Transport and accumulation of cesium-137 and mercury in the Clinch River and Watts Bar Reservoir system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olsen, C.R.; Larsen, I.L.; Lowry, P.D.; Moriones, C.R.; Ford, C.J.; Dearstone, K.C.; Turner, R.R.; Kimmel, B.L.; Brandt, C.C.

1992-06-01

Operations and waste disposal activities at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and the Oak Ridge K-25 Site (formerly the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant) on the US Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) have introduced a variety of airborne, liquid, and solid wastes into the surrounding environment. Some of these wastes may affect off-site areas by entering local streams, which ultimately drain into the Clinch and Tennessee river system. Previously reported concentrations of radionuclides, metals and organic compounds in water, sediment, and biota of the Clinch River and Watts Bar Reservoir suggest the presence of a variety of contaminants of possible concern to the protection of human health and the environment. The work reported here represents part of the initial scoping phase for the Clinch River RCRA Facility Investigation. In this work, the distribution of 137 Cs is used to identify contaminant accumulation patterns and potential problem, or ''hot-spot,'' areas with regard to environmental hazard or human health. Radiocesium was chosen for this scoping effort because (1) its history of release into the Clinch River is reasonably well documented, (2) it is easy and inexpensive to measure by gamma spectrometry, and (3) it is rapidly sorbed to particulate matter and thus serves as a cost-effective tracer for identifying the transport and accumulation patterns of many other particle-reactive contaminants, such as mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), and plutonium (Pu), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

Saga of Clinch River

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Young, W.H.

1984-01-01

An epic struggle in the US Congress between what the author calls the forces of transcendence and the forces of experience over development of a breeder reactor for electric power generation is described in this article. The project was started by President Nixon, survived repeated attacks under President Carter, and ironically succumbed under a strong supporter, President Reagan, as a result of an unlikely coalition of conservative organizations and Republican politicians. The broader meanings of the demise of the Clinch River project are examined on several levels, examining the significance for the nation's energy future and for the nation's political future

Addendum to the Phase 2 Sampling and Analysis Plan for the Clinch River Remedial Investigation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-03-01

This document is an addendum to the Phase 2 Sampling and Analysis Plan for the Clinch River Remedial Investigation (DOE 1993). The Department of Energy--Oak Ridge Operations (DOE-ORO) is proposing this addendum to the US Envianmental Protection Agency, Region IV (EPA-IV), and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) as a reduced sampling program on the Clinch River arm of Watts Bar Reservoir and on Poplar Creek. DOE-ORO is proposing to maximize the use of existing data and minimize the collection of new data for water, sediment, and biota during Phase 2 of the Clinch River Remedial Investigation. The existing data along with the additional data collected in Phase 2 would be used to perform a baseline risk assessment and make remedial decisions. DOE-ORO considers that the existing data, the additional data collected in Phase 2, and on-site remedial investigation data would be sufficient to understand the nature and extent of the contamination problem in the Clinch River, perform a baseline risk assessment,and make remedial decisions. This addendum is organized in three sections. The first section provides background information and describes a rationale for modifying the Phase 2 Sampling and Analysis Plan. Section 2 presents a summary of the existing data for the Clinch River arm of Watts Bar Reservoir and an evaluation of the sufficiency of this data for a baseline human health and ecological risk assessment. Section 3 describes the revised Phase 2 Sampling and Analysis Plan for surface water, sediment, and biota in the Clinch River OU and in the Poplar Creek OU

Phase 1 data summary report for the Clinch River Remedial Investigation: Health risk and ecological risk screening assessment. Environmental Restoration Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cook, R.B.; Adams, S.M.; Beauchamp, J.J.; Bevelhimer, M.S.; Blaylock, B.G.; Brandt, C.C.; Ford, C.J.; Frank, M.L.; Gentry, M.J.; Holladay, S.K.; Hook, L.A.; Levine, D.A.; Longman, R.C.; McGinn, C.W.; Skiles, J.L.; Suter, G.W.; Williams, L.F.

1992-12-01

The Clinch River Remedial Investigation (CRRI) is designed to address the transport, fate, and distribution of waterborne contaminants released from the US Department of Energy`s (DOE`s) Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) and to assess potential risks to human health and the environment associated with these contaminants. The contaminants released since the early 1940s include a variety of radionuclides, metals, and organic compounds. The purpose of this report is to summarize the results of Phase 1 of the CRRI. Phase 1 was designed to (1) obtain high-quality data to confirm existing historical data for contaminant levels in fish, sediment, and water from the CR/WBR; (2) determine the in the range of contaminant concentrations present river-reservoir system; (3) identify specific contaminants of concern; and (4) establish the reference (background) concentrations for those contaminants.

