 30-35 km upstream on all three major branches of the river, eroding 1.2-2.6 ?? 109 Mg of sediment from the lower valleys in the process. The knick zones separate the basin into an upper watershed, receiving sediment primarily from uplands and streambanks, and a lower, incised zone, which receives additional sediment from high bluffs and ravines. Stream gauges installed above and below knick zones show dramatic increases in sediment loading above that expected from increases in drainage area, indicating substantial inputs from bluffs and ravines.

Fluvial responses to the Weichselian ice sheet advances and retreats: implications for understanding river paleohydrology and pattern changes in Central Poland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weckwerth, Piotr

2018-06-01

The evolution of the fluvial systems during the Weichselian Pleniglacial in the Toruń Basin (Central Poland) was investigated through sedimentological investigation and paleohydraulic analysis. Within the basin, three fluvial cycles deposited after successive phases of the ice advance which took place 50, 28 and 20 ka ago. Successions of four fluvial lithotypes characterize each fluvial formation, that are related to the paleoenvironmental changes (e.g., climate instability and changes in the river regime) which affected the channel hydraulics and morphology. The successions comprise river-style metamorphosis between high-energy sand-bed meandering rivers (lithotype M1), high-energy sand-bed braided rivers (lithotype B1), and medium-energy sand-bed braided rivers with either unit bars (lithotype B2) or compound bars (lithotype B3) reflects the maturity stage of sand-bed-braided river evolution in the basin. The assessment of the fluvial sedimentary environments enabled the construction of a quantitative model of the changes in the river channel pattern in relation to the climate oscillation. Both the paleohydrological controls and their sedimentary consequences are discussed in the article. Lithotypes M1 and B1 represent riverbed modeled under supercritical flow condition. Deposition of lithotype B2 corresponded to the river channel pattern transformation and was manifested by decreasing flow velocity (energy losses associated with bedform roughness and with the transportation of coarser particles). The flow velocity was generally greater in rivers of lithotype B3 and energy of sedimentary environment was more stable than during the deposition of lithotype B2.

Hydrogeologic Characteristics of the St. Croix River Basin, Minnesota and Wisconsin: Implications for the Susceptibility of Ground Water to Potential Contamination

USGS Publications Warehouse

Juckem, Paul F.

2007-01-01

Population growth in the St. Croix River Basin in Minnesota and Wisconsin has intensified concerns of county resource managers and the National Park Service, which is charged with protecting the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, about the potential for ground-water contamination in the basin. This report describes a previously developed method that was adapted to illustrate potential ground-water-contamination susceptibility in the St. Croix River Basin. The report also gives an estimate of ground-water-residence time and surface-water/ground-water interaction as related to natural attenuation and movement of contaminants in five tributary basins. A ground-water-contamination-susceptibility map was adapted from a state-wide map of Wisconsin to the St. Croix River Basin by use of well-driller construction records and regional maps of aquifer properties in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Measures of various subsurface properties were combined to generate a spatial index of susceptibility. The subjective index method developed for the State of Wisconsin by Schmidt (1987) was not derived from analyses of water-quality data or physical processes. Nonetheless, it was adapted for this report to furnish a seamless map across state boundaries that would be familiar to many resource managers. Following this method, areas most susceptible to contamination appear to have coarse-grained sediments (sands or gravels) and shallow water tables or are underlain by carbonate-bedrock aquifers. The least susceptible areas appear to have fine-grained sediments and deep water tables. If an aquifer becomes contaminated, the ground-water-residence time can affect potential natural attenuation along the ground-water-flow path. Mean basin ground-water-residence times were computed for the Apple, Kettle, Kinnickinnic, Snake and Sunrise River Basins, which are tributary basins to the St. Croix Basin, by use of average aquifer properties of saturated thickness, porosity, and recharge rates. The Apple River Basin had the shortest mean ground-water-residence times (20-120 years), owing largely to the moderate saturated thickness and high recharge rate in the basin. The Kinnickinnic and Sunrise River Basins had the longest mean residence times (60-350 and 70-390 years, respectively) chiefly because of the relatively large saturated thickness of the basins. Owing to limitations of the residence-time calculations, actual ground-water-residence times will vary around the mean values within each basin and may range from days or weeks in karst carbonate aquifers to millennia in deep confined sandstone aquifers. Areas of relatively short residence time (less than the median residence time in each basin) were identified by use of ground-water-flow models for each of the five tributary basins. Results of simulations show that these areas, in which contaminants may have relatively less time for natural attenuation along the short flow paths, generally occur near streams and rivers where ground water discharges to the surface. Finally, the ground-water-flow models were used to simulate ground-water/surface-water interaction in the five tributary basins. Results of simulations show that some lakes and reservoirs leak surface water into the ground-water-flow system on their downgradient side, where the surface-water outflow has been restricted by a dam or a naturally constricted outlet. These locations are noteworthy because contaminated surface waters could potentially enter the ground-water-flow system at these locations.

Heavy metal distribution and water quality characterization of water bodies in Louisiana's Lake Pontchartrain Basin, USA.

PubMed

Zhang, Zengqiang; Wang, Jim J; Ali, Amjad; DeLaune, Ronald D

2016-11-01

The seasonal variation in physico-chemical properties, anions, and the heavy metal (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) concentration was evaluated in water from nine different rivers in Lake Pontchartrain Basin, Louisiana, USA. The water quality parameters were compared with toxicity reference values (TRV), US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) drinking/aquatic life protection, and WHO standards. Among physico-chemical properties, pH, DO, and turbidity were high during spring, while, EC, temperature, and DOC were high during summer and vice versa. The anion study revealed that the concentrations of F - , Cl - , and NO 3 - were higher during summer and Br - and SO 4 - were higher during spring. Our research findings showed anion concentration decreased in the order of Cl -  > SO 4 -  > NO 3 -  > Br -  > F - , in accordance with the global mean anion concentration. The dissolved heavy metals (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb) except Zn were higher during spring than summer. None of the rivers showed any Cd pollution for both seasons. Co showed higher concentrations in Amite River, Mississippi River, Industrial Canal, and Lacombe Bayou during summer. The Cr concentration was higher than WHO drinking water standards, implicating water unsuitability for drinking purposes in all the rivers associated with the Lake Pontchartrain Basin. Cu showed no pollution risk for the study area. Mn and Co were similar to concentration in Lacombe Bayou, Liberty Bayou, Blind River, and Industrial Canal. Mn levels were greater than WHO standards for the Tickfaw River, Tangipahoa River, and Blind River in both seasons. Blind River, Tangipahoa River, Tickfaw River, and Amite River will require more monitoring for determining possible Mn pollution. Ni content in river water during both seasons showed low pollution risk. Liberty Bayou and Industrial Canal concentrations were closer to the WHO regulatory standards, indicating possible risk of Pb pollution in these water bodies. The Zn content was near the USEPA aquatic life standards in summer for all water bodies. None of the rivers showed any risk associated with Cd, Co, Cu, and Ni levels but medium to higher risk to aquatic life from Cr and Zn for both seasons for most of the rivers. Metal fractionation revealed the decreasing order of inert > labile > organic. The high inert fraction in the rivers under study reflects the major contribution of natural sources in Lake Pontchartrain Basin. The labile and organic forms of Cd, Cu, Ni, and Zn pose potential higher risk to the aquatic life in the Lake Pontchartrain Basin.

Hydrological Cycle in the Heihe River Basin and Its Implication for Water Resource Management in Endorheic Basins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xin; Cheng, Guodong; Ge, Yingchun; Li, Hongyi; Han, Feng; Hu, Xiaoli; Tian, Wei; Tian, Yong; Pan, Xiaoduo; Nian, Yanyun; Zhang, Yanlin; Ran, Youhua; Zheng, Yi; Gao, Bing; Yang, Dawen; Zheng, Chunmiao; Wang, Xusheng; Liu, Shaomin; Cai, Ximing

2018-01-01

Endorheic basins around the world are suffering from water and ecosystem crisis. To pursue sustainable development, quantifying the hydrological cycle is fundamentally important. However, knowledge gaps exist in how climate change and human activities influence the hydrological cycle in endorheic basins. We used an integrated ecohydrological model, in combination with systematic observations, to analyze the hydrological cycle in the Heihe River Basin, a typical endorheic basin in arid region of China. The water budget was closed for different landscapes, river channel sections, and irrigation districts of the basin from 2001 to 2012. The results showed that climate warming, which has led to greater precipitation, snowmelt, glacier melt, and runoff, is a favorable factor in alleviating water scarcity. Human activities, including ecological water diversion, cropland expansion, and groundwater overexploitation, have both positive and negative effects. The natural oasis ecosystem has been restored considerably, but the overuse of water in midstream and the use of environmental flow for agriculture in downstream have exacerbated the water stress, resulting in unfavorable changes in surface-ground water interactions and raising concerns regarding how to fairly allocate water resources. Our results suggest that the water resource management in the region should be adjusted to adapt to a changing hydrological cycle, cropland area must be reduced, and the abstraction of groundwater must be controlled. To foster long-term benefits, water conflicts should be handled from a broad socioeconomic perspective. The findings can provide useful information on endorheic basins to policy makers and stakeholders around the world.

Off-platform Silurian sequences in the Ambler River quadrangle: A section in Geologic studies in Alaska by the U.S. Geological Survey during 1987

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dumoulin, Julie A.; Harris, Anita G.

1988-01-01

Lithofacies changes in coeval upper Paleozoic rocks have been used to unravel the tectonic history of northern Alaska (for example, Mayfield and others, 1983). Conodont biostratigraphy and detailed petrologic studies are now revealing facies differences in lower Paleozoic rocks that can also be used to constrain their tectono-sedimentary framework (Dumoulin and Harris, 1987). A basic element of basin analysis is the discrimination of shallow-water shelf and platform sequences from deeper water slope and basinal deposits. This report documents several new localities of deeper water, off-platform Silurian deposits in the Ambler River quadrangle and briefly outlines some of their paleogeographic implications.

New Water Management Institutions in Mexico’s ‘New Culture of Water’: Emerging Opportunities and Challenges for Effective Use of Climate Knowledge and Climate Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilder, M.; Varady, R. G.; Pineda Pablos, N.; Browning-Aiken, A.; Diaz Caravantes, R.; Garfin, G.

2007-05-01

Since 1992, Mexico has developed a new set of water management institutions to usher in a ‘new culture of water’ that focuses on decentralized governance and formalized participation of local water users. Reforms to the national water legislation in April 2004 regionalized the governance of water and highlighted the importance of river basin councils as a mechanism for integrated management of major watersheds across Mexico. As a result of the dramatic national water policy reforms, water service delivery in Mexico has been decentralized to the state and municipal level, resulting in a critical new role for municipal governments charged with this important function. A network of river basin councils accompanied and sub-basin councils has been developed to undertake watershed planning. Decentralization and local participation policies embody numerous significant goals and promises, including greater efficiency, more financial accountability, fostering the beginnings of a sense of local stewardship of precious resources, and enhanced environmental sustainability. This paper examines the implications of municipalized water services and emerging river basin councils for utilization of climate knowledge and climate science. We analyze whether these changes open new windows of opportunity for meaningful use of climate science (e.g., forecasts; models). How effectively are municipal water managers and river basin councils utilizing climate knowledge and climate science, and for what purposes? Are there ways to improve the fit between the needs of water managers and river basin councils and the science that is currently available? What is the role of local participation in water policy making in urban settings and river basin councils? The study found overall that the promises and potential for effective utilization of climate science/knowledge to enhance sustainability exists, but is not yet being adequately realized. Binational efforts to develop climate science and information-sharing mechanisms across the Sonora/Arizona border and to work with local communities and stakeholders to improve the fit between science and social stakeholders’ needs should help realize the potential offered by Mexico’s emerging water management institutions and enhance sustainable policy making.

Modified Streamflows 1990 Level of Irrigation : Missouri, Colorado, Peace and Slave River Basin, 1928-1989.

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

A.G. Crook Company; United States. Bonneville Power Administration

1993-07-01

This report presents data for monthly mean streamflows adjusted for storage change, evaporation, and irrigation, for the years 1928-1990, for the Colorado River Basin, the Missouri River Basin, the Peace River Basin, and the Slave River Basin.

Megascours: the morphodynamics of large river confluences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dixon, Simon; Sambrook Smith, Greg; Nicholas, Andrew; Best, Jim; Bull, Jon; Vardy, Mark; Goodbred, Steve; Haque Sarker, Maminul

2015-04-01

River confluences are wildly acknowledged as crucial controlling influences upon upstream and downstream morphology and thus landscape evolution. Despite their importance very little is known about their evolution and morphodynamics, and there is a consensus in the literature that confluences represent fixed, nodal points in the fluvial network. Confluences have been shown to generate substantial bed scours around five times greater than mean depth. Previous research on the Ganges-Jamuna junction has shown large river confluences can be highly mobile, potentially 'combing' bed scours across a large area, although the extent to which this is representative of large confluences in general is unknown. Understanding the migration of confluences and associated scours is important for multiple applications including: designing civil engineering infrastructure (e.g. bridges, laying cable, pipelines, etc.), sequence stratigraphic interpretation for reconstruction of past environmental and sea level change, and in the hydrocarbon industry where it is crucial to discriminate autocyclic confluence scours from widespread allocyclic surfaces. Here we present a wide-ranging global review of large river confluence planforms based on analysis of Landsat imagery from 1972 through to 2014. This demonstrates there is an array of confluence morphodynamic types: from freely migrating confluences such as the Ganges-Jamuna, through confluences migrating on decadal timescales and fixed confluences. Along with data from recent geophysical field studies in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna basin we propose a conceptual model of large river confluence types and hypothesise how these influence morphodynamics and preservation of 'megascours' in the rock record. This conceptual model has implications for sequence stratigraphic models and the correct identification of surfaces related to past sea level change. We quantify the abundance of mobile confluence types by classifying all large confluences in the Amazon and Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna basins, showing these two basins have contrasting confluence morphodynamics. For the first time we show large river confluences have multiple scales of planform adjustment with important implications for infrastructure and interpretation of the rock record.

Overview of the evolution of clay mineralogy in the Gulf of Mexico: implications for regional climate and drainage history of the Mississippi and Brazos-Trinity Rivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adatte, T.; John, C. M.; Flemings, P. B.; Behrmann, J.

2005-12-01

In this paper we present the overview and preliminary results of the analysis of clay minerals in two mini basins drilled during IODP Expedition 308. The goal of our project is to explore the vertical and temporal trends in clay mineralogy in the Ursa Basin and the Brazos-Trinity basin #4. The Brazos-Trinity basin was the sink for sands and clays carried by the Brazos and Trinity Rivers, while the Ursa basin was the sink for sediments carried by the Mississippi river. Reconstructing clay minerals (phyllosilicates <2μm in size) accumulations at these locations could thus potentially yield information on changes in the transport and the source of the siliclastic material transported in the course of the Pleistocene by these three rivers. Moreover, because the type of clay formed in soils through weathering processes largely depend on temperature and amount of precipitation, the dataset generated could provide clues on past climate changes. Some of the mechanisms that are hypothesized to play a major role in controlling clay accumulation in the basins investigated are reworking of clays on the American continent (controlled at the time-scale investigated here by changes in precipitation) and turbidity current deposition (controlled mainly by sea-level changes and thus glacio-eustasy). Finally, a major focusing point of Expedition 308 was sediment physical properties in an overpressured basin. Because each clay mineral specie has a specific average grain sizes, physical properties and cation exchange capacity, the clay mineral composition of the sediment investigated here (dominated by clay-sized particles) may partly control how these sediments react to changes in pressure and temperature. Thus, clay mineral data could contribute to our understanding of the physical properties of the sediments in overpressured basins, and collaborations with geotechnical scientist are planned.

GIS/RS-based Integrated Eco-hydrologic Modeling in the East River Basin, South China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Kai

Land use/cover change (LUCC) has significantly altered the hydrologic system in the East River (Dongjiang) Basin. Quantitative modeling of hydrologic impacts of LUCC is of great importance for water supply, drought monitoring and integrated water resources management. An integrated eco-hydrologic modeling system of Distributed Monthly Water Balance Model (DMWBM), Surface Energy Balance System (SEBS) was developed with aid of GIS/RS to quantify LUCC, to conduct physically-based ET (evapotranspiration) mapping and to predict hydrologic impacts of LUCC. To begin with, in order to evaluate LUCC, understand implications of LUCC and provide boundary condition for the integrated eco-hydrologic modeling, firstly the long-term vegetation dynamics was investigated based on Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data, and then LUCC was analyzed with post-classification methods and finally LUCC prediction was conducted based on Markov chain model. The results demonstrate that the vegetation activities decreased significantly in summer over the years. Moreover, there were significant changes in land use/cover over the past two decades. Particularly there was a sharp increase of urban and built-up area and a significant decrease of grassland and cropland. All these indicate that human activities are intensive in the East River Basin and provide valuable information for constructing scenarios for studying hydrologic impacts of LUCC. The physically-remote-sensing-based Surface Energy Balance System (SEBS) was employed to estimate areal actual ET for a large area rather than traditional point measurements . The SEBS was enhanced for application in complex vegetated area. Then the inter-comparison with complimentary ET model and distributed monthly water balance model was made to validate the enhanced SEBS (ESEBS). The application and test of ESEBS show that it has a good accuracy both monthly and annually and can be effectively applied in the East River Basin. The results of ET mapping based on ESEBS demonstrate that actual ET in the East River Basin decreases significantly in the last two decades, which is probably caused by decrease of sunshine duration. In order to effectively simulate hydrologic impact of LUCC, an integrated model of ESEBS and distributed monthly water balance model has been developed in this study. The model is capable of considering basin terrain and the spatial distribution of precipitation and soil moisture. Particularly, the model is unique in accounting for spatial and temporal variations of vegetation cover and ET, which provides a powerful tool for studying the hydrologic impacts of LUCC. The model was applied to simulate the monthly runoff for the period of 1980-1994 for model calibration and for the period of 1995-2000 for validation. The calibration and validation results show that the newly integrated model is suitable for simulating monthly runoff and studying hydrologic impacts ofLUCC in the East River Basin. Finally, the newly integrated model was firstly applied to analyze the relationship of land use and hydrologic regimes based on the land use maps in 1980 and 2000. Then the newly integrated model was applied to simulate the potential impacts of land use change on hydrologic regimes in the East River Basin under a series of hypothetical scenarios. The results show that ET has a positive relationship with Leaf Area Index (LAI) while runoff has a negative relationship with LAI in the same climatic zone, which can be elaborated by surface energy balance and water balance equation. Specifically, on an annual basis, ET of forest scenarios is larger than that of grassland or cropland scenarios. On the contrary, runoff of forest scenarios is less than that of grassland or cropland scenarios. On a monthly basis, for most of the scenarios, particularly the grassland and cropland scenarios, the most significant changes occurred in the rainy season. The results indicate that deforestation would cause increase of runoff and decrease of ET on an annual basis in the East River Basin. On a monthly basis, deforestation would cause significant decrease of ET and increase of runoff in the rainy season in the East River Basin. These results are not definitive statements as to what will happen to runoff, ET and soil moisture regimes in the East River Basin, but rather offer an insight into the plausible changes in basin hydrology due to land use change. The integrated model developed in this study and these results have significant implications for integrated water resources management and sustainable development in the East River Basin.

Regional medicine use in the Rhine basin and its implication on water quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hut, R. W.; Houtman, C. J.; van de Giesen, N. C.; de Jong, S. A. P.

2012-04-01

Do Germans use more painkillers than the French? Pharmaceuticals used in our Western society form an important group of contaminants found in the river Rhine. As this river is the drinking water source for millions of Europeans, methods to investigate relations between drug use and their penetration in the watercycle are of great importance. An analysis is presented relating medicine residue in the river Rhine to the number of people living in its watershed. An extensive measuring campaign was carried out, sampling river Rhine at 42 locations from its source to the start of its delta (Dutch-German border). The samples were analyzed for 40 common pharmaceuticals. Using discharge data, digital elevation models and demographic data from Eurostat, the relation between total load of drug residue and population was analyzed. Results show regional differences in drug use as well as implications for (down)stream water quality concerning contamination with pharmaceuticals.

[Research Programs Conducted by the University of Virginia]. Part 1; Aquarius

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fuentes, Jose; Garstang, Michael; Macko, Stephen; Swap, Robert

2001-01-01

The hydrological cycle and the source of water vapor within the Amazon River Basin have important implications on questions of global thermal transport and regional ecological and socioeconomic sustainability. A three tiered approach taking advantage of satellite imagery, tipping buckets, and isotopic storm sampling at three basin sites was used to examine different aspects of regional meteoric water. By combining these techniques, it was possible to correlate observed storm structure with rain rates and intrastorm variations.

Irrigation efficiency and water-policy implications for river-basin resilience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scott, C. A.; Vicuña, S.; Blanco-Gutiérrez, I.; Meza, F.; Varela-Ortega, C.

2013-07-01

Rising demand for food, fiber, and biofuels drives expanding irrigation withdrawals from surface- and groundwater. Irrigation efficiency and water savings have become watchwords in response to climate-induced hydrological variability, increasing freshwater demand for other uses including ecosystem water needs, and low economic productivity of irrigation compared to most other uses. We identify three classes of unintended consequences, presented here as paradoxes. Ever-tighter cycling of water has been shown to increase resource use, an example of the efficiency paradox. In the absence of effective policy to constrain irrigated-area expansion using "saved water", efficiency can aggravate scarcity, deteriorate resource quality, and impair river-basin resilience through loss of flexibility and redundancy. Water scarcity and salinity effects in the lower reaches of basins (symptomatic of the scale paradox) may partly be offset over the short-term through groundwater pumping or increasing surface water storage capacity. However, declining ecological flows and increasing salinity have important implications for riparian and estuarine ecosystems and for non-irrigation human uses of water including urban supply and energy generation, examples of the sectoral paradox. This paper briefly examines policy frameworks in three regional contexts with broadly similar climatic and water-resource conditions - central Chile, southwestern US, and south-central Spain - where irrigation efficiency directly influences basin resilience. The comparison leads to more generic insights on water policy in relation to irrigation efficiency and emerging or overdue needs for environmental protection.

Irrigation efficiency and water-policy implications for river basin resilience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scott, C. A.; Vicuña, S.; Blanco-Gutiérrez, I.; Meza, F.; Varela-Ortega, C.

2014-04-01

Rising demand for food, fiber, and biofuels drives expanding irrigation withdrawals from surface water and groundwater. Irrigation efficiency and water savings have become watchwords in response to climate-induced hydrological variability, increasing freshwater demand for other uses including ecosystem water needs, and low economic productivity of irrigation compared to most other uses. We identify three classes of unintended consequences, presented here as paradoxes. Ever-tighter cycling of water has been shown to increase resource use, an example of the efficiency paradox. In the absence of effective policy to constrain irrigated-area expansion using "saved water", efficiency can aggravate scarcity, deteriorate resource quality, and impair river basin resilience through loss of flexibility and redundancy. Water scarcity and salinity effects in the lower reaches of basins (symptomatic of the scale paradox) may partly be offset over the short-term through groundwater pumping or increasing surface water storage capacity. However, declining ecological flows and increasing salinity have important implications for riparian and estuarine ecosystems and for non-irrigation human uses of water including urban supply and energy generation, examples of the sectoral paradox. This paper briefly considers three regional contexts with broadly similar climatic and water-resource conditions - central Chile, southwestern US, and south-central Spain - where irrigation efficiency directly influences basin resilience. The comparison leads to more generic insights on water policy in relation to irrigation efficiency and emerging or overdue needs for environmental protection.

A comparison of drainage basin nutrient inputs with instream nutrient loads for seven rivers in Georgia and Florida, 1986-90

USGS Publications Warehouse

Asbury, C.E.; Oaksford, E.T.

1997-01-01

Instream nutrient loads of the Altamaha, Suwannee, St. Johns, Satilla, Ogeechee, Withlacoochee, and Ochlockonee River Basins were computed and compared with nutrient inputs for each basin for the period 1986-90. Nutrient constituents that were considered included nitrate, ammonia, organic nitrogen, and total phosphorus. Sources of nutrients considered for this analysis included atmospheric deposition, fertilizer, animal waste, wastewater-treatment plant discharge, and septic discharge. The mean nitrogen input ranged from 2,400 kilograms per year per square kilometer (kg/yr)km2 in the Withlacoochee River Basin to 5,470 (kg/yr)km2 in the Altamaha River Basin. The Satilla and Ochlockonee River Basins also had large amounts of nitrogen input per unit area, totaling 5,430 and 4,920 (kg/yr)km2, respectively.Fertilizer or animal waste, as sources of nitrogen, predominated in all basins. Atmospheric deposition contributed less than one-fourth of the mean total nitrogen input to all basins and was consistently the third largest input in all but the Ogeechee River Basin, where it was the second largest.The mean total phosphorus input ranged from 331 (kg/yr)km2 in the Withlacoochee River Basin to 1,380 (kg/yr)km2 in both the Altamaha and Satilla River Basins. The Ochlockonee River Basin had a phosphorus input of 1,140 (kg/yr)km2.Per unit area, the Suwannee River discharged the highest instream mean total nitrogen and phosphorus loads and also discharged higher instream nitrate loads per unit area than the other six rivers. Phosphorus loads in stream discharge were highest in the Suwannee and Ochlockonee Rivers.The ratio of nutrient outputs to inputs for the seven studied rivers ranged from 4.2 to 14.9 percent, with the St. Johns (14.9 percent) and Suwannee (12.1 percent) Rivers having significantly higher percentages than those from the other basins. The output/input percentages for mean total phosphorus ranged from 1.0 to 7.0 percent, with the St. Johns (6.2 percent) and Suwannee (7.0 percent) Rivers exporting the highest percentage of phosphorus.Although instream nutrient loads constitute only one of the various pathways nutrients may take in leaving a river basin, only a relatively small part of nutrient input to the basin leaves the basin in stream discharge for the major coastal rivers examined in this study. The actual amount of nutrient transported in a river basin depends on the ways in which nutrients are physically handled, geographically distributed, and chemically assimilated within a river basin.

Riparian plant composition along hydrologic gradients in a dryland river basin and implications for a warming climate

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reynolds, Lindsay; Shafroth, Patrick B.

2017-01-01

Droughts in dryland regions on all continents are expected to increase in severity and duration under future climate projections. In dryland regions, it is likely that minimum streamflow will decrease with some perennial streams shifting to intermittent flow under climate-driven changes in precipitation and runoff and increases in temperature. Decreasing base flow and shifting flow regimes from perennial to intermittent could have significant implications for stream-dependent biota, including riparian vegetation. In this study, we asked, how do riparian plant communities vary along wet-to-dry hydrologic gradients on small (first–third order) streams? We collected data on geomorphic, hydrologic, and plant community characteristics on 54 stream sites ranging in hydrology from intermittent to perennial flow across the Upper Colorado River Basin (284,898 km2). We found that plant communities varied along hydrologic gradients from high to low elevation between streams, and perennial to intermittent flow. We identified indicator species associated with different hydrologic conditions and suggest how plant communities may shift under warmer, drier conditions. Our results indicate that species richness and cover of total, perennial, wetland, and native plant groups will decrease while annual plants will increase under drying conditions. Understanding how plant communities respond to regional drivers such as hydroclimate requires broad-scale approaches such as sampling across whole river basins. With increasingly arid conditions in many regions of the globe, understanding plant community shifts is key to understanding the future of riparian ecosystems.

Hydrological Cycle in the Heihe River Basin and Its Implication for Water Resource Management in Inland River Basins (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, X.; Cheng, G.; Tian, W.; Zhang, Y.; Zhou, J.; Pan, X.; Ge, Y.; Hu, X.

2013-12-01

Inland river basins take about 11.4% of the land area of the world and most of them are distributed over arid regions. Understanding the hydrological cycle of inland river basin is important for water resource management in water scarcity regions. This paper illustrated hydrological cycle of a typical inland river basin in China, the Heihe River Basin (HRB). First, water balance in upper, middle and lower reaches of the HRB was conceptualized by analyzing dominant hydrological processes in different parts of the river basin. Then, we used a modeling approach to study the water cycle in the HRB. In the upper reaches, we used the GBHM-SHAW, a distributed hydrological model with a new frozen soil parameterization. In the middle and lower reaches, we used the GWSiB, a three-dimensionally coupled land surface-groundwater model. Modeling results were compared with water balance observations in different landscapes and cross-validated with other results to ensure the reliability. The results show that the hydrological cycle in HRB has some distinctive characteristics. Mountainous area generates almost all of the runoff for the whole river basin. High-elevation zones have much larger runoff/precipitation ratio. Cryospheric hydrology plays an important role. Although snow melting and glacier runoff take less than 25% of total runoff, these processes regulate inter-annual variation of runoff and thus provide stable water resource for oases downstream. Forest area contributes almost no runoff but it smoothes runoff and reduces floods by storing water in soil and releasing it out slowly. In the middle reaches, artificial hydrological cycle is much more dominated than natural one. River water and groundwater, recharged by runoff from mountainous area, is the water resource to support the agriculture and nurture the riparian ecosystem. Precipitation, approximately 150 mm in average, is only a supplement to agriculture use but sufficient to sustain desert vegetation. Water resources are redistributed by very developed and extensive irrigation system. Irrigation water balance is complex because of strong interactions among surface, ground, river and irrigation water. Lower reaches is an extremely arid environment. Water availability in lower reaches has a great impact on the evolution of natural ecosystem and vice versa the landscape change reshapes the hydrological cycle. After the water resource reallocation project implemented in 2000, the water delivered to lower reaches has increased by 36%. Of all the available water resource, about 10% is used to sustain a terminal lake and other water bodies, 20% is used for irrigation to support very rapidly increased farmlands, 40-50% is used to nurture the natural oasis, and other water is lost due to evaporation. The features of hydrological cycle in the HRB is very typical for inland river basins in China's arid region. In this region, air temperature is rising and precipitation is most likely to increase. Accelerating glacier retreat will also produce more water. However, water demand increases more rapidly due to quickly developing economy and growing population. Therefore, how to turn our understanding of hydrological cycle in this environmental fragile region into more rational water resource management is a grand challenge.

75 FR 25877 - Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Advisory Council

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-10

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Reclamation Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Advisory... River Basin Salinity Control Advisory Council (Council) was established by the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control [[Page 25878

Impacts of Change in Irrigation Water Availability on Food Production in the Yellow River Basin under Climate Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Y. Y.; Tang, Q.

2014-12-01

Approximately 9 percent of China's population and 17 percent of its agricultural area are settled in the Yellow River Basins. Irrigation, which plays an important role in agricultural production, occupies the largest share of human consumptive water use in the basin. Given increasing water demands, the basin faces acute water scarcity. Previous studies have suggested that decrease in irrigation water availability under climate change might have an overall adverse impact on the food production of the basin. The timing and area that would face severe water stress are yet to be identified. We used a land surface hydrological model forced with the bias-corrected climatic variables from 5 climate models under 4 Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) to estimate total water availability in the sub-basins of the Yellow River basin. The future socioeconomic conditions, the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs), were used to estimate the water requirement in the nonagricultural water use sectors. The irrigation water availability was estimated from the total water availability and nonagricultural water use, and the irrigation water demands were estimated based on the current irrigation project efficiencies. The timing and area of irrigation water shortage were shown and the implication of change in irrigation water availability on food production was assessed. The results show that the sub-basins with high population density and gross domestic product (GDP) are likely to confront severe water stress and reduction in food production earlier because irrigation water was to be appropriated by the rapid increase in nonagricultural water use sectors. The study stresses the need for adaptive management of water to balance agriculture and nonagricultural demands in northern China.

Farmers' attitudes toward mandatory water-saving policies: A case study in two basins in northwest China.

PubMed

Chang, Genying; Wang, Lu; Meng, Liuyi; Zhang, Wenxia

2016-10-01

China began to implement stringent water-saving policies in 2012. Mandatory water-saving measures implemented in arid inland river basins include the measures of allocating surface water among upper, middle and lower beaches, restricting household agricultural water use, closing wells, reducing farmland and increasing water prices. These measures have negative influences on the agricultural production of farmers. This study aimed to reveal the demographic and psychological correlates of farmers' attitudes toward these policies. The participants included 672 farmers in the Heihe River Basin and the Shule River Basin in northwest China. Structural equation analyses showed that farmers' awareness of the beneficial consequences of restricting household agricultural water and their perception of policy enforcement had significant relationships with their attitudes toward water-saving policies, whereas the effects of the New Ecological Paradigm and collectivism on farmers' attitudes were mediated through their awareness of beneficial consequences and their perception of policy enforcement. Multivariable regression analyses revealed that as a whole, there were no significant correlations between demographic variables and farmers' attitudes. Policy implications include propagandizing these policies among local farmers, strengthening open and fair policy enforcement, and cautiously using water prices as an instrument to control irrigation water. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Paleogeographic implications of Late Miocene lacustrine and nonmarine evaporite deposits in the Lake Mead region: Immediate precursors to the Colorado River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Faulds, James E.; Schreiber, Charlotte; Langenheim, Victoria; Hinz, Nicholas H.; Shaw, Tom; Heizler, Matthew T.; Perkins, Michael E; El Tabakh, Mohammed; Kunk, Michael J.

2016-01-01

Thick late Miocene nonmarine evaporite (mainly halite and gypsum) and related lacustrine limestone deposits compose the upper basin fill in half grabens within the Lake Mead region of the Basin and Range Province directly west of the Colorado Plateau in southern Nevada and northwestern Arizona. Regional relations and geochronologic data indicate that these deposits are late synextensional to postextensional (ca. 12–5 Ma), with major extension bracketed between ca. 16 and 9 Ma and the abrupt western margin of the Colorado Plateau established by ca. 9 Ma. Significant accommodation space in the half grabens allowed for deposition of late Miocene lacustrine and evaporite sediments. Concurrently, waning extension promoted integration of initially isolated basins, progressive enlargement of drainage nets, and development of broad, low gradient plains and shallow water bodies with extensive clastic, carbonate, and/or evaporite sedimentation. The continued subsidence of basins under restricted conditions also allowed for the preservation of particularly thick, localized evaporite sequences prior to development of the through-going Colorado River.The spatial and temporal patterns of deposition indicate increasing amounts of freshwater input during the late Miocene (ca. 12–6 Ma) immediately preceding arrival of the Colorado River between ca. 5.6 and 4.9 Ma. In axial basins along and proximal to the present course of the Colorado River, evaporite deposition (mainly gypsum) transitioned to lacustrine limestone progressively from east to west, beginning ca. 12–11 Ma in the Grand Wash Trough in the east and shortly after ca. 5.6 Ma in the western Lake Mead region. In several satellite basins to both the north and south of the axial basins, evaporite deposition was more extensive, with thick halite (>200 m to 2.5 km thick) accumulating in the Hualapai, Overton Arm, and northern Detrital basins. Gravity and magnetic lows suggest that thick halite may also lie within the northern Grand Wash, Mesquite, southern Detrital, and northeastern Las Vegas basins. New tephrochronologic data indicate that the upper part of the halite in the Hualapai basin is ca. 5.6 Ma, with rates of deposition of ∼190–450 m/m.y., assuming that deposition ceased approximately coincidental with the arrival of the Colorado River. A 2.5-km-thick halite sequence in the Hualapai basin may have accumulated in ∼5–7 m.y. or ca. 12–5 Ma, which coincides with lacustrine limestone deposition near the present course of the Colorado River in the region.The distribution and similar age of the limestone and evaporite deposits in the region suggest a system of late Miocene axial lakes and extensive continental playas and salt pans. The playas and salt pans were probably fed by both groundwater discharge and evaporation from shallow lakes, as evidenced by sedimentary textures. The elevated terrain of the Colorado Plateau was likely a major source of water that fed the lakes and playas. The physical relationships in the Lake Mead region suggest that thick nonmarine evaporites are more likely to be late synextensional and accumulate in basins with relatively large catchments proximal to developing river systems or broad elevated terranes. Other basins adjacent to the lower Colorado River downstream of Lake Mead, such as the Dutch Flat, Blythe-McCoy, and Yuma basins, may also contain thick halite deposits.

Assessing Hydrologic Impacts of Future Land Cover Change Scenarios in the South Platte River Basin (CO, WY, & NE) and the San Pedro River Basin (U.S./Mexico).

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barlow, J. E.; Burns, I. S.; Guertin, D. P.; Kepner, W. G.; Goodrich, D. C.

2016-12-01

Long-term land-use and land cover change and their associated impacts pose critical challenges to sustaining vital hydrological ecosystem services for future generations. In this study, a methodology to characterize hydrologic impacts from future urban growth through time that was developed and applied on the San Pedro River Basin was expanded and utilized on the South Platte River Basin as well. Future urban growth is represented by housing density maps generated in decadal intervals from 2010 to 2100, produced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Integrated Climate and Land-Use Scenarios (ICLUS) project. ICLUS developed future housing density maps by adapting the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES) social, economic, and demographic storylines to the conterminous United States. To characterize hydrologic impacts from future growth, the housing density maps were reclassified to National Land Cover Database (NLCD) 2006 land cover classes and used to parameterize the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) using the Automated Geospatial Watershed Assessment (AGWA) tool. The objectives of this project were to 1) develop and implement a methodology for adapting the ICLUS data for use in AGWA as an approach to evaluate impacts of development on water-quantity and -quality, 2) present, evaluate, and compare results from scenarios for watersheds in two different geographic and climatic regions, 3) determine watershed specific implications of this type of future land cover change analysis.

Projected impacts of climate change on hydrology, water resource use and adaptation needs for the Chu and Talas cross-border rivers basin, Central Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shamil Iliasov, Shamil; Dolgikh, Svetlana; Lipponen, Annukka; Novikov, Viktor

2014-05-01

The observed long-term trends, variability and projections of future climate and hydrology of the Chu and Talas transboundary rivers basin were analysed using a common approach for Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan parts of the basin. Historical, current and forecasted demands and main uses of water in the basin were elaborated by the joint effort of both countries. Such cooperative approach combining scientific data, water practitioners' outlook with decision making needs allowed the first time to produce a comprehensive assessment of climate change impacts on water resources in the Chu-Talas transboundary rivers basin, identify future needs and develop the initial set of adaptation measures and recommendations. This work was carried out under the project "Promoting Cooperation to Adapt to Climate Change in the Chu and Talas Transboundary Basin", supported by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Climate change projections, including air temperatures and rainfall in the 21st century were determined with a spatial resolution 0.5 degrees based on the integration of 15 climate change model outputs (derived from IPCC's 4th Assessment Report, and partially 5th Assessment Report) combined with locally-designed hydrology and glacier models. A significant increase in surface air temperatures by 3-6°C may be expected in the basin area, especially in summer and autumn. This change is likely to be accompanied by rainfall increase during the cold season and a decrease in the warm half of the year. As a result, a deterioration of moisture conditions during the summer-autumn period is possible. Furthermore, milder winters and hotter summers can be expected. Mountains will likely receive more liquid precipitation, than snow, while the area and volume of glaciers may significantly reduce. Projected changes in climate and glaciers have implications for river hydrology and different sectors of the economy dependent on water use. Assessment of agricultural sector vulnerability, which is the key water user in the basin, led to identification of the potential adaptation measures and discussion with relevant national and river basin authorities and the major stakeholders. Proposed adaptation measures range from technical - such as rehabilitation of irrigation systems to reduce water losses, modernize water reservoirs and adjust river regulation to environmental flow needs, changing land use and crop diversification - to policy and finance measures, including revision of subsidies, economic consideration of ecosystem services, etc. Next steps include a more detailed assessment of economics, effectiveness and feasibility of the initially proposed adaptation measures and additional research.

Hydrological simulations in the Rhine basin.

PubMed

van den Hurk, B; Beersma, J; Lenderink, G

2005-01-01

Simulations with regional climate models (RCMs), carried out for the Rhine basin, have been analyzed in the context of implications of the possible future discharge of the Rhine river. In a first analysis, the runoff generated by the RCMs is compared to observations, in order to detect the way the RCMs treat anomalies in precipitation in their land surface component. A second analysis is devoted to the frequency distribution of area averaged precipitation, and the impact of selection of various driving global climate models.

Fluvial deposits of Yellowstone tephras: Implications for late Cenozoic history of the Bighorn basin area, Wyoming and Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reheis, M.C.

1992-01-01

Several deposits of tephra derived from eruptions in Yellowstone National Park occur in the northern Bighorn basin area of Wyoming and Montana. These tephra deposits are mixed and interbedded with fluvial gravel and sand deposited by several different rivers. The fluvial tephra deposits are used to calculate stream incision rates, to provide insight into drainage histories and Quaternary tectonics, to infer the timing of alluvial erosion-deposition cycles, and to calibrate rates of soil development. ?? 1992.

Using the analytical hierarchy process to assess the environmental vulnerabilities of basins in Taiwan.

PubMed

Chang, Chia-Ling; Chao, Yu-Chi

2012-05-01

Every year, Taiwan endures typhoons and earthquakes; these natural hazards often induce landslides and debris flows. Therefore, watershed management strategies must consider the environmental vulnerabilities of local basins. Because many factors affect basin ecosystems, this study applied multiple criteria analysis and the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) to evaluate seven criteria in three phases (geographic phase, hydrologic phase, and societal phase). This study focused on five major basins in Taiwan: the Tan-Shui River Basin, the Ta-Chia River Basin, the Cho-Shui River Basin, the Tseng-Wen River Basin, and the Kao-Ping River Basin. The objectives were a comprehensive examination of the environmental characteristics of these basins and a comprehensive assessment of their environmental vulnerabilities. The results of a survey and AHP analysis showed that landslide area is the most important factor for basin environmental vulnerability. Of all these basins, the Cho-Shui River Basin in central Taiwan has the greatest environmental vulnerability.

Water resources of the Waccasassa River Basin and adjacent areas, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Taylor, G.F.; Snell, L.J.

1978-01-01

This map report was prepared in cooperation with the Southwest Florida Water Management District which, with the Waccasassa River Basin Board, had jurisdiction over waters within the Waccasassa River basin, the coastal areas adjacent to the basin, and other adjacent areas outside the basin. New water management district boundaries, effective January 1977, place most of the Waccasassa River basin in the Suwannee River Water Management District. The purpose of the report is to provide water information for consideration in land-use and water development which is accelerating, especially in the northeastern part of the study area. It is based largely on existing data in the relatively undeveloped area. Of the total area included in the topographic drainage basin for the Waccasassa River about 72 percent is in Levy County, 18 percent in Alachua County, 9 percent in Gilchrist County, and 1 percent in Marion County. The elongated north-south drainage basin is approximately 50 mi in length, averages 13 mi in width, and lies between the Suwannee River, the St. Johns River, and the Withlacoochee River basins. (Woodard-USGS)

Evaluating Biodiversity Response toForecasted Land Use Change: A Case Study in the South Platte River Basin, Colorado

EPA Science Inventory

Effects of future land use change on watersheds have important management implications. Seamless, national-scale land-use-change scenarios for developed land were acquired from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Integrated Climate and Land Use Scenarios (lCLUS) project and...

Drainage water management effects on tile discharge and water quality

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Nitrogen (N) fluxes from tile drained watersheds have been implicated in water quality studies of the Mississippi River Basin, but the contribution of tile drains to N export in headwater watersheds is not well understood. The objective of this study was to ascertain seasonal and annual contribution...

18 CFR 725.7 - Regional or river basin planning.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 2 2013-04-01 2012-04-01 true Regional or river basin... Responsibilities § 725.7 Regional or river basin planning. (a) In agreements between river basin commissions or other regional planning sponsors and the Council for the preparation and revision of regional and river...

18 CFR 725.7 - Regional or river basin planning.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 2 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Regional or river basin... Responsibilities § 725.7 Regional or river basin planning. (a) In agreements between river basin commissions or other regional planning sponsors and the Council for the preparation and revision of regional and river...

Pawcatuck and Woonasquatucket River Basins and Narragansett Bay Local Drainage Area. Main Report.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-10-01

building and housing codes are recommended. Flood warning systems, urban renewal, tax incentives, and public open space acquisition will also help...RIVER GROUP WATERSHEDLD LOCAL DRAINAGE PD, WOONASQUATUCKET - MOSI4ASSUCK - PROVIDENCE RIVERS SUB-BASIN PD2 BLACKSTONE RIVER SUB-BASIN orPD 3 TENMiLE...of the Taunton River Basin in Massachusetts, 1979 PNB Water Supply Study, January 1979 Big River Reservoir Project, July 1981 Blackstone River

Developing Multi-model Ensemble for Precipitation and Temperature Seasonal Forecasts: Implications for Karkheh River Basin in Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Najafi, Husain; Massah Bavani, Ali Reza; Wanders, Niko; Wood, Eric; Irannejad, Parviz; Robertson, Andrew

2017-04-01

Water resource managers can utilize reliable seasonal forecasts for allocating water between different users within a water year. In the west of Iran where a decline of renewable water resources has been observed, basin-wide water management has been the subject of many inter-provincial conflicts in recent years. The problem is exacerbated when the environmental water requirements is not provided leaving the Hoor-al-Azim marshland in the downstream dry. It has been argued that information on total seasonal rainfall can support the Iranian Ministry of Energy within the water year. This study explores the skill of the North America Multi Model Ensemble for Karkheh River Basin in the of west Iran. NMME seasonal precipitation and temperature forecasts from eight models are evaluated against PERSIANN-CDR and Climate Research Unit (CRU) datasets. Analysis suggests that anomaly correlation for both precipitation and temperature is greater than 0.4 for all individual models. Lead time-dependent seasonal forecasts are improved when a multi-model ensemble is developed for the river basin using stepwise linear regression model. MME R-squared exceeds 0.6 for temperature for almost all initializations suggesting high skill of NMME in Karkheh river basin. The skill of MME for rainfall forecasts is high for 1-month lead time for October, February, March and October initializations. However, for months when the amount of rainfall accounts for a significant proportion of total annual rainfall, the skill of NMME is limited a month in advance. It is proposed that operational regional water companies incorporate NMME seasonal forecasts into water resource planning and management, especially during growing seasons that are essential for agricultural risk management.

