Download or read book Assessment of Watershed Nutrient Loads and Effectiveness of Best Management Practices written by Saeid Nazari and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 153 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Review of the New York City Watershed Protection Program written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2020-12-04 with total page 423 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: New York City's municipal water supply system provides about 1 billion gallons of drinking water a day to over 8.5 million people in New York City and about 1 million people living in nearby Westchester, Putnam, Ulster, and Orange counties. The combined water supply system includes 19 reservoirs and three controlled lakes with a total storage capacity of approximately 580 billion gallons. The city's Watershed Protection Program is intended to maintain and enhance the high quality of these surface water sources. Review of the New York City Watershed Protection Program assesses the efficacy and future of New York City's watershed management activities. The report identifies program areas that may require future change or action, including continued efforts to address turbidity and responding to changes in reservoir water quality as a result of climate change.

Download or read book Assessing Conservation Practice Effectiveness with Lorenz Inequality Results written by Julia Biertempfel and published by . This book was released on 2022 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Chesapeake Bay watershed is home to over 18 million people and contains over 87,000 working farms, which are two aspects that have led to the Bay's long-standing impaired status. In response to the federal mandate to reduce pollutant loadings to the Bay and to meet its portion of the watershed-wide load reduction goals, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has divided its counties into four prioritization tiers based on potential pollutant reduction. Twenty watersheds within the Susquehanna and Potomac portions of the Chesapeake Bay were selected from among the tiers to compare watersheds with varying levels of documented agriculturally-focused best management practice (BMP) implementation to those dominated by forested land cover. Although spatial targeting of BMPs has been extensively studied for reducing nutrient and sediment loads from agriculturally-dominated landscapes of the Bay watershed, effectiveness of BMP implementation to restore natural biogeochemical variability to the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles remains unknown. Furthermore, the time frame between widescale BMP implementation and watershed recovery at the county level is a complex subject which requires more assessment. Both these research inquiries could affect policy decisions, as available funding constraints often force BMPs to be implemented where they will be most effective. Research results could help land managers and policymakers assess the effectiveness of BMP implementation for achieving load reduction goals, as well as provide a better understanding of their effectiveness not only in reducing loads, but in restoring variability to nutrient cycling. This research investigated the hydrologic, biogeochemical, anthropogenic, and physiographic factors that influence the degree of temporal inequality exhibited by nutrient time series data in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Temporal inequality was assessed via Lorenz inequality curves and their corresponding Gini equations, as well as testing and comparing the concentration-discharge relationships of TN and TP, within twenty targeted watersheds within the Susquehanna and Potomac portions of the Chesapeake Bay. Spatial analysis was additionally conducted to analyze the relationship between Gini values, nutrient reduction progress, forested and agricultural land use percentages, coefficients of variation, and b values. Specifically, this thesis examined how the implementation of BMPs affects the degree of temporal inequality exhibited by nutrient transport at individual gauging stations over time and how quickly improvements are reflected within flow and load data. The watersheds of interest were selected using tier ranking from Phase III of the Pennsylvania Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP). The goal of this thesis was to compare watersheds with varying levels of documented BMP implementation to those with largely forested land cover in order to assess comparisons in degrees of temporal inequality of flow and nutrient load, as well as whether BMPs restore variability to nutrient dynamics within the studied timeframe. Hydroclimic variables were also scrutinized based on how they affect Gini Coefficients for nutrient loads. The hypothesis that drove this research was that agriculturally-dominated watersheds would show less variability of nutrient concentrations observed in streams due to nutrient legacy sources and current-day TN and TP sources, while less impacted watersheds would exhibit higher variability. I anticipated that if BMPs have helped to restore the natural variability of nutrient concentrations, then the degree of temporal inequality exhibited by a given gauging station location will increase over time after the BMPs have been implemented. However, due to the different pathways TN and TP pollution take in the environment, I anticipated TP to respond faster to BMP implementation than TN. Results drawn after data analysis indicate that there were few significant data markers of the improvement in TN variability, even after looking at both time series data and spatial analysis. Though this was the expected result for watershed sub-catchments with a higher percentage of agricultural land-use, this persisted even in more forested sub-catchments. No sub-catchment investigated in this thesis had a CVTN:CVQ value above 0.3 by the end of the data series, which highlights how difficult it is to restore TN variability in a landscape. Ultimately, I concluded that noticeable trend changes in TN variability may not be detectible only eight years after the TMDL model was implemented. Conversely, I concluded that there were visible signs that indicated several sub-watersheds within the scope of this research that displayed improving variability patterns for TP. The Gini coefficients of TP were overall more responsive to change than TN, particularly when looking at tier 1 and 2 sub-catchments. This is likely due to a combination of more progress completed towards TP reductions via infrastructure implementation (BMPs) and the different pathways TN and TP pollution take in the environment. A discussion of the implications and limitations of using the Weighted Regression on Time, Discharge, and Season (WRTDS) method to analyze long-term surface water-quality data is included at the end of this thesis.

