SOCIAL OVERHEAD CAPITAL COSTS OF IRRIGATION DEVELOPMENT IN WASHINGTON STATE1

ABSTRACT: Increased irrigation as a means of achieving economic development can impose significant social costs on the state or region of growth. The growth in population induced by additional irrigation will require new roads, water and sewage facilities, schools, fire and police protection, etc. Also the increased energy demands due to irrigation and growth in economic activity must be met. Capital investments required to service these needs of new development can become very large. This study attempts to measure such social overhead costs or irrigation development for some specific irrigation project areas of Eastern Washington. It is shown that investment costs in overhead items can reach $2,000 per acre irrigated or $70,000 per job created. Alternatively, the annual costs can equal $180 per acre or $6,700 per worker. These costs must be paid locally through increased taxes, utility rates, or costs for services.     

Energy analysis and the coupling of man and estuaries

New concepts and insights concerning human and natural systems in the coastal zone are emerging from recent energy analysis and synthesis studies. By using new concepts for measuring the quality of energy, one can express the work of ecosystems and human economies in equivalent terms. From energy models and new energy quality evaluations, one can learn what kinds of coastal systems maximize power, are competitive, economically vital, and likely to have a survival advantage.Energy analysis and synthesis is aided by energy circuit diagrams. Models of the coastal zone that emphasize the change in external driving functions related to world energy sources provide insights and some predictive abilities that are not found in economic studies, since money flows alone do not evaluate external driving energies.This paper suggests four procedures for coastal planning: 1) calculation of investment ratio in units of equal quality to determine which projects are economic in a broad sense, 2) development of energy signatures for coastal ecosystems, 3) determination of which interface ecosystems develop the best energy flows, and 4) development of regional models that include the main features of human and natural ecosystems.     

Slash fire hazard analysis on the Siskiyou National Forest

Potential increase in fire hazard as a result of timber harvesting is a concern of forest managers throughout the United States. Treating fuels can help reduce unacceptable fire hazards. To evaluate alternative fuel treatments, managers need to know their effects on fire hazard. A decision analysis approach to estimating fire hazard in terms of expected burned area was applied to a watershed in the Siskiyou National Forest (Oregon). Three treatment alternatives (do nothing and two levels of yarding unmerchantable material) were evaluated, and the effects of the treatments were projected over a 90-yr period. Initially, the effects of applying a treatment are small. After 50 years of treatment, the most intense alternative can be expected to show almost a 50% reduction in burned area compared to no treatment. The procedure also estimates burned are by fire size and fire intensity classes. Managers may find this useful for estimating expected fire effects associated with a particular fuel treatment regime.     

Efficiency of Reovirus Concentration from Water with Positively Charged Filters

This study examined the efficacy of reovirus concentration from large volumes of water using two positively charged filters: Zeta Plus 1MDS and NanoCeram. The results indicated that an average of 61 and 81% of input reoviruses were effectively recovered, respectively, from recycled water and tap water using NanoCeram filtration.     

Natural zeolites

Zeolites, a suite of porous, fine-grained minerals commonly found in certain near-surface, sedimentary rocks, have special physical and chemical properties that could make them valuable to farmers in developing countries. Zeolites have been used to improve soil fertility; develop slow-release fertilizers; improve animal waste disposal; and improve animal health. To date most research on zeolite deposits and their various applications has been undertaken by the industrialized nations. Some zeolite deposits, however, also exist in developing countries and the likelihood of the existence of additional deposits in those countries is high. However, thorough assessment of the mineralogy, geology, and various agricultural uses is still needed. Strengthening developing countries' geological surveys in non-metallic mineral exploration and assessment will improve the likelihood that the use of zeolites will reach their full potential in developing country agriculture.     

Sediment ecological risk assessment: In situ and laboratory toxicity testing of Lake Orta sediments

Specifically designed benthic chambers have been used to test whether the exposure for 48 hrs to polluted Lake Orta sediments could affect survival and reproduction behaviour of Daphnia obtusa and Echinogammarus stammeri. In situ results have been coupled to lab testing with Microtox, seed germination and root elongation (Lactuca sativa, Cucunris sativus, Lepidium sativum), and invertebrates (Daphnia obtusa, D. magna, E,. stammeri) acute toxicity tests.The technique and results here reported indicate the utility of in situ testing and suggest that under certain conditions this kind of test may be more realistic (avoiding sample manipulation in the lab) than traditional laboratory toxicity tests.     

Prospects for Development of an Index of Biotic Integrity for Evaluating Habitat Degradation in Coastal Systems

A multivariate index for assessment of habitat quality and its degradation, the Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI), has been developed for stream fish communities. the extension of the IBI concept to coastal waters is proposed by the development of an estuarine IBI based on macrobenthos and submerged aquatic vegetation. Eleven variables are proposed for inclusion in this index, although further consideration of the appropriateness of several variables is required. It is concluded that development of an IBI for coastal systems is feasible.     

Genetic divergence and phylogenetic inferences in five species of Mugilidae (Pisces: Perciformes)

Allozyme electrophoresis was used to compare the genetic divergence of global populations of Mugil cephalus Linnaeus, 1758 and two congeneric [M.␣curema Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1836; M. gyrans (Jordan & Gilbert, 1885)] and two more distantly related [Liza ramada (Risso, 1826); Xenomugil thoburni (Jordan & Starks, 1896)] species on the basis of 18 enzyme loci. The amount of genetic divergence among the species examined is in agreement with their present systematic status, the differences being larger among non-congeneric species than among species of the same genus. Intraspecific genetic distances in M. cephalus (average Nei's D= 0.154), although higher than those reported for conspecific populations of fish, appear to be small when compared to the interspecific values among mugilid species (0.821 ≤ Nei's D ≤ 1.744). Phylogenetic trees obtained by genetic distance methods and discrete character parsimony analysis were of similar topology, except for the relationships within the genus Mugil and for the arrangement of M. cephalus populations. Received: 7 April 1997 / Accepted: 4 February 1998