Browsing by Subject "watershed"
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Item Analysis Of Response To Climate Change In The Le Sueur River Watershed With Generated Climate Predictions(2020-03) Steinweg, EmilyClimate change may have a variety of impacts on Midwest USA agriculture, including impacts to water quality, soil erosion, and nutrient loss. Existing and future climate scenarios were modeled in the Le Sueur watershed using the Soil & Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to compare the watershed outflow and nutrient concentration outflows under those scenarios. The Le Sueur watershed, in south-central Minnesota, USA, is approximately 1,112 square miles, 87% of which is agriculture. The agriculture land is predominantly in corn and soybean rotations. Much work has been done using global climate models to predict the climate impacts from anthropogenic climate changes, resulting in predictions that the Midwest will experience increased temperatures, increased precipitation in the winter months, and decreased precipitation in the summer months. Minnesota has already documented an increase in extreme rainfall events. These events can cause flooding, damage land and property, and impact agricultural production. This analysis uses six global climate model (GCM) projections from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) for the Le Sueur River watershed area. The magnitude of change of five weather inputs; maximum temperature, minimum temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation, and wind speed, was averaged over three future climate time periods (2006-2029, 2030-2059, and 2060-2099) for two emissions scenarios, RCP 4.5 and 8.5. Average changes were applied to local weather in the Weather Input for Nonpoint Data Simulations (WINDS) model to simulate local climate projections. Predictions from WINDS are used in SWAT, to investigate watershed response to climate change in the Le Sueur River watershed.Item City of Minnetonka Watershed Analysis(Resilient Communities Project, University of Minnesota, 2012) Alapati, Gayatri; Baldwin, Patrick; Bogg, Karen; Dunsmoor, Josh; Kaczmarek, Hagen; Kalinosky, Paula; Liddle, Patrick; Mazack, Jane; Niebuhr, Spencer; Taraldsen, Matt; Winzenburg, Lucas; Wynia, MollyThis project was completed as part of the 2012-2013 Resilient Communities Project (rcp.umn.edu) partnership with the City of Minnetonka. To identify strategies for improving water quality in Minnetonka lakes, the City needed more reliable information about the sources and amounts of potential biological and chloride contamination in the watersheds, as well as the avenues of transit for these contaminants from upland areas to the city's water bodies. Minnetonka project lead and water resources engineer Liz Stout worked with a team of students in 5295 to design a methodology for determining biomass loads within an identifiable tree canopy, and create a geodatabase of transit and flow properties within Minnetonka’s infrastructure. The students' final report and presentation are available.Item Compilation Geologic Model for Missouri River Watershed: A Pilot Project(Minnesota Geological Survey, 2022-07) Steenberg, Julia R; Retzler, Andrew J; Hamilton, Jacqueline D; Francis, Sarah WThis report is a summary of year one of a two-year pilot project conducted by the Minnesota Geological Survey for the Minnesota Department of Health Groundwater Restoration and Protection Strategies (GRAPS) program designed to support watershed planning efforts in the Missouri River Watershed. Our goal was to provide a compilation of both surface and subsurface geologic data within selected Board of Water and Soil Resources One Watershed One Plan boundaries in a format suitable for both modelers and the general public. Seamless geologic products provided within the watershed are based on a compilation of previously published MGS maps along with new mapping where necessary. Compilation methods and limitations associated with the subsurface modeling processes are described in the report. These products were transferred into web-based 3D models so they could be readily visualized and used outside of a GIS environment by water planners, other state agencies involved in the GRAPS process, and the public. The 3D model is available online at https://arcg.is/1iimH50.Item Compilation Geologic Model for Redeye River Watershed: A Pilot Project(Minnesota Geological Survey, 2022-07) Steenberg, Julia R; Retzler, Andrew J; Hamilton, Jacqueline D; Francis, Sarah WThis report is a summary of year one of a two-year pilot project conducted by the Minnesota Geological Survey for the Minnesota Department of Health Groundwater Restoration and Protection Strategies (GRAPS) program designed to support watershed planning efforts in