Altered hydrologic and geomorphic processes and bottomland hardwood plant communities of the lower White River Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

King, Sammy L.; Keim, Richard F.; Hupp, Cliff R.; Edwards, Brandon L.; Kroschel, Whitney A.; Johnson, Erin L.; Cochran, J. Wesley

2016-09-12

Determine stand establishment patterns of bottomland hardwoods within selected plant communities along three sections of the floodplain. This study provides baseline information on the current geomorphic and hydrologic conditions of the river and can assist in the interpretation of forest responses to past hydrologic and geomorphic processes. Understanding the implications for floodplain forests of geomorphic adjustment in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley is key to managing the region’s valuable resources for a sustainable future.

76 FR 24515 - Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Advisory Council

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2011-05-02

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Reclamation Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Advisory... Basin Salinity Control Advisory Council (Council) will meet as detailed below. The meeting of the... INFORMATION: The Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Advisory Council was established by the Colorado River...

The role of hydrological initial conditions on Atmospheric River floods in the Russian River basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Q.; Mehran, A.; Ralph, M.; Cannon, F.; Lettenmaier, D. P.

2017-12-01

A body of work over the last decade or so has demonstrated that most major floods along the U.S. West Coast are attributable to Atmospheric Rivers (ARs). Antecedent hydrological conditions play an important part in the natural links between precipitation and floods, and this is especially the case in the Pacific Coastal region where precipitation is strongly winter-dominant, and many potentially flood-inducing events occur relatively early in the wet season. The Russian River Basin has these characteristics, the result of which is mostly dry soils at the onset of the fall precipitation season. There is therefore a tradeoff in terms of flood potential between the strength of AR events, and the time history of previous precipitation that has begun to wet soils and raise local water tables. In order to examine flood responses associated with varying precursor hydrological conditions, we first constructed a data set of AR events that were coincident with Peaks Over Threshold (POT) extreme discharge events at selected USGS stream gauges throughout the Russian River basin. We investigated the role of antecedent soil moisture and water table conditions on historical AR flooding, initially using an exploratory data analysis approach. We then implemented the Distributed Hydrology-Soil-Vegetation Model (DHSVM) over the entire basin and conducted modeling experiments for each of the POT events under climatological and extreme antecedent conditions. We reconstructed climatological soil moisture by assimilating in situ observations into long-term soil moisture simulations from the UCLA Western U.S. Drought Monitoring System. We explore an envelope of frequency distributions of floods given a range of AR-related extreme precipitation and various initial hydrologic conditions, which eventually should have implications for flood management decision-making.

The Role of Forests in Regulating the River Flow Regime of Large Basins of the World

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salazar, J. F.; Villegas, J. C.; Mercado-Bettin, D. A.; Rodríguez, E.

2016-12-01

Many natural and social phenomena depend on river flow regimes that are being altered by global change. Understanding the mechanisms behind such alterations is crucial for predicting river flow regimes in a changing environment. Here we explore potential linkages between the presence of forests and the capacity of river basins for regulating river flows. Regulation is defined here as the capacity of river basins to attenuate the amplitude of the river flow regime, that is to reduce the difference between high and low flows. We first use scaling theory to show how scaling properties of observed river flows can be used to classify river basins as regulated or unregulated. This parsimonious classification is based on a physical interpretation of the scaling properties (particularly the scaling exponents) that is novel (most previous studies have focused on the interpretation of the scaling exponents for floods only), and widely-applicable to different basins (the only assumption is that river flows in a given river basin exhibit scaling properties through well-known power laws). Then we show how this scaling framework can be used to explore global-change-induced temporal variations in the regulation capacity of river basins. Finally, we propose a conceptual hypothesis (the "Forest reservoir concept") to explain how large-scale forests can exert important effects on the long-term water balance partitioning and regulation capacity of large basins of the world. Our quantitative results are based on data analysis (river flows and land cover features) from 22 large basins of the world, with emphasis in the Amazon river and its main tributaries. Collectively, our findings support the hypothesis that forest cover enhances the capacity of large river basins to maintain relatively high mean river flows, as well as to regulate (ameliorate) extreme river flows. Advancing towards this quantitative understanding of the relation between forest cover and river flow regimes is crucial for water management- and land cover-related decisions.

The Role of Forests in Regulating the River Flow Regime of Large Basins of the World

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salazar, J. F.; Villegas, J. C.; Mercado-Bettin, D. A.; Rodríguez, E.

2017-12-01

Many natural and social phenomena depend on river flow regimes that are being altered by global change. Understanding the mechanisms behind such alterations is crucial for predicting river flow regimes in a changing environment. Here we explore potential linkages between the presence of forests and the capacity of river basins for regulating river flows. Regulation is defined here as the capacity of river basins to attenuate the amplitude of the river flow regime, that is to reduce the difference between high and low flows. We first use scaling theory to show how scaling properties of observed river flows can be used to classify river basins as regulated or unregulated. This parsimonious classification is based on a physical interpretation of the scaling properties (particularly the scaling exponents) that is novel (most previous studies have focused on the interpretation of the scaling exponents for floods only), and widely-applicable to different basins (the only assumption is that river flows in a given river basin exhibit scaling properties through well-known power laws). Then we show how this scaling framework can be used to explore global-change-induced temporal variations in the regulation capacity of river basins. Finally, we propose a conceptual hypothesis (the "Forest reservoir concept") to explain how large-scale forests can exert important effects on the long-term water balance partitioning and regulation capacity of large basins of the world. Our quantitative results are based on data analysis (river flows and land cover features) from 22 large basins of the world, with emphasis in the Amazon river and its main tributaries. Collectively, our findings support the hypothesis that forest cover enhances the capacity of large river basins to maintain relatively high mean river flows, as well as to regulate (ameliorate) extreme river flows. Advancing towards this quantitative understanding of the relation between forest cover and river flow regimes is crucial for water management- and land cover-related decisions.

A comparison of integrated river basin management strategies: A global perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Chunhong; Wang, Pei; Zhang, Guanghong

In order to achieve the integrated river basin management in the arid and rapid developing region, the Heihe River Basin (HRB) in Northwestern China, one of critical river basins were selected as a representative example, while the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB) in Australia and the Colorado River Basin (CRB) in the USA were selected for comparative analysis in this paper. Firstly, the comparable characters and hydrological contexts of these three watersheds were introduced in this paper. Then, based on comparative studies on the river basin challenges in terms of the drought, intensive irrigation, and rapid industrialization, the hydrological background of the MDB, the CRB and the HRB was presented. Subsequently, the river management strategies were compared in three aspects: water allocation, water organizations, and water act and scientific projects. Finally, we proposed recommendations for integrated river basin management for the HRB: (1) Water allocation strategies should be based on laws and markets on the whole basin; (2) Public participation should be stressed by the channels between governance organizations and local communities; (3) Scientific research should be integrated into river management to understand the interactions between the human and nature.

Integration of research advances in modelling and monitoring in support of WFD river basin management planning in the context of climate change.

PubMed

Quevauviller, Philippe; Barceló, Damia; Beniston, Martin; Djordjevic, Slobodan; Harding, Richard J; Iglesias, Ana; Ludwig, Ralf; Navarra, Antonio; Navarro Ortega, Alícia; Mark, Ole; Roson, Roberto; Sempere, Daniel; Stoffel, Markus; van Lanen, Henny A J; Werner, Micha

2012-12-01

The integration of scientific knowledge about possible climate change impacts on water resources has a direct implication on the way water policies are being implemented and evolving. This is particularly true regarding various technical steps embedded into the EU Water Framework Directive river basin management planning, such as risk characterisation, monitoring, design and implementation of action programmes and evaluation of the "good status" objective achievements (in 2015). The need to incorporate climate change considerations into the implementation of EU water policy is currently discussed with a wide range of experts and stakeholders at EU level. Research trends are also on-going, striving to support policy developments and examining how scientific findings and recommendations could be best taken on board by policy-makers and water managers within the forthcoming years. This paper provides a snapshot of policy discussions about climate change in the context of the WFD river basin management planning and specific advancements of related EU-funded research projects. Perspectives for strengthening links among the scientific and policy-making communities in this area are also highlighted. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Expansion of agricultural oasis in the Heihe River Basin of China: Patterns, reasons and policy implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Wei; Zhang, Ying

The Heihe River Basin (HRB) is the second largest inland river basin in the arid region of northwestern China. An agricultural oasis is a typical landscape in arid regions providing precious fertile soil, living space and ecological services. The agricultural oasis change has been one of the key issues in sustainable development in recent decades. In this paper, we examined the changes in the agricultural oasis in HRB and analyzed the socio-economic and climatic driving forces behind them. It was found that the agricultural oasis in HRB expanded by 25.11% and 14.82% during the periods of 1986-2000 and 2000-2011, respectively. Most of the newly added agricultural oases in HRB were converted from grassland (40.94%) and unused land (40.22%). The expansion in the agricultural oasis mainly occurred in the middle reaches of HRB, particularly in the counties of Shandan, Minle, Jinta and Jiuquan city. Changes in the rural labor force, annual temperature and precipitation have significant positive effects on agricultural oasis changes, while the ratio of irrigated agricultural oases has significant negative effects on agricultural oasis changes. The agricultural oasis expansion in HRB is the combined effect of human activity and climate change.

78 FR 70574 - Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Advisory Council

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2013-11-26

...] Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Advisory Council AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior. ACTION: Notice of public meeting. SUMMARY: The Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Advisory Council (Council) was established by the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act of 1974 (Pub. L.93-320) (Act) to...

77 FR 61784 - Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Advisory Council

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2012-10-11

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Reclamation Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Advisory... River Basin Salinity Control Advisory Council (Council) was established by the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act of 1974 (Pub. L. 93-320) (Act) to receive reports and advise Federal agencies on...

77 FR 23508 - Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Advisory Council

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2012-04-19

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Reclamation Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Advisory... River Basin Salinity Control Advisory Council (Council) was established by the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act of 1974 (Pub. L. 93-320) (Act) to receive reports and advise Federal agencies on...

78 FR 23784 - Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Advisory Council

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2013-04-22

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Reclamation Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Advisory... River Basin Salinity Control Advisory Council (Council) was established by the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act of 1974 (Public Law 93-320) (Act) to receive reports and advise Federal agencies on...

75 FR 66389 - Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Advisory Council

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2010-10-28

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Reclamation Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Advisory... River Basin Salinity Control Advisory Council (Council) was established by the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act of 1974 (Pub. L. 93-320) (Act) to receive reports and advise Federal agencies on...

75 FR 27360 - Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Advisory Council

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2010-05-14

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Reclamation Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Advisory... River Basin Salinity Control Advisory Council (Council) was established by the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act of 1974 (Pub. L. 93-320) (Act) to receive reports and advise Federal agencies on...

76 FR 61382 - Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Advisory Council

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2011-10-04

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Reclamation Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Advisory...: The Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Advisory Council (Council) was established by the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act of 1974 (Pub. L. 93-320) (Act) to receive reports and advise Federal...

Residence times in river basins as determined by analysis of long-term tritium records

USGS Publications Warehouse

Michel, R.L.

1992-01-01

The US Geological Survey has maintained a network of stations to collect samples for the measurement of tritium concentrations in precipitation and streamflow since the early 1960s. Tritium data from outflow waters of river basins draining 4500-75000 km2 are used to determine average residence times of water within the basins. The basins studied are the Colorado River above Cisco, Utah; the Kissimmee River above Lake Okeechobee, Florida; the Mississippi River above Anoka, Minnesota; the Neuse River above Streets Ferry Bridge near Vanceboro, North Carolina; the Potomac River above Point of Rocks, Maryland; the Sacramento River above Sacramento, California; the Susquehanna River above Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The basins are modeled with the assumption that the outflow in the river comes from two sources-prompt (within-year) runoff from precipitation, and flow from the long-term reservoirs of the basin. Tritium concentration in the outflow water of the basin is dependent on three factors: (1) tritium concentration in runoff from the long-term reservoir, which depends on the residence time for the reservoir and historical tritium concentrations in precipitation; (2) tritium concentrations in precipitation (the within-year runoff component); (3) relative contributions of flow from the long-term and within-year components. Predicted tritium concentrations for the outflow water in the river basins were calculated for different residence times and for different relative contributions from the two reservoirs. A box model was used to calculate tritium concentrations in the long-term reservoir. Calculated values of outflow tritium concentrations for the basin were regressed against the measured data to obtain a slope as close as possible to 1. These regressions assumed an intercept of zero and were carried out for different values of residence time and reservoir contribution to maximize the fit of modeled versus actual data for all the above rivers. The final slopes of the fitted regression lines ranged from 0.95 to 1.01 (correlation coefficient > 0.96) for the basins studied. Values for the residence time of waters within the basins and average relative contributions of the within-year and long-term reservoirs to outflow were obtained. Values for river basin residence times ranged from 2 years for the Kissimmee River basin to 20 years for the Potomac River basin. The residence times indicate the time scale in which the basin responds to anthropogenic inputs. The modeled tritium concentrations for the basins also furnish input data for urban and agricultural settings where these river waters are used. ?? 1992.

Scale Issues in Modeling the Water Resources Sector in National Economic Models: A Case study of China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strzepek, K. M.; Kirshen, P.; Yohe, G.

2001-05-01

The fundamental theme of this research was to investigate tradeoffs in model resolution for modeling water resources in the context of national economic development and capital investment decisions.. Based on a case study of China, the research team has developed water resource models at relatively fine scales, then investigated how they can be aggregated to regional or national scales and for use in national level planning decisions or global scale integrated assessment models of food and/or environmental change issues. The team has developed regional water supply and water demand functions.. Simplifying and aggregating the supply and demand functions will allow reduced form functions of the water sector for inclusion in large scale national economic models. Water Supply Cost functions were developed looking at both surface and groundwater supplies. Surface Water: Long time series of flows at the mouths of the 36 major river sub-basins in China are used in conjunction with different basin reservoir storage quantities to obtain storage-yield curves. These are then combined with reservoir and transmission cost data to obtain yield-cost or surface water demand curves. The methodology to obtain the long time series of flows for each basin is to fit a simple abcd water balance model to each basin. The costs of reservoir storage have been estimated by using a methodology developed in the USA that relates marginal storage costs to existing storage, slope and geological conditions. USA costs functions have then been adjusted to Chinese costs. The costs of some actual dams in China were used to "ground-truth" the methodology. Groundwater: The purpose of the groundwater work is to estimate the recharge in each basin, and the depths and quality of water of aquifers. A byproduct of the application of the abcd water balance model is the recharge. Depths and quality of aquifers are being taken from many separate reports on groundwater in different parts of China; we have been unable to find any global or regional datasets of groundwater.. Combining Surface and Groundwater Supply Functions Water Demand Curves. Water Use data is reported on political regions. Water Supply is reported and modeled on river basin regions. It is necessary to allocate water demands to river basins. To accomplish this China's 9 major river basins were divided into 36 hydroeconomic regions. The counties were then allocated to one of the 36-hydroeconomic zones. The county-level water use data was aggregated to 5 major water use sectors: 1)industry; 2)urban municipal and vegetable gardens: 3) major irrigation; 4) Energy and 5)Other agriculture (forestry, pasture; fishery). Sectoral Demand functions that include price and income elasticity were developed for the 5 sectors for each of the 9 major river basin. The supply and demand curves were aggregated at a variety of geographical scales as well as levels of economic sectoral aggregation. Implications for investment and sustainable development policies were examined for the various aggregation using partial and general equilibrium modeling of the Chinese economy. These results and policy implications for China as well as insights and recommendation for other developing countries will be presented.

Hydrologic controls on basin-scale distribution of benthic macroinvertebrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertuzzo, E.; Ceola, S.; Singer, G. A.; Battin, T. J.; Montanari, A.; Rinaldo, A.

2013-12-01

The presentation deals with the role of streamflow variability on basin-scale distributions of benthic macroinvertebrates. Specifically, we present a probabilistic analysis of the impacts of the variability along the river network of relevant hydraulic variables on the density of benthic macroinvertebrate species. The relevance of this work is based on the implications of the predictability of macroinvertebrate patterns within a catchment on fluvial ecosystem health, being macroinvertebrates commonly used as sensitive indicators, and on the effects of anthropogenic activity. The analytical tools presented here outline a novel procedure of general nature aiming at a spatially-explicit quantitative assessment of how near-bed flow variability affects benthic macroinvertebrate abundance. Moving from the analytical characterization of the at-a-site probability distribution functions (pdfs) of streamflow and bottom shear stress, a spatial extension to a whole river network is performed aiming at the definition of spatial maps of streamflow and bottom shear stress. Then, bottom shear stress pdf, coupled with habitat suitability curves (e.g., empirical relations between species density and bottom shear stress) derived from field studies are used to produce maps of macroinvertebrate suitability to shear stress conditions. Thus, moving from measured hydrologic conditions, possible effects of river streamflow alterations on macroinvertebrate densities may be fairly assessed. We apply this framework to an Austrian river network, used as benchmark for the analysis, for which rainfall and streamflow time-series and river network hydraulic properties and macroinvertebrate density data are available. A comparison between observed vs "modeled" species' density in three locations along the examined river network is also presented. Although the proposed approach focuses on a single controlling factor, it shows important implications with water resources management and fluvial ecosystem protection.

The agricultural water footprint of EU river basins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vanham, Davy

2014-05-01

This work analyses the agricultural water footprint (WF) of production (WFprod,agr) and consumption (WFcons,agr) as well as the resulting net virtual water import (netVWi,agr) for 365 EU river basins with an area larger than 1000 km2. Apart from total amounts, also a differentiation between the green, blue and grey components is made. River basins where the WFcons,agr,tot exceeds WFprod,agr,tot values substantially (resulting in positive netVWi,agr,tot values), are found along the London-Milan axis. River basins where the WFprod,agr,totexceeds WFcons,agr,totare found in Western France, the Iberian Peninsula and the Baltic region. The effect of a healthy (HEALTHY) and vegetarian (VEG) diet on the WFcons,agr is assessed, as well as resulting changes in netVWi,agr. For HEALTHY, the WFcons,agr,tot of most river basins decreases (max 32%), although in the east some basins show an increase. For VEG, in all but one river basins a reduction (max 46%) in WFcons,agr,tot is observed. The effect of diets on the WFcons,agrof a river basin has not been carried out so far. River basins and not administrative borders are the key geographical entity for water management. Such a comprehensive analysis on the river basin scale is the first in its kind. Reduced river basin WFcons,agrcan contribute to sustainable water management both within the EU and outside its borders. They could help to reduce the dependency of EU consumption on domestic and foreign water resources.

Spatio-temporal drought characteristics of the tropical Paraiba do Sul River Basin and responses to the Mega Drought in 2014-2016

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nauditt, Alexandra; Metzke, Daniel; Ribbe, Lars

2017-04-01

The Paraiba do Sul River Basin (56.000 km2) supplies water to the Brazilian states Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Their large metropolitan areas were strongly affected by a Mega drought during the years 2014 and 2015 with severe implications for domestic water supply, the hydropower sector as well as for rural agricultural downstream regions. Longer drought periods are expected to become more frequent in the future. However, drought characteristics, low flow hydrology and the reasons for the recurrent water scarcity in this water abundant tropical region are still poorly understood. In order to separate the impact of human abstractions from hydro-climatic and catchment storage related hydrological drought propagation, we assessed the spatio-temporal distribution of drought severity and duration establishing relationships between SPI, SRI and discharge threshold drought anomalies for all subcatchments of the PdS based on a comprehensive hydro-meteorological data set of the Brazilian National Water Agency ANA. The water allocation model "Water Evaluation and Planning System (WEAP)" was established on a monthly basis for the entire Paraiba do Sul river basin incorporating human modifications of the hydrological system as major (hydropower) reservoirs and their operational rules, water diversions and major abstractions. It simulates reasonable discharges and reservoir levels comparable to the observed values. To evaluate the role of climate variability and drought responses for hydrological drought events, scenarios were developed to simulate discharge and reservoir level the impact of 1. Varying meteorological drought frequencies and durations and 2. Implementing operational rules as a response to drought. Uncertainties related to the drought assessment, modelling, parameter and input data were assessed. The outcome of this study for the first time provides an overview on the heterogeneous spatio-temporal drought characteristics of the Paraiba do Sul river basin and useful tools to support decision making and stakeholders as the River Basin Authority AGEVAP (Water Management Agency for the Paraiba do Sul).

More Water Resources but Less for Irrigation: Adaptation Strategy of the Yellow River in a Changing Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Q.; Yin, Y. Y.

2015-12-01

The Yellow River is the primary source of freshwater to the northern China. Increasing population and socio-economic development have put great pressure on water resources of the river basin. The anticipated climate and socio-economic changes may further increase water stress. Development of adaptation strategies would have significant implications for water and food security of this region. In this study, the outputs of multiple hydrological models forced with the bias-corrected climatic variables from multiple global climate models were used to assess the change in renewable water resources of the river basin in the 21st century. The outputs of multiple crop models were used to assess the change in agricultural water demand. The domestic and industrial water demands were estimated based on the future socio-economic conditions under the Shared Socio-economic Pathways (SSPs). Besides basic ecosystem needs for water which must be met, the water use in domestic and industrial sectors is considered to have a higher priority than the agricultural water use when water is insufficient. The results show that the renewable water resources of the basin would increase as global mean temperature increases while the water demand would grow much more rapidly, largely due to water demand increase in domestic and industrial sectors. In most of the sub-basins of the Yellow River basin, the available water resources can not sustain all the water use sectors starting from the next a few decades. As more water resources would be appropriated by domestic and industrial sectors, a part of irrigated area had to be converted to rainfed agriculture which led to a large reduction in food production. This study highlights the linked water and food security in a changing environment and suggests that the trade-off should be considered when developing regional adaptation strategies.

Two distinct phylogenetic clades of infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus overlap within the Columbia River basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Garver, K.A.; Troyer, R.M.; Kurath, G.

2003-01-01

Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV), an aquatic rhabdovirus, causes a highly lethal disease of salmonid fish in North America. To evaluate the genetic diversity of IHNV from throughout the Columbia River basin, excluding the Hagerman Valley, Idaho, the sequences of a 303 nt region of the glycoprotein gene (mid-G) of 120 virus isolates were determined. Sequence comparisons revealed 30 different sequence types, with a maximum nucleotide diversity of 7.3% (22 mismatches) and an intrapopulational nucleotide diversity of 0.018. This indicates that the genetic diversity of IHNV within the Columbia River basin is 3-fold higher than in Alaska, but 2-fold lower than in the Hagerman Valley, Idaho. Phylogenetic analyses separated the Columbia River basin IHNV isolates into 2 major clades, designated U and M. The 2 clades geographically overlapped within the lower Columbia River basin and in the lower Snake River and tributaries, while the upper Columbia River basin had only U clade and the upper Snake River basin had only M clade virus types. These results suggest that there are co-circulating lineages of IHNV present within specific areas of the Columbia River basin. The epidemiological significance of these findings provided insight into viral traffic patterns exhibited by IHNV in the Columbia River basin, with specific relevance to how the Columbia River basin IHNV types were related to those in the Hagerman Valley. These analyses indicate that there have likely been 2 historical events in which Hagerman Valley IHNV types were introduced and became established in the lower Columbia River basin. However, the data also clearly indicates that the Hagerman Valley is not a continuous source of waterborne virus infecting salmonid stocks downstream.

Detrital zircon U-Pb geochronological and sedimentological study of the Simao Basin, Yunnan: Implications for the Early Cenozoic evolution of the Red River

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yi; Yan, Maodu; Fang, Xiaomin; Song, Chunhui; Zhang, Weilin; Zan, Jinbo; Zhang, Zhiguo; Li, Bingshuai; Yang, Yongpeng; Zhang, Dawen

2017-10-01

The paleo-Red River is suggested to have been a continental-scale drainage system connecting the Tibetan Plateau to the South China Sea. However, the evolution of the paleo-Red River is still under debate. This study presents new results from sedimentological analyses and detrital zircon U-Pb geochronologic data from fluvial sedimentary rocks of Paleocene to Oligocene age of the Simao Basin to constrain the nature of the paleo-drainage system of the Red River. The detrital zircon U-Pb results reveal multiple age groups at 190-240 Ma, 260-280 Ma, 450-540 Ma, 1700-1900 Ma and 2400-2600 Ma for the Paleocene to late Eocene Denghei Formation (Fm.), but only one conspicuous peak at 220-240 Ma for the late Eocene-Oligocene Mengla Fm. Provenance analyses illustrate that the former likely had source areas that included the Hoh-Xil, Songpan-Ganzi, northern Qiangtang, Yidun and western Yangtze Terranes, which are consistent with the catchments of the Upper and Lower Jinshajiang Segments, whereas the latter mainly transported material from a limited number of sources, such as the Lincang granitic intrusions west of the Simao Basin. Integrated with available detrital zircon U-Pb geochronologic and paleogeographic data, our study suggests the existence of a paleo-Red River during the Paleocene to late Eocene that was truncated and lost its northern sources after approximately 35 Ma, due to left-lateral strike-slip faulting of the Ailao Shan-Red River and clockwise rotation of the Lanping-Simao Terrane.

Luminescence of quartz and feldspar fingerprints provenance and correlates with the source area denudation in the Amazon River basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sawakuchi, A. O.; Jain, M.; Mineli, T. D.; Nogueira, L.; Bertassoli, D. J.; Häggi, C.; Sawakuchi, H. O.; Pupim, F. N.; Grohmann, C. H.; Chiessi, C. M.; Zabel, M.; Mulitza, S.; Mazoca, C. E. M.; Cunha, D. F.

2018-06-01

The Amazon region hosts the world's largest watershed spanning from high elevation Andean terrains to lowland cratonic shield areas in tropical South America. This study explores variations in optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) signals in suspended silt and riverbed sands retrieved from major Amazon rivers. These rivers drain Pre-Cambrian to Cenozoic source rocks in areas with contrasting denudation rates. In contrast to the previous studies, we do not observe an increase in the OSL sensitivity of quartz with transport distance; for example, Tapajós and Xingu Rivers show more sensitive quartz than Solimões and Madeira Rivers, even though the latter have a significantly larger catchment area and longer sediment transport distance. Interestingly, high sensitivity quartz is observed in rivers draining relatively stable Central Brazil and Guiana shield areas (denudation rate ξ = 0.04 mmyr-1), while low sensitivity quartz occurs in less stable Andean terrains (ξ = 0.24 mmyr-1). An apparent linear correlation between quartz OSL sensitivity and denudation rate suggests that OSL sensitivity may be used as a proxy for erosion rates in the Amazon basin. Furthermore, luminescence sensitivity measured in sand or silt arises from the same mineral components (quartz and feldspar) and clearly discriminates between Andean and shield sediments, avoiding the grain size bias in provenance analysis. These results have implications for using luminescence sensitivity as a proxy for Andean and shield contributions in the stratigraphic record, providing a new tool to reconstruct past drainage configurations within the Amazon basin.

Hydrologic implications of GRACE satellite data in the Colorado River Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Scanlon, Bridget R.; Zhang, Zizhan; Reedy, Robert C.; Pool, Donald R.; Save, Himanshu; Long, Di; Chen, Jianli; Wolock, David M.; Conway, Brian D.; Winester, Daniel

2015-01-01

Use of GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) satellites for assessing global water resources is rapidly expanding. Here we advance application of GRACE satellites by reconstructing long-term total water storage (TWS) changes from ground-based monitoring and modeling data. We applied the approach to the Colorado River Basin which has experienced multiyear intense droughts at decadal intervals. Estimated TWS declined by 94 km3 during 1986–1990 and by 102 km3 during 1998–2004, similar to the TWS depletion recorded by GRACE (47 km3) during 2010–2013. Our analysis indicates that TWS depletion is dominated by reductions in surface reservoir and soil moisture storage in the upper Colorado basin with additional reductions in groundwater storage in the lower basin. Groundwater storage changes are controlled mostly by natural responses to wet and dry cycles and irrigation pumping outside of Colorado River delivery zones based on ground-based water level and gravity data. Water storage changes are controlled primarily by variable water inputs in response to wet and dry cycles rather than increasing water use. Surface reservoir storage buffers supply variability with current reservoir storage representing ∼2.5 years of available water use. This study can be used as a template showing how to extend short-term GRACE TWS records and using all available data on storage components of TWS to interpret GRACE data, especially within the context of droughts.

Impact of Various Biofuel Feedstock Production Scenarios on Water Quality in the Upper Mississippi River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, M.; Demissie, Y.; Yan, E.

2010-12-01

The impact of increased biofuel feedstock production on regional water quality was examined. This study focused on the Upper Mississippi River Basin, from which a majority of U.S. biofuel is currently produced. The production of biofuel from both conventional feedstock and cellulosic feedstock will potentially increase in the near future. Historically, this water basin generates the largest nitrogen loading to the waterway in the United States and is often cited as a main contributor to the anoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico. To obtain a quantitative and spatial estimate of nutrient burdens at the river basin, a SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) model application was developed. The model was equipped with an updated nutrient cycle feature and modified model parameters to represent current crop and perennial grass yield as a result of advancements in breeding and biotechnology. Various biofuel feedstock production scenarios were developed to assess the potential environmental implications of increased biofuel production through corn, agriculture residue, and perennial cellulosic feedstock (such as Switchgrass). Major factors were analyzed, including land use changes, feedstock types, fertilizer inputs, soil property, and yield. This tool can be used to identify specific regional factors affecting water quality and examine options to meet the requirement for environmental sustainability, thereby mitigating undesirable environmental consequences while strengthening energy security.

Variations in High-density Precipitation under Climate Changes in the LMRB and Implications on Drinking Water Supply Security - Paper

EPA Science Inventory

A systematic temporal and spatial analysis is being conducted at the U.S. EPA on historical precipitation and stream flow over the continental U.S. and their relationships with Atlantic hurricanes and lower Mississippi river basin flooding. The objective is to decipher the period...

Variations in High-Intensity Precipitation under Climate Changes in the LMRB and Implications on Drinking Water Supply Security

EPA Science Inventory

A systematic temporal and spatial analysis is being conducted at the U.S. EPA on historical precipitation and stream flow over the continental U.S. and their relationships with Atlantic hurricanes and lower Mississippi river basin flooding. The objective is to decipher the perio...

Climate change and stream temperature projections in the Columbia River Basin: biological implications of spatial variation in hydrologic drivers

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Water temperature is a primary physical factor affecting aquatic organisms. Assessment of suitable thermal habitat in freshwater systems is critical for predicting aquatic species responses to changes in climate and for guiding adaptation strategies. We use a hydrologic model coupled with a stream t...

Flow regime alterations under changing climate in two river basins: Implications for freshwater ecosystems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gibson, C.A.; Meyer, J.L.; Poff, N.L.; Hay, L.E.; Georgakakos, A.

2005-01-01

We examined impacts of future climate scenarios on flow regimes and how predicted changes might affect river ecosystems. We examined two case studies: Cle Elum River, Washington, and Chattahoochee-Apalachicola River Basin, Georgia and Florida. These rivers had available downscaled global circulation model (GCM) data and allowed us to analyse the effects of future climate scenarios on rivers with (1) different hydrographs, (2) high future water demands, and (3) a river-floodplain system. We compared observed flow regimes to those predicted under future climate scenarios to describe the extent and type of changes predicted to occur. Daily stream flow under future climate scenarios was created by either statistically downscaling GCMs (Cle Elum) or creating a regression model between climatological parameters predicted from GCMs and stream flow (Chattahoochee-Apalachicola). Flow regimes were examined for changes from current conditions with respect to ecologically relevant features including the magnitude and timing of minimum and maximum flows. The Cle Elum's hydrograph under future climate scenarios showed a dramatic shift in the timing of peak flows and lower low flow of a longer duration. These changes could mean higher summer water temperatures, lower summer dissolved oxygen, and reduced survival of larval fishes. The Chattahoochee-Apalachicola basin is heavily impacted by dams and water withdrawals for human consumption; therefore, we made comparisons between pre-large dam conditions, current conditions, current conditions with future demand, and future climate scenarios with future demand to separate climate change effects and other anthropogenic impacts. Dam construction, future climate, and future demand decreased the flow variability of the river. In addition, minimum flows were lower under future climate scenarios. These changes could decrease the connectivity of the channel and the floodplain, decrease habitat availability, and potentially lower the ability of the river to assimilate wastewater treatment plant effluent. Our study illustrates the types of changes that river ecosystems might experience under future climates. Copyright ?? 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Tectonic Tilting and Reorganization of an Aluvial Fan to a Dendritic, Erosional River Network: the Example of the Ogallala Gravels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Willett, S.; McCoy, S. W.; Beeson, H. W.

2016-12-01

Deposition of the Mio-Pliocene Ogallala gravels in the foreland of the Rocky Mountains represents a great natural experiment in landscape evolution. Starting about 20 million years ago the flux of sediment shed off the Rocky Mountains increased, likely in response to dynamic uplift of the Rockies and tilting of the High Plains. This event shifted the high plains from a state of erosion to deposition. The flux of sediment formed huge alluvial megafans, burying the pre-existing river network and effectively "repaving" the western High Plains. Today we are witnessing the re-establishment of a new river network that is dissecting, capturing and eroding these sediment fans. By mapping the modern drainage basins and noting the channel gradient with respect to the normalized length parameter, χ, we identify two types of basins in the high plains. The remnants of the alluvial megafans are drained by long narrow basins with low normalized steepness and nearly no concavity, reflecting little incision since formation. In contrast, the fan remnants are surrounded by basins with a dendritic structure and efficient water and sediment routing, resulting in low values of chi and correspondingly low elevation. The boundary between these two basin types is commonly an erosional escarpment, demonstrating that the trellis basins are consuming the fan deposits by lateral divide migration and successive river capture. We present scaling arguments that show that lateral escarpment advance is nearly an order of magnitude faster than the upstream (knickpoint) propagation of channel entrenchment. This process of landscape evolution has important implications for water in the high plains. Deprived of an efficient channel network, fan surfaces remain uneroded, preserving the Ogallala sediments, and the poorly-drained, poorly integrated surface retains ephemeral water for wetland habitat and aquifer recharge, illustrating how the surface hydrology reflects landscape evolution on million year timescales.

Diazinon and chlorpyrifos loads in the San Joaquin River basin, California, January and February 2000

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kratzer, Charles R.; Zamora, Celia; Knifong, Donna L.

2002-01-01

The application of diazinon and chlorpyrifos on dormant orchards in 2000 in the San Joaquin River Basin was less than 21 percent of application in 1993 and 1994. A total of 13 sites were sampled weekly during nonstorm periods and more frequently during two storm periods. The sites included five major river and eight minor tributary sites. The highest concentrations of diazinon and chlorpyrifos occurred during the storm periods. Four samples from major river sites (Tuolumne River and two San Joaquin River sites) had diazinon concentrations greater than 0.08 microgram per liter, the concentration being considered by the state of California as its criterion maximum concentration for the protection of aquatic habitat. One sample from a major river site (San Joaquin River) exceeded the equivalent State guideline of 0.02 microgram per liter for chlorpyrifos. At the eight minor tributary sites, 24 samples exceeded the diazinon guideline and four samples exceeded the chlorpyrifos guideline. The total diazinon load in the San Joaquin River near Vernalis during January and February 2000 was 19.6 pounds active ingredient; of this, 8.17 pounds active ingredient was transported during two storms. In 1994, 27.4 pounds active ingredient was transported during two storms. The total chlorpyrifos load in the San Joaquin River near Vernalis during January and February 2000 was 5.68 pounds active ingredient; of this, 2.17 pounds active ingredient was transported during the two storms. During the frequently sampled February 2000 storm, the main sources of diazinon in the San Joaquin River Basin were the San Joaquin River near Stevinson Basin (25 percent), Tuolumne River Basin (14 percent), and the Stanislaus River Basin (10 percent). The main sources of chlorpyrifos in the San Joaquin River Basin were the San Joaquin River near Stevinson Basin (17 percent), Tuolumne River Basin (13 percent), and the Merced River Basin (11 percent). The total January and February diazinon load in the San Joaquin River near Vernalis was 0.17 percent of dormant application; total January and February chlorpyrifos load was 0.16 percent of dormant application.

The water footprint of agricultural products in European river basins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vanham, D.; Bidoglio, G.

2014-05-01

This work quantifies the agricultural water footprint (WF) of production (WFprod, agr) and consumption (WFcons, agr) and the resulting net virtual water import (netVWi, agr) of 365 European river basins for a reference period (REF, 1996-2005) and two diet scenarios (a healthy diet based upon food-based dietary guidelines (HEALTHY) and a vegetarian (VEG) diet). In addition to total (tot) amounts, a differentiation is also made between the green (gn), blue (bl) and grey (gy) components. River basins where the REF WFcons, agr, tot exceeds the WFprod, agr, tot (resulting in positive netVWi, agr, tot values), are found along the London-Milan axis. These include the Thames, Scheldt, Meuse, Seine, Rhine and Po basins. River basins where the WFprod, agr, tot exceeds the WFcons, agr, tot are found in Western France, the Iberian Peninsula and the Baltic region. These include the Loire, Ebro and Nemunas basins. Under the HEALTHY diet scenario, the WFcons, agr, tot of most river basins decreases (max -32%), although it was found to increase in some basins in northern and eastern Europe. This results in 22 river basins, including the Danube, shifting from being net VW importers to being net VW exporters. A reduction (max -46%) in WFcons, agr, tot is observed for all but one river basin under the VEG diet scenario. In total, 50 river basins shift from being net VW importers to being net exporters, including the Danube, Seine, Rhone and Elbe basins. Similar observations are made when only the gn + bl and gn components are assessed. When analysing only the bl component, a different river basin pattern is observed.

Spatial and temporal variations of river nitrogen exports from major basins in China.

PubMed

Ti, Chaopu; Yan, Xiaoyuan

2013-09-01

Provincial-level data for population, livestock, land use, economic growth, development of sewage systems, and wastewater treatment rates were used to construct a river nitrogen (N) export model in this paper. Despite uncertainties, our results indicated that river N export to coastal waters increased from 531 to 1,244 kg N km(-2) year(-1) in the Changjiang River basin, 107 to 223 kg N km(-2) year(-1) in the Huanghe River basin, and 412 to 1,219 kg N km(-2) year(-1) in the Zhujiang River basin from 1980 to 2010 as a result of rapid population and economic growth. Significant temporal changes in water N sources showed that as the percentage of runoff from croplands increased, contributions of natural system runoff and rural human and livestock excreta decreased in the three basins from 1980 to 2010. Moreover, the nonpoint source N decreased from 72 to 58 % in the Changjiang River basin, 80 to 67 % in the Huanghe River basin, and 69 to 51 % in the Zhujiang River basin, while the contributions of point sources increased greatly during the same period. Estimated results indicated that the N concentrations in the Changjiang, Huanghe, and Zhujiang rivers during 1980-2004 were higher than those in the St. Lawrence River in Canada and lower than those in the Thames, Donau, Rhine, Seine, and Han rivers during the same period. River N export will reduce by 58, 54, and 57 % for the Changjiang River, Huanghe River, and Zhujiang River in the control scenario in 2050 compared with the basic scenario.

A method of estimating in-stream residence time of water in rivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Worrall, F.; Howden, N. J. K.; Burt, T. P.

2014-05-01

This study develops a method for estimating the average in-stream residence time of water in a river channel and across large catchments, i.e. the time between water entering a river and reaching a downstream monitoring point. The methodology uses river flow gauging data to integrate Manning's equation along a length of channel for different percentile flows. The method was developed and tested for the River Tees in northern England and then applied across the United Kingdom (UK). The study developed methods to predict channel width and main channel length from catchment area. For an 818 km2 catchment with a channel length of 79 km, the in-stream residence time at the 50% exceedence flow was 13.8 h. The method was applied to nine UK river basins and the results showed that in-stream residence time was related to the average slope of a basin and its average annual rainfall. For the UK as a whole, the discharge-weighted in-stream residence time was 26.7 h for the median flow. At median flow, 50% of the discharge-weighted in-stream residence time was due to only 6 out of the 323 catchments considered. Since only a few large rivers dominate the in-stream residence time, these rivers will dominate key biogeochemical processes controlling export at the national scale. The implications of the results for biogeochemistry, especially the turnover of carbon in rivers, are discussed.

Hydrogeology and Simulated Effects of Ground-Water Withdrawals in the Big River Area, Rhode Island

USGS Publications Warehouse

Granato, Gregory E.; Barlow, Paul M.; Dickerman, David C.

2003-01-01

The Rhode Island Water Resources Board is considering expanded use of ground-water resources from the Big River area because increasing water demands in Rhode Island may exceed the capacity of current sources. This report describes the hydrology of the area and numerical simulation models that were used to examine effects of ground-water withdrawals during 1964?98 and to describe potential effects of different withdrawal scenarios in the area. The Big River study area covers 35.7 square miles (mi2) and includes three primary surface-water drainage basins?the Mishnock River Basin above Route 3, the Big River Basin, and the Carr River Basin, which is a tributary to the Big River. The principal aquifer (referred to as the surficial aquifer) in the study area, which is defined as the area of stratified deposits with a saturated thickness estimated to be 10 feet or greater, covers an area of 10.9 mi2. On average, an estimated 75 cubic feet per second (ft3/s) of water flows through the study area and about 70 ft3/s flows out of the area as streamflow in either the Big River (about 63 ft3/s) or the Mishnock River (about 7 ft3/s). Numerical simulation models are used to describe the hydrology of the area under simulated predevelopment conditions, conditions during 1964?98, and conditions that might occur in 14 hypothetical ground-water withdrawal scenarios with total ground-water withdrawal rates in the area that range from 2 to 11 million gallons per day. Streamflow depletion caused by these hypothetical ground-water withdrawals is calculated by comparison with simulated flows for the predevelopment conditions, which are identical to simulated conditions during the 1964?98 period but without withdrawals at public-supply wells and wastewater recharge. Interpretation of numerical simulation results indicates that the three basins in the study area are in fact a single ground-water resource. For example, the Carr River Basin above Capwell Mill Pond is naturally losing water to the Mishnock River Basin. Withdrawals in the Carr River Basin can deplete streamflows in the Mishnock River Basin. Withdrawals in the Mishnock River Basin deplete streamflows in the Big River Basin and can intercept water flowing to the Flat River Reservoir North of Hill Farm Road in Coventry, Rhode Island. Withdrawals in the Big River Basin can deplete streamflows in the western unnamed tributary to the Carr River, but do not deplete streamflows in the Mishnock River Basin or in the Carr River upstream of Capwell Mill Pond. Because withdrawals deplete streamflows in the study area, the total amount of ground water that may be withdrawn for public supply depends on the minimum allowable streamflow criterion that is applied for each basin.

Effects of agricultural irrigation on water resources in the St. Joseph River basin, Indiana, and implications for aquifer yield

USGS Publications Warehouse

Peters, J.G.; Renn, D.E.

1988-01-01

During the past decade, the acreage of irrigated agricultural land in Indiana has tripled, causing public concern about competition for water and resulting in several State laws for regulating water withdrawals. The St. Joseph River basin represents less than one-tenth of the area of the State, but it contains one-third of the State 's irrigated land. Irrigated land in the basin is composed of permeable soils that are underlain by productive glacial aquifers. A computer model was used to analyze the effects of maximum irrigation withdrawals on aquifer drawdown and streamflow in a 16.5 sq mi area of intensive irrigation. Simulation of maximum pumping resulted in predicted aquifer drawdowns of one-fourth of the total available drawdown. Flow in a nearby stream was decreased by 40%. Areas of most intensive irrigation in the basin also are areas that have productive aquifers and well-sustained streamflows. Aquifer yield is based on the concept of capture - the volume of increased recharge to the aquifer or decreased discharge from the aquifer that results from pumping. The high rates of capture for aquifers in the basin supply ample water for present (1982) irrigation and for substantial future development. (USGS)

Drainage areas in the Vermillion River basin in eastern South Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Benson, Rick D.; Freese, M.D.; Amundson, Frank D.

1988-01-01

Above-normal precipitation in the northern portion of the Vermillion River basin from 1982 through 1987 caused substantial rises in lake levels in the Lake Thompson chain of lakes, resulting in discharge from Lake Thompson to the East Fork Vermillion River. Prior to 1986, the Lake Thompson chain of lakes was thought to be a noncontributing portion of the Vermillion River basin. To better understand surface drainage, the map delineates all named stream basins, and all unnamed basins larger than approximately 10 sq mi within the Vermillion River basin in South Dakota and lists by stream name the area of each basin. Stream drainage basins were delineated by visual interpretation of contour information of U.S. Geological Survey 7 1/2 minute topographic maps. Two tables list areas of drainage basins and reaches, as well as drainage areas above gaging stations. (USGS)

More frequent flooding? Changes in flood frequency in the Pearl River basin, China, since 1951 and over the past 1000 years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Qiang; Gu, Xihui; Singh, Vijay P.; Shi, Peijun; Sun, Peng

2018-05-01

Flood risks across the Pearl River basin, China, were evaluated using a peak flood flow dataset covering a period of 1951-2014 from 78 stations and historical flood records of the past 1000 years. The generalized extreme value (GEV) model and the kernel estimation method were used to evaluate frequencies and risks of hazardous flood events. Results indicated that (1) no abrupt changes or significant trends could be detected in peak flood flow series at most of the stations, and only 16 out of 78 stations exhibited significant peak flood flow changes with change points around 1990. Peak flood flow in the West River basin increased and significant increasing trends were identified during 1981-2010; decreasing peak flood flow was found in coastal regions and significant trends were observed during 1951-2014 and 1966-2014. (2) The largest three flood events were found to cluster in both space and time. Generally, basin-scale flood hazards can be expected in the West and North River basins. (3) The occurrence rate of floods increased in the middle Pearl River basin but decreased in the lower Pearl River basin. However, hazardous flood events were observed in the middle and lower Pearl River basin, and this is particularly true for the past 100 years. However, precipitation extremes were subject to moderate variations and human activities, such as building of levees, channelization of river systems, and rapid urbanization; these were the factors behind the amplification of floods in the middle and lower Pearl River basin, posing serious challenges for developing measures of mitigation of flood hazards in the lower Pearl River basin, particularly the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region.

