Use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in water resources: A review

Increasing public awareness, stricter measures and promulgation of new laws in the area of water resources have made the use of advanced technologies indispensable. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are an effective tool for storing, managing, and displaying spatial data often encountered in water resources management. The application of GIS in water resources is constantly on the rise. In order to stress the importance of GIS in water resources management, applications related to this area are addressed and evaluated for efficient future research and development. Fundamentals of GIS are summarized and the history of the GIS evolution in water resources is discussed. Current GIS applications are presented including surface hydrologic and groundwater modeling, water supply and sewer system modeling, stormwater and nonpoint source pollution modeling for urban and agricultural areas, and other related applications. Future research and development needs are presented, based on these reviews.     

Impact of Drought on Diatom Communities and the Consequences for the use of Diatom Index Values in the River Maureillas (Pyrénées‐Orientales,France)

In the context of climate change, with an increase in the incidence of seasonally dry streambeds, we examined the impact of drought, and its duration, on the structure of diatom communities and the consequences of this on diatom index values (Biological Diatom Index; Specific Polluosensitivity Index) in the Mediterranean river Maureillas. The effects of several durations of droughts or low flow events (1, 2 and 4 weeks) on diatom‐dominated biofilms were studied by removing pebbles from the river and comparing the growing communities after rewetting with those of control biofilms (pebbles left in the streambed) and with those of newly formed biofilms (cleaned‐up pebbles). Sampling was performed six times during the 28‐day rewetting phase. We determined the specific composition of diatom communities, the mortality rate after rewetting, and the Biological Diatom Index and Specific Polluosensitivity Index scores for each sample, distinguishing between potentially living diatoms (full frustules with chloroplasts) and dead diatoms (empty frustules). Our results showed a notable and durable impact of even short drought on diatom communities. The different trajectories of biofilm communities observed between the types of pebbles showed the importance of the biofilm history for the community structure. This should be taken into account to improve the sampling practices used for monitoring. We also observed a stable mortality rate whatever the drought duration was. Diatom index values were stable despite the observed impact of treatment on diatom communities. These results emphasize the reliability of the diatom index to evaluate biological quality according to European requirements. In addition, the distinction of empty and full frustules did not induce significant differences, but it may reduce biases in interpretation. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Examining 20th century water quality and ecological changes in the Lake of the Woods, Ontario, Canada: A paleolimnological investigation

Comparisons between diatom assemblages preserved in modern and pre-industrial sediments were made to provide a lake-wide paleolimnological assessment of environmental change in 17 sites located throughout the Ontario portion of the Lake of the Woods (LoW). Diatom changes were consistent across all sites, although the magnitude of these changes varied along a trophic gradient (i.e., main channel sites versus isolated bays). The most notable taxonomic shift was towards a higher relative abundance of small, centric Cyclotella taxa and other planktonic, pennate diatoms (e.g., Asterionella formosa, Fragilaria crotonensis) in the modern sediments, with corresponding lower relative abundances of heavily silicified Aulacoseira taxa and small benthic Fragilaria taxa. To aid in determining whether changes in nutrients can explain the diatom trends, weighted-averaging partial-least-squares (WA-PLS) techniques were used to develop a diatom-based inference model to reconstruct changes in total phosphorus (TP) concentrations. Diatom-inferrred TP (DI-TP) reconstructions revealed that 88% of the sites showed either no change or a slight, but not significant decline in DI-TP since pre-industrial times. Diatom-based inferences suggest that TP concentrations at many sites in the Ontario portion of the LoW were moderately elevated in nutrients prior to any major human disturbances (i.e., pre-1850). Results suggest that substantial increases in temperature over the last few decades, and the associated changes to ice cover and water column properties, have likely exacerbated the effects of existing stressors on the system and were key factors influencing a lake-wide restructuring of the diatom communities over the past ca. 150 years.     

