Communicating with Extension Clients about Water

The conservation and preservation of natural resources is one of the most pressing issues facing the nation today (Gregory & Di Leo, 2003). Among these natural resource issues are the issues of water quality and quantity. Water is one of the most important resources in the United States, and is especially important in Florida. Not only is Florida a specialty crop state, but the Florida economy also depends highly on tourism and recreation, both of which thrive on water. Water impacts Florida’s tourism, agriculture, retail, and real estate development industries, all of which significantly contribute to Florida’s economy (Odera, Lamm, Dukes, Irani, & Carter, 2013). As the U.S. and Florida populations continue to increase and the demand for fresh, clean water rises, water quality and quantity issues will become increasingly important. Extension faculty should understand public opinion surrounding water issues and identify the information that needs to be communicated to the public about water issues, as well as the best mode for this communication. By understanding public opinion and topics of interest surrounding water quantity and quality, as well as Florida residents’ preferred communication methods, Extension faculty will be able to communicate more effectively with clients about water. The issues associated with water quantity and quality are of ever-increasing importance, and are considered a priority by UF/IFAS Extension. Enhancing and protecting water quality, quantity, and supply is considered a high-priority initiative in the 2013–2023 Florida Extension Roadmap. This EDIS publication will provide an overview of how to communicate with Florida residents about water, including information about their preferred communication method and what topics surrounding water Florida residents find of interest. This publication will better equip Extension faculty to discuss water quantity and quality issues with Florida residents.

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Study on the Water Quality and Quantity Scheduling Scheme in Xinxue River Constructed Wetland of China under the Constraint Condition of Class III of Surface Water Quality

Advanced Materials Research ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.374-377.923 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 374-377 ◽

pp. 923-927

Author(s):

Chao Liu ◽

Xiao Jie Cao ◽

Chao Wang ◽

Jing Jing Sun ◽

Yu Ting Gu

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Surface Water ◽

Constructed Wetland ◽

Surface Water Quality ◽

Ammonia Nitrogen ◽

Water Quantity ◽

Constraint Condition ◽

Scheduling Scheme ◽

Influent Water ◽

Water Quality And Quantity

Using Xinxue River Constructed Wetland as the study object, the wetland prediction models based on BP neural network were established through the seasonal division of the wetland, and the maximum influent water load was determined on the constraint condition that effluent water quality achieved class Ⅲ of surface water quality. Then nonlinear functions of water quality and quantity scheduling were constructed by Origin software. The optimal influent load was determined adopting prediction results of the models as constraint conditions of the functions. Thus the water quality and quantity scheduling scheme of the wetland was established. The results show that optimal influent load for Feb. ~ May: the influent water quantity is no more than 8560m3/d, CODCr is 25.47mg/l~26.37mg/l, ammonia nitrogen 0.11mg/l~1.0mg/l, TN 10.28mg/l~10.51mg/l, TP 0.16mg/l; for Jun. ~ Sept.: the water quantity is no more than 31750m3/d, CODCr is 26mg/l~32.36mg/l, or 37.15mg/l~45.37mg/l, ammonia nitrogen 0.48 mg/l~1.78mg/l, TN 5.15mg/l~6.18mg/l, TP 0.07mg/l~0.09mg/l; for Oct. ~ Dec.: the water quantity is no more than 11070m3/d, CODCr is 24.55mg/l~26.91mg/l, ammonia nitrogen no more than 0.75, TN no more than 8.61 mg/l, TP 0.10mg/l~0.12mg/l, or 0.16mg/l~0.17mg/l.

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Assessment of impacts of agricultural and climate change scenarios on watershed water quantity and quality, and crop production

10.5194/hess-2016-86 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Awoke D. Teshager ◽

Philip W. Gassman ◽

Justin T. Schoof ◽

Silvia Secchi

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Water Quality ◽

Land Use ◽

Land Use Change ◽

21St Century ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Agricultural Landscapes ◽

Water Quantity ◽

Agricultural Land Use ◽

Water Quantity And Quality

Abstract. Modeling impacts of agricultural scenarios and climate change on surface water quantity and quality provides useful information for planning effective water, environmental, and land use policies. Despite the significant impacts of agriculture on water quantity and quality, limited literature exists that describes the combined impacts of agricultural land use change and climate change on future bioenergy crop yields and watershed hydrology. In this study, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) eco-hydrological model was used to model the combined impacts of five agricultural land use change scenarios and three downscaled climate pathways (representative concentration pathways, RCPs) that were created from an ensemble of eight atmosphere-ocean general circulation models (AOGCMs). These scenarios were implemented in a well calibrated SWAT model for the Raccoon River watershed (RRW) located in western Iowa. The scenarios were executed for the historical baseline, early-century, mid-century, and late-century periods. The results indicate that historical and more corn intensive agricultural scenarios with higher CO2 emissions consistently result in more water in the streams and greater water quality problems, especially late in the 21st century. Planting more switchgrass, on the other hand, results in less water in the streams and water quality improvements relative to the baseline. For all given agricultural landscapes simulated, all flow, sediment and nutrient outputs increase from early-to-late century periods for the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 climate scenarios. We also find that corn and switchgrass yields are negatively impacted under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios in the mid and late 21st century.