Remote sensing research on fragile ecological environment in continental river basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Ranghui; Peng, Ruyan; Zhang, Huizhi

2003-07-01

Based on some remote sensing data and software platform of image processing and analysis, the standard image for ecological thematic mapping is decided. Moreover, the vegetation type maps and land sandy desertification type maps are made. Relaying on differences of natural resources and ecological environment in Tarim River Basin, the assessment indicator system and ecological fragility index (EFI) of ecological environment are built up. The assessment results are very severely. That is, EFI is only 0.08 in Akesu River Basin, it belongs to slight fragility area. EFI of Yarkant River Basin and upper reaches of Tarim River Basin are 0.23 and 0.25 respectively, both of them belong to general fragility areas. Meanwhile, EFI of Hotan River Basin and middle reaches of Tarim River Basin are 0.32 and 0.49 respectively; they all belong to middle fragility areas. However, the fragility of the lower reaches of Tarim River Basin belongs to severe fragility area that the EFI is 0.87.The maladjustment among water with hot and land as well as salt are hindrance of energy transfer and material circulation and information transmission. It is also the main reason that caused ecological environment fragility.

43 CFR 431.7 - Administration and management of the Colorado River Dam Fund.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... the administration of the Colorado River Dam Fund and the Lower Colorado River Basin Development Fund... deposited by Western and shall be available without further appropriation for: (1) Defraying the costs of... River Basin Project Act; (5) Transfers to the Lower Colorado River Basin Development Fund and subsequent...

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

Perkin, Joshuah S.; Troia, Matthew J.; Shaw, Dustin C. R.

Stream fish distributions are commonly linked to environmental disturbances affecting terrestrial landscapes. In Great Plains prairie streams, the independent and interactive effects of watershed impoundments and land cover changes remain poorly understood despite their prevalence and assumed contribution to declining stream fish diversity. We used structural equation models and fish community samples from third-order streams in the Kansas River and Arkansas River basins of Kansas, USA to test the simultaneous effects of geographic location, terrestrial landscape alteration, watershed impoundments and local habitat on species richness for stream-associated and impoundment-associated habitat guilds. Watershed impoundment density increased from west to east inmore » both basins, while per cent altered terrestrial landscape (urbanisation + row-crop agriculture) averaged ~50% in the west, declined throughout the Flint Hills ecoregion and increased (Kansas River basin ~80%) or decreased (Arkansas River basin ~30%) to the east. Geographic location had the strongest effect on richness for both guilds across basins, supporting known zoogeography patterns. In addition to location, impoundment species richness was positively correlated with local habitat in both basins; whereas stream-species richness was negatively correlated with landscape alterations (Kansas River basin) or landscape alterations and watershed impoundments (Arkansas River basin). These findings suggest that convergences in the relative proportions of impoundment and stream species (i.e., community structure) in the eastern extent of both basins are related to positive effects of increased habitat opportunities for impoundment species and negative effects caused by landscape alterations (Kansas River basin) or landscape alterations plus watershed impoundments (Arkansas River basin) for stream species.« less

Environmental Analysis of the Upper Susitna River Basin using Landsat Imagery

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-01-01

CourseslData Measuring Sites (SCS) 0 Snow Cover Measurement Location 4 C R RE /N OAA) j HŔ River Gauging Station (UISGS, COE) tI’ql with Water...large-scale map that can be used in selection of moved westward across the area (Kachadoorian drilling sites, provide a basis for estimating 1974...A033500 petrology and structure of the Maclaren, Ruby Range McKim, H L, L W Gatto, C I Merry, and R K Haugen (1976b) and Coast Range Belts implications

40Ar/39Ar mica dating of late Cenozoic sediments in the upper Yangtze: Implications for sediment provenance and drainage evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Xilin; Li, Chang'an; Kuiper, Kuiper; Zhang, Zengjie; Wijbrans, Jan

2017-04-01

The development of the river systems in East Asia is closely linked to the uplift of the Tibetan plateau caused by collision of the India-Eurasia. The Yangtze River is the largest river in Asia and the timing and exact causes of its formation are still a matter of debate. Controversy exists for example on the start of the connection of the eastern Tibetan rivers to the eastward flowing Yangtze instead of the southward flowing Red River. Here we use the 40Ar/39Ar dating of detrital micas (muscovite and biotite) and muscovite geochemistry to constrain the sediment provenance in the eastern Tibetan Plateau. The remarkable spatial and temporal variation in sediment provenance allow us to extract information about the evolution of the upper Yangtze River. The combined data suggest that the upper Jinsha River upstream from Shigu town lost its connection with the southward flowing Red River at least earlier than the Pliocene. To the east of Shigu, the Yalong and Jinsha rivers flowed across the Yuanmou Basin into the Red River before 3.1 Ma, but abandoned this connection and turned east somewhere between 3.1 and 2.1 Ma. Our results rule out the possibility of a west-flowing Jinsha River since 1.58 Ma. The current stream directions between Shigu and Panzhihua go north, south and east and must have been formed at that time. Our data also shed new light on the evolution of the Dadu River. The Dadu River did not flow southward into Yuanmou Basin at least since 4.8 Ma but flowed into the Jinsha River along the Anninghe Fault. These capture events are closely linked to the tectonism of the eastern Tibetan Plateau and intensification of the East Asia monsoon.

Groundwater quality in the Chemung River, Eastern Lake Ontario, and Lower Hudson River Basins, New York, 2013

USGS Publications Warehouse

Scott, Tia-Marie; Nystrom, Elizabeth A.; Reddy, James E.

2015-11-10

The Lower Hudson River Basin study area covers 5,607 square miles and encompasses the part of the Lower Hudson River Basin that lies within New York plus the parts of the Housatonic, Hackensack, Bronx, and Saugatuck River Basins that are in New York. Twelve of the wells sampled in the Lower Hudson River Basin are completed in sand-and-gravel deposits, and 13 are completed in bedrock. Groundwater in the Lower Hudson River Basin was generally of good quality, although properties and concentrations of some constituents—pH, sodium, chloride, dissolved solids, arsenic, aluminum, iron, manganese, radon-222, total coliform bacteria, fecal coliform bacteria, Escherichia coli bacteria, and heterotrophic plate count—equaled or exceeded primary, secondary, or proposed drinking-water standards. The constituent most frequently detected in concentrations exceeding drinking-water standards (20 of 25 samples) was radon-222.

LANDSCAPE CHARACTERIZATION & NON-POINT SOURCE NITROGEN MODELING IN SUPPORT OF TMDL DEVELOPMENT IN THE NEUSE RIVER BASIN, NC

EPA Science Inventory

Pfesteria-like toxic- blooms have been implicated as the causative agent responsible for numerous outbreaks of fish lesions and fish kills in the Mid-Atlantic and southeastern U.S. An increase in frequency, intensity, and severity of toxic blooms in recent years is though...

Unraveling the Mystery of an Environmental Disease

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

Grollman, Arthur

For many years, residents of farming villages along the Danube River basin suffered from a fatal kidney disease and an associated urinary tract cancer. The cause of the disease remained a mystery for more than 50 years. Recently, however, Arthur Grollman and his colleagues have determined that home-baked bread is implicated in the disease, known as Balkan endemic nephropathy.

The protection of RIVERLIFE by mitigation of flood damages RIVERLIFE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adler, M. J.

2003-04-01

The long-term development objective of the RIVERLIFE project is to contribute to sustainable human end economic development in the Timis-Bega river basin area as part of the Danube River Basin (DRB), through reinforcing the capacities of Romanian central and local authorities to develop effective mechanisms and tools for integrated river basin management in the Timis-Bega basin. The overall objective of the project is to assist the country in the EU enlargement and accession process to meet the EU requirements of water related Directives with emphasis on the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD). The specific objective of the project is to support the WFD implementation process at the level of a sub-unit within the limits of the DRB, through the development of a River Basin Management Plan (RBMP). The project will also facilitate the implementation of the Danube River Protection Convention (DRPC) as an essential element in the implementation of the Directive in the transboundary river basins. Expected outcomes in the recipient country consist of (i) responding to a real hazard problem, which affects the quality of life of many citizens, and (ii) improvement in the environmental conditions in the targeted areas. Flooding is one of the major natural hazards to human society and an important influence on social and economic development for Romania causing financially greater losses per annum on average than any other natural hazard. One key concept of the WFD is the coordination, organization and regulation of water management at the level of river basins. Therefore, river basin districts are shaped in such a way as to include not only the surface run-off through streams and rivers to the sea, but the total area of land and sea together with the associated groundwater and coastal waters. The concept allows even for the small river basins directly discharging into the sea to be combined into one river basin district. As a principle, the complex decisions on the use or interventions in the aquatic systems within the river basin district limits should take place in an integrated and co-coordinated approach as part of the RBMP. The process includes all RBMP plan development phases for Timis-Bega basin from planning and analysis phases to the assessment and the identification of respective programs of measures intended to achieve the defined environmental objectives for the respective river basin. The central administrative tool of the WFD is the River Basin Management Plan, around which all other elements are set. The river basin becomes the basic unit for all water planning and management interventions according with the physical and hydrological boundaries, but not necessary with its political and administrative limits.

Evaluating temporal changes in stream condition in three New Jersey rive basins by using an index of biotic integrity

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chang, Ming; Kennen, Jonathan G.; Del Corso, Ellyn

2000-01-01

An index of biotic integrity (!B!) modified for New Jersey streams was used to compare changes in stream condition from the 1970s to the 1990s in Delaware, Passaic, and Raritan River Basins. Stream condition was assessed at 88 sampling locations. Mean IBI scores for all basins increased from the 1970s to the 1990s, but the stream-condition category improved (from fair to good) only for the Delaware River Basin. The number of benthic insectivores and the proportion of insectivorous cyprinds increased in all three basins; however, the number of white suckers decreased significantly only in the Delaware River Basin. Results of linear-regression analysis indicate a significant correlation between the percentage of altered land in the basin and change in IBI score (1970s to 1990s) for Delaware River sites. Results of analysis of variance of the rank-transformed IBI scores for the 1970s and 1990s indicate that the three basins was equal in the 1970s. Results of a multiple-comparison test demonstrated that the 1990s IBI values for the Delaware River Basin differed significantly from those for the Passaic and Raritan River Basins. Many factors, such as the imposition of the more stringent standards on water-water and industrial discharges during the 1980s and changes in land-use practices, likely contributed to the change in the Delaware River Basin. A general increase in IBI values for the Passaic, Raritan, and Delaware River Basins over the past 25 years appears to reflect overall improvements in water quality.

Susquehanna River Basin Flood Control Review Study

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-08-01

22 Archeological and Historial Resources 25 Biological Resources 25 Social -Economic History 28 Contemporary Social -Economic Setting 29 Development and... social needs of the people. The study was initiated in 1963 with the formation of the Susquehanna River Basin Coordinating Committee consisting of...the basin. Social -Economic History The early history of the Susquehanna River Basin was influenced by the Susquehanna River as a source of

Hydrological Controls of Riverine Ecosystems of the Napo River (Amazon Basin): Implications for the Management and Conservation of Biodiversity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Celi, J. E.; Hamilton, S. K.

2013-12-01

Scientific understanding of neotropical floodplains comes mainly from work on large rivers with predictable seasonal flooding regimes. Less studied rivers and floodplains on the Andean-Amazon interface are distinct in their hydrology, with more erratic flow regimes, and thus ecological roles of floodplain inundation differ in those ecosystems. Multiple and unpredictable flooding events control inundation of floodplains, with important implications for fish and wildlife, plant communities, and human activities. Wetlands along the river corridor exist across a continuum from strong river control to influence only by local waters, with the latter often lying on floodplain paleoterraces. The goal of this study was to understand the hydrological interactions and habitat diversity of the Napo River, a major Amazon tributary that originates in the Andes and drains exceptionally biodiverse Andean foreland plains. This river system is envisioned by developers as an industrial waterway that would require hydrological alterations and affect floodplain ecosystems. Water level regimes of the Napo River and its associated environments were assessed using networks of data loggers that recorded time under water across transects extending inland from the river across more than 100 sites and for up to 5 years. These networks also included rising stage samplers that collected flood water samples for determination of their origin (i.e., Andean rivers vs. local waters) based on hydrochemical composition. In addition, this work entails a classification of aquatic environments of the Napo Basin using an object-oriented remote sensing approach to simultaneously analyze optical and radar satellite imagery and digital elevation models to better assess the extent and diversity of flooded environments. We found out a continuum of hydrological regimes and aquatic habitats along the Napo River floodplains that are linked to the river hydrology in different degrees. Overall, environments that are proximal or that have high hydrological connectivity are riverine controlled versus systems that are distal or that have less or no connectivity that rely on rainwater or local runoff as a source of flooding. Outcomes of this research gave us insight on the extent and diversity of aquatic habitats of the Napo River, the role that the river has on their ecohydrology, the potential effects of different hydrologic scenarios on these ecosystems, and the management measures that need to be considered to support conservation in the region.

Spatial distribution and output characteristics of nonpoint source pollution in the Dongjiang River basin in south China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rong, Q. Q.; Su, M. R.; Yang, Z. F.; Cai, Y. P.; Yue, W. C.; Dang, Z.

2018-02-01

In this research, the Dongjiang River basin was taken as the study area to analyze the spatial distribution and output characteristics of nonpoint source pollution, based on the export coefficient model. The results showed that the annual total nitrogen and phosphorus (i.e. TN and TP) loads from the Dongjiang River basin were 67916114.6 and 7215279.707 kg, respectively. Residents, forestland and pig were the main contributors for the TN load in the Dongjiang River basin, while residents, forestland and rainfed croplands were the three largest contributors for the TP load. The NPS pollution had a significant spatial variation in this area. The pollution loads overall decreased from the northeast to the southwest part of the basin. Also, the pollution loads from the gentle slope area were larger than those from steep slope areas. Among the ten tributary watersheds in the Dongjiang River basin, the TN and TP loads from the Hanxi River watershed were the largest. On the contrary, the Gongzhuang River watershed contributed least to the total pollution loads of the Dongjiang River basin. For the average pollution load intensities, Hanxi River watershed was still the largest. However, the smallest average TN and TP load intensities were in the Xinfeng River watershed.

Is the Pearl River basin, China, drying or wetting? Seasonal variations, causes and implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Qiang; Li, Jianfeng; Gu, Xihui; Shi, Peijun

2018-07-01

Soil moisture plays crucial roles in the hydrological cycle and is also a critical link between land surface and atmosphere. The Pearl River basin (PRb) is climatically subtropical and tropical and is highly sensitive to climate changes. In this study, seasonal soil moisture changes across the PRb were analyzed using the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model forced by the gridded 0.5° × 0.5° climatic observations. Seasonal changes of soil moisture in both space and time were investigated using the Mann-Kendall trend test method. Potential influencing factors behind seasonal soil moisture changes such as precipitation and temperature were identified using the Maximum Covariance Analysis (MCA) technique. The results indicated that: (1) VIC model performs well in describing changing properties of soil moisture across the PRb; (2) Distinctly different seasonal features of soil moisture can be observed. Soil moisture in spring decreased from east to west parts of the PRb. In summer however, soil moisture was higher in east and west parts but was lower in central parts of the PRb; (3) A significant drying trend was identified over the PRb in autumn, while no significant drying trends can be detected in other seasons; (4) The increase/decrease in precipitation can generally explain the wetting/drying tendency of soil moisture. However, warming temperature contributed significantly to the drying trends and these drying trends were particularly evident during autumn and winter; (5) Significant decreasing precipitation and increasing temperature combined to trigger substantially decreasing soil moisture in autumn. In winter, warming temperature is the major reason behind decreased soil moisture although precipitation is in slightly decreasing tendency. Season variations of soil moisture and related implications for hydro-meteorological processes in the subtropical and tropical river basins over the globe should arouse considerable human concerns.

Fish communities of the Sacramento River Basin: Implications for conservation of native fishes in the Central Valley, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

May, J.T.; Brown, L.R.

2002-01-01

The associations of resident fish communities with environmental variables and stream condition were evaluated at representative sites within the Sacramento River Basin, California between 1996 and 1998 using multivariate ordination techniques and by calculating six fish community metrics. In addition, the results of the current study were compared with recent studies in the San Joaquin River drainage to provide a wider perspective of the condition of resident fish communities in the Central Valley of California as a whole. Within the Sacramento drainage, species distributions were correlated with elevational and substrate size gradients; however, the elevation of a sampling site was correlated with a suite of water-quality and habitat variables that are indicative of land use effects on physiochemical stream parameters. Four fish community metrics - percentage of native fish, percentage of intolerant fish, number of tolerant species, and percentage of fish with external anomalies - were responsive to environmental quality. Comparisons between the current study and recent studies in the San Joaquin River drainage suggested that differences in water-management practices may have significant effects on native species fish community structure. Additionally, the results of the current study suggest that index of biotic integrity-type indices can be developed for the Sacramento River Basin and possibly the entire Central Valley, California. The protection of native fish communities in the Central Valley and other arid environments continues to be a conflict between human needs for water resources and the requirements of aquatic ecosystems; preservation of these ecosystems will require innovative management strategies.

Colorado River Floods, Droughts, and Shrimp Fishing in the Upper Gulf of California, Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

All, John D.

2006-01-01

Accurate procedures that measure hydrologic variability would have great value for evaluating ecosystem impacts of upstream water use in the Colorado River Basin. Many local extractive income-based stakeholders rely directly or indirectly on ecosystem health and are adversely affected when the river does not flow. This study focuses on the impact of little or no Colorado River flow on the Mexican shrimp industry. Although there have been complaints that U.S. diversions of Colorado River flow have greatly impaired the shrimp fishery, this research demonstrates that freshwater rarely reaches the Gulf even during times of flooding, and that other factors such as overfishing may influence the instability of shrimp populations. Advanced very-high-resolution radiometer (AVHRR) satellite imagery was used to assess water volumes diverted away from the channel of the Colorado River and ultimately the Gulf of California during flooding periods. Analysis of data demonstrated that little freshwater actually reaches the Gulf even during floods because of its diversion into a large dry lake bed basin known as Laguna Salada. Fuller use of the Colorado River throughout its entire course to the sea is possible and could benefit a large cohort of users without catastrophic habitat destruction in delta ecosystems. Reconstruction of a natural earthen berm, as proposed by Ducks Unlimited, would maximize the use of floodwaters for ecosystem benefits. These findings have profound implications for local economic activities dependent on hydrologic resources in the Colorado River Delta and Upper Gulf.

Colorado river floods, droughts, and shrimp fishing in the upper gulf of California, Mexico.

PubMed

All, John D

2006-01-01

Accurate procedures that measure hydrologic variability would have great value for evaluating ecosystem impacts of upstream water use in the Colorado River Basin. Many local extractive income-based stakeholders rely directly or indirectly on ecosystem health and are adversely affected when the river does not flow. This study focuses on the impact of little or no Colorado River flow on the Mexican shrimp industry. Although there have been complaints that U.S. diversions of Colorado River flow have greatly impaired the shrimp fishery, this research demonstrates that freshwater rarely reaches the Gulf even during times of flooding, and that other factors such as overfishing may influence the instability of shrimp populations. Advanced very-high-resolution radiometer (AVHRR) satellite imagery was used to assess water volumes diverted away from the channel of the Colorado River and ultimately the Gulf of California during flooding periods. Analysis of data demonstrated that little freshwater actually reaches the Gulf even during floods because of its diversion into a large dry lake bed basin known as Laguna Salada. Fuller use of the Colorado River throughout its entire course to the sea is possible and could benefit a large cohort of users without catastrophic habitat destruction in delta ecosystems. Reconstruction of a natural earthen berm, as proposed by Ducks Unlimited, would maximize the use of floodwaters for ecosystem benefits. These findings have profound implications for local economic activities dependent on hydrologic resources in the Colorado River Delta and Upper Gulf.

Sedimentary record and luminescence chronology of palaeoflood events along the Gold Gorge of the upper Hanjiang River, middle Yangtze River basin, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Yongqiang; Huang, Chun Chang; Zhou, Yali; Pang, Jiangli; Zha, Xiaochun; Fan, Longjiang; Mao, Peini

2018-05-01

Palaeoflood slackwater deposits (SWDs) along the river banks have important implications for the reconstruction of the past hydro-climatic events. Two palaeoflood SWD beds were identified in the Holocene loess-soil sequences on the cliff river banks along the Gold Gorge of the upper Hanjiang River by field investigation and laboratory analysis. They have recorded two palaeoflood events which were dated by optically stimulated luminescence to 3.2-2.8 ka and 2.1-1.8 ka, respectively. The reliability of the ages obtained for the two events are further confirmed by the presence of archaeological remains and good regional pedostratigraphic correlation. The peak discharges of two palaeoflood events at the studied sites were estimated to be 16,560-17,930 m3/s. A correlation with the palaeoflood events identified in the other reaches shows that great floods occurred frequently during the episodes of 3200-2800 and 2000-1700 a BP along the upper Hanjiang River valley during the last 4000 years. These phases of palaeoflood events in central China are well correlated with the climatic variability identified by δ18O record in the stalagmites from the middle Yangtze River Basin and show apparent global linkages. Palaeoflood studies in a watershed scale also imply that strengthened human activities during the Shang dynasty (BCE 1600-1100) and Han dynasty (BCE206-CE265) may have caused accelerated soil erosion along the upper Hanjiang River valley.

Temporal and Spatial Variation of Water Yield Modulus in the Yangtze River Basin in Recent 60 Years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Xiaoqing; Weng, Baisha; Qin, Tianling

2018-01-01

The Yangtze River Basin is the largest river basin of Asia and the third largest river basin of the world, the gross water resources amount ranks first in the river basins of the country, and it occupies an important position in the national water resources strategic layout. Under the influence of climate change and human activities, the water cycle has changed. The temporal and spatial distribution of precipitation in the basin is more uneven and the floods are frequent. In order to explore the water yield condition in the Yangtze River Basin, we selected the Water Yield Modulus (WYM) as the evaluation index, then analyzed the temporal and spatial evolution characteristics of the WYM in the Yangtze River Basin by using the climate tendency method and the M-K trend test method. The results showed that the average WYM of the Yangtze River Basin in 1956-2015 are between 103,600 and 1,262,900 m3/km2, with an average value of 562,300 m3/km2, which is greater than the national average value of 295,000 m3/km2. The minimum value appeared in the northwestern part of the Tongtian River district, the maximum value appeared in the northeastern of Dongting Lake district. The rate of change in 1956-2015 is between -0.68/a and 0.79/a, it showed a downward trend in the western part but not significantly, an upward trend in the eastern part reached a significance level of α=0.01. The minimum value appeared in the Tongtian River district, the largest value appeared in the Hangjia Lake district, and the average tendency rate is 0.04/a in the whole basin.

Dynamic reorganization of river basins.

PubMed

Willett, Sean D; McCoy, Scott W; Perron, J Taylor; Goren, Liran; Chen, Chia-Yu

2014-03-07

River networks evolve as migrating drainage divides reshape river basins and change network topology by capture of river channels. We demonstrate that a characteristic metric of river network geometry gauges the horizontal motion of drainage divides. Assessing this metric throughout a landscape maps the dynamic states of entire river networks, revealing diverse conditions: Drainage divides in the Loess Plateau of China appear stationary; the young topography of Taiwan has migrating divides driving adjustment of major basins; and rivers draining the ancient landscape of the southeastern United States are reorganizing in response to escarpment retreat and coastal advance. The ability to measure the dynamic reorganization of river basins presents opportunities to examine landscape-scale interactions among tectonics, erosion, and ecology.

Water-Quality Characteristics for Sites in the Tongue, Powder, Cheyenne, and Belle Fourche River Drainage Basins, Wyoming and Montana, Water Years 2001-05, with Temporal Patterns of Selected Long-Term Water-Quality Data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clark, Melanie L.; Mason, Jon P.

2007-01-01

Water-quality sampling was conducted regularly at stream sites within or near the Powder River structural basin in northeastern Wyoming and southeastern Montana during water years 2001-05 (October 1, 2000, to September 30, 2005) to characterize water quality in an area of coalbed natural gas development. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, characterized the water quality at 22 sampling sites in the Tongue, Powder, Cheyenne, and Belle Fourche River drainage basins. Data for general hydrology, field measurements, major-ion chemistry, and selected trace elements were summarized, and specific conductance and sodium-adsorption ratios were evaluated for relations with streamflow and seasonal variability. Trend analysis for water years 1991-2005 was conducted for selected sites and constituents to assess change through time. Average annual runoff was highly variable among the stream sites. Generally, streams that have headwaters in the Bighorn Mountains had more runoff as a result of higher average annual precipitation than streams that have headwaters in the plains. The Powder River at Moorhead, Mont., had the largest average annual runoff (319,000 acre-feet) of all the sites; however, streams in the Tongue River drainage basin had the highest runoff per unit area of the four major drainage basins. Annual runoff in all major drainage basins was less than average during 2001-05 because of drought conditions. Consequently, water-quality samples collected during the study period may not represent long-term water-quality con-ditions for all sites. Water-quality characteristics were highly variable generally because of streamflow variability, geologic controls, and potential land-use effects. The range of median specific-conductance values among sites was smallest in the Tongue River drainage basin. Median values in that basin ranged from 643 microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius (?S/cm at 25?C) on the Tongue River to 1,460 ?S/cm at 25?C on Prairie Dog Creek. The Tongue River drainage basin has the largest percentage of area underlain by Mesozoic-age and older rocks and by more resistant rocks. In addition, the higher annual precipitation and a steeper gradient in this basin compared to basins in the plains produce relatively fast stream velocities, which result in a short contact time between stream waters and basin materials. The Powder River drainage basin, which has the largest drainage area and most diverse site conditions, had the largest range of median specific-conductance values among the four major drainage basins. Median values in that basin ranged from 680 ?S/cm at 25?C on Clear Creek to 5,950 ?S/cm at 25?C on Salt Creek. Median specific-conductance values among sites in the Cheyenne River drainage basin ranged from 1,850 ?S/cm at 25?C on Black Thunder Creek to 4,680 ?S/cm at 25?C on the Cheyenne River. The entire Cheyenne River drainage basin is in the plains, which have low precipitation, soluble geologic materials, and relatively low gradients that produce slow stream velocities and long contact times. Median specific-conductance values among sites in the Belle Fourche River drainage basin ranged from 1,740 ?S/cm at 25?C on Caballo Creek to 2,800 ?S/cm at 25?C on Donkey Creek. Water in the study area ranged from a magnesium-calcium-bicarbonate type for some sites in the Tongue River drainage basin to a sodium-sulfate type at many sites in the Powder, Cheyenne, and Belle Fourche River drainage basins. Little Goose Creek, Goose Creek, and the Tongue River in the Tongue River drainage basin, and Clear Creek in the Powder River drainage basin, which have headwaters in the Bighorn Mountains, consistently had the smallest median dissolved-sodium concentrations, sodium-adsorption ratios, dissolved-sulfate concentrations, and dissolved-solids concentrations. Salt Creek, Wild Horse Creek, Little Powder River, and the Cheyenne River, which have headwat

77 FR 16558 - Yakima River Basin Conservation Advisory Group Charter Renewal

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-21

... on the structure and implementation of the Yakima River Basin Water Conservation Program. The basin... water conservation measures in the Yakima River basin. Improvements in the efficiency of water delivery and use will result in improved streamflows for fish and wildlife and improve the reliability of water...

Documentation of input datasets for the soil-water balance groundwater recharge model of the Upper Colorado River Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tillman, Fred D.

2015-01-01

The Colorado River and its tributaries supply water to more than 35 million people in the United States and 3 million people in Mexico, irrigating more than 4.5 million acres of farmland, and generating about 12 billion kilowatt hours of hydroelectric power annually. The Upper Colorado River Basin, encompassing more than 110,000 square miles (mi2), contains the headwaters of the Colorado River (also known as the River) and is an important source of snowmelt runoff to the River. Groundwater discharge also is an important source of water in the River and its tributaries, with estimates ranging from 21 to 58 percent of streamflow in the upper basin. Planning for the sustainable management of the Colorado River in future climates requires an understanding of the Upper Colorado River Basin groundwater system. This report documents input datasets for a Soil-Water Balance groundwater recharge model that was developed for the Upper Colorado River Basin.

Tectonic implications of Mesozoic magmatism to initiation of Cenozoic basin development within the passive South China Sea margin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mai, Hue Anh; Chan, Yu Lu; Yeh, Meng Wan; Lee, Tung Yi

2018-04-01

The South China Sea (SCS) is one of the classical example of a non-volcanic passive margin situated within three tectonic plates of the Eurasian, Indo-Australian and Philippine Sea plate. The development of SCS resulted from interaction of various types of plate boundaries, and complex tectonic assemblage of micro blocks and accretionary prisms. Numerous models were proposed for the formation of SCS, yet none can fully satisfy different aspects of tectonic forces. Temporal and geographical reconstruction of Cretaceous and Cenozoic magmatism with the isochrones of major basins was conducted. Our reconstruction indicated the SE margin of Asia had gone through two crustal thinning events. The sites for rifting development are controlled by localized thermal weakening of magmatism. NW-SE extension setting during Late Cretaceous revealed by magmatism distribution and sedimentary basins allow us to allocate the retreated subduction of Pacific plate to the cause of first crustal thinning event. A magmatic gap between 75 and 65 Ma prior to the initiation of first basin rifting suggested a significant modification of geodynamic setting occurred. The Tainan basin, Pearl River Mouth basin, and Liyue basins started to develop since 65 Ma where the youngest Late Cretaceous magmatism concentrated. Sporadic bimodal volcanism between 65 and 40 Ma indicates further continental extension prior to the opening of SCS. The E-W extension of Malay basin and West Natuna began since late Eocene followed by N-S rifting of SCS as Neotethys subducted. The SCS ridge developed between Pearl River Mouth basin and Liyue basin where 40 Ma volcanic activities concentrated. The interaction of two continental stretching events by Pacific followed by Neotethys subduction with localized magmatic thermal weakening is the cause for the non-volcanic nature of SCS.

Cryptosporidium and Giardia in marine-foraging river otters (Lontra canadensis) from the Puget Sound Georgia Basin ecosystem.

PubMed

Gaydos, J K; Miller, W A; Gilardi, K V K; Melli, A; Schwantje, H; Engelstoft, C; Fritz, H; Conrad, P A

2007-02-01

Species of Cryptosporidium and Giardia can infect humans and wildlife and have the potential to be transmitted between these 2 groups; yet, very little is known about these protozoans in marine wildlife. Feces of river otters (Lontra canadensis), a common marine wildlife species in the Puget Sound Georgia Basin, were examined for species of Cryptosporidium and Giardia to determine their role in the epidemiology of these pathogens. Using ZnSO4 flotation and immunomagnetic separation, followed by direct immunofluorescent antibody detection (IMS/DFA), we identified Cryptosporidium sp. oocysts in 9 fecal samples from 6 locations and Giardia sp. cysts in 11 fecal samples from 7 locations. The putative risk factors of proximate human population and degree of anthropogenic shoreline modification were not associated with the detection of Cryptosporidium or Giardia spp. in river otter feces. Amplification of DNA from the IMS/DFA slide scrapings was successful for 1 sample containing > 500 Cryptosporidium sp. oocysts. Sequences from the Cryptosporidium 18S rRNA and the COWP loci were most similar to the ferret Cryptosporidium sp. genotype. River otters could serve as reservoirs for Cryptosporidium and Giardia species in marine ecosystems. More work is needed to better understand the zoonotic potential of the genotypes they carry as well as their implications for river otter health.

Chloride control and monitoring program in the Wichita River Basin, Texas, 1996-2009

USGS Publications Warehouse

Haynie, M.M.; Burke, G.F.; Baldys, Stanley

2011-01-01

Water resources of the Wichita River Basin in north-central Texas are vital to the water users in Wichita Falls, Tex., and surrounding areas. The Wichita River Basin includes three major forks of the Wichita River upstream from Lake Kemp, approximately 50 miles southwest of Wichita Falls, Tex. The main stem of the Wichita River is formed by the confluence of the North Wichita River and Middle Fork Wichita River upstream from Truscott Brine Lake. The confluence of the South Wichita River with the Wichita River is northwest of Seymour, Tex. (fig. 1). Waters from the Wichita River Basin, which is part of the Red River Basin, are characterized by high concentrations of chloride and other salinity-related constituents from salt springs and seeps (hereinafter salt springs) in the upper reaches of the basin. These salt springs have their origins in the Permian Period when the Texas Panhandle and western Oklahoma areas were covered by a broad shallow sea. Over geologic time, evaporation of the shallow seas resulted in the formation of salt deposits, which today are part of the geologic formations underlying the area. Groundwater in these formations is characterized by high chloride concentrations from these salt deposits, and some of this groundwater is discharged by the salt springs into the Wichita River.

Energy-Water-Land-Climate Nexus: Modeling Impacts from the Asset to Regional Scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tidwell, V. C.; Bennett, K. E.; Middleton, R. S.; Behery, S.; Macknick, J.; Corning-Padilla, A.; Brinkman, G.; Meng, M.

2016-12-01

A critical challenge for the energy-water-land nexus is understanding and modeling the connection between the natural system—including changes in climate, land use/cover, and streamflow—and the engineered system including water for energy, agriculture, and society. Equally important is understanding the linkage across scales; that is, how impacts at the asset level aggregate to influence behavior at the local to regional scale. Toward this need, a case study was conducted featuring multi-sector and multi-scale modeling centered on the San Juan River basin (a watershed that accounts for one-tenth of the Colorado River drainage area). Simulations were driven by statistically downscaled climate data from three global climate models (emission scenario RCP 8.5) and planned growth in regional water demand. The Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) hydrologic model was fitted with a custom vegetation mortality sub-model and used to estimate tributary inflows to the San Juan River and estimate reservoir evaporation. San Juan River operations, including releases from Navajo Reservoir, were subsequently modeled using RiverWare to estimate impacts on water deliveries out to the year 2100. Major water demands included two large coal-fired power plants, a local electric utility, river-side irrigation, the Navajo Indian Irrigation Project and instream flows managed for endangered aquatic species. Also tracked were basin exports, including water (downstream flows to the Colorado River and interbasin transfers to the Rio Grande) and interstate electric power transmission. Implications for the larger western electric grid were assessed using PLEXOS, a sub-hourly dispatch, electric production-cost model. Results highlight asset-level interactions at the energy-water-land nexus driven by climate and population dynamics; specifically, growing vulnerabilities to shorted water deliveries. Analyses also explored linkages across geographic scales from the San Juan to the larger Colorado River and Rio Grande basins as well as the western power grid.

A century of hydrological variability and trends in the Fraser River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Déry, Stephen J.; Hernández-Henríquez, Marco A.; Owens, Philip N.; Parkes, Margot W.; Petticrew, Ellen L.

2012-06-01

This study examines the 1911-2010 variability and trends in annual streamflow at 139 sites across the Fraser River Basin (FRB) of British Columbia (BC), Canada. The Fraser River is the largest Canadian waterway flowing to the Pacific Ocean and is one of the world’s greatest salmon rivers. Our analyses reveal high runoff rates and low interannual variability in alpine and coastal rivers, and low runoff rates and high interannual variability in most streams in BC’s interior. The interannual variability in streamflow is also low in rivers such as the Adams, Chilko, Quesnel and Stuart where the principal salmon runs of the Fraser River occur. A trend analysis shows a spatially coherent signal with increasing interannual variability in streamflow across the FRB in recent decades, most notably in spring and summer. The upward trend in the coefficient of variation in annual runoff coincides with a period of near-normal annual runoff for the Fraser River at Hope. The interannual variability in streamflow is greater in regulated rather than natural systems; however, it is unclear whether it is predominantly flow regulation that leads to these observed differences. Environmental changes such as rising air temperatures, more frequent polarity changes in large-scale climate teleconnections such as El Niño-Southern Oscillation and Pacific Decadal Oscillation, and retreating glaciers may be contributing to the greater range in annual runoff fluctuations across the FRB. This has implications for ecological processes throughout the basin, for example affecting migrating and spawning salmon, a keystone species vital to First Nations communities as well as to commercial and recreational fisheries. To exemplify this linkage between variable flows and biological responses, the unusual FRB runoff anomalies observed in 2010 are discussed in the context of that year’s sockeye salmon run. As the climate continues to warm, greater variability in annual streamflow, and hence in hydrological extremes, may influence ecological processes and human usage throughout the FRB in the 21st century.

Status and distribution of chinook salmon and steelhead in the interior Columbia River basin and portions of the Klamath River basin [Chapter 12

Treesearch

Russell F. Thurow; Danny C. Lee; Bruce E. Rieman

2000-01-01

This chapter summarizes information on presence, absence, current status, and probable historical distribution of steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss and stream-type (age-1 migrant) and ocean type (age-0 migrant) chinook salmon O. tshawytscha in the interior Columbia River basin and portions of the Klamath River basin. Data were compiled from existing sources and via surveys...

Distribution and status of redband trout in the interior Columbia river basin and portions of the Klamath river and great basins

Treesearch

Russell F. Thurow; Bruce E. Rieman; Danny C. Lee; Philip J. Howell; Raymon D. Perkinson

2007-01-01

We summarized existing knowledge (circa 1996) of the potential historical range and the current distribution and status of non-anadromous interior redband trout Oncorhynchus mykiss ssp. in the U.S. portion of the interior Columbia River Basin and portions of the Klamath River and Great Basins (ICRB). We estimated that the potential historical range included 5,458...

Quantifying the extent of river fragmentation by hydropower dams in the Sarapiquí River Basin, Costa Rica

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anderson, Elizabeth P.; Pringle, Catherine M.; Freeman, Mary C.

2008-01-01

Costa Rica has recently experienced a rapid proliferation of dams for hydropower on rivers draining its northern Caribbean slope. In the Sarapiquí River Basin, eight hydropower plants were built between 1990 and 1999 and more projects are either under construction or proposed. The majority of these dams are small (<15 m tall) and operate as water diversion projects.While the potential environmental effects of individual projects are evaluated prior to dam construction, there is a need for consideration of the basin-scale ecological consequences of hydropower development. This study was a first attempt to quantify the extent of river fragmentation by dams in the Sarapiquí River Basin.Using simple spatial analyses, the length of river upstream from dams and the length of de-watered reaches downstream from dams was measured. Results indicated that there are currently 306.8 km of river (9.4% of the network) upstream from eight existing dams in the Sarapiquí River Basin and 30.6 km of rivers (0.9% of the network) with significantly reduced flow downstream from dams. Rivers upstream from dams primarily drain two life zones: Premontane Rain Forest (107.9 km) and Lower Montane Rain Forest (168.2 km).Simple spatial analyses can be used as a predictive or planning tool for considering the effects of future dams in a basin-scale context. In the Sarapiquí River Basin, we recommend that future dam projects be constructed on already dammed rivers to minimize additional river fragmentation and to protect remaining riverine connectivity.

Inter-relationship between scaling exponents for describing self-similar river networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Soohyun; Paik, Kyungrock

2015-04-01

Natural river networks show well-known self-similar characteristics. Such characteristics are represented by various power-law relationships, e.g., between upstream length and drainage area (exponent h) (Hack, 1957), and in the exceedance probability distribution of upstream area (exponent ɛ) (Rodriguez-Iturbe et al., 1992). It is empirically revealed that these power-law exponents are within narrow ranges. Power-law is also found in the relationship between drainage density (the total stream length divided by the total basin area) and specified source area (the minimum drainage area to form a stream head) (exponent η) (Moussa and Bocquillon, 1996). Considering that above three scaling relationships all refer to fundamental measures of 'length' and 'area' of a given drainage basin, it is natural to hypothesize plausible inter-relationship between these three scaling exponents. Indeed, Rigon et al. (1996) demonstrated the relationship between ɛ and h. In this study, we expand this to a more general ɛ-η-h relationship. We approach ɛ-η relationship in an analytical manner while η-h relationship is demonstrated for six study basins in Korea. Detailed analysis and implications will be presented. References Hack, J. T. (1957). Studies of longitudinal river profiles in Virginia and Maryland. US, Geological Survey Professional Paper, 294. Moussa, R., & Bocquillon, C. (1996). Fractal analyses of tree-like channel networks from digital elevation model data. Journal of Hydrology, 187(1), 157-172. Rigon, R., Rodriguez-Iturbe, I., Maritan, A., Giacometti. A., Tarboton, D. G., & Rinaldo, A. (1996). On Hack's Law. Water Resources Research, 32(11), 3367-3374. Rodríguez-Iturbe, I., Ijjasz-Vasquez, E. J., Bras, R. L., & Tarboton, D. G. (1992). Power law distributions of discharge mass and energy in river basins. Water Resources Research, 28(4), 1089-1093.

75 FR 11554 - Yakima River Basin Conservation Advisory Group Charter Renewal; Notice of Charter Renewal

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-11

... the reliability of water supplies for irrigation. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Dawn Wiedmeier... River Basin Water Conservation Program. In consultation with the State, the Yakama Nation, Yakima River... nonstructural cost-effective water conservation measures in the Yakima River basin. Improvements in the...

Rangewide phylogeography and landscape genetics of the Western U.S. endemic frog Rana boylii (Ranidae): Implications for the conservation of frogs and rivers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lind, A.J.; Spinks, P.Q.; Fellers, G.M.; Shaffer, H.B.

2011-01-01

Genetic data are increasingly being used in conservation planning for declining species. We sampled both the ecological and distributional limits of the foothill yellow-legged frog, Rana boylii to characterize mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation in this declining, riverine amphibian. We evaluated 1525 base pairs (bp) of cytochrome b and ND2 fragments for 77 individuals from 34 localities using phylogenetic and population genetic analyses. We constructed gene trees using maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference, and quantified genetic variance (using AMOVA and partial Mantel tests) within and among hydrologic regions and river basins. Several moderately supported, geographically-cohesive mtDNA clades were recovered for R. boylii. While genetic variation was low among populations in the largest, most inclusive clade, samples from localities at the edges of the geographic range demonstrated substantial genetic divergence from each other and from more central populations. Hydrologic regions and river basins, which represent likely dispersal corridors for R. boylii, accounted for significant levels of genetic variation. These results suggest that both rivers and larger hydrologic and geographic regions should be used in conservation planning for R. boylii. ?? 2010 US Government.

Hydrologic implications of GRACE satellite data in the Colorado River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scanlon, Bridget R.; Zhang, Zizhan; Reedy, Robert C.; Pool, Donald R.; Save, Himanshu; Long, Di; Chen, Jianli; Wolock, David M.; Conway, Brian D.; Winester, Daniel

2015-12-01

Use of GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) satellites for assessing global water resources is rapidly expanding. Here we advance application of GRACE satellites by reconstructing long-term total water storage (TWS) changes from ground-based monitoring and modeling data. We applied the approach to the Colorado River Basin which has experienced multiyear intense droughts at decadal intervals. Estimated TWS declined by 94 km3 during 1986-1990 and by 102 km3 during 1998-2004, similar to the TWS depletion recorded by GRACE (47 km3) during 2010-2013. Our analysis indicates that TWS depletion is dominated by reductions in surface reservoir and soil moisture storage in the upper Colorado basin with additional reductions in groundwater storage in the lower basin. Groundwater storage changes are controlled mostly by natural responses to wet and dry cycles and irrigation pumping outside of Colorado River delivery zones based on ground-based water level and gravity data. Water storage changes are controlled primarily by variable water inputs in response to wet and dry cycles rather than increasing water use. Surface reservoir storage buffers supply variability with current reservoir storage representing ˜2.5 years of available water use. This study can be used as a template showing how to extend short-term GRACE TWS records and using all available data on storage components of TWS to interpret GRACE data, especially within the context of droughts. This article was corrected on 12 JAN 2016. See the end of the full text for details.

Selected elements and organic chemicals in bed sediment and fish tissue of the Tualatin River basin, Oregon, 1992-96

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bonn, Bernadine A.

1999-01-01

This report describes the results of a reconnaissance survey of elements and organic compounds found in bed sediment and fish tissue in streams of the Tualatin River Basin. The basin is in northwestern Oregon to the west of the Portland metropolitan area (fig. 1). The Tualatin River flows for about 80 miles, draining an area of about 712 square miles, before it enters the Willamette River. Land use in the basin changes from mostly forested in the headwaters, to mixed forest and agriculture, to predominately urban. The basin supports a growing population of more than 350,000 people, most of whom live in lower parts of the basin. Water quality in the Tualatin River and its tributaries is expected to be affected by the increasing urbanization of the basin.

Source and fate of inorganic solutes in the Gibbon River, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA: I. Low-flow discharge and major solute chemistry

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCleskey, R. Blaine; Nordstrom, D. Kirk; Susong, David D.; Ball, James W.; Holloway, JoAnn M.

