Impact of climate factors on cyanobacterial dynamics and their interactions with water quality in South Taihu Lake,China

Cyanobacterial bloom events in South Taihu Lake cause serious water quality problems and disturb aesthetic view of lake’s environment. In this study, correlations between cyanobacterial blooms and hydro-meteorological factors, including water quality, temperature and precipitation were investigated. Results demonstrated that South Taihu Lake was heavily affected by cyanobacteria and the proliferation of cyanobacteria due to variations in hydro-meteorological factors and water quality conditions. Water quality parameters, including COD, NH₃-N, TN and TP improved significantly since 2008 even at an elevated cyanobacterial bloom situation. Correlation analyses have shown that the development of cyanobacterial density and chlorophyll a concentration was sensitive to a wider temperature variation. The optimum temperature for cyanobacteria was 20°C, while extremely low and high temperatures were found to suppress their growth. Moreover, unusual rainfall patterns were measured during the study period (2003–2009), which showed an adverse impact on cyanobacterial development. Findings from this study suggested that seasonal lake’s water quality monitoring; suitable treatment of cyanobacterial blooms and strict policy implementation can solve the water quality issues in highly eutrophic lakes like Taihu.     

Metal pollution status of Tajan River – Northern Iran

The monitoring of surface water quality of rivers is crucial to protect aquatic life and receiving water bodies of economic importance. The aim of the current study was to examine selected physicochemical parameters of River Tajan due to its ecological importance in Iran. Water samples from nine points covering the entire Tajan River and Caspian Sea estuary were collected and analyzed for pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), carbonates, chlorides and selected heavy metals including zinc, cadmium, lead and chromium. The pH and levels of EC, TDS, chlorides, carbonates and all metals were within the USEPA reference guidelines for surface water quality standards. Although these water quality parameters are considered safe, continuous monitoring and assessment is recommended in order to protect the coastal receiving waters of Caspian Sea which serves as a tourist attraction in northern Iran.     

Development and Testing of a Physically Based Model of Streambank Erosion for Coupling with a Basin‐Scale Hydrologic Model SWAT

A comprehensive streambank erosion model based on excess shear stress has been developed and incorporated in the hydrological model Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). It takes into account processes such as weathering, vegetative cover, and channel meanders to adjust critical and effective stresses while estimating bank erosion. The streambank erosion model was tested for performance in the Cedar Creek watershed in north‐central Texas where streambank erosion rates are high. A Rapid Geomorphic field assessment (RAP‐M) of the Cedar Creek watershed was done adopting techniques developed by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and the stream segments were categorized into various severity classes. Based on the RAP‐M field assessment, erosion pin sites were established at seven locations within the severely eroding streambanks of the watershed. A Monte Carlo simulation was carried out to assess the sensitivity of different parameters that control streambank erosion such as critical shear stress, erodibility, weathering depth, and weathering duration. The sensitive parameters were adjusted and the model was calibrated based on the bank erosion severity category identified by the RAP‐M field assessment. The average observed erosion rates were in the range 25‐367 mm year^?1. The SWAT model was able to reasonably predict the bank erosion rates within the range of variability observed in the field (R² = 0.90; E = 0.78). Editor's note : This paper is part of the featured series on SWAT Applications for Emerging Hydrologic and Water Quality Challenges. See the February 2017 issue for the introduction and background to the series.     

An Open Source GIS‐Based Decision Support System for Watershed Evaluation of Best Management Practices