Periphyton in the Clear and Colored Water Masses of the St. Lawrence River (Quebec,Canada): A 20-Year Overview

Periphyton was collected on navigational buoys in the Montreal island sector of the St. Lawrence River during 1994–95 to compare biomass and species composition in the transparent “green” waters originating from the Great Lakes with those found in the colored, more turbid “brown” waters coming from the Ottawa River. Periphyton biomass (chlorophyll a, ash free dry mass, density and biovolume) was depressed in brown waters and differences in species composition were observed at the class (i.e., diatoms more important in brown waters) and species level (i.e., Melosira varians more abundant in brown waters). Comparison of 1994 and 1995 with 1982 and 1973 data supported the observed differences in biomass between brown and green waters, yet showed no major temporal shifts in periphyton species composition despite reductions in phosphorus loadings to the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River during that 20-yr period. Biomass (density and biovolume) of Cladophora and relative abundance of chlorophytes appeared much higher in 1982 than recorded in 1994 and 1995. Cladophora influences diatom community composition by providing a substratum for epiphytes and thus represents a key species controlling the structure of periphyton assemblages. Future monitoring efforts in the St. Lawrence River should focus on this species and include a standardization of sampling and enumeration methods.     

Variations in the Aquatic Vegetation of the Welland River (Ontario,Canada) Above and Below an Industrial Waste Discharge

The zonation of aquatic macrophytes, particularly Typha and Sagittaria sp. and associated periphyton communities, were investigated in relation to industrial point source discharges to the Welland River, Ontario. Severe reductions of macrophyte species densities and macrophyte and periphyton diversity were found immediately below the outfalls with distinct recovery zones in the downstream part. Normal macrophyte and periphyton density and diversity occurred at sites approximately 1.6 km below the outfall.     

Using Microfossil Remains in Lake Sediments to Examine the Invasion of Eubosmina coregoni (Cladocera,Bosminidae) in Lake of the Woods,Ontario, Canada

Many nonindigenous species (NIS) present in the Laurentian Great Lakes are expanding their ranges to inland lakes and streams. This study used cladoceran microfossils to examine the invasion history of Eubosmina coregoni, the first known nonindigenous zooplankter to invade Lake of the Woods (LOW), Ontario, Canada. Sediment cores from 16 sites in LOW were used to analyze broad-scale presence/absence of E. coregoni prior to human development (bottom sediment samples) in comparison with present-day distribution (top sediment samples). E. coregoni had the highest relative abundance in the northern and eastern regions of LOW and the abundance of all cladoceran remains was low in the southern region of the lake. A long core (time core) from Clearwater Bay provided a more detailed historical account of E. coregoni's abundance in the northern region of LOW, indicating that E. coregoni was first detected in the lake in the early 1990s, approximately 25 years after it was discovered in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Results obtained in this study have illuminated temporal and spatial patterns of colonization of this inland water body. Study of the early invasion dynamics of NIS in these inland lakes may aid in the prevention of future invasions of taxa that have already altered the food web dynamics in the Laurentian Great Lakes.     

A critical assessment of a proposed public private partnership (PPP) for the management of water services in Lebanon

Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) are increasingly heralded as an innovative policy intervention in the context of critical urban infrastructure services where outright privatization and loss of control are considered unacceptable. This paper assesses a proposed PPP for the management of water services in the Lebanese capital, Beirut. Although the city of Beirut and its suburbs are considered as the center of social, economic, and political activities in the country, safe drinking water is not accessible to all the population of the city in view of the current economic crisis and the high level of urbanisation. A PPP is viewed as a promising solution to the water supply problem, especially in poor and suburban areas. After introducing PPPs and the rationale behind invoking private sector participation, this paper assesses the potential promise of different forms of PPPs in the context of the economic and institutional framework of water management in the Greater Beirut Area (GBA).     