2010-01-01

The Gibbon River in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) is an important natural resource and habitat for fisheries and wildlife. However, the Gibbon River differs from most other mountain rivers because its chemistry is affected by several geothermal sources including Norris Geyser Basin, Chocolate Pots, Gibbon Geyser Basin, Beryl Spring, and Terrace Spring. Norris Geyser Basin is one of the most dynamic geothermal areas in YNP, and the water discharging from Norris is much more acidic (pH 3) than other geothermal basins in the upper-Madison drainage (Gibbon and Firehole Rivers). Water samples and discharge data were obtained from the Gibbon River and its major tributaries near Norris Geyser Basin under the low-flow conditions of September 2006. Surface inflows from Norris Geyser Basin were sampled to identify point sources and to quantify solute loading to the Gibbon River. The source and fate of the major solutes (Ca, Mg, Na, K, SiO2, Cl, F, HCO3, SO4, NO3, and NH4) in the Gibbon River were determined in this study and these results may provide an important link in understanding the health of the ecosystem and the behavior of many trace solutes. Norris Geyser Basin is the primary source of Na, K, Cl, SO4, and N loads (35–58%) in the Gibbon River. The largest source of HCO3 and F is in the lower Gibbon River reach. Most of the Ca and Mg originate in the Gibbon River upstream from Norris Geyser Basin. All the major solutes behave conservatively except for NH4, which decreased substantially downstream from Gibbon Geyser Basin, and SiO2, small amounts of which precipitated on mixing of thermal drainage with the river. As much as 9–14% of the river discharge at the gage is from thermal flows during this period.

The Planform Mobility of Large River Channel Confluences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sambrook Smith, Greg; Dixon, Simon; Nicholas, Andrew; Bull, Jon; Vardy, Mark; Best, James; Goodbred, Steven; Sarker, Maminul

2017-04-01

Large river confluences are widely acknowledged as exerting a controlling influence upon both upstream and downstream morphology and thus channel planform evolution. Despite their importance, little is known concerning their longer-term evolution and planform morphodynamics, with much of the literature focusing on confluences as representing fixed, nodal points in the fluvial network. In contrast, some studies of large sand bed rivers in India and Bangladesh have shown large river confluences can be highly mobile, although the extent to which this is representative of large confluences around the world is unknown. Confluences have also been shown to generate substantial bed scours, and if the confluence location is mobile these scours could 'comb' across wide areas. This paper presents field data of large confluences morphologies in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna river basin, illustrating the spatial extent of large river bed scours and showing scour depth can extend below base level, enhancing long term preservation potential. Based on a global review of the planform of large river confluences using Landsat imagery from 1972 to 2014 this study demonstrates such scour features can be highly mobile and there is an array of confluence morphodynamic types: from freely migrating confluences, through confluences migrating on decadal timescales to fixed confluences. Based on this analysis, a conceptual model of large river confluence types is proposed, which shows large river confluences can be sites of extensive bank erosion and avulsion, creating substantial management challenges. We quantify the abundance of mobile confluence types by classifying all large confluences in both the Amazon and Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna basins, showing these two large rivers have contrasting confluence morphodynamics. We show large river confluences have multiple scales of planform adjustment with important implications for river management, infrastructure and interpretation of the rock record.

Evaluation of triclosan and triclocarban at river basin scale using monitoring and modeling tools: implications for controlling of urban domestic sewage discharge.

PubMed

Zhao, Jian-Liang; Zhang, Qian-Qian; Chen, Feng; Wang, Li; Ying, Guang-Guo; Liu, You-Sheng; Yang, Bin; Zhou, Li-Jun; Liu, Shan; Su, Hao-Chang; Zhang, Rui-Quan

2013-01-01

Triclosan (TCS) and triclocarban (TCC) are two commonly used personal care products. They may enter into aquatic environments after consumption and pose potential risks to aquatic organisms. We investigated the occurrence and fate of TCS and TCC in five large rivers (the Liao River, Hai River, Yellow River, Zhujiang River and Dongjiang River) in China, and compared the monitoring data with the predicted results from Level III fugacity modeling. TCS and TCC were detected in the five large rivers with the detection frequencies of 100% or close to 100% in surface water and sediments of almost every river. TCS and TCC were found at concentrations of up to 478 ng/L and 338 ng/L in surface water, and up to 1329 ng/g and 2723 ng/g in sediments. Cluster analysis indicated that the sites with higher concentrations were usually located in or near urban area. Meanwhile, principal component analysis also suggested that the mass inventories of TCS and TCC in water and sediment were significantly influenced by the factors such as the total or untreated urban domestic sewage discharge at river basin scale. The concentrations and mass inventories from the fugacity modeling were found at the same order of magnitude with the measured values, suggesting that the fugacity modeling can provide a useful tool for evaluating the fate of TCS and TCC in riverine environments. Both monitoring and modeling results indicated that the majority of mass inventories of TCS and TCC were stored into sediment, which could be a potential pollution source for river water. The wide presence of TCS and TCC in these large rivers of China implies that better controlling of urban domestic sewage discharge is needed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modeling and Remote Sensing of Surface Water Dynamics in the Mekong River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pokhrel, Y. N.

2017-12-01

The Mekong river is one of the most complex river systems in the world that is shared by six nations in Southeast Asia. The river still remains relatively undammed (most existing dams are in the tributaries and are small), and its hydrology today is dominated by large natural flow variations that support the highly productive agricultural and riverine ecological systems; however, this is changing due to the alterations in land use and construction of new dams both in the tributaries the mainstream (16 mainstream and 110 tributary dams are planned to be completed by 2030). Understanding the changes in surface water dynamics is therefore crucial to provide realistic future predictions of changes in downstream floodplain and riverine ecology due to the construction of dams in the upstream. In this study, we use an integrated hydrological model and remote sensing data to examine the critical role of surface water systems in modulating the river-floodplain ecology in the lower reach of the basin, with a focus on the Tonle Sap lake. We present results on the changes in the seasonality and long-term trend in river-floodplain inundation extent over the past few decades. These results provide new insights on the changing hydrology of the Mekong and important implications for potential future hydrologic changes under accelerating human activities and climate change.

Modeling and analysis of Soil Erosion processes by the River Basins model: The Case Study of the Krivacki Potok Watershed, Montenegro

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vujacic, Dusko; Barovic, Goran; Mijanovic, Dragica; Spalevic, Velibor; Curovic, Milic; Tanaskovic, Vjekoslav; Djurovic, Nevenka

2016-04-01

The objective of this research was to study soil erosion processes in one of Northern Montenegrin watersheds, the Krivacki Potok Watershed of the Polimlje River Basin, using modeling techniques: the River Basins computer-graphic model, based on the analytical Erosion Potential Method (EPM) of Gavrilovic for calculation of runoff and soil loss. Our findings indicate a low potential of soil erosion risk, with 554 m³ yr-1 of annual sediment yield; an area-specific sediment yield of 180 m³km-2 yr-1. The calculation outcomes were validated for the entire 57 River Basins of Polimlje, through measurements of lake sediment deposition at the Potpec hydropower plant dam. According to our analysis, the Krivacki Potok drainage basin is with the relatively low sediment discharge; according to the erosion type, it is mixed erosion. The value of the Z coefficient was calculated on 0.297, what indicates that the river basin belongs to 4th destruction category (of five). The calculated peak discharge from the river basin was 73 m3s-1 for the incidence of 100 years and there is a possibility for large flood waves to appear in the studied river basin. Using the adequate computer-graphic and analytical modeling tools, we improved the knowledge on the soil erosion processes of the river basins of this part of Montenegro. The computer-graphic River Basins model of Spalevic, which is based on the EPM analytical method of Gavrilovic, is highly recommended for soil erosion modelling in other river basins of the Southeastern Europe. This is because of its reliable detection and appropriate classification of the areas affected by the soil loss caused by soil erosion, at the same time taking into consideration interactions between the various environmental elements such as Physical-Geographical Features, Climate, Geological, Pedological characteristics, including the analysis of Land Use, all calculated at the catchment scale.

Mass-movement deposits in the lacustrine Eocene Green River Formation, Piceance Basin, western Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Ronald C.; Birdwell, Justin E.; Brownfield, Michael E.; Mercier, Tracey J.

2015-01-01

The Eocene Green River Formation was deposited in two large Eocene saline lakes, Lake Uinta in the Uinta and Piceance Basins and Lake Gosiute in the Greater Green River Basin. Here we will discuss mass-movement deposits in just the Piceance Basin part of Lake Uinta.

Beyond water, beyond boundaries: spaces of water management in the Krishna river basin, South India.

PubMed

Venot, Jean-Philippe; Bharati, Luna; Giordano, Mark; Molle, François

2011-01-01

As demand and competition for water resources increase, the river basin has become the primary unit for water management and planning. While appealing in principle, practical implementation of river basin management and allocation has often been problematic. This paper examines the case of the Krishna basin in South India. It highlights that conflicts over basin water are embedded in a broad reality of planning and development where multiple scales of decisionmaking and non-water issues are at play. While this defines the river basin as a disputed "space of dependence", the river basin has yet to acquire a social reality. It is not yet a "space of engagement" in and for which multiple actors take actions. This explains the endurance of an interstate dispute over the sharing of the Krishna waters and sets limits to what can be achieved through further basin water allocation and adjudication mechanisms – tribunals – that are too narrowly defined. There is a need to extend the domain of negotiation from that of a single river basin to multiple scales and to non-water sectors. Institutional arrangements for basin management need to internalise the political spaces of the Indian polity: the states and the panchayats. This re-scaling process is more likely to shape the river basin as a space of engagement in which partial agreements can be iteratively renegotiated, and constitute a promising alternative to the current interstate stalemate.

From Shoestring Rills to Dendritic River Networks: Documenting the Evolution of River Basins Towards Geometric Similarity Through Divide Migration, Stream Capture and Lateral Branching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beeson, H. W.; McCoy, S. W.; Willett, S.

2016-12-01

Erosional river networks dissect much of Earth's surface into drainage basins. Global scaling laws such as Hack's Law suggest that river basins trend toward a particular scale-invariant shape. While erosional instabilities arising from competition between advective and diffusive processes can explain why headwaters branch, the erosional mechanics linking larger scale network branching with evolution towards a characteristic river basin shape remain poorly constrained. We map river steepness and a proxy for the steady-state elevation of river networks, χ, in simulated and real landscapes with a large range in spatial scale (102 -106 m) but with similar inclined, planar surfaces at the time of incipient network formation. We document that the evolution from narrow rill-like networks to dendritic, leaf-shaped river basins follows from drainage area differences between catchments. These serve as instabilities that grow, leading to divide migration, stream capture, lateral branching and network reorganization. As Horton hypothesized, incipient networks formed down gradient on an inclined, planar surface have an unequal distribution of drainage area and nonuniformity in response times such that larger basins erode more rapidly and branch laterally via capture of adjacent streams with lower erosion rates. Positive feedback owing to increase in drainage area furthers the process of branching at the expense of neighboring rivers. We show that drainage area exchange and the degree of network reorganization has a significant effect on river steepness in the Dragon's Back Pressure Ridge, CA, the Sierra Nevada, CA, and the Rocky Mountain High Plains, USA. Similarly, metrics of basin shape reveal that basins are evolving from narrow basins towards more common leaf shapes. Our results suggest that divide migration and stream capture driven by erosional disequilibrium could be fundamental processes by which river basins reach their characteristic geometry and dendritic form.

Drainage reorganization and divide migration induced by the excavation of the Ebro basin (NE Spain)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vacherat, Arnaud; Bonnet, Stéphane; Mouthereau, Frédéric

2018-05-01

Intracontinental endorheic basins are key elements of source-to-sink systems as they preserve sediments eroded from the surrounding catchments. Drainage reorganization in such a basin in response to changing boundary conditions has strong implications on the sediment routing system and on landscape evolution. The Ebro and Duero basins represent two foreland basins, which developed in response to the growth of surrounding compressional orogens, the Pyrenees and the Cantabrian mountains to the north, the Iberian Ranges to the south, and the Catalan Coastal Range to the east. They were once connected as endorheic basins in the early Oligocene. By the end of the Miocene, new post-orogenic conditions led to the current setting in which the Ebro and Duero basins are flowing in opposite directions, towards the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Although these two hydrographic basins recorded a similar history, they are characterized by very different morphologic features. The Ebro basin is highly excavated, whereas relicts of the endorheic stage are very well preserved in the Duero basin. The contrasting morphological preservation of the endorheic stage represents an ideal natural laboratory to study the drivers (internal and/or external) of post-orogenic drainage divide mobility, drainage network, and landscape evolution. To that aim, we use field and map observations and we apply the χ analysis of river profiles along the divide between the Ebro and Duero drainage basins. We show here that the contrasting excavation of the Ebro and Duero basins drives a reorganization of their drainage network through a series of captures, which resulted in the southwestward migration of their main drainage divide. Fluvial captures have a strong impact on drainage areas, fluxes, and their respective incision capacity. We conclude that drainage reorganization driven by the capture of the Duero basin rivers by the Ebro drainage system explains the first-order preservation of endorheic stage remnants in the Duero basin, due to drainage area loss, independently from tectonics and climate.

Observations relating extreme multi-basin river flows to very severe gales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hillier, John; De Luca, Paolo; Wilby, Rob; Quinn, Nevil; Harrigan, Shaun

2017-04-01

Fluvial foods are typically investigated as 'events' at the single basin scale. However, applying a recently developed methodology to identify the largest multi-basin peak flow events allows a statistically significant relationship between them and episodes of very severe gales (VSG) to be identified; such a systematic link has previously only very tentatively been proposed for extra-tropical cyclone seasons, where damaging wind and rain are commonly non-synchronous. Annual maximum river peak flow (AMAX) data during 1975-2014 for 261 non-nested catchments (i.e. with no other sites upstream) in Great Britain are used, and a 13-day window is selected. A simple correlation between metrics that are proxies for damaging wind and flooding is statistically significant (r = 0.41, p = 0.0088). Also, taking the most severe 50% and 30% of years for wind and flow respectively, co-occurrence is expected 6.6 times in 40 years whilst 10 are observed (p = 0.021; simulation with n = 10,000), making co-occurrence of the extremes 52% more likely than expected by chance. This has implications for emergency response and financial planning (e.g. insurance).

A new Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary locality in the western powder River basin, Wyoming: biological and geological implications

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nichols, D.J.; Brown, J.L.; Attrep, M.; Orth, C.J.

1992-01-01

A newly discovered Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T) boundary locality in the western Powder River basin, Wyoming, is characterized by a palynologically defined extinction horizon, a fern-spore abundance anomaly, a strong iridium anomaly, and shock-metamorphosed quartz grains. Detailed microstratigraphic analyses show that about one third of the palynoflora (mostly angiosperm pollen) disappeared abruptly, placing the K-T boundary within a distinctive, 1- to 2-cm-thick claystone layer. Shocked quartz grains are concentrated at the top of this layer, and although fern-spore and iridium concentrations are high in this layer, they reach their maximum concentrations in a 2-cm-thick carbonaceous claystone that overlies the boundary claystone layer. The evidence supports the theory that the K-T boundary event was associated with the impact of an extraterrestrial body or bodies. Palynological analyses of samples from the K-T boundary interval document extensive changes in the flora that resulted from the boundary event. The palynologically and geochemically defined K-T boundary provides a unique time-line of use in regional basin analysis. ?? 1992.

Land use changes and socio-economic development strongly deteriorate river ecosystem health in one of the largest basins in China.

PubMed

Cheng, Xian; Chen, Liding; Sun, Ranhao; Kong, Peiru

2018-03-01

It is important to assess river ecosystem health in large-scale basins when considering the complex influence of anthropogenic activities on these ecosystems. This study investigated the river ecosystem health in the Haihe River Basin (HRB) by sampling 148 river sites during the pre- and post-rainy seasons in 2013. A model was established to assess the river ecosystem health based on water physicochemical, nutrient, and macroinvertebrate indices, and the health level was divided into "very poor," "poor," "fair," "good," and "excellent" according to the health score calculated from the assessment model. The assessment results demonstrated that the river ecosystem health of the HRB was "poor" overall, and no catchments were labeled "excellent." The percentages of catchments deemed to have "very poor," "poor," "fair," or "good" river ecosystem health were 12.88%, 40.91%, 40.15%, and 6.06%, respectively. From the pre- to the post-rainy season, the macroinvertebrate health levels improved from "poor" to "fair." The results of a redundancy analysis (RDA), path analysis of the structural equation model (SEM), and X-Y plots indicated that the land use types of forest land and grassland had positive relationships with river ecosystem health, whereas arable land, urban land, gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, and population density had negative relationships with river ecosystem health. The variance partitioning (VP) results showed that anthropogenic activities (including land use and socio-economy) together explained 30.9% of the variations in river ecosystem health in the pre-rainy season, and this value increased to 35.9% in the post-rainy season. Land use intensity was the first driver of river ecosystem health, and socio-economic activities was the second driver. Land use variables explained 20.5% and 25.7% of the variations in river ecosystem health in the pre- and post-rainy season samples, respectively, and socio-economic variables explained 12.3% and 17.2% of the variations, respectively. The SEM results revealed that urban land had the strongest impact on water quality health and that forest land had the strongest impact on macroinvertebrate health. This study has implications for the selection of appropriate indicators to assess river ecosystem health and generated data to examine the effects of anthropogenic activities on river ecosystem health in a fast-growing region. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

77 FR 45653 - Yakima River Basin Conservation Advisory Group; Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-01

... 4 p.m. ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Bureau of Reclamation, Yakima Field Office, 1917... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Reclamation Yakima River Basin Conservation Advisory Group...: Notice of public meeting. SUMMARY: As required by the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the Yakima River...

Studying strategic interaction under environmental and economic uncertainties among water users in the Zambezi River Basin - From descriptive analysis to institutional design for better transboundary management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beck, L.; Siegfried, T. U.; Bernauer, T.

2009-12-01

The Zambezi River Basin (ZRB) is one of the largest freshwater catchments in Africa and worldwide. Consumptive water use in the ZRB is currently estimated at 15 - 20 percent of total runoff. This suggests many development possibilities, particularly for irrigated agriculture and hydropower production. The key drivers in the basin are population development on the demand side as well as uncertain impacts from climate change for supply. Development plans of the riparian countries suggest that consumptive water use might increase up to 40 percent of total runoff by 2025. This suggests that expanding water use in the Zambezi basin could become a source of disputes among the eight riparian countries. We study the surface water allocation in the basin by means of a couple hydrological-economic modeling approach. A conceptual lumped-parameter rainfall-runoff model for the ZRB was constructed and calibrated on the best available runoff data for the basin. Water users are modeled based on an agent-based framework and implemented as distributed sequential decision makers that act in an uncertain environment. Given the current non-cooperative status quo, we use the stochastic optimization technique of reinforcement learning to model the individual agents’ behavior. Their goals include the maximization of a) their long-term reward as conditioned on the state of the multi-agent system and b) the immediate reward obtained from operational decisions of reservoirs and water diversions under their control. We feed a wide range of water demand drivers as well as climate change predictions into the model and assess agents’ responses and the resulting implications for runoff at key points in the water catchment, including Victoria Falls, Kariba reservoir, Kafue Gorge, and Cahora Bassa reservoir in the downstream. It will be shown that considerable benefits exist if the current non-cooperative regime is replaced by a basin-wide, coordinated allocation strategy that regulates water storage and allocation in this complex multi-reservoir river basin. Benefits increase along the river towards the downstream, which suggests the establishment of an upstream-downstream compensation approach. The latter considers tradeoffs from water and hydropower exchanges during respective seasons and locations of peak demand.

Link between Neogene and modern sedimentary environments in the Zagros foreland basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pirouz, Mortaza; Simpson, Guy; Bahroudi, Abbas

2010-05-01

The Zagros mountain belt, with a length of 1800 km, is located in the south of Iran and was produced by collision between the Arabian plate and the Iran micro plate some time in the early Tertiary. After collision, the Zagros carbonate-dominated sedimentary basin has been replaced by a largely clastic system. The Neogene Zagros foreland basin comprises four main depositional environments which reflect the progressive southward migration of the deformation front with time. The oldest unit - the Gachsaran formation - is clastic in the northern part of the basin, but is dominated by evaporates in southern part, being deposited in a supratidal Sabkha-type environment. Overlying the Gachsaran is the Mishan formation, which is characterized by the Guri limestone member at the base, overlain by marine green marls. The thickness of the Guri member increases dramatically towards the southeast. The next youngest unit is the Aghajari Formation which consists of well sorted lenticular sandstone bodies in a red silty-mudstone. This formation is interpreted as representing the floodplain of dominantly meandering rivers. Finally, the Bakhtiari formation consists of mainly coarse-grained gravel sheets which are interpreted to represent braided river deposits. Each of these Neogene depositional environments has a modern day equivalent. For example, the braided rivers presently active in the Zagros mountains are modern analogues of the Bakhtiari. In the downstream direction, these braided rivers become meandering systems, which are equivalents of the Aghajari. Eventually, the meandering rivers meet the Persian gulf which is the site of the ‘modern day' Mishan shallow marine marls. Finally, the modern carbonate system on the southern margin of Persian Gulf represents the Guri member paleo-environment, behind which Sabkha-type deposits similar to the Gachsaran are presently being deposited. One important implication of this link between the Neogene foreland basin deposits and the modern environments is that all formation boundaries are strongly diachronous. Thus, for example, although the Mishan is Burdigalian-Messinian in regions where it is currently undergoing subaerial erosion in the Fars zone, it is presumably still forming today in the modern Persian gulf foredeep.

Evaluation of genetic population structure of smallmouth bass in the Susquehanna River basin, Pennsylvania

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schall, Megan K.; Bartron, Meredith L.; Wertz, Timothy; Niles, Jonathan M.; Shaw, Cassidy H.; Wagner, Tyler

2017-01-01

The Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu was introduced into the Susquehanna River basin, Pennsylvania, nearly 150 years ago. Since introduction, it has become an economically and ecologically important species that supports popular recreational fisheries. It is also one of the most abundant top predators in the system. Currently, there is no information on the level of genetic diversity or genetic structuring that may have occurred since introduction. An understanding of genetic diversity is important for the delineation of management units and investigation of gene flow at various management scales. The goals of this research were to investigate population genetic structure of Smallmouth Bass at sites within the Susquehanna River basin and to assess genetic differentiation relative to Smallmouth Bass at an out-of-basin site (Allegheny River, Pennsylvania) located within the species’ native range. During spring 2015, fin clips (n = 1,034) were collected from adults at 11 river sites and 13 tributary sites in the Susquehanna River basin and at one site on the Allegheny River. Fin clips were genotyped at 12 polymorphic microsatellite loci. Based on our results, adults sampled throughout the Susquehanna River basin did not represent separate genetic populations. There were only subtle differences in genetic diversity among sites (mean pairwise genetic differentiation index FST = 0.012), and there was an overall lack of population differentiation (K = 3 admixed populations). The greatest genetic differentiation was observed between fish collected from the out-of-basin site and those from the Susquehanna River basin sites. Knowledge that separate genetic populations of Smallmouth Bass do not exist in the Susquehanna River basin is valuable information for fisheries management in addition to providing baseline genetic data on an introduced sport fish population.

Fire patterns in the range of the greater sage-grouse, 1984-2013 — Implications for conservation and management

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brooks, Matthew L.; Matchett, John R.; Shinneman, Douglas J.; Coates, Peter S.

2015-09-10

The results indicate that fire threats are higher in the four western than in the three eastern management zones. Among the four western management zones, the Snake River Plain and the Columbia Basin ranked somewhat higher than the Southern Great Basin and Northern Great Basin in terms of fire effects on sage-grouse habitat. These results support the previous high ranking of fire as a threat to the greater sage-grouse in the western region. In contrast, considering the low rankings for fire threats in the eastern region, it may be useful to reconsider the relative importance of wildfire as a threat to greater sage-grouse in those three management zones.

Questa baseline and pre-mining ground-water quality investigation. 21. Hydrology and water balance of the Red River basin, New Mexico 1930-2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Naus, Cheryl A.; McAda, Douglas P.; Myers, Nathan C.

2006-01-01

A study of the hydrology of the Red River Basin of northern New Mexico, including development of a pre- mining water balance, contributes to a greater understanding of processes affecting the flow and chemistry of water in the Red River and its alluvial aquifer. Estimates of mean annual precipitation for the Red River Basin ranged from 22.32 to 25.19 inches. Estimates of evapotranspiration for the Red River Basin ranged from 15.02 to 22.45 inches or 63.23 to 94.49 percent of mean annual precipitation. Mean annual yield from the Red River Basin estimated using regression equations ranged from 45.26 to 51.57 cubic feet per second. Mean annual yield from the Red River Basin estimated by subtracting evapotranspiration from mean annual precipitation ranged from 55.58 to 93.15 cubic feet per second. In comparison, naturalized 1930-2004 mean annual streamflow at the Red River near Questa gage was 48.9 cubic feet per second. Although estimates developed using regression equations appear to be a good representation of yield from the Red River Basin as a whole, the methods that consider evapotranspiration may more accurately represent yield from smaller basins that have a substantial amount of sparsely vegetated scar area. Hydrograph separation using the HYSEP computer program indicated that subsurface flow for 1930-2004 ranged from 76 to 94 percent of streamflow for individual years with a mean of 87 percent of streamflow. By using a chloride mass-balance method, ground-water recharge was estimated to range from 7 to 17 percent of mean annual precipitation for water samples from wells in Capulin Canyon and the Hansen, Hottentot, La Bobita, and Straight Creek Basins and was 21 percent of mean annual precipitation for water samples from the Red River. Comparisons of mean annual basin yield and measured streamflow indicate that streamflow does not consistently increase as cumulative estimated mean annual basin yield increases. Comparisons of estimated mean annual yield and measured streamflow profiles indicates that, in general, the river is gaining ground water from the alluvium in the reach from the town of Red River to between Hottentot and Straight Creeks, and from Columbine Creek to near Thunder Bridge. The river is losing water to the alluvium from upstream of the mill area to Columbine Creek. Interpretations of ground- and surface-water interactions based on comparisons of mean annual basin yield and measured streamflow are supported further with water-level data from piezometers, wells, and the Red River.

78 FR 32295 - Commission Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-29

... SUSQUEHANNA RIVER BASIN COMMISSION Commission Meeting AGENCY: Susquehanna River Basin Commission. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Susquehanna River Basin Commission will hold its regular business meeting on... business meeting are contained in the Supplementary Information section of this notice. DATES: June 20...

78 FR 69517 - Commission Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-19

... SUSQUEHANNA RIVER BASIN COMMISSION Commission Meeting AGENCY: Susquehanna River Basin Commission. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Susquehanna River Basin Commission will hold its regular business meeting on... meeting are contained in the Supplementary Information section of this notice. DATES: December 12, 2013...

78 FR 12412 - Commission Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-22

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77 FR 52106 - Commission Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-28

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77 FR 70204 - Commission Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-23

... SUSQUEHANNA RIVER BASIN COMMISSION Commission Meeting AGENCY: Susquehanna River Basin Commission. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Susquehanna River Basin Commission will hold its regular business meeting on... meeting are contained in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice. DATES: December 14, 2012...

78 FR 52601 - Commission Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-23

... SUSQUEHANNA RIVER BASIN COMMISSION Commission Meeting AGENCY: Susquehanna River Basin Commission. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Susquehanna River Basin Commission will hold its regular business meeting on... meeting are contained in the Supplementary Information section of this notice. DATES: September 19, 2013...

Zinc and Its Isotopes in the Loire River Basin, France

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Millot, R.; Desaulty, A. M.; Bourrain, X.

2014-12-01

The contribution of human activities such as industries, agriculture and domestic inputs, becomes more and more significant in the chemical composition of the dissolved load of rivers. Human factors act as a supplementary key process. Therefore the mass-balance for the budget of catchments and river basins include anthropogenic disturbances. The Loire River in central France is approximately 1010 km long and drains an area of 117,800 km2. In the upper basin, the bedrock is old plutonic rock overlain by much younger volcanic rocks. The intermediate basin includes three major tributaries flowing into the Loire River from the left bank: the Cher, the Indre and the Vienne rivers; the main stream flows westward and its valley stretches toward the Atlantic Ocean. Here, the Loire River drains the sedimentary series of the Paris Basin, mainly carbonate deposits. The lower Loire basin drains pre-Mesozoic basement of the Armorican Massif and its overlying Mesozoic to Cenozoic sedimentary deposits. The Loire River is one of the main European riverine inputs to the Atlantic ocean. Here we are reporting concentration and isotope data for Zn in river waters and suspended sediments from the Loire River Basin. In addition, we also report concentration and isotope data for the different industrial sources within the Loire Basin, as well as data for biota samples such as mussels and oysters from the Bay of Biscay and North Brittany. These organisms are known to be natural accumulators of metal pollutants. Zinc isotopic compositions are rather homogeneous in river waters with δ66Zn values ranging from 0.21 to 0.39‰. This range of variation is very different from anthropogenic signature (industrial and/or agriculture release) that displays δ66Zn values between 0.02 to 0.14‰. This result is in agreement with a geogenic origin and the low Zn concentrations in the Loire River Basin (from 0.8 to 6 µg/L).

Rewriting the Landform History of One of Africa's Three Largest Basins

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilkinson, Justin

2014-01-01

The Kalahari Basin in southern Africa - one of the largest basins in Africa, along with the Congo and Chad basins - has attracted attention since David Livingstone traveled through the area in the 1840s. It is a semiarid desert with a large freshwater swampland known as the Okavango Swamp (150 km radius). This prominent megafan (a fan with radii >100 km), with its fingers of dark green forests projecting into the dun colors of the dunes of the Kalahari semi-desert, has been well photographed by astronauts over the years. The study area in the northern Kalahari basin is centered on the Okavango megafan of northwest Botswana, whose swampland has become well known as an African wildlife preserve of importance to biology and tourism alike. The Okavango River is unusual because it has deposited not one but two megafans along its course: the Okavango megafan and the Cubango megafan. The Okavango megafan is one of only three well-known megafans in Africa. Megafans on Earth were once thought to be rare, but recent research has documented 68 in Africa alone. Eleven megafans, plus three more candidates, have been documented in the area immediately surrounding the Okavango feature. These 11 megafans occupy the flattest and smoothest terrains adjacent to the neighboring upland and stand out as the darkest areas in the roughness map of the area. Megafan terrains occupy at least 200,000 sq km of the study area. The roughness map shown is based on an algorithm used first on Mars to quantify topographic roughness. Research of Earth's flattest terrains is just beginning with the aid of such maps, and it appears that these terrains are analogous to the flattest regions of Mars. Implications: 1. The variability in depositional style in each subbasin may apply Africa-wide: rift megafan length is dominated by rift width, whereas Owambo subbasin megafans are probably controlled by upland basin size; Zambezi subbasin megafans appear more like foreland basin types, with the position of the trunk river controlling size. 2. These perspectives were successfully applied to identify the largest megafan in the group (Cubango), a fan that was sufficiently overprinted by dunes and dry lakelets not to be detectable remotely. Such undertsanding can probably be applied on Mars, where Earth experience suggests megafans ought to exist. 3. Sweep angles of rivers on megafans drastically change the hydrology in some subbasins: when the Cubango and Kunene rivers were oriented to the Etosha Pan, it was probably a permanent water body. Now that the rivers are oriented away from the basin, 93 percent of the discharge area from the pan's northerly (main) source area is gone. 4. Biotic contact between major river systems was probably controlled by megafans situated on divides: various fish species that originated in the Congo basin are now found in the Upper Zambezi R., and vice versa, apparently because of river switching behavior on the Cassai megafan that has mediated migrations both to the south and the north.

[Ecological risk assessment of typical karst basin based on land use change: A case study of Lijiang River basin, Southern China].

PubMed

Hu, Jin Long; Zhou, Zhi Xiang; Teng, Ming Jun; Luo, Nan

2017-06-18

Taking Lijiang River basin as study area, and based on the remote sensing images of 1973, 1986, 2000 and 2013, the land-use data were extracted, the ecological risk index was constructed, and the characteristics of spatiotemporal variation of ecological risk were analyzed by "3S" technique. The results showed that land use structure of Lijiang River basin was under relatively reasonable state and it was constantly optimizing during 1973-2013. Overall, the ecological risk of Lijiang River basin was maintained at a low level. Lowest and lower ecological risk region was dominant in Lijiang River basin, but the area of highest ecological risk expanded quickly. The spatial distribution of ecological risk was basically stable and showed an obvious ring structure, which gra-dually decreased from the axis of Xingan County Town-Lingchuan County Town-Guilin City-Yangshuo County Town to other regions. Region with lowest ecological risk mainly distributed in natural mountain forest area of the north and mid-eastern parts of Lijiang River basin, and region with highe-st ecological risk concentrated in Guilin City. The ecological risk distribution of Lijiang River basin presented significant slope and altitude differences, and it decreased with increasing slope and altitude. During the study period, the area of low ecological risk converted to high ecological risk gra-dually decreased and vice versa. On the whole, the ecological risk tended to decline rapidly in the Lijiang River basin.

Evidence for episodic acidification effects on migrating Atlantic salmon Salmo salar smolts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kelly, John T; Lerner, Darrren T.; O'Dea, Michael F.; Regish, Amy M.; Monette, Michelle Y.; Hawkes, J.P.; Nislow, Keith H.; McCormick, Stephen

2015-01-01

Field studies were conducted to determine levels of gill aluminium as an index of acidification effects on migrating Atlantic salmon Salmo salar smolts in the north-eastern U.S.A. along mainstem river migration corridors in several major river basins. Smolts emigrating from the Connecticut River, where most (but not all) tributaries were well buffered, had low or undetectable levels of gill aluminium and high gill Na+/K+-ATPase (NKA) activity. In contrast, smolts emigrating from the upper Merrimack River basin where most tributaries are characterized by low pH and high inorganic aluminium had consistently elevated gill aluminium and lower gill NKA activity, which may explain the low adult return rates of S. salar stocked into the upper Merrimack catchment. In the Sheepscot, Narraguagus and Penobscot Rivers in Maine, river and year-specific effects on gill aluminium were detected that appeared to be driven by underlying geology and high spring discharge. The results indicate that episodic acidification is affecting S. salar smolts in poorly buffered streams in New England and may help explain variation in S. salar survival and abundance among rivers and among years, with implications for the conservation and recovery of S. salar in the north-eastern U.S.A. These results suggest that the physiological condition of outmigrating smolts may serve as a large-scale sentinel of landscape-level recovery of atmospheric pollution in this and other parts of the North Atlantic region.

Evidence for episodic acidification effects on migrating Atlantic salmon Salmo salar smolts.

PubMed

Kelly, J T; Lerner, D T; O'Dea, M F; Regish, A M; Monette, M Y; Hawkes, J P; Nislow, K H; McCormick, S D

2015-11-01

Field studies were conducted to determine levels of gill aluminium as an index of acidification effects on migrating Atlantic salmon Salmo salar smolts in the north-eastern U.S.A. along mainstem river migration corridors in several major river basins. Smolts emigrating from the Connecticut River, where most (but not all) tributaries were well buffered, had low or undetectable levels of gill aluminium and high gill Na(+) /K(+) -ATPase (NKA) activity. In contrast, smolts emigrating from the upper Merrimack River basin where most tributaries are characterized by low pH and high inorganic aluminium had consistently elevated gill aluminium and lower gill NKA activity, which may explain the low adult return rates of S. salar stocked into the upper Merrimack catchment. In the Sheepscot, Narraguagus and Penobscot Rivers in Maine, river and year-specific effects on gill aluminium were detected that appeared to be driven by underlying geology and high spring discharge. The results indicate that episodic acidification is affecting S. salar smolts in poorly buffered streams in New England and may help explain variation in S. salar survival and abundance among rivers and among years, with implications for the conservation and recovery of S. salar in the north-eastern U.S.A. These results suggest that the physiological condition of outmigrating smolts may serve as a large-scale sentinel of landscape-level recovery of atmospheric pollution in this and other parts of the North Atlantic region. © 2015 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Wetlands systems in southern Thailand: The essential resources for sustainable regional development

Treesearch

Rotchanatch Darnsawasdi; Prassert Chitpong

2000-01-01

Parts of Southern Thailand are inundated by water for months annually resulting in various wetlands including, among others, Tapi River Basin, Pak Panang River Basin, Songkhla Lake Basin, Pangnga Bay, Pattani River Basin, and Narathiwas Peat Swamp. Most wetlands perform functions such as flood retention, water filtration, bird and wildlife habitat,and tree growth....

PAHs and PCBs deposited in surficial sediments along a rural to urban transect in a mid-Atlantic coastal river basin (USA).

PubMed

Foster, Gregory D; Cui, Vickie

2008-10-01

PAHs and PCBs were measured in river sediments along a 226 km longitudinal transect that spanned rural to urban land use settings through Valley and Ridge, Piedmont Plateau and Coastal Plain physiographic provinces in the Potomac River basin (mid-Atlantic USA). A gradient in PAH concentrations was found in river bed sediments along the upstream transect in the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers that correlated with population densities in the nearby sub-basins. Sediment PAH concentrations halved per each approximately 40 km of transect distance upstream (i.e., the half-concentration distance) from the urban center (Washington, DC) of the Potomac River basin in direct proportion to population density. The PAH molecular composition was consistent across all geologic provinces, revealing a dominant pyrogenic source. Fluoranthene to perylene ratios served as useful markers for urban inputs, with a ratio > 2.4 observed in sediments near urban structures such as roadways, bridges and sewer outfalls. PCBs in sediments were not well correlated with population densities along the river basin transect, but the highest concentrations were found in the urban Coastal Plain region near Washington, DC and in the Shenandoah River near a known industrial Superfund site. PAHs were moderately correlated with sediment total organic carbon (TOC) in the Shenandoah River and Coastal Plain Potomac River regions, but TOC was poorly correlated with PCB concentrations throughout the entire basin. Although both PAHs and PCBs are widely recognized as urban-derived contaminants, their concentration profiles and geochemistry in river sediments were uniquely different throughout the upper Potomac River basin.

Sources and distributions of branched and isoprenoid tetraether lipids on the Amazon shelf and fan: Implications for the use of GDGT-based proxies in marine sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zell, Claudia; Kim, Jung-Hyun; Hollander, David; Lorenzoni, Laura; Baker, Paul; Silva, Cleverson Guizan; Nittrouer, Charles; Sinninghe Damsté, Jaap S.

2014-08-01

Branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (brGDGTs) in river fan sediments have been used successfully to reconstruct mean annual air temperature (MAAT) and soil pH of the Congo River drainage basin. However, in a previous study of Amazon deep-sea fan sediments the reconstructed MAATs were ca. 10 °C colder than the actual MAAT of the Amazon basin. In this study we investigated this apparent offset, by comparing the concentrations and distributions of brGDGTs in Amazon River suspended particulate matter (SPM) and sediments to those in marine SPM and surface sediments. The riverine brGDGT input was evident from the elevated brGDGT concentrations in marine SPM and surface sediments close to the river mouth. The distributions of brGDGTs in marine SPM and sediments varied widely, but generally showed a higher relative abundance of methylated and cyclic brGDGTs than those in the river. Since this difference in brGDGT distribution was also found in intact polar lipid (IPL)-derived brGDGTs, which were more recently produced, the change in the marine brGDGT distribution was most likely due to marine in situ production. Consequently, the MAATs calculated based on the methylation of branched tetraethers (MBT) and the cyclisation of branched tetraethers (CBT) were lower and the CBT-derived pH values were higher than those of the Amazon basin. However, SPM and sediments from stations close to the river mouth still showed MBT/CBT values that were similar to those of the river. Therefore, we recommend caution when applying the MBT/CBT proxy, it should only be used in sediment cores that were under high river influence. The influence of riverine derived isoprenoid GDGT (isoGDGT) on the isoGDGT-based TEX86 temperature proxy was also examined in marine SPM and sediments. An input of riverine isoGDGTs from the Amazon River was apparent, but its influence on the marine TEX86 was minor since the TEX86 of SPM in the Amazon River was similar to that in the marine SPM and sediments.

A reassessment of North American river basin water balances in light of new estimates of mountain snow accumulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wrzesien, M.; Durand, M. T.; Pavelsky, T.

2017-12-01

The hydrologic cycle is a key component of many aspects of daily life, yet not all water cycle processes are fully understood. In particular, water storage in mountain snowpacks remains largely unknown. Previous work with a high resolution regional climate model suggests that global and continental models underestimate mountain snow accumulation, perhaps by as much as 50%. Therefore, we hypothesize that since snow water equivalent (one aspect of the water balance) is underestimated, accepted water balances for major river basins are likely wrong, particularly for mountainous river basins. Here we examine water balances for four major high latitude North American watersheds - the Columbia, Mackenzie, Nelson, and Yukon. The mountainous percentage of each basin ranges, which allows us to consider whether a bias in the water balance is affected by mountain area percentage within the watershed. For our water balance evaluation, we especially consider precipitation estimates from a variety of datasets, including models, such as WRF and MERRA, and observation-based, such as CRU and GPCP. We ask whether the precipitation datasets provide enough moisture for seasonal snow to accumulate within the basin and whether we see differences in the variability of annual and seasonal precipitation from each dataset. From our reassessment of high-latitude water balances, we aim to determine whether the current understanding is sufficient to describe all processes within the hydrologic cycle or whether datasets appear to be biased, particularly in high-elevation precipitation. Should currently-available datasets appear to be similarly biased in precipitation, as we have seen in mountain snow accumulation, we discuss the implications for the continental water budget.

Quantitative assessment of the impact of an inter-basin surface-water transfer project on the groundwater flow and groundwater-dependent eco-environment in an oasis in arid northwestern China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Xiaobin; Wu, Jichun; Nie, Huijun; Guo, Fei; Wu, Jianfeng; Chen, Kouping; Liao, Penghui; Xu, Hongxia; Zeng, Xiankui

2018-06-01

Inter-basin water transfer projects (IBWTPs) can involve basins as water donors and water receivers. In contrast to most studies on IBWTPs, which mainly impact the surface-water eco-environment, this study focuses on the impacts of an IBWTP on groundwater and its eco-environment in a water donor basin in an arid area, where surface water and groundwater are exchanged. Surface water is assumed to recharge groundwater and a groundwater numerical simulation model was constructed using MODFLOW. The model was used to quantitatively evaluate the impact of an IBWTP located in the upstream portion of Nalenggele River (the biggest river in the Qaidam basin, Northwest China). The impact involved decrease in spring flow, drawdown of groundwater, reduction in oasis area, and an increase in species replacement of oasis vegetation in the midstream and downstream of the river. Results show that the emergence sites of springs at the front of the oasis will move 2-5 km downstream, and the outflow of springs will decrease by 42 million m3/a. The maximum drawdown of groundwater level at the front of the oasis will be 3.6 m and the area across which groundwater drawdown exceeds 2.0 m will be about 59.02 km2, accounting for 2.71% of the total area of the oasis. Under such conditions, reeds will gradually be replaced by Tamarix, shrubs, and other alternative plant species. These findings have important implications for the optimization of water resource allocation and protection of the eco-environment in arid regions.

Updated estimates of long-term average dissolved-solids loading in streams and rivers of the Upper Colorado River Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tillman, Fred D.; Anning, David W.

2014-01-01

The Colorado River and its tributaries supply water to more than 35 million people in the United States and 3 million people in Mexico, irrigating over 4.5 million acres of farmland, and annually generating about 12 billion kilowatt hours of hydroelectric power. The Upper Colorado River Basin, part of the Colorado River Basin, encompasses more than 110,000 mi2 and is the source of much of more than 9 million tons of dissolved solids that annually flows past the Hoover Dam. High dissolved-solids concentrations in the river are the cause of substantial economic damages to users, primarily in reduced agricultural crop yields and corrosion, with damages estimated to be greater than 300 million dollars annually. In 1974, the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act created the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program to investigate and implement a broad range of salinity control measures. A 2009 study by the U.S. Geological Survey, supported by the Salinity Control Program, used the Spatially Referenced Regressions on Watershed Attributes surface-water quality model to examine dissolved-solids supply and transport within the Upper Colorado River Basin. Dissolved-solids loads developed for 218 monitoring sites were used to calibrate the 2009 Upper Colorado River Basin Spatially Referenced Regressions on Watershed Attributes dissolved-solids model. This study updates and develops new dissolved-solids loading estimates for 323 Upper Colorado River Basin monitoring sites using streamflow and dissolved-solids concentration data through 2012, to support a planned Spatially Referenced Regressions on Watershed Attributes modeling effort that will investigate the contributions to dissolved-solids loads from irrigation and rangeland practices.

Comparison of Precipitation from Gauge and Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) for River Basins of India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mondal, A.; Chandniha, S. K.; Lakshmi, V.; Kundu, S.; Hashemi, H.

2017-12-01

This study compares the monthly precipitation from the gridded rain gauge data collected by India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the retrievals from the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) for the river basins of India using the TRMM Multisatellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) version 7 (V7). The IMD and TMPA datasets have the same spatial resolution (0.25°×0.25°) and extend from 1998 to 2013. The TRMM data accuracy for the river basins is assessed by comparison with IMD using root mean square error (RMSE), normalized mean square error (NMSE), Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient (NASH) and correlation coefficient (CC) methods. The Mann-Kendall (MK) and modified Mann-Kendall (MMK) tests have been applied for analyzing the data trend, and the change has been detected by Sen's Slope using both data sets for annual and seasonal time periods. The change in intensity of precipitation is estimated by percentage for comparing actual differences in various river basins. Variation in precipitation is high (>100 mm represents >15% of average annual precipitation) in Brahmaputra, rivers draining into Myanmar (RDM), rivers draining into Bangladesh (RDB), east flowing rivers between Mahanadi and Godavari (EMG), east flowing rivers between Pennar and Cauvery (EPC), Cauvery and Tapi. The NASH and CC values vary between 0.80 to 0.98 and 0.87 to 0.99 in all river basins except area of north Ladakh not draining into Indus (NLI) and east flowing rivers south of Cauvery (ESC), while RMSE and NMSE vary from 15.95 to 101.68 mm and 2.66 to 58.38 mm, respectively. The trends for TMPA and IMD datasets from 1998 to 2013 are quite similar in MK (except 4 river basins) and MMK (except 3 river basins). The estimated results imply that the TMPA precipitation show good agreement and can be used in climate studies and hydrological simulations in locations/river basins where the number of rain gauge stations is not adequate to quantify the spatial variability of precipitation. Keywords: Precipitation data comparison, IMD, TRMM, river basins, Mann-Kendall test

77 FR 10034 - Public Hearing; Correction

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-21

... SUSQUEHANNA RIVER BASIN COMMISSION Public Hearing; Correction AGENCY: Susquehanna River Basin Commission. ACTION: Notice; correction. SUMMARY: The Susquehanna River Basin Commission published a document in the Federal Register of January 23, 2012, concerning a public hearing to be held on February 16...

