Water Resources Division Research Articles

Update On A Long-term Winter Operational Cloud Seeding Program In Central/Southern Utah

North American Weather Consultants, Inc. (NAWC) has conducted operational winter cloud seeding programs in the mountainous areas of Central and Southern Utah since 1974. Beginning in 1988, seeding has also been conducted in three additional mountainous target areas within the State. The goal of these programs has been to enhance winter snowpack accumulation in the target areas, which now include most of the mountainous areas of the State. Studies have demonstrated that a large majority of the annual runoff in Utah streams and rivers is derived from melting snowpack, which explains the focus on wintertime seeding (within the November – April period). Augmented water supplies are typically used for irrigated agriculture or municipal water supplies. Programs are typically funded at the county level with cost sharing grants from the Utah Division of Water Resources (UDWR) and the three Lower Colorado River Basin States of Arizona, California, and Nevada, since 2007. An earlier WMA paper (Griffith et al. 2009) provided a summary of seeding operations for the water years of 1974 through 2007 for the four target areas. This paper is focused on the Central and Southern Utah program which is both the largest target area and the longest running program in the state. It covers all but three water years from 1974 through 2021 and is one of the three or four longest operational winter cloud seeding programs that have been conducted in the United States. The target area encompasses several mountain ranges in Central and Southern Utah. NAWC has defined the target area boundaries as those locations that are above 7,000 feet MSL. This is a large area of approximately10,000 square miles. Cloud seeding is accomplished using networks of ground-based, manually operated silver iodide nuclei generators located in valley or foothill locations upwind of the intended target mountain barriers. As such, these programs are classified as orographic winter cloud seeding programs. Orographic winter cloud seeding programs are typically categorized as those with the highest level of scientific support based upon capability statements of such organizations as the American Meteorological Society and the Weather Modification Association. NAWC historical target/control evaluations of this program indicate an average increase in December-March target area precipitation of 12% or an average increase in precipitation of 1.3”. These results were significant at the 0.06 level from a one-tailed Student’s t-test. The UDWR has conducted periodic studies to estimate the increases in annual streamflow resulting from the estimated increases in April 1st snow water content produced by this seeding program. The most recent study (UDWR 2018) indicated an estimated average annual streamflow increase of about 84,000 acre-feet for the Central and Southern Utah target area. Factoring in the cost of conducting this program resulted in an estimate of the average cost of the augmented runoff to be $2.02 per acre-foot.

INDO-PAK HYDROPOLITICS: IMPLICATIONS FOR DISPUTED JAMMU AND KASHMIR

India and Pakistan have been fighting over Kashmir, a contested region that is claimed by both the countries. Competition over waterways and dependence over water assets of Kashmir remains a bone of contention between India and Pakistan. This Research paper discusses the dependence of India and Pakistan over water sources originating from Kashmir. Kashmir, besides emotional attachment also has strategic, economic and political benefits for India and Pakistan. In the twenty first century, traditional concepts of state security have been changed. We have moved from traditional security aspects to non-traditional security aspects. Water is included in one of the non-traditional security aspects. India having all cards in hands is showing its’ hegemonic by choking the loose points of Pakistan. Though Indus Water treaty was signed in 1960’s to resolve the water issues between the two countries, but still we have not found any direct solution that will resolve the water crisis and provide permanent peace in the region. There is no way forward which will provide a win win situation for India, Pakistan and Kashmir in Indus water treaty. The researcher accounted that Indus Water Treaty has proved successful as far as its’ theoretical approach is concerned, but has failed in implementation and practicality. The researcher has used Hourglass model to analyze the Indus Water Treaty and to suggest the way forward that will lead towards a conflict resolution. Mixed methods have been used in the research from secondary sources to analyze water dependence. The research also seeks to analyze Indus water treaty and to explore the prospects for equal division of water resources. The subject matter of the research is Indo-Pak water dependency over water of Kashmir with a focus on how it will contribute towards the socio-economic status of India and Pakistan in the region and also how much dependence on water would affect the regional peace and stability in Kashmir conflict. Keywords: Conflict resolution, Hourglass glass model, Kashmir conflict, India-Pakistan water dependency, Indus water Treaty, Composite Dialogue process.

