07039-014 Miners Creek Final Report

This project brings together rural and urban partners to address the impairment of Miners Creek, a cold water trout stream in Northeast Iowa. It eliminates point source pollution contributions from the City of Guttenberg, decreases non-point source pollution and increases in-stream and near stream habitat in the Miners Creek Watershed. It specifically eliminates sewage and storm water runoff from the City of Guttenberg into Miners Creek; it develops, enhances and preserves wetlands; reduces direct livestock access to the. stream through rotational grazing systems; completes stream bank stabilizatio11 and in-stream habitat creation; targets upland land treatment; and promotes targeted application of continuous CRP and forestry practices. This project recognizes that non-point source pollution improvements could be hampered by point source pollutants ihat inhibit biologic reproduction and survival. It takes appropliate measures to improve all aspects of the stream ecosystem.

Geochemical evolution of active porphyry copper tailings impoundments : from alkaline deposition towards acidification

J. Smuda: Geochemical evolution of active porphyry copper tailings impoundments Thesis abstract Mine waste is the largest volume of materials handled in the world. The oxidation of sulfidic mine waste may result in the release of acid mine drainage (AMD) rich in heavy metals and arsenic to the environment, one of the major problems the mining industry is facing today. To control and reduce this environmental impact, it is crucial to identify the main geochemical and hydrological processes influencing contaminant liberation, transport, and retention. This thesis presents the results of a geochemical, mineralogical and stable isotope study (δ2H, δ18O, δ34S) from two active porphyry copper tailings impoundments in Mediterranean (Carén tailings impoundment, El Teniente mine, Central Chile) and hyper-arid climate (Talabre tailings impoundment, Chuquicamata, Northern Chile) from the deposition in alkaline environment (pH 10.5) towards acidification after several years of exposure. The major hydrological results were the identification of vertical contaminant and water transport in the uppermost, not water-saturated zone, triggered by capillary rise due to evaporation, and infiltration downwards due to new tailings deposition, and of horizontal transport in the groundwater zone. At the surface of the sedimented tailings, evaporation of pore water led to the precipitation of Na-Ca-Mg sulfates (e.g., gypsum, tenorite), in hyper-arid climate also halite. At the Carén tailings impoundment, renewed deposition in a 4-week interval inhibited a pH decrease below neutral values and the formation of an efflorescent salt crust. At the Talabre tailings impoundment, deposition breaks of several years resulted in the formation of acidic oxidation zones in the timeframe of less than 4 years. This process enabled the transport of liberated Cu, Zn, and Fe via capillary rise to the surface, where these metals precipitated as heavy-metal sulfates (e.g., devilline, krohnkite) and chlorides (eriochalcite, atacamite). Renewed depositing may dissolve efflorescent salts and transport liberated elements towards the groundwater zone. This zone was found to be highly dynamic due to infiltration and mixing with water from different sources, like groundwater, catchment water, and infiltration from superficial waters. There, Cu was found to be partially mobile due to complexation with Cl (in Cl-rich groundwater, Talabre) and dissolved organic matter (in zones with infiltration of catchment water rich in dissolved organic matter, Carén). A laboratory study on the isotopic fractionation of sulfur and oxygen of sulfate in different minerals groups (water-soluble sulfates, low- and high-crystalline Fe(III) oxyhydroxides) contributed to the use of stable isotopes as tracer of geochemical and transport processes for environmental studies. The results highlight that a detailed