Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Water quality management – Great Lakes'

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2004.
Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains xxii, 277 p.; also includes graphics. Includes bibliographical references (p. 252-277). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center.

Lake restoration and management strategies focus on reducing the negative impacts of enriched or polluted inflows. These strategies become of paramount importance when lakes are used for recreational and/or drinking water purposes. Long term control of eutrophication and turbidity problems associated with large inflow loads is usually oriented to catchment management. Although it has been suggested that this is the correct long term approach, public concerns usually require a short term solution. In addition, due to political and economic costs related to changes in catchment management, in-lake restoration technologies have been emerging as a viable pretreatment option, complementary to water treatment plants, both reducing the operational costs of the water treatment plant and ameliorating the water residing in the lakes. This research investigates the effects of two in-lake technologies on the dynamics of inflowing rivers, where basin shape plays a significant role. The three lakes in this study suffer from eutrophication combined with a distinctive water quality problem: from turbidity in Silvan Reservoir (Australia), to heavy metal loads in Coeur d'Alene Lake (USA) and industrial wastes in Lake Como (Italy). Firstly, the influence of basin morphology, wind speed, and wind direction on the fate and transport of two rivers flowing into the L-shaped Coeur d'Alene Lake was examined, and it was shown that transport and mixing patterns in a lake can be greatly influenced by the shape of the lake, leading to important consequences for the plankton ecology in the lake. Secondly, in Silvan Reservoir we investigated the potential to modify the basin shape using vertical barriers, increasing the retention time and hence the barrier capacity to microbial pollution. A final in-lake technology was tested for Lake Como, using a downward pointing impeller to remove polluted water from the coastal margin. Lessons from these three examples indicate that there is significant potential for in-lake remediation at relatively low cost, over relatively short timescales.

The objective of this research was to examine whether the United States and Canada have successfully implemented their Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement and to identify the factors determining the continuation of any injury to human health from pollution of the boundary waters. The Agreement was first negotiated in 1972 as part of the legitimation of the social unrest of the 1960s and gave special responsibilities to the International Joint Commission to advise the Parties of problems of water quality. It has been subject to periodic review and occasional renegotiation and amendment. Specifically, the Agreement was renegotiated in 1978 to address the health effects from the imperceptible exposures to persistent toxic substances. Though extensive scientific evidence of continuing injury to health from persistent toxic substances has been available, there has been a consistent pattern of deliberate failure by the authorities to report the injury and to implement many of the remedial provisions contained in the Agreement. The thesis claims that the failure of the International Joint Commission to advise the Parties of the new information about the injury to health and the failure of the Parties to act upon the information when it was obtained from other sources constituted dereliction of duty. While synthesis of the science linking the pollutant-induced injury to specific causal agents was necessary to provide an empirical measure of the failure to implement the Agreement, consideration of the social, economic and political aspects was needed to provide a sufficient explanation for the failure of the International Joint Commission to inform and of the authorities to act. There have been active attempts to use diversionary reframing of the Agreement, based on a multi-causal ecosystem theory proposed by fisheries ecologists, to attenuate the risk message and transform the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement into a more inclusive and less focused agreement on restoring ecosystem integrity. This has been welcomed by industry and governments as a means to remove the focus from addressing the unresolved dangers of persistent toxic substances through costly remedial actions. The International Joint Commission undermined its credibility when it recommended ‘sunsetting’ the use of chlorine in chemical manufacturing. The Parties failed to use a precautionary approach to prevent the commercial introduction of new persistent toxic substances, such as the brominated flame retardants. Since the 1980s, the economic politics of the two nations have been profoundly influenced by neo-liberalism and one of the consequences has been the removal of environmental health as a priority from the respective political agenda. Advisory bodies seem to have been captured not only by the prevailing neo-liberalism but also by corporate interests and these factors seem to underlie the reluctance to report the injury to health from exposures to persistent toxic substances. Though there were many different health endpoints affected by exposures to water pollutants in the Great Lakes, the thesis concentrated on the evidence of neuro-teratogenic effects. The adequacy of the implementation of the Agreement during the past thirty-three years was tested by using Health Canada data on cerebral palsy hospitalisation to evaluate whether there were indications of previously undetected outbreaks of congenital Minamata disease in human populations in Canadian Great Lakes communities potentially exposed to methyl mercury from natural sources or from historic industrial uses of mercury. The uncertainties in the apparent association that was found were reduced by the application of Hill’s guidelines. While these findings indicated both the need for further multi-disciplinary research to locate and diagnose the victims and for a precautionary approach to the consumption of Great Lakes fish, they also indicated that, for more than three decades, health authorities have not diligently implemented the Agreement. The inclusion of the social, economic and political considerations in the forensic audit has revealed the dangers inherent in any renegotiation of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.

The Penrith Lakes Scheme is a series of inter-connected lakes, produced by the rehabilitation of a sand and gravel quarry, for water quality treatment and recreational uses. Presently, 5 lakes are operational comprising 4 upstream lakes for treatment of storm-water and quarry discharge and a single downstream recreational lake as the Sydney International Regatta Centre used during the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. This report is the result of a study, during 1998-2003, with an aim to develop dynamic budget models of water, sediments and nutrients for these lakes, providing suitable data for long-term management planning and evaluation of short-term operational management.Findings showed that while progressive reassessment and refinement will be required as management control increases, the approach provides the foundation modelling procedures and frame-work for suitable hydrological and water quality management of the Penrith Lakes Scheme, and may be extended to include further lakes, water sources and management strategies.
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Overabundant nitrate in Iowa’s surface water threatens stream health, drinking water safety, and significantly contributes to hypoxic zones in the Gulf of Mexico. Researchers have quantified surface water nitrate loads historically with grab samples and, more recently, in-situ sensors. In-situ sensor networks capture changes in nitrate concentration over small time scales, providing high temporal resolution data to accurately calculate nitrate loading. However, because advanced sensors are expensive, spatial resolution is often compromised when sensors are deployed on large rivers. To collect high spatial resolution nitrate samples that complement the high temporal resolution data from in-situ sensors, we first used traditional grab samples on small, non-navigable streams in the Clear Creek and the English River watersheds. Dense grab samples across watersheds provide higher resolution data, but not at the spatial resolution achievable on navigable streams with newly developed, boat-deployed sensor technology. We constructed a boat-deployed sensor system that automatically measured nitrate concentrations, temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, and pH as we navigated a boat on a given waterbody. We used the system on the Iowa and Cedar Rivers to capture spatial and temporal changes never previously observed in Iowa. Our data suggest nitrate concentrations and yields were highest in low-relief landforms dominated by row crop agriculture. Nitrate concentrations were lower in higher-relief landforms with less row crop production. We also measured water in Storm Lake, IA with the boat-deployed system. We measured little heterogeneity of nitrate concentrations in the lake, but observed significant nitrate reduction in a large wetland just upstream. The system captured fine scale spatial dynamics of nitrate reduction in the wetland and low nitrate concentrations throughout Storm Lake. Our newly developed sensor platform captured high resolution water quality data, complementing the high temporal resolution data collected with in-situ sensors. High spatial resolution data in this and similar studies provide powerful insights for decision makers to target problematic areas, reduce nitrate, and improve water quality.