Download or read book Clean Coastal Waters written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2000-08-17 with total page 422 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Environmental problems in coastal ecosystems can sometimes be attributed to excess nutrients flowing from upstream watersheds into estuarine settings. This nutrient over-enrichment can result in toxic algal blooms, shellfish poisoning, coral reef destruction, and other harmful outcomes. All U.S. coasts show signs of nutrient over-enrichment, and scientists predict worsening problems in the years ahead. Clean Coastal Waters explains technical aspects of nutrient over-enrichment and proposes both immediate local action by coastal managers and a longer-term national strategy incorporating policy design, classification of affected sites, law and regulation, coordination, and communication. Highlighting the Gulf of Mexico's "Dead Zone," the Pfiesteria outbreak in a tributary of Chesapeake Bay, and other cases, the book explains how nutrients work in the environment, why nitrogen is important, how enrichment turns into over-enrichment, and why some environments are especially susceptible. Economic as well as ecological impacts are examined. In addressing abatement strategies, the committee discusses the importance of monitoring sites, developing useful models of over-enrichment, and setting water quality goals. The book also reviews voluntary programs, mandatory controls, tax incentives, and other policy options for reducing the flow of nutrients from agricultural operations and other sources.

Download or read book Legacy Phosphorus in Agriculture Role of Past Management and Perspectives for the Future written by Luke Gatiboni and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2021-01-07 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Watershed Management for Potable Water Supply written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2000-02-17 with total page 569 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1997, New York City adopted a mammoth watershed agreement to protect its drinking water and avoid filtration of its large upstate surface water supply. Shortly thereafter, the NRC began an analysis of the agreement's scientific validity. The resulting book finds New York City's watershed agreement to be a good template for proactive watershed management that, if properly implemented, will maintain high water quality. However, it cautions that the agreement is not a guarantee of permanent filtration avoidance because of changing regulations, uncertainties regarding pollution sources, advances in treatment technologies, and natural variations in watershed conditions. The book recommends that New York City place its highest priority on pathogenic microorganisms in the watershed and direct its resources toward improving methods for detecting pathogens, understanding pathogen transport and fate, and demonstrating that best management practices will remove pathogens. Other recommendations, which are broadly applicable to surface water supplies across the country, target buffer zones, stormwater management, water quality monitoring, and effluent trading.

Download or read book Agriculture a River Runs Through it written by Paul D. Capel and published by Geological Survey. This book was released on 2018 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Format not distributed to depository libraries.

Download or read book The Use of Best Management Practices BMPs in Urban Watersheds written by Richard Field and published by DEStech Publications, Inc. This book was released on 2006 with total page 286 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Presents and compares all major stormwater/runoff control strategies ; New data on pollutant removal efficiencies, design, costs, environmental impacts and more ; Where and why to use the best techniques for limiting/monitoring diffuse pollution ; Provides the tools to meet regulations and improve water quality in urban/suburban watersheds"--From publisher's description.

