SNOW: NATURE'S RESERVOIR1

ABSTRACT: Snow, one of Nature's greatest reservoirs, supplies most of the usable water in the Western United States. Reliable predictions of the quantity and timing of the release of this water are used in making management decisions involving irrigation, stock water and municipal water supplies, hydro-power generation, recreation, navigation, and pollution control Practically oriented research is vital for the proper development and management of this resource. In southwestern Idaho, the Northwest Watershed Research Center, ARS, USDA, is conducting intensive investigations for assessing snow Volumes, snow water content, and snow-melt over a watershed. Application of these research findings will result in better development and management of the water stored as snow in Nature's reservoir.     

COMPARISON OF STOCHASTIC AND DETERMINISTIC DYNAMIC PROGRAMMING FOR RESERVOIR OPERATING RULE GENERATION1

ABSTRACT: Two dynamic programming models — one deterministic and one stochastic — that may be used to generate reservoir operating rules are compared. The deterministic model (DPR) consists of an algorithm that cycles through three components: a dynamic program, a regression analysis, and a simulation. In this model, the correlation between the general operating rules, defined by the regression analysis and evaluated in the simulation, and the optimal deterministic operation defined by the dynamic program is increased through an iterative process. The stochastic dynamic program (SDP) describes streamflows with a discrete lag-one Markov process. To test the usefulness of both models in generating reservoir operating rules, real-time reservoir operation simulation models are constructed for three hydrologically different sites. The rules generated by DPR and SDP are then applied in the operation simulation model and their performance is evaluated. For the test cases, the DPR generated rules are more effective in the operation of medium to very large reservoirs and the SDP generated rules are more effective for the operation of small reservoirs.     

Prioritization of Sustainable Groundwater Management Needs: The Case of the Israel's Stressed Coastal Aquifer

On-going population growth and resulting domestic demand for water require rapid and effective decision-making as regards groundwater management and control of the various sources of salinization and pollution in Coastal aquifers. Sustainability of water resources for utilization by future generations must therefore be a high priority, not only for the purpose of fulfilling needs for water usage but also for bringing people into harmony with their ambient natural environment.The objective of this paper is to propose an empirical approach for prioritization of the needs involved for sustainable aquifer management. The approach involves a schematic format to:(1) develop a global understanding of an aquifer's hydrological and environmental properties in order to delineate appropriate eco-hydrological scenarios and recommend corresponding operational management activities; and(2) emphasize the importance of educating and increasing the awareness of the population involved as to the need for and viability of socially acceptable measures for sustainable management of groundwater and other resources.The psychologist Abraham Maslow utilized a pyramid to illustrate that until people's most basic needs were fulfilled, higher levels of needs would remain irrelevant. This paper postulates a comparable pyramid prioritizing hydrological needs required for progressing towards sustainable groundwater resources. Two sub-regions of Israel's Coastal aquifer in the Sharon region have been presented as representative areas, each characterized by different stress of exploitation. In assessing these sub-regions situation, specific measures have been recommended for achieving and/or maintaining sustainable groundwater resources in light of the ambient environment, and the level of the population on the pyramidal hierarchy of groundwater needs.     

关于在环境影响评价过程中开展公众参与的思考

通过对不同形式公众参与优缺点的分析,提出今后有效开展公众参与的建议,旨在探讨《中华人民共和国环境影响评价法》实施后,中国应如何开展环境影响评价中的公众参与。     

四湖地区水资源及其调控

四湖地区是湖北省有名的“水袋子”,治水是关系社会经济发展的重大问题。该区降水丰沛,年均１１１５．３ｍｍ,产生径流深３４３．８ｍｍ;过境客水流量大,年均５０８８×１０８１ｍ３;总体水资源丰富。由于降水的时空分布不匀,客水流量不稳定,常造成来水集中而形成洪涝灾害,来水不足而形成干旱威胁,尤其是春旱。建国以来,为兴利去害,四湖地区经历了隔断江湖、疏理水系、建立引水与自排系统、以及修建电排站等以防洪、排涝和灌溉为主要目的大规模水系整治过程,有效地控制了流域水患。但同时促进了过度的围湖围垸垦殖,使调蓄能力锐减,外洪内涝不断,所造成的经济损失也越来越大。在进一步分析了四湖地区洪涝灾害频繁发生的内外原因之后,提出了加固堤防,完善分蓄洪区建设;调整土地利用结构,合理调蓄;完善设施,合理调度的水资源调控对策措施。     