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In-ground Irrigation Systems Affect Lawn-watering Behaviors of Residential Homeowners

HortTechnology ◽

10.21273/horttech.22.5.651 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 22 (5) ◽

pp. 651-658 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Dale J. Bremer ◽

Steven J. Keeley ◽

Abigail Jager ◽

Jack D. Fry ◽

Cathie Lavis

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Water Quantity ◽

Land Area ◽

Irrigation Systems ◽

Know How ◽

Lawn Care ◽

Sprinkler Systems ◽

Care Guidelines ◽

Lawn Irrigation ◽

Water Quantity And Quality

Urbanization is increasing the land area covered with turfgrasses, which may have implications for water quantity and quality. The largest sector of turfgrass is residential lawns. Our objectives were to compare lawn-irrigation perceptions, knowledge, and behaviors of residential homeowners with and without in-ground sprinkler systems (IGS and NIGS, respectively); homeowners were surveyed in three Kansas cities, each with distinctive water quantity and quality issues. Surveys were mailed to 15,500 homeowners in Wichita, 10,000 in Olathe, and 5000 in Salina; the return rate was 11% to 13%. Homeowners with IGS watered more frequently than NIGS; 67% to 90% of IGS and 19% to 31% of NIGS homeowners watered two to three times per week or more. More IGS homeowners watered routinely and applied the same amount of water each time than NIGS homeowners, who mostly watered and adjusted watering amounts based on lawn dryness. More IGS than NIGS homeowners wanted their lawn green all the time, followed lawn-care guidelines, and considered their neighborhood appearance important. Among IGS homeowners, 41% to 54% claimed to know how much water their lawns required compared with only 29% to 33% of NIGS homeowners. However, 65% to 83% in both groups did not know how much water they applied when they irrigated. About 7% to 9% of homeowners swept or blew clippings or lawn-care products into streets or storm drains; this percentage was unaffected by whether they had IGS or not. All homeowners’ lawn irrigation knowledge and habits must be improved to help conserve water and protect water quality, but educational efforts should concentrate on IGS homeowners because they water more frequently.

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Joint optimization of water allocation and water quality based on multi-objective control in Nanning, China

Water Science & Technology Water Supply ◽

10.2166/ws.2021.171 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Xinghua Ma ◽

Maichun Zhou ◽

Xingyi Ding ◽

Bo Zhang

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Water Resources ◽

Water Resources Management ◽

Water Cycle ◽

Pollutant Transport ◽

Transformation Process ◽

Joint Optimization ◽

Water Quantity ◽

Resources Management ◽

Water Quantity And Quality

Abstract Studying the change mechanism of water quantity and quality is the basis for joint optimization of water resources system, which is a significant means for modern regional water resources management. A water quantity and quality joint optimization model is built based on multiple control objectives, which includes water demand, observed flow rate, and observed pollutant concentration. Coupled water quantity and water quality model was developed for Nanning, China. The natural water cycle and social water cycle in Nanning City and the associated pollutant transport transformation process are simulated. The results indicate that simulation error of water resources allocation is below 5%, the Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency coefficients of the three hydrological stations are 0.85, 0.88, and 0.85 respectively, and the relative errors of the simulated results of three water quality monitoring stations are all within 1.83%, all of which indicates that the model performs well and the simulation results can reproduce the water use process and pollutant transport transformation process of Nanning in time and space. This study can provide effective support for water resources management in Nanning City.

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How Water Quality and Quantity Affect Pepper Yield and Postharvest Quality

Horticulturae ◽

10.3390/horticulturae5010004 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 4 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Elazar Fallik ◽

Sharon Alkalai-Tuvia ◽

Daniel Chalupowicz ◽

Merav Zaaroor-Presman ◽

Rivka Offenbach ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Weight Loss ◽