Distribution of Pb, As, Cd, Sn and Hg in soil, sediment and surface water of the tropical river watershed, Terengganu (Malaysia)

Hydrogeochemistry and distribution of Pb, As, Cd, Sn and Hg in soils (n = 53), sediments (n = 42) and surface waters (n = 51) of the tropical Terengganu River basin, northeast coast of Peninsular Malaysia, were investigated. The order of abundance of the elements in soils followed granite > metasedimentary > Quaternary deposit ? volcanic with slight enrichment as compared to the upper continental crust. Both soils and sediments registered the order of concentration of Pb > Sn > As ? Cd ? Hg with an enrichment factor (EF) < 6 for sediments indicating slight enrichment representing the regional background and less likely due to the anthropogenic activity related input. SEM analysis revealed the presence of Malayaite (CaSnOSiO₄) explaining elevated Sn concentration (up to ∼34 mg/kg; 3 times the upper continental crust) in soils. Soil Pb distribution showed the geology as the primary control.Dissolved concentrations of As showed an increasing and Cd decreasing with distance from upstream to downstream along the river flow path. Lake surface waters registered 16 times higher Cd concentrations (average ∼ 14.21 μg/L) than the river waters, but lake sediments registered lower Cd concentration than the river sediments (average ∼ 0.45 mg/kg) revealing Eh, pH and TDS control. Dissolved average Hg concentration (∼0.04 μg/L) was measured to be lower than the tropical river waters from the Central Africa river, but higher than the Mekong and the Amazon Rivers.     

Genetic variability and population structure of dorada (Brycon moorei sinuensis Dahl) in the Sinú River, Córdoba, Colombia

Six microsatellite loci, isolated for Piaractus mesopotamicus (Characidae, Serrasalminae) were used to evaluate the genetic variability of the dorada (Brycon moorei sinuensis, Characidae, Bryconinae) population in the Sinú River, Córdoba, Colombia, and to facilitate management recommendations for this species. The six loci were polymorphic, with an average of 9.25 alleles for dimeric loci (Pme2, Pme4, Pme5 and Pme20), and five alleles for trimeric loci. Tests for linkage disequilibrium were used to determine that the six loci had an independent distribution. The observed heterozygosities were lower than the expected ones for all loci, and the population was not in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium because of heterozygote deficiency. F‐statistics indicated inbreeding and a low population substructure. The homogeneity of the population was confirmed by high values of genetic flux and an agglomerated representation of the individuals, based on factor correspondence analysis. Recent bottlenecks were detected for three sample sites under the assumption of an infinite allele mutation model. Proposals for the management of the dorada population are made and validated with a genetic simulation.     

Occurrence of residues of veterinary antibiotics in water,sediment and trout tissue (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in the southern area of Lake Titicaca,Peru

The city of Puno in Peru is the largest producer of trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) using intensive floating cage systems installed in Lake Titicaca. As a result, the increase in diseases and the use of antibiotics to control them during the production cycle has been documented. We study the impact of antibiotics on drinking water, trout tissues and the lake's aquatic ecosystem. Nine antibiotics were monitored: tetracyclines, sulfonamides and fluoroquinolones. The samples were collected randomly and analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry and the solid-phase extraction system. The sediment samples and surface water samples contain high concentrations of antibiotics. All sediments contain fluoroquinolones (3.74 mg kg^?1) and tetracyclines (3.08 mg kg^?1) and the surface water contains fluoroquinolones of up to 408.2 and 652.7 ng L^?1 in the dry and rainy seasons respectively (P > 0.05). Drinking water samples from the city of Puno collected at sampling points with Lake Titicaca as a source of drinking water, reached an average of 188.1 and 222.2 ng L^?1 of ciprofloxacin in dry and rainy seasons respectively. Complementarily, in trout tissues, it reached 7.8 μg kg^?1 in oxytetracycline 8.7 μg kg^?1 in sulfatizole, 4.2 μg kg^?1 in ciprofloxacin and 3.6 μg kg^?1 in sarafloxacin. The presence of these antibiotics in surface water is attributed to the aquaculture activity, in addition to runoff and wastewater, and their presence can have detrimental effects on the aquatic ecosystem, and even affect public health due to the consumption of aquaculture products and drinking water contaminated with antibiotic residues.     