The Lakes of the Four Seasons, a community in Lake and Porter Counties in northwestern Indiana, contains highly eutrophic lakes. A diagnostic feasibility study of the lakes was initiated in December 1981, and continued through November 1982. Morphometric, limnological and hydrologic characteristics of the lakes were defined in order to permit the development of nutrient and hydrologic budgets for the lakes. In addition to the development of these budgets, preliminary testing of a lake restoration technique, phosphorus precipitation, was performed. These studies and the resultant budgets provided necessary information for the formulation of feasible restoration methods for the lakes. The recommended restoration methods, if implemented, could enhance and maintain water quality conducive to recreational use and aesthetic enjoyment.The Lakes of the Four Seasons system has a mass water loading of 3.596 x 106 m3 Y-1and a hydraulic residence time of 0.71 y. Mass external phosphorus loading to the lakes is 537.34 kg –1 . Mass nitrogen loading to the system is 13,457 kg y -l.Big Bass Lake has a mass water loading of 2.316 x 106 m3 y-1 and a hydraulic residence time of 0.16 y. Mass external phosphorus loading to the lake is 356.76 kg y -l. Mass nitrogen loading to Big Bass Lake is 12,260 kg y -l.Lake Holiday/Lake on the Green has a mass water loading of 3.423 x 106 m3 y 1 and a hydraulic residence time of 0.65 y. Mass external phosphorus loading to the lakes is 330.52 kg y-1. Mass nitrogen loading to the Lake Holiday/Lake on the Green is 11,980 kg y1.Both loading and in-lake nitrogen:phosphorus ratios indicated phosphorus limitation in these lakes. The eutrophic condition of the lakes was also indicated by in-lake nutrient concentrations as well as excessive algal and macrophyte growth. Rapid 02 depletion, which occurs in water overlying the sediments even though the lakes are fairly well mixed, also testifies to the extreme productivity of the lakes.Restoration options for these lakes include short term cosmetic methods, longer term options for the disruption of internal phosphorus cycling, and abatement of phosphorus loading from the watershed. The cosmetic options involve the use of herbicides and algicides to give immediate relief from excessive primary productivity. Dredging and drawdown/sediment consolidation are aired at reducing internal phosphorus loading, while methods directed at the abatement of phosphorus loading from the watershed attack the cause of the lake system's problems. The longer term options necessitate further studies before implementation.

The ecological position of micro-algae at the base of the aquatic food web makes them critical components of aquatic ecosystems. Their short generation time also makes them useful biological indicators because they respond quickly to changes in environmental condition, enabling timely identification and assessment of water quality changes. The inclusion of micro-algae as indicators in water resource regulation and management in South Africa has started recently, their more extensive use in biomonitoring and ecotoxicology programmes for water resource management would contribute to the South African policy if water resource protection. The standard algal growth inhibition assay with the species Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata is currently used for monitoring toxicity of in-stream and industrial wastewater discharges to freshwater micro-algae. The relevance of the data generated by standard toxicity bioassays has been questioned, since micro-algae in particular are extremely variable in their sensitivity to a range of contaminants and these standard species used may not occur in the local aquatic environment. As a result, international regulatory agencies, have recommended algal growth inhibition tests be changed from a single standard species to tests with a number of species. One recommendation, in addition to the use of standard toxicity tests, is the use of species isolated from the local environment which may be more relevant for assessing site specific impacts. This study investigated the value and application of locally isolated South African freshwater micro-algae in toxicity tests for water resource management and was carried out in three phases. The first phase involved isolating micro-algae from South African aquatic resources. Micro-algae suitable for toxicity testing were identified and selected using as set of criteria. Three (Scenedesmus bicaudatus, Chlorella sorokiniana and Chlorella vulgaris) out of eight successfully isolated species satisfied the prescribed selection criteria and these were selected as potential toxicity test species. The second phase focused on refining and adapting the existing algal toxicity test protocol (the algal growth inhibition assay) for use on the locally isolated algal species. The refinement of the test protocol was achieved by exposing the locally isolated species to reference toxicants in order to assess and compare their growth and sensitivity to the toxicants under the prescribed toxicity test conditions with that of the standard toxicity test species (Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata) and a commercial laboratory species (Chlorella protothecoides). During this phase, one of the three local species (Scenedesmus bicaudatus) was eliminated as a potential toxicity test species due to inconsistent growth. The third phase of the study involved assessing the sensitivity of the two remaining species (C. vulgaris and C. sorokiniana) to a range of toxicants (reference toxicants, salts, effluents and a herbicide) and comparing it to that of the standard toxicity test species P. subcapitata and C. protothecoides. The toxicants were selected based on their relative importance in the South African context, as well as the practicality of using these local micro-algae to routinely determine the impact of these toxicants on local aquatic resources. The growth of the four micro-algae was stimulated by the selected effluents. The standard toxicity test species P. subcapitata was ranked the most sensitive and of the four species to two reference toxicants and two inorganic salts. Chlorella sorokiniana was ranked the most sensitive of the three Chlorella species to two reference toxicants and two inorganic salts. The herbicide stimulated the growth of C. vulgaris while inhibiting the growth of the other species. Pseudokirchneriela subcapitata and C. sorokiniana showed high intra-specific variability in growth, which made it difficult to determine the effective concentrations of the herbicide and therefore compare the sensitivity of the species. This varied response of micro-algal species to toxicants may result in the biodiversity shifts in aquatic ecosystems, and also supports the recommendation of using a battery of different species to support more informed decisions in water resource management.

