RIVER-QUALITY ASSESSMENTS1

ABSTRACT: In 1972, the U.S. Geological Survey began a pilot program of river-quality assessments. The objectives of the program are (1) to define the character, interrelationships, and apparent causes of existing river-quality problems, and (2) to devise and demonstrate the analytical approaches and the tools and methodologies needed for developing water-quality information that will provide a sound technical basis for planners and managers to use in assessing river-quality problems and evaluating management alternatives. The most noteworthy finding of a pilot assessment of the Willamette River basin, Oregon, was that across-the-board advanced waste treatment was not the answer to the problem of meeting stringent water-quality standards established for the river. The assessment also found that existing water-quality data generally are inadequate for defining the critical cause-effect relationships that control river-quality problems and that intensive, synoptic surveys keyed to local problems and conditions would be required in most river basins to develop an adequate information base for managing important river-quality problems. The study illustrated that rigid nationwide standards and regulations are likely to result in unneeded expenditures in some river basins and in undesirable quality in others.     

Equity and productivity assessments in the Olifants River basin, South Africa

Emerging approaches to water resources development and management typically highlight equity and productivity as two main objectives. In the context of integrated water resources management within a river basin, managers and stakeholders often need a comparative assessment of different options for water augmentation and/or allocation. Pitting such options against predefined objectives, such as equity and productivity, requires an assessment of the effects that available options will have on these objectives. Available documentation indicates that not only does the interpretation of such objectives vary widely, but also the available methods for assessing equity and productivity run into significant limitations in the availability of adequate data. This limitation has largely kept decision makers from gaining a comprehensive overview of equity and productivity scenarios, whether within or across sectors, that could facilitate better‐informed decisions. To address this methodological gap, this article scrutinizes different notions associated with equity and water productivity, and limitations in prevalent assessment methods with the view to develop and demonstrate pragmatic methodologies for assessing equity and productivity in data‐scarce contexts. The discussion and findings are based on a review of relevant literature and empirical and consultative research work in the Olifants River basin in South Africa. The demonstrated methodologies for assessing equity and productivity, besides being useful in data‐scarce contexts, are insightful for initiating several policy measures and also for exploring the relationship between equity and water productivity.     

尼洋河流域水环境质量现状评价研究——基于模糊综合评价法

尼洋河流域水资源十分丰富,水能蕴藏量巨大,生态环境良好。随着西藏经济的发展,必将出现大规模开发利用水资源的趋势,探讨流域水资源和环境的现状及可持续发展具有十分重要的现实意义。本文对尼洋河流域基础资料的收集与整理,分析尼洋河流域的特点与现存的问题,根据收集的水质监测资料,分析了流域污染源概况和构成,以未进行水环境功能区划为前提,选择模糊综合评价法对尼洋河流域水环境质量进行现状评价,并对超标断面进行了原因分析,通过对2012年尼洋河流域14个监测断面监测成果的评价,得出尼洋河流域水质现状良好的结论,为以后的水功能区划分、水质目标的确定以及水环境功能区划分提供依据。     

Comparing Environmental Flow Implementation Options with Structured Decision Making: Case Study from the Willamette River,Oregon

Many frameworks have been used to identify environmental flows for sustaining river ecosystems or specific taxa in the face of widespread flow alteration. However, these frameworks largely focus on identifying suitable flows and often ignore the important links between management actions, resulting flows, and valued ecosystem or social responses. Structured decision making (SDM) could assist the comparison of environmental flows by providing a mature framework to link management actions to objectives via environmental flow science. We describe SDM and illustrate its application using a case study focused on comparing environmental flow scenarios for the mainstem Willamette River, Oregon. In a short timeframe, SDM was applied to identify objectives, develop empirical and expert opinion‐based models, and compare flow scenarios while accounting for interannual flow variability and partial controllability. No scenario was clearly preferred based on available knowledge, largely because river flows could only be partially controlled through dam operations. Participants agreed that SDM was useful for comparing alternative dam operations, but that refined predictive models and additional objectives were needed to better inform basinwide flow decisions. In our view, SDM can provide more realistic comparisons of environmental flows by accounting for partial controllability and uncertainty, which may result in greater implementation of available flow management actions.     

