Watershed Management Framework Research Articles

Pollution source identification and abatement for water quality sections in Huangshui River basin, China

Accurately obtaining the pollution sources and their contribution rates is the basis for refining watershed management. Although many source analysis methods have been proposed, a systematic framework for watershed management is still lacking, including the complete process of pollution source identification to control. We proposed a framework for identification and abatement of pollutants and applied in the Huangshui River Basin. A newer contaminant flux variation method based on a one-dimensional river water quality model was used to calculate the contribution of pollutants. The contributions of various factors to the over-standard parameters of water quality sections at different spatial and temporal scales were calculated. Based on the calculation results, corresponding pollution abatement projects were developed, and the effectiveness of the projects was evaluated through scenario simulation. Our results showed that the large scale livestock and poultry farms and sewage treatment plants were the largest sources of total nitrogen (TP) in Xiaoxia bridge section, with contribution rates of 46.02% and 36.74%, respectively. Additionally, the largest contribution sources of ammonia nitrogen (NH3–N) were sewage treatment plants (36.17%) and industrial sewage (26.33%). Three towns that contributed the most to TP were Lejiawan Town (14.4%), Ganhetan Town (7.3%) and Handong Hui Nationality town (6.6%), while NH3–N mainly from the Lejiawan Town (15.9%), Xinghai Road Sub-district (12.4%) and Mafang Sub-district (9.5%). Further analysis found that point sources in these towns were the main contributor to TP and NH3–N. Accordingly, we developed abatement projects for point sources. Scenario simulation indicated that the TP and NH3–N could be significantly improved by closing down and upgrading relevant sewage treatment plants and building facilities for large scale livestock and poultry farms. The framework adopted in this study can accurately identify pollution sources and evaluate the effectiveness of pollution abatement projects, which is conducive to the refined water environment management.

Comparative applicability of MCDM‐SWOT based techniques for developing integrated watershed management framework

AbstractEnvironmental planning facilitates decision‐making to achieve sustainable development goals and provides a crucial way to achieve integrated watershed management (IWM). However, such systematic planning has not been adequately conducted worldwide. Therefore, this study was conducted to develop an IWM framework using SWOT (i.e., strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) model for the Cheshmeh–Kileh Watershed, Mazandaran Province, Iran. The input components were comparatively weighted using different multicriteria decision‐making (MCDM) techniques, including Game Theory Algorithm (GTA), Best–Worst Method (BWM), VIekriterijumsko KOmpromisno Rangiranje (VIKOR), Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), and Simple Additive Weighting (SAW). Semistructured interviews with stakeholders, including watershed residents, executive experts, and policymakers, were used to identify the SWOT factors. The number of interviewees in subgroups of local users, policy‐making institutions and executive organization were 75, 13, and 6 respectively. Five different MCDM techniques were then used to calculate the overall weight of SWOT factors. According to the results, the groups of SWOT factors of abundant water resources, severe floods, promotion of environmental conservation culture, and increasing migration of young age groups with respective weights of 0.298, 0.298, 0.372, and 0.279 scored higher than other factors. Based on the overall weights, it can be said that positive factors scored more points than negative factors. Therefore, according to the opinions of the stakeholders, the Cheshmeh–Kileh Watershed was in a good condition based on strengths and opportunities compared to weaknesses and threats, and for this reason, GTA and SAW, which had included the watershed status in the growth and development strategy, were selected as the best method. BWM and TOPSIS provided relatively acceptable results, and the weakest result was associated with VIKOR, which showed the watershed status in the defensive strategy. The present study results can help managers in optimal decisions for planning and optimal management in the Cheshmeh–Kileh Watershed to create ecological balance and increase the welfare of watershed residents.

