Estimating the recreational carrying capacity of a lowland river section

2012 ◽  
Vol 66 (9) ◽  
pp. 2033-2039 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Lorenz ◽  
Martin T. Pusch
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Surface Waters ◽  
Carrying Capacity ◽  
Ecological Integrity ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
River Section ◽  
Management Measures ◽  
Ecological Aspects ◽  
Human Use ◽  
Capacity Estimates

Recreational boating represents a major human use of inland waters in many regions. However, boating tourism may affect the ecological integrity of surface waters in multiple ways. In particular, surface waves produced by boating may disturb freshwater invertebrates, such as interrupting the filtration activity of benthic mussels. As mussels may significantly contribute to self-purification, disturbance may have crucial impacts on water quality, and thus on water tourism. In this paper we calculate the carrying capacity of a river section for sustainable boating tourism based on the preservation of water quality. This approach is complemented by spatial and social approaches for carrying capacity estimates. The ecological carrying capacity significantly decreases with lower water levels during summer. Hence, the analysis of variables that influence the river's carrying capacity allows the formation of recommendations for management measures that integrate social, touristic and ecological aspects.

Water quality and macroinvertebrate response to acidification following intensified summer droughts in a Western Australian wetland

2001 ◽  
Vol 52 (7) ◽  
pp. 1015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bea Sommer ◽  
Bea Sommer ◽  
Pierre Horwitz ◽  
Pierre Horwitz
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Surface Waters ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
Routine Monitoring ◽  
Reactive Phosphorus ◽  
Western Australian

A decline in pH from ˜6 –8 to ˜4 –5 over a period of 4 years was detected during routine monitoring of surface waters at Lake Jandabup.This was accompanied by lower water levels,shorter periods of inundation and measurable changes in other attributes of the water:sulfate,iron and ammonium concentrations increased markedly,and filterable reactive phosphorus and colour (gilvin)decreased.Macroinvertebrate family richness did not change notably over this period,but there were shifts in community structure:ostracods,isopods and oligochaete worms became less abundant;amphipods,mayflies and gastropods disappeared,while ceratopogonids (Diptera)and macrothricid cladocerans increased in abundance.Historical evidence suggests that at least one other acidification event has occurred in the recent past.Mechanisms associated with the acidification,and the wetland ’s capacity to recover from such events,are discussed.

scholarly journals REVIEW CARRYING CAPACITY OF VAM CO DONG RIVER OF LONG AN PROVINCE FOR MAKING AN EXHAUST WASTE MANAGEMENT LICENSING

2012 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 63-70
Author(s):  
Lam Minh Nguyen ◽  
Phuoc Van Nguyen ◽  
Triet Minh Lam
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Waste Management ◽  
Carrying Capacity ◽  
Quality Parameters ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Wastewater Discharge ◽  
River Section ◽  
Quality Model ◽  
Pollutant Sources ◽  
Flooding Season

The paper presents some results on study of the carrying capacity of Vam Co Dong (VCð) river, section crosing Ben Luc district, Long An province. The MIKE 11 – hydrodynamic and water quality model was used in this study. Main pollutant sources from industry, agriculture, domestic and runoff in the areas were calculated for the simulation. Model results showed that the carrying capacity of the Vam Co Dong river from 2009 to 2015 and to 2020 is limited in dry season, while during the transition of rainny and dry season, the recieving capacity for BOD is about 10 tons/day and 15 tons/day for COD which is rather low. The recieving capacity is increased in rainny season with 75tons/days for BOD and 145 tons/day for COD. Especially, during flooding season (September and OcTober) the receiving capacity can raise up to 150 tons/day for BOD and 300 tons/day for COD. For others water quality parameters, the Vam Co Dong river can recieve certain loadings at some specific sections.Based on the calculated carrying capacity of Vam Co Dong river, we can determine which areas is allowed for wastewater discharge with limited pollution loadings so that the river will not be deteriorated in the future.

scholarly journals Seasonal and Scale Effects of Anthropogenic Pressures on Water Quality and Ecological Integrity: A Study in the Sabor River Basin (NE Portugal) Using Partial Least Squares-Path Modeling

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 1941 ◽  
Author(s):  
António Carlos Pinheiro Fernandes ◽  
Luís Filipe Sanches Fernandes ◽  
Daniela Patrícia Salgado Terêncio ◽  
Rui Manuel Vitor Cortes ◽  
Fernando António Leal Pacheco
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Least Squares ◽  
Partial Least Squares ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Surface Waters ◽  
Landscape Metrics ◽  
Harmful Effect ◽  
Ecological Integrity ◽  
Short Scale