the Redeye River Watershed. Our goal was to provide a compilation of both surface and subsurface geologic data within selected Board of Water and Soil Resources One Watershed One Plan boundaries in a format suitable for both modelers and the general public. Seamless geologic products provided within the watershed are based on a compilation of previously published MGS maps along with new mapping where necessary. Compilation methods and limitations associated with the subsurface modeling processes are described in the report. These products were transferred into web-based 3D models so they could be readily visualized and used outside of a GIS environment by water planners, other state agencies involved in the GRAPS process, and the public. The 3D model is available online at https://arcg.is/15Gnz02.Item Data in support of: Quantifying resilience of coldwater habitat to climate and land use change to prioritize watershed conservation(2021-08-06) Hansen, Gretchen JA; Wehrly, Kevin E; Vitense, Kelsey; Walsh, Jacob R; Jacobson, Peter C; ghansen@umn.edu; Hansen, Gretchen; University of Minnesota Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, Conservation Biology; Minnesota Department of Natural Resources; Michigan Department of Natural ResourcesData for 12,450 lakes in the Upper Midwestern United States used to predict coldwater, oxygenated habitat and how it is predicted to change under scenarios of climate and land use change. Specific fields include lake size, depth, watershed landuse, air temperature characteristics, and presence of the coldwater fish Cisco (Coregonus artedi). Also included are projected air temperatures under mid-Century conditions for each lake.Item Development of a Mathematical Model to Predict the Role of Surface Runoff and Groundwater Flow in Overfertilization of Surface Waters(Water Resources Research Center, University of Minnesota, 1971-06) Johnson, Jack D.; Straub, Conrad P.A nutrient enrichment accounting mathematical model was devised for the New Prague watershed in Minnesota. The New Prague watershed is 23.3 square miles in area and is predominately a rural watershed. Model input data was collected over a 2 1/2 year period from a stream gauging station and two automatic sampling stations. Over 800 water samples were analyzed. Extensive effort was placed on better understanding the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles. It is evident that the spring runoff process and accumulative winter fertilizer applications constitute the major portion of diffuse sources of nutrients in the watershed. Point sources from feedlots and municipal and industrial effluents contribute only 11 percent of the annual EN (total nitrogen, four components) and 7 percent TP (total phosphorus). Disperse sources accounted for 89 percent of EN and 93 percent of TP, with spring runoff in the two months of March and April accounting for 79 percent of the annual EN and 64 percent of the TP. The nutrient output from the watershed could be decreased by increasing penetration of the large amounts of EN and TP in snowpacks into the soil through land terracing to restart rapid spring runoffs and sub-surface drains to allow rapid drainage during the crop season.Item Numerical Routing of Flood Hydrographs through Open Channel Junctions(Water Resources Research Center, University of Minnesota, 1971-08) Bowers, C. Edward; Larson, Curtis L.; Wei, Tsong C.The study was concerned with numerical routing of flood hydrographs through open channel junctions. An open channel junction with a main channel above and below plus a branch channel were constructed in the laboratory. All channels were rectangular in shape, but varied in size. Facilities and procedures for supplying hvdrographs to the two channels above the junction were developed. Provision was made for measuring both inflow and outflow hydrographs and also flow depths at selected points in the three channels. A total of 14 experiments were conducted with various combinations of input hydrographs in terms of magnitude and relative timing. Unsteady flow conditions (depth, velocity and discharge) in the three channels were calculated at calculated at 5-ft. length increments and 1-sec. time increments, using the method of explicit finite differences applied to the characteristic equations. A procedure for calculating unsteady flow backwater effects in either or both of the upstream channels was developed and utilized as an integral part of the routing method. The junction routing procedure appears to be fairly general, having been applied in a situation where the channels above and below the junction are at different size, slope and elevation. In particular, it was shown that unsteady flow backwater effects can be represented in the method of explicit finite differences