Characterization of surface water contaminants in the Clinch River and Poplar Creek

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ford, C.; Madix, S.; Rash, C.

1995-01-01

Surface waters in the Clinch River and Poplar Creek have been contaminated by activities on the DOE's Oak Ridge Reservation throughout the more than 50 year history of Oak Ridge. Though the Clinch River and Poplar Creek drainage areas are contaminated with heavy metals, organics and radionuclides, public access to these sites is not restricted. The investigation, divided into discrete studies, was tailored to provide a statistically sound picture of contaminants and aqueous toxicity in Poplar Creek, investigate contaminant remobilization from sediments, and determine contaminant levels during a series of ''worst-case'' events. Results for Poplar Creek indicate that average contaminant values were below levels of concern for human health and ecological risk, though contaminant distributions suggest that episodic events contribute sufficiently to system contaminant levels to be of concern. Additionally, water column contaminant levels were significantly higher in particle deposition areas rather than at known contaminant sources. Levels of organic compounds in reference areas to Poplar Creek exceeded those in the Poplar Creek study area. In the Clinch River and Poplar Creek, statistical differences in metal and radionuclide levels from known contaminated areas confirmed previous results, and were used to independently distinguish between sites. Contaminant concentrations were elevated in association with sediments, though no distinction between deposition and remobilization could be made. Due to elevated contaminant levels, and some unexpected contaminant distributions, sites in Poplar Creek and off-channel embayments of the Clinch River were identified that will require additional characterization

Remedial investigation/feasibility study for the Clinch River/Poplar Creek operable unit. Volume 4. Appendix F

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-09-01

This section contains ecotoxicological profiles for the COPECs for the combined Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study Report for the Clinch River/Poplar Crack (CR/PC) Operable Unit (OU). The ecotoxicological information is presented for only those endpoints for which the chemicals are COPECs. The CR/PC OU is located in Anderson and Roane Counties, Tennessee and consists of the Clinch River and several of its embayments in Melton Hill and Watts Bar Reservoirs. These waters have received hazardous substances released over a period of 50 years from the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), a National Priority List site established under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. A remedial investigation has been conducted to determine the current nature and extent of any contamination and to assess the resulting risk to human health and the environment. The feasibility study evaluates remedial action alternatives to identify any that are feasible for implementation and that would effectively reduce risk. Historical studies had indicated that current problems would likely include 137 Cs in sediment of the Clinch River, mercury in sediment and fish of Poplar Creek and PCBs and pesticides in fish from throughout the OU. Peak releases of mercury and 137 Cs occurred over 35 years ago, and current releases are low. Past releases of PCBs from the ORR are poorly quantified, and current releases are difficult to quantify because levels are so low. The site characterization focused on contaminants in surface water, sediment, and biota. Contaminants in surface water were all found to be below Ambient Water Quality Criteria. Other findings included the following: elevated metals including cesium 137 and mercury in McCoy Branch sediments; PCBs and chlordane elevated in several fish species, presenting the only major human health risk, significant ecological risks in Poplar Creek but not in the Clinch River

Remedial investigation/feasibility study for the Clinch River/Poplar Creek operable unit. Volume 4. Appendix F

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-09-01

This section contains ecotoxicological profiles for the COPECs for the combined Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study Report for the Clinch River/Poplar Crack (CR/PC) Operable Unit (OU). The ecotoxicological information is presented for only those endpoints for which the chemicals are COPECs. The CR/PC OU is located in Anderson and Roane Counties, Tennessee and consists of the Clinch River and several of its embayments in Melton Hill and Watts Bar Reservoirs. These waters have received hazardous substances released over a period of 50 years from the US Department of Energy`s Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), a National Priority List site established under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. A remedial investigation has been conducted to determine the current nature and extent of any contamination and to assess the resulting risk to human health and the environment. The feasibility study evaluates remedial action alternatives to identify any that are feasible for implementation and that would effectively reduce risk. Historical studies had indicated that current problems would likely include {sup 137}Cs in sediment of the Clinch River, mercury in sediment and fish of Poplar Creek and PCBs and pesticides in fish from throughout the OU. Peak releases of mercury and {sup 137}Cs occurred over 35 years ago, and current releases are low. Past releases of PCBs from the ORR are poorly quantified, and current releases are difficult to quantify because levels are so low. The site characterization focused on contaminants in surface water, sediment, and biota. Contaminants in surface water were all found to be below Ambient Water Quality Criteria. Other findings included the following: elevated metals including cesium 137 and mercury in McCoy Branch sediments; PCBs and chlordane elevated in several fish species, presenting the only major human health risk, significant ecological risks in Poplar Creek but not in the Clinch River.