77 FR 28420 - Commission Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-14

... SUSQUEHANNA RIVER BASIN COMMISSION Commission Meeting AGENCY: Susquehanna River Basin Commission. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Susquehanna River Basin Commission will hold its regular business meeting on... meeting are contained in the Supplementary Information section of this notice. DATES: June 7, 2012, at 9...

Status and trends in suspended-sediment discharges, soil erosion, and conservation tillage in the Maumee River basin--Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Myers, Donna N.; Metzker, Kevin D.; Davis, Steven

2000-01-01

The relation of suspended-sediment discharges to conservation-tillage practices and soil loss were analyzed for the Maumee River Basin in Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana as part of the U.S. Geological Survey?s National Water-Quality Assessment Program. Cropland in the basin is the largest contributor to soil erosion and suspended-sediment discharge to the Maumee River and the river is the largest source of suspended sediments to Lake Erie. Retrospective and recently-collected data from 1970-98 were used to demonstrate that increases in conservation tillage and decreases in soil loss can be related to decreases in suspended-sediment discharge from streams. Average annual water and suspended-sediment budgets computed for the Maumee River Basin and its principal tributaries indicate that soil drainage and runoff potential, stream slope, and agricultural land use are the major human and natural factors related to suspended-sediment discharge. The Tiffin and St. Joseph Rivers drain areas of moderately to somewhat poorly drained soils with moderate runoff potential. Expressed as a percentage of the total for the Maumee River Basin, the St. Joseph and Tiffin Rivers represent 29.0 percent of the basin area, 30.7 percent of the average-annual streamflow, and 9.31 percent of the average annual suspended-sediment discharge. The Auglaize and St. Marys Rivers drain areas of poorly to very poorly drained soils with high runoff potential. Expressed as a percentage of the total for the Maumee River Basin, the Auglaize and St. Marys Rivers represent 48.7 percent of the total basin area, 53.5 percent of the average annual streamflow, and 46.5 percent of the average annual suspended-sediment discharge. Areas of poorly drained soils with high runoff potential appear to be the major source areas of suspended sediment discharge in the Maumee River Basin. Although conservation tillage differed in the degree of use throughout the basin, on aver-age, it was used on 55.4 percent of all crop fields in the Maumee River Basin from 1993-98. Conservation tillage was used at relatively higher rates in areas draining to the lower main stem from Defiance to Waterville, Ohio and at relatively lower rates in the St. Marys and Auglaize River Basins, and in areas draining to the main stem between New Haven, Ind. and Defiance, Ohio. The areas that were identified as the most important sediment-source areas in the basin were characterized by some of the lowest rates of conservation tillage. The increased use of conservation tillage was found to correspond to decreases in suspended-sediment discharge over time at two locations in the Maumee River Basin. A 49.8 percent decrease in suspended-sediment discharge was detected when data from 1970-74 were compared to data from 1996-98 for the Auglaize River near Ft. Jennings, Ohio. A decrease in suspended-sediment discharge of 11.2 percent was detected from 1970?98 for the Maumee River at Waterville, Ohio. No trends in streamflow at either site were detected over the period 1970-98. The lower rate of decline in suspended-sediment discharge for the Maumee River at Waterville, Ohio compared to the Auglaize River near Ft. Jennings, may be due to resuspension and export of stored sediments from drainage ditches, stream channels, and flood plains in the large drainage basin upstream from Waterville. Similar findings by other investigators about the capacity of drainage networks to store sediment are supported by this investigation. These findings go undetected when soil loss estimates are used alone to evaluate the effectiveness of conservation tillage. Water-quality data in combination with soil-loss estimates were needed to draw these conclusions. These findings provide information to farmers and soil conservation agents about the ability of conservation tillage to reduce soil erosion and suspended-sediment discharge from the Maumee River Basin.

Occurrence and transport of nutrients in the Missouri River Basin, April through September 2011: Chapter G in 2011 floods of the central United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kalkhoff, Stephen J.

2013-01-01

Heavy snow and early spring rainfall generated substantial amounts of runoff and flooding in the upper part of the Missouri River Basin in 2011. Spring runoff in the upper and middle parts of the basin exceeded the storage capacity of the Missouri River reservoirs and unprecedented amounts of water were released into the lower parts of the basin resulting in record floods from June through September on the Missouri River in Iowa and Nebraska and extending into Kansas and Missouri. Runoff from the Missouri River Basin in April through September 2011 was 8,440,000 hectare meters (68,400,000 acre feet) and was only exceeded during flooding in 1993 when runoff was 11,200,000 hectare meters (90,700,000 acre feet). Nitrate and total phosphorus concentrations in the Missouri River and selected tributaries in April through September, 2011 generally were within the expected range of concentrations measured during the last 30 years. Substantial discharge from the upper and middle parts of the Missouri River Basin resulted in nitrate concentrations decreasing in the lower Missouri River beginning in June. Concentrations of nitrate in water entering the Mississippi River from the Missouri River were less in 2011 than in 1993, but total phosphorus concentrations entering the Mississippi River were substantially greater in 2011 than in 1993. The Missouri River transported an estimated 79,600 megagrams of nitrate and 38,000 megagrams of total phosphorus to the Mississippi River from April through September 2011. The nitrate flux in 2011 was less than 20 percent of the combined total from the Upper Mississippi and Missouri River Basins. In contrast, the total phosphorus flux of 38,000 megagrams from the Missouri River constituted about 39 percent of the combined total from the Upper Mississippi and Missouri River Basins during April through September 2011. Substantially more nitrate but less total phosphorus was transported from the Missouri River Basin during the historic 1993 than during the 2011 flood. Greater runoff from the lower part of the basin contributed to the greater nitrate transport in 1993. In addition to the differing amounts of runoff and the source of flood waters, changes in land use, and management practices are additional factors that may have contributed to the difference in nitrate and total phosphorus flux between the 1993 and 2011 floods.

New vitrinite reflectance data for the Wind River Basin, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pawlewicz, Mark J.; Finn, Thomas M.

2013-01-01

The Wind River Basin is a large Laramide (Late Cretaceous through Eocene) structural and sedimentary basin that encompasses about 7,400 square miles in central Wyoming. The basin is bounded by the Washakie Range and Owl Creek and southern Bighorn Mountains on the north, the Casper arch on the east and northeast, and the Granite Mountains on the south, and Wind River Range on the west. The purpose of this report is to present new vitrinite reflectance data collected mainly from Cretaceous marine shales in the Wind River Basin to better characterize their thermal maturity and hydrocarbon potential.

Evidence for spreading in the lower Kam Group of the Yellowknife greenstone belt: Implications for Archaean basin evolution in the Slave Province

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Helmstaedt, H.; Padgham, W. A.

1986-01-01

The Yellowknife greenstone belt is the western margin of an Archean turbidite-filled basin bordered on the east by the Cameron River and Beaulieu River volcanic belts (Henderson, 1981; Lambert, 1982). This model implies that rifting was entirely ensialic and did not proceed beyond the graben stage. Volcanism is assumed to have been restricted to the boundary faults, and the basin was floored by a downfaulted granitic basement. On the other hand, the enormous thickness of submarine volcanic rocks and the presence of a spreading complex at the base of the Kam Group suggest that volcanic rocks were much more widespread than indicated by their present distribution. Rather than resembling volcanic sequences in intracratonic graben structures, the Kam Group and its tectonic setting within the Yellowknife greenstone belt have greater affinities to the Rocas Verdes of southern Chile, Mesozoic ophiolites, that were formed in an arc-related marginal basin setting. The similarities of these ophiolites with some Archean volcanic sequences was previously recognized, and served as basis for their marginal-basin model of greenstone belts. The discovery of a multiple and sheeted dike complex in the Kam Group confirms that features typical of Phanerozoic ophiolites are indeed preserved in some greenstone belts and provides further field evidence in support of such a model.

The Transboundary Waters Assessment Programme (TWAP) River Basin Component Methods and Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Sherbinin, A. M.; Glennie, P.

2014-12-01

The Transboundary Waters Assessment Programme (TWAP) was initiated by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to create the first baseline assessment of all of the planet's transboundary water resources. The TWAP River Basin component consists of a baseline comparative assessment of 270 transboundary river basins, including all but the smallest basins, to enable the identification of priority issues and hotspots at risk from a variety of stressors. The assessment is indicator based and it is intended to provide a relative analysis of basins based on risks to societies and ecosystems. Models and observational data have been used to create 14 indicators covering environmental, human and agricultural water stress; nutrient and wastewater pollution; extinction risk; governance and institutions; economic dependence on water resources; societal wellbeing at sub-basin scales; and societal risks from climate extremes. The methodology is not limited to transboundary basins, but can be applied to all river basins. This presentation will provide a summary of the methods and results of the TWAP River Basin component. It will also briefly discuss preliminary results of the TWAP lakes and aquifer components.

Hydrogeologic Framework and Occurrence and Movement of Ground Water in the Upper Humboldt River Basin, Northeastern Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Plume, Russell W.

2009-01-01

The upper Humboldt River basin encompasses 4,364 square miles in northeastern Nevada, and it comprises the headwaters area of the Humboldt River. Nearly all flow of the river originates in this area. The upper Humboldt River basin consists of several structural basins, in places greater than 5,000 feet deep, in which basin-fill deposits of Tertiary and Quaternary age and volcanic rocks of Tertiary age have accumulated. The bedrock of each structural basin and adjacent mountains is composed of carbonate and clastic sedimentary rocks of Paleozoic age and crystalline rocks of Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic age. The permeability of bedrock generally is very low except for carbonate rocks, which can be very permeable where circulating ground water has widened fractures through geologic time. The principal aquifers in the upper Humboldt River basin occur within the water-bearing strata of the extensive older basin-fill deposits and the thinner, younger basin-fill deposits that underlie stream flood plains. Ground water in these aquifers moves from recharge areas along mountain fronts to discharge areas along stream flood plains, the largest of which is the Humboldt River flood plain. The river gains flow from ground-water seepage to its channel from a few miles west of Wells, Nevada, to the west boundary of the study area. Water levels in the upper Humboldt River basin fluctuate annually in response to the spring snowmelt and to the distribution of streamflow diverted for irrigation of crops and meadows. Water levels also have responded to extended periods (several years) of above or below average precipitation. As a result of infiltration from the South Fork Reservoir during the past 20 years, ground-water levels in basin-fill deposits have risen over an area as much as one mile beyond the reservoir and possibly even farther away in Paleozoic bedrock.

Human impacts on river water quality- comparative research in the catchment areas of the Tone River and the Mur River-

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kogure, K.

2013-12-01

Human activities in river basin affect river water quality as water discharges into river with pollutant after we use it. By detecting pollutants source, pathway, and influential factor of human activities, it will be possible to consider proper river basin management. In this study, material flow analysis was done first and then nutrient emission modeling by MONERIS was conducted. So as to clarify land use contribution and climate condition, comparison of Japanese and European river basin area has been made. The model MONERIS (MOdelling Nutrient Emissions in RIver Systems; Behrendt et al., 2000) was applied to estimate the nutrient emissions in the Danube river basin by point sources and various diffuse pathways. Work for the Mur River Basin in Austria was already carried out by the Institute of Water Quality, Resources and Waste Management at the Vienna University of Technology. This study treats data collection, modelling for the Tone River in Japan, and comparative analysis for these two river basins. The estimation of the nutrient emissions was carried out for 11 different sub catchment areas covering the Tone River Basin for the time period 2000 to 2006. TN emissions into the Tone river basin were 51 kt/y. 67% was via ground water and dominant for all sub catchments. Urban area was also important emission pathway. Human effect is observed in urban structure and agricultural activity. Water supply and sewer system make urban water cycle with pipeline structure. Excess evapotranspiration in arable land is also influential in water cycle. As share of arable land is 37% and there provides agricultural products, it is thought that N emission from agricultural activity is main pollution source. Assumption case of 10% N surplus was simulated and the result was 99% identical to the actual. Even though N surplus reduction does not show drastic impact on N emission, it is of importance to reduce excess of fertilization and to encourage effective agricultural activity. Population rate of waste water treatment is 67 % in the total catchment area. Assumption case of 100% WWT was simulated and the result suggests that connection to public sewer system with WWTP is effective potential measure. TN emission in the Tone is higher than it in the Mur. Emission per capita is almost same level for both basin areas. Though the personal pollution stresses same as European basin area, the basin has huge population and activities to support their daily life. Agricultural activity and urban structure have great impacts on N emission and on the river water quality. Possible remedy for river pollution is construction of sewer system with waste water treatment. Agricultural activity is potential betterment factor. Comparison of Mur, Tone and assumption cases

Water Quality Outlet Works Prototype Tests, Warm Springs Dam Dry Creek, Russian River Basin Sonoma County, California

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-03-01

34.4* TECHNICAL REPORT HL-89-4 WATER QUALITY OUTLET WORKS PROTOTYPE TESTS, WARM SPRINGS DAM DRY CREEK, RUSSIAN RIVER BASIN AD-A207 058 SONOMA COUNTY , CALIFORNIA...Clawflcation) [7 Water Quality Outlet Works Prototype Tests, Warm Springs Dam, Dry Creek, Russian River Basin, Sonoma County , California 12. PERSONAL...Cointogobvil Be,,pesso Figur 1. iciniyama Pealm WATER QUALITY OUTLET WORKS PROTOTYPE TESTS WARM SPRINGS DAM, DRY CREEK, RUSSIAN RIVER BASIN SONOMA COUNTY , CALIFORNIA

National Program for Inspection of Non-Federal Dams. Chase Pond Dam (NH 00255), NHWRB Number 253.02, Merrimack River Basin, Wilmot, New Hampshire. Phase I Inspection Report.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-03-01

STANDAROS-1963-A L ~.°.. o...... 1....MERRIMACK RIVER BASIN -!. WILMOT , NEW HAMPSHIRE ’,- CHASE POND DAM NH 00255 NHWRB NO. 253.02 r PHASE I...Continue on fewsorsp side #0 .o..oemay and Ientify by black Muthot) - DAMS, NSPECTION, PAM S’AFETY, Merrimack River Basin. * Wilmot , New Hampshire...MERRIMACK RIVER BASIN R WILMOT , NEW HAMPSHIRE - - PHASE I INSPECTION REPORT NATIONAL DAM INSPECTION PROGRAM :: : I

The Thames Science Plan: Suggested Hydrologic Investigations to Support Nutrient-Related Water-Quality Improvements in the Thames River Basin, Connecticut

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-01-01

Nutrient- Related Water-Quality Improvements in the Thames River Basin, Connecticut Open-File Report 2005-1208 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S...Investigations to Support Nutrient- Related Water-Quality Improvements in the Thames River Basin, Connecticut 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM...Suggested Hydrologic Investigations to Support Nutrient- Related Water-Quality Improvements in the Thames River Basin, Connecticut By Elaine C. Todd

Flood of May 23, 2004, in the Turkey and Maquoketa River basins, northeast Iowa

USGS Publications Warehouse

Eash, David A.

2006-01-01

Severe flooding occurred on May 23, 2004, in the Turkey River Basin in Clayton County and in the Maquoketa River Basin in Delaware County following intense thunderstorms over northeast Iowa. Rain gages at Postville and Waucoma, Iowa, recorded 72-hour rainfall of 6.32 and 6.55 inches, respectively, on May 23. Unofficial rainfall totals of 8 to 10 inches were reported in the Turkey River Basin. The peak discharge on May 23 at the Turkey River at Garber streamflow-gaging station was 66,700 cubic feet per second (recurrence interval greater than 500 years) and is the largest flood on record in the Turkey River Basin. The timing of flood crests on the Turkey and Volga Rivers, and local tributaries, coincided to produce a record flood on the lower part of the Turkey River. Three large floods have occurred at the Turkey River at Garber gaging station in a 13-year period. Peak discharges of the floods of June 1991 and May 1999 were 49,900 cubic feet per second (recurrence interval about 150 years) and 53,900 cubic feet per second (recurrence interval about 220 years), respectively. The peak discharge on May 23 at the Maquoketa River at Manchester gaging station was 26,000 cubic feet per second (recurrence interval about 100 years) and is the largest known flood in the upper part of the Maquoketa River Basin.

Long-term accumulation and transport of anthropogenic phosphorus in three river basins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Powers, Stephen M.; Bruulsema, Thomas W.; Burt, Tim P.; Chan, Neng Iong; Elser, James J.; Haygarth, Philip M.; Howden, Nicholas J. K.; Jarvie, Helen P.; Lyu, Yang; Peterson, Heidi M.; Sharpley, Andrew N.; Shen, Jianbo; Worrall, Fred; Zhang, Fusuo

2016-05-01

Global food production depends on phosphorus. Phosphorus is broadly applied as fertilizer, but excess phosphorus contributes to eutrophication of surface water bodies and coastal ecosystems. Here we present an analysis of phosphorus fluxes in three large river basins, including published data on fertilizer, harvested crops, sewage, food waste and river fluxes. Our analyses reveal that the magnitude of phosphorus accumulation has varied greatly over the past 30-70 years in mixed agricultural-urban landscapes of the Thames Basin, UK, the Yangtze Basin, China, and the rural Maumee Basin, USA. Fluxes of phosphorus in fertilizer, harvested crops, food waste and sewage dominate over the river fluxes. Since the late 1990s, net exports from the Thames and Maumee Basins have exceeded inputs, suggesting net mobilization of the phosphorus pool accumulated in earlier decades. In contrast, the Yangtze Basin has consistently accumulated phosphorus since 1980. Infrastructure modifications such as sewage treatment and dams may explain more recent declines in total phosphorus fluxes from the Thames and Yangtze Rivers. We conclude that human-dominated river basins may undergo a prolonged but finite accumulation phase when phosphorus inputs exceed agricultural demand, and this accumulated phosphorus may continue to mobilize long after inputs decline.

Relations among geology, physiography, land use, and stream habitat conditions in the Buffalo and Current River Systems, Missouri and Arkansas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Panfil, Maria S.; Jacobson, Robert B.

2001-01-01

This study investigated links between drainage-basin characteristics and stream habitat conditions in the Buffalo National River, Arkansas and the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Missouri. It was designed as an associative study - the two parks were divided into their principle tributary drainage basins and then basin-scale and stream-habitat data sets were gathered and compared between them. Analyses explored the relative influence of different drainage-basin characteristics on stream habitat conditions. They also investigated whether a relation between land use and stream characteristics could be detected after accounting for geologic and physiographic differences among drainage basins. Data were collected for three spatial scales: tributary drainage basins, tributary stream reaches, and main-stem river segments of the Current and Buffalo Rivers. Tributary drainage-basin characteristics were inventoried using a Geographic Information System (GIS) and included aspects of drainage-basin physiography, geology, and land use. Reach-scale habitat surveys measured channel longitudinal and cross-sectional geometry, substrate particle size and embeddedness, and indicators of channel stability. Segment-scale aerial-photo based inventories measured gravel-bar area, an indicator of coarse sediment load, along main-stem rivers. Relations within and among data sets from each spatial scale were investigated using correlation analysis and multiple linear regression. Study basins encompassed physiographically distinct regions of the Ozarks. The Buffalo River system drains parts of the sandstone-dominated Boston Mountains and of the carbonate-dominated Springfield and Salem Plateaus. The Current River system is within the Salem Plateau. Analyses of drainage-basin variables highlighted the importance of these physiographic differences and demonstrated links among geology, physiography, and land-use patterns. Buffalo River tributaries have greater relief, steeper slopes, and more streamside bluffs than the Current River tributaries. Land use patterns in both river systems correlate with physiography - cleared land area is negatively associated with drainage-basin average slope. Both river systems are dominantly forested (0-35 per-cent cleared land), however, the potential for landscape disturbance may be greater in the Buffalo River system where a larger proportion of cleared land occurs on steep slopes (>15 degrees). When all drainage basins are grouped together, reach-scale channel characteristics show the strongest relations with drainage-basin physiography. Bankfull channel geometry and residual pool dimensions are positively correlated with drainage area and topographic relief variables. After accounting for differences in drainage area, channel dimensions in Buffalo River tributaries tend to be larger than in Current River tributaries. This trend is consistent with the flashy runoff and large storm flows that can be generated in rugged, sandstone-dominate terrain. Substrate particle size is also most strongly associated with physiography; particle size is positively correlated with topographic relief variables. When tributaries are subset by river system, relations with geology and land use variables become apparent. Buffalo River tributaries with larger proportions of carbonate bedrock and cleared land area have shallower channels, better-sorted, gravel-rich substrate, and more eroding banks than those with little cleared land and abundant sandstone bedrock. Gravel-bar area on the Buffalo River main stem was also larger within 1-km of carbonate-rich tributary junctions. Because geology and cleared land are themselves correlated, relations with anthropogenic and natural factors could often not be separated. Channel characteristics in the Current River system show stronger associations with physiography than with land use. Channels are shallower and have finer substrates in the less rugged, karst-rich, western basins than in the

Investigating the evolutionary history of irrigated agricultural technology in the Heihe River Basin, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, S.; Wei, Y.; Zhao, Y.; Zheng, H.

2017-12-01

Human's innovative abilities do not only enable rapid expansion of civilization, but also lead to enormous modifications on the natural environment. Technology, while a key factor embedded in socioeconomic developments, its impacts have been rarely appropriately considered in river basin management. This research aims to examine the evolutionary history of irrigated agricultural technology in the Heihe River Basin, China, and how its characteristics interacted with the river basin environment. It adopts a content analysis approach to collect and summarize quantitative technological information in the Heihe River Basin across a time span of more than 2000 years from the Han Dynasty (206 BC) to 2015. Two Chinese academic research databases: Wan Fang Data and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) were chosen as data sources. The results show that irrigated agricultural technologies in Heihe River Basin have shifted from focusing on developing new farming tools and cultivation methods to adapting modernized, water-saving irrigation methods and water diversion infrastructures. In additions, the center of irrigated agricultural technology in the Heihe river basin has moved from downstream to middle stream since the Ming Dynasty (1368AD) as a result of degraded natural environment. The developing trend of technology in the Heihe River Basin thus coincides with the change of societal focus from agricultural production efficiency to the human-water balance and environmental remediation. This research demonstrates that irrigated agricultural technologies had a twisted evolutionary history in the Heihe River Basin, influenced by a diverse range of environmental and socioeconomic factors. It provides insights into the fact that technology exhibits a co-evolutionary characteristic with the social development history in the region, pointing towards the urgent need to maintain the balance between human and environment.

Combined top-down and bottom-up climate change impact assessment for the hydrological system in the Vu Gia- Thu Bon River Basin.

PubMed

Tra, Tran Van; Thinh, Nguyen Xuan; Greiving, Stefan

2018-07-15

Vu Gia- Thu Bon (VGTB) River Basin, located in the Central Coastal zone of Viet Nam currently faces water shortage. Climate change is expected to exacerbate the challenge. Therefore, there is a need to study the impacts of climate change on water shortage in the river basin. The study adopts a combined top-down and bottom-up climate change impact assessment to address the impacts of climate change on water shortage in the VGTB River Basin. A MIKE BASIN water balance model for the river basin was established to simulate the response of the hydrological system. Simulations were performed through parametrically varying temperature and precipitation to determine the vulnerability space of water shortage. General Circulation Models (GCMs) were then utilized to provide climate projections for the river basin. The output from GCMs was then mapped onto the vulnerability space determined earlier. In total, 9 out of 55 water demand nodes in the simulation are expected to face problematic conditions as future climate changes. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

One-way coupling of an integrated assessment model and a water resources model: evaluation and implications of future changes over the US Midwest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voisin, N.; Liu, L.; Hejazi, M.; Tesfa, T.; Li, H.; Huang, M.; Liu, Y.; Leung, L. R.

2013-11-01

An integrated model is being developed to advance our understanding of the interactions between human activities, terrestrial system and water cycle, and to evaluate how system interactions will be affected by a changing climate at the regional scale. As a first step towards that goal, a global integrated assessment model, which includes a water-demand model driven by socioeconomics at regional and global scales, is coupled in a one-way fashion with a land surface hydrology-routing-water resources management model. To reconcile the scale differences between the models, a spatial and temporal disaggregation approach is developed to downscale the annual regional water demand simulations into a daily time step and subbasin representation. The model demonstrates reasonable ability to represent the historical flow regulation and water supply over the US Midwest (Missouri, Upper Mississippi, and Ohio river basins). Implications for future flow regulation, water supply, and supply deficit are investigated using climate change projections with the B1 and A2 emission scenarios, which affect both natural flow and water demand. Although natural flow is projected to increase under climate change in both the B1 and A2 scenarios, there is larger uncertainty in the changes of the regulated flow. Over the Ohio and Upper Mississippi river basins, changes in flow regulation are driven by the change in natural flow due to the limited storage capacity. However, both changes in flow and demand have effects on the Missouri River Basin summer regulated flow. Changes in demand are driven by socioeconomic factors, energy and food demands, global markets and prices with rainfed crop demand handled directly by the land surface modeling component. Even though most of the changes in supply deficit (unmet demand) and the actual supply (met demand) are driven primarily by the change in natural flow over the entire region, the integrated framework shows that supply deficit over the Missouri River Basin sees an increasing sensitivity to changes in demand in future periods. It further shows that the supply deficit is six times as sensitive as the actual supply to changes in flow and demand. A spatial analysis of the supply deficit demonstrates vulnerabilities of urban areas located along mainstream with limited storage.

Wavelet analysis of lunar semidiurnal tidal influence on selected inland rivers across the globe.

PubMed

Briciu, Andrei-Emil

2014-02-26

The lunar semidiurnal influence is already known for tidal rivers. The moon also influences inland rivers at a monthly scale through precipitation. We show that, for some non-tidal rivers, with special geological conditions, the lunar semidiurnal tidal oscillation can be detected. The moon has semidiurnal tidal influence on groundwater, which will then export it to streamflow. Long time series with high frequency measurements were analysed by using standard wavelet analysis techniques. The lunar semidiurnal signal explains the daily double-peaked river level evolution of inland gauges. It is stronger where springs with high discharge occur, especially in the area of Edwards-Trinity and Great Artesian Basin aquifers and in areas with dolomite/limestone strata. The average maximum semidiurnal peaks range between 0.002 and 0.1 m. This secondary effect of the earth tides has important implications in predicting high resolution hydrographs, in the water cycle of wetlands and in water management.

Drainage divides, Massachusetts; Blackstone and Thames River basins

USGS Publications Warehouse

Krejmas, Bruce E.; Wandle, S. William

1982-01-01

Drainage boundaries for selected subbasins of the Blackstone and Thames River basins in eastern Hampden, eastern Hampshire, western Norfolk, southern Middlesex, and southern Worcester Counties, Massachusetts, are delineated on 12 topographic quadrangle maps at a scale of 1:24,000. Drainage basins are shown for all U.S. Geological Survey data-collection sites and for mouths of major rivers. Drainage basins are shown for the outlets of lakes or ponds and for streams where the drainage area is greater than 3 square miles. Successive sites along watercourses are indicated where the intervening area is at least 6 miles on tributary streams or 15 square miles along the Blackstone River, French River, or Quinebaug River. (USGS)

Water Quality Evaluation of the Yellow River Basin Based on Gray Clustering Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, X. Q.; Zou, Z. H.

2018-03-01

Evaluating the water quality of 12 monitoring sections in the Yellow River Basin comprehensively by grey clustering method based on the water quality monitoring data from the Ministry of environmental protection of China in May 2016 and the environmental quality standard of surface water. The results can reflect the water quality of the Yellow River Basin objectively. Furthermore, the evaluation results are basically the same when compared with the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method. The results also show that the overall water quality of the Yellow River Basin is good and coincident with the actual situation of the Yellow River basin. Overall, gray clustering method for water quality evaluation is reasonable and feasible and it is also convenient to calculate.

Water use and availability in the Woonasquatucket and Moshassuck River basins, north-central Rhode Island

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nimiroski, Mark T.; Wild, Emily C.

2005-01-01

The Woonasquatucket River Basin includes 51.0 square miles, and the Moshassuck River Basin includes 23.8 square miles in north-central Rhode Island. The study area comprises these two basins. The two basins border each other with the Moshassuck River Basin to the northeast of the Woonasquatucket River Basin. Seven towns are in the Woonasquatucket River Basin, and six towns are in the Moshassuck River Basin. To determine the water use and availability in the study area, water supply and discharge data were collected for these river basins for the 1995–99 period, and compared to estimated long-term water available. The study area is unique in the State of Rhode Island, because no withdrawals from major public suppliers were made during the study period. Withdrawals were, therefore, limited to self-supplied domestic use, two minor suppliers, and one self-supplied industrial user. Because no metered data were available, the summer water withdrawals were assumed to be the same as the estimates for the rest of the year. Seven major water suppliers distribute an average of 17.564 million gallons per day for use in the study area from sources outside of the study area. The withdrawals from minor water suppliers were 0.017 million gallons per day in the study area, all in the town of Smithfield in the Woonasquatucket River Basin. The remaining withdrawals in the study area were estimated to be 0.731 million gallons per day by self-supplied domestic, commercial, industrial, and agricultural users. Return flows in the study area included self-disposed water and disposal from permitted dischargers, including the Smithfield Sewage Treatment Plant. Return flows accounted for 4.116 million gallons per day in the study area. Most public-disposed water (15.195 million gallons per day) is collected by the Narragansett Bay Commission and is disposed outside of the basin in Narragansett Bay. The PART program, a computerized hydrograph-separation application, was used at one index stream-gaging station to determine water availability based on the 75th, 50th, and 25th percentiles of the total base flow, the base flow minus the 7-day, 10-year flow criteria, and the base flow minus the Aquatic Base Flow criteria. The index station selected was the Branch River at Forestdale, which is close to the study area and has a similar percentage of sand and gravel area. Water availability was estimated on the basis of baseflow contributions from sand and gravel deposits and till deposits at the index station. Flows were computed for June, July, August, and September 1957–2000, and a percentage of the total flow was determined to come from either sand and gravel deposits, or till, by using a regression equation. The base-flow contributions were converted to a flow per unit area at the station for the till and for the sand and gravel deposits and then applied to the deposits in the study area basins. These values were used to estimate the gross yield of base flow, as well as to subtract the two low flows (7-day, 10-year flow, and Aquatic Base Flow criteria). The results from the Branch River stream-gaging station were lowest in August at the 75th, 50th, and 25th percentile for total flow with either flow criteria subtracted. The estimated August gross yield at the 50th percentile from the Woonasquatucket River Basin was 12.94 million gallons per day, and 5.91 million gallons per day from the Moshassuck River Basin.A ratio was calculated that is equal to total withdrawals divided by water availability. Water-availability flow scenarios at the 75th, 50th, and 25th percentiles for the basins, which are based on total water available from base-flow contributions from till and sand and gravel deposits in the basins, were assessed. The ratios were the highest in July for the 50th percentile estimated gross yield minus Aquatic Base Flow (ABF) flow criteria, where withdrawals are close to the available water. Ratios are not presented if the available water is less than the flow criteria. The ratio of withdrawals to the July gross yield at the 50th percentile minus Aquatic Base Flow was 0.796 for the Woonasquatucket and 0.275 for the Moshassuck River Basin. A long-term hydrologic budget was calculated for the period of 1956–2000 for the Woonasquatucket River Basin and the period of 1964–2000 for the Moshassuck River Basin. The water withdrawals and return flows used in the budget were from 1995 through 1999. For the hydrologic budget, inflow was assumed to equal outflow and was about 120 million gallons per day in the Woonasquatucket River Basin and 56 million gallons per day in the Moshassuck River Basin. The estimated inflows from precipitation and water return flow were 97.3 and 2.7 percent, respectively, in the Woonasquatucket River Basin, and 98.3 and 1.7 percent, respectively, in the Moshassuck River Basin. The estimated outflows from evapotranspiration, streamflow, and water withdrawals were 43.4, 56.1, and 0.5 percent, respectively, in the Woonasquatucket River Basin, and 49.8, 50, and 0.2 percent, respectively, in the Moshassuck River Basin.

Improving Watershed-Scale Hydrodynamic Models by Incorporating Synthetic 3D River Bathymetry Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dey, S.; Saksena, S.; Merwade, V.

2017-12-01

Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) have an incomplete representation of river bathymetry, which is critical for simulating river hydrodynamics in flood modeling. Generally, DEMs are augmented with field collected bathymetry data, but such data are available only at individual reaches. Creating a hydrodynamic model covering an entire stream network in the basin requires bathymetry for all streams. This study extends a conceptual bathymetry model, River Channel Morphology Model (RCMM), to estimate the bathymetry for an entire stream network for application in hydrodynamic modeling using a DEM. It is implemented at two large watersheds with different relief and land use characterizations: coastal Guadalupe River basin in Texas with flat terrain and a relatively urban White River basin in Indiana with more relief. After bathymetry incorporation, both watersheds are modeled using HEC-RAS (1D hydraulic model) and Interconnected Pond and Channel Routing (ICPR), a 2-D integrated hydrologic and hydraulic model. A comparison of the streamflow estimated by ICPR at the outlet of the basins indicates that incorporating bathymetry influences streamflow estimates. The inundation maps show that bathymetry has a higher impact on flat terrains of Guadalupe River basin when compared to the White River basin.

Coalbed Methane Extraction and Soil Suitability Concerns in the Powder River Basin, Montana and Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2006-01-01

The Powder River Basin is located in northeastern Wyoming and southeastern Montana. It is an area of approximately 55,000 square kilometers. Extraction of methane gas from the coal seams that underlie the Powder River Basin began in Wyoming in the late 1980s and in Montana in the late 1990s. About 100-200 barrels of co-produced water per day are being extracted from each active well in the Powder River Basin, which comes to over 1.5 million barrels of water per day for all the active coalbed methane wells in the Basin. Lab testing indicates that Powder River Basin co-produced water is potable but is high in sodium and other salts, especially in the western and northern parts of the Powder River Basin. Common water management strategies include discharge of co-produced water into drainages, stock ponds, evaporation ponds, or infiltration ponds; treatment to remove sodium; or application of the water directly on the land surface via irrigation equipment or atomizers. Problems may arise because much of the Powder River Basin contains soils with high amounts of swelling clays. As part of the USGS Rocky Mountain Geographic Science Center's hyperspectral research program, researchers are investigating whether hyperspectral remote sensing data can be beneficial in locating areas of swelling clays. Using detailed hyperspectral data collected over parts of the Powder River Basin and applying our knowledge of how the clays of interest reflect energy, we will attempt to identify and map areas of swelling clays. If successful, such information will be useful to resource and land managers.

Designation of River Klina-Skenderaj Inputs, in the Absence of Measurements (Monitoring)-Kosova

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Osmanaj, Lavdim; Karahoda, Dafina

2009-11-01

The territory of Republic of Kosova is divided in four catchment basins, such as: Basin of river Drini i Bardhë, river Ibri, river Morava of Binca and river Lepenci. [1]The river Klina is left part of the Drini i Bardhë basin.The inputs are designated by the following authors:a) GIANDOTT - VISSENTINb) GA VRILOVICc) THE METHOD OF TYPICALHYDROGRAMAs a result of this studies derive the following parameters: the surface of basin F=77.75km2, width of main flow L=22.00km', width of basin Wb=68.00km', highest quota of the basin Hqb=1750m.l.m, highest quota of inflow Hi=600.00m.l.m, average difference of height D=303.5m, maximal water input: Qmax100 years=112.00 m3/s, an average produce of Alluvium W=980.76m3/s, specific produce of Alluvium Gyears=35270.57 m3/s, secondary conveyance of Alluvium Qa=14.70 m3/s.

Modelling ecological flow regime: an example from the Tennessee and Cumberland River basins

USGS Publications Warehouse

Knight, Rodney R.; Gain, W. Scott; Wolfe, William J.

2012-01-01

Predictive equations were developed for 19 ecologically relevant streamflow characteristics within five major groups of flow variables (magnitude, ratio, frequency, variability, and date) for use in the Tennessee and Cumberland River basins using stepbackward regression. Basin characteristics explain 50% or more of the variation for 12 of the 19 equations. Independent variables identified through stepbackward regression were statistically significant in 78 of 304 cases (α > 0.0001) and represent four major groups: climate, physical landscape features, regional indicators, and land use. Of these groups, the regional and climate variables were the most influential for determining hydrologic response. Daily temperature range, geologic factor, and rock depth were major factors explaining the variability in 17, 15, and 13 equations, respectively. The equations and independent datasets were used to explore the broad relation between basin properties and streamflow and the implication of streamflow to the study of ecological flow requirements. Key results include a high degree of hydrologic variability among least disturbed Blue Ridge streams, similar hydrologic behaviour for watersheds with widely varying degrees of forest cover, and distinct hydrologic profiles for streams in different geographic regions. Published in 2011. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Atmospheric S and N deposition relates to increasing riverine transport of S and N in southwest China: Implications for soil acidification.

PubMed

Duan, Lei; Chen, Xiao; Ma, Xiaoxiao; Zhao, Bin; Larssen, Thorjørn; Wang, Shuxiao; Ye, Zhixiang

2016-11-01

Following Europe and North America, East Asia has become a global hotspot for acid deposition, with very high deposition of both sulfur (S) and nitrogen (N) occurring in large areas of southwest and southeast China. This study shows that the outflow flux of sulfate (SO 4 2- ) in three major tributaries of the Upper Yangtze River in the Sichuan Basin in southwest China has been increasing over the last three decades, which implies the regional soil acidification caused by increasing sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) emissions. Since 2005, the outflow of SO 4 2- to the Upper Yangtze River from the Sichuan Basin has even reached the atmospheric SO 2 emission from the basin. In contrast to S emissions, the rapid increase in nitrogen (N) emissions, including nitrogen oxides (NOx) and ammonia (NH 3 ), have resulted in only a slight increase in nitrate (NO 3 - ) concentrations in surface waters, indicating a large retention of N in the basin. Although N deposition currently contributes much less than S to soil acidification in this area, it is possible that catchments receiving a high input of N may be unable to retain a large fraction of the N deposition over long periods. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Coal-bed gas resources of the Rocky Mountain region

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schenk, C.J.; Nuccio, V.F.; Flores, R.M.; Johnson, R.C.; Roberts, S.B.; Collett, T.S.

2001-01-01

The Rocky Mountain region contains several sedimentary provinces with extensive coal deposits and significant accumulations of coal-bed gas. This summary includes coal-bed gas resources in the Powder River Basin (Wyoming and Montana), Wind River Basin (Wyoming), Southwest Wyoming (Greater Green River Basin of Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah), Uinta-Piceance Basin (Colorado and Utah), Raton Basin (Colorado and New Mexico), and San Juan Basin (Colorado and New Mexico). Other provinces in the Rocky Mountain region may contain significant coal-bed gas resources, but these resource estimates are not available at this time.

Temporal and spatial variation of hydrological condition in the Ziwu River Basin of the Han River in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Ziyan; Liu, Dengfeng; Huang, Qiang; Bai, Tao; Zhou, Shuai; Lin, Mu

2018-06-01

The middle route of South-To-North Water Diversion in China transfers water from the Han River and Han-To-Wei Water Diversion project of Shaanxi Province will transfer water from the Ziwu River, which is a tributary of the Han River. In order to gain a better understanding of future changes in the hydrological conditions within the Ziwu River basin, a Mann-Kendall (M-K) trend analysis is coupled with a persistence analysis using the rescaled range analysis (R/S) method. The future change in the hydrological characteristics of the Ziwu River basin is obtained by analysing the change of meteorological factors. The results show that, the future precipitation and potential evaporation are seasonal, and the spatial variation is significant. The proportion of basin area where the spring, summer, autumn and winter precipitation is predicted to continue increase is 0.00, 100.00, 19.00 and 16.00 %, meanwhile, the proportion of basin area that will continue to decrease in the future respectively will be 100.00, 0.00, 81.00 and 74.00 %.The future potential evapotranspiration of the four seasons in the basin shows a decreasing trend. The future water supply situation in the spring and autumn of the Ziwu River basin will degrade, and the future water supply situation in the summer and winter will improve. In addition, the areas with the same water supply situation are relatively concentrated. The results will provide scientific basis for the planning and management of river basin water resources and socio-hydrological processes analysis.

Environmental and hydrologic overview of the Yukon River basin, Alaska and Canada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brabets, Timothy P.; Wang, Bronwen; Meade, Robert H.

2000-01-01

The Yukon River, located in northwestern Canada and central Alaska, drains an area of more than 330,000 square miles, making it the fourth largest drainage basin in North America. Approximately 126,000 people live in this basin and 10 percent of these people maintain a subsistence lifestyle, depending on the basin's fish and game resources. Twenty ecoregions compose the Yukon River Basin, which indicates the large diversity of natural features of the watershed, such as climate, soils, permafrost, and geology. Although the annual mean discharge of the Yukon River near its mouth is more than 200,000 cubic feet per second, most of the flow occurs in the summer months from snowmelt, rainfall, and glacial melt. Eight major rivers flow into the Yukon River. Two of these rivers, the Tanana River and the White River, are glacier-fed rivers and together account for 29 percent of the total water flow of the Yukon. Two others, the Porcupine River and the Koyukuk River, are underlain by continuous permafrost and drain larger areas than the Tanana and the White, but together contribute only 22 percent of the total water flow in the Yukon. At its mouth, the Yukon River transports about 60 million tons of suspended sediment annually into the Bering Sea. However, an estimated 20 million tons annually is deposited on flood plains and in braided reaches of the river. The waters of the main stem of the Yukon River and its tributaries are predominantly calcium magnesium bicarbonate waters with specific conductances generally less than 400 microsiemens per centimeter. Water quality of the Yukon River Basin varies temporally between summer and winter. Water quality also varies spatially among ecoregions

Fish communities of the Buffalo River Basin and nearby basins of Arkansas and their relation to selected environmental factors, 2001-2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Petersen, James C.

2004-01-01

The Buffalo River lies in north-central Arkansas and is a tributary of the White River. Most of the length of the Buffalo River lies within the boundaries of Buffalo National River, a unit of the National Park Service; the upper 24 river kilometers lie within the boundary of the Ozark National Forest. Much of the upper and extreme lower parts of the basin on the south side of the Buffalo River is within the Ozark National Forest. During the summers of 2001 and 2002, fish communities were sampled at 52 sites in the study area that included the Buffalo River Basin and selected smaller nearby basins within the White River Basin in north-central Arkansas. Water quality (including nutrient and bacteria concentrations) and several other environmental factors (such as stream size, land use, substrate size, and riparian shading) also were measured. A total of 56 species of fish were collected from sites within the Buffalo River Basin in 2001 and 2002. All 56 species also were collected from within the boundaries of Buffalo National River. Twenty-two species were collected from headwater sites on tributaries of the Buffalo River; 27 species were collected from sites within or immediately adjacent to the Ozark National Forest. The list of species collected from Buffalo National River is similar to the list of species reported by previous investigators. Species richness at sites on the mainstem of the Buffalo River generally increased in a downstream direction. The number of species collected (both years combined) increased from 17 at the most upstream site to 38 near the mouth of the Buffalo River. In 2001 and 2002, a total of 53 species of fish were collected from sites outside the Buffalo River Basin. Several fish community metrics varied among sites in different site categories (mainstem, large tributary, small tributary, headwater, and developed out-of-basin sites). Median relative abundances of stonerollers ranged from about 25 to 55 percent and were highest at headwater and developed out-of-basin sites and lowest at mainstem sites. The relative abundances at the headwater and developed out-of-basin sites were significantly different from the relative abundances at the mainstem sites. Percentages of individuals of algivorous/herbivorous, invertivorous, and piscivorous species at headwater sites were significantly lower than values at mainstem and developed out-of-basin sites. Percentages of individuals of invertivorous species at mainstem sites were significantly higher than values at small tributary, headwater, and developed out-of-basin sites. Percentages of top carnivores at mainstem sites were significantly higher than values at tributary and headwater sites. The numbers of darter, sculpin, plus madtom species at mainstem, large tributary, and developed out-of-basin sites were significantly higher than values at other sites, and the values at small tributary sites and headwater sites were each significantly different from values at the other four types of sites. The number of lithophilic spawning species at large tributary sites was not significantly different from values at mainstem and developed out-of-basin sites, but values for small tributary and headwater sites each were significantly different from values for all other categories. Index of biotic integrity scores varied among the site categories. Scores for mainstem sites were significantly larger than all but large tributary site scores. Scores for headwater sites were significantly smaller than mainstem and large tributary site scores. Several analyses of the data described in this report suggest that drainage area is the most important single factor influencing fish communities of the Buffalo River Basin and nearby basins. Species richness increases with increasing drainage area and some species are restricted to smaller streams while other species are more common in larger streams. Some community metrics also are related to land use and related factors

Hydrologic reconnaissance of the Unalakleet River basin, Alaska, 1982-83

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sloan, C.E.; Kernodle, D.R.; Huntsinger, Ronald

1986-01-01

The Unalakleet River, Alaska, from its headwaters to the confluence of the Chiroskey River has been designated as a wild river and is included in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Yearly low flow, which occurs during the winter, is sustained by groundwater discharge; there are few lakes in the basin and the cold climate prevents winter runoff. The amount of winter streamflow was greatest in the lower parts of streams with the exception of the South River and was apparently proportional to the amount of unfrozen alluvium upstream from the measuring sites. Unit discharge in late winter ranged from nearly zero at the mouth of the South River to 0.24 cu ft/sec/sq mi in the Unalakleet River main stem below Tenmile River. Summer runoff at the time of the reconnaissance may have been slightly higher than normal owing to recent rains. Unit runoff ranged from a low of 1.0 cu ft/sec/sq mi at the South River, to a high value of 2.4 cu ft/sec/sq mi at the North Fork Unalakleet River. Flood marks were present in the basin well above streambank levels but suitable sections to measure the maximum evident flood by slope-area methods were not found. Flood peaks were calculated for the Unalakleet River and its tributaries using basin characteristics. Calculated unit runoff for the 50-year flood ranged from about 17 to 45 cu ft/sec/sq mi. Water quality was good throughout the basin, and an abundant and diversified community of benthic invertebrates was found in samples collected during the summer reconnaissance. Permafrost underlies most of the basin, but groundwater can be found in unfrozen alluvium in the stream valleys, most abundantly in the lower part of the main tributaries and along the main stem of the Unalakleet River. Groundwater sustains river flow through the winter; an estimate of its quantity can be found through low-flow measurements. Groundwater quality in the basin appears to be satisfactory for most uses. Currently, little groundwater is used within the basin. The water supply for Unalakleet is obtained from a well and gallery in a small valley north of the airport, outside the Unalakleet River basin. (Author 's abstract)

Oil shale and nahcolite resources of the Piceance Basin, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2010-01-01

This report presents an in-place assessment of the oil shale and nahcolite resources of the Green River Formation in the Piceance Basin of western Colorado. The Piceance Basin is one of three large structural and sedimentary basins that contain vast amounts of oil shale resources in the Green River Formation of Eocene age. The other two basins, the Uinta Basin of eastern Utah and westernmost Colorado, and the Greater Green River Basin of southwest Wyoming, northwestern Colorado, and northeastern Utah also contain large resources of oil shale in the Green River Formation, and these two basins will be assessed separately. Estimated in-place oil is about 1.5 trillion barrels, based on Fischer a ssay results from boreholes drilled to evaluate oil shale, making it the largest oil shale deposit in the world. The estimated in-place nahcolite resource is about 43.3 billion short tons.