Application of Multiobjective Programming to Water Quality Management in a River Basin

In this work on the management of water quality in a river basin by means of multiobjective programming, the programming model consists of three objectives that include simultaneously both economic and environmental factors. These objectives are the water quality of the rivers, the cost of wastewater treatment and the assimilative capacity of the rivers. In particular, this research is the first to take into account the last objective. For practical application, this paper proposes two methods of multiobjective programming, the constraint method and the step method. Furthermore, to illustrate the application of these techniques to water quality management problems, we use the basin of Tzeng-Wen River, Taiwan, as a case study. The results show that these methods work satisfactorily to improve the water quality, to ascertain the economic cost of wastewater treatment, and to allocate allowable loading in a manner of equality from non-inferior solutions. Alternatively, these methods provide important information for regulatory agencies to implement pollution control of river water.     

THE IMPACT OF WATER RESOURCE QUALITY CHANGES ON SURROUNDING PROPERTY VALUES1

ABSTRACT: A case study is used to demonstrate a methodology for measuring the residential property value benefit of water pollution abatement. Increases in the value of single-family homes attributable to improvement in the water quality of the nearby Willamette River (Clackamas County, Oregon) were measured using a regression analysis technique. Sales prices and tax assessment data were used to estimate the change in property values coincident with the changes in water quality. The percentage increase in property value due to pollution abatement is expressed as a function of the distance between properties and the river bank.     

Isotopic evidence of nitrate sources and denitrification in the Mississippi River, Illinois

Anthropogenic nitrate (NO3-) within the Mississippi-Atchafalaya River basin and discharge to the Gulf of Mexico has been linked to serious environmental problems. The sources of this NO3- have been estimated by others using mass balance methods; however, there is considerable uncertainty in these estimates. Part of the uncertainty is the degree of denitrification that the NO3- has undergone. The isotopic composition of NO3- in the Mississippi River adjacent to Illinois and tile drain (subsurface drain) discharge in agricultural areas of east-central Illinois was examined using N and O isotopes to help identify the major sources of NO3- and assess the degree of denitrification in the samples. The isotopic evidence suggests that most of the NO3- in the river is primarily derived from synthetic fertilizers and soil organic N, which is consistent with published estimates of N inputs to the Mississippi River. The 1:2 relationship between delta18O and delta15N also indicate that, depending on sample location and season, NO3- in the river and tile drains has undergone significant denitrification, ranging from about 0 to 55%. The majority of the denitrification appears to have occurred before discharge into the Mississippi River.     

如何完善河长制——基于与流域综合管理比较的视角

当前,河长制已成为我国进行河湖管护的综合协调平台,但其面临一系列问题,制约了我国河湖管护效果的进一步提升。世界主要国家的跨部门、跨利益相关方河湖管理协调政策主要是流域综合管理。河长制与流域综合管理都是针对所面临的河湖管理问题,经过长期的演变,逐渐形成的跨区域、跨利益相关方的协调政策,这都是符合所在国家实际情况的。基于公共政策学的基本原理,本文构建了以"政策目标—政策执行者—政策工具"为导向的三维河湖管护协调政策比较框架。通过此框架,分析了河长制存在的主要问题,以及河长制与流域综合管理的主要差异。针对河长制存在的主要问题,基于比较结果提出了相关对策,主要包括:科学设定政策目标,推进多元共治的河湖管护模式,创新运用市场化和信息化政策工具。     

Using Global Datasets to Create Environmental Profiles for Data-Poor Regions: A Case from the Irrawaddy and Salween River Basins

The increasing availability of spatial data inspires the exploration of previously less-studied, yet regionally and nationally important areas, such as the Irrawaddy and Salween River Basins in Southeast Asia. This article documents our experience using global datasets to create environmental basin profiles in these two basins. Our approach draws on the concepts of freshwater vulnerability assessments that guided the selection of indicators. Data on land use, population distribution and fertilizer load were used. The unit of analysis was chosen to distinguish areas with similar bio-geographical characteristics, such as the critical delta areas. Results were further discussed for sub-areas that experience relatively the most pressure in terms of examined indicators within the studied area. The river mouths of both rivers had the most intensive land use and high population density. They are also home to important ecosystems and are sensitive to changes in upstream areas. Our study presents a concise and spatially distributed view of the environmental basin profiles of the Irrawaddy and Salween River Basins. The analysis also provides some interesting methodological insights about the potential of public macro-scale datasets for environmental assessment. The spatial approach allowed the analysis of different indicators, providing a platform for data integration as well as a visually powerful overview of the study area. Yet, the use of macro-scale datasets entails challenges. Despite improvements, the assessment process tends to be driven by the availability and quality of data, rather than by the actual research and management needs. The greatest utility of macro-scale datasets lies—at least in data-poor areas—in larger scale comparative analyses between the basins and their different sub-areas.     