Remedial investigation/feasibility study for the Clinch River/Poplar Creek operable unit. Volume 3. Appendix E

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-09-01

This document contains Appendix E: Toxicity Information and Uncertainty Analysis, description of methods, from the combined Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study Report for the Clinch River/Poplar Crack (CR/PC) Operable Unit (OU). The CR/PC OU is located in Anderson and Roane Counties, Tennessee and consists of the Clinch River and several of its embayments in Melton Hill and Watts Bar Reservoirs. These waters have received hazardous substances released over a period of 50 years from the US Department of Energy`s Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), a National Priority List site established under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. A remedial investigation has been conducted to determine the current nature and extent of any contamination and to assess the resulting risk to human health and the environment. The feasibility study evaluates remedial action alternatives to identify any that are feasible for implementation and that would effectively reduce risk. Historical studies had indicated that current problems would likely include {sup 137}Cs in sediment of the Clinch River, mercury in sediment and fish of Poplar Creek and PCBs and pesticides in fish from throughout the OU. Peak releases of mercury and {sup 137}Cs occurred over 35 years ago, and current releases are low. Past releases of PCBs from the ORR are poorly quantified, and current releases are difficult to quantify because levels are so low. The site characterization focused on contaminants in surface water, sediment, and biota. Contaminants in surface water were all found to be below Ambient Water Quality Criteria. Other findings included the following: elevated metals including cesium 137 and mercury in McCoy Branch sediments; PCBs and chlordane elevated in several fish species, presenting the only major human health risk, significant ecological risks in Poplar Creek but not in the Clinch River.

Remedial investigation/feasibility study for the Clinch River/Poplar Creek operable unit. Volume 1. Main text

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-09-01

This is the combined Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study Report for the Clinch River/Poplar Crack (CR/PC) Operable Unit (OU). The CR/PC OU is located in Anderson and Roane Counties, Tennessee and consists of the Clinch River and several of its embayments in Melton Hill and Watts Bar Reservoirs. These waters have received hazardous substances released over a period of 50 years from the US Department of Energy`s Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), a National Priority List site established under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. A remedial investigation has been conducted to determine the current nature and extent of any contamination and to assess the resulting risk to human health and the environment. The feasibility study evaluates remedial action alternatives to identify any that are feasible for implementation and that would effectively reduce risk. Historical studies had indicated that current problems would likely include {sup 137}Cs in sediment of the Clinch River, mercury in sediment and fish of Poplar Creek and PCBs and pesticides in fish from throughout the OU. Peak releases of mercury and {sup 137}Cs occurred over 35 years ago, and current releases are low. Past releases of PCBs from the ORR are poorly quantified, and current releases are difficult to quantify because levels are so low. The site characterization focused on contaminants in surface water, sediment, and biota. Contaminants in surface water were all found to be below Ambient Water Quality Criteria. Other findings included the following: elevated metals including cesium 137 and mercury in McCoy Branch sediments; PCBs and chlordane elevated in several fish species, presenting the only major human health risk, significant ecological risks in Poplar Creek but not in the Clinch River.

Remedial investigation/feasibility study for the Clinch River/Poplar Creek operable unit. Volume 3. Appendix E