Eutrophication is one of the primary factors causing harmful cyanobacteria blooms in freshwater lakes; climate change such as warmer temperature can potentially further increase both frequency and intensity of blooms. This study investigated the long-term changes in water quality and summer phytoplankton assemblages in Oswego Lake, OR, in relation to lake management practices (e.g., hypolimnetic aeration and alum treatments), as well as climatic and regional meteorological conditions. Both water quality and phytoplankton assemblages were sampled biweekly during summer seasons between 2001 and 2013. The concentrations of total phosphorus (TP), soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) and total nitrogen (TN) decreased 66%, 93% and 31%, respectively, in response to the hypolimnetic aeration and alum treatments since 2005. The results of summer phytoplankton assemblages showed a 62% reduction of cyanobacteria biovolume and a switch from cyanobacteria dominance (2001-2005) to diatom and chlorophyte dominance (2006-2013). Cluster analysis identified four statistically different groups of summer phytoplankton assemblages (denoted Groups 1-4). Nonmetric multidimensional scaling analysis indicated that the four groups were associated with different water quality conditions. Group 1 occurred prior to hypolimnetic aeration and was primarily comprised of cyanobacteria, associated with water conditions of high nutrients and high primary production. Group 2, dominated by cyanobacteria and chlorophytes, occurred between hypolimnetic aeration and alum surface application. Group 2 was associated with turbid water conditions. Group 3 was dominated by diatoms, occurring after alum surface application. Group 4 included R-strategist phytoplankton that quickly respond to environmental changes, occurring in the years following alum injection, drawdown and inflow alum treatment. Both Group 3 and 4 were associated with reduced nutrients in the lake. The results demonstrated a strong temporal relationship between the long-term changes in water quality and summer phytoplankton assemblages and the lake management practices. The Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) index, an El-Niño-like pattern of Pacific climate variability, showed a statistically significant correlation with the summer phytoplankton dynamics, while the multivariate ENSO index (MEI) and regional meteorological variables (air temperature, rainfall, wind speed, wind direction and solar radiation) were not significantly related to the changes of phytoplankton communities during the study period. In conclusion, the study results suggest that the lake management practices had strong effects on both production and community compositions of phytoplankton, and suggest the need for a future study on large-scale climate impacts on lake ecosystems and best management practice.

The nutrient dynamics in two contrasting estuaries and in the adjacent nearshore environment along the south-east coast of South Africa was investigated seasonally. Due to an inter-basin transfer of water from the Gariep Dam to the Great Fish River, the Great Fish estuary is a fresh water dominated, terrestrially driven system with an annual fresh water inflow of 250 – 650 x 10⁶ m³ per year. In contrast, the Kariega estuary is a fresh water deprived, marine dominated system with a fresh water inflow estimated at 2.5 – 35 x 10⁶ m³per year. The reduced fresh water inflow into the estuary is attributed to regular impoundments along the Kariega River. Water samples were collected from surface and subsurface layers along the length of the estuaries as well as from a series of transects occupied in the nearshore environment. Samples were analysed for nitrate, nitrite, ammonium, phosphate and silicate. Temperature and salinity were recorded at each station. A Land-Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone (LOICZ) budget was constructed for each estuary to describe the role of ecosystem-level metabolism as either a sink or a source of phosphorus, nitrogen and carbon. Seasonal variation in physico-chemical properties and nutrient concentrations in the Kariega estuary was minimal due to constant low inflow, while in the Great Fish estuary, concentrations varied in response to changes in flow rate. Nutrient concentrations were consistently higher in the Great Fish estuary than in the Kariega estuary, largely reflecting differences in fresh water inflow. During periods of high flow (32.92 m³.s⁻¹in the Great Fish River) dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) concentrations in the Great Fish estuary were an order of magnitude higher than those recorded in the Kariega estuary. Results of the LOICZ budgeting procedures revealed that in spite of the contrasting hydrodynamic features, the estuaries behave in largely the same manner – both predominantly sources of nutrients with heterotrophic processes dominating over autotrophic actions and both were net denitrifyers during all surveys. This was, however, due to different sets of processes operating in the two estuaries, namely low nutrient concentrations resulting in microbial activity in the Kariega estuary, and riverine influx of nutrients and phytoplankton combined with a short residence time of the water in the Great Fish estuary. In the marine nearshore environment, higher nutrient concentrations were recorded adjacent to the Great Fish estuary than offshore of the Kariega estuary. This was due to a surface plume of less saline water leaving the Great Fish estuary, which acted as an ‘outweller’ of nutrients. Offshore of the Kariega estuary, on the other hand, the nutrient concentrations were characteristic of marine waters due to a lack of fresh water outflow from the estuary. Nutrient concentrations in the marine environment adjacent to the Kariega estuary were, at times, higher than those recorded within the estuary. This observation supports previous statements which suggest that the Kariega estuary is not an ‘outweller’ of dissolved nutrients and particulate material, but rather an extension of the marine environment.

This dissertation has as its goal the quantitative evaluation of the application of
coupled hydrodynamic, ecological and clarity models, to address the deterministic prediction of water clarity in lakes and reservoirs. Prediction of water clarity is somewhat unique, insofar as it represents the integrated and coupled effects of a broad range of individual water quality components. These include the biological components such as phytoplankton, together with the associated cycles of nutrients
that are needed to sustain their popuiations, and abiotic components such as suspended particles that may be introduced by streams, atmospheric deposition or sediment resuspension. Changes in clarity induced by either component will feed back
on the phytoplankton dynamics, as incident light also affects biological growth. Thus ability to successfully model changes in clarity will by necessity have to achieve the correct modeling of these other water quality parameters. Water clarity is also unique in that it may be one of the earliest and most easily detected wamings of the acceleration of the process of eutrophication in a water body.