geochemical, stable isotope and mineralogical study permits the identification of contamination processes and pathways already during the deposition of mine tailings. This knowledge allows the early planning of adequate actions to reduce and control the environmental impact during tailings deposition and after the closing of the impoundment. J. Smuda: Geochemical evolution of active porphyry copper tailings impoundments Résumé de these Les déchets miniers constituent les plus grands volumes de matériel gérés dans le monde. L'oxydation des déchets miniers sulfuriques peut conduire à la libération de drainages miniers acides (DMA) riches en métaux et arsenic dans l'environnement, ce qui est l'un des principaux problèmes de l'industrie minière aujourd'hui. Pour contrôler et réduire ces impacts sur l'environnement, il est crucial d'identifier les principaux processus géochimiques et hydrologiques influençant la libération, le transport et la rétention des contaminants. Cette thèse présente les résultats d'une étude géochimique, minéralogique et des isotopes stables (δ2H, δ18O, δ34S) sur des déchets miniers de 2 sites de dépôt actifs en climat méditerranéen (Dépôt de déchets de Carén, mine de El Teniente, Centre du Chili) et en climat hyper-aride (Dépôt de déchets de Talabre, mine de Chuquicamata, Nord du Chili). L'objectif était d'étudier l'évolution des déchets de la déposition en milieu alcalin (pH = 10.5) vers l'acidification après plusieurs années d'exposition. Le principal résultat hydrologique a été l'identification de 2 types de transport : un transport vertical de l'eau et des contaminants dans la zone non saturée en surface, induit par la montée capillaire due à l'évaporation et par l'infiltration subséquente de la déposition de sédiments frais ; et un transport horizontal dans la zone des eaux souterraines. À la surface des déchets, l'évaporation de l'eau interstitielle conduit à la précipitation de sulfates de Na-Ca-Mg (ex. gypse, ténorite) et halite en climat hyper-aride. Dans le site de Carén, une nouvelle déposition de déchets frais à 4 semaines intervalle a empêché la baise du pH en deçà des valeurs neutres et la formation d'une croûte de sels efflorescentes en surface. Dans le site de Talabre, les fentes de dessiccation des dépôts ont entraîné la formation d'une zone d'oxydation à pH acide en moins de 4 ans. Ce processus a permis la libération et le transport par capillarité de Cu, Zn, Fe vers la surface, où ces éléments précipitent sous forme de sulfates de métaux lourds (ex., dévilline, krohnkite) de chlorures (ex. ériochalcite, atacamite). Une nouvelle déposition de sédiments frais pourrait dissoudre ces sels et les transporter vers la zone des eaux souterraines. Cette dernière zone était très dynamique en raison du mélange d'eaux provenant de différentes sources, comme les eaux souterraines, l'eau de captage et l'infiltration des eaux superficielles. Egalement dans cette zone, le cuivre était partiellement mobile à cause de la formation de complexe avec le chlore (dans les zone riche en Cl, Talabre) et avec la matière organique dissoute (dans les zones où s'infiltre l'eau de captage riche en matière organique, Carén). Une étude en laboratoire sur le fractionnement des isotopes stables de sulfure et d'oxygène des sulfates dans différents groupes de minéraux (sulfates hydrosolubles, sulfures de oxy-hydroxyde de Fe(III) faiblement ou fortement cristallins) a permis d'apporter une contribution à leur utilisation comme traceurs dans l'étude des processus géochimiques et de transport lors d'études environnementales. Les résultats montrent qu'une étude détaillée de la géochimie, des isotopes stables et de la minéralogie permet d'identifier les processus et les voies de contamination déjà pendant la période de dépôt des déchets miniers. Cette connaissance permet de planifier, dès le début de l'exploitation, des mesures adéquates pour réduire et contrôler l'impact sur l'environnement pendant la période de dépôts de déchets miniers et après la fermeture du site.

