An Ex Post Evaluation of Ohio’s Great Miami Water Quality Trading Program1

Newburn, David A. and Richard T. Woodward, 2011. An Ex Post Evaluation of Ohio’s Great Miami Water Quality Trading Program. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 48(1): 156‐169. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752‐1688.2011.00601.x Abstract: Market‐based approaches to address water quality problems have resulted in only limited success, especially in trading programs involving both point and nonpoint sources. We analyze one of the largest point‐nonpoint trading programs – the Great Miami Trading Program in Ohio, administered by the Miami Conservancy District (MCD). Our evaluation focuses on the economic and institutional aspects of the program, including cost effectiveness, efficiency of bidding, transaction costs, trading ratios, and innovation. We use a unique dataset consisting of all bids from agricultural nonpoint sources and interviews of soil and water conservation district (SWCD) agents in the watershed. We find that the MCD’s reliance on county‐level SWCD offices to recruit and advise farmers has been essential to achieve relatively high rates of farmer participation. Additionally, the MCD is able to partly free ride on the administrative costs that SWCD offices receive to assist federal conservation programs, which is helpful to lower costs for a fledgling trading program. However, the involvement of SWCD offices reduced the potential cost savings from the reverse auction structure because some agents were able to learn about the threshold price over the six rounds of bidding and help farmers bid strategically. Overall, the program structure serves as an effective model for future trading programs in other regions that seek to involve agricultural nonpoint sources.     

基于GIS与RUSLE的武陵山区小流域土壤侵蚀评价研究

以长江中下游武陵山区女儿寨小流域为研究区，基于数据观测积累及实地调查采样等方法，计算了研究区降雨侵蚀力、土壤可蚀性等因子，运用GIS与RUSLE评价了流域土壤侵蚀强度并分析了其与土地利用方式、海拔高度的关系。结果表明，流域平均土壤侵蚀强度为78844 t/（km2·a），属微度侵蚀，流域面积9518%的范围发生轻度以下的侵蚀，强烈以上侵蚀仅占1.19%。从土地利用类型来看，耕地、果园侵蚀强度较大，均达到中度侵蚀，有林地除竹林地为轻度侵蚀外均属微度侵蚀，耕地、果园、竹林地是今后水土流失防治的主要地类。不同海拔高度中，低海拔（200～400 m）区域侵蚀量占到流域侵蚀总量的6442%，是水土流失防治的重点地带。研究为应用修正通用土壤流失方程在武陵山区进行土壤侵蚀评价提供范例，为研究区防治土壤侵蚀和流域管理规划决策提供相应参考     

Community-Based Integrated Watershed Management

Abstract

Community-based watershed management is different from the traditional natural resources management. Traditional natural resources management is a way from up to bottom, but the community-based watershed management is from bottom to up. This approach focused on the joining of different stakeholders in integrated watershed management, especially the participation of the community who has been ignored in the past. The purpose of this paper is to outline some of the important basic definitions, concepts and operational framework for initiating community-based watershed management projects and programs as well as some successes and practical challenges associated with the approach.     

流域水生态承载力研究的起源和发展

流域水生态承载力的研究是近几年来从水生态的角度解决流域可持续发展问题的有效手段。通过文献综述的方法，从流域水生态承载力的起源和发展入手，对流域水生态承载力的理论基础，与相关已有研究的区别和联系进行了探讨，并对流域水生态承载力的进一步研究进行了展望。从起源上看，承载力理论、可持续发展和生态足迹理论、流域生态学理论分别是流域水生态承载力研究的基础、落脚点和支撑。从发展上看，水生态承载力是水资源和水环境承载力的有机结合和深化。从测度和评价方法上看，第一生产者的净初级生产力方法、生态足迹法、可持续发展指标法和生态系统健康等生态承载力的测度方法为流域水生态承载力的评价奠定了基础。目前流域水生态承载力的研究尚处于初级阶段，今后不论是在理论探讨还是模型应用中均应进一步体现人类与自然和谐共存的根本目的以及水体质、量辩证统一的规律，通过物质、能量、信息、空间和时间五位一体的研究方法，使流域水生态承载力的研究更具有实践意义     

HYDROCLIMATIC VARIABILITY IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS1

ABSTRACT: The spatial and temporal variability of hydroclimatic elements were investigated in the central and northern Rocky Mountains (Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming) during the 1951–1985 period. The three hydroclimatic elements studied were total water-year (October 1-September 30) streamflow (ST), winter (October 1-March 31) accumulated precipitation (PR), and April 1 snowpack (SN). An analysis of 14 virgin watersheds showed wide spatial djfferences in the temporal variability of SN, PR, and ST, and these were found to be caused largely by basin exposure to moist air flows. The more stable (low variability) basins were those exposed to prevailing northerly to westerly flow, while unstable (high variability) basins were exposed to occasional southwesterly to southeasterly moist flow. Snowpack was the better indicator of ST in 11 of the 14 watersheds, explaining 37 to 87 percent of the ST variance. Analysis of the spatial variability, based on all SN and PR data from across the study area, revealed 11 discrete climatic regions. Both SN and PR exhibited coherent regions of stable and unstable temporal variability. The average variability between stable and unstable regions differed by a factor of two, and the differences were best explained by the exposure of the mountain barrier to moist air flows.     

