Southwestern Intermittent and Ephemeral Stream Connectivity

Ephemeral and intermittent streams are abundant in the arid and semiarid landscapes of the Western and Southwestern United States (U.S.). Connectivity of ephemeral and intermittent streams to the relatively few perennial reaches through runoff is a major driver of the ecohydrology of the region. These streams supply water, sediment, nutrients, and biota to downstream reaches and rivers. In addition, they provide runoff to recharge alluvial and regional groundwater aquifers that support baseflow in perennial mainstem stream reaches over extended periods when little or no precipitation occurs. Episodic runoff, as well as groundwater inflow to surface water in streams support limited naturally occurring riparian communities. This paper provides an overview and comprehensive examination of factors affecting the hydrologic, chemical, and ecological connectivity of ephemeral and intermittent streams on perennial or intermittent rivers in the arid and semiarid Southwestern U.S. Connectivity as influenced and moderated through the physical landscape, climate, and human impacts to downstream waters or rivers is presented first at the broader Southwestern scale, and secondly drawing on a specific and more detailed example of the San Pedro Basin due to its history of extensive observations and research in the basin. A wide array of evidence clearly illustrates hydrologic, chemical, and ecological connectivity of ephemeral and intermittent streams throughout stream networks.     

A Water Allocation Decision‐Support Model and Tool for Predictions in Ungauged Basins in Northeast British Columbia,Canada

Pressures on water resources due to changing climate, increasing demands, and enhanced recognition of environmental flow needs result in the need for hydrology information to support informed water allocation decisions. However, the absence of hydrometric measurements and limited access to hydrology information in many areas impairs water allocation decision‐making. This paper describes a water balance‐based modeling approach and an innovative web‐based decision‐support hydrology tool developed to address this need. Using high‐resolution climate, vegetation, and watershed data, a simple gridded water balance model, adjusted to account for locational variability, was developed and calibrated against gauged watersheds, to model mean annual runoff. Mean monthly runoff was modeled empirically, using multivariate regression. The modeled annual runoff results are within 20% of the observed mean annual discharge for 78% of the calibration watersheds, with a mean absolute error of 16%. Modeled monthly runoff corresponds well to observed monthly runoff, with a median Nash–Sutcliffe statistic of 0.92 and a median Spearman rank correlation statistic of 0.98. Monthly and annual flow estimates produced from the model are incorporated into a map‐ and watershed‐based decision‐support system referred to as the Northeast Water Tool, to provide critical information to decision makers and others on natural water supply, existing allocations, and the needs of the environment.     

Environmental Isotopes for Resolution of Hydrology Problems

The use of environmental isotopes as tracers in the hydrosphere is increasing as analytical instrumentation improves and more applications are discovered. There exists still misconceptions on the role of isotopes in resolving hydrology problems. Naturally occurring isotopes in the environment describe hydrological processes, estimate ages, fingerprint sources and pathways, yet are not subject to the regulatory restraints of artificial isotope injections nor the limited extent of many chemical tracers, particularly dyes and particulates. A short review is presented for practicing hydrologists on the basis for employing stable and radioactive isotopes and a synopsis of recent isotope hydrology applications is provided. Special focus is presented on the emergent role of water isopopes (¹⁸O, ²H, ³H) in wet-weather flow research in urban watersheds. A brief technical approach for an experimental site in the Mill Creek Watershed, Ohio is outlined.     

