Long Branch Case Study Essay

The Devon River is clean, freshwater, and well dammed up. It is described as being a small, narrow river fringed by pine and birch (pg. 42) On the other hand, the Naguamsett River is described as muddy and

Howard County has two major tributaries, the Patuxent River in the southwest region of the county and the Patapsco River in the north, as well as smaller rivers, streams and lakes that branch off from the main sources (Howard County website). The areas of land that are close in proximity to these bodies of water, and especially the tributaries, have a significantly higher risk of flooding as the water from the river overflows when there is a large rainstorm. In addition to these natural factors that account for higher flooding risks, human influences play a major role in intensifying the risk. For example, human development leads to building water-resistant surfaces like concrete on floodplains, cutting down trees and plants that help filter water, as well as well as installing storm drainage systems that end up in the rivers (BBC GCSE). For these reasons, Howard County finds there is a higher flood risk in urban areas, such as Main Street in Ellicott City, and Elkridge and Allview Estates in Columbia (Live Green Howard). These three locations in Howard County,

Hydrologic studies has always been the subdiscipline of environmental science that has most intrigued me; probably because the eco- and geological systems that comprise surface and shallow groundwater systems are so inexorably entwined and very delicate. Both of the virtual labs were interesting, and paint a clear picture of how we affect our hydrosphere and how that, in turn, affects us. Spotsylvania County and the city of Fredericksburg share four water treatment facilities that pull water from the Mott's Run Reservoir, the Ni River, and the Rappahannock River, which is the largest river in the local area, the other two being smaller tributaries that feed into it. The Rappahannock River is a significant body of water, providing the potable water for roughly a quarter-million people. Toward the coast the river sees mostly recreational and some light industrial use, and further upstream it is affected by many small to midsized agricultural operations that take place on the land adjacent to the river.

Located near Cowan, Pennsylvania, Conley Run is a tributary of Buffalo Creek that has experienced severe degradation due to agricultural activity. Specifically, the deposition of large amounts of animal wastes, pesticides, and fertilizers has resulted in significant eutrophication throughout the stream. Furthermore, bank degradation associated with the movement of livestock has caused the displacement of foreign sediments into stream habitats. These factors, among many others, have caused the lake to be considered “impaired” by PA-DEP. In response, the Buffalo Creek Watershed Alliance, the the Union County Conservation District, and the Department of Environmental Protection and Fish and Boat Commision have partnered in an effort to restore stream habitat and create a riparian buffer to protect the stream.

The canal system is the major factor influencing ground-water levels and the movement of the saltwater interface in southeastern Dade County. The initial canal system, completed in 1967, was designed not only to prevent flooding but also to prevent excessive drainage, allowing for the inland movement of the saltwater interface. Subsequently, the primary changes to the system have been the addition of control structures and pump stations in response to changes in needs for water-level controls. The canals were equipped with flow-regulation structures both near the coast and inland, allowing water levels to be stepped down from structure to structure to prevent excessive drainage. However, the design and operation of this system lowered freshwater levels in the Biscayne aquifer, especially near the coast, allowing for the inland movement of saltwater during the drought years of 1970 and

“In the United States, a concerted effort is underway to reduce water pollution and thereby improve water quality.” (Keller) A case history of river pollution is the Cuyahoga River located in Northeastern Ohio. The river is 100 miles long flowing south to Cuyahoga Falls where it then turns north until it empties into Lake Erie. Cleveland and Akron are two major cities located along the river. The Cuyahoga is known as an infant glacial river, this is because it is one of the youngest river created from the melting of the glaciers. It is estimated that the river is about 13,000 year old. The story of the Cuyahoga is one with many lows and highs. The

The proposed Pohick Creek watershed stream restoration project PC9249 is located northwest of Parliament Drive and east of Queen Victoria Court in Burke, VA, which is in Fairfax County. This project was designated as a 10-year high priority project in 2010 due to erosion, location of the adjacent neighborhoods, and the invested interest of the surrounding communities. Presently, only the design for the restoration project has been funded and was completed in May 2015. Although it has been over a year since the concept design was completed, the construction funding is still pending. Based on the cost-benefit analysis, the survey results and the site evaluation, I recommend Fairfax County assist Southport and Signal Hill Homeowner Associations (HOA) to receive immediate funding for the construction costs ($1,990,000) of the Pohick Creek at Queen Victoria (PC9249) stream restoration project.