Defence date: 12 October 1998
Examining Board: Prof. dr. Adrienne Héritier (EUI, supervisor) ; Prof. Dr. Christer Jönsson (University of Lund) ; Prof. Dr. Gerd Junne (University of Amsterdam, external co-supervisor) ; Prof. Dr. Jan Zielonka (EUI)
PDF of thesis uploaded from the Library digitised archive of EUI PhD theses completed between 2013 and 2017
Marco Verweij presents a new and challenging theoretical framework within which to understand international relations, based on the cultural theory developed by Mary Douglas, Michael Thompson, Aaron Wildavsky, and others. By applying this framework in a detailed study of the environmental protection of the river Rhine in Western Europe and the Great Lakes of North America, he also contributes to a better understanding of how transboundary environmental problems have been, and can be, solved.

This year, 2002, marks the thirtieth anniversary of the signing of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between the United States and Canada. Over the past thirty years, there has been much written, and even more said, about the successes and failures of that Agreement. The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement has been successful in bringing attention to many pollution issues surrounding the Great Lakes. However, many of the goals that the Agreement intended to achieve have still not been realized on either side of the border. This thesis will explore several issues affecting successful implementation of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. Although much has been written as to the areas where the two countries have fallen short in implementing the Agreement, little has been written which analyzes the full range of variables affecting implementation. Using the framework for implementation analysis laid out by Daniel Mazmanian and Paul Sabatier, this thesis will examine two of the biggest issues facing the Great Lakes, and determine the specific variables that have most hindered the Agreement's success. Furthermore, this thesis will determine which country - the United States or Canada - has done a better job implementing the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. The thesis begins with a thorough description of Mazmanian and Sabatier's variables for analysis. After looking at necessary background information about the Agreement, we will examine two specific case studies. Chapter 3 will examine the issue of contaminated bottom sediment. Chapter 4 will look at how each country has addressed the issue of airborne toxic substances in the Lakes. We will conclude by reapplying the Mazmanian and Sabatier variables to our case studies, and coming to a conclusion as to which country has performed better, and why. As we will see by the end of this thesis, neither, country has fully -met the objectives of the Agreement. However, the United States has come further, faster. This is due to differences in allocation of financial resources, regulatory strength and initiative of sovereigns and implementing officials.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 2003.
Title from title page screen (viewed Sept. 23, 2003). Thesis advisor: R. Bruce Robinson. Document formatted into pages (xxi, 268 p. : ill. (some col.)). Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 196-206).

This thesis is concerned with the conceptual foundations of environmental law and policy in the Great Lakes basin, the world's largest freshwater ecosystem. The Great Lakes regime is now widely recognized as one of the most advanced international environmental management regimes in existence. Over the past two decades, toxic contamination has emerged as a highly pressing ecological issue in the Great Lakes basin. In Canada and the United States, the ecosystem approach, a comprehensive and integrated approach to environmental management, has been adopted both bilaterally and domestically in the Great Lakes' complex environmental policy framework to guide the protection of ecological integrity. There has been extensive discussion of the ecosystem approach, particularly from scientific and managerial perspectives; however, the economic content of the concept has been largely neglected, despite the importance of considering all relevant perspectives in the development of law and policy. This thesis is divided into five chapters. After discussing in Chapter 1 the ecological and institutional contexts and methodological issues of the analysis, this thesis defends, in Chapter 2, the view that economic theory has relevance to issues of environmental law and policy. In addition to highlighting the main contours of welfare and environmental economic theory, a main conclusion, and an essential premise upon which the analysis proceeds, is that economics remains a useful analytical approach to environmental issues, despite some important criticisms. Subsequently, in Chapter 3, the analysis shifts to an examination of four bilateral and domestic Great Lakes instruments that form the core of Great Lakes toxic pollution policy: (i) the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement; (ii) the Great Lakes Binational Toxics Strategy; (iii) the Canada-Ontario Agreement; and (iv) the Final Water Quality Guidance for the Great Lakes System. After outlining key principles underpinning each instrument, the thesis underscores common themes running through the collective policy framework. The ecosystem approach constitutes a unifying concept in this framework. The ecosystem approach is examined from an economic perspective in Chapter 4. After identifying key elements of the ecosystem approach, this chapter highlights important parallels between fundamental welfare and environmental economic notions. One main conclusion is that economic concepts and approaches, such as environmental valuation, externalities, and self-interest, form an integral part of the ecosystem approach. Finally, Chapter 5 identifies some directions for further research. Given that, as the thesis seeks to establish, economic theory constitutes an important, albeit not sole, perspective on the ecosystem approach, a key challenge will be to facilitate interdisciplinary analysis and cooperation leading to effective operationalization of the concept.

Water resources systems are designed to operate under a wide range of potential climate conditions. Traditionally, systems have been designed using stationarity-based methods. Stationarity is the assumption that the climate varies within an envelope of variability, implying that future variability will be similar to past variability. Due to anthropogenic climate change, the credibility of the stationarity-based assumptions has been reduced. In response, climate change assessments have been developed to quantify the potential impacts due to climatic change. While these methods quantify potential changes, they lack the probabilistic information that is needed for a risk-based approach to decision-analysis. This dissertation seeks to answer two crucial questions. First, what is the best way to evaluate water resource systems given uncertainty due to climate change? Second, what role should climate projections or scenarios play in water resources evaluation? A decision analytic approach is applied that begins by considering system decisions and proceeds to determine the information relevant to decision making. Climate based predictor variables are used to predict system hazards using a climate response function. The function is used with climate probability distributions to determine metrics of system robustness and risk. Climate projections and additional sources of climate information are used to develop conditional probability distributions for future climate conditions. The robustness and risk metrics are used to determine decision sensitivity to assumptions about future climate conditions. The methodology is applied within the context of the International Upper Great Lakes Study, which sought to determine a new regulation plan for the releases from Lake Superior that would perform better than the current regulation plan and be more robust to potential future climate change. The methodology clarifies the value of climate related assumptions and the value of GCM projections to the regulation plan decision. The approach presented in this dissertation represents a significant advancement in accounting for potential climate change in water resources decision making. The approach evaluates risk and robustness in a probabilistic context that is familiar to decision makers and evaluates the relevance of additional climate information to decisions.