Balancing water quality impacts and cost-effectiveness for sustainable watershed management

Balancing clean water and economic growth remains challenge to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) issued by the United Nations. In this study, the water quality impacts and cost-effectiveness analysis of catchment actions were integrated by a new proposed watershed management framework (WAM-SDGs). The source appointment and control practices were incorporated based on physical-based model and heuristic algorithm. The tradeoffs between different targets were balanced using multiple attribute decision-making (MADM) and Pareto score approaches. The method was tested in two paired catchments including typical urban and agricultural catchments in China. The results indicated that 1) the cost-effectiveness and reliability of catchment action was improved by 4% and 3.3% compare to traditional methods. 2) The restriction of urban pollution is mainly attributable to strong spatial heterogeneity, while that of agricultural pollution control is attributed to lack of investment. 3) For water quality improvement, sources and sinks of pollutants are quantified and used as priority areas for catchment action. Due to high pollution intensity and control reliability, urban catchments should be given priority and agricultural catchments are more cost-effectiveness when fund is no longer a limiting factor. The economic-based and water-quality-based protection strategies are suggested for urban and agricultural catchment, respectively. This new framework could be extended to other catchments for global sustainable development.

Integrated Watershed Management Framework and Groundwater Resources in Africa—A Review of West Africa Sub-Region

Human activities mostly impact the trend and direction of rainwater, groundwater, and other river basin resources in the watershed in Africa. These activities alter river flows and the quality of usable water supplies at both highlands and lowlands. A watershed is indeed a conserved area of land that collects rain, sleet and snow, and empties or penetrates groundwater sources. The act of managing the activities around the watershed is integrated watershed management, which considers the social, economic, and environmental issues in tandem with the human, institutional, natural, and sustainability systems, which are the key drivers as identified in this study, as well as community interests and participation, to manage groundwater resources sustainably. These watersheds, river basins, and groundwater resources provide important services for communities and biodiversity. This paper reveals that the best way to protect groundwater resources is on a watershed basis using sustainable management measures. This technique enables us to handle a variety of concerns and objectives while also allowing us to plan in a complicated and uncertain environment. Sustaining a regional and sub-regional watershed involves cooperation and participation from a wide range of community interests and water users, including municipalities, companies, people, agencies, and landowners, for stakeholders’ input to be successful. All of the strategies and plans are produced with regard to one another, as well as the overall conditions of the watershed, local land uses, and specific regional transboundary issues.

Integrating watershed and ecosystem service models to assess best management practice efficiency: guidelines for Lake Erie managers and watershed modellers

Lake Erie is the shallowest and most biologically productive system of the Great Lakes, surrounded by large urban, industrial, and agricultural areas. This combination prompted extensive efforts to promote best management practices (BMPs) to mitigate non-point source pollution in Lake Erie’s watershed. Recent technical and conceptual advancements caution that significant variability exists in the BMP efficiency to reduce the severity of runoff and nutrient concentrations due to differences in implementation, the dependence of operational performance on local soil and climatic conditions, storm events and seasonality, and declining performance over time owing to imperfect maintenance. Given the uncertainty surrounding the design and efficiency of BMPs in abating non-point source pollution, our primary objective is to review the critical strengths and potential weaknesses of nine agricultural BMPs promoted for use in the Lake Erie watershed. We examine the capacity of the current generation of watershed process-based models to recreate possible BMP-mediated changes in the water and nutrient cycles. After reviewing modelling strategies (dynamic, external forcing, and empirical) to recreate non-linear watershed responses and feedback loops to BMP efficiency, our study recommends adopting dynamic representations of the interplay among key mechanisms, like soil moisture, water table, nutrient availability, plant uptake, and subsequent growth. Notwithstanding the increased sophistication of complex mathematical models, their learning capacity is usually compromised by the coarse resolution of environmental data and limited empirical knowledge to accurately parameterize environmental properties and partially understood biogeochemical processes. Moreover, BMPs may differentially affect the provisions of an ecosystem (e.g., a BMP may amplify one ecosystem service while dampening another). In this context, we highlight the expression of the value of ecosystem services in monetary and non-monetary terms as a critical information piece when considering trade-offs among costly and diverse policy decisions. Our study also examines the degree to which different types of valuation methods, socioeconomic models, and data have been operationalized in Lake Erie. Consistent with the Integrated Watershed Management framework, we advocate the adoption of a rigorous mass-balance approach to assess the impact of BMPs on nutrient cycles, as well as the integration of the projected environmental improvements with terrestrial ecosystem services, beneficial use impairments, and aquatic ecosystem services. The proposed strategy has the potential to improve the decision-making process by identifying cost-effective management actions and balancing different goods and services provided by the agroecosystems at different time scales.