田纳西流域水利水保工程减沙及对我国长江流域水保的启示

根据田纳西干流四个主要测站有1935～1942年的水沙资料分析得出泥沙呈减少趋势，其原因为气候、水利和水保工程影响。根据支流典型测站有1935～1938和1963～1965年水沙资料情况对9条支流进行了平均对比分析，得出泥沙减少是流域内水保工程所致；对有1935～1938，1939～1942和1963～1965年三个时段的支流测站VALLEY河进行了深入的分析，得出在排除降雨条件影响下水土保持措施的减沙效果。另外结合田纳西流域的治理，对我国长江流域的水保提出了商榷性意见。     

Immediate downstream effects of the Petit-Saut dam on young neotropical fish in a large tributary of the Sinnamary River (French Guiana,South America)

The effects of artificially low runoffs in the Sinnamary River, French Guiana, South America, on flow patterns and on richness and abundance of young fish in Venus Creek, one of its main downstream tributaries were examined. After Petit-Saut dam's gates were closed, the areas adjacent to this tributary were never once flooded for the entire duration of the rainy season. The daily maximal averages of water speed at the tributary's mouth were found to be significantly increased. Young fish sampled using light-traps were less abundant and less diverse after dam closure. Young Characiformes appeared to be the most affected by these flow disturbances. These findings enabled us to develop a conceptual model of the consequences of impoundment on young fish assemblages through the modifications of tributaries and associated floodplains hydrology. Because of flow reduction in the river during the first year of impoundment, young fish that previously had a tendency of being trapped in tributaries and flooded areas were then at risk of being flushed away. The pattern of flow release by dam operations is known to be very different from natural flow variations. The consequences for downstream tributaries will be similar to those of channelization: lack of adjacent flooding areas and higher rates of downstream water transfer. How the recovery of downstream fish assemblages will occur is discussed. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Discontinuity of trichopteran (caddisfly) communities in regulated waters of the clearwater river,Idaho, U.S.A.

Riverine trichopteran (caddisfly) communities were sampled seasonally at eight locations over a two-year period to determine if a multiple-level release hydroelectric dam created a faunal discontinuity along the longitudinal profile of the Clearwater River in northern Idaho. The confluence of a non-regulated river with a regulated reach provided an unusual opportunity to examine the recovery of community parameters in a semi-regulated river. A marked discontinuity in the caddisfly community occurred in the regulated reach immediately below the dam, reflected by greatly reduced diversity and abundance values, and by shifts in functional relationships. These faunal changes are primarily attributable to the modified temperature, discharge, and food resources induced by river regulation. The non-regulated river exerted a major mitigative effect on the trichopteran fauna below its confluence with the regulated reach, despite maintenance of semi-regulated conditions. Trichopteran community parameters approached near normal levels concomitant with partial reductions in flow fluctuations, and partial recovery of temperature and food resources. In addition, the non-regulated river provided an important colonization pathway for riverine species to enter the semi-regulated lower reaches.     

Channel response to sediment replenishment in a large gravel‐bed river: The case of the Saint‐Sauveur dam in the Buëch River (Southern Alps,France)

The Saint‐Sauveur dam was built in 1992 in the middle section of the Buëch River. Downstream of the dam, a channel incision by several meters was observed. A gravel replenishment operation was planned in order to restore the active channel. An equivalent of two times the mean annual bedload‐transport capacity (43,500 m³) was replenished downstream of the dam in September 2016. The aim of this paper is to quantify morphological change associated with sediment remobilization in order to evaluate the efficiency of the restoration works. The monitoring was based on a combination of (a) change detection using sequential high‐resolution digital elevation models (from airborne LiDAR data), (b) bedload tracing using active ultrahigh‐frequency radio‐frequency identification technology, and (c) complementary field surveys of channel grain‐size distribution and morphology for bedload‐transport computation. Field monitoring allows us to capture a net aggradation along a 2‐km reach after the first post‐replenishment flood. A sediment balance analysis was performed to back‐calculate bedload supply coming from the sluicing operation during the flood. Although the sediment replenishment operation clearly had a positive impact on the morphological conditions of the starved river reach, the effective bedload supply from artificial berms (22,650 m³) was insufficient to initiate substantial channel shifting along the restored reach and a subsequent amplification of the sediment recharge. The combination of high‐resolution topographic resurveys and sediment tracing was successful to evaluate the downstream propagation of sediment replenishment effects.