Thesis (M.Sc.)--York University, 2008. Graduate Programme in Higher Education.
Typescript. Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:MR51568

Processes regulating the growth and successional pattern of phytoplankton and the production of odour compounds in lakes of coastal and interior British Columbia were examined. An emphasis was placed on the role of nutrients, the role of size in determining nutrient deficiency, and the importance of winter for understanding the functioning of coastal lakes. Although the study lakes were all phosphorus limited (TN:TP molar ratio >22), plankton, especially the greater than 3 pm size fraction, were often nitrogen deficient. This demonstrates the importance of nitrogen as a growth regulating nutrient for larger plankton in these lakes. Seasonal patterns of productivity varied among lakes, and Maxwell Lake was found to reach maximal photosynthetic rates in February. Lakes without a dominant seasonal physical influence (e.g. ice-cover) and those subject to short-scale stochastic events that play dominant roles may not have their "successional clock" set. This can lead to an apparent chaotic seasonal pattern of species distribution. In coastal lakes the lack of strong seasonal patterns is more likely to occur in lakes with lower nutrients (e.g. <10 pg TP-L-') than in lakes with relatively high nutrients (>I5 pg TP.L-') because of the seasonal cycling of nutrients within eutrophic lakes. The origin of odours in drinking water was examined from nineteen lakes and reservoirs to determine links between limnological variables and classification and intensity of odour. Total phosphorus (TP) was the best single predictor of odour intensity. Vegetation and grassy odours were more prevalent in lakes with TP less than 13 pgL-', while earthy odours were common at higher TP. Drinking water quality issues were reviewed and the relationship between policy, management and science was examined. This work stresses the importance of sound science to ensure the legality, legitimacy, efficiency and effectiveness of implementing water quality policies and for establishing best management practices.

Thesis (M.Sc.)--York University, 2005. Graduate Programme in Biology.
Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 70-75). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url%5Fver=Z39.88-2004&res%5Fdat=xri:pqdiss &rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:MR11819

The Penrith Lakes Scheme is a series of inter-connected lakes, produced by the rehabilitation of a sand and gravel quarry, for water quality treatment and recreational uses. Presently, 5 lakes are operational comprising 4 upstream lakes for treatment of storm-water and quarry discharge and a single downstream recreational lake as the Sydney International Regatta Centre used during the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. This report is the result of a study, during 1998-2003, with an aim to develop dynamic budget models of water, sediments and nutrients for these lakes, providing suitable data for long-term management planning and evaluation of short-term operational management.Findings showed that while progressive reassessment and refinement will be required as management control increases, the approach provides the foundation modelling procedures and frame-work for suitable hydrological and water quality management of the Penrith Lakes Scheme, and may be extended to include further lakes, water sources and management strategies.

The prevalence of hypoxia in aquatic systems has increased in recent decades and climate change is expected to worsen the extent and severity of hypoxic phenomena worldwide. Moreover, aquatic hypoxia has produced adverse ecological consequences and stimulated research interest within the Laurentian Great Lakes. The physiological stress imposed by hypoxia reduces habitat quality for most aquatic biota and causes changes in patterns of resource use and food web dynamics. We conducted a review of the primary literature to identify trends in prevalence of Great Lakes hypoxia research and broadly classify the unique hypoxic conditions afflicting Great Lakes ecosystems. We found that the majority of research effort toward Great Lakes hypoxia is focused on the Lake Erie central basin. Our review further revealed that this does not characterize the breadth of hypoxic phenomena that occur throughout the Great Lakes region. We then utilized a long-term monitoring dataset provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Great Lakes National Program Office to quantify the impact of Lake Erie central basin hypoxia on habitat quality of several fish species. We found that bioenergetics-based growth-rate potential models have a potential application as the framework for the development of biological endpoints that measure the effects of hypoxia on aquatic biota. Finally, we utilized stable isotope analysis to look for broad spatial and temporal trends in resource utilization within distinct regions of the Lake Erie central basin, with hypoxia and large-scale hydrodynamic patterns serving as potential driving patterns for spatial differences.