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-09-01

This document contains Appendix E: Toxicity Information and Uncertainty Analysis, description of methods, from the combined Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study Report for the Clinch River/Poplar Crack (CR/PC) Operable Unit (OU). The CR/PC OU is located in Anderson and Roane Counties, Tennessee and consists of the Clinch River and several of its embayments in Melton Hill and Watts Bar Reservoirs. These waters have received hazardous substances released over a period of 50 years from the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), a National Priority List site established under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. A remedial investigation has been conducted to determine the current nature and extent of any contamination and to assess the resulting risk to human health and the environment. The feasibility study evaluates remedial action alternatives to identify any that are feasible for implementation and that would effectively reduce risk. Historical studies had indicated that current problems would likely include 137 Cs in sediment of the Clinch River, mercury in sediment and fish of Poplar Creek and PCBs and pesticides in fish from throughout the OU. Peak releases of mercury and 137 Cs occurred over 35 years ago, and current releases are low. Past releases of PCBs from the ORR are poorly quantified, and current releases are difficult to quantify because levels are so low. The site characterization focused on contaminants in surface water, sediment, and biota. Contaminants in surface water were all found to be below Ambient Water Quality Criteria. Other findings included the following: elevated metals including cesium 137 and mercury in McCoy Branch sediments; PCBs and chlordane elevated in several fish species, presenting the only major human health risk, significant ecological risks in Poplar Creek but not in the Clinch River

Remedial investigation/feasibility study for the Clinch River/Poplar Creek operable unit. Volume 1. Main text

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-09-01

This is the combined Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study Report for the Clinch River/Poplar Crack (CR/PC) Operable Unit (OU). The CR/PC OU is located in Anderson and Roane Counties, Tennessee and consists of the Clinch River and several of its embayments in Melton Hill and Watts Bar Reservoirs. These waters have received hazardous substances released over a period of 50 years from the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), a National Priority List site established under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. A remedial investigation has been conducted to determine the current nature and extent of any contamination and to assess the resulting risk to human health and the environment. The feasibility study evaluates remedial action alternatives to identify any that are feasible for implementation and that would effectively reduce risk. Historical studies had indicated that current problems would likely include 137 Cs in sediment of the Clinch River, mercury in sediment and fish of Poplar Creek and PCBs and pesticides in fish from throughout the OU. Peak releases of mercury and 137 Cs occurred over 35 years ago, and current releases are low. Past releases of PCBs from the ORR are poorly quantified, and current releases are difficult to quantify because levels are so low. The site characterization focused on contaminants in surface water, sediment, and biota. Contaminants in surface water were all found to be below Ambient Water Quality Criteria. Other findings included the following: elevated metals including cesium 137 and mercury in McCoy Branch sediments; PCBs and chlordane elevated in several fish species, presenting the only major human health risk, significant ecological risks in Poplar Creek but not in the Clinch River

"Wandering in the Desert": The Clinch River Breeder Reactor Debate in the U.S. Congress, 1972-1983.

Science.gov (United States)

Camp, Michael

2018-01-01

The experimental Clinch River breeder reactor, approved by the U.S. Congress in 1970 for construction in East Tennessee, would have used plutonium instead of uranium. The project drew the ire of environmentalists who insisted that plutonium was too dangerous for commercial use, along with opponents of nuclear proliferation. Tennessee's representatives in Congress, however, desired the jobs that the project would create, and formed legislative coalitions to ensure continued appropriations for the project. Funding lasted until 1983, when fiscal conservatives, concerned about ballooning cost projections, joined with environmentalists to defund the breeder. Interpretations of U.S. nuclear policy in the 1980s have often revolved around the Three Mile Island meltdown's aftermath, but Clinch River was not affected by the incident. Instead, the Clinch River controversy revolved around other unrelated issues. The Clinch River story therefore offers a corrective to accounts that privilege national public opinion at the expense of other variables.

Update of preconstruction radioactivity levels in the vicinity of the proposed Clinch River breeder reactor project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1981-08-01

Routine samples of ground water, river water, and bottom sediment were collected from the Clinch River in 1977 in the preconstruction-construction phase of the CRBRP environmental radiological monitoring program. The results obtained from the analysis of these samples are similar to those reported earlier. The only significant radioisotopes identified in sediment samples were 137 Cs, 60 Co, and the naturally occurring 40 K. Other than for samples collected in November 1976, the results vary from 0.1 to 13.0 pCi/g (dry weight), with concentration generally increasing with distance downstream from CRM 24.0 to CRM 14.4. The extent to which this relationship may or may not hold below CRM 14.4 is beyond the intended scope of this program. No explanation can be given at this time for the elevated levels of 137 Cs detected in November 1976. These values ranged from 28.0 to 82.6 pCi/g (dry weight), with similar values found at CRM 24.0 above Melton Hill Dam. With the exception of tritium, no significant radioactivity was detected in ground or surface water at the CRBRP site. Tritium concentrations ranging from 368 to 5882 pCi/l were found in samples of surface water taken from the Clinch River below Melton Hill Dam while samples taken above the dam exhibited tritium levels from 56 to 368 pCi/l. These elevated tritium levels in the Clinch River below Melton Hill Dam are attributable to DOE operations at Oak Ridge

Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant Project: construction schedule

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Purcell, W.J.; Martin, E.M.; Shivley, J.M.

