This document was prepared as an account of work sponsored by t h e United States Government. Whi... more This document was prepared as an account of work sponsored by t h e United States Government. While this document is believed to contain correct information, neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor The Regents of the University of California, nor a n y of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, o r service by its trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof, or The Regents of the University of California The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of t h e United States Government or any agency thereof, or The Regents of the University of California. This report has been reproduced directly from the best available copy.
ABSTRACT Background/Question/Methods Agricultural production in arid regions results in large-sca... more ABSTRACT Background/Question/Methods Agricultural production in arid regions results in large-scale modifications of landscape and hydrology, causing disruption of natural ecosystem function. Drainage from irrigated agriculture results in nutrient enrichment and the eutrophication of impacted rivers. In the Central Valley of California, the most productive arid farming region in the world, eutrophication of the San Joaquin River results in the export of phytoplankton biomass to the estuary, which creates regional anoxic conditions, negatively impacting fisheries. Fundamental information concerning factors influencing phytoplankton growth rates and yields is needed to understand, and ultimately control, eutrophication in this ecosystem. In this study we tested the hypothesis that alteration in regulated river flows, planned as part of various restoration activities, would alter phytoplankton growth rates and yields and therefore exports of phytoplankton from the river to the estuary. Under experiments directed at predicting unintended outcomes from future restoration activities, river flow regimes were modified and phytoplankton response was measured using continuous chlorophyll monitoring and other methods. Direct measurement of phytoplankton growth kinetics were then used to inform and confirm predictions made by water quality and hydrologic models concerning the mass loading of phytoplankton to the estuary. In this study, sondes were used to measure chlorophyll in the river and tributaries with high spatial and temporal resolution. Chlorophyll measurements were complemented with grab sampling determination of nutrients and other factors of significance to phytoplankton metabolism. This data was combined with hydrologic data to allow in-situ measurement of growth rates and yields. Results/Conclusions Results indicate that that hydrologic factors are the major influences on observed phytoplankton growth rates and biomass yields (nutrients and light being typically in excess). It was found that direct measurement of phytoplankton growth kinetics could be used to document changes in river eutrophication and water quality as planned ecosystem restoration activities are implemented. The results of these studies and the role of continuous data in the development of ecosystem restoration will be discussed.
Traditional water quality monitoring programs directed at non-point source (NPS) pollution typica... more Traditional water quality monitoring programs directed at non-point source (NPS) pollution typically involve the collection of grab sample data at a fixed location and a routine time interval with the objective of identifying areas of degraded water quality. The frequency and locations of measurement are often determined by regulatory concerns, rather than based on a scientific analysis, and it is
The State of California is instituting a total maximum daily load (TMDL) requirement for oxygen d... more The State of California is instituting a total maximum daily load (TMDL) requirement for oxygen demand on the San Joaquin River (SJR) in Central California that includes algal biomass. The TMDL is driven by the low levels of dissolved oxygen in the Stockton deep water ship channel which is a barrier to fish migration to the upstream SJR. Previous studies
In the United States, environmentally impaired rivers are subject to regulation under total maxim... more In the United States, environmentally impaired rivers are subject to regulation under total maximum daily load (TMDL) regulations that specify watershed wide water quality standards. In California, the setting of TMDL standards is accompanied by the development of scientific and management plans directed at achieving specific water quality objectives. The San Joaquin River (SJR) in the Central Valley of California now has a TMDL for dissolved oxygen (DO). Low DO conditions in the SJR are caused in part by excessive phytoplankton growth (eutrophication) in the shallow, upstream portion of the river that create oxygen demand in the deeper estuary. This paper reports on scientific studies that were conducted to develop a mass balance on nutrients and phytoplankton in the SJR. A mass balance model was developed using WARMF, a model specifically designed for use in TMDL management applications. It was demonstrated that phytoplankton biomass accumulates rapidly in a 88 km reach where plan...
International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management, 2010
Sustainable municipal solid waste management at military solutions necessitates a combined approa... more Sustainable municipal solid waste management at military solutions necessitates a combined approach that includes waste reduction, alternative disposal techniques, and increased recycling. Military installations are unique because they often represent large employers in the region in which they are located, thereby making any practices they employ impact overall waste management strategies of the region. Solutions for waste sustainability will be dependent on operational directives and base location, availability of resources such as water and energy, and size of population. Presented in this paper are descriptions of available waste strategies that can be used to support sustainable waste management. Results presented indicate source reduction and recycling to be the most sustainable solutions. However, new waste-to-energy plants and composting have potential to improve on these well proven techniques and allow military installations to achieve sustainable waste management.
Many of the toxic contaminants introduced into aquatic systems are hydrophobic and, because of th... more Many of the toxic contaminants introduced into aquatic systems are hydrophobic and, because of this, they are transported with the suspended sediments and eventually incorporated into the bottom sediments. Understanding the dynamics of contaminant sorption to sediments is therefore important in understanding and predicting the transport and fate of contaminants. In the present study, the adsorption and the partitioning of hexachlorobenzene (a hydrophobic organic chemical) to natural sediments from the Detroit River were investigated by means of batch mixing experiments. Experiments were conducted over a long period (2 to 5 months) to reach a steady-state equilibrium and at different sediment concentrations (10, 100, 500, 2,000, and 10,000 mg/L). It was found that the adsorption rate was greatest for small time and decreased to zero as time increased. For all concentrations, a steady-state equilibrium was always attained. Experiments quantitatively demonstrate the timedependent effects of hexachlorobenzene dissolution, of the flocculation of colloidal matter in the water, and of the flocculation of the suspended sediments. Although a solids concentration effect on the partition coefficient was observed, it is shown to be due to the above processes. From the data, a true equilibrium partition coefficient as well as the approximate times to equilibrium can be determined.