Download or read book The Effectiveness of Agricultural Best Management Practices at the Watershed Scale written by Michael S. Albright and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Brushy Creek watershed is located in the south central Kentucky counties of Pulaski and Rockcastle. This boundary includes the four subwatersheds of Upper Brushy Creek, Lower Brushy Creek, Bee Lick Creek, and Clifty Creek. Brushy Creek and its tributaries have been focus areas for federal and state funding for best management practices (BMPs). This study collected 12 months of water quality data from May 2006-April 2007. The results suggest after 3-5 years of BMP implementation that Brushy Creek and its tributaries remain impaired by nutrient and bacteria loading. Statistical and geostatistical analysis performed on water quality, geological, and BMP data from the watershed indicates that there is no significant difference in water quality downstream of BMPs or between adopting and non-adopting watersheds. The analysis also suggests that the presence of karst topography in the watershed may hinder the performance of BMPs.

Download or read book Residence Times and Nitrate Transport in Ground Water Discharging to Streams in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed written by and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Assessment of Nutrient Sources at Watershed Scale in Agro ecosystem of Mississippi written by Avay Risal and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 146 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Excessive nutrient concentrations from a different point and non-point sources are the main cause of water impairment in the United States. Appropriate management practices, according to the source and quantity of pollutions, need to be implemented to control excessive nutrient influx in the water body. Various types of hydrological and water quality models with diverse function, capability and degree of complexity are employed to quantify watershed hydrologic processes and nutrient pollution. Multiple models can be applied to a watershed but the suitable model must be selected based on watershed type and simulation need. Two watershed-scale models, Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and Hydrologic Simulation Program-Fortran (HSPF) were chosen for this study to simulate runoff, sediment yield, and nutrient load from the Big Sunflower River Watershed (BSRW) of Mississippi. The objectives of this study are to access the nutrient sources within the watershed, determine the appropriate model to quantify them, develop and evaluate model considering spatial and temporal variations in input data, and evaluate the effectiveness of different Best Management Practices (BMPs) on surface runoff, sediment yield and nutrient load at watershed scale. This study has identified a potential source of nutrients in BSRW and provided a suitable BMP for its management. Similarly, the study found both SWAT and HSPF were efficient in the simulation of streamflow, sediment yield and nutrient load, where SWAT was more efficient during simulation streamflow and sediment yield. Likewise, the study established that both water-quantity and water-quality are sensitive to the change in LULC data layers and thus, seasonal LULC data applied to SWAT will better explain variation in hydrology and water quality as compared to the annual cropland data layer. Moreover, the study showed that well managed vegetative filter strip was very efficient in reducing sediment yield, TN, and TP at both field and watershed scale among different BMPs evaluated at field and watershed scale. This study will be beneficial in developing efficient nutrient management strategy at field and watershed scale, selecting appropriate model and input according to the need and type of watershed, and providing further research opportunities to the scientific community.