1982-01-01

The construction schedule for the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant and its evolution are described. The initial schedule basis, changes necessitated by the evaluation of the overall plant design, and constructability improvements that have been effected to assure adherence to the schedule are presented. The schedule structure and hierarchy are discussed, as are tools used to define, develop, and evaluate the schedule

Supplement to Final Environmental Statement related to construction and operation of Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant, Docket No. 50-537

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-10-01

In February 1977, the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation issued a Final Environmental Statement (FES) (NUREG-0139) related to the construction and operation of the proposed Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant (CRBRP). Since the FES was issued, additional data relative to the site and its environs have been collected, several modifications have been made to the CRBRP design, and its fuel cycle, and the timing of the plant construction and operation has been affected in accordance with deferments under the DOE Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor (LMFBR) program. These changes are summarized and their environmental significance is assessed in this document. The reader should note that this document generally does not repeat the substantial amount of information in the FES which is still current; hence, the FES should be consulted for a comprehensive understanding of the staff's environmental review of the CRBRP project

Remedial investigation/feasibility study for the Clinch River/Poplar Creek operable unit. Volume 2. Appendixes A, B, C, D

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-09-01

This document contains appendices A (water characterization), B (sediment characterization), C (biota Characterization), D (applicable or relevant and appropriate requirements) from the combined Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study Report for the Clinch River/Poplar Crack (CR/PC) Operable Unit (OU). The CR/PC OU is located in Anderson and Roane Counties, Tennessee and consists of the Clinch River and several of its embayments in Melton Hill and Watts Bar Reservoirs. These waters have received hazardous substances released over a period of 50 years from the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), a National Priority List site established under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. A remedial investigation has been conducted to determine the current nature and extent of any contamination and to assess the resulting risk to human health and the environment. The feasibility study evaluates remedial action alternatives to identify any that are feasible for implementation and that would effectively reduce risk. Historical studies had indicated that current problems would likely include 137 Cs in sediment of the Clinch River, mercury in sediment and fish of Poplar Creek and PCBs and pesticides in fish from throughout the OU. Peak releases of mercury and 137 Cs occurred over 35 years ago, and current releases are low. Past releases of PCBs from the ORR are poorly quantified, and current releases are difficult to quantify because levels are so low. The site characterization focused on contaminants in surface water, sediment, and biota. Contaminants in surface water were all found to be below Ambient Water Quality Criteria. Other findings included the following: elevated metals including cesium 137 and mercury in McCoy Branch sediments; PCBs and chlordane elevated in several fish species, presenting the only major human health risk, significant ecological risks in Poplar Creek but not in the Clinch River

Remedial investigation/feasibility study for the Clinch River/Poplar Creek operable unit. Volume 2. Appendixes A, B, C, D

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-09-01

This document contains appendices A (water characterization), B (sediment characterization), C (biota Characterization), D (applicable or relevant and appropriate requirements) from the combined Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study Report for the Clinch River/Poplar Crack (CR/PC) Operable Unit (OU). The CR/PC OU is located in Anderson and Roane Counties, Tennessee and consists of the Clinch River and several of its embayments in Melton Hill and Watts Bar Reservoirs. These waters have received hazardous substances released over a period of 50 years from the US Department of Energy`s Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), a National Priority List site established under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. A remedial investigation has been conducted to determine the current nature and extent of any contamination and to assess the resulting risk to human health and the environment. The feasibility study evaluates remedial action alternatives to identify any that are feasible for implementation and that would effectively reduce risk. Historical studies had indicated that current problems would likely include {sup 137}Cs in sediment of the Clinch River, mercury in sediment and fish of Poplar Creek and PCBs and pesticides in fish from throughout the OU. Peak releases of mercury and {sup 137}Cs occurred over 35 years ago, and current releases are low. Past releases of PCBs from the ORR are poorly quantified, and current releases are difficult to quantify because levels are so low. The site characterization focused on contaminants in surface water, sediment, and biota. Contaminants in surface water were all found to be below Ambient Water Quality Criteria. Other findings included the following: elevated metals including cesium 137 and mercury in McCoy Branch sediments; PCBs and chlordane elevated in several fish species, presenting the only major human health risk, significant ecological risks in Poplar Creek but not in the Clinch River.

