Student Independent Projects Environmental Studies 2011: The Humber River Basin Human Values Project: Designing a Sampling Strategy for a Pilot Survey in the Corner Brook Area

Sustainability can be indicated by a number of factors. Populations need to be aged evenly, ensuring a healthy equilibrium. Job opportunities must be numerous and of wide varieties to balance incomes from different employment sectors. Regions must also sustain vital natural resources in the area which are directly related to a place being self-sustaining. These indicators prove to be true, especially in Newfoundland, where people have struggled to remain in the small traditional communities that they consider being there 'home.' The population of Corner Brook and the surrounding areas can be stratified according to the values people hold to their special place. Even though people in western Newfoundland hold strong ties to their home, some parts of the region even though people in western Newfoundland hold strong ties to their home, some parts of the region struggle with employment, low incomes, out-migration, and dependency on declining natural resources. The aim of this paper is to present the process of designing a sample strategy for a human values pilot survey conducted in the city of Corner Brook. It will present a theoretical background over the period 2002-2006 to be used for sampling strategy.

Influence of Increased Human Presence in the Mills River Basin on Water Availability and Drought

Periods of drought and low streamflow can have profound impacts on both human and natural systems. People depend on a reliable source of water for numerous reasons including potable water supply and to produce economic value through agriculture or energy production. Aquatic ecosystems depend on water in addition to the economic benefits they provide to society through ecosystem services. Given that periods of low streamflow may become more extreme and frequent in the future, it is important to study the factors that control water availability during these times. In the absence of precipitation the slower hydrological response of groundwater systems will play an amplified role in water supply. Understanding the variability of the fraction of streamflow contribution from baseflow or groundwater during periods of drought provides insight into what future water availability may look like and how it can best be managed. The Mills River Basin in North Carolina is chosen as a case-study to test this understanding. First, obtaining a physically meaningful estimation of baseflow from USGS streamflow data via computerized hydrograph analysis techniques is carried out. Then applying a method of time series analysis including wavelet analysis can highlight signals of non-stationarity and evaluate the changes in variance required to better understand the natural variability of baseflow and low flows. In addition to natural variability, human influence must be taken into account in order to accurately assess how the combined system reacts to periods of low flow. Defining a combined demand that consists of both natural and human demand allows us to be more rigorous in assessing the level of sustainable use of a shared resource, in this case water. The analysis of baseflow variability can differ based on regional location and local hydrogeology, but it was found that baseflow varies from multiyear scales such as those associated with ENSO (3.5, 7 years) up to multi decadal time scales, but with most of the contributing variance coming from decadal or multiyear scales. It was also found that the behavior of baseflow and subsequently water availability depends a great deal on overall precipitation, the tracks of hurricanes or tropical storms and associated climate indices, as well as physiography and hydrogeology. Evaluating and utilizing the Duke Combined Hydrology Model (DCHM), reasonably accurate estimates of streamflow during periods of low flow were obtained in part due to the model’s ability to capture subsurface processes. Being able to accurately simulate streamflow levels and subsurface interactions during periods of drought can be very valuable to water suppliers, decision makers, and ultimately impact citizens. Knowledge of future droughts and periods of low flow in addition to tracking customer demand will allow for better management practices on the part of water suppliers such as knowing when they should withdraw more water during a surplus so that the level of stress on the system is minimized when there is not ample water supply.

Energy systems analysis of transboundary river basins in a nexus approach: the Sava river basin study case

