Return to the River: Environmental Flow Policy in the United States and Canada1

Abstract: This paper provides an overview and summary of United States and Canadian federal, state, and provincial laws that offer some form of legal protection for environmental flows. Special attention is given to the new “second generation” law established in Texas and to ways western states are beginning to encourage transactions that help restore dewatered streams. Progress in the eastern states and some Canadian provinces to provide environmental flow protection is addressed. Based on this review, this paper presents recommended elements of a “model” environmental flow policy.     

体育馆出口疏散能力的实验研究

为研究出口单位流量与人流时间之间的关系,以某体育馆为例,进行对某一出口常态下的人流观测实验.通过理论计算和建立Cubic回归模型对采集数据进行了统计分析.发现:单位出口流量最大值为2人/(m·s),稳定值为0.8-1.2人/(m·s),最小值为0.2人/(m·s).出口单位流量是人流时间的三次函数.研究结果表明:出口单位流量是随着时间的变化而变化,不是一个定值,而且单位出口流量稳定值分布在初期.本文对性能化防火设计有一定的参考价值.     

APPLICATION OF ENHANCED ANNEALING TO GROUND WATER REMEDIATION DESIGN1

ABSTRACT: A methodology for ground water remediation design has been developed that interfaces ground water simulation models with an enhanced annealing optimizer. The ground water flow and transport simulators provide the ability to consider site‐specific contamination and geohydrologic conditions directly in the assessment of alternative remediation system designs. The optimizer facilitates analysis of tradeoffs between technical, environmental, regulatory, and financial risks for alternative design and operation scenarios. A ground water management model using an optimization method referred to as “enhanced annealing” (simulated annealing enhanced to include “directional search” and “memory” mechanisms) has been developed and successfully applied to an actual restoration problem. The demonstration site is the contaminated unconfined aquifer referred to as N‐Springs located at Han‐ford, Washington. Results of the demonstration show the potential for improving groundwater restoration system performance while reducing overall system cost.     

U型工作面上隅角埋管瓦斯抽采数值模拟研究

传统的U型通风工作面上隅角瓦斯积聚现象经常出现，严重制约着矿井正常生产能力的有效发挥，对矿井安全生产造成重大威胁。基于前人对采空区非均质多孔介质气体运移理论的研究，采用Fluent软件数值模拟研究了U型和上隅角埋管条件下U型通风系统的静压力场和瓦斯浓度场。研究结果表明：在相同的模型参数条件下，U型通风容易造成上隅角瓦斯积聚，上隅角瓦斯超限问题十分严重；采空区5m处埋管，治理上隅角瓦斯积聚的效果欠佳，达不到安全开采的条件；15m处埋管可以较好的解决上隅角瓦斯超限问题，工作面没有出现瓦斯积聚现象，工作面和回风巷的瓦斯浓度始终处于1％以下；25m处埋管的效果与15m基本相同，没有表现出更好的瓦斯治理效果。综合数值模拟的结果，确定了上隅角埋管抽放采空区瓦斯的理想抽放位置为距离地板垂高1．2m、沿走向深入采空区15m处。     

INSTANTANEOUS PEAK FLOW ESTIMATION PROCEDURES FOR NEWFOUNDLAND STREAMS1

ABSTRACT: A procedure of estimating instantaneous flood flows for various return periods on the Island of Newfoundland is presented. The procedure is based on annual maximum instantaneous flows rather than annual maximum daily-mean flows, as the latter requires the conversion of estimated daily-mean flows into instantaneous flows. Regression equations were developed for each of three homogeneous regions for the desired return periods. The flood flow estimation capability of the presented procedure is demonstrated to be better than any other currently available procedure on the Island.     

采场通风方式与瓦斯运移规律研究

采场是煤矿生产的核心地带,而采场通风系统是确保采场作业安全,创造良好生产环境的重要环节。本文以采场风流流动及瓦斯运移理论为基础,通过现场试验、模型模拟试验及计算机模拟研究等方法,着重研究了中国常用的和有发展前途的走向长壁后退式U型通风方式、U+L型通曲方式、后退式Y型通风方式条件下采场风流流动及瓦斯运移规律。     

EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT OF POPULATIONS USING ENVIRONMENTAL MODELING,DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS,AND GIS1

ABSTRACT: Simulation of ground-water flow and fate of contaminants in the subsurface environment constitutes a major phase of most environmental assessment and site remediation studies. These simulation studies yield information on spatial and temporal distributions of contaminants in the subsurface media. An important use of this information is to conduct exposure assessment studies. Spatial and temporal distributions of both chemical concentrations and exposed populations render this integrated exposure analysis task rather difficult. Geographic Information Systems (GIS), on the other hand, provide a platform in which layered, spatially distributed databases can be manipulated with ease, thereby simplifying exposure analysis tasks significantly. In this paper, we describe procedures that combine the simulation models and demographic databases under a GIS platform to automate the exposure assessment phase of a typical health assessment study. Procedures developed herein significantly simplify the post-processing phase of the analysis, and render the overall task more ‘user friendly.’ A site-specific application is included as a demonstration of the proposed process.     

SIMULATION AND DECISIONMAKING: THE PLATTE RIVER BASIN IN NEBRASKA1

Substantial conflict exists over water management and allocation in the Platte River Basin of Nebraska. An interdisciplinary computer simulation model, representing the water quantity, water quality, environmental, and economic dimensions of the conflict, was developed in order to analyze the tradeoffs among allocation scenarios. Most importantly, decisionmakers and interest groups were involved in model development. Simulation results for a base case and two scenarios are presented. One scenario favors protection of instream flow for wildlife; the other favors water diversions for agriculture. Impacts of the instream flow scenario, as measured by the amount of land irrigated, groundwater levels, the amount of wildlife habitat for cranes and catfish, and net agricultural benefits did not differ greatly from those of the base case. However, impacts of the diversion scenario were substantial. On the negative side, instream flows and wildlife habitat declined an average of 39 percent; while, on the positive side, groundwater levels and net agricultural benefits each increased 6 percent. The modeling process was successful insofar as it promoted an understanding among the highly diverse interest groups of the systems nature of the Basin. One agreement on a water diversion schedule among three of the parties has been reached, partly as a result of this process. More comprehensive compromises have not yet been forged. Our experience, however, indicates that modeling success at the policymaking level depends more on the extent to which the policymakers understand the model than it does on model sophistication.     

GEOLOGIC INFERENCE FROM “FLOW NET” TRANSMISSIVITY DETERMINATION: THREE CASE STUDIES1

A graphical inverse method for determining the regional transmissivity distribution was applied to three field problems. The study areas were the Hanford Site, Washington; the Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Colorado; and the Nevada Test Site, Nevada. This method can aid in flow system conceptualization by revealing the location of bedrock controls for groundwater flow. It is a valuable tool for aiding the hydrogeologist in asking questions about the nature of trends in the pattern of transmissivity values. Quantitative estimates of regional transmissivities can be used as starting points for further parameter refinement. Sensitivity analysis using Monte Carlo simulation shows that quantitative estimates of transmissivity can be obtained when measurement error in the hydraulic head does not cause a large error in the hydraulic gradient.