applied to the characteristic equations. Some error can be expected in any numerical method, as well as in all measurements. Due to the measurement error cited above, the amount of error attributable to the routing method cannot be determined. It appears to be on the order of 6 percent, but could be less than this amount.Item Nutrient dynamics in Minnesota watersheds(2016-12) Boardman, EvelynWhile excess nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from anthropogenic activities are known to contribute to the eutrophication of aquatic ecosystems, curbing their inputs poses a management challenge due to poorly understood interactions between land cover, nutrient inputs, and climate. In chapter 1 we examined nutrient inputs, losses, and retention in Minnesota watersheds, across a gradient of environmental variables. Fertilizer inputs were dominant sources of N and P inputs to agricultural watersheds, driving hydrologic losses. Greater runoff decreased retention, suggesting the interactive effects of climate, hydrological modifications, and high nutrient inputs contribute to sustained high hydrologic exports. In chapter 2 we examined the factors controlling concentration-discharge relationships describing P and sediment mobilization in agricultural watersheds in Minnesota. P and sediment were concentrated with greater discharge at most sites. Mean concentrations were elevated by anthropogenic land uses, and bluffs were positively related to particulate concentrations. The mobilization of P is highly sensitive to discharge and its different forms deserve explicit consideration in management strategies.Item OFR10-01, Sediment Source Apportionment to the Lake Pepin TMDL--Source Characterization(Minnesota Geological Survey, 2010) Jennings, Carrie E.The MGS portion of the project was specifically designed to help guide the selection and interpretation of lake-cores planned by the Science Museum of Minnesota that were intended to serve as reference sites (reference lakes) to document recent and historic erosion rates in the agricultural areas of the Middle Minnesota watershed. A second goal was to better predict the texture of surface sediment for input to a watershed model being used to address turbidity issues by the MPCA.Item OFR10-03, Geomorphology and Reconnaissance Surficial Geology of the Le Sueur River Watershed(Minnesota Geological Survey, 2010) Jennings, Carrie E.This map subdivides the surface into glacial geologic units based on geomorphology, texture and geologic origin. It includes a map legend, data points and links to sample data and photos taken during field work. An attribute table contains all relevant textural data. A summary of methods and interpretations is included in the accompanying report.Item OFR10-07, Glacial Geology of Seven Mile Creek Watershed(Minnesota Geological Survey, 2010) Jennings, Carrie E.The Minnesota Geological Survey was responsible for helping to quantify the relative contributions of bluff versus upland erosion in the watershed in order to better constrain a computer model of the watershed (HSPF model) by mapping the glacial geology of the Seven Mile Creek watershed, identifying the glacial stratigraphic units exposed along Seven Mile Creek, preparing a report of findings, and presenting the results to local interested partiesItem Optical and photochemical data of temperate wetland samples collected in Minnesota, USA from 2014-August to 2015-October(2018-06-01) Arnold, William A; McCabe, Andrew J; arnol032@umn.edu; Arnold, William AWetland surface water samples were collected from 39 sites throughout Minnesota, USA between 2014-August and 2015-October. Optical and photochemical parameters of the samples were measured under controlled laboratory conditions. The data were collected to identify environmental variables that constrain the yield of triplet excited states of dissolved natural organic matter. Apparent quantum yields of these triplet states were measured using the chemical probe, 2,4,6-trimethylphenol, under a broadband xenon-arc lamp with a 290-nm wavelength filter.Item Proceedings of the 6th Soil and Water Management Field Day(2017-07-18) Strock, Jeffrey S.; Ahaiblame, Lauren; Gupta, Satish; Ranaivoson, Andry; Varga, Tamas; Dalzell, Brent; Hummel, Alexander; Zhang, LuItem Treatment Wetland Vegetation Harvesting for Phosphorus Removal in Upper Midwest Agricultural Watersheds(2019-12) Alsadi, NadiaMidwestern wetlands can provide a variety of ecosystem services to the surrounding landscape including nutrient retention. Although wetlands are often times sinks for phosphorus (P), accumulation of P in wetland soils, referred to as legacy phosphorus, can affect water quality when flushed out of a system. The prevention, management, or removal of stored soil P within treatment