Resource management policies are frequently designed and planned to target specific needs of particular sectors, without taking into account the interests of other sectors who share the same resources. In a climate of resource depletion, population growth, increase in energy demand and climate change awareness, it is of great importance to promote the assessment of intersectoral linkages and, by doing so, understand their effects and implications. This need is further augmented when common use of resources might not be solely relevant at national level, but also when the distribution of resources ranges over different nations. This dissertation focuses on the study of the energy systems of five south eastern European countries, which share the Sava River Basin, using a water-food(agriculture)-energy nexus approach. In the case of the electricity generation sector, the use of water is essential for the integrity of the energy systems, as the electricity production in the riparian countries relies on two major technologies dependent on water resources: hydro and thermal power plants. For example, in 2012, an average of 37% of the electricity production in the SRB countries was generated by hydropower and 61% in thermal power plants. Focusing on the SRB, in terms of existing installed capacities, the basin accommodates close to a tenth of all hydropower capacity while providing water for cooling to 42% of the net capacity of thermal power currently in operation in the basin. This energy-oriented nexus study explores the dependency on the basin’s water resources of the energy systems in the region for the period between 2015 and 2030. To do so, a multi-country electricity model was developed to provide a quantification ground to the analysis, using the open-source software modelling tool OSeMOSYS. Three main areas are subject to analysis: first, the impact of energy efficiency and renewable energy strategies in the electricity generation mix; secondly, the potential impacts of climate change under a moderate climate change projection scenario; and finally, deriving from the latter point, the cumulative impact of an increase in water demand in the agriculture sector, for irrigation. Additionally, electricity trade dynamics are compared across the different scenarios under scrutiny, as an effort to investigate the implications of the aforementioned factors in the electricity markets in the region.

Changes in biomass, chemical composition and nutritive value of Spartina alterniflora due to organic pollution in the Itanhaém River Basin (SP, Brazil)

Foram comparados a biomassa, a composição química e o valor nutritivo da macrófita aquática emersa S. alterniflora em um rio impactado por descargas de efluentes domésticos (Rio Guaú) e em um rio bem conservado (Rio Itanhaém). Amostras de S. alterniflora, água e sedimento foram coletadas nos dois rios, em novembro de 2001. O rio Guaú apresentou as maiores concentrações de N-Total e P-Total na água (415 e 674 µg.L-1, respectivamente) e sedimento (0,25 e 0,20% de Massa Seca, respectivamente), em relação a água (NT = 105 µg.L-1; PT= 20 µg.L-1) e sedimento (NT = 0,12% MS; PT = 0,05% MS) do rio Itanhaém. A biomassa aérea (316 g MS.m-2) e subterrânea (425 g MS.m-2) de S. alterniflora no rio Guaú foram significativamente maiores do que no rio Itanhaém (146 e 115 g MS.m-2). Além disto, os valores de NT, proteínas, PT, lipídios e carboidratos solúveis foram significativamente maiores na biomassa de S. alterniflora no rio Guaú. Por outro lado, a fração de parede celular e os teores de polifenóis foram maiores na biomassa de S. alterniflora no rio Itanhaém. Concluiu-se que o lançamento de efluentes domésticos em corpos d'água pode aumentar a biomassa e alterar a composição química de S. alterniflora. A maior disponibilidade de N e P no rio Guaú, provavelmente, é a causa dos maiores valores de biomassa, NT, PT, lipídeos e carboidratos solúveis em S. alterniflora neste rio.

Shallow Groundwater Quality and Geochemistry in the Shields River Basin, South-Central Montana

Water samples were collected from 33 domestic wells, 2 springs, and 3 streams in the Shields River Basin (Basin) in southwest Montana. Samples were collected in 2013 to describe the chemical quality of groundwater in the Basin. Sampling was done to assess potential impacts to water quality from recent exploratory oil and gas drilling and to establish baseline water quality conditions. Wells were selected in areas near and away from oil and gas drilling and in areas susceptible to contamination. Water samples from surface water sites were collected in October to characterize base flow conditions. Physical characteristics of the land surface, soils, and shallow aquifers were used to assess groundwater susceptibility to contamination from the land surface. This analysis was completed using GIS. Samples were analyzed for major ions, trace metals, water isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen. A subset (24) of samples were analyzed for tritium and organic constituents (GRO, DRO, BTEX, methane, ethylene, and ethane). One sample exceeded the human health drinking water standard for selenium. Dissolved methane and ethylene gas were detected in six samples at concentrations less than 0.184 milligrams per liter. Three locations were resampled in 2014, and no methane or ethylene was detected. Shallow groundwater and streams are generally calcium- or sodium-bicarbonate type water with total dissolved solids concentration less than 300 milligrams per liter. Some wells produce either sodium-chloride or sodium-sulfate type water suggesting slower flow paths and more rock-water interaction. Tritium concentrations suggest that older water (TU< 0.8), recharged prior to the mid-1950’s, is generally sodium type, whereas younger water (TU > 4) is generally a calcium type. Water-quality data from this study were compared to available historic data in the Basin. Additionally, the USGS Produced Waters Geochemical database was queried for chemical data of produced waters from reservoir rocks throughout Montana and the surrounding states. Comparisons to historic and produced water chemical data suggest no impact to shallow groundwater quality from exploratory oil and gas drilling.