Radionuclide accumulations in Clinch River fish

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oakes, T.W.; Easterly, C.E.; Shank, K.E.

1976-01-01

Fish samples were collected from several locations above Melton Hill Dam, which is upstream from the liquid effluent release point of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The sampling locations were chosen to determine the accumulation of natural and man-made radionuclides in fish from areas in the Clinch River not influenced by the Laboratory's liquid effluents. Bass, carp, crappie, shad, bluegill, and other sunfish were collected; ten fish per species were composited to form a single sample for each location. The gamma-emitting radionuclide concentrations were determined by gamma-ray spectroscopy. Estimates of radiological dose to man subsequent to ingestion of these fish are made

Large test rigs verify Clinch River control rod reliability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Michael, H.D.; Smith, G.G.

1983-01-01

The purpose of the Clinch River control test programme was to use multiple full-scale prototypic control rod systems for verifying the system's ability to perform reliably during simulated reactor power control and emergency shutdown operations. Two major facilities, the Shutdown Control Rod and Maintenance (Scram) facility and the Dynamic and Seismic Test (Dast) facility, were constructed. The test programme of each facility is described. (UK)

Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant: a building block in nuclear technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCormack, M.

1979-01-01

Interest in breeder reactors dates from the Manhatten Project to the present effort to build the Clinch River Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor (LMFBR) demonstration plant. Seven breeder-type reactors which were built during this time are described and their technological progress assessed. The Clinch River Breeder Reactor Project (CRBRP) has been designed to demonstrate that it can be licensed, can operate on a large power grid, and can provide industry with important experience. As the next logical step in LMFBR development, the project has suffered repeated cancellation efforts with only minor modifications to its schedule. Controversies have developed over the timing of a large-scale demonstration plant, the risks of proliferation, economics, and other problems. Among the innovative developments adopted for the CRBRP is a higher thermal efficiency potential, the type of development which Senator McCormack feels justifies continuing the project. He argues that the nuclear power program can and should be revitalized by continuing the CRBRP

Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant: a building block in nuclear technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McCormack, M.

1979-01-01

Interest in breeder reactors dates from the Manhatten Project to the present effort to build the Clinch River Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor (LMFBR) demonstration plant. Seven breeder-type reactors which were built during this time are described and their technological progress assessed. The Clinch River Breeder Reactor Project (CRBRP) has been designed to demonstrate that it can be licensed, can operate on a large power grid, and can provide industry with important experience. As the next logical step in LMFBR development, the project has suffered repeated cancellation efforts with only minor modifications to its schedule. Controversies have developed over the timing of a large-scale demonstration plant, the risks of proliferation, economics, and other problems. Among the innovative developments adopted for the CRBRP is a higher thermal efficiency potential, the type of development which Senator McCormack feels justifies continuing the project. He argues that the nuclear power program can and should be revitalized by continuing the CRBRP.

Structural analysis of the Upper Internals Structure for the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Houtman, J.L.

1979-01-01

The Upper Internals Structure (UIS) of the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant (CRBRP) provides control of core outlet flow to prevent severe thermal transients from occuring at the reactor vessel and primary heat transport outlet piping, provides instrumentation to monitor core performance, provides support for the control rod drivelines, and provides secondary holddown of the core. All of the structural analysis aspects of assuring the UIS is structurally adequate are presented including simplified and rigorous inelastic analysis methods, elevated temperature criteria, environmental effects on material properties, design techniques, and manufacturing constraints

Site specific plan. [Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Savannah River Site

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hutchison, J.; Jernigan, G.

1989-12-01

The Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Five-Year Plan (FYP) covers the period for FY 1989 through FY 1995. The plan establishes a Department of Energy -- Headquarters (DOE-HQ) agenda for cleanup and compliance against which overall progress can be measured. The FYP covers three areas: Corrective Activities, Environmental Restoration, and Waste Management Operations. Corrective Activities are those activities necessary to bring active or standby facilities into compliance with local, state, and federal environmental regulations. Environmental restoration activities include the assessment and cleanup of surplus facilities and inactive waste sites. Waste management operations includes the treatment, storage, and disposal of wastes which are generated as a result of ongoing operations. This Site Specific Plan (SSP) has been prepared by the Savannah River Site (SRS) in order to show how environmental restoration and waste management activities that were identified during the preparation of the FYP will be implemented, tracked, and reported. The SSP describes DOE Savannah River (DOE-SR) and operating contractor, Westinghouse Savannah River Company (WSRC), organizations that are responsible, for undertaking the activities identified in this plan. The SSP has been prepared in accordance with guidance received from DOE-HQ. DOE-SR is accountable to DOE-HQ for the implementation of this plan. 8 refs., 46 figs., 23 tabs.