Characterization of Benthic Communities and Physical Habitat in the Stanislaus, Tuolumne, and Merced Rivers, California

The primary goal of this study was to characterize physical habitat and benthic communities (macroinvertebrates) in the Stanislaus, Tuolumne and Merced Rivers in California’s San Joaquin Valley in 2003. These rivers have been listed as impaired water bodies (303 (d) list) by the State of California due to the presence of organophosphate (OP) insecticides chlorpyrifos and diazinon, Group A pesticides (i.e., organochlorine pesticides), mercury, or unknown toxicity. Based on 10 instream and riparian physical habitat metrics, total physical habitat scores in the Stanislaus River ranged from 124 to 188 (maximum possible total score is 200). The highest total habitat score was reported at the upstream site. Tuolumne River physical habitat scores ranged from 86 to 167. Various Tuolumne River physical habitat metrics, including total habitat score, increased from downstream to upstream in this river. Merced River physical habitat scores ranged from 121 to 170 with a significant increase in various physical habitat metrics, including total habitat score, reported from downstream to upstream. Channel flow (an instream metric) and bank stability (a riparian metric) were the most important physical habitat metrics influencing the various benthic metrics for all three rivers. Abundance measures of benthic macroinvertebrates (5,100 to 5,400 individuals) were similar among the three rivers in the San Joaquin watershed. Benthic communities in all three rivers were generally dominated by: (1) Baetidae species (mayflies) which are a component of EPT taxa generally considered sensitive to environmental degradation; (2) Chironomidae (midges) which can be either tolerant or sensitive to environmental stressors depending on the species; (3) Ephemerellidae (mayflies) which are considered sensitive to pollution stress; and (4) Naididae (aquatic worms) which are generally considered tolerant to environmental stressors. The presence of 117 taxa in the Stanislaus River, 114 taxa in the Tuolumne River and 96 taxa in the Merced River implies that the benthic communities in these streams are fairly diverse but without a clear definition of benthic community expectations it is unknown if these water bodies are actually impaired.     

基于水质协议的跨界流域生态补偿标准研究

在完全信息的情况下,分析了如何设计跨界流域生态补偿标准,并讨论了跨界流域生态补偿政策可能存在的时间一致性问题.基于斯坦伯格博弈框架下的分析结果表明,若考虑跨界流域生态补偿标准与环境损害函数是线性的,则跨界流域生态补偿政策是具有时间一致性的环境经济政策,这是由于该政策在设计时,其补偿标准要么仅与环境损害成本有关,或直接与流域内各区域的污染物削减费用有关.在这两种情况下,流域内各区域在执行该政策的时候,没有相应的战略去刺激流域内各区域刻意改变其自身的污染物削减费用函数,从而影响到未来的跨界流域生态补偿政策的实施.随后,利用该方法针对COD指标,模拟了2008年河南省贾鲁河流域跨界流域生态补偿政策,结果发现,当生态补偿标准设置在2714.13元.t-1时,能够实现跨界流域生态补偿政策的目标.在这种情况下,该流域COD排放总量达到了流域COD年允许排放总量的要求;且相比跨界流域生态补偿政策实施前,强制要求流域内各区域单独削减COD达到断面年允许排放量的情况,各区域的COD削减费用均有所下降.     

基于空间分析荞麦地流域地下水健康风险评价

以云南荞麦地流域为研究区域,对该区域2017年24个地下水样品中5种重金属指标（Cr、Pb、Co、Mn、Hg）和1种无机毒理指标（氟化物）进行测定和分析,并基于半方差模型等地学统计方法,对地下水健康风险评价进行空间分析.结果表明：地下水通过饮水途径所引起的成人和儿童的健康风险分别为9.27×10^-10~4.59×10^-5a^-1和1.10×10^-8~5.46×10^-4a^-1.地下水健康风险评价值以Cr为主导,成人与儿童存在较高的一致性.地下水健康风险存在很强的空间规律性,在南北方向上呈条带状分布.受位于中游的药山镇影响,研究区南部下游地区地下水健康风险显著增加.     

TIMBER MANAGEMENT INFLUENCES ON AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH1

ABSTRACT: Recent watershed research indicates that many timber management practices have profound effects on the water quality of small headwater streams. These streams often support fisheries of high value. Current knowledge seems to indicate that a definite potential exists for a symbiotic relationship between timber and fisheries management. Maximum development of both resources is attainable only if further research efforts recognize the mutually benefiting aspects of these heretofore separate disciplines. Future research should carefully examine the complex interrelationships between small headwater aquatic ecosystems and the riparian forest environment.     

Using Ion-Exchange Resins to Study Soil Response to Experimental Watershed Acidification

Ion-exchange resins (IER) offer alternative approaches to measuring ionic movement in soils that may have advantages over traditional approaches in some settings, but more information is needed to understand how IER compare with traditional methods of measurement in forested ecosystems. At the Bear Brook Watershed in Maine (BBWM), one of two paired, forested watersheds is treated bi-monthly with S and N (28.8 and 25.2kgha⁻¹yr⁻¹ of S and N, respectively). Both IER and ceramic cup tension lysimeters were used to study soil solution responses after ∼11 years of treatment. Results from both methods showed treatments resulted in the mobilization of base cations and Al, and higher SO₄—S and inorganic N in the treated watershed. Both methods indicated similar differences in results associated with forest type (hardwoods versus softwoods), a result of differences in litter quality and atmospheric aerosol interception capacity. The correlation between lysimeter and IER data for individual analytes varied greatly. Significant correlations were evident for Na (r=0.75), Al (r=0.65), Mn (r=0.61), Fe (r=0.57), Ca (r=0.49), K (r=0.41) and NO₃—N (r=0.59). No correlation was evident between IER and soil solution data for NH₄—N and Pb. Both IER and soil solution techniques suggested similar interpretations of biogeochemical behavior in the watershed.