Response of land use change to human activities in the Yellow River Basin based on water resources division

Response of land use change to human activities in the Yellow River Basin based on water resources division

FAKTOR-FAKTOR YANG MEMPENGARUHI KINERJA PEGAWAI PADA BIDANG SUMBER DAYA AIR DINAS PEKERJAAN UMUM DAN PENATAAN RUANG PROVINSI BENGKULU

Study aims to determine the dominant factors affecting the employees’ performance in the division of water resources at Dinas Pekerjaan Umum dan Penataan Ruang of Bengkulu Province. The most dominant factor / the highest affects the employees’ performance in the division of water resources at Dinas Pekerjaan Umum dan Penataan Ruang of Bengkulu Province is the quality factor of employment the division of water resources at Dinas Pekerjaan Umum dan Penataan Ruang of Bengkulu Province with the total value of the respondent's perception 884 with agreed criteria.The average of the respondents' answers to the overall factor is 862.86 in the agreed criteria, meaning that the average respondent agrees that the overall factor proposed can affect the employees performance in the division of water resources at Dinas Pekerjaan Umum dan Penataan Ruang of Bengkulu Province. The lowest factor affects the employees’ performance in the division of water resources at Dinas Pekerjaan Umum dan Penataan Ruang of Bengkulu Province is an innovation factor of the employees in the division of water resources at Dinas Pekerjaan Umum dan Penataan Ruang of Bengkulu Province with the number of values from the perception of respondents 829 with the criteria agreed.Key Words: Quality of work, quantity of work, job knowledge, teamwork, creativity, innovation, initiative

21st Century Water Storage Strategies

Author(s): Nelson, Barry | Abstract: The goal of this paper is to analyze storage projects constructed and planned in California since 1980, in contrast with storage constructed before that date. As a result of California’s highly variable climate, storage is an essential tool for agricultural and urban water users. Today, the state regulates approximately 1,250 reservoirs, with a combined storage of 42 million acre-feet. Federal agencies regulate approximately 200 additional reservoirs. The vast majority of this surface storage was constructed before 1978, when New Melones Dam, the last large on-stream water supply reservoir in California, was completed. The role of storage in meeting future needs remains a high-profile issue in the California water debate. For example, funding for new storage was the largest item in Proposition 1, the most recent water bond voters approved. This analysis included a review of existing literature, such as the California Department of Water Resources Division of Dam Safety database, California Water Commission documents about new storage proposals, water agency documents, and interviews with water agency staff and others. Water managers face dramatically different conditions today, in comparison to conditions before 1980. These conditions have led to new approaches to water storage that represent a dramatic departure from past storage projects. During the past 37 years, a wide range of new water storage strategies have been planned and implemented. These facilities have created a combined new storage capacity greater than that of Lake Shasta, California’s largest reservoir. These new storage strategies suggest the need to revisit the fundamental definition of water storage. With limited potential for new storage drawing from the state’s rivers, California must choose storage projects wisely. By learning from successful strategies in recent decades, decision-makers can make better storage investment decisions to help reverse declines in ecosystem health and improve water supply reliability.

CONTEMPORARY METHODS OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN THE FUNCTION OF WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

The subject of the research in this paper is the artificial intelligence models through a modern methodological approach to solving complex water management problems. Fuzzy logic as new mathematics, neural networks and fuzzy expert systems open up great opportunities in simulating and solving real problems related to the division of water and water resources. When decision-makers seek optimum, in addition to technical and economic criteria, sometimes the decisive influence belongs to the low, ecology, political, territorial, social, religious or cultural criteria. The developed theoretical model was tested and confirmed by the development of an expert system for the selection of an optimal solution for the management and distribution of the water potential of the Drina River, in the zone of different entities, between the cities of Foča and Goražde. Holistic approach and synergy appreciation of all relevant criteria resulted in the fact that the solution found by the expert model was also implemented in practice, which is confirmation for the expert system developed.

