Introduction to the Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program

This paper provides an introduction to a long-term biological monitoring program and the Environmental Management special issue titled Long-term Biological Monitoring of an Impaired Stream: Implications for Environmental Management. The Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program, or BMAP, was implemented to assess biological impairment downstream of U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) facilities in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, beginning in 1985. Several of the unique aspects of the program include its long-term consistent sampling, a focus on evaluating the effectiveness of specific facility abatement and remedial actions, and the use of quantitative sampling protocols using a multidisciplinary approach. This paper describes the need and importance of long-term watershed-based biological monitoring strategies, in particular for addressing long-term stewardship goals at DOE sites, and provides a summary of the BMAP’s objectives, spatial and temporal extent, and overall focus. The primary components of the biological monitoring program for East Fork Poplar Creek in Oak Ridge, Tennessee are introduced, as are the additional 9 papers in this Environmental Management special issue.     

Long-Term Biological Monitoring of an Impaired Stream: Synthesis and Environmental Management Implications

The long-term ecological recovery of an impaired stream in response to an industrial facility’s pollution abatement actions and the implications of the biological monitoring effort to environmental management is the subject of this special issue of Environmental Management. This final article focuses on the synthesis of the biological monitoring program’s components and methods, the efficacy of various biological monitoring techniques to environmental management, and the lessons learned from the program that might be applicable to the design and application of other programs. The focus of the 25-year program has been on East Fork Poplar Creek, an ecologically impaired stream in Oak Ridge, Tennessee with varied and complex stressors from a Department of Energy facility in its headwaters. Major components of the long-term program included testing and monitoring of invertebrate and fish toxicity, bioindicators of fish health, fish contaminant accumulation, and instream communities (including periphyton, benthic macroinvertebrate, and fish). Key parallel components of the program include water chemistry sampling and data management. Multiple lines of evidence suggested positive ecological responses during three major pollution abatement periods. Based on this case study and the related literature, effective environmental management of impaired streams starts with program design that is consistent across space and time, but also adaptable to changing conditions. The biological monitoring approaches used for the program provided a strong basis for assessments of recovery from remedial actions, and the likely causes of impairment. This case study provides a unique application of multidisciplinary and quantitative techniques to address multiple and complex regulatory and programmatic goals, environmental stressors, and remedial actions.     

Information Management System for Site Remediation Efforts

/ Environmental regulatory agencies are responsible for protecting human health and the environment in their constituencies. Their responsibilities include the identification, evaluation, and cleanup of contaminated sites. Leaking underground storage tanks (USTs) constitute a major source of subsurface and groundwater contamination. A significant portion of a regulatory body's efforts may be directed toward the management of UST-contaminated sites. In order to manage remedial sites effectively, vast quantities of information must be maintained, including analytical dataon chemical contaminants, remedial design features, and performance details. Currently, most regulatory agencies maintain such information manually. This makes it difficult to manage the data effectively. Some agencies have introduced automated record-keeping systems. However, the ad hoc approach in these endeavors makes it difficult to efficiently analyze, disseminate, and utilize the data. This paper identifies the information requirements for UST-contaminated site management at the Waste Cleanup Section of the Department of Environmental Resources Management in Dade County, Florida. It presents a viable design for an information management system to meet these requirements. The proposed solution is based on a back-end relational database management system with relevant tools for sophisticated data analysis and data mining. The database is designed with all tables in the third normal form to ensure data integrity, flexible access, and efficient query processing. In addition to all standard reports required by the agency, the system provides answers to ad hoc queries that are typically difficult to answer under the existing system. The database also serves as a repository of information for a decision support system to aid engineering design and risk analysis. The system may be integrated with a geographic information system for effective presentation and dissemination of spatial data.     

A spatial-temporal system for dynamic cadastral management

A practical spatio-temporal database (STDB) technique for dynamic urban land management is presented. One of the STDB models, the expanded model of Base State with Amendments (BSA), is selected as the basis for developing the dynamic cadastral management technique. Two approaches, the Section Fast Indexing (SFI) and the Storage Factors of Variable Granularity (SFVG), are used to improve the efficiency of the BSA model. Both spatial graphic data and attribute data, through a succinct engine, are stored in standard relational database management systems (RDBMS) for the actual implementation of the BSA model. The spatio-temporal database is divided into three interdependent sub-databases: present DB, history DB and the procedures-tracing DB. The efficiency of database operation is improved by the database connection in the bottom layer of the Microsoft SQL Server. The spatio-temporal system can be provided at a low-cost while satisfying the basic needs of urban land management in China. The approaches presented in this paper may also be of significance to countries where land patterns change frequently or to agencies where financial resources are limited.     