Monitoring and failure mechanism interpretation of an unstable slope in Southern Switzerland based on terrestrial laser scanner

We present the application of terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) for the monitoring and characterization of an active landslide area in Val Canaria (Ticino, Southern Swiss Alps). At catchment scale, the study area is affected by a large Deep Seated Gravitational Slope Deformation (DSGSD) area presenting, in the lower boundary, several retrogressive landslides active since the 1990s. Due to its frequent landslide events this area was periodically monitored by TLS since 2006. Periodic acquisitions provided new information on 3D displacements at the bottom of slope and the detection of centimetre to decimetre level scale changes (e.g. rockfall and pre-failure deformations). In October 2009, a major slope collapse occured at the bottom of the most unstable area. Based on the comparison between TLS data before and after the collapse, we carried out a detailed failure mechanism analysis and volume calculation.

The estimation of PMP and PMF on alpine basins in Switzerland

This paper presents a very fine grid hydrological model based on the spatiotemporal repartition of precipitation and on the topography. The goal is to estimate the flood on a catchment area, using a Probable Maximum Precipitation (PMP) leading to a Probable Maximum Flood (PMF). The spatiotemporal distribution of the precipitation was realized using six clouds modeled by the advection-diffusion equation. The equation shows the movement of the clouds over the terrain and also gives the evolution of the rain intensity in time. This hydrological modeling is followed by a hydraulic modeling of the surface and subterranean flows, done considering the factors that contribute to the hydrological cycle, such as the infiltration, the exfiltration and the snowmelt. This model was applied to several Swiss basins using measured rain, with results showing a good correlation between the simulated and observed flows. This good correlation proves that the model is valid and gives us the confidence that the results can be extrapolated to phenomena of extreme rainfall of PMP type. In this article we present some results obtained using a PMP rainfall and the developed model.

Testing the effects of genetic crossing distance on embryo survival within a metapopulation of brown trout (Salmo trutta)

Predicting progeny performance from parental genetic divergence can potentially enhance the efficiency of supportive breeding programmes and facilitate risk assessment. Yet, experimental testing of the effects of breeding distance on offspring performance remains rare, especially in wild populations of vertebrates. Recent studies have demonstrated that embryos of salmonid fish are sensitive indicators of additive genetic variance for viability traits. We therefore used gametes of wild brown trout (Salmo trutta) from five genetically distinct populations of a river catchment in Switzerland, and used a full factorial design to produce over 2,000 embryos in 100 different crosses with varying genetic distances (FST range 0.005-0.035). Customized egg capsules allowed recording the survival of individual embryos until hatching under natural field conditions. Our breeding design enabled us to evaluate the role of the environment, of genetic and nongenetic parental contributions, and of interactions between these factors, on embryo viability. We found that embryo survival was strongly affected by maternal environmental (i.e. non-genetic) effects and by the microenvironment, i.e. by the location within the gravel. However, embryo survival was not predicted by population divergence, parental allelic dissimilarity, or heterozygosity, neither in the field nor under laboratory conditions. Our findings suggest that the genetic effects of inter-population hybridization within a genetically differentiated meta-population can be minor in comparison to environmental effects.

At-risk drinking and drug use among patients seeking care in an emergency department.

OBJECTIVE: This study reports the frequency of alcohol use and associated tobacco and drug use among emergency department (ED) patients, in order to increase physician awareness and treatment of women and men seeking care in ED settings. METHOD: All adults seen in the ED at the University Hospital in Lausanne, Switzerland, between 11 AM and 11 PM were screened by direct interview for at-risk drinking, tobacco use, drug use, and depression during an 18-month period. RESULTS: A total of 8,599 patients (4,006 women and 4,593 men) participated in the screening procedure and provided full data on the variables in our analysis. The mean age was 51.9 years for women and 45.0 years for men; 57.5% (n = 2,304) of women and 58.5% (n = 2,688) of men were being treated for trauma. Based on guidelines of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 13.1% (n = 523) of the women were at-risk drinkers, 57.3% (n = 2,301) were low-risk drinkers, and 29.6% (n = 1,182) were abstinent. Among men, 32.8% (n = 1,507) met criteria for at-risk drinking, 51.8% (n = 2,380) met criteria for low-risk drinking, and 15.4% (n = 706) were abstinent. Younger individuals (ages 18-30) had significantly higher rates of episodic heavy drinking episodes, whereas at-risk older patients were more likely to drink on a daily basis. A binary model found that women and men who drank at at-risk levels are more likely to use tobacco (odds ratio [OR] = 2.48, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.0-3.08) and illicit drugs (OR = 5.91, CI: 3.32- 10.54) compared with abstinent and low-risk drinkers. CONCLUSIONS: This study supports systematic alcohol screening of women and men seen in EDs and suggests that patterns of alcohol and drug use vary by age and gender.

Curb Removal Study, HR-76, Progress Report, 1962

Pavements constructed in Iowa during the period of the 1920's through the late 1940's were built with an integral curb. The purpose of the curb was to control drainage of water from the pavement surface in areas where runoff took place at a very rapid rate. It is for this reason that curbing is found on pavements constructed during this period. The curbing led the water flowing on the pavement surface to drainage outlets; this helped reduce erosion along the edge of the slab. The curbs have satisfactorily performed the job for which they were intended. The advent of bigger and faster vehicles has created a demand for changes in the design of pavements. Current designs provide wider driving surfaces with reduced grades which can better accommodate the wider cars and trucks. By present day design standards the narrow highways are inadequate and are being replaced or improved. The normal improvement procedure is to widen to 24 feet by providing additional driving surface at each edge of the pavement. Curbing is removed from the pavement so that the surface of the widening can be placed at the same level as that of the slab.