Water Demand and Allocation in the Mara River Basin, Kenya/Tanzania in the Face of Land Use Dynamics and Climate Variability

The Mara River Basin (MRB) is endowed with pristine biodiversity, socio-cultural heritage and natural resources. The purpose of my study is to develop and apply an integrated water resource allocation framework for the MRB based on the hydrological processes, water demand and economic factors. The basin was partitioned into twelve sub-basins and the rainfall runoff processes was modeled using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) after satisfactory Nash-Sutcliff efficiency of 0.68 for calibration and 0.43 for validation at Mara Mines station. The impact and uncertainty of climate change on the hydrology of the MRB was assessed using SWAT and three scenarios of statistically downscaled outputs from twenty Global Circulation Models. Results predicted the wet season getting more wet and the dry season getting drier, with a general increasing trend of annual rainfall through 2050. Three blocks of water demand (environmental, normal and flood) were estimated from consumptive water use by human, wildlife, livestock, tourism, irrigation and industry. Water demand projections suggest human consumption is expected to surpass irrigation as the highest water demand sector by 2030. Monthly volume of water was estimated in three blocks of current minimum reliability, reserve (>95%), normal (80–95%) and flood (40%) for more than 5 months in a year. The assessment of water price and marginal productivity showed that current water use hardly responds to a change in price or productivity of water. Finally, a water allocation model was developed and applied to investigate the optimum monthly allocation among sectors and sub-basins by maximizing the use value and hydrological reliability of water. Model results demonstrated that the status on reserve and normal volumes can be improved to ‘low’ or ‘moderate’ by updating the existing reliability to meet prevailing demand. Flow volumes and rates for four scenarios of reliability were presented. Results showed that the water allocation framework can be used as comprehensive tool in the management of MRB, and possibly be extended similar watersheds.

Optimal irrigation planning in river basin development: The case of the Upper Cauvery river basin

The study deals with the irrigation planning of the Cauvery river basin in peninsular India which is extensively developed in the downstream reaches and has a high potential for development in the upper reaches. A four-reservoir system is modelled on a monthly basis by using a mathematical programming (LP) formulation to find optimum cropping patterns, subject to land, water and downstream release constraints, and applied to the Cauvery basin. Two objectives, maximizing net economic benefits and maximizing irrigated cropped area, considered in the model are analysed in the context of multiobjective planning and the trade-offs discussed.

Landslide susceptibility mapping in the downstream region of Sharavathi river basin, Central Western Ghats

Landslides are hazards encountered during monsoon in undulating terrains of Western Ghats causing geomorphic make over of earth surface resulting in significant damages to life and property. An attempt is made in this paper to identify landslides susceptibility regions in the Sharavathi river basin downstream using frequency ratio method based on the field investigations during July- November 2007. In this regard, base layers of spatial data such as topography, land cover, geology and soil were considered. This is supplemented with the field investigations of landslides. Factors that influence landslide were extracted from the spatial database. The probabilistic model -frequency ratio is computed based on these factors. Landslide susceptibility indices were computed and grouped into five classes. Validation of LHS, showed an accuracy of 89% as 25 of the 28 regions tallied with the field condition of highly vulnerable landslide regions. The landslide susceptible map generated for the downstream would be useful for the district officials to implement appropriate mitigation measures to reduce hazards.