Irrigation Water ◽

Total Yield ◽

Postharvest Quality ◽

Water Quantity ◽

Salty Water ◽

Quality Water ◽

Export Quality ◽

Water Quality And Quantity

There are gaps in our knowledge of the effects of irrigation water quality and amount on yield and postharvest quality of pepper fruit (Capsicum annuum L.). We studied the effects of water quality and quantity treatments on pepper fruits during subsequent simulated storage and shelf-life. Total yield decreased with increasing water salinity, but export-quality yield was not significantly different in fruits irrigated with water of either 1.6 or 2.8 dS/m, but there was a 30–35% reduction in export-quality yield following use of water at 4.5 dS/m. Water quantity hardly affected either total or export-quality yield. Water quality but not quantity significantly affected fruit weight loss after 14 days at 7 °C plus three days at 20 °C; irrigation with water at 2.8 dS/m gave the least weight loss. Fruits were significantly firmer after irrigation with good-quality water than with salty water. The saltier the water, the higher was the sugar content. Vitamin C content was not affected by water quality or quantity, but water quality significantly affected antioxidant (AOX) content. The highest AOX activity was found with commercial quality water, the lowest with salty water. Pepper yield benefited by irrigation with fresh water (1.6 dS/m) and was not affected by water quantity, but post-storage fruit quality was maintained better after use of moderately-saline water (2.8 dS/m). Thus, irrigation water with salinity not exceeding 2.8 dS/m will not impair postharvest quality, although the yield will be reduced at this salinity level.

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Advances in Drainage: Selected Works from the Tenth International Drainage Symposium

Transactions of the ASABE ◽

10.13031/trans.12668 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 61 (1) ◽

pp. 161-168 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jeffrey S. Strock ◽

Christopher Hay ◽

Matthew J. Helmers ◽

Kelly A. Nelson ◽

Gary R. Sands ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Agricultural Production ◽

Crop Production ◽

Water Quantity ◽

Agricultural Drainage ◽

Crop Response ◽

Scale Modeling ◽

Production Water ◽

Wide Range ◽

Water Quality And Quantity

Abstract. This article introduces a special collection of fourteen articles accepted from among the 140 technical presentations, posters, and meeting papers presented at the 10th International ASABE Drainage Symposium. The symposium continued in the tradition of previous symposia that began in 1965 as a forum for presenting and assessing the progress of drainage research and implementation throughout the world. The articles in this collection address a wide range of topics grouped into five broad categories: (1) crop response, (2) design and management, (3) hydrology and scale, (4) modeling, and (5) water quality. The collection provides valuable information for scientists, engineers, planners, and others working on crop production, water quality, and water quantity issues affected by agricultural drainage. The collection also provides perspectives on the challenges of increasing agricultural production in a changing climate, with ever-greater attention to water quality and quantity concerns that will require integrated technical, economic, and social solutions. Keywords: ASABE Drainage Symposium, crop response, design and management, hydrology and scale, modeling, water quality.

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Variations in Quality and Quantity of Slims River Water, Yukon Territory

Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences ◽

10.1139/e72-132 ◽

1972 ◽

Vol 9 (11) ◽

pp. 1469-1478 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

M. Leonard Bryan

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

River Water ◽

Yukon Territory ◽

Water Quantity ◽

Glacier Terminus ◽

Melt Water ◽

Ablation Pattern ◽

Water Quality And Quantity ◽

Kluane Lake

The Slims River, one of the two outlets draining the Kaskawulsh Glacier of the Icefield Ranges, Yukon Territory, Canada, is seen to have a variation in both quality and quantity of discharge. These variations, studied for several 24 hour periods during the summer of 1970, are reflections of both the diurnal ablation pattern of the Kaskawulsh Glacier and of a shift in the glacial drainage, a shift which is thought to be due to ice movements at the glacial terminus. Water quality and quantity was measured at the bridge where the Alaska Highway crosses the Slims River and its delta in Kluane Lake. In addition, several similar measurements were taken on tributary streams entering the Slims River below the glacier terminus. Both sets of measurements show a distinct change during early August, the water quantity decreased by a factor of 3–5 and the quality became decidedly less fresh. The change in quality is considered to be a result of the decrease in the proportion of glacial melt water in the Slims River. The effects these changes in river water may have on sediment regimes in Kluane Lake are briefly discussed.