Economic costs, water quantity/quality benefits, and cost effectiveness of agricultural best management practices (BMPs) at a watershed scale are increasingly examined using integrated economic‐hydrologic models. However, these models are typically complex and not user‐friendly for examining the effects of various BMP scenarios. In this study, an open source geographic information system (GIS)‐based decision support system (DSS), named the watershed evaluation of BMPs (WEBs), was developed for creating BMP scenarios and simulating economic costs and water quantity/quality benefits at farm field, subbasin, and watershed scales. This DSS or WEBs interface integrated a farm economic model, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), and an optimization model within Whitebox Geospatial Analysis Tools (GAT), an open source GIS software. The DSS was applied to the 14.3‐km² Gully Creek watershed, a coastal watershed in southern Ontario, Canada that drains directly into Lake Huron. BMPs that were evaluated included conservation tillage, nutrient management, cover crop, and water and sediment control basins. In addition to assessing economic costs, water quantity/quality benefits, and cost effectiveness of BMPs, the DSS can be also used to examine prioritized BMP types/locations and corresponding economic and water quantity/quality tradeoffs in the study watershed based on environmental targets or budget constraints. Further developments of the DSS including interface transfer to other watersheds are also discussed. Editor's note : This paper is part of the featured series on SWAT Applications for Emerging Hydrologic and Water Quality Challenges. See the February 2017 issue for the introduction and background to the series.     

Assessing equity and sustainability of water allocation in Colombia

Based on the national database of 28,104 water rights (concessions) granted in Colombia, this paper presents an analysis of how the principles of equity and sustainability are reflected in water allocation. Concessions appear to be an exclusionary mechanism since only a minority of small water users have concessions and the distribution of water volumes among those who have them is extremely inequitable. The 2009 Gini coefficient calculated for water concessions granted for agriculture was 0.90 compared with the rural land Gini of 0.88 (both indicators grouping holdings under the same entity). More than half of the Colombian departments have a higher Gini coefficient for water than for land, suggesting that water rights are at least as unequally distributed as land, in one of the most inequitable countries in Latin America. Water allocated to domestic, agriculture and hydropower use indicates a lack of consistency of water allocation criteria across regions. The volumetric and administrative attributes of water allocation in Colombia do not account for environmental flows or the concerns of marginalised groups of society that have limited access to the mechanism. Water allocation as a technical task, with limited transparency and secluded from public scrutiny, does not contribute to the solution of increasing water-related conflicts.     

东莞运河水环境容量优化研究

本文根据东莞运河的特点,建立了适用运河特点的水环境容量优化模型,求解运河在不同的运行规律下最大的水环境容量值。建立的模型简单,易于求解,求解方程可以直接引用线性规划软件,计算得到的结果正确。      

用原生动物评价黄河兰州段的水质

报导了黄河兰州段的原生动物157种。根据原生动物群落构成特点;优势种群;污生指数和功能类群等指标对水质污染程度进行了评价,其各样点污染顺序是：库心（β_m）＜小川（β_m－α_m）＜新城桥（α_m）＜湟水桥(α_m）＜中山桥、包兰桥（α_m－ｐ_s）。这一评价结果与理化分析、底栖无脊椎动物和大肠杆菌的评价结果基本一致,表明原生动物可以作为宏观评价黄河水体污染程度的指示生物。     

河流水质系统的灰色规划方法和应用

借助于河流水质灰色模型,可以对河流水质系统进行灰色规划。灰色规划考虑了实际河流水质系统中客观存在的不确知因素和偶然因素影响,概述了河流水质系统的灰色规划模型的构造、河流水质系统灰色规划模型的求解及其在四川沱江水质系统规划中的应用。     

潮汐河网调水工程的环境与经济效益分析——以北江、西江调水工程为例

本文针对潮汐河网的基本特点,提出了运用非恒定流水环境实时数学模型和“影子工程法"对一系列引水方案的环境与经济效益进行定量的预测、分析和比较。该方法对潮汐河网地区水务工程的环境与费用效益分析研究具有普遍的参考意义。文中的算例为广州市市政洪水与污水整治战略决策提供了科学的依据。      

珠江三角洲城市供水与水污染整治战略研究

本文在系统分析珠江三角洲水环境水资源特点与经济发展需求的基础上,按照确保水源与合理利用水环境容量并重的原则,提出了三角洲各城市的供水与污水控制的总体布局。这种按水系的整体性确定区域各城市水污染整治战略的方法,对经济开发强度大的地区是普遍适用的,可以收到事半功倍的效果。