Regression-transgression cycles of paleolakes in the Fen River Graben Basin during the mid to late Quaternary and their tectonic implication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Meijun; Hu, Xiaomeng

2017-12-01

An investigation into lake terraces and their sedimentary features in the Fen River Graben Basin shows that several paleolake regression-transgression cycles took place during the mid to late Quaternary. The horizontal distribution of the lowest loess/paleosol unit overlying each lake terrace indicates the occurrence of four rapid lake regressions when paleosols S8, S5, S2, and S1 began to develop. The horizontal distribution of the topmost loess/ paleosol unit underlying the lacustrine sediment in each transition zone between two adjacent terraces indicates that following a lake regression, a very slow lake transgression occurred. The durations of three lake transgressions correspond to those of the deposition or development of loess/paleosols L8 to L6, L5 to L3, and L2. It is thereby inferred that regional tectonic movement is likely the primary factor resulting in the cyclical process of paleolake regressions and transgressions. Taking these findings along with published geophysical research results regarding the upper mantle movements underneath the graben basin into account, this paper deduces that a cause and effect relationship may exist between the paleolake regression-transgression cycles and the tectonic activity in the upper mantle. The occurrence of a rapid lake regression implies that the upwelling of the upper mantle underneath the graben basin may be dominant and resulting in a rapid uplifting of the basin floor. The subsequent slow lake transgression implies that the thinning of the crust and cooling of the warm mantle material underneath the graben basin may become dominant causing the basin floor to subside slowly. Four rapid paleolake regressions indicate that four episodic tectonic movements took place in the graben basin during the mid to late Quaternary.

Clay mineralogy of surface sediments as a tool for deciphering river contributions to the Cariaco Basin (Venezuela)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bout-Roumazeilles, V.; Riboulleau, A.; du Châtelet, E. Armynot; Lorenzoni, L.; Tribovillard, N.; Murray, R. W.; Müller-Karger, F.; Astor, Y. M.

2013-02-01

The mineralogical composition of 95 surface sediment samples from the Cariaco Basin continental shelf and Orinoco delta was investigated in order to constrain the clay-mineral main provenance and distribution within the Cariaco Basin. The spatial variability of the data set was studied using a geo-statistical approach that allows drawing representative clay-mineral distribution maps. These maps are used to identify present-day dominant sources for each clay-mineral species in agreement with the geological characteristics of the main river watersheds emptying into the basin. This approach allows (1) identifying the most distinctive clay-mineral species/ratios that determine particle provenance, (2) evaluating the respective contribution of local rivers, and (3) confirming the minimal present-day influence of the Orinoco plume on the Cariaco Basin sedimentation. The Tuy, Unare, and Neveri Rivers are the main sources of clay particles to the Cariaco Basin sedimentation. At present, the Tuy River is the main contributor of illite to the western part of the southern Cariaco Basin continental shelf. The Unare River plume, carrying smectite and kaolinite, has a wide westward propagation, whereas the Neveri River contribution is less extended, providing kaolinite and illite toward the eastern Cariaco Basin. The Manzanares, Araya, Tortuga, and Margarita areas are secondary sources of local influence. These insights shed light on the origin of present-day terrigenous sediments of the Cariaco Basin and help to propose alternative explanations for the temporal variability of clay mineralogy observed in previously published studies.

A Noninvasive Tool to Assess the Distribution of Pacific Lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus) in the Columbia River Basin

PubMed Central

Young, Michael K.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Schwartz, Michael K.

2017-01-01

The Pacific lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus) is an anadromous fish once abundant throughout coastal basins of western North America that has suffered dramatic declines in the last century due primarily to human activities. Here, we describe the development of an environmental DNA (eDNA) assay to detect Pacific lamprey in the Columbia River basin. The eDNA assay successfully amplified tissue derived DNA of Pacific lamprey collected from 12 locations throughout the Columbia River basin. The assay amplifies DNA from other Entosphenus species found outside of the Columbia River basin, but is species-specific within this basin. As a result, the assay presented here may be useful for detecting Entosphenus spp. in geographic range beyond the Columbia River Basin. The assay did not amplify tissue or synthetically derived DNA of 14 commonly sympatric non-target species, including lampreys of the genus Lampetra, which are morphologically similar to Pacific lamprey in the freshwater larval stage. PMID:28068358

Human activities and its Responses to Glacier Melt Water Over Tarim River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Hai; Zhou, Shenbei; Bai, Minghao

2017-04-01

Tarim River Basin lies in the south area of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the north-west area of China. It is the longest inland river of China. Being far away from ocean and embraced by high mountains, Tarim River Basin is the typical arid region in the world. The intensity of human activities increased rapidly in Tarim River Basin since 1980's and water resources lacking is the major issue restricting the development of social economy. The glacier melt water plays an important role for the regional social and economic development, and it accounts for 40% of mountain-pass runoff. It is a fragile mutual-dependent relationship between local sustainable development and runoff. Under the background of global change glacier melt water process has also changed especially in the arid and semi-arid region. Due to climate change, glacier in Tarim River Basin has melted in an observed way since 1980s, together with increasing trend of annual rainfall and virgin flow in mountain basins. Correspondingly, human activity gets more frequent since 1970s, resulting into the obvious fragile mutual-dependent relationship between basin runoff and water use amount. Through an analysis of meteorological, hydrological and geographical observation data from 1985 to 2015, this thesis make a multi-factor variance analysis of population, cultivation area, industrial development and runoff in upstream and mid-stream of Tarim River under changing conditions. Furthermore, the regulation function of natural factors and water demand management factors on relationship between runoff and water using amount are discussed, including temperature, rainfall, and evaporation, water conservation technology and soil-water exploitation administrative institutions. It concludes that: first, increase in glacier runoff, rainfall amount, and virgin flow haven't notably relieved ecological issue in Tarim River Basin, and even has promoted water use behaviour in different flowing areas and noticeably reduced the influence on water demand management. Second, water demand management factors positively relate to ecological improvement in Tarim River Basin. Third, after a further prediction on glacier melt with fuzzy neural network, it finds that the weaker adjustment influence of glacier runoff would put Tarim River Basin into a much weaker mutual-dependent relationship. The research believes that if short-term activity of society has wrongly adapted to runoff increase from faster glacier melt, it would put social development and ecological recovery of Tarim River Basin into a higher vulnerable way. Key words: Tarim River Basin, Changing Condition, Glacier Melt, mutual-dependent vulnerability

Geochemistry of an abandoned landfill containing coal combustion waste: Implications for remediation

Treesearch

Christopher Barton; Linda Paddock; Christopher Romanek; John Seaman

2001-01-01

The 488-D Ash Basin (488-DAB) is an unlined, earthen landfill containing approximately one million tons of dry ash and coal reject material at the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River Site, SC. The pyritic nature of the coal rejects has resulted in the formation of acidic drainage (AD), which has contributed to groundwater deterioration and threatened biota...

GEOCHEMISTRY AND CHARACTERISTICS OF NITROGEN TRANSPORT AT A CONFINED ANIMAL FEEDING OPERATION IN A COASTAL PLAIN AGRICULTURAL WATERSHED, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR NUTRIENT LOADING IN THE NEUSE RIVER BASIN, NORTH CAROLINA, 1999-2002

EPA Science Inventory

Chemical, geologic, hydrologic, and age-dating information collected between 1999 and 2002 were used to examine the transport of contaminants, primarily nitrogen, in ground water and the pathways to surface water in a coastal plain setting in North Carolina. Data were collected f...

Metal attenuation processes in a landfill containing coal combustion waste: implications for remediation

Treesearch

Christopher Barton; Lindy Paddock; Christopher Romanek; Sally Maharaj; John Seaman

2005-01-01

The 488-D Ash Basin (488-DAB) is an unlined, earthen landfill containing approximately 1 million t of dry ash and coal reject material at the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River Site, South Carolina. The pyritic nature of the coal rejects has resulted in the formation of acidic drainage, which has contributed to groundwater deterioration and threatened...

Research on monitoring system of water resources in Shiyang River Basin based on Multi-agent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, T. H.; Yin, Z.; Song, Y. Z.

2012-11-01

The Shiyang River Basin is the most populous, economy relatively develop, the highest degree of development and utilization of water resources, water conflicts the most prominent, ecological environment problems of the worst hit areas in Hexi inland river basin in Gansu province. the contradiction between people and water is aggravated constantly in the basin. This text combines multi-Agent technology with monitoring system of water resource, the establishment of a management center, telemetry Agent Federation, as well as the communication network between the composition of the Shiyang River Basin water resources monitoring system. By taking advantage of multi-agent system intelligence and communications coordination to improve the timeliness of the basin water resources monitoring.

Evaluation of volatile organic compounds in two Mojave Desert basins-Mojave River and Antelope Valley-in San Bernardino, Los Angeles, and Kern Counties, California, June-October 2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Densmore, Jill N.; Belitz, Kenneth; Wright, Michael T.; Dawson, Barbara J.; Johnson, Tyler D.

2005-01-01

The California Aquifer Susceptibility Assessment of the Ground-Water Ambient Monitoring and Assessment Program was developed to assess water quality and susceptibility of ground-water resources to contamination from surficial sources. This study focuses on the Mojave River and the Antelope Valley ground-water basins in southern California. Volatile organic compound (VOC) data were evaluated in conjunction with tritium data to determine a potential correlation with aquifer type, depth to top of perforations, and land use to VOC distribution and occurrence in the Mojave River and the Antelope Valley Basins. Detection frequencies for VOCs were compiled and compared to assess the distribution in each area. Explanatory variables were evaluated by comparing detection frequencies for VOCs and tritium and the number of compounds detected. Thirty-three wells were sampled in the Mojave River Basin (9 in the floodplain aquifer, 15 in the regional aquifer, and 9 in the sewered subset of the regional aquifer). Thirty-two wells were sampled in the Antelope Valley Basin. Quality-control samples also were collected to identify, quantify, and document bias and variability in the data. Results show that VOCs generally were detected slightly more often in the Antelope Valley Basin samples than in the Mojave River Basin samples. VOCs were detected more frequently in the floodplain aquifer than in the regional aquifer and the sewered subset. Tritium was detected more frequently in the Mojave River Basin samples than in the Antelope Valley Basin samples, and it was detected more frequently in the floodplain aquifer than in the regional aquifer and the sewered subset. Most of the samples collected in both basins for this study contained old water (water recharged prior to 1952). In general, in these desert basins, tritium need not be present for VOCs to be present. When VOCs were detected, young water (water recharge after 1952) was slightly more likely to be contaminated than old water. Trihalomethanes (THMs) were detected less frequently in the Mojave River Basin samples than in the Antelope Valley Basin samples. The THMs that were detected in the Mojave River Basin were detected more frequently in the floodplain aquifer than in the regional aquifer and sewered subset. Solvents were detected more frequently in the Mojave River samples than in the Antelope Valley samples. In the Mojave River Basin samples, solvents were detected less frequently in the floodplain aquifer than in the regional aquifer and the sewered subset. Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene (BTEX) were not detected in either study area. Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) was detected in one sample from both the Mojave River and Antelope Valley Basins. The most frequently detected compound (detected in more than 10 percent of the wells) in the Mojave River Basin was chloroform. The two most frequently detected compounds in the Antelope Valley Basin were chloroform and tetrachloroethylene (PCE). In the Mojave River Basin, aquifer type and land use within 1,640 ft (500 m) of the well head were not statistically correlated with the number of VOCs detected, although VOCs were detected more frequently in the floodplain aquifer than in the regional aquifer and the sewered subset. Depth to the top of the perforations was an explanatory factor for the number of VOCs detected in the Mojave River Basin; the detection frequency was greater for shallow wells than for deep wells. In the Antelope Valley Basin, neither aquifer type, depth to the top of the perforations, nor land use within 1,640 ft of the well head were explanatory factors for the number of VOCs detected. Although aquifer type and depth to top of the perforations did explain the presence of tritium in the Mojave River Basin, land use within 1,640 ft of the well head was not a statistically significant explanatory factor for the presence of tritium in this basin. Aquifer type, depth to the top of the perfora

Relating Stress Drop Variations with Geological Setting for Injection-Induced Seismicity and Its Seismic Hazard Implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Urbancic, T.; Viegas, G. F.; Baig, A.

2017-12-01

We observe conflicting stress drop estimates of M0 to M4 injection-induced earthquakes in two regions of the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin. Induced earthquakes in the Horn River Basin show lower stress drops than induced earthquakes in the Duvernay Basin by a factor of 10 to 20. Higher stress drop earthquakes have a significant role in seismic hazard as they generate higher frequency strong ground motions which can potentially cause more damages, making it important to understand its causes. Both earthquake datasets occur below shale reservoirs under hydraulic-fracture stimulation programs. Both treatment programs target the same shale formation (Muskwa in Horn River Basin and Duvernay in Duvernay Basin) at approximately the same depth (3 km). Both reservoirs are located to the edge of the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin bordering the Rocky Mountains and are under the same tectonic setting, both currently and during the Devonian depositional phase. The major observable difference is the local geology. While the Horn River Basin in northeast British Columbia shows mostly continuous horizontal stratification the Duvernay shale in the Fox Creek region in Alberta drapes over Leduc Formation reefs which cross-cut it as chains of reefs, isolated atolls and isolated pinnacles. Schultz et al. (2017) showed that induced seismicity in the Duvernay Basin region occurs primarily in the margins of the Devonian carbonate reefs (10 to 20 km away) where optimally oriented basement faults exist. The fault system is in part associated with basement tectonism and isostatic compensation mechanisms involved in the reefs diagenesis. We propose that the observed stress drop differences are caused by different regional stress characteristics, with events occurring in more stressed regions having higher stress drops. These areas of higher stress are found at the margins of the denser Leduc reefs formation and may be caused either by load transfer, isostatic compensation mechanisms, and accumulation of strain energy in the underlying fault system. The geological setting in which earthquakes occur may be a more important factor than previously considered in seismic hazard studies.

Genetic structure and historical diversification of catfish Brachyplatystoma platynemum (Siluriformes: Pimelodidae) in the Amazon basin with implications for its conservation.

PubMed

Ochoa, Luz Eneida; Pereira, Luiz Henrique G; Costa-Silva, Guilherme Jose; Roxo, Fábio F; Batista, Jacqueline S; Formiga, Kyara; Foresti, Fausto; Oliveira, Claudio

2015-05-01

Brachyplatystoma platynemum is a catfish species widely distributed in the Amazon basin. Despite being considered of little commercial interest, the decline in other fish populations has contributed to the increase in the catches of this species. The structure, population genetic variability, and evolutionary process that have driven the diversification of this species are presently unknown. Considering that, in order to better understand the genetic structure of this species, we analyzed individuals from seven locations of the Amazon basin using eight molecular markers: control region and cytochrome b mtDNA sequences, and a set of six nuclear microsatellite loci. The results show high levels of haplotype diversity and point to the occurrence of two structured populations (Amazon River and the Madeira River) with high values for F ST. Divergence time estimates based on mtDNA indicated that these populations diverged about 1.0 Mya (0.2-2.5 Mya 95% HPD) using cytochrome b and 1.4 Mya (0.2-2.7 Mya 95% HPD) using control region. During that time, the influence of climate changes and hydrological events such as sea level oscillations and drainage isolation as a result of geological processes in the Pleistocene may have contributed to the current structure of B. platynemum populations, as well as of differences in water chemistry in Madeira River. The strong genetic structure and the time of genetic divergence estimated for the groups may indicate the existence of strong structure populations of B. platynemum in the Amazon basin.

Genetic structure and historical diversification of catfish Brachyplatystoma platynemum (Siluriformes: Pimelodidae) in the Amazon basin with implications for its conservation

PubMed Central

Ochoa, Luz Eneida; Pereira, Luiz Henrique G; Costa-Silva, Guilherme Jose; Roxo, Fábio F; Batista, Jacqueline S; Formiga, Kyara; Foresti, Fausto; Oliveira, Claudio

2015-01-01

Brachyplatystoma platynemum is a catfish species widely distributed in the Amazon basin. Despite being considered of little commercial interest, the decline in other fish populations has contributed to the increase in the catches of this species. The structure, population genetic variability, and evolutionary process that have driven the diversification of this species are presently unknown. Considering that, in order to better understand the genetic structure of this species, we analyzed individuals from seven locations of the Amazon basin using eight molecular markers: control region and cytochrome b mtDNA sequences, and a set of six nuclear microsatellite loci. The results show high levels of haplotype diversity and point to the occurrence of two structured populations (Amazon River and the Madeira River) with high values for FST. Divergence time estimates based on mtDNA indicated that these populations diverged about 1.0 Mya (0.2–2.5 Mya 95% HPD) using cytochrome b and 1.4 Mya (0.2–2.7 Mya 95% HPD) using control region. During that time, the influence of climate changes and hydrological events such as sea level oscillations and drainage isolation as a result of geological processes in the Pleistocene may have contributed to the current structure of B. platynemum populations, as well as of differences in water chemistry in Madeira River. The strong genetic structure and the time of genetic divergence estimated for the groups may indicate the existence of strong structure populations of B. platynemum in the Amazon basin. PMID:26045952

Water quality in select regions of Cauvery Delta River basin, southern India, with emphasis on monsoonal variation.

PubMed

Solaraj, Govindaraj; Dhanakumar, Selvaraj; Murthy, Kuppuraj Rutharvel; Mohanraj, Rangaswamy

2010-07-01

Delta regions of the Cauvery River basin are one of the significant areas of rice production in India. In spite of large-scale utilization of the river basin for irrigation and drinking purposes, the lack of appropriate water management has seemingly deteriorated the water quality due to increasing anthropogenic activities. To assess the extent of deterioration, physicochemical characteristics of surface water were analyzed monthly in select regions of Cauvery Delta River basin, India, during July 2007 to December 2007. Total dissolved solids, chemical oxygen demand, and phosphate recorded maximum levels of 1,638, 96, and 0.43 mg/l, respectively, exceeding the permissible levels at certain sampling stations. Monsoonal rains in Cauvery River basin and the subsequent increase in river flow rate influences certain parameters like dissolved solids, phosphate, and dissolved oxygen. Agricultural runoff from watershed, sewage, and industrial effluents are suspected as probable factors of water pollution.

Foundations of the participatory approach in the Mekong River basin management.

PubMed

Budryte, Paulina; Heldt, Sonja; Denecke, Martin

2018-05-01

Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) was acknowledged as a leading concept in the water management for the last two decades by academia, political decision-makers and experts. It strongly promotes holistic management and participatory approaches. The flexibility and adaptability of IWRM concept are especially important for large, transboundary river basins - e.g. the Mekong river basin - where natural processes and hazards, as well as, human-made "disasters" are demanding for a comprehensive approach. In the Mekong river basin, the development and especially the enforcement of one common strategy has always been a struggle. The past holds some unsuccessful experiences. In 2016 Mekong River Commission published IWRM-based Basin Development Strategy 2016-2020 and The Mekong River Commission Strategic Plan 2016-2020. They should be the main guiding document for the Mekong river development in the near future. This study analyzes how the concept of public participation resembles the original IWRM participatory approach in these documents. Therefore, IWRM criteria for public participation in international literature and official documents from the Mekong river basin are compared. As there is often a difference between "de jure" and "de facto" implementation of public participation in management concepts, the perception of local stakeholders was assessed in addition. The results of social survey give an insight if local people are aware of Mekong river basin development and present their dominant attitudes about the issue. The findings enable recommendations how to mitigate obstacles in the implementation of common development strategy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

COLUMBIA RIVER BASIN SALMON AND STEELHEAD: Federal Agencies’ Recovery Responsibilities, Expenditures and Actions

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-07-01

Monthly. Caspian Tern Working Group Developing a plan to reduce smolt predation by Caspian terns nesting in the Columbia River estuary. As needed...Environment and Public Works, U.S. SenateJuly 2002 COLUMBIA RIVER BASIN SALMON AND STEELHEAD Federal Agencies’ Recovery Responsibilities... COLUMBIA RIVER BASIN SALMON AND STEELHEAD: Federal Agencies Recovery Responsibilities, Expenditures and Actions Contract Number Grant Number Program

Distribution, status, and likely future trends of bull trout within the interior Columbia River and Klamath River basins

Treesearch

Bruce E. Rieman; Danny C. Lee; Russell F. Thurow

1997-01-01

We summarized existing knowledge regarding the distribution and status of bull trout Salvelinus confluentus across 4,462 subwatersheds of the interior Columbia River basin in Oregon, Washington. Idaho, Montana, and Nevada and of the Klamath River basin in Oregon, a region that represents about 20% of the species' global range. We used classification trees and the...

Are calanco landforms similar to river basins?

PubMed

Caraballo-Arias, N A; Ferro, V

2017-12-15

In the past badlands have been often considered as ideal field laboratories for studying landscape evolution because of their geometrical similarity to larger fluvial systems. For a given hydrological process, no scientific proof exists that badlands can be considered a model of river basin prototypes. In this paper the measurements carried out on 45 Sicilian calanchi, a type of badlands that appears as a small-scale hydrographic unit, are used to establish their morphological similarity with river systems whose data are available in the literature. At first the geomorphological similarity is studied by identifying the dimensionless groups, which can assume the same value or a scaled one in a fixed ratio, representing drainage basin shape, stream network and relief properties. Then, for each property, the dimensionless groups are calculated for the investigated calanchi and the river basins and their corresponding scale ratio is evaluated. The applicability of Hack's, Horton's and Melton's laws for establishing similarity criteria is also tested. The developed analysis allows to conclude that a quantitative morphological similarity between calanco landforms and river basins can be established using commonly applied dimensionless groups. In particular, the analysis showed that i) calanchi and river basins have a geometrically similar shape respect to the parameters Rf and Re with a scale factor close to 1, ii) calanchi and river basins are similar respect to the bifurcation and length ratios (λ=1), iii) for the investigated calanchi the Melton number assumes values less than that (0.694) corresponding to the river case and a scale ratio ranging from 0.52 and 0.78 can be used, iv) calanchi and river basins have similar mean relief ratio values (λ=1.13) and v) calanchi present active geomorphic processes and therefore fall in a more juvenile stage with respect to river basins. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of coal-mine drainage on stream water quality in the Allegheny and Monongahela River Basins-Sulfate transport and trends

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sams, James I.; Beer, Kevin M.

2000-01-01

In 1980, the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers transported a sulfate load of 1.2 million and 1.35 million tons, respectively, to the Ohio River at Pittsburgh. The Monongahela River Basin had a sulfate yield of 184 tons per square mile per year compared to 105 tons per square mile per year for the Allegheny River Basin. Within the large Allegheny and Monongahela River Basins, the subbasins with the highest sulfate yields in tons per square mile per year were those of Redstone Creek (580), Blacklick Creek (524), Conemaugh River (292), Buffalo Creek (247), Stonycreek River (239), Two Lick Creek (231), Dunkard Creek (212), and Loyalhanna Creek (196). These basins have been extensively mined. The sulfate yields of Brokenstraw and Conewango Creeks, which are outside the area underlain by coal and thus contain no coal mines, were 25 and 24 tons per square mile per year, respectively.Within the Allegheny and Monongahela River Basins, seven sites showed significant trends in sulfate concentration from 1965 to 1995. Dunkard Creek and Stonycreek River show significant upward trends in sulfate concentration. These trends appear to be related to increases in coal production in the two basins from 1965 to 1995. Blacklick Creek at Josephine and Loyalhanna Creek at Loyalhanna Dam show significant downward trends in sulfate concentration between 1965 and 1995. Blacklick Creek had a 50-percent decrease in sulfate concentration. Coal production in the Blacklick Creek Basin, which reached its peak at almost 4 million tons per year in the 1940's, dropped to less than 1 million tons per year by 1995. In the Loyalhanna Creek Basin, which had a 41-percent decrease in sulfate concentration, coal-production rates dropped steadily from more than 1.5 million tons per year in the 1940's to less than 200,000 tons per year in 1995.

Precipitation and temperature changes in the major Chinese river basins during 1957-2013 and links to sea surface temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, Qing; Prange, Matthias; Merkel, Ute

2016-05-01

The variation characteristics of precipitation and temperature in the three major Chinese river basins (Yellow River, Yangtze River and Pearl River) in the period of 1957-2013 were analyzed on an annual and seasonal basis, as well as their links to sea surface temperature (SST) variations in the tropical Pacific and Indian Ocean on both interannual and decadal time scales. Annual mean temperature of the three river basins increased significantly overall since 1957, with an average warming rate of about 0.19 °C/10a, but the warming was characterized by a staircase form with steps around 1987 and 1998. The significant increase of annual mean temperature could mostly be attributed to the remarkable warming trend in spring, autumn and winter. Warming rates in the northern basins were generally much higher than in the southern basins. However, both the annual precipitation and seasonal mean precipitation of the three river basins showed little change in the study area average, but distinct interannual variations since 1957 and clear regional differences. An overall warming-wetting tendency was found in the northwestern and southeastern river basins in 1957-2013, while the central regions tended to become warmer and drier. Results from a Maximum Covariance Analysis (MCA) showed that the interannual variations of seasonal mean precipitation and surface air temperature over the three river basins were both associated with the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) since 1957. ENSO SST patterns affected precipitation and surface air temperature variability throughout the year, but with very different response patterns in the different seasons. For instance, temperature in most of the river basins was positively correlated with central-eastern equatorial Pacific SST in winter and spring, but negatively correlated in summer and autumn. On the decadal time scale, the seasonal mean precipitation and surface air temperature variations were strongly associated with the Pacific Quasi-Decadal Oscillation.

Changing sediment budget of the Mekong: Cumulative threats and management strategies for a large river basin.

PubMed

Kondolf, G Mathias; Schmitt, Rafael J P; Carling, Paul; Darby, Steve; Arias, Mauricio; Bizzi, Simone; Castelletti, Andrea; Cochrane, Thomas A; Gibson, Stanford; Kummu, Matti; Oeurng, Chantha; Rubin, Zan; Wild, Thomas

2018-06-01

Two decades after the construction of the first major dam, the Mekong basin and its six riparian countries have seen rapid economic growth and development of the river system. Hydropower dams, aggregate mines, flood-control dykes, and groundwater-irrigated agriculture have all provided short-term economic benefits throughout the basin. However, it is becoming evident that anthropic changes are significantly affecting the natural functioning of the river and its floodplains. We now ask if these changes are risking major adverse impacts for the 70 million people living in the Mekong Basin. Many livelihoods in the basin depend on ecosystem services that will be strongly impacted by alterations of the sediment transport processes that drive river and delta morpho-dynamics, which underpin a sustainable future for the Mekong basin and Delta. Drawing upon ongoing and recently published research, we provide an overview of key drivers of change (hydropower development, sand mining, dyking and water infrastructures, climate change, and accelerated subsidence from pumping) for the Mekong's sediment budget, and their likely individual and cumulative impacts on the river system. Our results quantify the degree to which the Mekong delta, which receives the impacts from the entire connected river basin, is increasingly vulnerable in the face of declining sediment loads, rising seas and subsiding land. Without concerted action, it is likely that nearly half of the Delta's land surface will be below sea level by 2100, with the remaining areas impacted by salinization and frequent flooding. The threat to the Delta can be understood only in the context of processes in the entire river basin. The Mekong River case can serve to raise awareness of how the connected functions of river systems in general depend on undisturbed sediment transport, thereby informing planning for other large river basins currently embarking on rapid economic development. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hydrogeologic framework and selected components of the groundwater budget for the upper Umatilla River Basin, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Herrera, Nora B.; Ely, Kate; Mehta, Smita; Stonewall, Adam J.; Risley, John C.; Hinkle, Stephen R.; Conlon, Terrence D.

2017-05-31

Executive SummaryThis report presents a summary of the hydrogeology of the upper Umatilla River Basin, Oregon, based on characterization of the hydrogeologic framework, horizontal and vertical directions of groundwater flow, trends in groundwater levels, and components of the groundwater budget. The conceptual model of the groundwater flow system integrates available data and information on the groundwater resources of the upper Umatilla River Basin and provides insights regarding key hydrologic processes, such as the interaction between the groundwater and surface water systems and the hydrologic budget.The conceptual groundwater model developed for the study area divides the groundwater flow system into five hydrogeologic units: a sedimentary unit, three Columbia River basalt units, and a basement rock unit. The sedimentary unit, which is not widely used as a source of groundwater in the upper basin, is present primarily in the lowlands and consists of conglomerate, loess, silt and sand deposits, and recent alluvium. The Columbia River Basalt Group is a series of Miocene flood basalts that are present throughout the study area. The basalt is uplifted in the southeastern half of the study area, and either underlies the sedimentary unit, or is exposed at the surface. The interflow zones of the flood basalts are the primary aquifers in the study area. Beneath the flood basalts are basement rocks composed of Paleogene to Pre-Tertiary sedimentary, volcanic, igneous, and metamorphic rocks that are not used as a source of groundwater in the upper Umatilla River Basin.The major components of the groundwater budget in the upper Umatilla River Basin are (1) groundwater recharge, (2) groundwater discharge to surface water and wells, (3) subsurface flow into and out of the basin, and (4) changes in groundwater storage.Recharge from precipitation occurs primarily in the upland areas of the Blue Mountains. Mean annual recharge from infiltration of precipitation for the upper Umatilla River Basin during 1951–2010 is about 9.6 inches per year (in/yr). Annual recharge from precipitation for water year 2010 ranged from 3 in. in the lowland area to about 30 in. in the Blue Mountains. Using Kahle and others (2011) data and methods from the Columbia Plateau regional model, average annual recharge from irrigation is estimated to be about 2.2 in/yr for the 13 square miles of irrigated land in the upper Umatilla River Basin.Groundwater discharges to streams throughout the year and is a large component of annual streamflow in the upper Umatilla River Basin. Upward vertical hydraulic gradients near the Umatilla River indicate the potential for groundwater discharge. Groundwater discharge to the Umatilla River generally occurs in the upper part of the basin, upstream from the main stem.Groundwater development in the upper Umatilla River Basin began sometime after 1950 (Davies-Smith and others, 1988; Gonthier and Bolke, 1991). By water year 2010, groundwater use in the upper Umatilla River Basin was approximately 11,214 acre-feet (acre-ft). Total groundwater withdrawals for the study area were estimated at 7,575 acre-ft for irrigation, 3,173 acre-ft for municipal use, and 466 acre-ft for domestic use.Total groundwater flow into or from the study area depends locally on geology and hydraulic head distribution. Estimates of subsurface flow were calculated using the U.S. Geological Survey Columbia Plateau regional groundwater flow model. Net flux values range from 25,000 to 27,700 acre-ft per year and indicate that groundwater is moving out of the upper Umatilla River Basin into the lower Umatilla River Basin.Water level changes depend on storage changes within an aquifer, and storage changes depend on the storage properties of the aquifer, as well as recharge to or discharge from the aquifer. Groundwater level data in the upper Umatilla River Basin are mostly available from wells in Columbia River basalt units, which indicate areas of long-term water level declines in the Grande Ronde basalt unit near Pendleton and Athena, Oregon. Groundwater levels in the Wanapum basalt unit do not show long-term declines in the upper Umatilla River Basin. Because of pumping, some areas in the upper Umatilla River Basin have shown a decrease, or reversal, in the upward vertical head gradient.Key data needs are improvement of the spatial and temporal distribution of water-level data collection and continued monitoring of streamflow gaging sites. Additionally, refinement of recharge estimates would enhance understanding of the processes that provide the groundwater resources in the upper Umatilla River Basin.

Virtual mission stage I: Implications of a spaceborne surface water mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, E. A.; Alsdorf, D. E.; Bates, P.; Wilson, M. D.; Lettenmaier, D. P.

2004-12-01

The interannual and interseasonal variability of the land surface water cycle depend on the distribution of surface water in lakes, wetlands, reservoirs, and river systems; however, measurements of hydrologic variables are sparsely distributed, even in industrialized nations. Moreover, the spatial extent and storage variations of lakes, reservoirs, and wetlands are poorly known. We are developing a virtual mission to demonstrate the feasibility of observing surface water extent and variations from a spaceborne platform. In the first stage of the virtual mission, on which we report here, surface water area and fluxes are emulated using simulation modeling over three continental scale river basins, including the Ohio River, the Amazon River and an Arctic river. The Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) macroscale hydrologic model is used to simulate evapotranspiration, soil moisture, snow accumulation and ablation, and runoff and streamflow over each basin at one-eighth degree resolution. The runoff from this model is routed using a linear transfer model to provide input to a much more detailed flow hydraulics model. The flow hydraulics model then routes runoff through various channel and floodplain morphologies at a 250 m spatial and 20 second temporal resolution over a 100 km by 500 km domain. This information is used to evaluate trade-offs between spatial and temporal resolutions of a hypothetical high resolution spaceborne altimeter by synthetically sampling the resultant model-predicted water surface elevations.

Nitrogen and phosphorus in streams of the Great Miami River Basin, Ohio, 1998-2000

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reutter, David C.

2003-01-01

Sources and loads of nitrogen and phosphorus in streams of the Great Miami River Basin were evaluated as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment program. Water samples were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey from October 1998 through September 2000 (water years 1999 and 2000) at five locations in Ohio on a routine schedule and additionally during selected high streamflows. Stillwater River near Union, Great Miami River near Vandalia, and Mad River near Eagle City were selected to represent predominantly agricultural areas upstream from the Dayton metropolitan area. Holes Creek near Kettering is in the Dayton metropolitan area and was selected to represent an urban area in the Great Miami River Basin. Great Miami River at Hamilton is downstream from the Dayton and Hamilton-Middletown metropolitan areas and was selected to represent mixed agricultural and urban land uses of the Great Miami River Basin. Inputs of nitrogen and phosphorus to streams from point and nonpoint sources were estimated for the three agricultural basins and for the Great Miami River Basin as a whole. Nutrient inputs from point sources were computed from the facilities that discharge one-half million gallons or more per day into streams of the Great Miami River Basin. Nonpoint-source inputs estimated in this report are atmospheric deposition and commercial-fertilizer and manure applications. Loads of ammonia, nitrate, total nitrogen, orthophosphate, and total phosphorus from the five sites were computed with the ESTIMATOR program. The computations show nitrate to be the primary component of instream nitrogen loads, and particulate phosphorus to be the primary component of instream phosphorus loads. The Mad River contributed the smallest loads of total nitrogen and total phosphorus to the study area upstream from Dayton, whereas the Upper Great Miami River (upstream from Vandalia) contributed the largest loads of total nitrogen and total phosphorus to the Great Miami River Basin upstream from Dayton. An evaluation of monthly mean loads shows that nutrient loads were highest during winter 1999 and lowest during the drought of summer and autumn 1999. During the 1999 drought, point sources were the primary contributors of nitrogen and phosphorus loads to most of the study area. Nonpoint sources, however, were the primary contributors of nitrogen and phosphorus loads during months of high streamflow. Nonpoint sources were also the primary contributors of nitrogen loads to the Mad River during the 1999 drought, owing to unusually large amounts of ground-water discharge to the stream. The Stillwater River Basin had the highest nutrient yields in the study area during months of high streamflow; however, the Mad River Basin had the highest yields of all nutrients except ammonia during the months of the 1999 drought. The high wet-weather yields in the Stillwater River Basin were caused by agricultural runoff, whereas high yields in the Mad River Basin during drought resulted from the large, sustained contribution of ground water to streamflow throughout the year. In the basins upstream from Dayton, an estimated 19 to 25 percent of the nonpoint source of nitrogen and 4 to 5 percent of the nonpoint source of phosphorus that was deposited or applied to the land was transported into streams.

How downstream sub-basins depend on upstream inflows to avoid scarcity: typology and global analysis of transboundary rivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Munia, Hafsa Ahmed; Guillaume, Joseph H. A.; Mirumachi, Naho; Wada, Yoshihide; Kummu, Matti

2018-05-01

Countries sharing river basins are often dependent upon water originating outside their boundaries; meaning that without that upstream water, water scarcity may occur with flow-on implications for water use and management. We develop a formalisation of this concept drawing on ideas about the transition between regimes from resilience literature, using water stress and water shortage as indicators of water scarcity. In our analytical framework, dependency occurs if water from upstream is needed to avoid scarcity. This can be diagnosed by comparing different types of water availability on which a sub-basin relies, in particular local runoff and upstream inflows. At the same time, possible upstream water withdrawals reduce available water downstream, influencing the latter water availability. By developing a framework of scarcity and dependency, we contribute to the understanding of transitions between system regimes. We apply our analytical framework to global transboundary river basins at the scale of sub-basin areas (SBAs). Our results show that 1175 million people live under water stress (42 % of the total transboundary population). Surprisingly, the majority (1150 million) of these currently suffer from stress only due to their own excessive water use and possible water from upstream does not have impact on the stress status - i.e. they are not yet dependent on upstream water to avoid stress - but could still impact on the intensity of the stress. At the same time, 386 million people (14 %) live in SBAs that can avoid stress owing to available water from upstream and have thus upstream dependency. In the case of water shortage, 306 million people (11 %) live in SBAs dependent on upstream water to avoid possible shortage. The identification of transitions between system regimes sheds light on how SBAs may be affected in the future, potentially contributing to further refined analysis of inter- and intrabasin hydro-political power relations and strategic planning of management practices in transboundary basins.

Hack's relation and optimal channel networks: The elongation of river basins as a consequence of energy minimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ijjasz-Vasquez, Ede J.; Bras, Rafael L.; Rodriguez-Iturbe, Ignacio

1993-08-01

As pointed by Hack (1957), river basins tend to become longer and narrower as their size increases. This work shows that this property may be partially regarded as the consequence of competition and minimization of energy expenditure in river basins.

18 CFR 701.209 - River basin commissions and field committees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false River basin commissions and field committees. 701.209 Section 701.209 Conservation of Power and Water Resources WATER... field committees. (a) River basin commissions established pursuant to Title II of the Water Resources...

18 CFR 701.209 - River basin commissions and field committees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 2 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false River basin commissions and field committees. 701.209 Section 701.209 Conservation of Power and Water Resources WATER... field committees. (a) River basin commissions established pursuant to Title II of the Water Resources...

18 CFR 701.209 - River basin commissions and field committees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false River basin commissions and field committees. 701.209 Section 701.209 Conservation of Power and Water Resources WATER... field committees. (a) River basin commissions established pursuant to Title II of the Water Resources...

18 CFR 701.209 - River basin commissions and field committees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 2 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false River basin commissions and field committees. 701.209 Section 701.209 Conservation of Power and Water Resources WATER... field committees. (a) River basin commissions established pursuant to Title II of the Water Resources...

18 CFR 701.209 - River basin commissions and field committees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 2 2013-04-01 2012-04-01 true River basin commissions and field committees. 701.209 Section 701.209 Conservation of Power and Water Resources WATER... field committees. (a) River basin commissions established pursuant to Title II of the Water Resources...

Source apportionment of heavy metals and their ecological risk in a tropical river basin system.

PubMed

Kumar, Balwant; Singh, Umesh Kumar

2018-06-27

Surface water and sediment samples were collected from Ajay River basin to appraise the behavior of heavy metals with surrounding environments and their inter-elemental relationships. Parameters like pH and organic carbon are having a minimal role in heavy metal distribution while some elements like Fe and Cu showed great affinity for organic matter based on linear regression analysis (LRA). Ficklin diagram justified that river basin is not contaminated through acidic pollutants. The river basin is highly enriched with Cu, Cd, Pb, and Ni which were much higher than world average values, average shale standard, effect range low (ERL), and threshold effect level (TEL). PCA and LRA verified that Cu, Cd, Pb, and Ni were mainly derived from anthropogenic inputs, and others like Fe, Mn, Zn, and Co came from geogenic sources. Pollution indices revealed that river basin is moderately to highly contaminated by Cu, Cd, and Ni. Furthermore, Ajay River basin is under strong potential ecological risk based on the obtained value of risk index and probable effect level/effect range median quotient index. However, river basin is strongly influenced by lithological properties, diversified hydrogeological settings, mineralization and mobilization of subsurface materials, and urban and industrial effluents which are controlling the heavy metals.

Water-quality assessment of the lower Illinois River Basin; environmental setting

USGS Publications Warehouse

Warner, Kelly L.

1998-01-01

The lower Illinois River Basin (LIRB) encompasses 18,000 square miles of central and western Illinois. Historical and recent information from Federal, State, and local agencies describing the physiography, population, land use, soils, climate, geology, streamflow, habitat, ground water, water use, and aquatic biology is summarized to describe the environmental setting of the LIRB. The LIRB is in the Till Plains Section of the Central Lowland physiographic province. The basin is characterized by flat topography, which is dissected by the Illinois River. The drainage pattern of the LIRB has been shaped by many bedrock and glacial geologic processes. Erosion prior to and during Pleistocene time created wide and deep bedrock valleys. The thickest deposits and most major aquifers are in buried bedrock valleys. The Wisconsinan glaciation, which bisects the northern half of the LIRB, affects the distribution and characteristics of glacial deposits in the basin. Agriculture is the largest land use and forested land is the second largest land use in the LIRB. The major urban areas are near Peoria, Springfield, Decatur, and Bloomington-Normal. Soil type and distribution affect the amount of soil erosion, which results in sedimentation of lakes and reservoirs in the basin. Rates of soil erosion of up to 2 percent per year of farmland soil have been measured. Many of the 300 reservoirs, lakes, and wetlands are disappearing because of sedimentation resulting from agriculture activities, levee building, and urbanization. Sedimentation and the destruction of habitat appreciably affect the ecosystem. The Illinois River is a large river-floodplain ecosystem where biological productivity is enhanced by annual flood pulses that advance and retreat over the flood plain and temporarily expand backwater and flood-plain lakes. Ground-water discharge to streams affects the flow and water quality of the streams. The water budget of several subbasins show variability in ground-water contribution from runoff and storage. More than half of the drinking water, including domestic and public-supply use, in the LIRB is from ground water. Fifty-two percent of the public-supply water is from surface water. Ground-water withdrawals mostly are from glacial sand and gravel aquifers. Structural features, such as monoclines, synclines, and anticlines, in the buried bedrock affect the water quality of the aquifers. There are five natural environmental divisions in the LIRB. The Grand Prairie covers most of the northeastern half of the basin, and the Western Forest-Prairie covers most of the southwestern half. Implications of environmental setting for water quality in the LIRB are related primarily to land use. The balanced fish community indicates that the lower Illinois River is affected less from urban and industrial waste than the upper Illinois River. A decrease in dissolved oxygen concentrations and turbidity in the lower reaches of the basin in 1993 have resulted from the recent influx of European zebra mussels to the LIRB. Many factors affect water quality in the LIRB. Bedrock and surface topography, type of glacial material, and land use most directly affect water quality in the basin.

Challenges of river basin management: Current status of, and prospects for, the River Danube from a river engineering perspective.

PubMed

Habersack, Helmut; Hein, Thomas; Stanica, Adrian; Liska, Igor; Mair, Raimund; Jäger, Elisabeth; Hauer, Christoph; Bradley, Chris

2016-02-01

In the Danube River Basin multiple pressures affect the river system as a consequence of river engineering works, altering both the river hydrodynamics and morphodynamics. The main objective of this paper is to identify the effects of hydropower development, flood protection and engineering works for navigation on the Danube and to examine specific impacts of these developments on sediment transport and river morphology. Whereas impoundments are characterised by deposition and an excess of sediment with remobilisation of fine sediments during severe floods, the remaining five free flowing sections of the Danube are experiencing river bed erosion of the order of several centimetres per year. Besides the effect of interruption of the sediment continuum, river bed degradation is caused by an increase in the sediment transport capacity following an increase in slope, a reduction of river bed width due to canalisation, prohibition of bank erosion by riprap or regressive erosion following base level lowering by flood protection measures and sediment dredging. As a consequence, the groundwater table is lowered, side-arms are disconnected, instream structures are lost and habitat quality deteriorates affecting the ecological status of valuable floodplains. The lack of sediments, together with cutting off meanders, leads also to erosion of the bed of main arms in the Danube Delta and coastal erosion. This paper details the causes and effects of river engineering measures and hydromorphological changes for the Danube. It highlights the importance of adopting a basin-wide holistic approach to river management and demonstrates that past management in the basin has been characterised by a lack of integration. To-date insufficient attention has been paid to the wide-ranging impacts of river engineering works throughout the basin: from the basin headwaters to the Danube Delta, on the Black Sea coast. This highlights the importance of new initiatives that seek to advance knowledge exchange and knowledge transfer within the basin to reach the goal of integrated basin management. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Assessment of in-place oil shale resources of the Green River Formation, Greater Green River Basin in Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, R.C.; Mercier, T.J.; Brownfield, M.E.