Imputing plant community classifications for forest inventory plots

Native plant community (NPC) classifications typically require on-site visits and in-depth observations by trained ecologists. The goal is to identify unique floristic and environmental characteristics indicative of a particular plant community, ecosystem, or demographic condition. Such data are often desired to inform management decisions on sustainable timber and ecosystem services production over local to large landscapes. Yet, the time and funding needed to identify, assess, catalogue, and map these communities is often limited. Lacking these classifications, we rely on imprecise determinations of the prevalence of various NPCs. Further, extrapolating statewide NPC extent from previously imputed classifications for state managed stands is difficult without a representative sampling design including all ownerships. As a solution to the NPC sample coverage limitation, we describe an extension of a previously reported imputation model to provide the desired statewide classifications and corresponding estimates of the ecological landscape state indicator provided by NPC extent.First, NPC observations from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) Division of Ecological and Water Resources for 1964–2015 were linked with MNDNR Forest Inventory Management (FIM) stand data to provide a set of observed polygons for training the imputation model. Then, USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) plot data, were associated with the observed stands to provide NPC classifications for a subset of plots (e.g., training plots) contained in the FIA database for Minnesota. NPC information was then linked to forest inventory and physiographic layers via spatial association techniques in a geographic information system. Soils data describing drainage, productivity, thickness of the rooting zone, and land position were also used. Finally, validation of resulting imputed classifications shows that application of the model to the statewide FIA inventory will result in an error rate between 8% and 30% with a mean of 83% of imputations correct at the class level.We then updated the publicly accessible FIA database for Minnesota with imputed NPC classifications and scripted labeling schemes integrated with the EVALIDator report building tool to produce estimates of forestland extent. Here, we focus on estimates of NPC class by FIA Survey Unit and inventory year. Finally, quantified estimates of landscape state (e.g., NPC extent and condition) are enabled for inventories ending between 1977 and 2014. Imputed data from this series of statewide inventories enables the analysis of landscape change, and facilitates strategic planning to move the bioregional landscape in a desired ecological direction, or to provide specific ecosystem services.

CONTEMPORARY METHODS OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN THE FUNCTION OF WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

The subject of the research in this paper is the artificial intelligence models through a modern methodological approach to solving complex water management problems. Fuzzy logic as new mathematics, neural networks and fuzzy expert systems open up great opportunities in simulating and solving real problems related to the division of water and water resources. When decision-makers seek optimum, in addition to technical and economic criteria, sometimes the decisive influence belongs to the low, ecology, political, territorial, social, religious or cultural criteria. The developed theoretical model was tested and confirmed by the development of an expert system for the selection of an optimal solution for the management and distribution of the water potential of the Drina River, in the zone of different entities, between the cities of Foca and Goražde. Holistic approach and synergy appreciation of all relevant criteria resulted in the fact that the solution found by the expert model was also implemented in practice, which is confirmation for the expert system developed.

Climate Change and Kansas Water Management: Perspectives and Opportunities

Climate change is a critical issue that has begun to shape water management and planning on the federal and state levels. This study focuses on the potential to integrate climate change into Kansas statewide water planning and management. A survey was employed to understand the personal perspectives of Kansas water managers, planners, and decisionmakers in state agencies towards climate change and its integration into state-based water planning. Respondents were targeted at three agencies: the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the Kansas Water Office, and the Kansas Department of Agriculture — Division of Water Resources; 37 of 64 respondents finished the survey. The survey results, along with a review of key Kansas water management plans, suggest that Kansas water managers are indeed responsive to climate variability and are starting to integrate climate variability into planning efforts. To promote successful integration, helpful lessons from the climate science-policy literature are provided, such as a description of potential barriers and strategies useful for effective integration.