The interaction between groundwater and surface water systems is a key component of the hydrological cycle and an understanding of their connectivity is fundamental for sustainable water resource management. Water is a vehicle for mobilising dissolved constituents, including nutrients, between surface and subsurface waters and between terrestrial and marine systems. Therefore, knowledge of surface-subsurface linkages is critical not only for water quantity allocation, but also for water quality and its implications for ecosystem health. In particular, ascertaining the significance of groundwater fluxes for river nitrogen budgets is an important motivation for characterising river-groundwater connectivity. This overarching theme is developed through the course of the thesis. The marked seasonality of tropical river systems provides a unique opportunity to investigate groundwater contributions to surface waters, especially when there are minimal overland flows. The Herbert River in northeast Queensland represents a useful case study in the Australian tropics for assessing the potential for transport of agricultural contaminants, such as dissolved forms of nitrogen, between surface and subsurface waters, and between terrestrial and marine systems, including the ecologically significant Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. Whilst the lower Herbert River catchment, dominated by sugarcane production, is the focus for this thesis, the research methodology and policy implications for nutrient monitoring and management are applicable to other tropical catchments. An extensive water quality sampling program was instigated to collect river and groundwater samples during low flow conditions, for analysis of a range of conservative and nonconservative environmental tracers including major ions, stable isotopes of water, radon, and dissolved inorganic forms of nitrogen. Grab samples were collected during months representing the beginning and end of the dry season to compare connectivity relationships at contrasting stages of the stream hydrograph. Hydrochemical data at the end of the dry season is particularly useful for isolating the groundwater signal in the river and its tributaries. Existing physical and chemical datasets are also an important source of high temporal resolution information to supplement the more detailed water quality data collected specifically for this investigation. An understanding of the dynamics of water movement between river and aquifer storages is critical for assessing the mobility of dissolved nitrogen between them. A combination of hydrogeological, hydrometric, hydrological and hydrochemical tools are applied to characterise the interaction between the alluvial aquifers and the lower Herbert River at a catchment scale. Specifically, the potential for hydraulic connection and the direction of flux between the aquifer system and the river are evaluated through qualitative hydrometric approaches, including: depth relationships of the river channel with that of the underlying alluvial sediments; historical groundwater elevation-stream stage relationships; and groundwater flow patterns around the river. Hydrological techniques such as stream hydrograph and flow duration curve analysis are utilised to assess the temporal characteristics of flow in the river; the groundwater flux to the river is also quantified by hydrograph separation. Physical understanding of river-aquifer linkages is verified and enriched through analysis of surface water chemistry data, in conjunction with the conceptual hydrogeological model developed from physical and chemical assessment of the aquifers. The significance of groundwater as a vector for nitrogen is then evaluated in light of a conceptual process understanding of the river-aquifer system. This provides a platform for undertaking future catchment-scale nutrient budget studies based on detailed investigations of nitrogen sources and transformations. The research approach used in this thesis highlights the value of combining analytical techniques, not provided by any one method, to inform and verify different aspects of a complex water resource problem involving both surface and groundwater systems. The application of multiple environmental tracers, at varied spatial and temporal resolution, is particularly instructive for distinguishing between the key processes that influence the chemistry of the river in space and time. Furthermore, the spectrum of tracer techniques provides both qualitative and quantitative information regarding the flux of groundwater along the length of the lower Herbert River. Whilst the absolute groundwater fluxes determined have a degree of uncertainty, mass balances of radon and selected solutes highlight the value of quantitative estimates in combination with qualitative trends to characterise river-aquifer relationships. The analyses demonstrate that discharge of groundwater from the alluvial aquifers is a dominant influence on both the flow and chemistry of the lower Herbert River in the dry season. In particular, groundwater is a key vector for the delivery of nitrate to the river during low flow conditions. This provides a new perspective for monitoring and management of nutrients in tropical rivers where there is good connectivity with the underlying groundwater system. Key recommendations arising from this research include: (1) water quality sampling should be undertaken at recognised periods on the stream/groundwater hydrograph, with an understanding of temporal and spatial river-aquifer connectivity relationships; (2) surface and subsurface sources of water and dissolved nutrients must be considered, including identification of nutrient hotpots in both surface water and groundwater systems; (3) sampling locations should capture the longitudinal variation in river nutrient concentrations, not simply end-of-river monitoring; (4) appropriate water quality guideline values must be set to account for seasonal changes in both the sources and forms of nutrients transported to surface waters.