Application of the Australian river bioassessment system (AUSRIVAS) in the Brantas River, East Java, Indonesia

Assessment of river 'health' using biological methods, particularly those based on macro-invertebrates, is now commonplace in most developed countries. However, this is not the case in most developing countries, where physical and chemical methods are used to assess water quality, with very little use of biological assessment methods. This paper reports on a project that aimed to assess the possible introduction of biological assessment of river condition using the Australian River Assessment System (AUSRIVAS) into Indonesia. The paper addresses three components of the project: (1) science--does the bioassessment method work in this tropical region? (2) resources--are they adequate and if not what additional resources are needed? (3) politics--what needs to be done to convince the agencies (both central and provincial) to take up such a new philosophy and approach? A pilot study was run in the upper Brantas River, East Java. A total of 66 reference sites and 15 test sites were sampled and the macro-invertebrates collected were identified to family level. A rigorous quality-control protocol was introduced to ensure the data were reliable and reproducible. The macro-invertebrate data were used to develop a predictive model of the AUSRIVAS type for the upper Brantas River, and the model was then used to assess the 'health' of sites that were presumed to be damaged in this section of the river. A number of difficulties were experienced during the study, including: locating reference sites sufficiently unmodified by humans; lack of skills to identify animals collected; and a paucity of facilities required for aquatic macro-invertebrate identification (e.g. identification keys and good quality binocular microscopes). For resources, the major constraint to the introduction of a bioassessment capability in Indonesia is the lack of personnel trained in the bioassessment techniques. An 'on-the-job' training approach was adopted, largely because of the specialist nature of this work. Six Indonesians were trained and will now become the 'trainers' of further Indonesian scientists (we have called this process 'training-the-trainers'). For politics, it was hoped that the AUSRIVAS method would be suitable for introduction into the Indonesian national Clean River Program. A strategy was developed and implemented to ensure the method and its outputs were accepted technically by the Indonesian scientific community, and also by the resource managers and relevant government officials. Experience shows that if the latter do not see how the bioassessment information will be used for management purposes they will not accept the method even if it is scientifically sound.     

Nitrogen contamination in the Yellow River basin of China

Nitrogen contamination is one of the most serious problems in the Yellow River of China. This study was conducted to analyze monitoring data on nitrogen contamination for the Yellow River basin in the years 1980, 1990, 1997, and 1999. Several significant results have arisen from the study. First, in conjunction with an increase in economic indexes from the Yellow River's upper basin to its lower basin, the nitrogen concentration in the tributaries also showed an increasing trend from the upper to the lower basin, which, in turn, led to an increase in the nitrogen concentration of the mainstream from the upper to the lower reaches. Second, nitrogen in the river water in the mainstream and the tributaries of the Yellow River was attributed mainly to point sources. In spite of the fact that the ratio of point to nonpoint sources decreased from 2.7 in 1990 to 1.8 in 1997 for total inorganic nitrogen in river water at the Tongguan Station in the lower basin, point sources increased more than nonpoint sources. Third, the ammonium nitrogen and total inorganic nitrogen content of the river water increased significantly in the mainstream and the tributaries during the 1980-1999 period, a change caused by an increase in wastewater discharge and nitrogenous fertilizer application in the Yellow River catchment.     

长江流域生态补偿机制建设：框架与重点

建立流域生态补偿机制是解决长江流域生态环境问题、促进流域水生态环境资源资产增值、实施流域综合治理的长效政策手段。在借鉴全国跨界流域生态补偿机制实践经验的基础上,加快推进建立长江流域生态补偿机制是长江经济带实施生态优先战略的重要途径。本文分析了长江流域生态补偿机制建设面临的主要问题与挑战,提出了长江流域生态补偿机制建设的总体思路和框架,建议长江流域生态补偿机制建设重点处理好八大关系,本文可为长江流域可持续管理提供技术支撑。     

Adverse Effects on Alfeios River Basin and an Integrated Management Framework Based on Sustainability