上海城市污水厂污泥处理与利用系统分析

上海市城市污水处理规划的实施，将在2020年前使该市的城市污水厂污泥产生量从现状的85tDS/d增长至1300－1500tDS/d，将形成可观的污泥消纳压力。预期了该市的污水污泥产生状况，以现有污水污泥处置与利用技术为基础，测算了可行的污泥处置与利用方向及相应的容量，以及满足容量利用的前处理要求。以此为基础，推荐了适宜的容量利用方案，并建议以生物稳定化干化处理为污泥处置与利用前的改性处理步骤，且可在适当的条件下增加厌氧消化环节，提高处理体系的水平与容量宽余度。此污泥处理与利用体系可达到污泥消纳运行的柔性化和可靠性，兼具环境安全性与经济合理性。     

GIS在城市给水排水中的应用

阐述了GIS在城市给水排水领域的应用和发展趋势，包括水资源管理与分析、给水排水管网设计与管理、城市污水处理厂设计与管理、管网应急预警系统分析、水质污染状况和趋势分析等，并以大庆市给水排水管网信息管理系统实例，证明GIS可以及时准确完整的提供所需信息，更好的为市政管理者辅助决策提供依据。     

Genomic erosion in a demographically recovered bird species during conservation rescue

The pink pigeon (Nesoenas mayeri) is an endemic species of Mauritius that has made a remarkable recovery after a severe population bottleneck in the 1970s to early 1990s. Prior to this bottleneck, an ex situ population was established from which captive-bred individuals were released into free-living subpopulations to increase population size and genetic variation. This conservation rescue led to rapid population recovery to 400–480 individuals, and the species was twice downlisted on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. We analyzed the impacts of the bottleneck and genetic rescue on neutral genetic variation during and after population recovery (1993–2008) with restriction site-associated sequencing, microsatellite analyses, and quantitative genetic analysis of studbook data of 1112 birds from zoos in Europe and the United States. We used computer simulations to study the predicted changes in genetic variation and population viability from the past into the future. Genetic variation declined rapidly, despite the population rebound, and the effective population size was approximately an order of magnitude smaller than census size. The species carried a high genetic load of circa 15 lethal equivalents for longevity. Our computer simulations predicted continued inbreeding will likely result in increased expression of deleterious mutations (i.e., a high realized load) and severe inbreeding depression. Without continued conservation actions, it is likely that the pink pigeon will go extinct in the wild within 100 years. Conservation rescue of the pink pigeon has been instrumental in the recovery of the free-living population. However, further genetic rescue with captive-bred birds from zoos is required to recover lost variation, reduce expression of harmful deleterious variation, and prevent extinction. The use of genomics and modeling data can inform IUCN assessments of the viability and extinction risk of species, and it helps in assessments of the conservation dependency of populations.     

环境信息公开——一项新的环境管理手段

环境信息公开是继指令性控制手段和经济手段后一项新的环境管理方法。该手段通过对环境信息的公开来加强环境管理的公众参与和监督,从而促使污染者重视环境保护,加强污染治理。文中对环境信息公开的作用和类型作了简要的阐述,并重点介绍了企业环境信息公开的设计原则、方法和步骤。同时以呼和浩特市为例,对企业环境信息公开的方案进行了初步的设计。      

我国粉煤灰生态环境标准体系现状及建议

对我国粉煤灰管理相关的现行法律法规、部门规章和文件及有关标准进行了梳理,结果显示,现行生态环境标准中尚无专门针对粉煤灰的污染环境防治技术标准,粉煤灰的环境管理中适用的是一般工业固体废物相关标准,且标准数量较少,覆盖面不全。粉煤灰在产生、收集、运输环节还缺乏污染环境防治技术标准,也缺乏针对粉煤灰各综合利用方式的污染环境防治技术标准,不利于粉煤灰的综合利用和污染防控。目前,粉煤灰生态环境标准体系需要在全过程管理环节以及促进综合利用、污染防治、风险防控、信息化建设等方面进一步完善。