AGRICULTURAL LAND USE IMPACTS ON BACTERIAL WATER QUALITY IN A KARST GROUNDWATER AQUIFER1

ABSTRACT: The impact on water quality by agricultural activity in karst terrain is an important consideration for resource management within the Appalachian Region. Karst areas comprise about 18 percent of the Region's land area. An estimated one-third of the Region's farms, cattle, and agricultural market value are on karst terrain. The purpose of this study was to compare fecal bacteria densities in karst groundwater impacted by two primary agricultural land uses in central Appalachia. Fecal bacteria densities were measured in cave streams draining two primary land management areas. The first area was pasture serving a beef cow-calf operation. The second area was a dairy. Neither area had best management practices in place for controlling animal wastes. Median fecal coliform and fecal streptococcus densities were highest in cave streams draining the dairy. Median fecal coliform densities in the dairy-impacted stream were greater than 4,000 CFU/100 ml and the median fecal coliform densities in the pasture-impacted streams were less than 10 CFU/100 ml. Median fecal streptococcus densities in the same streams were greater than 2,000 CFU/100 ml and 32 CFU/100 nil, respectively. A second dairy, with best management practices for control of animal and milkhouse waste, did not appear to be contributing significant amounts of fecal bacteria to the karst aquifer. It was concluded that agriculture was affecting bacterial densities in the karst aquifer. New management practices specifically designed to protect karst groundwater resources may be one way to protect the groundwater resource.     

EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON HYDROLOGY AND WATER RESOURCES IN THE COLUMBIA RIVER BASIN1

ABSTRACT: As part of the National Assessment of Climate Change, the implications of future climate predictions derived from four global climate models (GCMs) were used to evaluate possible future changes to Pacific Northwest climate, the surface water response of the Columbia River basin, and the ability of the Columbia River reservoir system to meet regional water resources objectives. Two representative GCM simulations from the Hadley Centre (HC) and Max Planck Institute (MPI) were selected from a group of GCM simulations made available via the National Assessment for climate change. From these simulations, quasi-stationary, decadal mean temperature and precipitation changes were used to perturb historical records of precipitation and temperature data to create inferred conditions for 2025, 2045, and 2095. These perturbed records, which represent future climate in the experiments, were used to drive a macro-scale hydrology model of the Columbia River at 1/8 degree resolution. The altered streamflows simulated for each scenario were, in turn, used to drive a reservoir model, from which the ability of the system to meet water resources objectives was determined relative to a simulated hydrologic base case (current climate). Although the two GCM simulations showed somewhat different seasonal patterns for temperature change, in general the simulations show reasonably consistent basin average increases in temperature of about 1.8–2.1°C for 2025, and about 2.3–2.9°C for 2045. The HC simulations predict an annual average temperature increase of about 4.5°C for 2095. Changes in basin averaged winter precipitation range from -1 percent to + 20 percent for the HC and MPI scenarios, and summer precipitation is also variously affected. These changes in climate result in significant increases in winter runoff volumes due to increased winter precipitation and warmer winter temperatures, with resulting reductions in snowpack. Average March 1 basin average snow water equivalents are 75 to 85 percent of the base case for 2025, and 55 to 65 percent of the base case by 2045. By 2045 the reduced snowpack and earlier snow melt, coupled with higher evapotranspiration in early summer, would lead to earlier spring peak flows and reduced runoff volumes from April-September ranging from about 75 percent to 90 percent of the base case. Annual runoff volumes range from 85 percent to 110 percent of the base case in the simulations for 2045. These changes in streamflow create increased competition for water during the spring, summer, and early fall between non-firm energy production, irrigation, instream flow, and recreation. Flood control effectiveness is moderately reduced for most of the scenarios examined, and desirable navigation conditions on the Snake are generally enhanced or unchanged. Current levels of winter-dominated firm energy production are only significantly impacted for the MPI 2045 simulations.     

COMPARISON OF MODELS FOR ESTIMATING FLOOD QUANTILES IN NEW HAMPSHIRE AND VERMONT1

We develop and compare three regression models for estimating flood quantiles at ungaged stream reaches in New Hampshire and Vermont. These models emerge from systematic analysis and validation of relations between flood magnitude and six candidate predictors reflecting basin size, topography, and climate and channel size at 36 gaging stations with record lengths exceeding 20 years. Of the candidate predictors, bank full width is most highly correlated with flood magnitude and the best prediction equation is based on width. Thus channel geometry is closely related to the current hydrologic regime in spite of geologically recent glaciation and apparently non-alluvial bank materials. We also develop models that use information obtainable from maps or GIS. The best of these uses drainage area and drainage-basin elevation as predictors, but it is substantially less precise than the width-based relation. A third relation using only drainage area as a predictor is even less precise but may be useful for some purposes. No other single predictors or combinations yielded useful predictions, although some had been included in previously-established models for the region. Model comparison included examination of residuals generated by regression using one-at-a-time suppression of data points and comparison with precision obtainable with gaging records of varying lengths.     

