Incorporating and Evaluating Environmental Instream Flows in a Priority Order Based Surface Water Allocation Model

Incorporating and Evaluating Environmental Instream Flows in a Priority Order Based Surface Water Allocation Model PDF Author: Mark Allen Pauls
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
As the remaining water resources in river basins around the world are appropriated for human uses, it is critical to protect environmental instream flows in order to preserve aquatic and riparian species and ecosystems. It is widely recognized that an adequate environmental flow regime consists of a range of flow conditions. In Texas, a statewide planning process was established in 2007 for determining environmental flow recommendations for the state's river basins. The environmental flow recommendations, which consist of subsistence flows, base flows, and high flow pulse events, are determined for each basin by a team of scientists and committee of stakeholders. The recommendations are considered by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) in developing environmental flow standards which are incorporated into the state's prior-appropriation water rights permitting system. The environmental flow standards for the Colorado River basin and Trinity River basin are incorporated in daily time-step versions of the authorized use scenario water availability models using existing and recently added features of the Water Rights Analysis Package (WRAP). Various metrics are developed by this research to characterize the degree to which the environmental flow standards are attained, given their junior position in the priority sequence. The techniques used to model instream flows in the Colorado and Trinity river basins contribute to the body of knowledge for modeling flow standards in other basins. Metrics describing the degree to which environmental flow standards are attained will assist scientists and decision-makers in the evaluation and revision of the standards. The electronic version of this dissertation is accessible from http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/152557

Incorporating and Evaluating Environmental Instream Flows in a Priority Order Based Surface Water Allocation Model

Incorporating and Evaluating Environmental Instream Flows in a Priority Order Based Surface Water Allocation Model PDF Author: Mark Allen Pauls
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
As the remaining water resources in river basins around the world are appropriated for human uses, it is critical to protect environmental instream flows in order to preserve aquatic and riparian species and ecosystems. It is widely recognized that an adequate environmental flow regime consists of a range of flow conditions. In Texas, a statewide planning process was established in 2007 for determining environmental flow recommendations for the state's river basins. The environmental flow recommendations, which consist of subsistence flows, base flows, and high flow pulse events, are determined for each basin by a team of scientists and committee of stakeholders. The recommendations are considered by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) in developing environmental flow standards which are incorporated into the state's prior-appropriation water rights permitting system. The environmental flow standards for the Colorado River basin and Trinity River basin are incorporated in daily time-step versions of the authorized use scenario water availability models using existing and recently added features of the Water Rights Analysis Package (WRAP). Various metrics are developed by this research to characterize the degree to which the environmental flow standards are attained, given their junior position in the priority sequence. The techniques used to model instream flows in the Colorado and Trinity river basins contribute to the body of knowledge for modeling flow standards in other basins. Metrics describing the degree to which environmental flow standards are attained will assist scientists and decision-makers in the evaluation and revision of the standards. The electronic version of this dissertation is accessible from http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/152557

Systematization of Water Allocation Systems

Systematization of Water Allocation Systems PDF Author: Deborah Matilde Santos Roman
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Water rights
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
The allocation of water resources is typically accomplished within the framework of water allocation systems (WAS). In general, a WAS sets priorities, applies rules, and organizes responses to a range of water allocation scenarios. This research presents a comprehensive study of water allocation strategies and provides a conceptual framework of principles and guidelines for designing, assessing, implementing and supporting WAS. The voluminous compilation of international treaties and conventions, interstate compacts, intrastate administrative documentation, and scientific/engineering literature was researched in order to identify different water allocation strategies and mechanisms. From this analysis eight fundamental areas of WAS were identified: water rights, determination of water allotment, administrative systems, reservoir storage considerations, system reliability, multiple uses, instream flow requirements, and drought management. The systematic scrutiny of these eight areas at the international, interstate, and intrastate levels defined the conceptual framework for assessing WAS. The Texas experience with regard to its WaterAvailability Modeling system is also reviewed with particular emphasis on the application of the Water Rights Analysis Package (WRAP) model in supporting water allocation efforts.The Lower Rio Grande WAS was used as a case study to demonstrate how the principles presented in the conceptual framework can be used to assess water allocation issues and identify alternative strategies. Three WRAP simulation studies utilizing several components of the conceptual framework were performed in order to assess the Lower Rio Grande WAS. The simulations focused on three of the major water allocation issues of the Texas Rio Grande: reallocation among uses, instream flow requirements, and drought management.The simulations showed several deficiencies in the Lower Rio Grande WAS, particularly regarding the size of the domestic-municipal-industrial (DMI) reserve and its effect on thereliability of other uses. The simulation results suggest that water from the DMI can be liberated to be used by irrigators and to support environmental flows without affecting there liability to municipal users. Several strategies were proposed that can potentially improve the overall efficiency of the system. Nonetheless, implementing new strategies and water allocation policies in the Lower Rio Grande WAS would require considerable changes in regulation policies.