2011-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently (2011) completed an assessment of in-place oil shale resources, regardless of grade, in the Eocene Green River Formation of the Greater Green River Basin in southwestern Wyoming, northwestern Colorado, and northeastern Utah. Green River Formation oil shale also is present in the Piceance Basin of western Colorado and in the Uinta Basin of eastern Utah and western Colorado, and the results of these assessments are published separately. No attempt was made to estimate the amount of oil that is economically recoverable because there has not yet been an economic method developed to recover the oil from Green River Formation oil shale.

Tritium hydrology of the Mississippi River basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Michel, R.L.

2004-01-01

In the early 1960s, the US Geological Survey began routinely analysing river water samples for tritium concentrations at locations within the Mississippi River basin. The sites included the main stem of the Mississippi River (at Luling Ferry, Louisiana), and three of its major tributaries, the Ohio River (at Markland Dam, Kentucky), the upper Missouri River (at Nebraska City, Nebraska) and the Arkansas River (near Van Buren, Arkansas). The measurements cover the period during the peak of the bomb-produced tritium transient when tritium concentrations in precipitation rose above natural levels by two to three orders of magnitude. Using measurements of tritium concentrations in precipitation, a tritium input function was established for the river basins above the Ohio River, Missouri River and Arkansas River sampling locations. Owing to the extent of the basin above the Luling Ferry site, no input function was developed for that location. The input functions for the Ohio and Missouri Rivers were then used in a two-component mixing model to estimate residence times of water within these two basins. (The Arkansas River was not modelled because of extremely large yearly variations in flow during the peak of the tritium transient.) The two components used were: (i) recent precipitation (prompt outflow) and (ii) waters derived from the long-term groundwater reservoir of the basin. The tritium concentration of the second component is a function of the atmospheric input and the residence times of the groundwaters within the basin. Using yearly time periods, the parameters of the model were varied until a best fit was obtained between modelled and measured tritium data. The results from the model indicate that about 40% of the flow in the Ohio River was from prompt outflow, as compared with 10% for the Missouri River. Mean residence times of 10 years were calculated for the groundwater component of the Ohio River versus 4 years for the Missouri River. The mass flux of tritium through the Mississippi Basin and its tributaries was calculated during the years that tritium measurements were made. The cumulative fluxes, calculated in grams of 3II were: (i) 160 g for the Ohio (1961-1986), (ii) 98 g for the upper Missouri (1963-1997), (iii) 30 g for the Arkansas (1961-1997) and (iv) 780 g for the Mississippi (1961-1997). Published in 2004 by John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.

Fluvial drainage networks: the fractal approach as an improvement of quantitative geomorphic analyses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melelli, Laura; Liucci, Luisa; Vergari, Francesca; Ciccacci, Sirio; Del Monte, Maurizio

2014-05-01

Drainage basins are primary landscape units for geomorphological investigations. Both hillslopes and river drainage system are fundamental components in drainage basins analysis. As other geomorphological systems, also the drainage basins aim to an equilibrium condition where the sequence of erosion, transport and sedimentation approach to a condition of minimum energy effort. This state is revealed by a typical geometry of landforms and of drainage net. Several morphometric indexes can measure how much a drainage basin is far from the theoretical equilibrium configuration, revealing possible external disarray. In active tectonic areas, the drainage basins have a primary importance in order to highlight style, amount and rate of tectonic impulses, and morphometric indexes allow to estimate the tectonic activity classes of different sectors in a study area. Moreover, drainage rivers are characterized by a self-similarity structure; this promotes the use of fractals theory to investigate the system. In this study, fractals techniques are employed together with quantitative geomorphological analysis to study the Upper Tiber Valley (UTV), a tectonic intermontane basin located in northern Apennines (Umbria, central Italy). The area is the result of different tectonic phases. From Late Pliocene until present time the UTV is strongly controlled by a regional uplift and by an extensional phase with different sets of normal faults playing a fundamental role in basin morphology. Thirty-four basins are taken into account for the quantitative analysis, twenty on the left side of the basin, the others on the right side. Using fractals dimension of drainage networks, Horton's laws results, concavity and steepness indexes, and hypsometric curves, this study aims to obtain an evolutionary model of the UTV, where the uplift is compared to local subsidence induced by normal fault activity. The results highlight a well defined difference between western and eastern tributary basins, suggesting a greater disequilibrium in the last ones. The quantitative analysis points out the segments of the basin boundaries where the fault activity is more efficient and the resulting geomorphological implications.

Using HEM surveys to evaluate disposal of by-product water from CBNG development in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lipinski, B.A.; Sams, J.I.; Smith, B.D.; Harbert, W.

2008-01-01

Production of methane from thick, extensive coal beds in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming has created water management issues. Since development began in 1997, more than 650 billion liters of water have been produced from approximately 22,000 wells. Infiltration impoundments are used widely to dispose of by-product water from coal bed natural gas (CBNG) production, but their hydrogeologic effects are poorly understood. Helicopter electromagnetic surveys (HEM) were completed in July 2003 and July 2004 to characterize the hydrogeology of an alluvial aquifer along the Powder River. The aquifer is receiving CBNG produced water discharge from infiltration impoundments. HEM data were subjected to Occam's inversion algorithms to determine the aquifer bulk conductivity, which was then correlated towater salinity using site-specific sampling results. The HEM data provided high-resolution images of salinity levels in the aquifer, a result not attainable using traditional sampling methods. Interpretation of these images reveals clearly the produced water influence on aquifer water quality. Potential shortfalls to this method occur where there is no significant contrast in aquifer salinity and infiltrating produced water salinity and where there might be significant changes in aquifer lithology. Despite these limitations, airborne geophysical methods can provide a broadscale (watershed-scale) tool to evaluate CBNG water disposal, especially in areas where field-based investigations are logistically prohibitive. This research has implications for design and location strategies of future CBNG water surface disposal facilities within the Powder River Basin. ?? 2008 2008 Society of ExplorationGeophysicists. All rights reserved.

Flood risk trends in coastal watersheds in South Spain: direct and indirect impact of river regulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Egüen, M.; Polo, M. J.; Gulliver, Z.; Contreras, E.; Aguilar, C.; Losada, M. A.

2015-06-01

Spain is one of the world's countries with a large number of reservoirs per inhabitant. This intense regulation of the fluvial network during the 20th century has resulted in a decrease in flood events, a higher availability of water resources, and a high development of the irrigated crop area, even in the drier regions. For decades, flood perception was reduced since the development of reservoirs protected the floodplains of river; this resulted in later occupation of soil by urban, agricultural and industrial uses. In recent years, an increasing perception of flood events is observed, associated to the higher damage associated to extreme events in the now occupied areas, especially in coastal watersheds. This work shows the change on flood risk in the coastal areas of three hydrographic basins in Andalusia (South Spain) during the reservoir expansion period: the Guadalete, Guadalquivir and Guadalhorce river basins. The results differentiate the impact of the regulation level on both the cumulative distribution functions of the fluvial discharge near the river mouth, for different time scales, and the associated damage related to the enhanced soil occupation during this period. The different impact on the final medium and long term flood risk is also assessed in terms of the storage capacity per unit area throughout the basins, the effective annual runoff/precipitation index, the frequency of sea storms, and the human factor (change in social perception of floods), for different intervals in the flood extreme regime. The implications for adaptation actions is also assessed.

Hydrogeology of the West Branch Delaware River basin, Delaware County, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reynolds, Richard J.

2013-01-01

In 2009, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, began a study of the hydrogeology of the West Branch Delaware River (Cannonsville Reservoir) watershed. There has been recent interest by energy companies in developing the natural gas reserves that are trapped within the Marcellus Shale, which is part of the Hamilton Group of Devonian age that underlies all the West Branch Delaware River Basin. Knowing the extent and thickness of stratified-drift (sand and gravel) aquifers within this basin can help State and Federal regulatory agencies evaluate any effects on these aquifers that gas-well drilling might produce. This report describes the hydrogeology of the 455-square-mile basin in the southwestern Catskill Mountain region of southeastern New York and includes a detailed surficial geologic map of the basin. Analysis of surficial geologic data indicates that the most widespread surficial geologic unit within the basin is till, which is present as deposits of ablation till in major stream valleys and as thick deposits of lodgment till that fill upland basins. Till and colluvium (remobilized till) cover about 89 percent of the West Branch Delaware River Basin, whereas stratified drift (outwash and ice-contact deposits) and alluvium account for 8.9 percent. The Cannonsville Reservoir occupies about 1.9 percent of the basin area. Large areas of outwash and ice-contact deposits occupy the West Branch Delaware River valley along its entire length. These deposits form a stratified-drift aquifer that ranges in thickness from 40 to 50 feet (ft) in the upper West Branch Delaware River valley, from 70 to 140 ft in the middle West Branch Delaware River valley, and from 60 to 70 ft in the lower West Branch Delaware River valley. The gas-bearing Marcellus Shale underlies the entire West Branch Delaware River Basin and ranges in thickness from 600 to 650 ft along the northern divide of the basin to 750 ft thick along the southern divide. The depth to the top of the Marcellus Shale ranges from 3,240 ft along the northern basin divide to 4,150 ft along the southern basin divide. Yields of wells completed in the aquifer are as high as 500 gallons per minute (gal/min). Springs from fractured sandstone bedrock are an important source of domestic and small municipal water supplies in the West Branch Delaware River Basin and elsewhere in Delaware County. The average yield of 178 springs in Delaware County is 8.5 gal/min with a median yield of 3 gal/min. An analysis of two low-flow statistics indicates that groundwater contributions from fractured bedrock compose a significant part of the base flow of the West Branch Delaware River and its tributaries.

Low-flow characteristics of streams in the lower Wisconsin River basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gebert, W.A.

1978-01-01

Low-flow characteristics estimated for the lower Wisconsin River basin have a high degree of reliability when compared with other basins in Wisconsin, Reliable estimates appear to be related to the relatively uniform geologic features in the basin.

River Networks and Human Activities: Global Fractal Analysis Using Nightlight Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCurley, K. 4553; Fang, Y.; Ceola, S.; Paik, K.; McGrath, G. S.; Montanari, A.; Rao, P. S.; Jawitz, J. W.

2016-12-01

River networks hold an important historical role in affecting human population distribution. In this study, we link the geomorphological structure of river networks to the pattern of human activities at a global scale. We use nightlights as a valuable proxy for the presence of human settlements and economic activity, and we employ HydroSHEDS as the main data source on river networks. We test the hypotheses that, analogous to Horton's laws, human activities (magnitude of nightlights) also show scaling relationship with stream order, and that the intensity of human activities decrease as the distance from the basin outlet increase. Our results demonstrate that the distribution of human activities shows a fractal structure, with power-law scaling between human activities and stream order. This relationship is robust among global river basins. Human activities are more concentrated in larger order basins, but show large variation in equivalent order basins, with higher population density emergent in the basins connected with high-order rivers. For all global river basins longer than 400km, the average intensity of human activities decrease as the distance to the outlets increases, albeit with signatures of large cities at varied distances. The power spectrum of human width (area) function is found to exhibit power law scaling, with a scaling exponent that indicates enrichment of low frequency variation. The universal fractal structure of human activities may reflect an optimum arrangement for humans in river basins to better utilize the water resources, ecological assets, and geographic advantages. The generalized patterns of human activities could be applied to better understand hydrologic and biogeochemical responses in river basins, and to advance catchment management.

Forecasting the Amount of Waste-Sewage Water Discharged into the Yangtze River Basin Based on the Optimal Fractional Order Grey Model

PubMed Central

Li, Shuliang; Meng, Wei; Xie, Yufeng

2017-01-01

With the rapid development of the Yangtze River economic belt, the amount of waste-sewage water discharged into the Yangtze River basin increases sharply year by year, which has impeded the sustainable development of the Yangtze River basin. The water security along the Yangtze River basin is very important for China, It is something about water security of roughly one-third of China’s population and the sustainable development of the 19 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions among the Yangtze River basin. Therefore, a scientific prediction of the amount of waste-sewage water discharged into Yangtze River basin has a positive significance on sustainable development of industry belt along with Yangtze River basin. This paper builds the fractional DWSGM (1,1) (DWSGM (1,1) model is short for Discharge amount of Waste Sewage Grey Model for one order equation and one variable) model based on the fractional accumulating generation operator and fractional reducing operator, and calculates the optimal order of “r” by using particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm for solving the minimum average relative simulation error. Meanwhile, the simulation performance of DWSGM (1,1) model with the optimal fractional order is tested by comparing the simulation results of grey prediction models with different orders. Finally, the optimal fractional order DWSGM (1,1) grey model is applied to predict the amount of waste-sewage water discharged into the Yangtze River basin, and corresponding countermeasures and suggestions are put forward through analyzing and comparing the prediction results. This paper has positive significance on enriching the fractional order modeling method of the grey system. PMID:29295517

Forecasting the Amount of Waste-Sewage Water Discharged into the Yangtze River Basin Based on the Optimal Fractional Order Grey Model.

PubMed

Li, Shuliang; Meng, Wei; Xie, Yufeng

2017-12-23

With the rapid development of the Yangtze River economic belt, the amount of waste-sewage water discharged into the Yangtze River basin increases sharply year by year, which has impeded the sustainable development of the Yangtze River basin. The water security along the Yangtze River basin is very important for China, It is something aboutwater security of roughly one-third of China's population and the sustainable development of the 19 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions among the Yangtze River basin. Therefore, a scientific prediction of the amount of waste-sewage water discharged into Yangtze River basin has a positive significance on sustainable development of industry belt along with Yangtze River basin. This paper builds the fractional DWSGM(1,1)(DWSGM(1,1) model is short for Discharge amount of Waste Sewage Grey Model for one order equation and one variable) model based on the fractional accumulating generation operator and fractional reducing operator, and calculates the optimal order of "r" by using particle swarm optimization(PSO)algorithm for solving the minimum average relative simulation error. Meanwhile, the simulation performance of DWSGM(1,1)model with the optimal fractional order is tested by comparing the simulation results of grey prediction models with different orders. Finally, the optimal fractional order DWSGM(1,1)grey model is applied to predict the amount of waste-sewage water discharged into the Yangtze River basin, and corresponding countermeasures and suggestions are put forward through analyzing and comparing the prediction results. This paper has positive significance on enriching the fractional order modeling method of the grey system.

Using remotely sensed imagery to estimate potential annual pollutant loads in river basins.

PubMed

He, Bin; Oki, Kazuo; Wang, Yi; Oki, Taikan

2009-01-01

Land cover changes around river basins have caused serious environmental degradation in global surface water areas, in which the direct monitoring and numerical modeling is inherently difficult. Prediction of pollutant loads is therefore crucial to river environmental management under the impact of climate change and intensified human activities. This research analyzed the relationship between land cover types estimated from NOAA Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) imagery and the potential annual pollutant loads of river basins in Japan. Then an empirical approach, which estimates annual pollutant loads directly from satellite imagery and hydrological data, was investigated. Six water quality indicators were examined, including total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), suspended sediment (SS), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), and Dissolved Oxygen (DO). The pollutant loads of TN, TP, SS, BOD, COD, and DO were then estimated for 30 river basins in Japan. Results show that the proposed simulation technique can be used to predict the pollutant loads of river basins in Japan. These results may be useful in establishing total maximum annual pollutant loads and developing best management strategies for surface water pollution at river basin scale.

Adapting to a Changing Colorado River: Making Future Water Deliveries More Reliable Through Robust Management Strategies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Groves, D.; Bloom, E.; Fischbach, J. R.; Knopman, D.

2013-12-01

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and water management agencies representing the seven Colorado River Basin States initiated the Colorado River Basin Study in January 2010 to evaluate the resiliency of the Colorado River system over the next 50 years and compare different options for ensuring successful management of the river's resources. RAND was asked to join this Basin Study Team in January 2012 to help develop an analytic approach to identify key vulnerabilities in managing the Colorado River basin over the coming decades and to evaluate different options that could reduce this vulnerability. Using a quantitative approach for planning under uncertainty called Robust Decision Making (RDM), the RAND team assisted the Basin Study by: identifying future vulnerable conditions that could lead to imbalances that could cause the basin to be unable to meet its water delivery objectives; developing a computer-based tool to define 'portfolios' of management options reflecting different strategies for reducing basin imbalances; evaluating these portfolios across thousands of future scenarios to determine how much they could improve basin outcomes; and analyzing the results from the system simulations to identify key tradeoffs among the portfolios. This talk will describe RAND's contribution to the Basin Study, focusing on the methodologies used to to identify vulnerabilities for Upper Basin and Lower Basin water supply reliability and to compare portfolios of options. Several key findings emerged from the study. Future Streamflow and Climate Conditions Are Key: - Vulnerable conditions arise in a majority of scenarios where streamflows are lower than historical averages and where drought conditions persist for eight years or more. - Depending where the shortages occur, problems will arise for delivery obligations for the upper river basin and the lower river basin. The lower river basin is vulnerable to a broader range of plausible future conditions. Additional Investments in Infrastructure and Efficiency Could Improve Performance and Reduce Risk: - Different portfolios of water-supply and demand-reduction options offer performance trade-offs. - Different types of options in the portfolios, such as conservation, desalination, or water banking, would affect future outcomes and costs of implementation. - Analysis of all the portfolios identified important near-term, high-priority options that should be implemented in the near future, including municipal, industrial, and agricultural conservation. Other Solutions May Be Required: - If future hydrologic conditions develop in a manner consistent with the more pessimistic projections, the Basin is increasingly likely to face vulnerable conditions. The region may need to consider additional management options.

Geographic Information System and Geoportal «River basins of the European Russia»

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yermolaev, O. P.; Mukharamova, S. S.; Maltsev, K. A.; Ivanov, M. A.; Ermolaeva, P. O.; Gayazov, A. I.; Mozzherin, V. V.; Kharchenko, S. V.; Marinina, O. A.; Lisetskii, F. N.

2018-01-01

Geographic Information System (GIS) and Geoportal with open access «River basins of the European Russia» were implemented. GIS and Geoportal are based on the map of basins of small rivers of the European Russia with information about natural and anthropogenic characteristics, namely geomorphometry of basins relief; climatic parameters, representing averages, variation, seasonal variation, extreme values of temperature and precipitation; land cover types; soil characteristics; type and subtype of landscape; population density. The GIS includes results of spatial analysis and modelling, in particular, assessment of anthropogenic impact on river basins; evaluation of water runoff and sediment runoff; climatic, geomorphological and landscape zoning for the European part of Russia.

18 CFR 706.413 - Submission of statements by River Basin Commission Chairmen.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... Financial Interests § 706.413 Submission of statements by River Basin Commission Chairmen. A statement of employment and financial interest is not required under this part from Chairmen of River Basin Commissions created by the President pursuant to Title II of the U.S. Water Resources Planning Act. The Commission...

Rivers Run Through It: Discovering the Interior Columbia River Basin.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Shelley; Wojtanik, Brenda Lincoln; Rieben, Elizabeth

1998-01-01

Explores the Columbia River Basin, its ecosystems, and challenges faced by natural resource managers. By studying the basin's complexity, students can learn about common scientific concepts such as the power of water and effects of rain shadows. Students can also explore social-scientific issues such as conflicts between protecting salmon runs and…

Landscape Based Modeling of Nonpoint Source Nitrogen Loading in the Neuse River Basin, North Carolina

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

Garten, C.T.

2001-01-11

The objective of this research was to arrive at a quantitative and qualitative assessment of nonpoint sources of potential excess N under different land use/land cover (LULC) categories in the Neuse River Basin on a seasonal time scale. This assessment is being supplied to EPA's Landscape Characterization Branch, National Exposure Research Laboratory, in Research Triangle Park, NC, for inclusion in a hydrologic model to predict seasonal fluxes of N from the terrestrial landscape to surface receiving waters and groundwater in the Neuse River Basin. The analysis was performed in the following five steps: (1) development of a conceptual model tomore » predict potential excess N on land, (2) a literature review to parameterize N fluxes under LULC categories found in the Neuse River Basin, (3) acquisition of high resolution (15-m pixel) LULC data from EPA's Landscape Characterization Branch, National Exposure Research Laboratory, in Research Triangle Park, NC, (4) acquisition of a soil N inventory map for the Neuse River Basin, (5) calculations of potential excess N on a seasonal basis for the entire Neuse River Basin.« less

Digital Earth system based river basin data integration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xin; Li, Wanqing; Lin, Chao

2014-12-01

Digital Earth is an integrated approach to build scientific infrastructure. The Digital Earth systems provide a three-dimensional visualization and integration platform for river basin data which include the management data, in situ observation data, remote sensing observation data and model output data. This paper studies the Digital Earth system based river basin data integration technology. Firstly, the construction of the Digital Earth based three-dimensional river basin data integration environment is discussed. Then the river basin management data integration technology is presented which is realized by general database access interface, web service and ActiveX control. Thirdly, the in situ data stored in database tables as records integration is realized with three-dimensional model of the corresponding observation apparatus display in the Digital Earth system by a same ID code. In the next two parts, the remote sensing data and the model output data integration technologies are discussed in detail. The application in the Digital Zhang River basin System of China shows that the method can effectively improve the using efficiency and visualization effect of the data.

Potential relationships between the river discharge and the precipitation in the Jinsha River basin, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Gaoxu; Zeng, Xiaofan; Zhao, Na; He, Qifang; Bai, Yiran; Zhang, Ruoyu

2018-02-01

The relationships between the river discharge and the precipitation in the Jinsha River basin are discussed in this study. In addition, the future precipitation trend from 2011-2050 and its potential influence on the river discharge are analysed by applying the CCLM-modelled precipitation. According to the observed river discharge and precipitation, the annual river discharge at the two main hydrological stations displays good correlations with the annual precipitation in the Jinsha River basin. The predicted future precipitation tends to change similarly as the change that occurred during the observation period, whereas the monthly distributions over a year could be more uneven, which is unfavourable for water resources management.

Water - Essential Resource of the Southern Flint River Basin, Georgia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Warner, Debbie; Norton, Virgil

2004-01-01

Introduction Abundant water resources of the Flint River Basin have played a major role in the history and development of southwestern Georgia. The Flint River-along with its tributaries, wetlands, and swamps-and the productive aquifers of the river basin are essential components of the area's diverse ecosystems. These resources also are necessary for sustained agricultural, industrial, and municipal activities. Increasing, and in some cases conflicting, demand for water makes careful monitoring and wise planning and management of southwestern Georgia's water resources critical to the ecological and economic future of the area. This poster presents the major issues associated with increasing competition for water resources in the southern Flint River Basin.

Nutrient mass balance and trends, Mobile River Basin, Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harned, D.A.; Atkins, J.B.; Harvill, J.S.

2004-01-01

A nutrient mass balance - accounting for nutrient inputs from atmospheric deposition, fertilizer, crop nitrogen fixation, and point source effluents; and nutrient outputs, including crop harvest and storage - was calculated for 18 subbasins in the Mobile River Basin, and trends (1970 to 1997) were evaluated as part of the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. Agricultural nonpoint nitrogen and phosphorus sources and urban nonpoint nitrogen sources are the most important factors associated with nutrients in this system. More than 30 percent of nitrogen yield in two basins and phosphorus yield in eight basins can be attributed to urban point source nutrient inputs. The total nitrogen yield (1.3 tons per square mile per year) for the Tombigbee River, which drains a greater percentage of agricultural (row crop) land use, was larger than the total nitrogen yield (0.99 tons per square mile per year) for the Alabama River. Decreasing trends of total nitrogen concentrations in the Tombigbee and Alabama Rivers indicate that a reduction occurred from 1975 to 1997 in the nitrogen contributions to Mobile Bay from the Mobile River. Nitrogen concentrations also decreased (1980 to 1995) in the Black Warrior River, one of the major tributaries to the Tombigbee River. Total phosphorus concentrations increased from 1970 to 1996 at three urban influenced sites on the Etowah River in Georgia. Multiple regression analysis indicates a distinct association between water quality in the streams of the Mobile River drainage basin and agricultural activities in the basin.

A history of early geologic research in the Deep River Triassic Basin, North Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clark, T.W.

1998-01-01

The Deep River Triassic basin has one of the longest recorded histories of geologic research in North Carolina. A quick perusal of nineteenth century geologic literature in North Carolina reveals the Deep River basin has received a tremendous amount of attention, second only, perhaps, to the gold deposits of the Carolina slate belt. While these early researchers' primary interests were coal deposits, many other important discoveries, observations, and hypotheses resulted from their investigations. This article highlights many of the important advances made by these early geo-explorers by trying to include information from every major geologic investigation made in the Deep River basin from 1820 to 1955. This article also provides as thorough a consolidated history as is possible to preserve the exploration history of the Deep River basin for future investigators.

Mapping Water Vulnerability of the Yangtze River Basin: 1994-2013.

PubMed

Sun, Fengyun; Kuang, Wenhui; Xiang, Weining; Che, Yue

2016-11-01

A holistic understanding of the magnitude and long-term trend of water vulnerability is essential for making management decisions in a given river basin. Existing procedures to assess the spatiotemporal dynamic of water vulnerability in complex mega-scale river basins are inadequate; a new method named ensemble hydrologic assessment was proposed in this study, which allows collection of data and knowledge about many aspects of water resources to be synthesized in a useful way for vulnerability assessment. The objective of this study is to illustrate the practical utility of such an integrated approach in examining water vulnerability in the Yangtze River Basin. Overall, the results demonstrated that the ensemble hydrologic assessment model could largely explain the spatiotemporal evolution of water vulnerability. This paper improves understanding of the status and trends of water resources in the Yangtze River Basin.

Relations of Principal Components Analysis Site Scores to Algal-Biomass, Habitat, Basin-Characteristics, Nutrient, and Biological-Community Data in the Whitewater River and East Fork White River Basins, Indiana, 2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Caskey, Brian J.; Frey, Jeffrey W.; Lowe, B. Scott

2007-01-01

Data were gathered from May through September 2002 at 76 randomly selected sites in the Whitewater River and East Fork White River Basins, Indiana, for algal biomass, habitat, nutrients, and biological communities (fish and invertebrates). Basin characteristics (land use and drainage area) and biolog-ical-community attributes and metric scores were determined for the basin of each sampling site. Yearly Principal Compo-nents Analysis site scores were calculated for algal biomass (periphyton and seston). The yearly Principal Components Analysis site scores for the first axis (PC1) were related using Spearman's rho to the seasonal algal-biomass, basin-charac-teristics, habitat, seasonal nutrient, and biological-community attribute and metric score data. The periphyton PC1 site score was not significantly related to the nine habitat or 12 nutrient variables examined. One land-use variable, drainage area, was negatively related to the periphyton PC1. Of the 43 fish-community attributes and metrics examined, the periphyton PC1 was negatively related to one attribute (large-river percent) and one metric score (car-nivore percent metric score). It was positively related to three fish-community attributes (headwater percent, pioneer percent, and simple lithophil percent). The periphyton PC1 was not statistically related to any of the 21 invertebrate-community attributes or metric scores examined. Of the 12 nutrient variables examined two were nega-tively related to the seston PC1 site score in two seasons: total Kjeldahl nitrogen (July and September), and TP (May and September). There were no statistically significant relations between the seston PC1 and the five basin-characteristics or nine habitat variables examined. Of the 43 fish-community attributes and metrics examined, the seston PC1 was positively related to one attribute (headwater percent) and negatively related to one metric score (large-river percent metric score) . Of the 21 invertebrate-community attributes and metrics exam-ined, the seston PC1 was negatively related to one metric score (number of individuals metric score). To understand how the choice of sampling sites might have affected the results, an analysis of the drainage area and land use was done. The sites selected in the Whitewater River Basin were generally small drainage basins; compared to Whitewater River Basin sites, the sites selected in the East Fork White River Basin were generally larger drainage basins. Although both basins were dominated by agricultural land use the Whitewater River Basin sites had more land in agriculture than the East Fork White River Basin sites. The values for nutrients (nitrate, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus) and chlorophyll a (per-iphyton and seston) were compared to published U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) values for Aggregate Nutrient Ecoregions VI and IX and USEPA Level III Ecore-gions 55 and 71. Several nutrient values were greater than the 25th percentile of published USEPA values. Chlorophyll a (periphyton and seston) values were either greater than the 25thpercentile of published USEPA values or they extended data ranges in the Aggregate Nutrient and Level III Ecore-gions. If the values for the 25th percentile as proposes by the USEPA were adopted as nutrient water-quality criteria, many samples in the Whitewater River and East Fork White River Basins would have exceeded the criteria.

Postglacial dispersal patterns and mitochondrial genetic structure of the Pyrenean desman (Galemys pyrenaicus) in the northwestern region of the Iberian Peninsula.

PubMed

Querejeta, Marina; Fernández-González, Angel; Romero, Rafael; Castresana, Jose

2017-06-01

The genetic structure of small semiaquatic animals may be influenced by dispersal across both rivers and land. The relative importance of these two modes of dispersal may vary across different species and with ecological conditions and evolutionary periods. The Pyrenean desman ( Galemys pyrenaicus ) is an endemic mammal of the Iberian Peninsula with a strong phylogeographic structure and semiaquatic habits, thus making it an ideal model to study the effects of river and overland dispersal on its genetic structure. Thanks to different types of noninvasive samples, we obtained an extensive sampling of the Pyrenean desman from the northwestern region of the Iberian Peninsula and sequenced two mitochondrial DNA fragments. We then analyzed, using an isolation-by-distance approach, the correlation between phylogenetic distances and geographical distances measured along both river networks and land to infer the relative importance of river and overland dispersal. We found that the correlations in the whole area and in a large basin were consistent with an effect of overland dispersal, which may be due to the postglacial colonization of new territories using terrestrial corridors and, possibly, a more extensive fluvial network that may have been present during the Holocene. However, in a small basin, likely to be less influenced by the impact of ancient postglacial dispersal, the correlations suggested significant overall effects of both overland and river dispersal, as expected for a semiaquatic mammal. Therefore, different scales and geographical regions reflect different aspects of the evolutionary history and ecology of this semiaquatic species using this isolation-by-distance method. The results we obtained may have crucial implications for the conservation of the Pyrenean desman because they reinforce the importance of interbasin dispersal for this species in the studied area and the need to protect the whole riverine ecosystem, including rivers, upland streams and terrestrial corridors between basins.

Hydrological effects of cropland and climatic changes in arid and semi-arid river basins: A case study from the Yellow River basin, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Huazhen; Zhang, Qiang; Singh, Vijay P.; Shi, Peijun; Sun, Peng

2017-06-01

The Yellow River basin is a typical semi-arid river basin in northern China. Serious water shortages have negative impacts on regional socioeconomic development. Recent years have witnessed changes in streamflow processes due to increasing human activities, such as agricultural activities and construction of dams and water reservoirs, and climatic changes, e.g. precipitation and temperature. This study attempts to investigate factors potentially driving changes in different streamflow components defined by different quantiles. The data used were daily streamflow data for the 1959-2005 period from 5 hydrological stations, daily precipitation and temperature data from 77 meteorological stations and data pertaining to cropland and large reservoirs. Results indicate a general decrease in streamflow across the Yellow River basin. Moreover significant decreasing streamflow has been observed in the middle and lower Yellow River basin with change points during the mid-1980s till the mid-1990s. The changes of cropland affect the streamflow components and also the cumulative effects on streamflow variations. Recent years have witnessed moderate cropland variations which result in moderate streamflow changes. Further, precipitation also plays a critical role in changes of streamflow components and human activities, i.e. cropland changes, temperature changes and building of water reservoirs, tend to have increasing impacts on hydrological processes across the Yellow River basin. This study provides a theoretical framework for the study of the hydrological effects of human activities and climatic changes on basins over the globe.

Quality of surface water in the Suwannee River Basin, Florida, August 1968 through December 1977

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hull, Robert W.; Dysart, Joel E.; Mann, William B.

1981-01-01

In the 9,950-square mile area of the Suwannee River basin in Florida and Georgia, 17 surface-water stations on 9 streams and several springs were sampled for selected water-quality properties and constituents from August 1968 through December 1977. Analyses from these samples indicate that: (1) the water quality of tributary wetlands controls the water quality of the upper Suwannee River headwaters; (2) groundwater substantially affects the water quality of the Suwannee River basin streams below these headquarters; (3) the water quality of the Suwannee River, and many of its tributaries, is determined by several factors and is not simply related to discharge; and (4) development in the Suwannee River basin has had observable effects on the quality of surface waters. 

Assessing and forecasting the impacts of global change on Mediterranean rivers. The SCARCE Consolider project on Iberian basins.

PubMed

Navarro-Ortega, Alícia; Acuña, Vicenç; Batalla, Ramon J; Blasco, Julián; Conde, Carlos; Elorza, Francisco J; Elosegi, Arturo; Francés, Félix; La-Roca, Francesc; Muñoz, Isabel; Petrovic, Mira; Picó, Yolanda; Sabater, Sergi; Sanchez-Vila, Xavier; Schuhmacher, Marta; Barceló, Damià

2012-05-01

The Consolider-Ingenio 2010 project SCARCE, with the full title "Assessing and predicting effects on water quantity and quality in Iberian Rivers caused by global change" aims to examine and predict the relevance of global change on water availability, water quality, and ecosystem services in Mediterranean river basins of the Iberian Peninsula, as well as their socio-economic impacts. Starting in December 2009, it brought together a multidisciplinary team of 11 partner Spanish institutions, as well as the active involvement of water authorities, river basin managers, and other relevant agents as stakeholders. The study areas are the Llobregat, Ebro, Jucar, and Guadalquivir river basins. These basins have been included in previous studies and projects, the majority of whom considered some of the aspects included in SCARCE but individually. Historical data will be used as a starting point of the project but also to obtain longer time series. The main added value of SCARCE project is the inclusion of scientific disciplines ranging from hydrology, geomorphology, ecology, chemistry, and ecotoxicology, to engineering, modeling, and economy, in an unprecedented effort in the Mediterranean area. The project performs data mining, field, and lab research as well as modeling and upscaling of the findings to apply them to the entire river basin. Scales ranging from the laboratory to river basins are addressed with the potential to help improve river basin management. The project emphasizes, thus, linking basic research and management practices in a single framework. In fact, one of the main objectives of SCARCE is to act as a bridge between the scientific and the management and to transform research results on management keys and tools for improving the River Basin Management Plans. Here, we outline the general structure of the project and the activities conducted within the ten Work Packages of SCARCE.

Glacial history and runoff components of the Tlikakila River Basin, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brabets, Timothy P.; March, Rod S.; Trabant, Dennis C.

2004-01-01

The Tlikakila River is located in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve and drains an area of 1,610 square kilometers (622 square miles). Runoff from the Tlikakila River Basin accounts for about one half of the total inflow to Lake Clark. Glaciers occupy about one third of the basin and affect the runoff characteristics of the Tlikakila River. As part of a cooperative study with the National Park Service, glacier changes and runoff characteristics in the Tlikakila River Basin were studied in water years 2001 and 2002. Based on analyses of remote sensing data and on airborne laser profiling, most glaciers in the Tlikakila River Basin have retreated and thinned from 1957 to the present. Volume loss from 1957-2001 from the Tanaina Glacier, the largest glacier in the Tlikakila River Basin, was estimated to be 6.1 x 109 cubic meters or 1.4 x 108 cubic meters per year. For the 2001 water year, mass balance measurements made on the three largest glaciers in the Tlikakila River BasinTanaina, Glacier Fork, and North Forkall indicate a negative mass balance. Runoff measured near the mouth of the Tlikakila River for water year 2001 was 1.70 meters. Of this total, 0.18 meters (11 percent) was from glacier ice melt, 1.27 meters (75 percent) was from snowmelt, 0.24 meters (14 percent) was from rainfall runoff, and 0.01 meters (1 percent) was from ground water. Although ground water is a small component of runoff, it provides a critical source of warm water for fish survival in the lower reaches of the Tlikakila River.

Detailed measured sections, cross sections, and paleogeographic reconstructions of the upper cretaceous and lower tertiary nonmarine interval, Wind River Basin, Wyoming: Chapter 10 in Petroleum systems and geologic assessment of oil and gas resources in the Wind River Basin Province, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Ronald C.

2007-01-01

Detailed measured sections and regional stratigraphic cross sections are used to reconstruct facies maps and interpret paleogeographic settings for the interval from the base of Upper Cretaceous Mesaverde Formation to top of lower member of the Paleocene Fort Union Formation in the Wind River Basin, Wyoming. The Mesaverde Formation spans the time during which the Upper Cretaceous seaway retreated eastward out of central Wyoming in Campanian time and the initial stages of the Lewis transgression in earliest Maastrichtian time. This retreat stalled for a considerable period of time during deposition of the lower part of the Mesaverde, creating a thick buildup of marginal marine sandstones and coaly coastal plain deposits across the western part of the basin. The Lewis sea transgressed into the northeast part of Wind River Basin, beginning in early Maastrichtian time during deposition of the Teapot Sandstone Member of the Mesaverde Formation. The Meeteetse Formation, which overlies the Teapot, was deposited in a poorly-drained coastal plain setting southwest of the Lewis seaway. The Lewis seaway, at maximum transgression, covered much of the northeast half of the Wind River Basin area but was clearly deflected around the present site of the Wind River Range, southwest of the basin, providing the first direct evidence of Laramide uplift on that range. Uplift of the Wind River Range continued during deposition of the overlying Maastrichtian Lance Formation. The Granite Mountains south of the basin also became a positive feature during this time. A rapidly subsiding trough during the Maastrichtian time formed near the presentday trough of the Wind River Basin in which more than 6,000 feet of Lance was deposited. The development of this trough appears to have begun before the adjacent Owl Creek Mountains to the north started to rise; however, a muddy facies in the upper part of Lance in the deep subsurface, just to the south, might be interpreted to indicate that the Cretaceous Cody Shale was being eroded off a rising Owl Creek Mountains in latest Cretaceous time. The Paleocene Fort Union Formation unconformably overlies older units but with only slight angular discordance around much of the margins of the Wind River Basin. Pre-Fort Union erosion was most pronounced toward the Wind River Range to the southwest, where the Fort Union ultimately overlies strata as old as the upper part of the Cretaceous Cody Shale. The unconformity appears to die out toward the basin center. Coal-forming mires developed throughout the western part of the basin near the beginning of the Paleocene. River systems entering the basin from the Wind River Range to the southwest and the Granite Mountains to the south produced areas of sandy fluvial deposition along mountain fronts. A major river system appears to have entered the basin from about the same spot along the Wind River Range throughout much of the Paleocene, probably because it became incised and could not migrate laterally. The muddy floodplain facies that developed along the deep basin trough during latest Cretaceous time, expanded during the early part of the Paleocene. Coal-forming mires that characterize part of the lower Fort Union Formation reached maximum extent near the beginning of the late Paleocene and just prior to the initial transgression of Lake Waltman. From the time of initial flooding, Lake Waltman expanded rapidly, drowning the coal-forming mires in the central part of the basin and spreading to near basin margins. Outcrop studies along the south margin of the basin document that once maximum transgression was reached, the lake was rapidly pushed basinward and replaced by fluvial environments.

Studies on water resources carrying capacity in Tuhai river basin based on ecological footprint

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Chengshuai; Xu, Lirong; Fu, Xin

2017-05-01

In this paper, the method of the water ecological footprint (WEF) was used to evaluate water resources carrying capacity and water resources sustainability of Tuhai River Basin in Shandong Province. The results show that: (1) The WEF had a downward trend in overall volatility in Tuhai River Basin from 2003 to 2011. Agricultural water occupies high proportion, which was a major contributor to the WEF, and about 86.9% of agricultural WEF was used for farmland irrigation; (2) The water resources carrying capacity had a downward trend in general, which was mostly affected by some natural factors in this basin such as hydrology and meteorology in Tuhai River Basin; (3) Based on analysis of water resources ecological deficit, it can be concluded that the water resources utilization mode was in an unhealthy pattern and it was necessary to improve the utilization efficiency of water resources in Tuhai River Basin; (4) In view of water resources utilization problems in the studied area, well irrigation should be greatly developed at the head of Yellow River Irrigation Area(YRIA), however, water from Yellow River should be utilized for irrigation as much as possible, combined with agricultural water-saving measures and controlled exploiting groundwater at the tail of YRIA. Therefore, the combined usage of surface water and ground water of YRIA is an important way to realize agricultural water saving and sustainable utilization of water resources in Tuhai River Basin.

Sr-Nd isotopes constrain on the deposit history of the basins in the Gulf of Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Y.; Jiang, S.

2015-12-01

The Brazos-Trinity Basin IV and Ursa Basin are situated on the northern slope of the Gulf of Mexico. The Ursa basin lies in the center of late Pleistocene Mississippi River deposition, received the sediment deposition during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 2- 4. The Brazos-Trinity Basin IV belongs to a part of the Brazos-Trinity fan, it recorded the turbidite deposition and hemiplegic deposition during MIS1- 5. The Sr and Nd isotopic composition of the detrital composition of the sediment in both basins indicates the change of the sediment provenance during the basin-filled process. In the Ursa basin, The difference of 87Sr/86Sr ratio and ɛNd of the detrital component between MIS1,2 (87Sr/86Sr ~ 0.7219 - 0.7321, ɛNd ~ -12 - -13.4) and MIS3,4(87Sr/86Sr ~ 0.7310 - 0.7354, ɛNd ~ -16 - -17.9) is suggested to be related with the provenance change of the detrital particles since LGM. The addition of detrital particle from Appalachians with less radiogenic 87Sr/86Sr and positive ɛNd altered the character of the sediment of the Mississippi River during the last glaciation and deglaciation. In the Brazos-Trinity Basin IV, the narrow range of 87Sr/86Sr and ɛNd indicate that the sediment source of Brazos-Trinity Basin IV had not changed obviously during MIS5e to MIS2, mostly from coastal rivers such as Brazos River, Trinity River and Sabine River. The pre-fan with 87Sr/86Sr ~0.735 and ɛNd ~ -14.5 to -16.9, which is very similar to the deep sediment in the Ursa Basin with 87Sr/86Sr ~0.733 to 0.735 and ɛNd ~ -16 to -18. It is suggested that sediments of the pre-fan of the Brazos-Trinity Basin IV were supplied from the ancestral Mississippi River Delta during the low sea level (MIS 6). During the MIS5, the discharge of Mississippi River is thought switched to its present course, ~300 km to the east.

An assessment of stream habitat and nutrients in the Elwha River basin: implications for restoration

USGS Publications Warehouse

Munn, Mark D.; Black, R.W.; Haggland, A.L.; Hummling, M.A.; Huffman, R.L.

1999-01-01

The Elwha River was once famous for its 10 runs of anadromous salmon which included chinook that reportedly exceeded 45 kilograms. These runs either ceased to exist or were significantly depleted after the construction of the Elwha (1912) and Glines Canyon (1927) Dams, which resulted in the blockage of more than 113 kilometers of mainstem river and tributary habitat. In 1992, in response to the loss of the salmon runs in the Elwha River Basin, President George Bush signed the Elwha River Ecosystem and Fisheries Restoration Act, which authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to remove both dams for ecosystem restoration. The objective of this U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) study was to begin describing baseline conditions for assessing changes that will result from restoration. The first step was to review available physical, chemical, and biological information on the Elwha River Basin. We found that most studies have focused on anadromous fish and habitat and that little information is available on water quality, habitat classification, geomorphic processes, and riparian and aquatic biological communities. There is also a lack of sufficient data on baseline conditions for assessing future changes if restoration occurs. The second component of this study was to collect water-quality and habitat data, filling information gaps. This information will permit a better understanding of the relation between physical habitat and nutrient conditions and changes that may result from salmon restoration. We collected data in the fall of 1997 and found that the concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorous were generally low, with most samples having concentrations below detection limits. Detectable concentrations of nitrogen were associated with sites in the lower reach of the Elwha River, whereas the few detections of phosphorus were at sites throughout the basin. Nutrient data indicate that the Elwha River and its tributaries are oligotrophic. Results of the stream classification indicated that most of the habitat that would be usable by salmon is found in the mainstem of the Elwha River due to natural gradient barriers at the lower end of most tributaries. Habitat is diverse in the mainstem due to large woody debris accumulations and the existence of secondary channels. We concluded that restoring salmon runs to the Elwha River system will affect the ecosystem profoundly. Decaying carcasses of migrating salmon will be the source of large quantities of nutrients to the Elwha River. The complex instream habitat of the mainstem will enhance cycling of these nutrients because carcasses will be retained long enough to be assimilated thereby increasing primary and secondary production, size of immature salmonids, and overall higher salmon recruitment.

