Demographic shifts around drinking water supply reservoirs in North Carolina,USA

Infrastructure intended to serve the public good frequently has implications for environmental justice and social sustainability. Drinking water supplies for sub/urban areas in North Carolina, USA, have regularly been secured by constructing dams to impound reservoirs. We used high-resolution, publicly available US Census data to explore whether 66 such reservoirs in North Carolina have induced demographic shifts in the communities that find themselves adjacent to the newly created lakeshores. Our principal findings include: (1) The ratio of white people to non-white people was significantly higher in communities within 0.5 miles of reservoir shorelines than in more distant communities; (2) even as North Carolina overall became less white from 1990 to 2010, the ratio of white people to non-white people within the 0.5 miles of the shoreline increased relative to the overall ratio in the State; and (3) similar, but less distinct, shifts in per capita income occurred during the period. Our results are consistent with the proposition that reservoirs have induced demographic shifts in communities adjacent to newly created lakeshores similar to the shifts associated with environmental gentrification and amenity migration, and may now be associated with perpetuating those shifts. These findings raise concerns about environmental justice and social sustainability that should be considered when planning and building infrastructure that creates environmental amenities. Where reservoirs are being planned, social costs, including the costs of demographic shifts associated with environmental gentrification or amenity migration, and disproportionate regulatory burdens, should be mitigated through innovative policy if possible.     

Synthesis of Common Management Concerns Associated with Dam Removal

Managers make decisions regarding if and how to remove dams in spite of uncertainty surrounding physical and ecological responses, and stakeholders often raise concerns about certain negative effects, regardless of whether these concerns are warranted at a particular site. We used a dam‐removal science database supplemented with other information sources to explore seven frequently raised concerns, herein Common Management Concerns (CMCs). We investigate the occurrence of these concerns and the contributing biophysical controls. The CMCs addressed are the following: degree and rate of reservoir sediment erosion, excessive channel incision upstream of reservoirs, downstream sediment aggradation, elevated downstream turbidity, drawdown impacts on local water infrastructure, colonization of reservoir sediments by nonnative plants, and expansion of invasive fish. Biophysical controls emerged for some of the concerns, providing managers with information to assess whether a given concern is likely to occur at a site. To fully assess CMC risk, managers should concurrently evaluate site conditions and identify the ecosystem or human uses that will be negatively affected if the biophysical phenomenon producing the CMC occurs. We show how many CMCs have one or more controls in common, facilitating the identification of multiple risks at a site, and demonstrate why CMC risks should be considered in the context of other factors such as natural watershed variability and disturbance history.     

Recycling Irrigation Reservoir Stratification and Implications for Crop Health and Production

Recycling irrigation reservoirs (RIRs) are an emerging aquatic ecosystem and water resource of global significance. This study investigated the vertical distribution of water temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), and pH in eight RIRs at two nurseries each in Virginia and Maryland from 2011 to 2014. Monomictic thermal stratification was observed from April to October in all RIRs, despite their shallow depths (0.75‐3.89 m). The strongest stratification had a top‐bottom temperature difference of 21.53°C. The top‐bottom temperature difference was positively correlated with water column depth, air temperature, and daily light integral (p < 0.05). Wind speed did not impact the thermal stratification, likely due to their relatively small surface areas. Thermal stratification affected the vertical distribution of DO and pH. The top‐bottom differences in DO and pH were greater during stratification periods than nonstratification periods. Water pH in all RIRs was higher at the top than at the bottom with the greatest difference of 4.16 units. Discovery and characterization of thermal stratification in RIRs helps understand water quality dynamics in this novel ecosystem and promote safe and productive water reuse for irrigation. Specifically, water withdrawal depths should be adjusted according to variations in temperature, DO, and pH during the stratification and nonstratification periods to mitigate pathogen risk and improve water treatment efficacy and crop production.     

Scenario‐Based and Scenario‐Neutral Assessment of Climate Change Impacts on Operational Performance of a Multipurpose Reservoir

Scenario‐based and scenario‐neutral impacts assessment approaches provide complementary information about how climate change‐driven effects on streamflow may change the operational performance of multipurpose dams. Examining a case study of Cougar Dam in Oregon, United States, we simulated current reservoir operations under scenarios of plausible future hydrology. Streamflow projections from the CGCM3.1 general circulation model for the A1B emission scenario were used to generate stochastic reservoir inflows that were then further perturbed to simulate a potentially drier future. These were then used to drive a simple reservoir model. In the scenario‐based analysis, we found reservoir operations are vulnerable to climate change. Increases in fall and winter inflow could lead to more frequent flood storage, reducing flexibility to store incoming flood flows. Uncertainty in spring inflow volume complicates projection of future filling performance. The reservoir may fill more or less often, depending on whether springs are wetter or drier. In the summer, drawdown may occur earlier to meet conservation objectives. From the scenario‐neutral analysis, we identified thresholds of streamflow magnitude that can predict climate change impacts for a wide range of scenarios. Our results highlight projected operational challenges for Cougar Dam and provide an example of how scenario‐based and scenario‐neutral approaches may be applied concurrently to assess climate change impacts.     