Interactions between pollution sources, water contamination, and ecological integrity are complex phenomena and hard to access. To comprehend this subject of study, it is crucial to use advanced statistical tools, which can unveil cause-effect relationships between pressure from surface waters, released contaminants, and damage to the ecological status. In this study, two partial least squares-path models (PLS-PM) were created and analyzed in order to understand how the cause-effect relationships can change over two seasons (summer and winter) and how the used scale (short or long) can affect the results. During the summer of 2016 and winter of 2017 surface water parameters and the North Invertebrate Portuguese Index were measured in strategic sampling sites. For each site, it two sections were delineated: the total upstream drainage area (long scale) and 250 m (short scale). For each section, data of pressures in surface waters including point source, diffuse emissions and landscape metrics were gathered. The methodology was applied to the Sabor River Basin, located in the northeast of Portugal. In this study, it was possible to determine in which season pressures affect ecological integrity and also which scale should be addressed. The models showed the influences of manganese and of potassium concentrations in stream water on the decrease in summer water quality, while arsenic’s harmful effect occurs during winter. Pastures and environmental land use conflicts were considered threats to water quality when analyzed on a long scale, whereas agricultural areas played a role when the short scale was used. The effect of landscape edge density revealed to be independent of scale or season. Effluent discharges in surface water affected the water quality during the summer season, while the effect of discharges in groundwater affected the water quality in winter. It has also been found that, to find the harmful effect of pressures, it is necessary to approach different scales and that the role of landscape metrics can also overlap contaminant sources.

scholarly journals The RiBaTox web tool: selecting methods to assess and manage the diverse problem of chemical pollution in surface waters

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kees J. M. Kramer ◽  
Frank Sleeuwaert ◽  
Guy Engelen ◽  
Christin Müller ◽  
Werner Brack ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Surface Waters ◽  
Complex Problem ◽  
End Users ◽  
Water Bodies ◽  
Chemical Pollution ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Web Tool ◽  
Novel Approaches ◽  
Local Water

Abstract Chemical pollution of water bodies is a complex problem around the globe. When described by the extremes of the range of problem definitions, water bodies can be chemically polluted by a single compound that is emitted from a point source or an incidental spill, or by chronic diffuse emissions from local and upstream land uses. The resulting mixture exposures can vary in space and time, e.g. due to the use of pesticides in the crop growing season. The environmental management objectives are commonly to protect and restore surface waters against human influences. Currently, chemical pollution is globally judged for a selected set of compounds, by judging each of these individually in comparison with protective environmental quality standards. Research has provided a novel assessment paradigm (solution-focused risk assessment) and novel data, measurement methods and models to improve on current practices. Their adoption and application require establishing novel linkages between the diverse problem definitions and the novel approaches. That would assist water quality professionals to select the most effective option or options to protect and restore water quality. The present paper introduces the RiBaTox (River Basin Specific Toxicants assessment and management) web tool. It consists of short descriptions of the novel approaches (made available as Additional file 1) and a decision tree for end-users to select those. The overview of novel approaches collated in RiBaTox is relevant for end-users ranging from local water quality experts up till strategic policy developers. Although RiBaTox was developed in the context of European water quality problems, the methods provided by RiBaTox are relevant for users from (inter)national to local scales. This paper is part of a series of Policy Briefs from the EU-FP7 project SOLUTIONS (http://www.solutions-project.eu), which provide backgrounds on chemical pollution of surface waters and policy practices and proposed improvements.

scholarly journals Assessment of Automatically Monitored Water Levels and Water Quality Indicators in Rivers with Different Hydromorphological Conditions and Pollution Levels in Greece

Hydrology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 86
Author(s):  
Angeliki Mentzafou ◽  
George Varlas ◽  
Anastasios Papadopoulos ◽  
Georgios Poulis ◽  
Elias Dimitriou
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Time Series ◽  
Quality Indicators ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Automatic Monitoring ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
High Temporal Resolution ◽  
Water Quality Indicators ◽  
Pollution Levels ◽  
Riverine Ecosystems

Water resources, especially riverine ecosystems, are globally under qualitative and quantitative degradation due to human-imposed pressures. High-temporal-resolution data obtained from automatic stations can provide insights into the processes that link catchment hydrology and streamwater chemistry. The scope of this paper was to investigate the statistical behavior of high-frequency measurements at sites with known hydromorphological and pollution pressures. For this purpose, hourly time series of water levels and key water quality indicators (temperature, electric conductivity, and dissolved oxygen concentrations) collected from four automatic monitoring stations under different hydromorphological conditions and pollution pressures were statistically elaborated. Based on the results, the hydromorphological conditions and pollution pressures of each station were confirmed to be reflected in the results of the statistical analysis performed. It was proven that the comparative use of the statistics and patterns of the water level and quality high-frequency time series could be used in the interpretation of the current site status as well as allowing the detection of possible changes. This approach can be used as a tool for the definition of thresholds, and will contribute to the design of management and restoration measures for the most impacted areas.