Tracking sediment through the Holocene: Determining anthropogenic contributions to a sediment-rich agricultural system, north-central USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gran, Karen; Belmont, Patrick; Finnegan, Noah

2013-04-01

Management and restoration of sediment-impaired streams requires quantification of sediment sources and pathways of transport. Addressing the role of humans in altering the magnitude and sources of sediment supplied to a catchment is notoriously challenging. Here, we explore how humans have amplified erosion in geomorphically-sensitive portions of the predominantly-agricultural Minnesota River basin in north-central USA. In the Minnesota River basin, the primary sources of sediment are classified generally as upland agricultural field vs. near-channel sources, with near-channel sources including stream banks, bluffs, and ravines. Using aerial lidar data, repeat terrestrial lidar scans of bluffs, ravine monitoring, historic air photo analyses, and sediment fingerprinting, we have developed a sediment budget to determine the relative importance of each source in a tributary to the Minnesota River, the Le Sueur River. We then investigate how these sources have changed through time, from changes evident over the past few decades to changes associated with valley evolution over the past 13,400 years. The Minnesota River valley was carved ~13,400 years ago through catastrophic drainage of glacial Lake Agassiz. As the Minnesota River valley incised, knickpoints have migrated upstream into tributaries, carving out deep valleys where the most actively eroding near-channel sediment sources occur. The modern sediment budget, closed for the time period 2000 to 2010, shows that the majority of the fine sediment load in the Le Sueur River comes from bluffs and other near-channel sources in the deeply-incised knick zone. Numerical modeling of valley evolution constrained by mapped and dated strath terraces cut into the glacial till presents an opportunity to compare the modern sediment budget to that of the river prior to anthropogenic modification. This comparison reveals a natural background or "pre-agriculture" rate of erosion from near-channel sources to be 3-5 times lower than modern near-channel erosion rates. Notably, depositional records from a naturally-dammed lake downstream on the upper Mississippi River show a more dramatic 10-fold increase in deposition rates from pre-agricultural times to the present. Sediment fingerprinting shows that pre-agriculture sediment loads were dominated by near-channel sediment sources. As deposition rates rose in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the sources shifted increasingly to agricultural soil erosion. In the past few decades, deposition rates have remained high, but sediment fingerprinting indicates yet another significant shift back to near-channel sources. On-going changes in basin hydrology, from both installation of agricultural drainage systems and on-going climate change have put more water in the rivers, increasing rates of near-channel bank and bluff erosion. This most recent shift in sediment sources has significant implications for turbidity management in the Minnesota River basin.

Review of waterpower withdrawals in Weiser River Basin, Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Colbert, Jesse Lane; Young, Loyd L.

1964-01-01

The Weiser River basin is primarily agricultural and is supported by extensive irrigation. The Geological Survey has initiated withdrawals, or has made powersite classifications of lands having value for reservoir sites and for waterpower production. These withdrawals have been examined to see if they should continue in force or if it is in the public interest to restore them. The 1960 report, "Upper Snake River Basin," by the U.S. bureau of Reclamation, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers included recommendations conooming potential water resource-development sites in Water River basin. That report furnished much of the information for this review.

Alternative methods to determine headwater benefits

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

Bao, Y.S.; Perlack, R.D.; Sale, M.J.

1997-11-10

In 1992, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) began using a Flow Duration Analysis (FDA) methodology to assess headwater benefits in river basins where use of the Headwater Benefits Energy Gains (HWBEG) model may not result in significant improvements in modeling accuracy. The purpose of this study is to validate the accuracy and appropriateness of the FDA method for determining energy gains in less complex basins. This report presents the results of Oak Ridge National Laboratory`s (ORNL`s) validation of the FDA method. The validation is based on a comparison of energy gains using the FDA method with energy gains calculatedmore » using the MWBEG model. Comparisons of energy gains are made on a daily and monthly basis for a complex river basin (the Alabama River Basin) and a basin that is considered relatively simple hydrologically (the Stanislaus River Basin). In addition to validating the FDA method, ORNL was asked to suggest refinements and improvements to the FDA method. Refinements and improvements to the FDA method were carried out using the James River Basin as a test case.« less

An appraisal of the ground-water resources of the Juniata River Basin, Pennsylvania

USGS Publications Warehouse

Seaber, Paul R.; Hollyday, Este F.

1966-01-01

This report describes the availability, quantity, quality, variability, and cost of development of the ground-water resources in the Juniata River basin, one of the larger sub-basins of the Susquehanna River basin. The report has been prepared for and under specifications established by the Corps of Engineers, U. S. Army, and the Public Health Service, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.A comprehensive study of the water and related land resources of the Susquehanna River basin was authorized by the Congress of the United States in October 1961, and the task of preparing a report and of coordinating the work being done by others in support of the study was assigned to the Corps of Engineers. The comprehensive study is being conducted by several Federal departments and independent agencies in cooperation with the States of New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. The Public Health Service under its authority in the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (P. L. 660) initiated a comprehensive water quality control program for the Chesapeake drainage basin, which includes the Susquehanna River basin.

Investigation of Climate Change Impact on Water Resources for an Alpine Basin in Northern Italy: Implications for Evapotranspiration Modeling Complexity

PubMed Central

Ravazzani, Giovanni; Ghilardi, Matteo; Mendlik, Thomas; Gobiet, Andreas; Corbari, Chiara; Mancini, Marco

2014-01-01

Assessing the future effects of climate change on water availability requires an understanding of how precipitation and evapotranspiration rates will respond to changes in atmospheric forcing. Use of simplified hydrological models is required beacause of lack of meteorological forcings with the high space and time resolutions required to model hydrological processes in mountains river basins, and the necessity of reducing the computational costs. The main objective of this study was to quantify the differences between a simplified hydrological model, which uses only precipitation and temperature to compute the hydrological balance when simulating the impact of climate change, and an enhanced version of the model, which solves the energy balance to compute the actual evapotranspiration. For the meteorological forcing of future scenario, at-site bias-corrected time series based on two regional climate models were used. A quantile-based error-correction approach was used to downscale the regional climate model simulations to a point scale and to reduce its error characteristics. The study shows that a simple temperature-based approach for computing the evapotranspiration is sufficiently accurate for performing hydrological impact investigations of climate change for the Alpine river basin which was studied. PMID:25285917

Investigation of climate change impact on water resources for an Alpine basin in northern Italy: implications for evapotranspiration modeling complexity.

PubMed

Ravazzani, Giovanni; Ghilardi, Matteo; Mendlik, Thomas; Gobiet, Andreas; Corbari, Chiara; Mancini, Marco

2014-01-01

Assessing the future effects of climate change on water availability requires an understanding of how precipitation and evapotranspiration rates will respond to changes in atmospheric forcing. Use of simplified hydrological models is required because of lack of meteorological forcings with the high space and time resolutions required to model hydrological processes in mountains river basins, and the necessity of reducing the computational costs. The main objective of this study was to quantify the differences between a simplified hydrological model, which uses only precipitation and temperature to compute the hydrological balance when simulating the impact of climate change, and an enhanced version of the model, which solves the energy balance to compute the actual evapotranspiration. For the meteorological forcing of future scenario, at-site bias-corrected time series based on two regional climate models were used. A quantile-based error-correction approach was used to downscale the regional climate model simulations to a point scale and to reduce its error characteristics. The study shows that a simple temperature-based approach for computing the evapotranspiration is sufficiently accurate for performing hydrological impact investigations of climate change for the Alpine river basin which was studied.

Estimated dissolved-solids loads and trends at selected streams in and near the Uinta Basin, Utah, Water Years 1989–2013

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thiros, Susan A.

2017-03-23

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum, studied trends in dissolved-solids loads at selected sites in and near the Uinta Basin, Utah. The Uinta Basin study area includes the Duchesne River Basin and the Middle Green River Basin in Utah from below Flaming Gorge Reservoir to the town of Green River.Annual dissolved-solids loads for water years (WY) 1989 through 2013 were estimated for 16 gaging stations in the study area using streamflow and water-quality data from the USGS National Water Information System database. Eight gaging stations that monitored catchments with limited or no agricultural land use (natural subbasins) were used to assess loads from natural sources. Four gaging stations that monitored catchments with agricultural land in the Duchesne River Basin were used to assess loads from agricultural sources. Four other gaging stations were included in the dissolved-solids load and trend analysis to help assess the effects of agricultural areas that drain to the Green River in the Uinta Basin, but outside of the Duchesne River Basin.Estimated mean annual dissolved-solids loads for WY 1989–2013 ranged from 1,520 tons at Lake Fork River above Moon Lake, near Mountain Home, Utah (UT), to 1,760,000 tons at Green River near Green River, UT. The flow-normalized loads at gaging stations upstream of agricultural activities showed no trend or a relatively small change. The largest net change in modeled flow-normalized load was -352,000 tons (a 17.8-percent decrease) at Green River near Green River, UT.Annual streamflow and modeled dissolved-solids loads at the gaging stations were balanced between upstream and downstream sites to determine how much water and dissolved solids were transported to the Duchesne River and a section of the Green River, and how much was picked up in each drainage area. Mass-balance calculations of WY 1989–2013 mean annual dissolved-solids loads at the studied sites show that Green River near Jensen, UT, accounts for 64 percent of the load in the river at Green River, UT, while the Duchesne River and White River contribute 10 and 13 percent, respectively.Annual streamflow and modeled dissolved-solids loads at the gaging stations were balanced between upstream and downstream sites to determine how much water and dissolved solids were transported to the Duchesne River and a section of the Green River, and how much was picked up in each drainage area. Mass-balance calculations of WY 1989–2013 mean annual dissolved-solids loads at the studied sites show that Green River near Jensen, UT, accounts for 64 percent of the load in the river at Green River, UT, while the Duchesne River and White River contribute 10 and 13 percent, respectively.The flow-normalized dissolved-solids loads estimated at Duchesne River near Randlett, UT, and White River near Watson, UT, decreased by 68,000 and 55,300 tons, or 27.8 and 20.8 percent respectively, when comparing 1989 to 2013. The drainage basins for both rivers have undergone salinity-control projects since the early 1980s to reduce the dissolved-solids load entering the Colorado River. Approximately 19 percent of the net change in flow-normalized load at Green River at Green River, UT, is from changes in load modeled at Duchesne River near Randlett, UT, and 16 percent from changes in load modeled at White River near Watson, UT. The net change in flow-normalized load estimated at Green River near Greendale, UT, for WY 1989–2013 accounts for about 45 percent of the net change estimated at Green River at Green River, UT.Mass-balance calculations of WY 1989–2013 mean annual dissolved-solids loads at the studied sites in the Duchesne River Basin show that 75,400 tons or 44 percent of the load at the Duchesne River near Randlett, UT, gaging station was not accounted for at any of the upstream gages. Most of this unmonitored load is derived from tributary inflow, groundwater discharge, unconsumed irrigation water, and irrigation tail water.A mass balance of WY 1989–2013 flow-normalized loads estimated at sites in the Duchesne River Basin indicates that the flow-normalized load of unmonitored inflow to the Duchesne River between the Myton and Randlett gaging stations decreased by 38 percent. The total net decrease in flow-normalized load calculated for unmonitored inflow in the drainage basin accounts for 94 percent of the decrease in WY 1989–2013 flow-normalized load modeled at the Duchesne River near Randlett, UT, gaging station. Irrigation improvements in the drainage basin have likely contributed to the decrease in flow-normalized load.Reductions in dissolved-solids load estimated by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) from on- and off-farm improvements in the Uinta Basin totaled about 135,000 tons in 2013 (81,900 tons from on-farm improvements and 53,300 tons from off-farm improvements). The reduction in dissolved-solids load resulting from on- and off-farm improvements facilitated by the NRCS and Reclamation in the Price River Basin from 1989 to 2013 was estimated to be 64,800 tons.The amount of sprinkler-irrigated land mapped in the drainage area or subbasin area for a gaging station was used to estimate the reduction in load resulting from the conversion from flood to sprinkler irrigation. Sprinkler-irrigated land mapped in the Uinta Basin totaled 109,630 acres in 2012. Assuming conversion to wheel-line sprinklers, a reduction in dissolved-solids load in the Uinta Basin of 95,800 tons in 2012 was calculated using the sprinkler-irrigation acreage and a pre-salinity-control project dissolved-solids yield of 1.04 tons per acre.A reduction of 72,800 tons in dissolved-solids load from irrigation improvements was determined from sprinkler-irrigated lands in the Ashley Valley and Jensen, Pelican Lake, and Pleasant Valley areas (mapped in 2012); and in the Price River Basin (mapped in 2011). This decrease in dissolved-solids load is 8,800 tons more than the decrease in unmonitored flow-normalized dissolved-solids load (-64,000 tons) determined for the Green River between the Jensen and Green River gaging stations.The net WY 1989–2013 change in flow-normalized dissolved-solids load at the Duchesne River near Randlett, UT, and the Green River between the Jensen and Green River, UT, gaging stations determined from mass-balance calculations was compared to reported reductions in dissolved-solids load from on- and off-farm improvements and estimated reductions in load determined from mapped sprinkler-irrigated areas in the Duchesne River Basin and the area draining to the Green River between the Jensen and Green River gaging stations. The combined NRCS and Reclamation estimates of reduction in dissolved-solids load from on- and off-farm improvements in the study area (200,000 tons) is more than the reduction in load estimated using the acreage with sprinkler improvements (136,000 tons) or the mass-balance of flow-normalized load (132,000 tons).

Stream-Groundwater Interactions Along Streams of the Eastern Sierra Nevada, California: Implications for Assessing Potential Impacts of Flow Diversions

Treesearch

G. Mathias Kondolf

1989-01-01

One of the most fundamental hydrologic determinations to be made in assessing the probable impacts of flow diversions on riparian vegetation is whether flows are gaining or losing water to groundwater in the reach of interest. Flow measurements on eight streams in the Owens River and Mono Lake basins show that stream- groundwater interactions can produce substantial...

Enhanced sediment delivery in a changing climate in semi-arid mountain basins: Implications for water resource management and aquatic habitat in the northern Rocky Mountains

Treesearch

Jaime R. Goode; Charles H. Luce; John M. Buffington

2012-01-01

The delivery and transport of sediment through mountain rivers affects aquatic habitat and water resource infrastructure. While climate change is widely expected to produce significant changes in hydrology and stream temperature, the effects of climate change on sediment yield have received less attention. In the northern Rocky Mountains, we expect climate change to...

Environmental Security in the Danube River Basin: Policy Implications for the United States

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-01-01

United Nations Environmental Programme and Centre for Human Settlements jointly formed a Balkans Task Force that has been conducting independent and...1199 V ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank the United States Air Force Institute for National Security Studies (TNSS) and the Army Environmental...regularly scheduled course on Responsibilities of Military Forces in Environmental Protection. Mr. Robert Jarrett of AEPI provided valuable review

Adaptation of Arabidopsis thaliana to the Yangtze River basin.

PubMed

Zou, Yu-Pan; Hou, Xing-Hui; Wu, Qiong; Chen, Jia-Fu; Li, Zi-Wen; Han, Ting-Shen; Niu, Xiao-Min; Yang, Li; Xu, Yong-Chao; Zhang, Jie; Zhang, Fu-Min; Tan, Dunyan; Tian, Zhixi; Gu, Hongya; Guo, Ya-Long

2017-12-28

Organisms need to adapt to keep pace with a changing environment. Examining recent range expansion aids our understanding of how organisms evolve to overcome environmental constraints. However, how organisms adapt to climate changes is a crucial biological question that is still largely unanswered. The plant Arabidopsis thaliana is an excellent system to study this fundamental question. Its origin is in the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa, but it has spread to the Far East, including the most south-eastern edge of its native habitats, the Yangtze River basin, where the climate is very different. We sequenced 118 A. thaliana strains from the region surrounding the Yangtze River basin. We found that the Yangtze River basin population is a unique population and diverged about 61,409 years ago, with gene flows occurring at two different time points, followed by a population dispersion into the Yangtze River basin in the last few thousands of years. Positive selection analyses revealed that biological regulation processes, such as flowering time, immune and defense response processes could be correlated with the adaptation event. In particular, we found that the flowering time gene SVP has contributed to A. thaliana adaptation to the Yangtze River basin based on genetic mapping. A. thaliana adapted to the Yangtze River basin habitat by promoting the onset of flowering, a finding that sheds light on how a species can adapt to locales with very different climates.

Water quality in Indiana: trends in concentrations of selected nutrients, metals, and ions in streams, 2000-10

USGS Publications Warehouse

Risch, Martin R.; Bunch, Aubrey R.; Vecchia, Aldo V.; Martin, Jeffrey D.; Baker, Nancy T.

2014-01-01

Statistically significant trends were identified that included 167 downward trends and 83 upward trends. The Kankakee River Basin had the most significant upward trends while the most significant downward trends were in the Whitewater River Basin, the Lake Michigan Basin, and the Patoka River Basin. For most constituents, a majority of sites had significant downward trends. Two streams in the Lake Michigan Basin have shown substantial decreases in most constituents. The West Fork White River near Indianapolis, Indiana, showed increases in nitrate and phosphorus and the Kankakee River Basin showed increases in copper, zinc, chloride, sulfate, and hardness. Upward trends in nutrients were identified at a few sites, but most nutrient trends were downward. Upward trends in metals corresponded with relatively small concentration increases while downward trends involved considerably larger concentration changes. Downward trends in chloride, sulfate, and suspended solids were observed statewide, but upward trends in hardness were observed in the northern half of Indiana.

Eco-hydrological Responses to Soil and Water Conservation in the Jinghe River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, H.; Jia, Y.; Qiu, Y.

2011-12-01

The Jinghe River Basin is one of the most serious soil erosion areas in the Loess Plateau. Many measures of soil and water conservation were applied in the basin. Terrestrial ecosystem model BIOME-BGC and distributed hydrological model WEP-L were used to build eco-hydrological model and verified by field observation and literature values. The model was applied in the Jinghe River Basin to analyze eco-hydrological responses under the scenarios of vegetation type change due to soil and water conservation polices. Four scenarios were set under the measures of conversion of cropland to forest, forestation on bare land, forestation on slope wasteland and planting grass on bare land. Analysis results show that the soil and water conservation has significant effects on runoff and the carbon cycle in the Jinghe River Basin: the average annual runoff would decrease and the average annual NPP and carbon storage would increase. Key words: soil and water conservation; conversion of cropland to forest; eco-hydrology response; the Jinghe River Basin

Water quality of the St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair, and their U.S. tributaries, 1946-2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Healy, Denis F.; Chambers, Douglas B.; Rachol, Cynthia M.; Jodoin, Richard S.

2007-01-01

The St. Clair River/Lake St. Clair waterway forms an international boundary between the United States and Canada. The waters of the area are an important part of the cultural heritage of the area and serves as an important water-supply and power-generating resource; the waterway also supports an economy based largely on recreation, agriculture, and manufacturing. This report was undertaken as part of the Lake St. Clair Regional Monitoring Project for the purpose of providing a comprehensive assessment of the hydrological, chemical, and physical state of the surface water of Lake St. Clair and its tributaries. The data varied in focus and density over the period of compilation which in many cases this variation prevented the completion of statistical analyses because data did not meet minimum comparability or quality requirements for those tests. Comparison of water quality of the Belle, Black, Clinton, and Pine River Basins, as well as basins of minor rivers in the study area, showed that water quality in many of the tributaries, particularly the Clinton River and some of the minor rivers, was degraded compared to the water quality of the St. Clair River/Lake St. Clair waterway. Data analyses included comparison of nutrients, chloride, specific conductance, turbidity, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and pesticides among the basins and the St. Clair River. Median concentrations of total nitrate were well below the recommended USEPA total nitrogen ambient water-quality criterion of 0.54 mg/L as N for nutrient ecoregion VII for all study-area streams except the Clinton River. More than 93 percent of the phosphorus concentrations for the Belle, Black, Pine and minor river basins and 84 percent of the phosphorus concentrations for the Clinton River Basin are greater than the USEPA recommended ambient total phosphorus criterion of 0.033 mg/L for rivers and streams. Nine chloride concentrations exceeded the USEPA criterion maximum concentration (CMC) for chloride set at 860 mg/L for all study-area streams, with the six largest being in the Belle River Basin. Higher chloride concentrations were increasingly common from 2002 to 2005. The urban minor river basins had the highest median specific conductance, whereas the agricultural Pine River Basin had the lowest median specific conductance. The median values of BOD for the five basins in the study area ranged from 2.4 mg/L for the Pine River Basin to 3.2 mg/L for the Black and Clinton River Basins, whereas the median for the St. Clair River was 0.5 mg/L. In 1985, the highest concentrations of pesticides were found in samples from the mouth of the Clinton River; however, in 1996–98, the majority of high pesticide concentrations were found in samples from the Black River. Changing land-use patterns, specifically conversion of agricultural lands to urban/residential lands in the Clinton River Basin, may explain this difference. Trend analysis was done for four stream sites where adequate data were available. These analyses identified no significant water-quality changes at a stream site on the Black River, where land-use patterns have changed little in the past few decades. This stands in marked contrast to trend analysis for three stream sites in the Clinton River Basin, which has undergone significant land-use change. The changes at the Clinton River stream sites, ranging from 5 to 13 significant trends, were generally decreases in nutrients and increases in total dissolved solids (TDS) and chloride. The greater flow volume of the St. Clair River/Lake St. Clair waterway is able to assimilate incoming dissolved and suspended constituents from tributaries with little effect upon its overall water quality, although incomplete mixing may result in localized water-quality impairment downstream from tributary confluences. Mixing effects on Lake St. Clair water quality was also demonstrated in analysis of Escherichia coli (E. coli) data collected at paired nearshore/offshore sites, which reflected similarity in water quality among many paired sites.

Geochemical Evolution of Groundwater in the Medicine Lodge Creek Drainage Basin with Implications for the Eastern Snake River Plain Aquifer, Eastern Idaho

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ginsbach, M. L.; Rattray, G. W.; McCurry, M. O.; Welhan, J. A.

2012-12-01

The eastern Snake River Plain aquifer (ESRPA) is an unconfined, continuous aquifer located in a northeast-trending structural basin filled with basaltic lava flows and sedimentary interbeds in eastern Idaho. The ESPRA is not an inert transport system, as it acts as both a sink and source for solutes found in the water. More than 90% of the water recharged naturally to the ESRPA is from the surrounding mountain drainage basins. Consequently, in order to understand the natural geochemistry of water within the ESRPA, the chemistry of the groundwater from the mountain drainage basins must be characterized and the processes that control the chemistry need to be understood. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy and Idaho State University, has been studying these mountain drainage basins to help understand the movement of waste solutes in the ESRPA at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) in eastern Idaho. This study focuses on the Medicine Lodge Creek drainage basin, which originates in the Beaverhead Mountains, extends onto the eastern Snake River Plain, and contributes recharge to the ESRPA beneath the INL as underflow along the northeastern INL boundary. Water and rock samples taken from the Medicine Lodge Creek drainage basin were analyzed to better understand water/rock interactions occurring in this system and to define the groundwater geochemistry of this drainage basin. Water samples were collected at 10 locations in the drainage basin during June 2012: 6 groundwater wells used for agricultural irrigation or domestic use and 4 springs. These water samples were analyzed for major ions, nutrients, trace metals, isotopes, and dissolved gasses. Samples of rock representative of the basalt, rhyolite, and sediments that occur within the drainage basin also were collected. These samples were analyzed using x-ray diffraction and petrographic study to determine the mineralogical constituents of the rock and the presence and composition of alteration products. The lithologic variability in this area leads to differing water-rock interactions occurring in different parts of the drainage basin. Anthropogenic influences also affect the water; at the far downgradient end of the drainage basin, increased levels of chloride and sulfate in the groundwater suggest an increased influence of irrigation recharge. Results from both water and rock analyses are combined in geochemical modeling software to determine plausible reactions that occur in groundwater collected at the sampling sites.

Fluvial geomorphic elements in modern sedimentary basins and their potential preservation in the rock record: A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weissmann, G. S.; Hartley, A. J.; Scuderi, L. A.; Nichols, G. J.; Owen, A.; Wright, S.; Felicia, A. L.; Holland, F.; Anaya, F. M. L.

2015-12-01

Since tectonic subsidence in sedimentary basins provides the potential for long-term facies preservation into the sedimentary record, analysis of geomorphic elements in modern continental sedimentary basins is required to understand facies relationships in sedimentary rocks. We use a database of over 700 modern sedimentary basins to characterize the fluvial geomorphology of sedimentary basins. Geomorphic elements were delineated in 10 representative sedimentary basins, focusing primarily on fluvial environments. Elements identified include distributive fluvial systems (DFS), tributive fluvial systems that occur between large DFS or in an axial position in the basin, lacustrine/playa, and eolian environments. The DFS elements include large DFS (> 30 km in length), small DFS (< 30 km in length), coalesced DFS in bajada or piedmont plains, and incised DFS. Our results indicate that over 88% of fluvial deposits in the evaluated sedimentary basins are present as DFS, with tributary systems covering a small portion (1-12%) of the basin. These geomorphic elements are commonly arranged hierarchically, with the largest transverse rivers forming large DFS and smaller transverse streams depositing smaller DFS in the areas between the larger DFS. These smaller streams commonly converge between the large DFS, forming a tributary system. Ultimately, most transverse rivers become tributary to the axial system in the sedimentary basin, with the axial system being confined between transverse DFS entering the basin from opposite sides of the basin, or a transverse DFS and the edge of the sedimentary basin. If axial systems are not confined by transverse DFS, they will form a DFS. Many of the world's largest rivers are located in the axial position of some sedimentary basins. Assuming uniformitarianism, sedimentary basins from the past most likely had a similar configuration of geomorphic elements. Facies distributions in tributary positions and those on DFS appear to display specific morphologic patterns. Tributary rivers tend to increase in size in the downstream direction. Because axial tributary rivers are present in confined settings in the sedimentary basin, they migrate back and forth within a relatively narrow belt (relative to the overall size of the sedimentary basin). Thus, axial tributary rivers tend to display amalgamated channel belt form with minimal preservation potential of floodplain deposits. Chute and neck cutoff avulsions are also common on meandering rivers in these settings. Where rivers on DFS exit their confining valley on the basin margin, sediment transport capacity is reduced and sediment deposition occurs resulting in development of a 'valley exit' nodal avulsion point that defines the DFS apex. Rivers may incise downstream of the basin margin valley because of changes in sediment supply and discharge through climatic variability or tectonic processes. We demonstrate that rivers on DFS commonly decrease in width down-DFS caused by infiltration, bifurcation, and evaporation. In proximal areas, channel sands are amalgamated through repeated avulsion, reoccupation of previous channel belts, and limited accumulation space. When rivers flood on the medial to distal portions of a DFS, the floodwaters spread across a large area on the DFS surface and typically do not re-enter the main channel. In these distal areas, rivers on DFS commonly avulse, leaving a discrete sand body and providing high preservation potential for floodplain deposits. Additional work is needed to evaluate the geomorphic character of modern sedimentary basins in order to construct improved facies models for the continental sedimentary rock record. Specifically, models for avulsion, bifurcation, infiltration, and geomorphic form on DFS are required to better define and subsequently predict facies geometries. Studies of fluvial systems in sedimentary basins are also important for evaluating flood patterns and groundwater distributions for populations in these regions.

Base flow (1966-2009) and streamflow gain and loss (2010) of the Brazos River from the New Mexico-Texas State line to Waco, Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Baldys, Stanley; Schalla, Frank E.

2012-01-01

Streamflow was measured at 66 sites from June 6–9, 2010, and at 68 sites from October 16–19, 2010, to identify reaches in the upper Brazos River Basin that were gaining or losing streamflow. Gaining reaches were identified in each of the five subbasins. The gaining reach in the Salt Fork Brazos River Basin began at USGS streamflow-gaging station 08080940 Salt Fork Brazos River at State Highway 208 near Clairemont, Tex. (site SF–6), upstream from where Duck Creek flows into the Salt Fork Brazos River and continued downstream past USGS streamflow-gaging station 08082000 Salt Fork Brazos River near Aspermont, Tex. (site SF–9), to the outlet of the basin. In the Double Mountain Fork Brazos River Basin, a gaining reach from near Post, Tex., downstream to the outlet of the basin was identified. Two gaining reaches were identified in the Clear Fork Brazos River Basin—one from near Roby, Tex., downstream to near Noodle, Tex., and second from Hawley, Tex., downstream to Nugent, Tex. Most of the North Bosque River was characterized as gaining streamflow. Streamflow gains were identified in the main stem of the Brazos River from where the Brazos River main stem forms at the confluence of the Salt Fork Brazos River and Double Mountain Fork Brazos River near Knox City, Tex., downstream to near Seymour, Tex.

Turbidity and suspended-sediment transport in the Russian River Basin, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ritter, John R.; Brown, William M.

1971-01-01

The Russian River in north coastal California has a persistent turbidness, which has reportedly caused a decline in the success of the sports fishermen. As a consequence, the number of sports fishermen angling in the river has declined, and industries dependent on their business have suffered. To determine the source of the turbidity and the rate of sediment transport in the basin, a network of sampling station was established in February 1964 along the river, on some of its tributaries, and near Lake Pillsbury in the upper Eel River basin.

Power-law tail probabilities of drainage areas in river basins

USGS Publications Warehouse

Veitzer, S.A.; Troutman, B.M.; Gupta, V.K.

2003-01-01

The significance of power-law tail probabilities of drainage areas in river basins was discussed. The convergence to a power law was not observed for all underlying distributions, but for a large class of statistical distributions with specific limiting properties. The article also discussed about the scaling properties of topologic and geometric network properties in river basins.

33 CFR 334.155 - Severn River, Naval Station Annapolis, Small Boat Basin, Annapolis, MD; naval restricted area.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Severn River, Naval Station Annapolis, Small Boat Basin, Annapolis, MD; naval restricted area. 334.155 Section 334.155 Navigation and... RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.155 Severn River, Naval Station Annapolis, Small Boat Basin, Annapolis, MD...

33 CFR 334.155 - Severn River, Naval Station Annapolis, Small Boat Basin, Annapolis, MD; naval restricted area.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Severn River, Naval Station Annapolis, Small Boat Basin, Annapolis, MD; naval restricted area. 334.155 Section 334.155 Navigation and... RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.155 Severn River, Naval Station Annapolis, Small Boat Basin, Annapolis, MD...

Gila River Basin Native Fishes Conservation Program

Treesearch

Doug Duncan; Robert W. Clarkson

2013-01-01

The Gila River Basin Native Fishes Conservation Program was established to conserve native fishes and manage against nonnative fishes in response to several Endangered Species Act biological opinions between the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Central Arizona Project (CAP) water transfers to the Gila River basin. Populations of some Gila...

Estimation of potential runoff-contributing areas in the Kansas-Lower Republican River Basin, Kansas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Juracek, Kyle E.

1999-01-01

Digital soils and topographic data were used to estimate and compare potential runoff-contributing areas for 19 selected subbasins representing soil, slope, and runoff variability within the Kansas-Lower Republican (KLR) River Basin. Potential runoff-contributing areas were estimated separately and collectively for the processes of infiltration-excess and saturation-excess overland flow using a set of environmental conditions that represented high, moderate, and low potential runoff. For infiltration-excess overland flow, various rainfall intensities and soil permeabilities were used. For saturation-excess overland flow, antecedent soil-moisture conditions and a topographic wetness index were used. Results indicated that the subbasins with relatively high potential runoff are located in the central part of the KLR River Basin. These subbasins are Black Vermillion River, Clarks Creek, Delaware River upstream from Muscotah, Grasshopper Creek, Mill Creek (Wabaunsee County), Soldier Creek, Vermillion Creek (Pottawatomie County), and Wildcat Creek. The subbasins with relatively low potential runoff are located in the western one-third of the KLR River Basin, with one exception, and are Buffalo Creek, Little Blue River upstream from Barnes, Mill Creek (Washington County), Republican River between Concordia and Clay Center, Republican River upstream from Concordia, Wakarusa River downstream from Clinton Lake (exception), and White Rock Creek. The ability to distinguish the subbasins as having relatively high or low potential runoff was possible mostly due to the variability of soil permeability across the KLR River Basin.

Estimated water use and availability in the Pawtuxet and Quinebaug River basins, Rhode Island, 1995-99

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wild, Emily C.; Nimiroski, Mark T.

2007-01-01

Water availability became a concern in Rhode Island during a drought in 1999, and an investigation was needed to assess demands on the hydrologic system from withdrawals during periods of little to no precipitation. The low water levels during the drought prompted the U.S. Geological Survey and the Rhode Island Water Resources Board to begin a series of studies on water use and availability in each drainage area in Rhode Island for 1995–99. The study area for this report, which includes the Pawtuxet River Basin in central Rhode Island (231.6 square miles) and the Quinebaug River Basin in western Rhode Island (60.97 square miles), was delineated as the surface-water drainage areas of these basins. During the study period from 1995 through 1999, two major water suppliers withdrew an average of 71.86 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) from the Pawtuxet River Basin; of this amount, about 35.98 Mgal/d of potable water were exported to other basins in Rhode Island. The estimated water withdrawals from minor water suppliers were 0.026 Mgal/d in the Pawtuxet River Basin and 0.003 Mgal/d in the Quinebaug River Basin. Total self-supply withdrawals were 2.173 Mgal/d in the Pawtuxet River Basin and 0.360 Mgal/d in the Quinebaug River Basin, which has no public water supply. Total water use averaged 18.07 Mgal/d in the Pawtuxet River Basin and 0.363 Mgal/d in the Quinebaug River Basin. Total return flow in the Pawtuxet River Basin was 30.64 Mgal/d, which included about 12.28 Mgal/d that were imported from other basins in Rhode Island. Total return flow was 0.283 Mgal/d in the Quinebaug River Basin. During times of little to no recharge in the form of precipitation, the surface- and ground-water flows are from storage primarily in the stratified sand and gravel deposits; water also flows through the till deposits, but at a slower rate. The ground water discharging to the streams during times of little to no recharge from precipitation is referred to as base flow. The PART program, a computerized hydrograph-separation application, was used to analyze the data collected at two selected index stream-gaging stations to determine water availability on the basis of the 75th, 50th, and 25th percentiles of the total base flow; the base flow for the 7-day, 10-year low-flow scenario; and the base flow for the Aquatic Base Flow scenario for both stations. The index stream-gaging stations used in the analysis were the Branch River at Forestdale, Rhode Island (period of record 1957–1999) and the Nooseneck River at Nooseneck, Rhode Island (period of record 1964–1980). A regression equation was used to estimate unknown base-flow contributions from sand and gravel deposits at the two stations. The base-flow contributions from sand and gravel deposits and till deposits at the index stations were computed for June, July, August, and September within the periods of record, and divided by the area of each type of surficial deposit at each index station. These months were selected because they define a period when there is usually an increased demand for water and little to no precipitation. The base flows at the stream-gaging station Branch River at Forestdale, Rhode Island were lowest in August at the 75th, 50th, and 25th percentiles (29.67, 21.48, and 13.30 Mgal/d, respectively). The base flows at the stream-gaging station Nooseneck River at Nooseneck, Rhode Island were lowest in September at the 75th percentile (3.551 Mgal/d) and lowest in August at the 50th and 25th percentiles (2.554 and 1.811 Mgal/d). The base flows per unit area for the index stations were multiplied by the areas of sand and gravel and till in the studyarea subbasins to determine the amount of available water for each scenario. The water availability in the Pawtuxet River Basin at the 50th percentile ranged from 126.5 Mgal/d in August to 204.7 Mgal/d in June, and the total gross water availability for the 7-day, 10-year low-flow scenario at the 50th percentile ranged from 112.2 Mgal/d in August to 190.4 Mgal/d in June. The Scituate Reservoir safe yield was 83 Mgal/d in all scenarios. Water availability in the Quinebaug River Basin ranged from 13.94 Mgal/d in August to 30.53 Mgal/d in June at the 50th percentile. The total gross water availability for the 7-day, 10-year low-flow scenario at the 50th percentile ranged from 14.26 Mgal/d in August to 42.69 Mgal/d in June. Because water withdrawals and use are greater during the summer than other times of the year, water availability in June, July, August, and September was compared to water withdrawals in the basin and subbasins. The ratios of water withdrawn to water available were calculated for the 75th, 50th, and 25th percentiles for the subbasins; the closer the ratio is to 1, the closer the withdrawals are to the estimated water available, and the less net water is available. Withdrawals in July were higher than in the other summer months in both basins. In the Pawtuxet River Basin, the ratios were close to 1 in July for the estimated gross yield (from sand and gravel and from till and from the Scituate Reservoir safe yield), 7-day, 10-year low-flow scenario, and Aquatic Base Flow scenario at the 75th percentile and in August for all three scenarios at the 50th and 25th percentiles. In the Quinebaug River Basin, the ratios were close to 1 in August for the estimated gross yield; 7-day, 10-year low-flow scenario; and Aquatic Base Flow scenario. A long-term water budget was calculated for 1941 through 1999 to identify and assess the basin and subbasin inflow and outflows for the Pawtuxet and Quinebaug River Basins. The water withdrawals and return flows used in the budget were from 1995 through 1999. Inflow was assumed to be equal to outflow; total inflows and outflows were 574.9 Mgal/d in the Pawtuxet River Basin and 148.4 Mgal/d in the Quinebaug River Basin. Precipitation and return flow were 95 and 5 percent of the estimated inflows to the Pawtuxet River Basin, respectively. Precipitation was 100 percent of the estimated inflow to the Quinebaug River Basin; return flow was less than 1 percent of the inflow. Evapotranspiration, streamflow, and water withdrawals were 46, 41, and 13 percent, respectively, of the estimated outflows in the Pawtuxet River Basin. Evapotranspiration and streamflow were 49 and 51 percent, respectively, of the estimated outflows in the Quinebaug River Basin. Water withdrawals were less than 1 percent of outflows in the Quinebaug River Basin. 

Irrigation and streamflow depletion in Columbia River basin above The Dalles, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Simons, Wilbur Douglas

1953-01-01

The Columbia River is the largest stream in western United States. Above The Dalles, Oregon, it drains an area of 237,000 square miles, of which 39,000 square miles is in Canada. This area is largely mountainous and lies between the Rocky Mountains and the Cascade Range. The Kootenai, Pend Oreille, and Snake Rivers are the principal tributaries. Precipitation varies from 7 inches near Kennewick, Wash. to over 100 inches in some of the mountainous regions. Most of the runoff occurs in the spring and summer months as a result of melting snow. Precipitation is generally light during the summer months, and irrigation is necessary for sustained crop production. Historical data indicate that irrigation in the Columbia River basin began prior to 1840 at the site of missions established near Walla Walla, Wash. and Lewiston, Idaho. During the next half century the increase in irrigated area was slow and by 1890 included only 506,000 acres. The period 1890 to 1910 was marked by phenomenal increase to a total of 2,276,000 acres in 1910. Since that time there has been more gradual addition to a total of 4,004,S00 acres of irrigated land in 1946 in the Columbia River basin above The Dalles, Oreg. Of this total 918,000 acres were located in the Columbia Basin above the mouth of the Snake River; 2,830,000 acres in the Snake River basin, and the balance, 256,000 acres below the mouth of the Snake River. Values of net consumptive use were determined or estimated for various tributary basins of the Columbia River basin and compared to available experimental data. These values were then used to compute the average depletion which could be directly attributed to irrigation. The yield of a drainage basin was considered to be the rum of the ob- served runoff and the estimated depletion. For purposes of comparison, the depletion was expressed both in terms of acre-feet and as a percentage of the yield of the basin. This percentage depletion varied from less than 1 percent for many tributary basins to 53 percent for the portion of the Snake River basin between Heise and King Hill, Idaho. For the Columbia River near The Dalles, Oreg., the average depletion during the period 1921 through 1945, amounted to 4,7 percent of the yield and the depletion represented by the 1946 stage of irrigation development amounted to 5.3 percent of the long-term yield.

Assessing regional climate simulations of the last 30 years (1982-2012) over Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khandu; Awange, Joseph L.; Anyah, Richard; Kuhn, Michael; Fukuda, Yoichi

2017-10-01

The Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) River Basin presents a spatially diverse hydrological regime due to it's complex topography and escalating demand for freshwater resources. This presents a big challenge in applying the current state-of-the-art regional climate models (RCMs) for climate change impact studies in the GBM River Basin. In this study, several RCM simulations generated by RegCM4.4 and PRECIS are assessed for their seasonal and interannual variations, onset/withdrawal of the Indian monsoon, and long-term trends in precipitation and temperature from 1982 to 2012. The results indicate that in general, RegCM4.4 and PRECIS simulations appear to reasonably reproduce the mean seasonal distribution of precipitation and temperature across the GBM River Basin, although the two RCMs are integrated over a different domain size. On average, the RegCM4.4 simulations overestimate monsoon precipitation by {˜ }26 and {˜ }5% in the Ganges and Brahmaputra-Meghna River Basin, respectively, while PRECIS simulations underestimate (overestimate) the same by {˜ }7% ({˜ }16%). Both RegCM4.4 and PRECIS simulations indicate an intense cold bias (up to 10° C) in the Himalayas, and are generally stronger in the RegCM4.4 simulations. Additionally, they tend to produce high precipitation between April and May in the Ganges (RegCM4.4 simulations) and Brahmaputra-Meghna (PRECIS simulations) River Basins, resulting in early onset of the Indian monsoon in the Ganges River Basin. PRECIS simulations exhibit a delayed monsoon withdrawal in the Brahmaputra-Meghna River Basin. Despite large spatial variations in onset and withdrawal periods across the GBM River Basin, the basin-averaged results agree reasonably well with the observed periods. Although global climate model (GCM) driven simulations are generally poor in representing the interannual variability of precipitation and winter temperature variations, they tend to agree well with observed precipitation anomalies when driven by perfect boundary conditions. It is also seen that all GCM driven simulations feature significant positive surface temperature trends consistent with the observed datasets.

Using Pooled Local Expert Opinions (PLEO) to Discern Patterns in Sightings of Live and Dead Manatees (Trichechus senegalensis, Link 1785) in Lower Sanaga Basin, Cameroon

PubMed Central

Mayaka, Theodore B.; Takoukam Kamla, Aristide; Self-Sullivan, Caryn

2015-01-01

We aimed at unveiling patterns in live and dead manatee sightings in the Lower Sanaga Basin, Cameroon. For this purpose, the expert opinions of 133 local fishers were collected during in-person interviews, distilled using categorical data analysis, and checked against scientific literature. The five main results are as follows: manatees were sighted averagely once a week in lakes, rivers, and the coast & estuaries, mostly in group sizes of 2-3; the odds of sighting live manatees (respectively dead manatees) decreased (respectively increased) from inland lakes to estuaries and the coast, via rivers; manatee carcasses were reported in all habitats, albeit more frequently in rivers; a distribution map based on fishers’ reports show two manatee concentration areas: Lake Ossa and the Malimba-Mbiako section of River Sanaga; the number of manatees was perceived as increasing despite incidental and directed catches. Thus, our findings corroborate earlier assessments of the Lower Sanaga Basin as being a major manatee conservation area. Additionally, from these results and the literature, we identified three hypotheses about local manatee persistence: deep pools such as lakes offer year round sanctuaries, not just dry-season refugia; seasonality of specific habitat variables determine manatee occurrence patterns; and local variability in habitat encroachment mediate the meta-population dynamics of manatee in the Lower Sanaga Basin. Finally, we examine the implications for data requirements in light of the small ecological scale at which the surveyed fishers ply their trade. Thus, consonant with the Malawi principles for the ecosystem approach to management (www.cbd.int/ecosystem), we recommend collecting data preferably at landscape scale, through a participatory monitoring program that fully integrates scientific and traditional knowledge systems. This program should include, amongst others, a standardised necropsy protocol for collecting mortality and biological data together with sonar and radio-telemetry technology to discern manatee use and movements between critical habitat components. PMID:26197396

Rising Water Storage in the Niger River basin: Clues and Cause

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Werth, S.

2016-12-01

Heavily populated west African regions along the Niger River are affected by climate and land cover changes, altering the distribution of water resources. To maintain a reliable water supply in the region, water management authorities require knowledge of hydrological changes at various spatial and temporal scales. Local and regional studies reported rising water tables over the last decades as a consequence of complex responses on land use change in the Sahel zone. The spatial extend of this responses is not well understood, as of yet. Thus, this study provides an in-depth investigation of long-term changes in the water storages of Niger River basin and its sub-regions by analyzing more than a decade of satellite based gravity data from the Gravity Recovery And Climate Change (GRACE) satellites. Soil moisture data from four global hydrological models serve to separate freshwater resources (WR) from GRACE-based terrestrial water storage variations. Surface water variations from a global water storage model and trends from altimetry data were applied to separate the groundwater component from WR trends. Errors of all datasets are taken into account. Trends in WR are positive, except for the tropical Upper Niger with negative trends. For the Niger basin, a rise in GW stocks was detected. On the subbasin scale, GW changes are positive for the Sahelian Middle Niger and the Benue. The findings confirm previous observations of water tables in the Sahel and tropical zones, indicating that reported effects of land use change are relevant on large, i.e. basin and subbasin, scales. Our results have implications for Niger water management strategies. While areas with rising water storage are stocking a comfortable backup to mitigate possible future droughts and to deliver water to remote areas with no access to rivers or reservoirs. Increasing groundwater recharges may be accompanied by a reduction in water quality. This study helps to inform authority's decision to address risks for affected communities.

Assessing recent declines in Upper Rio Grande runoff efficiency from a paleoclimate perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehner, Flavio; Wahl, Eugene R.; Wood, Andrew W.; Blatchford, Douglas B.; Llewellyn, Dagmar

2017-05-01

Recent decades have seen strong trends in hydroclimate over the American Southwest, with major river basins such as the Rio Grande exhibiting intermittent drought and declining runoff efficiencies. The extent to which these observed trends are exceptional has implications for current water management and seasonal streamflow forecasting practices. We present a new reconstruction of runoff ratio for the Upper Rio Grande basin back to 1571 C.E., which provides evidence that the declining trend in runoff ratio from the 1980s to present day is unprecedented in context of the last 445 years. Though runoff ratio is found to vary primarily in proportion to precipitation, the reconstructions suggest a secondary influence of temperature. In years of low precipitation, very low runoff ratios are made 2.5-3 times more likely by high temperatures. This temperature sensitivity appears to have strengthened in recent decades, implying future water management vulnerability should recent warming trends in the region continue.