Hooked on Soils: A Day in the Life of Ed Landa

Hooked on Soils: A Day in the Life of Ed Landa

Assessment of evaporative water loss from Dutch cities

Reliable estimates of evaporative water loss are required to assess the urban water budget in support of division of water resources among various needs, including heat mitigation measures in cities relying on evaporative cooling. We report on urban evaporative water loss from Arnhem and Rotterdam in the Netherlands, using eddy covariance, scintillometer and sapflow observations. Evaporation is assessed at daily to seasonal and annual timescale. For the summer half-year (April–September), observations from Arnhem and Rotterdam are consistent regarding magnitude and variability of evaporation that typically varies between 0.5 and 1.0 mm of evaporation per day. The mean daily evaporative cooling rate was 20–25 Wm−2, 11–14% of the average incoming solar radiation. Evaporation by trees related to sapflow was found to be a small term on the water budget at the city or neighbourhood scale. However, locally the contribution may be significant, given observed maxima of daily sap flows up to 170 l per tree. In Arnhem, evaporation is strongly linked with precipitation, possibly owing to building style. During the summer season, 60% of the precipitation evaporated again. In Rotterdam, the link between evaporation and precipitation is much weaker. An analysis of meteorological observations shows that estimation of urban evaporation from routine weather data using the concept of reference evaporation would be a particularly challenging task. City-scale evaporation may not scale with reference evaporation and the urban fabric results in strong microweather variability. Observations like the ones presented here can be used to evaluate and improve methods for routine urban evaporation estimates.

Environmental Reviews and Case Studies: Ensuring Compliance with Interstate Water Compacts at the State and Local Levels: A Case Study of the Arkansas River Compact

In the United States (US), interstate water compacts are used to ensure the equitable division of water resources. It is necessary to understand how interstate water compacts affect intrastate water management so that administrators of water resources can effectively manage state water resources and comply with the agreed-upon allocation schemes. Although interstate compacts are more prevalent in the western US, concerns surrounding changing climate conditions, as well as water scarcity issues, have increased disputes over the management of shared water resources throughout the US. Drawing upon a case study from Colorado, the question this article seeks to answer is, how effectively does Colorado implement compliance of interstate compacts? More specifically, this report assesses implementation at the local level of government: water divisions. Using a modified version of Denise Scheberle's implementation model, this article examines how Colorado's Water Division 2 ensures compliance by water users party ...

Nanomaterials Synthesis, Applications, and Toxicity

1National Risk Management Research Laboratory, US Environmental Protection Agency, 26 West MLK Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45268, USA 2Water Supply and Water Resources Division, US EPA, 26 West Martin Luther King Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45268, USA 3Water Quality Management Branch, US Environmental Protection Agency, ORD/NRMRL/WSWRD-MS 679, 26 West Martin Luther King Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45268, USA 4The Research Center for Cancer Nanotechnology, National Center for Nanosciences and Technology of China, Tianjin Cancer Hospital & CAS, P.O. Box 918, Beijing 100049, China

Considerations on water resources management in Central Asia.

The following article analyses the utilisation and management of the water resources of the Central Asian region which is one of the most significant issues existing in this part of the world. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, countries of the region dealt with several conflicts concerning the division and management of water resources. Main cause of the conflicts is the situation of those countries in the same river basin and the absence of the signed legal agreements in advance. In the article the history and the elements causing this problem are discussed. As a result it gives some solutions according to the efficient usage of the water in respect with the points of views of the each country in the region.

Virological evaluation of domestic water purification devices commonly used in India emphasizes inadequate quality and need for virological standards

To evaluate the performance of domestic water purification units with respect to contaminating enteric viruses. Eight domestic water purification systems widely used in India were evaluated using hepatitis E virus (HEV) as a model virus. For HEV concentration and detection, membrane filtration and real-time PCR were used respectively. Viral log reduction value (LRV) was calculated for each unit. Viral log reduction value was 0.21 for unit 6 (polyester + carbon), 1.45 for unit 4 (filter + UV), 1.52 for unit 3 (filter + chlorine), 1.70 for a carbon + exhaust indication contact disinfection unit, 2.20 for an iodine resin unit, 2.51 for a dual filter unit and 6.53 for a hollow fibre membrane unit and a gravity-fed filter unit. Thus, only the technologies employed by the latter two were efficient in complete removal of HEV. The majority of the water purifiers under use are inadequate. Virological standards in evaluating such devices need to be established urgently, in order to help manufacturers to improve the performance of such products and most importantly, to help consumers.

Water allocation, climate change, and sustainable water use in Israel/Palestine: the Palestinian position

This study examines impacts of population growth and climate change on water supplies of Israelis and Palestinians under business-as-usual conditions and application of the Palestinian Water Authority position on water resources division. Eight scenarios are developed that describe conditions in 2000 and 2025. Several indicators are used to measure the effects of these conditions. The indicators show that population growth and climate change will create international inequities and environmental inadequacies under business-as-usual conditions. Although conditions are more equitable and sustainable with application of the Palestinian position, serious environmental problems will persist – likely exacerbated by the potential impacts of climate change.