The Alfeios River, the longest and highest flow-rate river in Peloponnisos, constitutes an important water resource and ecosystem in Greece. In the present study, human activities in the Alfeios River Basin are described, and their impacts on water quality and the ecosystem are analyzed; effects resulting from interventions on river geomorphology between Flokas Dam and the river delta are determined. These actions have caused significant adverse impacts on the infrastructure (the dam, railroad, and road bridges), the level of aquifer water table and area water uses, and the aquatic and riparian ecosystem. A general integrated management strategy is formulated and a master management plan is proposed for resolving management problems in river basins. The plan considers local conditions and national requirements and complies with the European Communities legislation; it would help prevent further basin deterioration, improve water quality, and protect water resources and ecosystems in the area in accordance to sustainable development. The Alfeios River Basin serves as a case study in the development of the plan.Published online Note: This version was published online in June 2005 with the cover date of August 2004.     

流域保护区域协同立法的功能定位与规范进路

《长江保护法》《黄河保护法》为长江、黄河流域的区域协同立法提供了法律依据,在流域保护区域协同立法“入法”后,需要明晰其权力空间与运行规则,提升其科学化、规范化水平。流域保护区域协同立法在本质上仍属于地方立法,是功能主义进路下解决跨行政区域流域保护难题的一种选择,是流域整体性保护的立法回应。就其功能而言,具有落实国家立法确立的流域保护整体目标的实施性功能,以地方合作为中心,解决那些通过单独地方立法难以解决的跨行政区域地方性流域保护问题的协调性、自主性、创新性功能。在此基础上,应当通过明晰其立法层级,建立地方立法规划协同机制,改、废、释的协同机制,交叉备案与后评估机制,深化公众参与机制,完善流域保护区域协同立法的运行规则。     

Fish diversity,habitat ecology and their conservation and management issues of a tropical River in Ganga basin,India

In the present communication habitat ecology, species diversity; distribution and different indices of fish biodiversity management were studied in a Central India river (River Betwa, a tributary of River Ganga basin approved under India’s first river linking plan). Correlation between fish species richness with the hydrological attributes showed good relationship and water depth, dissolved oxygen and pH were found the most important variables in shaping fish assemblage. Altogether, sixty-three fish species belonging to 20 families and 45 genera were collected from five sampling stations spread along the upstream, mid stream and lower streams. Cyprinids were the most dominated group represented by 26 species belonging to 15 genera, followed by Bagridae (6 species from 3 genera), and Schilbeidae (4 species from 4 genera). The distribution of fish showed interesting pattern and about 10% species were common to all the sites showing long migration range. Shannon-Weiner diversity index showed considerable variation and ranged from 1.89 to 3.51. Out of 63 species status of 10 species were not known due to data deficit, 29 categorized as lower risk, 14 as vulnerable, 8 as endangered, while the remaining two species were introduced. Our study shows that the River supports considerable diversity of the fishes and is important for conservation and about 34% fish fauna is threatened being either vulnerable or endangered. We assessed that the river supports considerable percentage of food fish (89.47), ornamental fish (49.12%) and sport fish (5.26%). Among the eight major types of fish habitats identified along the entire stretch of river, open river, shallow water and deep pools were habitats contributing maximum diversity. Fish species richness (FSR) were significantly different (P < 0.05) in all the habitats except channel confluence and scour pool. Trophic niche model may be useful for assessing altered as well as less altered fish habitat of the tropical rivers. Since this river will be interlinked in near future, this study would be useful for conservation planning and management and also for future assessment after interlinking. Issues related to various threats to aquatic environment and conservation management strategies have been discussed.     

WATER LOSSES ALONG A REACH OF THE PECOS RIVER IN NEW MEXICO1

ABSTRACT: A reach of the Pecos River, located in eastern New Mexico, was examined to evaluate losses of river flows due to evaporation, seepage, and transpiration. An accurate assessment of the water losses along this reach is critical for determining how water rights are adjudicated for water users in the Pecos basin and interstate compact accounting. Water losses significantly impact flows through critical habitat for species protected under the Endangered Species Act. Daily losses of river flows were analyzed for the study reach that extends from immediately below the Pecos River confluence with Taiban Creek to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) gage near Acme. The analysis was completed with consideration for other processes including flood wave travel times and attenuation along with stream bank storage and returns. The analysis was completed using daily stream flow data from USGS gages located along the study reach. Empirical seasonal functions were developed to relate flow loss to the flow rate in the river. The functions were ultimately developed to provide a method for comparing the effects of different river flows on the available water supply.     