Government officials, Support groups, and residents of El Paso, Pueblo, and Teller counties are currently managing the Fountain Creek Watershed. The Fountain Creek Watershed is a mistreated watershed and the solutions would require a dedicated management group and necessary funding to increase the sustainability of this area. “We are working to create a healthy waterway with appropriate erosion, sedimentation, and flooding that supports diverse economic, environmental, and recreational interests.” (Fountain Creek Watershed, 2015). The collaboration of all agencies working in this watershed will ensure the safety of the environment surrounding the area of reviewed in this research.

The largest environmental feature of the Southeast Corridor is the Monocacy River. As the largest tributary into the Potomac river, limiting negative environmental impacts is a key constraint of redevelopment in the area (Frederick County Planning and Permitting Department, 2010). In addition, the Monocacy River is also utilized for local water supply. As a classified Tier II Stream Segment, our portion of the river has a high Benthic Index and Fish Index of Biotic Integrity. The State of Maryland has identified the river as a State Green Infrastructure Corridor and Sensitive Species area. Any new development along the river would have to have a setback of up to 175 ft from the river due to the Waterbody Buffer Ordinance.

Due to hurricane season in Florida, where three of the developers are located, there is the risk of environmental uncertainty (O'Brien, 1995). To mitigate this risk, plans are being developed to take precautions (Morris) to move the three developers further inland if needed and continual monitoring of the situations that could arise from the weather conditions.

The Cache la Poudre watershed is a main watershed in Colorado. The Cache la Poudre River watershed provides water to the cities of Fort Collins, Windsor and Greeley. In this report the watershed physiographic data and basic tools for describing a watershed will be examined.

The purpose of this report is to geologically evaluate the potential hazards for flooding in Hazard City. This report will include a detailed historic and extrapolated Stream Gauge Data Worksheet, as well as a graph of the Discharge Frequency Curve expected on Clearwater River. The report will provide Hazard city with my scientific analysis, conclusions, and provide recommendations concerning potential flood damages.

Gravity is one of the dominant forces acting to move water down slope, and the shear stress (τ), or the resisting force exerted by bed and bank material act as the force opposing down slope movement (Leopold et al., 1964). The variables considered in table 1 allow us to determine wither sediment of a certain size will become mobile at bankfull flow, and ultimately be able to shape the stream channel. In order for median sized sediment to become entrained, the bed shear stress (τb) must be greater than the critical shear stress (τc), or the resistance force of the sediment quantified by the Shields number. The streams ability to transport large clasts can be assessed using the Costa entrainment velocity, and the critical value for the deposition of large clasts (τb) that may have been mobilized further up stream can be estimated using the O’Connor equation. The values assessed can ultimately offer insight into stream power or the energy available for sediment transport and

A model that can equivocally lay down the range of ambiguity in its inputs, this can handle more accurate and more enlightening estimates than deterministic calculations. Influence diagrams are advantageous tools in mapping out the conclusions, occasions, and variables that can affect potential consequences of decisions and circumstances. In this study, we can use a software tool, so as to offer assistance in modeling a diagram that will represents the interrelationships amongst approximately 58 variables that include figures for wind, wave action, rain, engineering, geology, demographics and the potential for undesirable consequences of hurricanes and overflows in the New Orleans area. At the utmost level, we can use NOLA Flood Control Risk Analysis System in which will have two major locational sub-models that are: Mississippi River flood and natural disaster analysis that was observed after Hurricane Katrina. (Model X) And Lake Pontchartrain flood regularity modeling (Model Y), plus other additional sub-models that can be incorporated to land use and mitigation possibilities and demographic and consequence estimations for the New Orleans area. The sub-models aggregate the frequencies expected of floods with their severities also and present their expected costs as a task of their moderation

The study labeled, “Holistic Approach to Sustainable Water Management in northwest Douglas County” was designed to show what percentage of return flows would make it back to the stream for downstream users if collected first. The study was held in an undeveloped area of northwest Douglas County,