Remedial investigation/feasibility study of the Clinch River/Poplar Creek operable unit. Volume 1, main text

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1996-03-01

This document is the combined Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) Report for the Clinch River/Poplar Creek Operable Unit (CR/PC OU), an off-site OU associated with environmental restoration activities at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR). As a result of past, present, and potential future releases of hazardous substances into the environment, the ORR was placed on the National Priorities List in December 1989 (54 FR 48184). Sites on this list must be investigated for possible remedial action, as required by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA, 42 U.S.C. 9601, et seq.). This report documents the findings of the remedial investigation of this OU and the feasibility of potential remedial action alternatives. These studies are authorized by Sect. 117 of CERCLA and were conducted in accordance with the requirements of the National Contingency Plan (40 CFR Part 300). DOE, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) have entered into a Federal Facility Agreement (FFA), as authorized by Sect. 120 of CERCLA and Sects. 3008(h) and 6001 of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) (42 U.S.C. 6901, et seq.). The purpose of this agreement is to ensure a coordinated and effective response for all environmental restoration activities occurring at the ORR. In addition to other responsibilities, the FFA parties mutually define the OU boundaries, set remediation priorities, establish remedial investigation priorities and strategies, and identify and select remedial actions. A copy of this FFA is available from the DOE Information Resource Center in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

Remedial investigation/feasibility study of the Clinch River/Poplar Creek operable unit. Volume 1, main text

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-03-01

This document is the combined Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) Report for the Clinch River/Poplar Creek Operable Unit (CR/PC OU), an off-site OU associated with environmental restoration activities at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR). As a result of past, present, and potential future releases of hazardous substances into the environment, the ORR was placed on the National Priorities List in December 1989 (54 FR 48184). Sites on this list must be investigated for possible remedial action, as required by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA, 42 U.S.C. 9601, et seq.). This report documents the findings of the remedial investigation of this OU and the feasibility of potential remedial action alternatives. These studies are authorized by Sect. 117 of CERCLA and were conducted in accordance with the requirements of the National Contingency Plan (40 CFR Part 300). DOE, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) have entered into a Federal Facility Agreement (FFA), as authorized by Sect. 120 of CERCLA and Sects. 3008(h) and 6001 of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) (42 U.S.C. 6901, et seq.). The purpose of this agreement is to ensure a coordinated and effective response for all environmental restoration activities occurring at the ORR. In addition to other responsibilities, the FFA parties mutually define the OU boundaries, set remediation priorities, establish remedial investigation priorities and strategies, and identify and select remedial actions. A copy of this FFA is available from the DOE Information Resource Center in Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Westinghouse Savannah River Site Supplier Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Information Exchange Forum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sturm, H.F. Jr.; Hottel, R.E.; Christoper, N.

1994-01-01

The Savannah River Site conducted its first Supplier Information Exchange in September 1993. The intent of the conference was to inform potential suppliers of the Savannah River Sites mission and research and development program objectives in the areas of environmental restoration and waste management, and to solicit proposals for innovative research in those areas. Major areas addressed were Solid Waste, Environmental Restoration, Environmental Monitoring, Transition/Decontamination and Decommissioning, and the Savannah River Technology Center. A total of 1062 proposals were received addressing the 89 abstracts presented. This paper will describe the forum the process for solicitation, the process for proposal review and selection, and review the overall results and benefits to Savannah River

Clinch River Breeder Reactor secondary control rod system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKeehan, E.R.; Sim, R.G.

