Nutrient-based ecological consideration of a temporary river catchment affected by a reservoir operation to facilitate efficient management

2013 ◽  
Vol 69 (4) ◽  
pp. 847-854 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ourania A. Tzoraki ◽  
Gerald Dörflinger ◽  
Nicholas Kathijotes ◽  
Artemis Kontou

The water quality status of the Kouris river in Cyprus was examined in order to fulfil the requirements for ecological quality as defined by the Water Framework Directive-2000/60/EC. Nitrate concentration (mean value) was increased in the Limnatis (2.8 mg L−1) tributary in comparison with the Kryos (2.1 mg L−1) and Kouris (1.0 mg L−1) tributaries depicting the influence of anthropogenic activities. The total maximum daily nutrients loads (TMDLs) based on the flow duration curves approach, showed that nutrients loads exceeded threshold values (33.3–75.6% in all hydrologic condition classes in the Kouris tributary, and 65–78% in the Limnatis tributary) especially under low flow conditions. The TMDL graph is intended to guide the temporal schedule for chemical sampling in all hydrologic classes. Kouris reservoir is an oligotrophic system, strongly influenced by the river’s flash-flood character but also by the implemented management practices. Kouris river outflow, which was reduced to one-tenth in the post dam period altered the wetland hydrologic network and contributed to the decrease of aquifer thickness. Continuous evaluation and update of the River Basin Management Plans will be the basis for the sustainable development of the Kouris basin.

2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
pp. 2109-2121 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Zhang ◽  
F. F. Zhao ◽  
A. E. Brown

Abstract. The effect of plantations on mean annual streamflow is well understood and, there are robust methods available for assessing the impact. Plantations also affect streamflow regime, leading to reductions in low flow and increased number of zero-flow days. Understanding changes in streamflow regime following plantation expansion is important for developing water resources and environmental flow strategy. This study evaluated the impacts of plantations on streamflow regime from 15 catchments in Australia. The selected catchments range in size from 0.6 to 1136 km2 and represent different climatic conditions and management practices. The catchments have at least 20 yr and in most cases 35 yr of continuous daily streamflow data and well documented plantation records. Catchments with perennial streamflow in the pre-treatment periods showed relatively uniform reductions in most flows after plantation expansions, whereas catchments with ephemeral streamflow showed more dramatic reductions in low flows, leading to an increased number of zero-flow days. The Forest Cover Flow Change (FCFC) model was tested using the data from the selected catchments and comparison of predicted and observed flow duration curves showed that 14 of the 15 catchments have coefficients of efficiency greater than 0.8. The results indicate that the model is capable of predicting plantation impacts on streamflow regime.


2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 379-403 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Zhang ◽  
F. F. Zhao ◽  
A. E. Brown

Abstract. The effect of plantations on mean annual streamflow is well understood and there are robust methods available for assessing the impact. Plantations also affect streamflow regime, leading to reductions in low flow and increased number of zero-flow days. Understanding changes in streamflow regime following plantation expansion is important for developing water resources and environmental flow strategy. This study evaluated the impacts of plantation on streamflow regime from 15 catchments in Australia. The selected catchments range in size from 0.6 to 1136 km2 and represent different climatic conditions and management practices. The catchments have at least 20 yr and in most cases 35 yr of continuous daily streamflow data and well documented plantation records. Catchments with perennial streamflow in the pre-treatment periods showed relatively uniform reductions in most flows after plantation expansions, whereas catchments with ephemeral streamflow showed more dramatic reductions in low flows, leading to an increased number of zero-flow days. The Forest Cover Flow Change (FCFC) model was tested using the data from the selected catchments and comparison of predicted and observed flow duration curves showed that 14 of the 15 catchments have coefficient of efficiency greater than 0.8. The results indicate that the model is capable of predicting plantation impacts on streamflow regime.


Author(s):  
V.K. Khilchevskyi ◽  

In contrast to the hydrological and hydrochemical zoning, hydrographic and water management zoning of Ukraine (2016) was created on a basin basis, taking into account the boundaries of river basins, and not physiographic zoning. The main function of hydrographic and water management zoning is water management. Primary is hydrographic zoning, and water management - based on it. The description of modern hydrographic zoning of the territory of Ukraine, approved in 2016 by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and included in the Water Code of Ukraine is given. Hydrographic zoning is carried out for the development and implementation of river basin management plans. On the territory of Ukraine nine areas of river basins are allocated: Dnipro; Dnister; Danube; Southern Bug; Don; Vistula; rivers of the Crimea; rivers of the Black Sea coast; rivers of the Azov Sea coast 13 sub-basins are allocated in four river basins district. The water management zoning is described - the division of hydrographic units into water management areas, which is carried out for the development of water management balances. In the regions of the river basins in the territory of Ukraine allocated 132 water management areas, 59 of which are located in the Dnipro basin. About 9,000 bodies of surface water allocated for monitoring in Ukraine. Approved zoning is the implementation of the provisions of the EU Water Framework Directive 2000/60 / EC in the management of water resources in Ukraine. Modern hydrographic and water management zoning of the territory of Ukraine approximates the management of water resources of the state to European requirements.