Salt river project's participation in Arizona's bald eagle conservation efforts

Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) conservation in Arizona, USA, is a prime example of a successful, cooperative environmental management effort. The Salt River Project (SRP) is an active participant in the statewide bald eagle management activities. This paper summarizes the major components of the statewide program and highlights SRP's participation in these efforts. The Southwestern Bald Eagle Management Committee (SWBEMC) was formed as a means of coordinating interagency projects. Chaired by the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD), the SWBEMC is comprised of 15 state, federal, tribal, and private agencies. Together, these agencies sponsor the Nest Watch Program, a unique and effective program dedicated to the study, conservation, and recovery of bald eagles in the southwest. Other significant components of the bald eagle management program include nest monitoring, nest search activities, winter counts, and demography studies.     

A GIS-based approach for assessing the regional conservation status of genetic diversity: an example from the southern Appalachians

Conserving genetic diversity requires an assessment of the distribution of genetic variants in relation to patterns of land use and environmental variation at a regional scale. This assessment requires a novel approach to integrating and analyzing the genetic and environmental data across spatial scales. To explore the integration of genetic data with other geospatial data sets, we developed a GIS-based approach for examining patterns of genetic diversity for several species of salamanders in southern Appalachians. The genetic data, from allozyme surveys in the genetics literature, were integrated into a GIS database along with related attributes including population identifications and spatial locations. Using existing geospatial data, we classified sample locations as being either protected from anthropogenic disturbance (e.g., National Parks, Wilderness Areas) or as unprotected (e.g., private lands, multiple-use lands in National Forests). We used multidimensional scaling of allelic frequencies and contributions of populations to interpopulation differences in allelic richness to determine which populations had genetic characteristics most different from other populations in the sample. Measures of genetic differentiation were integrated into the GIS database to facilitate spatial analysis and visualization of the indices in relation to land use. This approach was useful for both identification of populations with components of genetic variation that were not well represented at protected sites and for identifying areas of species distributions where more genetic sampling would be necessary to make informed management decisions. Our approach could be readily adapted for use by managers and geneticists working with other species and types of genetic markers.     

Land Use Planning: A Decision Support System

The NERC/ESRC Land Use Programme has led to the development of a decision support system (DSS) for land use planning. A conceptual framework for DSS development has been modified to encompass the unique needs of a system which aims to deal with a wide range of land use issues. Large volumes of diverse, land use related data have been brought together into a central database using geographical information system and relational database management system technology. The data, as well as economic, ecological and hydrological modelling capabilities, are made available to the decision maker via a user-friendly graphical interface specifically designed for this project.     

A DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR WATER QUALITY DATA AUGMENTATION: A CASE STUDY1

ABSTRACT: Recent developments in water quality monitoring have generated interest in combining non-probability and probability data to improve water quality assessment. The Interagency Task Force on Water Quality Monitoring has taken the lead in exploring data combination possibilities. In this paper we take a developed statistical algorithm for combining the two data types and present an efficient process for implementing the desired data augmentation. In a case study simulated Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) probability data are combined with auxiliary monitoring station data. Auxiliary stations were identified on the STORET water quality database. The sampling frame is constructed using ARC/INFO and EPA's Reach File-3 (RF3) hydrography data. The procedures for locating auxiliary stations, constructing an EMAP-SWS sampling frame, simulating pollutant exposure, and combining EMAP and auxiliary stations were developed as a decision support system (DSS). In the case study with EMAP, the DSS was used to quantify the expected increases in estimate precision. The benefit of using auxiliary stations in EMAP estimates was measured as the decrease in standard error of the estimate.     

Twenty-Five Years of Ecological Recovery of East Fork Poplar Creek: Review of Environmental Problems and Remedial Actions