scholarly journals Geochemical and biological controls on the ecological relevance of total, dissolved, and colloidal forms of trace elements in large boreal rivers: review and case studies

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 138-163
Author(s):  
C.W. Cuss ◽  
C.N. Glover ◽  
M.B. Javed ◽  
A. Nagel ◽  
W. Shotyk
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Trace Elements ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Quality Criteria ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
Water Quality Criteria ◽  
Aquatic Life ◽  
Athabasca River ◽  
Biological Variables ◽  
Boreal Rivers

The concentrations of trace elements (TEs) in large boreal rivers can fluctuate markedly due to changing water levels and flow rates associated with spring melt and variable contributions from tributaries and groundwaters, themselves having different compositions. These fluctuating and frequently high concentrations create regulatory challenges for protecting aquatic life. For example, water quality criteria do not account for changes in flow regimes that can result in TE levels that may exceed regulatory limits, and neither do they account for the markedly different lability and bioaccessibility of suspended solids. This review addresses the geochemical and biological processes that govern the lability and bioaccessibility of TEs in boreal rivers, with an emphasis on the challenges posed by the colloidal behaviour of many TEs, and their relationship to the dissolved fraction (i.e., <0.45 μm in size). After reviewing the processes and dynamics that give rise to the forms and behaviour of TEs in large boreal rivers, their relevance for aquatic organisms and the associated relationships between size and lability and bioaccessibility are discussed. The importance of biological variables and different forms of TEs for limiting lability and bioaccessibility are also addressed. Two case studies emphasize seasonal fluctuations and accompanying changes in the distribution of TE amongst different size fractions and associated colloidal species in large boreal rivers: the Northern Dvina and one of its tributaries, the Pinega River, both in Russia, and the Athabasca River in Alberta, Canada. Water quality in the Athabasca River is briefly discussed with respect to Canadian guidelines.

scholarly journals Mixtures of chemicals are important drivers of impacts on ecological status in European surface waters

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Leo Posthuma ◽  
Werner Brack ◽  
Jos van Gils ◽  
Andreas Focks ◽  
Christin Müller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Quality Management ◽  
Surface Waters ◽  
Water Quality Management ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Chemical Pollution ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Integrated Analysis ◽  
Chemical Mixtures

Abstract The ecological status of European surface waters may be affected by multiple stressors including exposure to chemical mixtures. Currently, two different approaches are used separately to inform water quality management: the diagnosis of the deterioration of aquatic ecosystems caused by nutrient loads and habitat quality, and assessment of chemical pollution based on a small set of chemicals. As integrated assessments would improve the basis for sound water quality management, it is recommended to apply a holistic approach to integrated water quality status assessment and management. This allows for estimating the relative contributions of exposure to mixtures of the chemicals present and of other stressors to impaired ecological status of European water bodies. Improved component- and effect-based methods for chemicals are available to support this. By applying those methods, it was shown that a holistic diagnostic approach is feasible, and that chemical pollution acts as a limiting factor for the ecological status of European surface waters. In a case study on Dutch surface waters, the impact on ecological status could be traced back to chemical pollution affecting individual species. The results are also useful as calibration of the outcomes of component-based mixture assessment (risk quotients or mixture toxic pressures) on ecological impacts. These novel findings provide a basis for a causal and integrated analysis of water quality and improved methods for the identification of the most important stressor groups, including chemical mixtures, to support integrated knowledge-guided management decisions on water quality.

scholarly journals Productivity of Ospreys, Pandion haliaetus, Affected by Water Levels Near Loon Lake, Saskatchewan, 1975-2002

2010 ◽  
Vol 124 (3) ◽  
pp. 219
Author(s):  
C. Stuart Houston ◽  
Frank Scott ◽  
Rob B. Tether
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Success ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
Lake Levels ◽  
The West ◽  
Canadian Data ◽  
Human Use ◽  
The Town ◽  
Western Half ◽  
Eastern Half

Between 1975 and 2002, diminished breeding success of Ospreys was associated with drought and falling lake levels in the western half of our study area near the town of Loon Lake, west-central Saskatchewan. Only 46% of nest attempts were successful in the west compared to 72% in the east, producing 0.88 young per accessible nest in the west and 1.42 in the east. Breeding success was greater in the eastern half, where water levels were stable, in spite of increased human use of the resort lakes there. Our unique long-term Canadian data base results support Ogden's 1977 prediction that Osprey productivity may decrease when water levels drop and fish populations are reduced.

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