This document was prepared as an account of work sponsored by t h e United States Government. Whi... more This document was prepared as an account of work sponsored by t h e United States Government. While this document is believed to contain correct information, neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor The Regents of the University of California, nor a n y of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, o r service by its trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof, or The Regents of the University of California The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of t h e United States Government or any agency thereof, or The Regents of the University of California. This report has been reproduced directly from the best available copy.
ABSTRACT Background/Question/Methods Agricultural production in arid regions results in large-sca... more ABSTRACT Background/Question/Methods Agricultural production in arid regions results in large-scale modifications of landscape and hydrology, causing disruption of natural ecosystem function. Drainage from irrigated agriculture results in nutrient enrichment and the eutrophication of impacted rivers. In the Central Valley of California, the most productive arid farming region in the world, eutrophication of the San Joaquin River results in the export of phytoplankton biomass to the estuary, which creates regional anoxic conditions, negatively impacting fisheries. Fundamental information concerning factors influencing phytoplankton growth rates and yields is needed to understand, and ultimately control, eutrophication in this ecosystem. In this study we tested the hypothesis that alteration in regulated river flows, planned as part of various restoration activities, would alter phytoplankton growth rates and yields and therefore exports of phytoplankton from the river to the estuary. Under experiments directed at predicting unintended outcomes from future restoration activities, river flow regimes were modified and phytoplankton response was measured using continuous chlorophyll monitoring and other methods. Direct measurement of phytoplankton growth kinetics were then used to inform and confirm predictions made by water quality and hydrologic models concerning the mass loading of phytoplankton to the estuary. In this study, sondes were used to measure chlorophyll in the river and tributaries with high spatial and temporal resolution. Chlorophyll measurements were complemented with grab sampling determination of nutrients and other factors of significance to phytoplankton metabolism. This data was combined with hydrologic data to allow in-situ measurement of growth rates and yields. Results/Conclusions Results indicate that that hydrologic factors are the major influences on observed phytoplankton growth rates and biomass yields (nutrients and light being typically in excess). It was found that direct measurement of phytoplankton growth kinetics could be used to document changes in river eutrophication and water quality as planned ecosystem restoration activities are implemented. The results of these studies and the role of continuous data in the development of ecosystem restoration will be discussed.
Traditional water quality monitoring programs directed at non-point source (NPS) pollution typica... more Traditional water quality monitoring programs directed at non-point source (NPS) pollution typically involve the collection of grab sample data at a fixed location and a routine time interval with the objective of identifying areas of degraded water quality. The frequency and locations of measurement are often determined by regulatory concerns, rather than based on a scientific analysis, and it is
The State of California is instituting a total maximum daily load (TMDL) requirement for oxygen d... more The State of California is instituting a total maximum daily load (TMDL) requirement for oxygen demand on the San Joaquin River (SJR) in Central California that includes algal biomass. The TMDL is driven by the low levels of dissolved oxygen in the Stockton deep water ship channel which is a barrier to fish migration to the upstream SJR. Previous studies
In the United States, environmentally impaired rivers are subject to regulation under total maxim... more In the United States, environmentally impaired rivers are subject to regulation under total maximum daily load (TMDL) regulations that specify watershed wide water quality standards. In California, the setting of TMDL standards is accompanied by the development of scientific and management plans directed at achieving specific water quality objectives. The San Joaquin River (SJR) in the Central Valley of California now has a TMDL for dissolved oxygen (DO). Low DO conditions in the SJR are caused in part by excessive phytoplankton growth (eutrophication) in the shallow, upstream portion of the river that create oxygen demand in the deeper estuary. This paper reports on scientific studies that were conducted to develop a mass balance on nutrients and phytoplankton in the SJR. A mass balance model was developed using WARMF, a model specifically designed for use in TMDL management applications. It was demonstrated that phytoplankton biomass accumulates rapidly in a 88 km reach where plan...
International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management, 2010
Sustainable municipal solid waste management at military solutions necessitates a combined approa... more Sustainable municipal solid waste management at military solutions necessitates a combined approach that includes waste reduction, alternative disposal techniques, and increased recycling. Military installations are unique because they often represent large employers in the region in which they are located, thereby making any practices they employ impact overall waste management strategies of the region. Solutions for waste sustainability will be dependent on operational directives and base location, availability of resources such as water and energy, and size of population. Presented in this paper are descriptions of available waste strategies that can be used to support sustainable waste management. Results presented indicate source reduction and recycling to be the most sustainable solutions. However, new waste-to-energy plants and composting have potential to improve on these well proven techniques and allow military installations to achieve sustainable waste management.
Many of the toxic contaminants introduced into aquatic systems are hydrophobic and, because of th... more Many of the toxic contaminants introduced into aquatic systems are hydrophobic and, because of this, they are transported with the suspended sediments and eventually incorporated into the bottom sediments. Understanding the dynamics of contaminant sorption to sediments is therefore important in understanding and predicting the transport and fate of contaminants. In the present study, the adsorption and the partitioning of hexachlorobenzene (a hydrophobic organic chemical) to natural sediments from the Detroit River were investigated by means of batch mixing experiments. Experiments were conducted over a long period (2 to 5 months) to reach a steady-state equilibrium and at different sediment concentrations (10, 100, 500, 2,000, and 10,000 mg/L). It was found that the adsorption rate was greatest for small time and decreased to zero as time increased. For all concentrations, a steady-state equilibrium was always attained. Experiments quantitatively demonstrate the timedependent effects of hexachlorobenzene dissolution, of the flocculation of colloidal matter in the water, and of the flocculation of the suspended sediments. Although a solids concentration effect on the partition coefficient was observed, it is shown to be due to the above processes. From the data, a true equilibrium partition coefficient as well as the approximate times to equilibrium can be determined.
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