Download or read book Decision Support Model for Generating Optimal Alternative Scenarios of Watershed Best Management Practices written by and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 114 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Water pollution from agriculture written by Mateo-Sagasta, Javier and published by Rome, Italy: FAO Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE).. This book was released on 2017-11-17 with total page 35 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Evaluation of Conservation Practices Effect on Water Quality Using the SWAT Model written by Vivek Venishetty and published by . This book was released on 2023 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The deterioration of water quality due to human-driven alternations has an adverse effect on the environment. More than 50% of surveyed surface water bodies in the United States (US) are classified as impaired waters as per the Clean Water Act. The pollutants affecting the water quality in the US are classified as point and non-point sources. Pollutant mitigation strategies such as the selective implementation of best management practices (BMPs) based on the severity of the pollution could improve water quality by reducing the amounts of pollutants. Quantifying the efficiency of a specific management practice can be difficult for large watersheds. Complex hydrologic models are used to assess water quality and quantity at watershed scales. This study used a Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) that can simulate a longer time series for hydrologic and water quality assessments in the Yazoo River Watershed (YRW). This research aims to estimate streamflow, sediment, and nutrient load reductions by implementing various BMPs in the watershed. BMPs such as vegetative filter strips (VFS), riparian buffers, and cover crops were applied in this study. Results from these scenarios indicated that the combination of VFS and riparian buffers at the watershed scale had the highest reduction in sediment and nutrient loads. Correspondingly, a comparative analysis of BMP implementation at the field and watershed scale showed the variability in the reduction of streamflow, sediment, and nutrient loads. The results indicated that combining VFS and CC at the field scale watershed had a greater nutrient reduction than at the watershed scale. Likewise, this study investigated the soil-specific sediment load assessments for predominant soils in the YRW, which resulted in soil types of Alligator, Sharkey, and Memphis soils being highly erodible from the agricultural-dominant region. This study also included the effect of historical land use and land-cover (LULC) change on water quality. The analysis revealed that there was a significant decrease in pastureland and a simultaneous increase in forest and wetlands, which showed a decreasing trend in hydrologic and water quality outputs. Results from this study could be beneficial in decision-making for prescribing appropriate conservation practices

Download or read book Achieving Nutrient and Sediment Reduction Goals in the Chesapeake Bay written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2011-09-26 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Chesapeake Bay is North America's largest and most biologically diverse estuary, as well as an important commercial and recreational resource. However, excessive amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment from human activities and land development have disrupted the ecosystem, causing harmful algae blooms, degraded habitats, and diminished populations of many species of fish and shellfish. In 1983, the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) was established, based on a cooperative partnership among the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the state of Maryland, and the commonwealths of Pennsylvania and Virginia, and the District of Columbia, to address the extent, complexity, and sources of pollutants entering the Bay. In 2008, the CBP launched a series of initiatives to increase the transparency of the program and heighten its accountability and in 2009 an executive order injected new energy into the restoration. In addition, as part of the effect to improve the pace of progress and increase accountability in the Bay restoration, a two-year milestone strategy was introduced aimed at reducing overall pollution in the Bay by focusing on incremental, short-term commitments from each of the Bay jurisdictions. The National Research Council (NRC) established the Committee on the Evaluation of Chesapeake Bay Program Implementation for Nutrient Reduction in Improve Water Quality in 2009 in response to a request from the EPA. The committee was charged to assess the framework used by the states and the CBP for tracking nutrient and sediment control practices that are implemented in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and to evaluate the two-year milestone strategy. The committee was also to assess existing adaptive management strategies and to recommend improvements that could help CBP to meet its nutrient and sediment reduction goals. The committee did not attempt to identify every possible strategy that could be implemented but instead focused on approaches that are not being implemented to their full potential or that may have substantial, unrealized potential in the Bay watershed. Because many of these strategies have policy or societal implications that could not be fully evaluated by the committee, the strategies are not prioritized but are offered to encourage further consideration and exploration among the CBP partners and stakeholders.

Download or read book The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative written by Óskar Strobel and published by Nova Science Publishers. This book was released on 2014 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Great Lakes ecosystem is recognised by many as an international natural resource that has been altered by human activities and climate variability. These alterations have led to degraded water quality, diminished habitat, lower native fish and wildlife populations, and an altered ecosystem. In response, the federal governments of the United States and Canada and the state and provincial governments in the Great Lakes basin are implementing several restoration activities. These activities range from mitigating the harmful effects of toxic substances in lake waters to restoring fish habitat. This books provides the reader with a background on and issues of the Great Lakes restoration initiative, as well as the action plan for the years 2010-2014.

Download or read book Watershed Models written by Vijay P. Singh and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2010-09-28 with total page 678 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Watershed modeling is at the heart of modern hydrology, supplying rich information that is vital to addressing resource planning, environmental, and social problems. Even in light of this important role, many books relegate the subject to a single chapter while books devoted to modeling focus only on a specific area of application. Recognizing the