Conceptual framework for watershed management based on the systematization of the pilot project for Colombia of the Pamplonita river basin

Since the issuance of Decree 1729 of 2002, the need for the management of watersheds and the concepts, objectives and scope of the corresponding management plans in the country was established. The final purpose of this exercise is to define and logically and coherently link the key concepts and variables necessary to address research focused on the organization and management of watersheds. In addition, verify the state of the art and determine future research needs. For its elaboration a recognition of the literature concerning the topic was carried out, an evaluation and follow-up of the progress reports delivered by each of the components, the conclusions that came out as a result of the weekly work tables of the technical and administrative teams, the design and reading of a format applied during the systematization of the experience, and the technical analysis of the guide for the river basin development and management plans. A conceptual framework was constructed with the terms of greatest importance to be managed by a team that participates in management processes during the various phases of a study. A clear conceptual framework allows to guide the research, provides a review to decipher and understand the results of the study and facilitates the production of new knowledge and the articulation between the technical teams for the fulfillment of the objectives during the development of river basin management plans (POMCA). Taking as a reference, the experiences lived during the execution of this study, it can be said that it is fundamental that in the preparation and during the beginning of the diagnosis, professionals hold conceptualization meetings so that the different products to be obtained show a joint participation from the different knowledge groups.

Establishing a Hydrographic Framework for Watershed Management across Northern Chile

This article demonstrates how currently available digital elevation (NASA SRTM; 30 m resolution) and hourly global precipitation data (rain, snow; 5 and 10 km resolution) can be used to hydrographically quantify the regional watershed management context across northern Chile. This is done through comprehensive derivations of flow direction, flow accumulation, flow channels, floodplain extent, depressions, and upslope watershed outlines. In turn, these derivations allow for estimating potential precipitation accumulations within any watershed, and turn these into subsequent storm-averaged discharge estimates at, e.g., at any road—flow-channel crossing points. This article elaborates on this by modelling and mapping hydrological conditions and subsequent storm damage at the regional scale and at select locations in terms of recent flood events on March 2015, May 2017, and June 2017. It was found that modelled flood extent and storm-estimated discharge volumes and rates generally conform to reported values including storm-caused damages within communities along the Huasco, Elqui, Limari, Copiapó and Salado rivers. This included the storm response assessment of six water reservoirs as these varied, as quantified, from normal (Puclaro, La Laguna, Cogoti), at capacity (La Paloma, Cogoli), and overflowing (Recoleta). The details of the local to regional assessments are presented in the form hydrologically explicit maps, figures and tables. Together, these attest to the general validity of the framework as introduced. Hydrometrically based stream-discharge calibrations would assist in further refining the approach, especially in terms of estimating local to regional run-off coefficients.

Integrative analysis of the Lake Simcoe watershed (Ontario, Canada) as a socio-ecological system