2014 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 372-385
Author(s):  
Shawn Burdett ◽  
Michael Hulley ◽  
Andy Smith

A hydrologic and water quality model is sought to establish an approach to land management decisions for a Canadian Army training base. Training areas are subjected to high levels of persistent activity creating unique land cover and land-use disturbances. Deforestation, complex road networks, off-road manoeuvres, and vehicle stream crossings are among major anthropogenic activities observed to affect these landscapes. Expanding, preserving and improving the quality of these areas to host training activities for future generations is critical to maintain operational effectiveness. Inclusive to this objective is minimizing resultant environmental degradation, principally in the form of hydrologic fluctuations, excess erosion, and sedimentation of aquatic environments. Application of the Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was assessed for its ability to simulate hydrologic and water quality conditions observed in military landscapes at 5th Canadian Division Support Base (5 CDSB) Gagetown, New Brunswick. Despite some limitations, this model adequately simulated three partial years of daily watershed outflow (NSE = 0.47–0.79, R2 = 0.50–0.88) and adequately predicted suspended sediment yields during the observation periods (%d = 6–47%) for one highly disturbed sub-watershed in Gagetown. Further development of this model may help guide decisions to develop or decommission training areas, guide land management practices and prioritize select landscape mitigation efforts.


Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 1636
Author(s):  
Thanh N. Le ◽  
Duy X. Tran ◽  
Thuong V. Tran ◽  
Sangay Gyeltshen ◽  
Tan V. Lam ◽  
...  

Saltwater intrusion risk assessment is a foundational step for preventing and controlling salinization in coastal regions. The Vietnamese Mekong Delta (VMD) is highly affected by drought and salinization threats, especially severe under the impacts of global climate change and the rapid development of an upstream hydropower dam system. This study aimed to apply a modified DRASTIC model, which combines the generic DRASTIC model with hydrological and anthropogenic factors (i.e., river catchment and land use), to examine seawater intrusion vulnerability in the soil-water-bearing layer in the Ben Tre province, located in the VMD. One hundred and fifty hand-auger samples for total dissolved solids (TDS) measurements, one of the reflected salinity parameters, were used to validate the results obtained with both the DRASTIC and modified DRASTIC models. The spatial analysis tools in the ArcGIS software (i.e., Kriging and data classification tools) were used to interpolate, classify, and map the input factors and salinization susceptibility in the study area. The results show that the vulnerability index values obtained from the DRASTIC and modified DRASTIC models were 36–128 and 55–163, respectively. The vulnerable indices increased from inland districts to coastal areas. The Ba Tri and Binh Dai districts were recorded as having very high vulnerability to salinization, while the Chau Thanh and Cho Lach districts were at a low vulnerability level. From the comparative analysis of the two models, it is obvious that the modified DRASTIC model with the inclusion of a river or canal network and agricultural practices factors enables better performance than the generic DRASTIC model. This enhancement is explained by the significant impact of anthropogenic activities on the salinization of soil water content. This study’s results can be used as scientific implications for planners and decision-makers in river catchment and land-use management practices.


2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
pp. 4483-4498 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Yaeger ◽  
E. Coopersmith ◽  
S. Ye ◽  
L. Cheng ◽  
A. Viglione ◽  
...  

Abstract. The paper reports on a four-pronged study of the physical controls on regional patterns of the flow duration curve (FDC). This involved a comparative analysis of long-term continuous data from nearly 200 catchments around the US, encompassing a wide range of climates, geology, and ecology. The analysis was done from three different perspectives – statistical analysis, process-based modeling, and data-based classification – followed by a synthesis, which is the focus of this paper. Streamflow data were separated into fast and slow flow responses, and associated signatures, and both total flow and its components were analyzed to generate patterns. Regional patterns emerged in all aspects of the study. The mixed gamma distribution described well the shape of the FDC; regression analysis indicated that certain climate and catchment properties were first-order controls on the shape of the FDC. In order to understand the spatial patterns revealed by the statistical study, and guided by the hypothesis that the middle portion of the FDC is a function of the regime curve (RC, mean within-year variation of flow), we set out to classify these catchments, both empirically and through process-based modeling, in terms of their regime behavior. The classification analysis showed that climate seasonality and aridity, either directly (empirical classes) or through phenology (vegetation processes), were the dominant controls on the RC. Quantitative synthesis of these results determined that these classes were indeed related to the FDC through its slope and related statistical parameters. Qualitative synthesis revealed much diversity in the shapes of the FDCs even within each climate-based homogeneous class, especially in the low-flow tails, suggesting that catchment properties may have become the dominant controls. Thus, while the middle portion of the FDC contains the average response of the catchment, and is mainly controlled by climate, the tails of the FDC, notably the low-flow tails, are mainly controlled by catchment properties such as geology and soils. The regime behavior explains only part of the FDC; to gain a deeper understanding of the physical controls on the FDC, these extremes must be analyzed as well. Thus, to completely separate the climate controls from the catchment controls, the roles of catchment properties such as soils, geology, topography etc. must be explored in detail.