In May 1985, a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit was issued for the Department of Energy’s Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12 Complex) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA, allowing discharge of effluents to East Fork Poplar Creek (EFPC). The effluents ranged from large volumes of chlorinated once-through cooling water and cooling tower blow-down to smaller discharges of treated and untreated process wastewaters, which contained a mixture of heavy metals, organics, and nutrients, especially nitrates. As a condition of the permit, a Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program (BMAP) was developed to meet two major objectives: demonstrate that the established effluent limitations were protecting the classified uses of EFPC, and document the ecological effects resulting from implementing a Water Pollution Control Program at the Y-12 Complex. The second objective is the primary focus of the other papers in this special series. This paper provides a history of pollution and the remedial actions that were implemented; describes the geographic setting of the study area; and characterizes the physicochemical attributes of the sampling sites, including changes in stream flow and temperature that occurred during implementation of the BMAP. Most of the actions taken under the Water Pollution Control Program were completed between 1986 and 1998, with as many as four years elapsing between some of the most significant actions. The Water Pollution Control Program included constructing nine new wastewater treatment facilities and implementation of several other pollution-reducing measures, such as a best management practices plan; area-source pollution control management; and various spill-prevention projects. Many of the major actions had readily discernable effects on the chemical and physical conditions of EFPC. As controls on effluents entering the stream were implemented, pollutant concentrations generally declined and, at least initially, the volume of water discharged from the Y-12 Complex declined. This reduction in discharge was of ecological concern and led to implementation of a flow management program for EFPC. Implementing flow management, in turn, led to substantial changes in chemical and physical conditions of the stream: stream discharge nearly doubled and stream temperatures decreased, becoming more similar to those in reference streams. While water quality clearly improved, meeting water quality standards alone does not guarantee protection of a waterbody’s biological integrity. Results from studies on the ecological changes stemming from pollution-reduction actions, such as those presented in this series, also are needed to understand how best to restore or protect biological integrity and enhance ecological recovery in stream ecosystems. With a better knowledge of the ecological consequences of their decisions, environmental managers can better evaluate alternative actions and more accurately predict their effects.     

Trust in Citizen Science Research: A Case Study of the Groundwater Education Through Water Evaluation & Testing Program1

Thornton, Teresa and Jessica Leahy, 2012. Trust in Citizen Science Research: A Case Study of the Groundwater Education Through Water Evaluation & Testing Program. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 48(5): 1032‐1040. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752‐1688.2012.00670.x Abstract: Data collected by citizen scientists, including K‐12 students, have been validated by the scientific community through quality assurance/quality control tests and publication of results in peer‐reviewed journal articles. However, if citizen science data are to be used by local communities, research is needed to determine which factors contribute to local community member trust in citizen science data, and how to increase the benefits and use of citizen science programs. This article describes the Groundwater Education Through Water Evaluation & Testing (GET WET!) program that employs middle and high school students, state and local government employees, environmental nongovernmental organization leaders, business representatives, college faculty and students, and other volunteers as citizen scientists to create a database of groundwater quality for use as a baseline for local water resources management. Data were gathered through semi‐structured interviews pre‐ and post‐involvement from 40 participants in this citizen science program conducted in five states in the northeastern United States. Results indicate that factors of trust are largely based on interpersonal trust and familiarity. We conclude with recommendations and future research that may improve local community member willingness to trust citizen science data generated by students.     

Arc StormSurge: Integrating Hurricane Storm Surge Modeling and GIS

Arc StormSurge is a data model that integrates geographic information systems and the hurricane wave and surge model SWAN+ADCIRC, which is the coupling of the Simulating WAves Nearshore (SWAN) wave model and the Advanced Circulation (ADCIRC) hydrodynamic model. The Arc StormSurge data model is a geodatabase, which is a relational database that can contain georeferenced information. It includes feature classes in feature datasets and tables, all related among them through relationship classes, and raster catalogs and grids. In addition to the data model schema, Arc StormSurge includes a number of pre‐ and post‐processing tools that help integrate spatial data and numerical modeling. As an illustration, Arc StormSurge was used to support the modeling of Hurricane Bret, which made landfall in the Corpus Christi area in Texas in 1999. By using Arc StormSurge, it was possible to take advantage of already available geo‐referenced information (e.g., base maps, land cover datasets, and monitoring station locations) for the model setup, and for identifying spatial patterns in the model results by presenting them in map format.     

SNOTEL,the Soil Climate Analysis Network,and water supply forecasting at the Natural Resources Conservation Service: Past,present, and future

The Snow Survey and Water Supply Forecasting (SSWSF) Program and the Soil Climate Analysis Network (SCAN) of the United States Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) generate key observational and predictive information for water managers. Examples include mountain climate and snow monitoring through manual snow surveys and the SNOw TELemetry (SNOTEL) and SNOtel LITE networks, in situ soil moisture data acquisition through the SCAN and SNOTEL networks, and water supply forecasting using river runoff prediction models. The SSWSF Program has advanced continuously over the decades and is a major source of valuable water management information across the western United States, and the SCAN network supports agricultural and other water users nationwide. Product users and their management goals are diverse, and use-cases range from guiding crop selection to seasonal flood risk assessment, drought monitoring and prediction, avalanche and fire prediction, hydropower optimization, tracking climate variability and change, environmental management, satisfying international treaty and domestic legal requirements, and more. Priorities going forward are to continue innovating to enhance the accuracy and completeness of the observational and model-generated data products these programs deliver, including expanded synergies with the remote sensing community and uptake of artificial intelligence while maintaining long-term operational reliability and consistency at scale.     