Evaluation of Design Flood Frequency Methods for Iowa Streams, TR-533, 2009

The objective of this project was to assess the predictive accuracy of flood frequency estimation for small Iowa streams based on the Rational Method, the NRCS curve number approach, and the Iowa Runoff Chart. The evaluation was based on comparisons of flood frequency estimates at sites with sufficiently long streamgage records in the Midwest, and selected urban sites throughout the United States. The predictive accuracy and systematic biases (under- or over-estimation) of the approaches was evaluated based on forty-six Midwest sites and twenty-one urban sites. The sensitivity of several watershed characteristics such as soil properties, slope, and land use classification was also explored. Recommendations on needed changes or refinements for applications to Iowa streams are made.

Estimating traveltimes and groundwater flow patterns using 3D time-lapse crosshole ERT imaging of electrical resistivity fluctuations induced by infiltrating river water

The infiltration of river water into aquifers is of high relevance to drinking-water production and is a key driver of biogeochemical processes in the hyporheic and riparian zone, but the distribution and quantification of the infiltrating water are difficult to determine using conventional hydrological methods (e.g., borehole logging and tracer tests). By time-lapse inverting crosshole ERT (electrical resistivity tomography) monitoring data, we imaged groundwater flow patterns driven by river water infiltrating a perialpine gravel aquifer in northeastern Switzerland. This was possible because the electrical resistivity of the infiltrating water changed during rainfall-runoff events. Our time-lapse resistivity models indicated rather complex flow patterns as a result of spatially heterogeneous bank filtration and aquifer heterogeneity. The upper part of the aquifer was most affected by the river infiltrate, and the highest groundwater velocities and possible preferential flow occurred at shallow to intermediate depths. Time series of the reconstructed resistivity models matched groundwater electrical resistivity data recorded on borehole loggers in the upper and middle parts of the aquifer, whereas the resistivity models displayed smaller variations and delayed responses with respect to the logging data. in the lower part. This study demonstrated that crosshole ERT monitoring of natural electrical resistivity variations of river infiltrate could be used to image and quantify 3D bank filtration and aquifer dynamics at a high spatial resolution.

2012 Community Tree Management Plan, Alburnett, IA, June 24, 2013

This plan was developed to assist Alburnett with the management, budgeting and future planning of their urban forest. Across the state, forestry budgets continue to decrease with more and more of that money spent on tree removal. With the anticipated arrival of Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), an invasive pest that kills native ash trees, it is time to prepare for the increased costs of tree removal and replacement planting. With proper planning and management of the current canopy in Alburnett, these costs can be extended over years and public safety issues from dead and dying ash trees mitigated. Trees are an important component of Alburnett’s infrastructure and one of the greatest assets to the community. The benefits of trees are immense. Trees provide the community with improved air quality, stormwater runoff interception, energy conservation, lower traffic speeds, increased property values, reduced crime, improved mental health and create a desirable place to live, to name just a few benefits. It is essential that these benefits be maintained for the people of Alburnett and future generations through good urban forestry management. Good urban forestry management involves setting goals and developing management strategies to achieve these goals. An essential part of developing management strategies is a comprehensive public tree inventory. The inventory supplies information that will be used for maintenance, removal schedules, tree planting and budgeting. Basing actions on this information will help meet Alburnett’s urban forestry goals.