2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 83
Author(s):  
Ngowari Jaja ◽  
Monday Mbila ◽  
Yong Wang

Silvicultural thinning and burning are common management practices that are widely used to address ecosystem problems such as tree stocking and general forest health. However, high-severity fire has variable effects on soils, resulting in damages which are directly or indirectly reflected on the trace metal chemistry of the soil. This study was conducted to evaluate the trace metal variation at the Bankhead National Forest in Northern Alabama following the silvicultural thinning and burning. The experimental site had treatments consisting of two burning patterns and three levels of thinning as part of an overall treatment of three burning patterns and three levels of thinning applied to nine treatment plots to fit a completely randomized block design experiment. Four treatments sites were used for this study and samples were collected from soil profile pits excavated at representative plots within each treatment. The samples were analyzed for trace metals-As, Cu, Ni, Zn and Pb-using Perkin Elmer 2100 ICP-OES. Post treatment samples indicated that the trace metal concentrations generally decreased with soil depth. Copper, Ni, and Zn at the Pre-burn site gradually increased with depth to a maximum concentration at about 50 cm below the soil surface. Arsenic in the surface horizons increased by 156% in the burn-only sites, 54% in the thin-only treatment, 30% for the burn and thin treatments. Such differences were unlikely due to differences in the geochemistry of the parent material, but likely due to anthropogenic activities and possibly the forest management practices in question.


2012 ◽  
pp. 149-152
Author(s):  
János Fehér

In the European Region agriculture is the second largest water user after power industry cooling water use. As part of the implementation of Water Framework Directive EU Member States prepared their river basin management plans by the end of 2009 or first half of 2010, In these plans impacts of agriculture on water bodies have received attention. The detailed information elaborated in the plans by countries and river basin districts were uploaded into the WFD section of the WISE system. This database provides opportunity for multi-criteria analysis for different water types. The paper discusses the effects of agriculture on hydromorphological pressures and impacts affecting surface water bodies. It was pointed out that among the pressures affecting European surface water bodies the hydromorphological and diffuse pressures represent the highest ratios (Figure 1). Within the hydromorphological pressures affecting classified surface water bodies the ratio of pressures related to agricultural activities is low,it does not exceed 1% at European level. In case of Hungary the agriculture related river management pressures effect about 80% of the surface water bodies, which is much higher than the corresponding European average. The agricultural water abstractions affect about 10% of the Hungarian surface water bodies (Figures 2 and 3). The river and lake water bodies are impacted in significant ratio by nutrient enrichments and organic material enrichments, while in case of river water bodies the impact of organic material enrichments is also significant (Figures 4 and 5).


2016 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 103-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moshood Keke Mustapha ◽  
Joy Chinenye Ewulum

AbstractHeavy metals are present in low concentrations in reservoirs, but seasonal anthropogenic activities usually elevate the concentrations to a level that could become a health hazard. The dry season concentrations of cadmium, copper, iron, lead, mercury, nickel and zinc were assessed from three sites for 12 weeks in Oyun reservoir, Offa, Nigeria. Triplicate surface water samples were collected and analysed using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The trend in the level of concentrations in the three sites is site C > B > A, while the trend in the levels of the concentrations in the reservoir is Ni > Fe > Zn > Pb > Cd > Cu > Hg. Ni, Cd, Pb and Hg were found to be higher than the WHO guidelines for the metals in drinking water. The high concentration of these metals was from anthropogenic watershed run-off of industrial effluents, domestic sewages and agricultural materials into the reservoir coming from several human activities such as washing, bathing, fish smoking, especially in site C. The health effects of high concentration of these metals in the reservoir were highlighted. Methods for the treatment and removal of the heavy metals from the reservoir during water purification such as active carbon adsorption, coagulation-flocculation, oxidation-filtration, softening treatment and reverse osmosis process were highlighted. Other methods that could be used include phytoremediation, rhizofiltration, bisorption and bioremediation. Watershed best management practices (BMP) remains the best solution to reduce the intrusion of the heavy metals from the watershed into the reservoir.


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