Striving for long-term sustainability in catchments dominated by human activities requires development of interdisciplinary research methods to account for the interplay between environmental concerns and socio-economic pressures. In this study, we present an integrative analysis of the Lake Simcoe watershed, Ontario, Canada, as viewed from the perspective of a socio-ecological system. Key features of our analysis are (i) the equally weighted consideration of environmental attributes with socioeconomic priorities and (ii) the identification of the minimal number of key socio-hydrological variables that should be included in a parsimonious watershed management framework, aiming to establish linkages between urbanization trends and nutrient export. Drawing parallels with the concept of Hydrological Response Units, we used Self-Organizing Mapping to delineate spatial organizations with similar socio-economic and environmental attributes, also referred to as Socio-Environmental Management Units (SEMUs). Our analysis provides evidence of two SEMUs with contrasting features, the “undisturbed” and “anthropogenically-influenced”, within the Lake Simcoe watershed. The “undisturbed” cluster occupies approximately half of the Lake Simcoe catchment (45%) and is characterized by low landscape diversity and low average population density <0.4 humans ha−1. By contrast, the socio-environmental functional properties of the “anthropogenically-influenced” cluster highlight the likelihood of a stability loss in the long-run, as inferred from the distinct signature of urbanization activities on the tributary nutrient export, and the loss of subwatershed sensitivity to natural mechanisms that may ameliorate the degradation patterns. Our study also examines how the SEMU concept can augment the contemporary integrated watershed management practices and provides directions in order to promote environmental programs for lake conservation and to increase public awareness and engagement in stewardship initiatives.

An adaptive watershed management assessment based on watershed investigation data.

The aim of this study was to assess the states of watersheds in South Korea and to formulate new measures to improve identified inadequacies. The study focused on the watersheds of the Han River basin and adopted an adaptive watershed management framework. Using data collected during watershed investigation projects, we analyzed the management context of the study basin and identified weaknesses in water use management, flood management, and environmental and ecosystems management in the watersheds. In addition, we conducted an interview survey to obtain experts' opinions on the possible management of watersheds in the future. The results of the assessment show that effective management of the Han River basin requires adaptive watershed management, which includes stakeholders' participation and social learning. Urbanization was the key variable in watershed management of the study basin. The results provide strong guidance for future watershed management and suggest that nonstructural measures are preferred to improve the states of the watersheds and that consistent implementation of the measures can lead to successful watershed management. The results also reveal that governance is essential for adaptive watershed management in the study basin. A special ordinance is necessary to establish governance and aid social learning. Based on the findings, a management process is proposed to support new watershed management practices. The results will be of use to policy makers and practitioners who can implement the measures recommended here in the early stages of adaptive watershed management in the Han River basin. The measures can also be applied to other river basins.

Watershed Sustainability Index Assessment of a Watershed in Chhattisgarh, India

In order to achieve continuous sustainable development in a watershed, it is desired that natural resources such as water are assessed and utilized efficiently. Generally, water resources are assessed considering watershed as a unit. Since the water requirements and availability varies in space and time, it is desired to manage the water resources so as to satisfy the demand on sustainable basis. Further, in order to achieve sustainability, it is necessary to consider social, economic and environment aspects of water resources. However it is difficult to bring all these indicators on a single platform. In this study, a watershed sustainability index (WSI) which integrates the hydrology, environment, life and policy (HELP) has been suggested for Piperiya watershed in Chhattisgarh state of India. This watershed has an area of about 2400km2 and is part of Hasdeo river basin which is located in Koriya district of Chhattisgarh. Further, the majority of population in the area is tribal and illiterate. Providing safe and adequate water to the masses is a challenge in this area. The District has numerous hill ranges with rocky geological formation having steep slope. The district faces an acute water shortage for drinking as well as irrigation. Further, the area has number of coal mines and coal washing plants, which contaminate the surface water as well as groundwater. Thus, the availability of safe and fresh water is quite limited. It has been noticed that the WSI for this watershed is about 0.55, which is moderate level of sustainability. In order to improve the water sustainability in this watershed, a watershed management framework and its utilization has been elaborated.