Tabletop Exercises Drive Home the Importance of Drought Planning

Areas throughout the southeast and other parts of the United States faced drought conditions of increasingly catastrophic proportions during late 2007 and early 2008, and North Carolina was no exception. Traditional conservation measures and restrictions to outdoor water uses were no longer sufficient to adequately reduce demands on water systems. To facilitate interagency dialog on ways to address the drought, the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources Division of Water Resources and the Department of Crime Control and Public Safety Emergency Management Division hosted a drought tabletop exercise. Water utilities used the tabletop exercise as well as a draft drought‐response toolbox to help them decide on response actions for worsening drought conditions. The tabletop exercises described in this article can be used by state water agencies anywhere in the United States to prepare for a drought. States and water systems can create and conduct drought exercises like the ones described here, add drought factors and actions to their emergency response plans, and work with other state and local agencies to include drought scenarios in other types of security and emergency response training exercises.

Water impoundment modes of flood utilization for the Songnen Plain

Taking the Songnen Plain as the research region and basing on the structural division of river water resources, the impounding models of flood water utilization are proposed. Considering the water requirement, potential impoundage and the degree of risk, two modes of the flood water utilization are developed: full impounding and partial impounding. A risk assessment method is put forward according to variation of the flood storage capacity before and after impounding water. A representative hydrological year is taken as an example to analyze the application of the model at the down-stream of the Nenjiang River. It is found that the model is very useful for the flood utilization and protection. For flood utilization, the spring drought can be relieved and the risk of impounding water is also acceptable. For flood protection, the river flood peak can be largely reduced and the impounding water can increase the river discharge at the low water period, at the same time the structure of river water resources can be improved as well.

Kansas energy, environment, and conservation: a geological overview

The State of Kansas, as an energy-producing and agriculture-based state, faces problems in production of natural resources and potential pollution from their production. To coordinate information on the exploration, production, and use of coal, nuclear, petroleum, natural gas, hydro, wind, geothermal, coalbed methane, biofuel, solar, and other energy resources, the Kansas Energy Council and the University of Kansas Energy Research Center were created. Water, surface and subsurface, is the other important and maybe the most important natural resource in the welfare of the state. To ease the problems of contamination, situations are monitored by regulatory agencies: the Kansas Corporation Commission, Kansas Department of Health and Environment, and Division of Water Resources of the Kansas Department of Agriculture. The Kansas Geological Survey (KGS) at the University of Kansas serves as the archive for energy and natural resource data and conducts research pertinent to the exploration and exploitation of mineral resources, including energy and water. The Kansas Energy Research Center coordinates and supports energy activities. The Kansas Water Office and the staff for the Kansas Water Authority are charged with water planning and preparing reports on water problems and possible solutions. The cost of preserving the environment in a relatively pristine state really is of no concern considering the possible consequences; living conditions should be preserved to assure future generations, a suitable, sustainable, stable environment. With all the dire predictions for the future and energy-producing and pollution problems, Kansas is a model state in this modern industrial age for protecting the environment and is a leader in conservation.

Water Allocation, Climate Change, and Sustainable Peace The Israeli Proposal

Israeli-Palestinian joint water management strategies fail to account for increased water demand caused by increasing populations and potential decreases in water availability due to climate change. This study examines the impacts of population growth and climate change on the water supplies of Israelis and Palestinians under “business-as-usual” conditions as well as under the Israeli-proposed water resources division discussed in meetings parallel to those at Camp David in 2000. The analysis establishes renewable water resources by source in Israel/Palestine and presents the current sectoral trends in water consumption. From this baseline, eight scenarios are developed that describe conditions in 2000 and 2025. Several indicators are used to measure the positive and negative effects of these conditions. The indicators show that population growth and climate change will negate many of the benefits of the water resources division proposed in 2000. Furthermore, the indicators reveal extreme water resources stress among Palestinians as well as potential environmental degradation as climate change depletes natural water supplies.