RIVER BASIN SIMULATION MODELS: GUIDELINES FOR THEIR USE IN WATER RESOURCES PLANNING1

ABSTRACT: Simulation models constructed to estimate the physical and economic performance of alternative river basin development configurations have been widely used since the start of the Harvard Water Program in the early 1960's. These models have proved useful in choosing from among several potential river basin configurations, since they can rapidly evaluate each configuration's expected performance. However, when dealing with large scale river basin development projects, in which over 50 or 100 alternative reservoirs, irrigation areas, and other components must be considered, it is sometimes quite difficult to effectively use a simulation model to rapidly identify those combinations of projects which best satisfy the development objectives. The purpose of this paper is to describe how a simulation model was used in the analysis of a complex river basin development project in Eastern Europe, and how the problems of scale were confronted and solved. The author's experience on this projet is used to derive a set of general guidelines which may be helpful in other simulation studies.     

Analysis of potential impacts to resident fish from Columbia River System Operation alternatives

The US Army Corps of Engineers, the US Bureau of Reclamation, and the Bonneville Power Administration initiated the Columbia River System Operation Review (SOR) in 1990. The SOR will assist agencies in comparing the benefits and risks to Columbia River uses and natural resources from alternative strategies for using Columbia River water. Focusing on 14 federal dams within the basin, the agencies are attempting to improve on the efficient and coordinated use of the Columbia River system. An initial screening of all potential strategies of reservoir operation was necessary to reduce the number of possibilities to a limited set for detailed analysis. To that end, the Resident Fish Work Group of the SOR developed spreadsheet models capable of assessing the impacts of different management strategies on resident fish at six storage reservoirs. The models include biological, physical, and hydrological relationships important to resident fish specific to each reservoir. Alternatives that kept the reservoirs near full pool and held stable during the growing season resulted in positive benefits to resident fish at all locations modeled. Conversely, alternatives designed to improve anadromous fish survival with increased instream flow generally had a negative impact on the resident fish in the reservoirs modeled. The models developed for resident fish in the screening analysis phase of the SOR were useful in assessing the relative impact to resident fish from a large number of alternatives. The screening analysis demonstrated that future analytical efforts must consider trade-offs among river uses/resource groups, among reservoirs throughout the basin, and among resident fish species within a reservoir.Pacific Northwest Laboratory is operated by Battelle Memorial Institute for the US Department of Energy under contract DE-AC06-76RLO 1830.     

流域比较视角的钱塘江与黑河流域水资源问题及对策研究——基于水足迹核算分析

产品贸易及水权交易使得水资源问题"跨流域化",不再单纯是流域内部管理问题。本文从流域比较视角出发,在区分蓝、绿、灰三种水足迹的基础上,应用水足迹模型,测算了两流域典型地区的水足迹,进行流域水资源问题对比分析,并分析了经济发展模式对流域水资源可持续性的影响。结果发现,杭州市经济用水中灰色水足迹占总量的90%,而张掖市经济用水中绿色水足迹占总量的60.8%,说明钱塘江流域水资源问题在于质,而黑河流域水资源问题在于量;经济发展模式中的产业结构、水资源开发效率、工业化路径等影响流域水资源可持续利用,同时基于GDP导向的流域间的水资源逆向配置,更加剧了流域水资源矛盾。最后根据流域对比结果提出治理措施,从而形成流域间协作的良性循环。     

WATER FOR ENERGY: AN APPROACH TO COMPREHENSIVE IMPACT ASSESSMENT1

ABSTRACT: The effects of energy development on the water resources of the Colorado River and Great Basin regions is expected to be substantial. Complex physical, economic and institutional interactions may be expected. Most research on these impacts appears single purpose, fragmented, uncoordinated, and often inaccessible to potential users - particularly those with responsibility for energy/water policy and program decisions. A comprehensive, integrative framework for assessing alternative water allocation decisions is outlined, taking a heuristic decision making model for evaluating impacts on maximization of gross (or net) regional product, and regional social welfare, and for assessing the region's contribution to national objectives. The suggested model provides a structure for application and integration of data of various kinds to a range of situations arising from possible impacts from energy proposals. The focus is on water and energy relationships but the model may provide a framework for comprehensive analysis of a variety of environmental actions and resulting system perturbations and effects.