An index-based robust decision making framework for watershed management in a changing climate

This study developed an index-based robust decision making framework for watershed management dealing with water quantity and quality issues in a changing climate. It consists of two parts of management alternative development and analysis. The first part for alternative development consists of six steps: 1) to understand the watershed components and process using HSPF model, 2) to identify the spatial vulnerability ranking using two indices: potential streamflow depletion (PSD) and potential water quality deterioration (PWQD), 3) to quantify the residents’ preferences on water management demands and calculate the watershed evaluation index which is the weighted combinations of PSD and PWQD, 4) to set the quantitative targets for water quantity and quality, 5) to develop a list of feasible alternatives and 6) to eliminate the unacceptable alternatives. The second part for alternative analysis has three steps: 7) to analyze all selected alternatives with a hydrologic simulation model considering various climate change scenarios, 8) to quantify the alternative evaluation index including social and hydrologic criteria with utilizing multi-criteria decision analysis methods and 9) to prioritize all options based on a minimax regret strategy for robust decision. This framework considers the uncertainty inherent in climate models and climate change scenarios with utilizing the minimax regret strategy, a decision making strategy under deep uncertainty and thus this procedure derives the robust prioritization based on the multiple utilities of alternatives from various scenarios. In this study, the proposed procedure was applied to the Korean urban watershed, which has suffered from streamflow depletion and water quality deterioration. Our application shows that the framework provides a useful watershed management tool for incorporating quantitative and qualitative information into the evaluation of various policies with regard to water resource planning and management.

Evolution of a Watershed-Management Framework in the Kentucky River Basin

AbstractFollowing an increased emphasis on watershed management by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the 1990s, the Kentucky Division of Water (KDOW) developed and implemented a watershed-management framework process for the state of Kentucky in 1997. The Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute (KWWRI) coordinated the first implementation of the framework process in the Kentucky River basin beginning in 2000. After an evaluation of the program that followed the completion of the first five-year cycle of the framework, the KWRRI made significant changes to the framework so as to incorporate greater stakeholder involvement and to place a greater focus on the development and implementation of watershed plans at a local level. This paper provides a summary of the watershed activities in the Kentucky River basin over the past 15 years and evaluates the lessons learned during that process. It is hoped that these observations will be useful to other agencies and organizations that are engaged...

Increasing Water Stewardship Responsibility: Water Protection Obligations and the Watershed Management Policy Affecting Farmers in Lucerne, Switzerland

Water policy reform in Switzerland has sought to create a watershed management framework to increase personal responsibility for sustainable water management, while simultaneously incorporating all relevant interests and addressing conflicts between them. These watershed reforms are occurring in parallel with a legal regime that has grappled with implementing farmer liability for harm to water resources. A statutory duty of care is viewed as a fundamental element of defining the stewardship responsibilities of farmers. This draws on the role of a duty in increasing personal responsibility through liability. To this end, we have examined the duty of care for water in Swiss Federal law and the body of law and policy associated with its application agriculture in the Canton of Lucerne. This analysis should contribute to an evolving body of knowledge about liability for damage to natural resources and, in particular, developing knowledge about the conception of environmental harm, and effective alignment of farmers' resource stewardship responsibilities with social expectations of environmental protection.

Integrated planning for the resilience of urban riverine ecosystems: the Istanbul-Omerli Watershed case

Since urban areas display nonlinear and dynamic interactions within their growth patterns, a crucial question is how complex systems can be integrated into urban planning practices in relation to urban ecosystems. Natural threats and extreme weather conditions resulting from climate change will threaten social, environmental and economic assets in urban riverine ecosystems due to their cumulative vulnerabilities, especially in less developed regions. This paper will discuss an “ecosystem services based watershed management framework” to increase the resilience capacity of urban riverine systems using the case of the Omerli Watershed (Turkey), which is located in a metropolitan area characterized by rapid population growth and ecosystem change. Three research domains, i.e. ecosystem services (ESs), spatial planning and climate change (CC) mitigation, will be integrated in order to propose an analytical methodology for spatial planning of urban riverine systems. The adaptive mitigation approach is used to accommodate both mitigation and adaptation policies in its structure. The methodology used here is a part of an ongoing research effort. However, this assessment is aimed at clarifying the integration of the three research domains for use in policy development.