升钟水库富营养状况及生物群落调查评价

根据2008～2009年对升钟水库的逐月监测结果,采用综合营养状态指数法,对湖泊富营养化现状进行了评价,并对水库的浮游植物群落种类和密度进行了定性定量分析。结果表明,水库目前处于中营养状态,但在初夏和秋季由于温度和降水等气象条件的影响,可达到轻度富营养,其程度随季节变化明显：初夏和初秋形成高峰,冬、春季为低谷。从生物群落分析,浮游植物种类及密度在不同季节差别较大,初春及夏季的较其他季节多、冬季最低,优势种为蓝绿藻和硅藻。     

新安江水库水环境主要问题及保护对策

新安江水库是钱塘江的重要水源,对保障钱塘江中下游的生态安全和水体功能起着举足轻重的作用。为阐明新安江水库在流域经济发展和人类活动的影响下水环境的主要问题及保护对策,促进饮用水安全保障及构建健康水域生态系统,本文对新安江水库历年的水环境指标、浮游生物群落结构及其变化及水域生态灾变事件资料进行了综合分析。目前新安江水库存在上游来水变差、局部水域藻类异常增殖、渔业生产不合理、营养程度加重等众多问题,但其突出问题是藻类生物量增长过快。新安江水库水环境保护工作要从关注水质向维持生态系统健康转变,并尽快开展生态保育工作,控制流域污染、降低藻类数量、减少藻类异常增殖影响、科学合理渔业生产是其下一步保护的关键。而关于新安江水库的研究,虽然有一定的研究基础和资料,但对水域生态系统缺乏系统认识。研究气候变化条件下新安江水库水域生态系统的结构和功能以及长期演变规律;水利调度导致水位调整对区域水动力学条件、营养物输送过程的影响及评价水利调度对水库重要环境因子和生态系统影响;渔业养殖对水环境的影响,特别是鲢、鳙鱼大水面积养殖对水库生态系统的影响应是今后新安江水库主要的研究领域和方向。     

溪洛渡水电站叠梁门取水方式减缓下泄低温水的优化调度

大型水库常采用叠梁门取水方式作为改善春季下泄低温水的有效手段,但现有的叠梁门调度方式基本为全年使用,可能加剧水库冬季下泄高温水现象,且影响到春季的水温改善效果。提出根据下游鱼类对水温的需求时段来确定叠梁门的启用时段,对金沙江下游的溪洛渡电站水库水温进行了研究,结果表明,分时段采用叠梁门取水可有限程度地提高春季的下泄水温并避免冬季下泄水高温现象的进一步加剧。同时,也研究了河流梯级开发对叠梁门应用的影响,发现水库调节性能、梯级开发、人工调度等带来的下游入库水温平坦化,以及溪洛渡水库的过渡型水温结构,使叠梁门对水温的影响显著减弱.     

梯级开发对河流径流过程和水温过程均化作用的研究

长江中上游干流及主要支流正在大规模地进行水电开发,随着这些梯级水库群的建设,自然河流中具有重要生态意义的流量过程和水热过程发生变化,导致流量和水温均化,引起了一些河流生态环境问题。根据现有资料统计,结合金沙江下游正在建设的溪洛渡和向家坝水电站,对比分析了梯级水电工程径流调节后与天然过程的差异程度,探讨了河流径流过程和水温过程均化现象对生境的影响。将均化系数λ引入,定量计算了水库调节对天然径流的均化作用;采用宽度平均的立面二维k-ε水温模型,初步分析了梯级水电工程对水温过程均化作用。最后提出减小梯级水库对长江生态环境影响的对策和建议.     

江西柘林水库集水区近50年气候干湿状况研究

柘林水库的面积和库容较大,但集水区面积相对较小,水资源亏缺是其主要制约因子,研究近50 a来水库集水区的气候干湿状况和变化趋势,对于水库的运行调度、效益发挥以及制定科学的投资计划具有很好的参考价值。基于江西柘林水库集水区内3个常规气象站1958～2007年的逐日降水、气温等要素观测资料,计算不同时间尺度的标准化降水指数（SPI指数）,以衡量集水区干湿情况;用FAO Penman Monteith 方法计算参考蒸散量;以年降水量与年参考蒸散量的差值近似代表最大径流深度。采用线性趋势拟合、滑动平均等分析方法,对水库集水区的旱涝、参考蒸散量、最大径流深度等的时间分布状况、季节变化、变化趋势等进行了分析。研究结果表明：（1）柘林水库集水区1998年以来年降水量呈明显下降趋势,而年参考蒸散量呈上升趋势,导致年最大径流深度下降明显,水库水资源不足;（2）近50 a柘林水库集水区的降水集中度呈增加趋势,强降水对总降水量的贡献增大,旱涝发生风险均增加;（3）近50 a柘林水库集水区旱涝互现、旱重于涝     

CE-QUAL-W2在紫坪铺水库的应用及其参数敏感性分析

采用宽度平均立面二维水动力模型CE QUAL W2,对紫坪铺水库水温结构进行了数值模拟,运用库区实测资料进行了模型的参数率定及验证。库区及下泄水温的计算值与实测值吻合良好,显示模型能较好地模拟库区垂向水温分层的形成发展过程,以及升温期电站下泄水温变化,证实该模型对紫坪铺水库的水温模拟是适用的,也可为同类型水库提供参考。经参数灵敏度分析,发现水温模拟对模型中的风遮蔽系数与动态光遮蔽系数最为敏感,其余参数影响不明显,可取模型默认值。其中风遮蔽系数增大,风速加大,水库表层温度降低,水库垂向混合作用增强,温跃层下移,水温分层明显减弱,库底水温明显提升;动态光遮蔽系数增大,入射的太阳辐射增强,水库上层40 m水体温度升高,中下层水体温度无明显变化