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SWAT Modeling of Non-Point Source Pollution in Depression-Dominated Basins under Varying Hydroclimatic Conditions

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph15112492 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 15 (11) ◽

pp. 2492 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Mohsen Tahmasebi Nasab ◽

Kendall Grimm ◽

Mohammad Bazrkar ◽

Lan Zeng ◽

Afshin Shabani ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Point Source ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

The United States ◽

Water Quality Modeling ◽

Water Quantity ◽

Basic Scenario ◽

Calibration And Validation ◽

Calibration Scheme ◽

Quality Modeling

Non-point source (NPS) pollution from agricultural lands is the leading cause of various water quality problems across the United States. Particularly, surface depressions often alter the releasing patterns of NPS pollutants into the environment. However, most commonly-used hydrologic models may not be applicable to such depression-dominated regions. The objective of this study is to improve water quantity/quality modeling and its calibration for depression-dominated basins under wet and dry hydroclimatic conditions. Specifically, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was applied for hydrologic and water quality modeling in the Red River of the North Basin (RRB). Surface depressions across the RRB were incorporated into the model by employing a surface delineation method and the impacts of depressions were evaluated for two modeling scenarios, MS1 (basic scenario) and MS2 (depression-oriented scenario). Moreover, a traditional calibration scheme (CS1) was compared to a wet-dry calibration scheme (CS2) that accounted for the effects of hydroclimatic variations on hydrologic and water quality modeling. Results indicated that the surface runoff simulation and the associated water quality modeling were improved when topographic characteristics of depressions were incorporated into the model (MS2). The Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) coefficient indicated an average increase of 30.4% and 19.6% from CS1 to CS2 for the calibration and validation periods, respectively. Additionally, the CS2 provided acceptable simulations of water quality, with the NSE values of 0.50 and 0.74 for calibration and validation periods, respectively. These results highlight the enhanced capability of the proposed approach for simulating water quantity and quality for depression-dominated basins under the influence of varying hydroclimatic conditions.

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Evaluation of the Effect of Channel Geometry on Streamflow and Water Quality Modeling and Modification of Channel Geometry Module in SWAT: A Case Study of the Andong Dam Watershed

Water ◽

10.3390/w11040718 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 718

Author(s):

Jeongho Han ◽

Dongjun Lee ◽

Seoro Lee ◽

Se-Woong Chung ◽

Seong Kim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Model Performance ◽

Water Quality Modeling ◽

Aerial Photographs ◽

Water Quantity ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Channel Geometry ◽

The Impact ◽

Water Quantity And Quality

The impact of the channel geometry on water quantity and quality simulation of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was evaluated for the Andong Dam watershed. The new equations to determine the bankfull width of the channels and the bottom width of the floodplains were developed using aerial photographs, and its performance was compared with the current equations of SWAT. The new equations were more exact than the current equations since the current equations tended to overestimate the widths of the channel and floodplain. When compared with the observed data, the streamflow of the scenario 2 (S2, applying the new equations) showed lower deviation and higher accuracy than scenario 1 (S1, applying the current equations) because the peak flow of S2 captured the observed data better due to the impact of the change geometry. Moreover, the water quality results of S2 outperformed S1 regarding suspended solid, total nitrogen, and dissolved oxygen. This is attributed to the variables, such as flow travel time, which is directly related to the channel geometry. Additionally, SWAT was modified to consider the various channel cross-sectional shapes. The results of this study suggest that the channel geometry information for the water quantity and quality estimation should be carefully applied, which could improve the model performance regarding streamflow and water quality simulations.

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Assessment of impacts of agricultural and climate change scenarios on watershed water quantity and quality, and crop production

Hydrology and Earth System Sciences ◽

10.5194/hess-20-3325-2016 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 20 (8) ◽

pp. 3325-3342 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Awoke D. Teshager ◽

Philip W. Gassman ◽

Justin T. Schoof ◽

Silvia Secchi

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Water Quality ◽

Land Use ◽

Land Use Change ◽

21St Century ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Agricultural Landscapes ◽

Water Quantity ◽

Agricultural Land Use ◽

Water Quantity And Quality

Abstract. Modeling impacts of agricultural scenarios and climate change on surface water quantity and quality provides useful information for planning effective water, environmental and land use policies. Despite the significant impacts of agriculture on water quantity and quality, limited literature exists that describes the combined impacts of agricultural land use change and climate change on future bioenergy crop yields and watershed hydrology. In this study, the soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) eco-hydrological model was used to model the combined impacts of five agricultural land use change scenarios and three downscaled climate pathways (representative concentration pathways, RCPs) that were created from an ensemble of eight atmosphere–ocean general circulation models (AOGCMs). These scenarios were implemented in a well-calibrated SWAT model for the intensively farmed and tiled Raccoon River watershed (RRW) located in western Iowa. The scenarios were executed for the historical baseline, early century, mid-century and late century periods. The results indicate that historical and more corn intensive agricultural scenarios with higher CO2 emissions consistently result in more water in the streams and greater water quality problems, especially late in the 21st century. Planting more switchgrass, on the other hand, results in less water in the streams and water quality improvements relative to the baseline. For all given agricultural landscapes simulated, all flow, sediment and nutrient outputs increase from early-to-late century periods for the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 climate scenarios. We also find that corn and switchgrass yields are negatively impacted under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios in the mid- and late 21st century.

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