Identification of Critical Source Areas (CSAs) and Evaluation of Best Management Practices (BMPs) in Controlling Eutrophication in the Dez River Basin

Best Management Practices (BMPs) are commonly used to control pollution in the river basins. Prioritization of BMPs helps improve the efficiency and effectiveness of pollution reduction, especially in Critical Source Areas (CSAs) that produce the highest pollution loads. Recently, the Dez River in Khuzestan, Iran, has become highly eutrophic from the overuse of fertilizers and pesticides. In this basin, dry and irrigated farming produce 77.34% and 6.3% of the Total Nitrogen (TN) load, and 83.56% and 4.3% of the Total Phosphorus (TP) load, respectively. In addition, residential, pasture, and forest land uses together account for 16.36% of the TN and 12.14% of the TP load in this area. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was implemented to model the Dez River basin and evaluate the applicability of several BMPs, including point source elimination, filter strips, livestock grazing, and river channel management, in reducing the entry of pollution loads to the river. Sensitivity analysis and calibration/validation of the model was performed using the SUFI-2 algorithm in the SWAT Calibration Uncertainties Program (SWAT-CUP). The CSAs were identified using individual (sediment, TN, TP) and combined indices, based on the amount of pollution produced. Among the BMPs implemented, the 10 m filter strip was most effective in reducing TN load (42.61%), and TP load (39.57%)

The Impact of River Flow Restrictions on Instruments to Control noPoint Nitrate Pollution

An economic analysis of policies to control nonpoint source nitrate pollution in the presence of minimum river flow restrictions was undertaken. A non-linear bio-physical economic optimisation model of an intensively cultivated Scottish agricultural catchment was constructed. The presence of minimum river flow controls in the catchment was found to reduce nitrogen pollution. However, by themselves, river flow controls were found not to be a cost effective means to reduce diffuse pollution. River flow controls did not, for the most part, alter relative instrument ranking.

Water Quality Trading: Theoretical and Practical Approaches

Permit trading as an instrument to control air pollution has already been implemented in several countries, so in Europe since 2005. Could this instrument, however, also be adequately used for water pollution control of river basins in form of a water quality trading? Specific characteristics of rivers, pollutants and pollution sources strongly influence the design of such an instrument. This paper reviews theoretical and practical approaches on water quality trading. It is surprising that these approaches have never been linked by the literature. To fill this gap, this paper gives a first idea, how different water quality trading approaches (in theory and practice) can be made comparable.water quality trading, water pollution control, river basin management

A GPI-Based Critique of The Economic Profile of the Lower Mississippi River: an Update

The Genuine Progress Indicator, or GPI, is an alternative economic indicator that seeks to measure net economic welfare—the economic welfare that is gained by economic activity after the costs of producing that welfare (such as the costs of air pollution, water pollution, resource depletion, climate change, and the like) are deducted. From a GPI perspective, the economy of the Lower Mississippi River Corridor is not nearly as robust as traditional modes of economic analysis would suggest. There are clear paths to increasing GPI (and human economic wellbeing) that have implications for environmental, economic and river-management policy

Characteristics of heavy metals and their evaluation in suspended sediments from Piracicaba river basin (São Paulo, Brazil)

Fluxes of the particulate heavy metals like chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn) and lead (Pb) were determined along the Piracicaba River basin. Suspended sediments from the main channel and tributaries were sampled during January 2005 (high water period) and analyzed for total concentrations after extraction by alkaline fusion procedure. The average concentrations showed a significant increase pattern from upstream to downstream for Zn, Cr, Ni, Cu and Pb, except for Co, in which only a small variation was noted. The specific fluxes of Zn, Cr and Ni were slightly higher (79.9, 33.3 and 20 kg km-2 yr-1, respectively) in comparison to other industrialized regions in Asia, Europe, North and South America. Significative correlations between organic matter and Cr, Cu and Co, observed in the suspended sediments along the Piracicaba River basin, revealed that heavy metals were adsorbed or complexed by the organic matter, while Ni and Pb were significatively correlated with Fe oxide. The geo-accumulation index (Igeo) used to evaluate the pollution degree of the Piracicaba River sediments, revealed a medium to strong pollution for Zn in the entire basin and moderate pollution for Cr and Ni at downstream direction around an important area covered by sugar cane plantations and urban areas influenced by domestic sewage

Constituent Loads and Trends in the Upper Illinois River Watershed and Upper White River Basin: 2015 October through 2018 September

The Arkansas Natural Resources Commission (ANRC) identified two priority hydrologic unit code (HUC) 8 watersheds, the Upper White River Basin (UWRB; HUC 11010001) and the Upper Illinois River Watershed (UIRW; 11110103), in northwest Arkansas. Nonpoint source (NPS) pollution is a concern in these watersheds, such as excess nutrients from agriculture and sediment from changes in land uses. Several NPS pollution projects have been funded by ANRC, including streambank restoration on Sager Creek and best management practices (BMP) to control urban sediment in Fayetteville. The purpose of this project was to collect water samples at 15 sites in the UWRB and UIRW to estimate constituent loads and understand how water quality has been changing in these priority watersheds over time

Environmental offsets and other market approaches with specific reference to the Olifants River (East) and Berg River

Biodiversity offsets for a river create the incentive for cooperation amongst stakeholders with benefits to the environment. Because of the isolation paradox supporting institutions need to be created to facilitate cooperation. Environmental pollution caused by mining activity is a problem in the Olifants River (East) in South Africa. The catchment surface is fractured by mining activities and water is drained into underground aquifers, after which it seeps into streams. Mines have been permitted to release nutrients in the streams during periods of high flow, which is called the “controlled release schemeâ€. A main problem is the effluent leakage from old disused mines during times when river flow is low and not sufficient dilution of nutrients is possible. DWAF (Department of Water Affairs and Forestry) has accepted ownership of these mines but they may not have the technology (which is expensive) to desalinate the effluent. In an offsetting arrangement, incentives can be provided to existing mines to desalinate water from these defunct mines by allowing them to discharge a given amount in the Olifants when the water flow is sufficiently high. The above arrangement will cost the taxpayer nothing while discharge during low flow periods is reduced. A discussion was held with stakeholders of the Olifants River Forum during 2006 and support was received for some of these policy options. It is shown how offsets can mitigate negative effects of dam construction. It is further proposed that tradable pollution permits be adopted which are subject to a rule that discharges in the river are only allowed when flow is sufficiently high and that trades may only occur within certain parameters.environmental offsets, pollution permits, Olifants River (East),