Morphologie effects of channelization: the case of the Neebing-McIntyre floodway,Thunder Bay,Ontario, Canada

The Neebing-McIntyre floodway in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, has been constructed with a relatively straight and uniform trapezoidal channel, compared with the prechannelized sinuous reaches of the Neebing and the McIntyre rivers. The flow regime of the floodway also contrasts significantly with the prechannelized regime, because of the combination of discharges from these rivers into a new channel and the regulation of flows by a diversion structure. The maximum channel capacity of the floodway is about 284 m³ s^–1 (175-year regional flood), compared with about 40 m³ s^–1 and 60 m³ s^–1, respectively, for the Neebing and the McIntyre. According to regime theories, the construction of a straight and trapezoidal channel has upset the equilibrium of the stream system and therefore should lead to some accelerated erosion and sedimentation processes in the new channel immediately after construction. Erosion potential is particularly high during higher discharge events, when flow velocities are expected to be greater than the prechannelized velocities of the Neebing and the McIntyre. The overall sediment yield of the watershed is low (71t km^–2 yr^–1), compared with other documented watersheds of North America, but the rates of deposition in the floodway are relatively high, mainly due to the backwater effect of Lake Superior. Unless maintained by constant channel work, the floodway will tend to fill up with sediment, until a postconstructional equilibrium is reestablished.     

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN WATERSHED MANAGEMENT: COMBINING NOMINAL GROUP PROCESS AND MICROCOMPUTERS1

ABSTRACT: The growing concern for public participation in water resource decision-making has invited researchers to improve and develop reliable, quick, and inexpensive techniques for measuring public preferences. It is increasingly clear that traditional participation mechanisms, though useful, are no longer sufficient in providing the level of participation desired by many. A combination of microcomputer technology with Nominal Group Process (a step-by-step process ending in ranked recommendations) offers numerous possibilities for active participatory planning. Efforts at participation occurring through a well developed and defined process cannot be successful without a sensitivity to the conceptual, methodological, and pragmatic problems involved. This paper prefaces presentation of an alternative active process technique with discussion of the theoretical basis of participatory democracy and the frustration with practical implementation procedures.     

Collective action and the traditional village

This article considers the dispute between moral economy and rational peasant theories of agrarian societies in application to problems of collective action. The moral-economy theory holds that traditional peasant society is organized cooperatively through shared moral values and communal institutions; while the rational-peasant theory maintains that peasant society shows the mark of rational individual calculation, leading to free-rider problems that undermine successful collective action. This article offers an abstract model of a traditional village and assesses the applicability of recent qualifications of the collective action argument to this model. It will emerge that the social characteristics of the traditional village embody features that facilitate collective action by rational peasants.     

PUBLIC INFORMATION AND CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT1

ABSTRACT: Public information, an important contributer to citizen involvement in the governmental decision making process, has traditionally been given a low priority by government agencies. However, citizens are becoming increasingly concerned about governmental decisions that affect their lives and are demanding more information about governmental activities, including information about water resource issues, Because of this active citizen interest and involvement, the role of public information in increasing citizen awareness is becoming more important. Government officials and professionals should recognize that public information efforts also play an important role in achieving increased credibility and respect for their agencies. Once an agency recognizes the importance of public information and decides to initiate a public information program, careful planning is required to develop a program that addresses the needs of both the citizens and the agency. Two of the most flexible and cost effective ways to get information to the publié are through publications and public meetings. Both can be easily adapted to suit the needs of specific audiences and projects. A successful public information program can be carried out at a relatively low cost, but it requires a substantial amount of time and energy. The commitment of time and energy for this purpose is a good investment, however, because an effective public information program can play a significant role in improving the quality of governmental decisions through the increased involvement of the citizenry.     

切实做好全厂停工检修中的环保工作

为确保炼油厂设备安全而稳定地运行，各生产装置都要定期进行停工检修，在此期间排放的污染物对环境将产生一定的影响。停工检修中的环保工作包括实施环保措施；加强环境管理；并且将2000m~3隔油池由一间式变为两间式，提高污水处理率和达标率。     

基于GIS的汕头市城市综合防灾系统的研究方案及实施框架

在研究汕头市地震、风、洪潮、火等多种灾害的危险性、成灾模式和损失估计的基础上,应用地理信息系统(GIS)技术建立可视化的计算机综合防灾系统,可以提高城市的防灾能力。本文针对基于GIS的城市综合防灾系统的建立,提出了较为具体的研究方案和实施框架,便于课题组各项研究工作的开展和统一。     

城市防洪工程风险决策方法

本文着重讨论了与城市防洪工程决策制定密切相关的几个问题：①城市防洪工程设计标准的确定；②现有防洪工程的性能评估，③最优防洪工程对策的确定等，并在风险分析的基础上，给出了解决上述问题的方法。所得结论可为城市防洪工程决策的制定提供较为科学的理论依据。     

Local economic development — the changing public/private sector relationship

The paper examines changing approaches to local economic development in the period since 1974. Initially, it proposes an ‘orthodox’ model of local economic development policies which emphasised the provision of a better industrial fabric, and of financial assistance to small, inner city firms. It suggests three recent directions of change in emphasis from this orthodox model: help in the creation of new entrepreneurs; replacement of public sector by private sector action; local authority shareholding in local firms by use of Enterprise Boards. Each approach makes different assumptions about the public/private sector relationship, the last two involve a more explicitly ideological stance on this issue.     

乌鲁木齐市生态环境现状调查

乌鲁木齐市深居亚欧大陆腹地,远离海洋,气候干旱,降水稀少,植被稀疏,风沙危害严重,生态极期脆弱,属典型的温带半干旱绿洲生态环境。对乌鲁木齐市“八五”及“九五”期间的生态环境状况进行了多方面的调查分析。并就存在的问题谈了作者的观点,以供同行参考。     

NITRATE CONTAMINATION IN OREGON WELL WATER: GEOLOGIC VARIABILITY AND THE PUBLIC'S PERCEPTION1

ABSTRACT: Approximately 4.5 million people in the United States who rely on well water are exposed to nitrate‐N concentrations exceeding the 10 mg/l standard. In this study in the Southern Willamette Valley in Oregon we reassessed nitrate‐N in rural wells sampled in 2000–2001, compared nitrate‐N concentrations among geological units, and surveyed residents about their perceptions of well water quality. Nitrate‐N concentrations were again sampled in 2002 and found to have increased significantly from the previous period. With rapid population growth in the area, the potential health risk in drinking well water that exceeds 10 mg/l nitrate‐N warrants continued public education. Nitrate‐N concentrations were found to be higher in the Holocene alluvium of the Willamette River and the Pleistocene sand and gravel post‐Missoula Flood deposits. Researchers conducting future studies may choose to stratify and monitor wells by geologic unit and by other parameters that estimate input of nutrients to the environment. Opinions differed between agricultural landowners and nonagricultural landowners with regard to the impact that agricultural fertilizers may have on water quality. Participants were supportive of a range of regulatory actions that might be used by homeowners or landowners to address ground water contamination. Given that the area is now designated a Groundwater Management Area, understanding local stakeholders’perceptions is critical and strategic and has the potential to help public agencies manage potential conflicts of opinion among stakeholders, build consensus, and help guide the approach to restoring ground water quality.