The potential limitations on its basin decision-making processes of granting self-defence rights to Father Rhine

ABSTRACT

Recent grants of legal rights to rivers would seem to infuse traditional anthropocentric river governance with greater eco-centrism. Through a thought experiment, we scrutinize this proposition for the Rhine basin. We consider the governance implications of granting (procedural/material) rights to the river and elaborate on their implications for the three highly institutionalized regimes of the Rhine River of water quality, flooding and transport. Since we find that a shift to more eco-centrism has already occurred and since the right granted to the river would not be absolute, we deem radical transformations unlikely.     

Can Tolerant Diatom Taxa be Used for Effective Assessments of Human Pressure?

Because lately the low bioindicative value of tolerant species from different taxonomic groups is often questioned, in this study, we hypothesized that tolerant diatoms may be used for effective temporal assessments of human pressure. We tested this on the lowland Bzura River in central Poland, on 156 diatom samples (DSs) from two study periods of 1972 with extremely severe point‐source water pollution and of 2002–2004, where the complex wastewater management in the river catchment improved water quality considerably. Out of the total 295 diatom species recorded in the samples, only 133 tolerant ones were included in the study. Patterns in their abundance were recognized with a Kohonen artificial neural network (self‐organizing map, SOM), whereas the species significantly associated with each SOM cluster of diatom samples were identified with the indicator value (IndVal) index and the Monte Carlo test. If the hypothesis tested was not supported, the assignation of DSs to the SOM clusters would be random. However, the separation of DSs from 1972 and 2002–2004 was almost perfect because the number of exceptions was as low as 4.5%. In addition, the relatively high number (64 out of 133) of tolerant species significantly associated with any SOM cluster (and respective environmental conditions at sites from which samples assigned to it come) supports the hypothesis tested. This means that almost half of the studied species are not evenly distributed in particular clusters as might be expected for highly tolerant species. The study proves that the abundances of many diatom species, currently classified as tolerant, carry quite precise information on the differences in the quality of the environment, and indicates those tolerant diatom species whose bioindicative potential may be highest. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Project Risk Screening Matrix for River Management and Restoration

The ‘project risk screening matrix’ derives from a broader effort to assist US government agency staff in reviewing proposed stream management and restoration projects more efficiently and effectively. The River Restoration Analysis Tool (RiverRAT) developed through this effort provides a thorough, comprehensive and auditable approach to review and evaluate proposed stream actions and projects ( www.restorationreview.com ). The matrix was initially developed as the first step in applying the RiverRAT, its purpose being to assist reviewers in assessing the risk to natural resources associated with a particular proposal and matching the intensity of their review to the severity of that risk. Hence, the primary application of the matrix to date has been to identify and screen out low risk projects that may be dealt with expeditiously, so freeing the time and technical resources needed to allow deep reviews of higher risk projects. A second form of screening emerged from this primary function because the matrix proved adept at identifying the minimum level of site and project characterization required to support initial risk assessment. On this basis, proposals lacking adequate information can also be screened out, being referred back to the proponent with a request for additional information. More recently, new and novel versions of the matrix, featuring modification and refinement of one or both of the original axes, have emerged to widen and refine its application to linear infrastructure (e.g. pipelines, roads, and electrical transmission lines), in‐stream structures (e.g. large wood placement and culvert removal), and pre‐application, regulatory, decision‐support tools. Published 2014. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.     

宁夏红寺堡盆地隐伏古隆起成因机制及其对区域沙漠化的影响

目前对于青藏高原东北缘活动构造研究多集中于活动断裂带的活动性,而对夹持于其间的沉积盆地构造格架及活动性研究甚少。以夹持于烟筒山断裂与牛首山—罗山断裂之间的宁夏红寺堡盆地为研究对象,采用重力资料重处理解译、音频大地电磁测深(AMT)和地震勘探相结合,揭示红寺堡盆地隐伏构造特征,并进一步采用盆山一体化思路分析隐伏构造的成因机制及其对区域沙漠化的控制作用。结果表明:青藏高原在中新世末发生强烈的NE向推挤、扩展和隆升,红寺堡盆地由坳陷盆地转变为挠曲盆地; 在青藏高原NE向扩展的影响下,烟筒山断裂发生强烈的逆冲作用,古生代—中生代基底逆冲于古近系—新近系之上,受构造变形影响的最新地层为中新统彰恩堡组; 红寺堡盆地内的隐伏古隆起呈NW—SE向,与烟筒山构造带具有相同的构造动力学背景,受青藏高原NE向扩展影响形成于中新世末,并且至今仍具有活动性; 隐伏古隆起周缘断裂的活动破坏了地表稳定性、蓄水能力和地表植被,导致区域沙漠化呈现有规律的NW—SE向带状展布。该研究成果对于宁夏红寺堡盆地区域稳定性评价及沙漠化的综合治理具有现实指导意义。     

梧桐河流域上游径流时序变化特性及趋势

为掌握梧桐河流域上游径流时序变化特性以指导流域水资源开发利用,基于梧桐河上游宝泉岭水文站1951～2013年天然径流序列,采用累积距平法、非参数检验Mann-Kendall法和Morlet小波分析法研究了年、季节径流量的趋势特征、突变特征及周期特征,探讨了引起天然径流量发生变化的主要原因。结果表明,梧桐河流域春、冬两季径流量分别以0.005×10~8、0.004×10~8 m~3/10a平均速率呈增加变化,夏、秋两季径流量分别以0.144×10~8、0.243×108 m~3/10a平均速率呈减少变化,仅秋季径流量减少趋势显著,在季节径流量综合作用下,年径流量以-0.379×10~8 m~3/10a平均速率呈不显著减少变化;年及季节径流量丰枯转变频繁,突变多发生于1960年代中期以前;年及四季径流量存在显著周期特征,第1主周期依次为12、14、12、11、11年;降水减少引起流域径流量减少,使得两者呈基本一致的时序变化特性。研究成果可为流域水资源开发利用及规划管理提供依据。     

城市河流系统治理策略在鹅颈水生态修复中的应用

在简要介绍城市河流系统治理策略的基础上，详细论述其在鹅颈水生态修复中的应用。鹅颈水治理以流域为空间单位，准确把握河流主要问题，综合考量水资源、水安全、水环境、水生态、水文化，坚持工程和非工程措施并重，分阶段逐步实现洪水风险管理、外源污染控制、河流水质修复、河流生态系统恢复的目标。结果表明，鹅颈水目前已基本消除黑臭，水质逐渐提升至国家地表水Ⅳ类水标准。提出进一步加强河流生态系统恢复、优化管理制度、逐步建立全过程和全指标生态监测评估体系、实施弹性管理等鹅颈水系统治理措施。     

桥梁工程首级控制网测量关键技术探讨

首级控制网测量是桥梁工程顺利对接的关键技术之一，为保证桥梁工程施工质量,必须建立高精度控制网。根椐国家测量规范要求,结合某桥梁工程实例，探讨了首级控制网布设过程中的布网要求,以及平面控制测量和高程控制测量的关键技术及方法。经工程检验,该控制网布测方法能有效满足工程精度要求，对类似工程具有较强的操作性和借鉴意义。