Environmental Flow Assessment

Environmental Flow Assessment PDF Author: John G. Williams
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1119217393
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 240

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Book Description
Provides critiques of current practices for environmental flow assessment and shows how they can be improved, using case studies. In Environmental Flow Assessment: Methods and Applications, four leading experts critique methods used to manage flows in regulated streams and rivers to balance environmental (instream) and out-of-stream uses of water. Intended for managers as well as practitioners, the book dissects the shortcomings of commonly used approaches, and offers practical advice for selecting and implementing better ones. The authors argue that methods for environmental flow assessment (EFA) can be defensible as well as practicable only if they squarely address uncertainty, and provide guidance for doing so. Introductory chapters describe the scientific and social reasons that EFA is hard, and provide a brief history. Because management of regulated streams starts with understanding freshwater ecosystems, Environmental Flow Assessment: Methods and Applications includes chapters on flow and organisms in streams. The following chapters assess standard and emerging methods, how they should be tested, and how they should (or should not) be applied. The book concludes with practical recommendations for implementing environmental flow assessment. Describes historical and recent trends in environmental flow assessment Directly addresses practical difficulties with applying a scientifically informed approach in contentious circumstances Serves as an effective introduction to the relevant literature, with many references to articles in related scientific fields Pays close attention to statistical issues such as sampling, estimation of statistical uncertainty, and model selection Includes recommendations for methods and approaches Examines how methods have been tested in the past and shows how they should be tested today and in the future Environmental Flow Assessment: Methods and Applications is an excellent book for biologists and specialists in allied fields such as engineering, ecology, fluvial geomorphology, environmental planning, landscape architecture, along with river managers and decision makers.

Water for the Environment

Water for the Environment PDF Author: Avril Horne
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 0128039450
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 760

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Book Description
Water for the Environment: From Policy and Science to Implementation and Management provides a holistic view of environmental water management, offering clear links across disciplines that allow water managers to face mounting challenges. The book highlights current challenges and potential solutions, helping define the future direction for environmental water management. In addition, it includes a significant review of current literature and state of knowledge, providing a one-stop resource for environmental water managers. Presents a multidisciplinary approach that allows water managers to make connections across related disciplines, such as hydrology, ecology, law, and economics Links science to practice for environmental flow researchers and those that implement and manage environmental water on a daily basis Includes case studies to demonstrate key points and address implementation issues

Selection Criteria for Mathematical Models Used in Exposure Assessments

Selection Criteria for Mathematical Models Used in Exposure Assessments PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Surface water
Languages : en
Pages : 184

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Water Code

Water Code PDF Author: Texas
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Water
Languages : en
Pages : 548

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Interstate Water Compacts

Interstate Water Compacts PDF Author: United States. National Water Commission
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 514

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The Allocation of Water to Instream Flows

The Allocation of Water to Instream Flows PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Water
Languages : en
Pages :

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The Instream Flow Incremental Methodology

The Instream Flow Incremental Methodology PDF Author: Clair B. Stalnaker
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Aquatic habitats
Languages : en
Pages : 56

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Guidelines for Determining Instream Flow Needs

Guidelines for Determining Instream Flow Needs PDF Author: United States. Interagency Task Force--Instream Flows
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Hydraulic engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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