An approach for delineating drinking water wellhead protection areas at the Nile Delta, Egypt

In Egypt, production has a high priority. To this end protecting the quality of the groundwater, specifically when used for drinking water, and delineating protection areas around the drinking water wellheads for strict landuse restrictions is essential. The delineation methods are numerous; nonetheless, the uniqueness of the hydrogeological, institutional as well as social conditions in the Nile Delta region dictate a customized approach. The analysis of the hydrological conditions and land ownership at the Nile Delta indicates the need for an accurate methodology. On the other hand, attempting to calculate the wellhead protected areas around each of the drinking wells (more than 1500) requires data, human resources, and time that exceed the capabilities of the groundwater management agency. Accordingly, a combination of two methods (simplified variable shapes and numerical modeling) was adopted. Sensitivity analyses carried out using hypothetical modeling conditions have identified the pumping rate, clay thickness, hydraulic gradient, vertical conductivity of the clay, and the hydraulic conductivity as the most significant parameters in determining the dimensions of the wellhead protection areas (WHPAs). Tables of sets of WHPAs dimensions were calculated using synthetic modeling conditions representing the most common ranges of the significant parameters. Specific WHPA dimensions can be calculated by interpolation, utilizing the produced tables along with the operational and hydrogeological conditions for the well under consideration. In order to simplify the interpolation of the appropriate dimensions of the WHPAs from the calculated tables, an interactive computer program was written. The program accepts the real time data of the significant parameters as its input, and gives the appropriate WHPAs dimensions as its output.     

Conceptual classification model for Sustainable Flood Retention Basins

The aim of this paper is to recommend a rapid conceptual classification model for Sustainable Flood Retention Basins (SFRB) used to control runoff in a temperate climate. An SFRB is an aesthetically pleasing retention basin predominantly used for flood protection adhering to sustainable drainage and best management practices. The classification model was developed on the basis of a database of 141 SFRB using the River Rhine catchment in Baden (part of Baden-Württemberg, Germany) as a case study. It is based on an agglomerative cluster analysis and is intended to be used by engineers and scientists to adequately classify the following different types of SFRB: Hydraulic Flood Retention Basin, Traditional Flood Retention Basin, Sustainable Flood Retention Wetland, Aesthetic Flood Retention Wetland, Integrated Flood Retention Wetland and Natural Flood Retention Wetland. The selection of classification variables was supported by a principal component analysis. The identification of SFRB in the data set was based on a Ward cluster analysis of 34 weighted classification variables. Scoring tables were defined to enable the assignment of the six SFRB definitions to retention basins in the data set. The efficiency of these tables was based on a scoring system which gave the conceptual model for the example case study sites an overall efficiency of approximately 60% (as opposed to 17% by chance). This conceptual classification model should be utilized to improve communication by providing definitions for SFRB types. The classification definitions are likely to be applicable for other regions with both temperate oceanic and temperate continental climates.     

Application of China’s National Forest Continuous Inventory Database

The maintenance of a timely, reliable and accurate spatial database on current forest ecosystem conditions and changes is essential to characterize and assess forest resources and support sustainable forest management. Information for such a database can be obtained only through a continuous forest inventory. The National Forest Continuous Inventory (NFCI) is the first level of China’s three-tiered inventory system. The NFCI is administered by the State Forestry Administration; data are acquired by five inventory institutions around the country. Several important components of the database include land type, forest classification and ageclass/ age-group. The NFCI database in China is constructed based on 5-year inventory periods, resulting in some of the data not being timely when reports are issued. To address this problem, a forest growth simulation model has been developed to update the database for years between the periodic inventories. In order to aid in forest plan design and management, a three-dimensional virtual reality system of forest landscapes for selected units in the database (compartment or sub-compartment) has also been developed based on Virtual Reality Modeling Language. In addition, a transparent internet publishing system for a spatial database based on open source WebGIS (UMN Map Server) has been designed and utilized to enhance public understanding and encourage free participation of interested parties in the development, implementation, and planning of sustainable forest management.     