2012 Community Tree Management Plan, Avoca, IA, May 2, 2013

This plan was developed to assist Avoca with the management, budgeting and future planning of their urban forest. Across the state, forestry budgets continue to decrease with more and more of that money spent on tree removal. With the anticipated arrival of Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), an invasive pest that kills native ash trees, it is time to prepare for the increased costs of tree removal and replacement planting. With proper planning and management of the current canopy in Avoca, these costs can be extended over years and public safety issues from dead and dying ash trees mitigated. Trees are an important component of Avoca’s infrastructure and one of the greatest assets to the community. The benefits of trees are immense. Trees provide the community with improved air quality, stormwater runoff interception, energy conservation, lower traffic speeds, increased property values, reduced crime, improved mental health and create a desirable place to live, to name just a few benefits. It is essential that these benefits be maintained for the people of Avoca and future generations through good urban forestry management. Good urban forestry management involves setting goals and developing management strategies to achieve these goals. An essential part of developing management strategies is a comprehensive public tree inventory. The inventory supplies information that will be used for maintenance, removal schedules, tree planting and budgeting. Basing actions on this information will help meet Avoca’s urban forestry goals.

2012 Community Tree Management Plan, Belle Plaine, IA, June 24, 2013

This plan was developed to assist Belle Plaine with the management, budgeting and future planning of their urban forest. Across the state, forestry budgets continue to decrease with more and more of that money spent on tree removal. With the anticipated arrival of Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), an invasive pest that kills native ash trees, it is time to prepare for the increased costs of tree removal and replacement planting. With proper planning and management of the current canopy in Belle Plaine, these costs can be extended over years and public safety issues from dead and dying ash trees mitigated. Trees are an important component of Belle Plaine’s infrastructure and one of the greatest assets to the community. The benefits of trees are immense. Trees provide the community with improved air quality, stormwater runoff interception, energy conservation, lower traffic speeds, increased property values, reduced crime, improved mental health and create a desirable place to live, to name just a few benefits. It is essential that these benefits be maintained for the people of Belle Plaine and future generations through good urban forestry management. Good urban forestry management involves setting goals and developing management strategies to achieve these goals. An essential part of developing management strategies is a comprehensive public tree inventory. The inventory supplies information that will be used for maintenance, removal schedules, tree planting and budgeting. Basing actions on this information will help meet Belle Plaine’s urban forestry goals.

Comparisons of Estimates of Annual Exceedance-Probability Discharges for Small Drainage Basins in Iowa, Based on Data through Water Year 2013, TR-678, 2015

Traditionally, the Iowa Department of Transportation has used the Iowa Runoff Chart and single-variable regional-regression equations (RREs) from a U.S. Geological Survey report (published in 1987) as the primary methods to estimate annual exceedance-probability discharge (AEPD) for small (20 square miles or less) drainage basins in Iowa. With the publication of new multi- and single-variable RREs by the U.S. Geological Survey (published in 2013), the Iowa Department of Transportation needs to determine which methods of AEPD estimation provide the best accuracy and the least bias for small drainage basins in Iowa. Twenty five streamgages with drainage areas less than 2 square miles (mi2) and 55 streamgages with drainage areas between 2 and 20 mi2 were selected for the comparisons that used two evaluation metrics. Estimates of AEPDs calculated for the streamgages using the expected moments algorithm/multiple Grubbs-Beck test analysis method were compared to estimates of AEPDs calculated from the 2013 multivariable RREs; the 2013 single-variable RREs; the 1987 single-variable RREs; the TR-55 rainfall-runoff model; and the Iowa Runoff Chart. For the 25 streamgages with drainage areas less than 2 mi2, results of the comparisons seem to indicate the best overall accuracy and the least bias may be achieved by using the TR-55 method for flood regions 1 and 3 (published in 2013) and by using the 1987 single-variable RREs for flood region 2 (published in 2013). For drainage basins with areas between 2 and 20 mi2, results of the comparisons seem to indicate the best overall accuracy and the least bias may be achieved by using the 1987 single-variable RREs for the Southern Iowa Drift Plain landform region and for flood region 3 (published in 2013), by using the 2013 multivariable RREs for the Iowan Surface landform region, and by using the 2013 or 1987 single-variable RREs for flood region 2 (published in 2013). For all other landform or flood regions in Iowa, use of the 2013 single-variable RREs may provide the best overall accuracy and the least bias. An examination was conducted to understand why the 1987 single-variable RREs seem to provide better accuracy and less bias than either of the 2013 multi- or single-variable RREs. A comparison of 1-percent annual exceedance-probability regression lines for hydrologic regions 1–4 from the 1987 single-variable RREs and for flood regions 1–3 from the 2013 single-variable RREs indicates that the 1987 single-variable regional-regression lines generally have steeper slopes and lower discharges when compared to 2013 single-variable regional-regression lines for corresponding areas of Iowa. The combination of the definition of hydrologic regions, the lower discharges, and the steeper slopes of regression lines associated with the 1987 single-variable RREs seem to provide better accuracy and less bias when compared to the 2013 multi- or single-variable RREs; better accuracy and less bias was determined particularly for drainage areas less than 2 mi2, and also for some drainage areas between 2 and 20 mi2. The 2013 multi- and single-variable RREs are considered to provide better accuracy and less bias for larger drainage areas. Results of this study indicate that additional research is needed to address the curvilinear relation between drainage area and AEPDs for areas of Iowa.