EROSION ON LOGGING ROADS IN REDWOOD CREEK,NORTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA1

Road-related erosion was estimated by measuring 100 randomly located plots on a 180 km road network in the middle reach of R'dwood Creek in northwestern California. The estimated erosion ratn of 177 m³ km^-1 was contrasted with two earlier studies in nearby parts of the same watershed. A sizable proportion of the great reduction in erosion from that reported in the earlier studies is attributed to changes in forest practice rules. Those changes have resulted in better placement and sizing of culverts and, especially, to less reliance on culverts to handle runoff from logging roads.     

干旱荒漠区人工绿洲土壤盐碱化风险综合评估与演变分析

为明晰干旱荒漠区人工绿洲水盐时空分异特征与盐碱化风险空间格局演变过程,以甘肃省景电灌区为研究区,以2002,2010及2018年为研究代表年,基于多级模糊理论从地质气候驱动、水土环境驱动和自然-人类驱动3个驱动过程构建土壤盐碱化风险评估体系,集成云发生器原理、黄金分割率法、组合赋权法以及排队理论构建土壤盐碱化空间风险综...     

无常规水文监测高寒湿地纳帕海水量波动模拟分析

论文以无常规水文监测高寒湿地纳帕海为例,基于流域产汇流的时滞效应,建立了湿地区气候因子(日累计降水量)与水文因子(湿地明水量)之间的经验关联模型,以模拟湿地水文情势的波动。研究首先通过对1990-2011 年不同时相的48 期纳帕海湿地Landsat TM/ETM+遥感数据进行解译,提取明水景观变化信息;再利用研究区1988-2011 年逐日降水数据经过统计计算后生成的不同时间步长日累计降水量与48 期明水面积序列进行回归分析,筛选出最佳时间步长日累计降水量并获得其与明水面积之间的经验关联模型;进而借助纳帕海湿地明水面积与明水量之间的经验方程建立湿地明水量-最佳日累计降水量关联模型。模拟结果表明:8-9 月是纳帕海湿地的主汛期,9 月多年平均明水量可达866.11×10⁴ m³;干、湿季明水量差异较大,干季平均明水量为95.91×10⁴ m³。上述模拟结果能够与遥感影像解译所获取的信息和实地调查信息保持基本一致,说明此模型能够较好地模拟研究区水文情势波动,为无监测高寒湿地水文情势研究提供了一种新的思路,同时也为该地区湿地洪灾防范提供了数据基础和方法指导。     

基于水资源耦合价值的绿色水价模型及其应用——以下辽河平原为例

为了准确体现水资源价值的差异性、动态性及其整体性,提出基于绿色核算的水资源耦合价值评价指标体系及绿色水价模型。以下辽河平原为例,引入可变模糊综合评价法,结合熵值法和层次分析法对水资源耦合价值进行评价,计算该区水资源天然价值系数、附加价值系数、经济价值系数、社会（公益）价值系数、生态价值系数及环境价值系数,据此得出绿色水价标准：城乡居民生活用水为3.54 元/m³,农村居民生活用水（暂行）为132 元/（a·人）,农工商服务业用水为6.14 元/m³,农田灌溉用水（暂行）为0.79 元/m³,行政事业用水为4.72 元/m³,园林绿化用水为7.34 元/m³,特种行业用水为12.33 元/m³。各行政分区水资源耦合价值及各单项价值的评价结果基本符合该区客观实际,绿色水价模型体现了区域水资源禀赋,反映了经济社会发展及生态环境等对水资源的需求。