Watershed Morphology of Highland and Mountain Ecoregions in Eastern Oklahoma

The fluvial system represents a nested hierarchy that reflects the relationship among different spatial and temporal scales. Within the hierarchy, larger scale variables influence the characteristics of the next lower nested scale. Ecoregions represent one of the largest scales in the fluvial hierarchy and are defined by recurring patterns of geology, climate, land use, soils, and potential natural vegetation. Watersheds, the next largest scale, are often nested into a single ecoregion and therefore have properties that are indicative of a given ecoregion. Differences in watershed morphology (relief, drainage density, circularity ratio, relief ratio, and ruggedness number) were evaluated among three ecoregions in eastern Oklahoma: Ozark Highlands, Boston Mountains, and Ouachita Mountains. These ecoregions were selected because of their high-quality stream resources and diverse aquatic communities and are of special management interest to the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. One hundred thirty-four watersheds in first- through fourth-order streams were compared. Using a nonparametric, two-factor analysis of variance (α= 0.05) we concluded that the relief, drainage density, relief ratio, and ruggedness number all changed among ecoregion and stream order, whereas circularity ratio only changed with stream order. Our study shows that ecoregions can be used as a broad-scale framework for watershed management.

Towards Sustainable Communities: Transitions and Transformations in Environmental Policy

Review: Towards Sustainable Communities: Transitions and Transformations in Environmental Policy Daniel A. Mazmanian and Michael E. Kraft (Eds.) Reviewed by Kaustuv Ghosh National University of Singapore, Singapore Mazmanian, Daniel A. and Kraft, Michael E. (Eds). Towards Sustainable Communities: Transitions and nd Transformations in Environmental Policy (2 ed). Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2009. 352pp. ISBN 9780262512299.US$25, paper. Alkaline paper. The very public attention paid to the environment in recent times tends to obscure the policymaking that lies at its heart, though regrettably not the politics. Policymaking is not only about politics but a larger and more complex encounter between many different players. Towards Sustainable Communities: Transition and Transformation in Environmental Policy is the second edition of a collection of essays edited by Daniel Mazamanian and Michael Kraft and examines US environmental policy in detail. It is aimed at environmental policy scholars and students and offers a guide to US environmental policymaking over the last forty years. The exhaustive list of references after every essay as well as the tables showing the chronological progression of legislation, concepts and movements are of immense help to scholars and students alike. This book makes the case that the United States has progressed through “three epochs” (pp.3-32) towards effective and relevant policymaking- the underlying message being that the lack of commitment of previous administrations is not an indicator of the commitment of the American nation as a whole. The epochal framework, the idea of sustainability narrated by Hempel (pp.33-62) and the evolution of policymaking (especially the rise of civic environmentalism) written by Fiorino (pp.63-86) provide the conceptual bedrock for the book. The epochs are mirrored in the arrangement of the essays. It is possible, though, that the first epoch could have started with the creation of the National Parks. By beginning with the 1960s, Mazmanian and Kraft may have bypassed important periods when intense planning debates were taking place. The writers do refer back to the works of Mumford and Geddes but the earlier periods could have been provided more than a tabular mention. Nonetheless, case studies of Los Angeles (pp.89-114) and Wisconsin (pp.115-140) are worth mentioning as evidence of earlier planning problems being corrected in an evolutionary manner and do provide a connection to the past. The essays also bring out the complexities and paradoxes of third epoch sustainability policies- especially in the blueprint planning of California (pp.227-251) and the Great Lakes Basin management (pp.289-311). The fundamental problem of America’s environmental policy comes out-- its libertarian emphasis on individual and community effort versus the need for government support. This is a theme well worth pursuing in a separate book on sustainable democracy, a term I suggest here for consideration. The Great Lakes essay brings up the thornier problem of how to improve an effort that involves two countries, numerous states, and many communities in these states. The authors have also hinted at the ineffectiveness of policy implementation though they might have wished to go further and taken issue with the volume and frequency of legislation which are surely at odds with actual achievement. The essays on local open spaces (pp.141-168) and watersheds (pp.255-288) are extremely relevant for contemporary policymakers as these deal with two of the thorniest issues before society. Indeed, the watershed management framework would have great relevance in Asia, where this is an immediate concern. With a number of distinguished academicians as authors, very impressive editing, exhaustive tabulation and detailed references, this book should be made compulsory graduate level reading for environment students. Needless to say, it is also a handy reference for any scholar, writer or civil servant in this field. Kaustuv Ghosh , Graduate candidate, School of Design and Environment, National University of Singapore; Research Assistant, Lee Kwan Yew School of Public Policy, Singapore. TEL: 65-92353702. Electronic Green Journal, Issue 30, Spring 2010, ISSN: 1076-7975