Maintenance and Design of Steel Abutment Piles in Iowa Bridges, TR-622, 2014

Soil consolidation and erosion caused by roadway runoff have exposed the upper portions of steel piles at the abutments of numerous bridges, leaving them susceptible to accelerated corrosion rates due to the abundance of moisture, oxygen, and chlorides at these locations. This problem is compounded by the relative inaccessibility of abutment piles for close-up inspection and repair. The objective of this study was to provide bridge owners with recommendations for effective methods of addressing corrosion of steel abutment piles in existing and future bridges A review of available literature on the performance and protection of steel piles exposed to a variety of environments was performed. Eight potential coating systems for use in protecting existing and/or new piles were selected and subjected to accelerated corrosion conditions in the laboratory. Two surface preparation methods were evaluated in the field and three coating systems were installed on three piles at an existing bridge where abutment piles had been exposed by erosion. In addition, a passive cathodic protection (CP) system using sacrificial zinc anodes was tested in the laboratory. Several trial flowable mortar mixes were evaluated for use in conjunction with the CP system. For existing abutment piles, application of a protective coating system is a promising method of mitigating corrosion. Based on its excellent performance in accelerated corrosion conditions in the laboratory on steel test specimens with SSPC-SP3, -SP6, and -SP10 surface preparations, glass flake polyester is recommended for use on existing piles. An alternative is epoxy over organic zinc rich primer. Surface preparation of existing piles should include abrasive blast cleaning to SSPC-SP6. Although additional field testing is needed, based on the results of the laboratory testing, a passive CP system could provide an effective means of protecting piles in existing bridges when combined with a pumped mortar used to fill voids between the abutment footing and soil. The addition of a corrosion inhibitor to the mortar appears to be beneficial. For new construction, shop application of thermally sprayed aluminum or glass flake polyester to the upper portion of the piles is recommended.

Mix Design Development for Pervious Concrete in Cold Weather Climates

Portland cement pervious concrete (PCPC) is being used more frequently due to its benefits in reducing the quantity of runoff water,improving water quality, enhancing pavement skid resistance during storm events by rapid drainage of water, and reducing pavement noise. In the United States, PCPC typically has high porosity and low strength, which has resulted in the limited use of pervious concrete, especially in hard wet freeze environments (e.g., the Midwestern and Northeastern United States and other parts of the world).Improving the strength and freeze-thaw durability of pervious concrete will allow an increase in its use in these regions. The objective of this research is to develop a PCPC mix that not only has sufficient porosity for stormwater infiltration, but also desirable strength and freeze-thaw durability. In this research, concrete mixes were designed with various sizes and types of aggregates, binder contents, and admixture amounts. The engineering properties of the aggregates were evaluated. Additionally, the porosity, permeability, strength, and freeze-thaw durability of each of these mixes was measured. Results indicate that PCPC made with single-sized aggregate has high permeability but not adequate strength. Adding a small percent of sand to the mix improves its strength and freeze-thaw resistance, but lowers its permeability. Although adding sand and latex improved the strength of the mix when compared with single-sized mixes, the strength of mixes where only sand was added were higher. The freeze-thaw resistance of PCPC mixes with a small percentage of sand also showed 2% mass loss after 300 cycles of freeze-thaw. The preliminary results of the effects of compaction energy on PCPC properties show that compaction energy significantly affects the freeze-thaw durability of PCPC and, to a lesser extent, reduces compressive strength and split strength and increases permeability.