Τα παράκτια μεταβατικά οικοσυστήματα όπως οι λιμνοθάλασσες και οι αλυκές, αποτελούν δυναμικά οικοσυστήματα και παρουσιάζουν έντονες χωρικές και χρονικές διακυμάνσεις, αφού ως οικότονοι μεταξύ ξηράς και θάλασσας, δέχονται την ταυτόχρονη επίδραση χερσαίου και θαλάσσιου περιβάλλοντος. Παράλληλα είναι οικοσυστήματα υψηλής παραγωγικότητας, αφού φιλοξενούν είδη με υψηλή πρωτογενή παραγωγικότητα. Τα υδρόβια μακρόφυτα αποτελούν δομικά και λειτουργικά στοιχεία των οικοσυστημάτων αυτών και σύμφωνα με την Οδηγία Πλαίσιο 2000/60/ΕΕ, αποτελούν ποιοτικά στοιχεία και χρησιμοποιούνται ως βιοδείκτες για την εκτίμηση της οικολογικής ποιότητας των υδάτινων οικοσυστημάτων. Στα πλαίσια της παρούσας μεταπτυχιακής διατριβής, διερευνήθηκαν οι σχέσεις μεταξύ αβιοτικών και βιοτικών παραμέτρων της υδάτινης στήλης, στις λιμνοθάλασσες Κοτύχι και Πρόκοπο της ΒΔ Πελοποννήσου και στις αλυκές Λάρνακας και στον υγρότοπο Ακρωτηρίου (Αλυκές Ακρωτηρίου, λιβάδι Φασουρίου) της Κύπρου. Πραγματοποιήθηκαν μηνιαίες δειγματοληψίες κατά την βλαστητική περίοδο των ετών 2006, 2007 και 2008, στην διάρκεια των οποίων καταγράφηκαν οι φυσικοχημικές παράμετροι των υδάτων, όπως βάθος (m), διαφάνεια (m), θερμοκρασία (οC), αλατότητα (‰), αγωγιμότητα (mS/cm), διαλυμένο οξυγόνο (mg/l), pH, ολικά αιωρούμενα στερεά (mg/l), φωτοσυνθετικά ενεργή ακτινοβολία- PAR ενώ υπολογίστηκαν οι συγκεντρώσεις της Chl-α (mg/m3) η αλκαλικότητα (mg/l), η συγκέντρωση των θρεπτικών αλάτων φωσφόρου-SRP (mg/l) και αζώτου - NO2-N, NO3-N και ΝΗ4-Ν (mg/l), καθώς και η σταθερά απορρόφησης Κ (m-1) της υδάτινης στήλης. Παράλληλα συλλέχθηκαν ποσοτικά και ποιοτικά δεδομένα που αφορούν τη δομή των μακροφυτικών κοινωνιών, καθώς και την χωρική και χρονική διακύμανση της κατανομής και της ανάπτυξης των μακροφυτικών ειδών που απαντώνται στις λιμνοθάλασσες και στις αλυκές. Τέλος διερευνήθηκαν οι σχέσεις μεταξύ αβιοτικών παραμέτρων και ειδών μακροφύτων και εξετάστηκαν οι πιθανοί παράγοντες που επηρεάζουν την ανάπτυξη και την κατανομή των μακροφύτων. Για την διερεύνηση της δομής των μακροφυτικών κοινωνιών, την ταξινόμηση της υδρόβιας βλάστησης σε ευδιάκριτες ομάδες, καθώς και την ομαδοποίηση των σταθμών δειγματοληψίας ανάλογα με την σύνθεση της βλάστησης τους, εφαρμόστηκαν οι μέθοδοι ταξινόμησης TWINSPAN και MDS. Χρησιμοποιήθηκαν επίσης οι συντελεστές συσχέτισης Pearson (r) και Kendall (tau-b), προκειμένου να εξεταστεί η ύπαρξη πιθανών συσχετίσεων μεταξύ των φυσικοχημικών παραμέτρων, αλλά και μεταξύ βιοτικών και αβιοτικών παραμέτρων, ενώ πραγματοποιήθηκε ανάλυση διασποράς (one-way ANOVA) προκειμένου να διαπιστωθούν στατιστικά σημαντικές διαφορές μεταξύ των περιοχών μελέτης, αλλά και μεταξύ των διαφορετικών ομάδων βλάστησης. Τέλος, για την διερεύνηση των αβιοτικών παραμέτρων που επηρεάζουν την ανάπτυξη και την κατανομή των μακροφύτων, εφαρμόστηκε η μέθοδος ανάλυσης κανονικών αντιστοιχιών CCA (Canonical Correspondence Analysis). Στις τέσσερις περιοχές μελέτης καταγράφηκαν συνολικά 29 taxa μακροφύτων, τα οποία ταξινομήθηκαν σε έξι ομάδες βλάστησης. Πέντε taxa από αυτά, αναφέρονται για πρώτη φορά στην Κύπρο. Τα είδη με την μεγαλύτερη αφθονία στις περιοχές μελέτης ήταν τα Ruppia cirrhosa, Potamogeton pectinatus, Najas marina ssp. armata, Althenia filiformis, Lamprothamnium papulosum και Ulva lactuca. Η βιομάζα των κυρίαρχων ειδών παρουσίασε εποχικές διακυμάνσεις με τις μέγιστες τιμές να καταγράφονται την άνοιξη και το καλοκαίρι. Στις λιμνοθάλασσες Κοτύχι και Πρόκοπο παρατηρήθηκε οικολογική διαδοχή ειδών στη διάρκεια της βλαστητικής περιόδου, η οποία μπορεί να αποδοθεί σε σημαντικές αλλαγές του αβιοτικού περιβάλλοντος (π.χ. αλατότητας), όπως η αντικατάσταση του είδους Potamogeton pectinatus από το αγγειόσπερμο Ruppia cirrhosa, ενώ η εμφάνιση ευτροφικών φαινομένων με σημαντική αύξηση της βιομάζας ευκαιριακών ειδών (π.χ. χλωρόφυτα), οδήγησε στην μείωση της βιομάζας των αγγειοσπέρμων. Στις αλυκές Λάρνακας και Ακρωτηρίου η βιομάζα κυμάνθηκε σε πολύ χαμηλά επίπεδα πιθανώς λόγω των πολύ ψηλών τιμών αλατότητας. Τις υψηλότερες τιμές βιομάζας παρουσίασε το αγγειόσπερμο Althenia filiformis τον Απρίλιο. Την βλαστητική περίοδο 2008 οι μεγαλύτερες τιμές αλατότητας που καταγράφηκαν στις αλυκές Λάρνακας και Ακρωτηρίου, δεν ευνόησαν την ανάπτυξη μακροφύτων. Αντίθετα στο λιβάδι Φασουρίου όπου η αλατότητα ήταν σημαντικά χαμηλότερη, η βιομάζα του κυρίαρχου Najas marina ssp. armata κυμάνθηκε σε υψηλές τιμές με τις μεγαλύτερες να καταγράφονται τον Ιούνιο. Από την διερεύνηση των μορφομετρικών χαρακτηριστικών του αγγειόσπερμου Ruppia cirrhosa, προέκυψε ότι η πυκνότητα των πληθυσμών του είδους κυμάνθηκε στα ίδια επίπεδα με άλλες λιμνοθάλασσες της Μεσογείου (449–5120 βλαστοί/m2), ενώ παρουσίασε θετική συσχέτιση με την θερμοκρασία και αρνητική συσχέτιση με την συγκέντρωση ολικού φωσφόρου. Το μήκος των φύλλων συσχετίστηκε θετικά με την συγκέντρωση των όξινων ανθρακικών ιόντων, τα οποία σε χαμηλές συγκεντρώσεις μπορεί να αποτελέσουν περιοριστικό παράγοντα για την ανάπτυξη των μακροφύτων. Η μεγαλύτερη ποικιλότητα μακροφύτων (δείκτης Shannon-Weaner) καταγράφηκε στην λιμνοθάλασσα Πρόκοπο, ενώ οι αλυκές Λάρνακας παρουσίασαν την χαμηλότερη ποικιλότητα, πιθανά λόγω του ότι οι υψηλές τιμές αλατότητας δεν ευνοούν την ανάπτυξη πολλών ειδών μακροφύτων. Η εφαρμογή του δείκτη οικολογικής αξιολόγησης ΕΕΙ (Ecological Evaluation Index) για την εκτίμηση της οικολογικής ποιότητας των υδάτων με την χρήση των μακροφύτων ως βιοδεικτών, είχε ως αποτέλεσμα την ταξινόμηση της ποιότητας των υδάτων της λιμνοθάλασσας Κοτυχίου ως Μέτρια, της λιμνοθάλασσας Πρόκοπος και των αλυκών Λάρνακας ως Καλή, ενώ του υγρότοπου Ακρωτηρίου μπορούν να χαρακτηριστούν ως Υψηλής οικολογικής ποιότητας. Oι σημαντικότερες περιβαλλοντικές παράμετροι που καθορίζουν την σύνθεση των ομάδων βλάστησης, αλλά και την εξάπλωση των ειδών των μακροφύτων στις περιοχές έρευνας, είναι το υδατικό ισοζύγιο, η αλατότητα και οι συγκεντρώσεις των θρεπτικών αλάτων. Στα πλαίσια προστασίας και διατήρησης των παράκτιων αυτών υγροτόπων, προτείνεται ο σχεδιασμός ενός μόνιμου δικτύου παρακολούθησης βιοτικών και αβιοτικών παραμέτρων και η διεξαγωγή συστηματικής έρευνας με την πραγματοποίηση οικολογικών μελετών χρησιμοποιώντας βιοτικά στοιχεία για την εκτίμηση της οικολογικής τους ποιότητας. Επίσης, η λήψη διαχειριστικών μέτρων για τον περιορισμό της εισροής θρεπτικών στους υγρότοπους, κρίνεται επιτακτική αφού η εμφάνιση ευτροφικών φαινομένων αποτελεί διαρκεί απειλή για τα υδάτινα οικοσυστήματα. Η απαγόρευση καταπάτησης των οικοτόπων, της απόρριψης σκουπιδιών, της βόσκησης και της θήρευσης, μπορεί να υλοποιηθεί με την λήψη και εφαρμογή αυστηρών μέτρων, καθώς και με την φύλαξη των περιοχών αυτών. Η περίφραξη και η σηματοδότηση επιλεγμένων σημείων, ο καθαρισμός απορριμμάτων, η απομάκρυνση ξενικών ειδών και ο καθαρισμός των καναλιών που συλλέγουν και διοχετεύουν νερό από την λεκάνη απορροής στους υγρότοπους, μπορούν να βοηθήσουν στην διατήρηση των υγροτόπων και την βελτίωση της οικολογικής τους κατάστασης. Επίσης, η πραγματοποίηση ειδικών περιβαλλοντικών μελετών πρέπει πάντα να προηγείται της υλοποίησης κάθε μορφής έργων. Τέλος η ενημέρωση και ευαισθητοποίηση του κοινού με την απρόσκοπτη λειτουργία κέντρων περιβαλλοντικής ενημέρωσης και φορέων διαχείρισης των περιοχών αυτών, κρίνεται απαραίτητη προκειμένου οι υγρότοποι να προστατευτούν και να αποφευχθεί η σταδιακή υποβάθμιση τους.