A watershed management framework for mountain areas: Lessons from 25 years of watershed conservationin Nepal

A watershed management framework for mountain areas is based on lessons learned from watershed management experience, social and institutional learning, and the use of a watershed management program evaluation in Nepal. The lessons led to the adoption of a subwatershed-based ecosystem approach based on local participation at the subwatershed level. An integrated watershed management framework (IWMF) consisting of eight steps with three checklists was developed focusing on improvement-oriented adaptive management. The eight steps lead to the preparation of a watershed management plan. In the process three checklists are used. While the first checklist has general questions pertaining to watershed analysis, the second allows participation analysis of stakeholders in terms of their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats and opens up new prospects for further reinforcing or building new user group institutions based on consensus. The final checklist consists of hierarchical watershed management objectives, including goals, results and activities leading to a program planning matrix. The framework was applied to watershed planning in the Chure Region to compare the framework-based planning with conventional planning procedures. A significant difference in quality and substance of the output, with and without the use of the framework, suggests that an integrated framework is a useful tool for an ecosystem-based approach to natural resource management and socio-technical conservation.

A Multiple-Objective Decision Analysis of Stakeholder Values to Identify Watershed Improvement Needs

This paper describes the use of multiple-objective decision analysis to qualitatively and quantitatively assess the quality of an endangered watershed and guide future efforts to improve the quality of the watershed. The Upham Brook Watershed is an urban watershed that lies at the interface of declining inner-city Richmond, Virginia, and growth-oriented Henrico County. A section of stream within the watershed has been identified as so dangerously polluted that it threatens the health of the residents who live within the watershed boundaries. With funding provided by the National Science Foundation, the Upham Brook Watershed project committee was formed to address the quality of the Upham Brook Watershed; it consisted of experts from multiple disciplines: stream ecology, environmental policy, water policy, ground and surface water hydrology and quality, aquatic biology, political science, sociology, citizen participation, community interaction, psychology, and decision and risk analysis. Each member's values and goals were brought together using a watershed management framework to meet the overall objective of the committee: to maximize the quality of the Upham Brook Watershed. The resulting model was used to identify the largest value gaps and to identify future programs needed to improve the quality of the watershed.

Watershed risk analysis model for TVA's Holston River basin

The Electric Power Research Institute has launched a research project to develop a conceptual risk analysis framework for watershed management of point and nonpoint source pollution. The research leads to the design of an engineering model to 1) process and translate water quality data (coliform, HOD, DO, suspended solids, temperature, sediment, etc.) into decision variables (suitability for water contact sports and swimming, fish spawning fish survival, human consumption of fish, and freedom from algal nuisance, etc.) and 2) predict water quality improvements from proposed management alternatives. Actual development of the model is being carried out with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) for the Holston River watershed.The effort includes model construction by importation of GIS map files, stringing together existing watershed and reservoir models, calibration of the model, and selection of decision variables and water quality check points. The model calculates hydrology, waste load, water quality and suitability of fish habitats at headwaters. The base case results and improvements after best management alternatives will be compared to the data observed by TVA's River Action Team. The final product will be a user friendly tool that stakeholders can use to find a cost effective method of improving water quality, including market-based pollution trading.