Illinois River 2006, Water Quality Assessment at the Arkansas Highway 59 Bridge

Automatic water sampler and a U. S. Geological Survey gauging station were established in 1995 on the main stem of the Illinois River at the Arkansas Highway 59 Bridge. Since that time, continuous stage and discharge measurements and water quality sampling have been used to determine pollutant concentrations and loads in the Arkansas portion of the Illinois River. This report represents the results from the measurement and sampling by the Arkansas Water Resources Center -Water Quality Lab for January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2006

2004 Pollutant Loads Kings River Near Berryville, Arkansas

An automatic sampler and a USGS gauging station were established in 1998 and water quality sampling was begun in 1999 on the Kings River near Berryville, Arkansas. Continuous stage and discharge measurements and frequent water quality sampling have been used to determine pollutant concentrations and loads in the river. This report presents the results from the sampling and analysis for January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2004

Illinois River 2004 Pollutant Loads at Arkansas Highway 59 Bridge

Automatic water sampler and a U. S. Geological Survey gauging station were established in 1995 on the main stem of the Illinois River at the Arkansas Highway 59 Bridge. Since that time, continuous stage and discharge measurements and water quality sampling have been used to determine pollutant concentrations and loads in the Arkansas portion of the Illinois River. This report represents the results from the measurement and sampling by the Arkansas Water Resources Center -Water Quality Lab for January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2004

Water Quality Sampling, Analysis and Annual Load Determinations for TSS, Nitrogen and Phosphorus at the Washington County Road 76 Bridge on Ballard Creek

The Illinois River Basin has experienced water quality impairment from non-point source pollution for many years. This fact was well documented in the State of Arkansas\u27 Water Quality Assessment report, the Soil Conservation Service River Basin Study, and several University of Arkansas studies. Thirty-seven sub-watersheds have been identified by the SCS in the Arkansas portion of the Illinois River basin. In the Arkansas portion of the Basin, the Illinois River, Evansville Creek, Baron Fork, Cincinnati Creek, Muddy Fork, Moores Creek, Clear Creek, Osage Creek and Flint Creek were all classified as not supporting their designated use as primary contact recreation streams. The identified causes of the impairment were: sediment, bacteria and nutrients. In 1997, the University of Arkansas completed a project that estimated the phosphorus loading from each of the thirty-seven sub-watersheds. This project also prioritized watersheds for implementation work based on phosphorus loads, nitrogen loads and total suspended solids loads per unit area. The thirty-seven sub-watersheds were grouped into Low (16), Medium (10) and High (11) categories based on phosphorus loadings. If all the sub-watersheds above the median value for on phosphorus loading in the Illinois River basin were brought down to the current median value for phosphorus loading, this reduction would result in the agreed to 40% reduction of phosphorus at the state line. The selection of a sub-watershed for targeted intensive voluntary BMP implementation was based on the following criteria: a) the sub-watershed had to be above the current median value for phosphorus loading, b) there would be no sewage treatment plant in the sub-watershed, and c) land user interest. The Upper Ballard Creek watershed met all these requirements. The watershed covers 6700 hectares. The creek is listed in the High category with a unit area loading of 1.75 kg. per hectare per year. The median value for the thirty-seven watersheds is 0.73 kg. per hectare per year

Water Quality Sampling, Analysis and Annual Load Determinations for TSS, Nitrogen and Phosphorus at the Washington County Road 195 Bridge on the West Fork of the White River, 2004 Annual Report

A water quality sampling station was installed at the Washington County road 195 bridge on the West Fork of the White River just above the confluence of the three main forks of the Upper White River in December 2001. The Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) was approved by EPA Region six on March 2002 and sampling was begun at that time. This station is coordinated with a USGS gauging station at the same location. This station was instrumented to collect samples at sufficient intervals across the hydrograph to accurately estimate the flux of total suspended solids, nitrogen and phosphorus into the upper end of Beaver Lake from the West Fork of the White River. The West Fork is listed on Arkansas\u27 1998 303d list as impaired from sediment. The Upper White was designated as the states highest priority watershed in the 1999 Unified Watershed Assessment. Accurate determination of stream nutrients and sediment is critical for future determinations of TMDLs, effectiveness of best management practices and trends in water quality

Late Holocene Relationships Among Fire, Climate, and Vegetation in Rangeland Ecosystems of Southwestern Idaho

Rangelands are characterized by more arid climates than forested regions; therefore, establishing fire histories using traditional methods (e.g. fire-scars from trees or charcoal in lake sediments) is problematic. This study uses radiocarbon dating of charcoal preserved in alluvial fans and stream deposits to reconstruct a record of fire and geomorphic response in rangelands of southwestern Idaho. Samples indicate three primary periods of fire-related activity: 4400 – 4000, 2000 – 1400, and 650-400 cal yr BP. Charcoal macrofossil identification and comparison with other regional climate and fire records indicate this area has likely switched between a fuel-limited system (fires limited by lack of fuels), and a moisture-limited system (fires limited by too much moisture) with changes in Holocene climate. Over the past ~2000 yr, samples from this rangeland site indicate most fires occurred during wetter times than the record average. During overall wetter periods, (e.g. LIA; 600-100 cal yr BP) tree density may have increased, and fires occurred during intervals of relative drought. During times of prolonged drought (e.g. MCA 1025-650 cal yr BP) fire was recorded during a wetter interval. After ~600 cal yr BP, fire activity is similar to the record of low intensity fires in a nearby ponderosa pine-dominated drainage, and sagebrush is common in charcoal samples. Inferred shifts in the forest-rangeland ecotone are consistent with those reported elsewhere in the Great Basin. A comparison of OSL and 14C ages shows good correspondence between charcoal ages and the charcoal containing sediments, indicating fire-related sedimentation occurs soon after fire

Contribution of reactive and proactive control to children's working memory performance:Insight from item recall durations in response sequence planning

The present study addressed whether developmental improvement in working memory span task performance relies upon a growing ability to proactively plan response sequences during childhood. Two hundred thirteen children completed a working memory span task in which they used a touchscreen to reproduce orally presented sequences of animal names. Children were assessed longitudinally at 7 time points between 3 and 10 years of age. Twenty-one young adults also completed the same task. Proactive response sequence planning was assessed by comparing recall durations for the 1st item (preparatory interval) and subsequent items. At preschool age, the preparatory interval was generally shorter than subsequent item recall durations, whereas it was systematically longer during elementary school and in adults. Although children mostly approached the task reactively at preschool, they proactively planned response sequences with increasing efficiency from age 7 on, like adults. These findings clarify the nature of the changes in executive control that support working memory performance with age

Human Cytomegalovirus US28: A Functionally Selective Chemokine Binding Receptor

The Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV)-encoded chemokine receptor US28 is the most well-characterized of the four chemokine receptor-like molecules found in the HCMV genome. US28 been studied as an important virulence factor for HCMV-mediated vascular disease and, more recently, in models of HCMV-associated malignancy. US28 is a rare multi-chemokine family binding receptor with the ability to bind ligands from two distinct chemokine classes. Ligand binding to US28 activates cell-type and ligand-specific signaling pathways leading to cellular migration, an example receptor functional selectivity. Additionally, US28 has been demonstrated to constitutively activate PLC and NFkB. Understanding the structure/function relationships between US28, its ligands and intracellular signaling molecules will provide essential clues for effective pharmacological targeting this multifunctional chemokine receptor