An integrated study on the hydrogeology of Bharathapuzha river basin, South West coast of India

The present work deals with the An integrated study on the hydrogeology of Bharathapuzha river basin ,south west coast of india. To study the spatial and temporal behaviour of the groundwater system of the Bharathapuzha river basin.To discover the sub-surface parameter by ground resistivity surveys.T o determine the groundwater quality of the Bharathapuzha river basin for the different seasons {pre monsoon and post monsoon with reference to the domestic and irrigational water quality standards.Present study will provide a good database on the hydrogeological aspects within the river basin.The study area covers l7 block Panchayats. Of these, Chitoor block is ‘over exploited’, Kollengode, Trithala, and Palakkad are ‘critical’ in category and Kuttippuram and Sreekrishnapuram blocks are ‘semi critical’ in terms of groundwater development.Comparison of Geomorphology map with drainage map shows that the geomorphology has a clear control on the drainage net work of the basin. The structural hill area shows a highest drainage network, where as pediment shows lowest drainage network.There are many discontinuous lineament in the Bharathapuzha river basin which can be connected by a straight line.Ground water flow directions are generally towards the western portions of the study area. From the northern region Water flows towards the central and also water from the eastern and southern side confluences at the centre and move towards western side of the basin.The positive correlation of transmissivity and storativity values show good aquifer conditions exists in the present study area .

Allozyme differentiation of two populations of the genus Neoplecostomus Eigenmann & Eigenmann, 1888 (Teleostei, Loricariidae) from the upper Paraná River basin, Brazil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Influence of Seasonality on the Interaction of Mercury with Aquatic Humic Substances Extracted from the Middle Negro River Basin (Amazon)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Geogenic factors affecting the selenium(IV) distribution in sediments from Madeira River Basin, Brazil

This investigation was carried out at the Madeira River basin, located in the state of Rondônia, Brazilian Amazon. Sediments from Madeira River between Teotônio and Santo Antônio waterfalls along 25 km upstream from Porto Velho, the capital of Rondônia state, and from nine lakes located around Porto Velho municipality were chemically analyzed for Se (IV) in order to evaluate the main factors affecting the Se(IV) distribution in the environment, Selenite ion was chosen to investigate the selenium behavior in the area, because acid conditions are dominant there. The importance of clays, iron oxides, organic matter and minor refractory minerals was considered in order to explain most of the obtained data.

Phylogeography of Hypostomus strigaticeps (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) inferred by mitochondrial DNA reveals its distribution in the upper Paraná River basin

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Regulation of the abundance and turnover of copepod species by temperature, turbidity and habitat type in a large river basin

Freshwater copepods were sampled in the La Plata River basin to identify the processes that affect beta diversity and to determine the main factors influencing their geographical distribution and patterns of endemism. Beta diversity patterns exhibited strong dissimilarity between locations; the turnover process was predominant and indicated a replacement of species along the basin. Redundancy analysis indicated the presence of two large sets of species separated geographically by a boundary zone, with several associated variables. Northern species were associated with water transparency and temperature, mean air temperature, mean air temperature during winter and minimum air temperature of coldest month, indicating that these species are not tolerant to low temperatures and are abundant in reservoirs that are common in the upper stretch of the Paraná River basin. Southern species were related with amplitude of air temperature, turbidity, total phosphorus and total suspended matter, indicating that these species are polythermic and have adapted to live in river stretches. From 20 environmental variables analyzed in our study, partial least squares analysis indicated four variables with increased retention of effects on copepod abundance: air temperature, minimum temperature of coldest month, turbidity and transparency. Because almost all of the species found in this study occurred across a wide range of habitat types, the cause of the separation between river and reservoir species could be considered to be more anthropogenic than natural, and it primarily affected species abundance. For certain members of the northern group of copepod species, distribution was dependent on high temperatures, whereas the distribution of the southern group indicated that the species were polythermic.