Lagoons and other coastal wetlands are shallow aquatic environments located in the transitional zone between terrestrial and marine ecosystems, which can span from freshwater to hypersaline conditions depending on their water balance. They exhibit an extreme spatial and temporal variability of environmental parameters and are recognized as highly productive ecosystems. Aquatic macrophytes are key structural and functional components of aquatic ecosystems. As photosynthetic sessile organisms being at the base of food web, are vulnerable and adaptive to human and environmental stress. They respond to aquatic environment representing reliable indicators of its changes and are mentioned in the WFD as biological quality elements for the ecological classification of transitional and coastal waters. In the present work, the relationships between biotic and abiotic parameters of the water column were investigated in coastal lagoons of Kotychi and Prokopos (NW Peloponnisos, Greece), Larnaca salt lakes and Akrotiri wetland (Cyprus). Monthly samplings were conducted during the vegetative periods of the years 2006, 2007 and 2008 and water parameters such as depth (m), transparency (m), temperature (οC), salinity (‰), conductivity (mS/cm), dissolved oxygen (mg/l), pH, photosynthetic active radiation – PAR and attenuation coefficient K (m-1) were recorded in situ, while Chl-α (mg/m3), total suspended matter (mg/l), alkalinity and nutrients of nitrogen and phosphorus (mg/l) were determined in the laboratory. Quantitative and qualitative data concerning aquatic macrophyte flora were recorded during the same period, such as species composition, community structure, spatial and temporal variations of species abundance and the succession of submerged macrophytes in relation to the main environmental factors. The aquatic macrophytic community was distinguished in different vegetation groups using TWINSPAN and MDS techniques. Correlations between environmental parameters were tested using Pearson and Kendall correlation tests, while One –way ANOVA was used to determine statistical significant differences of environmental variables between different study areas and distinguished plant groups. Finally CCA was performed in order to examine relationships between the species abundance and environmental variables. In total, 29 taxa were recorded in all four study areas and were classified in six vegetation groups. Five species were recorded for the first time in the island of Cyprus. The most abundant species were Ruppia cirrhosa, Potamogeton pectinatus, Najas marina ssp. armata, Althenia filiformis, Lamprothamnium papulosum και Ulva lactuca. The biomass of dominant species showed seasonal variations and maximum biomass values were recorded in late spring and summer. In Kotychi and Prokopos lagoons, the replacement of Potamogeton pectinatus by Ruppia cirrhosa was recorded, probably due to significant increase of salinity. In other parts of the lagoons, the replacement of macrophyte beds due to increased macroalgal proliferation was also recorded. In Larnaca and Akrotiri salt lakes, biomass values were significantly lower as a result of high salinity values. The most abundant species was Althenia filiformis (biomass peak in April). During the vegetative period of 2008, extreme salinity values were recorded as a result of reduced rainfall. High salinity values resulted in scarse occurrence of macrophytes in the salt lakes during this period. In Fasouri marsh, which is characterized by minimum salinity values, the dominant species Najas marina ssp. armata showed high biomass values (peak in June). Regarding the results of Ruppia cirrhosa population’s density in Kotychi lagoon (449-5120 shoots/m2), they were comparable with data from other Mediterranean lagoons. Meadows density was positively correlated with temperature and negatively correlated with total phosphorus. Leaf length showed positive correlation with bicarbonate ions, which can be a restrictive factor for the growth of macrophytes. The highest macrophyte diversity (Shannon-Weaner index) was found in Prokopos lagoon, whereas Larnaca salt lakes had the lowest values, probably due to high salinity. The implementation of EEI (Ecological Evaluation Index) for the assessment of the ecological quality of coastal and transitional waters, showed that Kotychi lagoon was classified into Moderate ecological class. Prokopos lagoon and Larnaca salt lakes were classified into Good ecological class and finally Akrotiri wetland was classified into High ecological class. Hydrological regime, salinity and nutrient concentrations seem to be the key factors controlling macrophyte composition, community structure and species abundance. For the conservation and management of these coastal and transitional wetlands, we propose the development of a monitoring network for biotic and abiotic parameters. Ecological studies for the evaluation of ecological quality of the wetlands according to the WFD 200/60/EU and implementation of management practices for the reduction of nutrient inflows in the wetlands are needed, in order to reduce eutrophication phenomena, which are a severe threat for the ecological balance of the wetlands. The encroachment of wetlands, hunting and waste discharges, should be prohibited by law. Finally, the increase of public environmental awareness will have significant results in the conservation of coastal wetlands.