国家重点研发计划“水资源高效开发利用”重点专项系统化管理研究

根据《国家重点研发计划管理暂行办法》,国家重点研发计划重点专项和项目要聚焦国家重大战略、以目标为导向,从基础前沿、重大共性关键技术到应用示范进行全链条创新设计、一体化组织实施。为有效完成科技计划管理改革对专业机构项目过程管理提出的新要求,本文简要阐述专业机构对"水资源高效开发利用"重点专项管理的设想,为其他以技术研发与应用示范为主要产出形式的科研项目提供借鉴。     

CALIBRATION OF STORM LOADS IN THE SOUTH PRONG WATERSHED,FLORIDA, USING BASINS/HSPF1

ABSTRACT: The South Prong watershed is a major tributary system of the Sebastian River and adjacent Indian River Lagoon. Continued urbanization of the Sebastian River drainage basin and other watersheds of the Indian River Lagoon is expected to increase runoff and nonpoint source pollutant loads. The St. Johns River Water Management District developed watershed simulation models to estimate potential impacts on the ecological systems of receiving waters and to assist planners in devising strategies to prevent further degradation of water resources. In the South Prong system, a storm water sampling program was carried out to calibrate the water quality components of the watershed model for total suspended solids (TSS), total phosphorous (TP), and total nitrogen (TN). During the period of May to November 1999, water quality and flow data were collected at three locations within the watershed. Two of the sampling stations were located at the downstream end of major watercourses. The third station was located at the watershed outlet. Five storm events were sampled and measured at each station. Sampling was conducted at appropriate intervals to represent the rising limb, peak, and recession limb of each storm event. The simulations were handled by HSPF (Hydrologic Simulation Program‐Fortran). Results include calibration of the hydrology and calibration of the individual storm loads. The hydrologic calibration was continuous over the period 1994 through 1999. Simulated storm runoff, storm loads, and event mean concentrations were compared with their corresponding observed values. The hydrologic calibration showed good results. The outcome of the individual storm calibrations was mixed. Overall, however, the simulated storm loads agreed reasonably well with measured loads for a majority of the storms.     

Display and interpretation of fire behavior probabilities for long-term planning

Fire management planning for wildlands traditionally uses fire behavior estimated on the basis of worst-case weather at a specific site, but more realistic estimates can be obtained by considering the entire distribution of possible sites and weather conditions. Probability distributions of four widely used fire behavior variables were derived for four test cases in the Northern Rockies and Northern Intermountain Zone. The variables were rate of spread, fireline intensity, fire perimeter length-to-width ratio, and scorch height. Results were depicted in simple line graphs, three-dimensional pin graphs, and tables; they ranged from the cumulative probability of one variable to joint probabilities of four variables. Increasing the number of variables depicted increased the amount and scope of information available. Examples of interpreting the graphs and tables show how these techniques can be used in long-term fire program planning, fire suppression, management of various resources affected by fire, and interdisciplinary resource planning.     

The environmental audit. II. Application to stream network design

The planning and execution of water quality management programs requires careful collection and analysis of data coupled with a systematic review and analysis of programmatic success. The environmental audit is a tool which facilitates improved water quality planning and management. This article demonstrates the utility of the environmental audit by reviewing portions of a comprehensive review of the water quality management program for the state of Idaho. The audit is a tool which forces careful design of a sampling program before data are collected. In the audit approach, program objectives are clearly stated prior to initiation of sampling. Stated objectives are also evaluated regularly to identify tension points, that is, conflicts between expectations and reality. In the example taken from Idaho, a management review team followed a directive to redesign the water quality monitoring program. We present a summary of the redesign as proposed by that team, to illustrate the results of a typical review of monitoring programs. That summary is followed by an example of how the proposed program would differ if the audit approach had been used. The two approaches offered both coincident and conflicting recommendations. Management review team and audit recommendations for lake sampling programs were similar even though a different process was used to develop the recommendations. The most striking contrast between the two results lies in the review team's approach to the problem. The directives followed, and the team's responses, concentrate on tools, such as increasing biological monitoring or reliance on monthly BWMP stations. In contrast, the audit results stress addressing management questions for which clear objectives have been stated, depending on specific tools only as needed to meet stated objectives. Although the audit does integrate externalities in its structure, it is little affected by economic or political influences. A major strength of the audit approach is its ability to provide defensible data for management decision making.