wetlands can be challenging for land managers, but P may be stored within plant biomass and removed by harvesting. In Minnesota, a small-scale edge-of-farm treatment wetland (Granada treatment wetland), a micro-scale experiment of 30 mesocosm wetland systems (University of Minnesota, St. Paul campus), and a large-scale flood water storage impoundment (North Ottawa Impoundment) were assessed. In the small scale Granada treatment wetland and the St. Paul mesocosm experiments, harvested wetland vegetation was compared in autumn for P retention within the above ground biomass. A wet prairie vegetation mix from the Granada treatment wetland was sampled from each cell within the wetland and various native Minnesota plants were tested in the mesocosms at different times of the year. The monoculture species in the mesocosm experiments ultimately removed more P per biomass than the wet prairie mixes at the Granada treatment wetland. Biomass was not witnessed to be a direct indicator of P removal per the species studied in our experiments. The time of season of harvest and correlated phosphorus content was found to be an indicative factor for phosphorus removal potential. The Granada treatment wet prairie vegetation mix removed phosphorus each season through harvesting in the fall with approximately 2.3 kg/ha removed by vegetation in 2017 and 3.2 kg/ha removed in 2018. From the 2017-2018 mesocosm experiments, both Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani and Scirpus fluviatilis removed approximately 1.6 g of P per tank or up to approximately 12 kg/ha of P. Both bulrush species removed more P than Calamagrostis canadensis, Spartina pectinata, and Carex stricta. In the large scale North Ottawa Impoundment (NOI), a 2014 Typha x glauca harvest was analyzed for P removal potential in which results indicated up to 2,564 kg of P removal from biomass harvesting, or approximately 3.11 kg/ha. Each site was also monitored for soil legacy phosphorus reductions. In the 2018 St. Paul mesocosm soil analysis, reductions of soil P after plant harvest significantly exceeded loading of P. This may indicate potential for legacy phosphorus reduction by removing vegetation. Harvesting vegetation in treatment wetlands based on phosphorus content within the shoots of selected species can be a successful management practice to reduce phosphorus accumulation over time. Currently, treatment wetland vegetation harvesting is not widely practiced in Midwestern agricultural watersheds; if treatment wetland design and harvests were cost-effective and compatible with surrounding farm systems, there may be potential for widespread application of harvesting vegetation for P removal. Harvesting treatment wetland vegetation annually may aid in reducing legacy phosphorus content within soil and may further prevent water quality degradation within agricultural watersheds at different scales.Item Watershed Education Program: Assisting communities with watershed education and planning(St. Paul, MN: University of Minnesota Extension, 2012-10) Burkett, Eleanor; Malchow, Doug; Terry, Karen; Missaghi, Shane; Bilotta, John; Blickenderfer, Mary; Sands, GaryThe Watershed Education (WE) Program provides community leaders, citizens, and natural resource professionals with knowledge and tools to make informed water and land use decisions to protect and restore the integrity of Minnesota’s lakes, rivers, and wetlands. The program provides assistance at the watershed level, which means that water-related issues are addressed within areas bounded by geographic features rather than political boundaries. This shift is being adopted by state and federal agencies, requiring those involved at the local level to work differently as well. The WE Program offers physical and biological science education and assistance in stakeholder involvement, planning, and policy development. Specific learning experiences that are offered include topics such as basics of watershed hydrology, lake and river systems, urban and rural runoff, best management practices, aquatic invasive species, use of native plants to improve water quality, the role of citizens in watershed planning and Best Management Practices implementation and education models that have been successful in other watersheds. WE Program staff are committed to working with community leaders to holistically address the issues specific to their watershed. This poster will describe how the University of Minnesota Water Resources Team has changed the way we work by adapting existing curricula and creating new ways to address land use decisions and water quantity and quality concerns for local leaders across Minnesota’s watersheds.Item The Watershed Game Generating Public Value for Over Ten Years(2017-10) Bilotta, John; Hagley, Cynthia