1977-01-01

The shutdown system for the Clinch River Breeder Reactor (CRBR) includes two independent systems--a primary and a secondary system. The Secondary Control Rod System (SCRS) is a new design which is being developed by General Electric to be independent from the primary system in order to improve overall shutdown reliability by eliminating potential common-mode failures. The paper describes the status of the SCRS design and fabrication and testing activities. Design verification testing on the component level is largely complete. These component tests are covered with emphasis on design impact results. A prototype unit has been manufactured and system level tests in sodium have been initiated

Safety-Evaluation Report related to the construction of the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant. Docket No. 50-537

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-03-01

The Safety-Evaluation Report for the application by the United States Department of Energy, Tennessee Valley Authority, and the Project Management Corporation, as applicants and owners, for a license to construct the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant (docket No. 50-537) has been prepared by the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The facility will be located on the Clinch River approximately 12 miles southwest of downtown Oak Ridge and 25 miles west of Knoxville, Tennessee. Subject to resolution of the items discussed in this report, the staff concludes that the construction permit requested by the applicants should be issued

Human factors engineering in Clinch River Breeder plant design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Planchon, H.P. Jr.; Kaushal, N.N.; Snider, J.

1982-01-01

The Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant (CRBRP) Project formed a Control Room Task Force to ensure that lessons learned from the Three Mile Island accident are incorporated into the design. The charter for the Control Room Task Force was to review plant operations from the control room. The focus was on the man-machine interface to ensure that the systems' designs and operator actions meshed to properly support plant operation during normal and off-normal conditions. Specific items included for review are described. This paper describes the methodology utilized to accomplish the Task Forces' objectives and the results of the review

Savannah River Site environmental restoration lessons learned program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Plunkett, R.A.; Leibfarth, E.C.; Treger, T.M.; Blackmon, A.M.

1993-01-01

For the past three years environmental restoration has been formally consolidated at Savannah River Site. Accomplishments include waste site investigations to closure activities. Positive, as well as negatively impacting, events have occurred. Until recently, lessons learned were captured on a less than formal basis. Now, a program based upon critiques, evaluations and corrective actions is being used. This presentation reviews the development, implementation and use of that program

Assessment of potential impact of the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant thermal effluent on the Watts Bar Reservoir striped bass population

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heuer, J.H.; McIntosh, D.; Ostrowski, P.; Tomljanovich, D.A.

1983-11-01

This report is an assessment of potential adverse impact to striped bass (Morone saxatilis) in Watts Bar Reservoir caused by thermal effluent from operation of the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant (CRBRP). The Clinch River arm of Watts Bar Reservoir is occupied by adult striped bass during the warmest months of the year. Concern was raised that operation of the CRBRP, specifically thermal discharges, could conflict with management of striped bass. In all cases examined the thermal plume becomes nearly imperceptible within a short distance from the discharge pipe (about 30 ft [10 m]) compared to river width (about 630 ft [190 m]). Under worst case conditions any presence of the plume in the main channel (opposite side of the river from the discharge) will be confined to the surface layer of the water. An ample portion of river cross sections containing ambient temperature water for passage or residence of adult striped bass will always be available in the vicinity of this thermal effluent. Although a small portion of river cross section would exceed the thermal tolerance of striped bass, the fish would naturally avoid this area and seek out adjacent cooler water. Therefore, it is concluded the CRBRP thermal effluent will not significantly affect the integrity of the striped bass thermal refuge in the Clinch River arm of Watts Bar Reservoir. At this time there is no need to consider alternative diffuser designs and thermal modeling. 8 references, 3 figures, 2 tables

Reliability modeling of Clinch River breeder reactor electrical shutdown systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schatz, R.A.; Duetsch, K.L.

1974-01-01

The initial simulation of the probabilistic properties of the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant (CRBRP) electrical shutdown systems is described. A model of the reliability (and availability) of the systems is presented utilizing Success State and continuous-time, discrete state Markov modeling techniques as significant elements of an overall reliability assessment process capable of demonstrating the achievement of program goals. This model is examined for its sensitivity to safe/unsafe failure rates, sybsystem redundant configurations, test and repair intervals, monitoring by reactor operators; and the control exercised over system reliability by design modifications and the selection of system operating characteristics. (U.S.)

Third report on the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program for White Oak Creek Watershed and the Clinch River

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Loar, J.M. [ed.; Adams, S.M.; Bailey, R.D. [and others

1994-03-01

As a condition of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued to Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) on April 1, 1985, a Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program (BMAP) was developed for White Oak Creek (WOC); selected tributaries of WOC, including Fifth Creek, First Creek, Melton Branch, and Northwest Tributary; and the Clinch River. The BMAP currently consists of six major tasks that address both radiological and nonradiological contaminants in the aquatic and terrestrial environs at ORNL. These are (1) toxicity monitoring, (2) bioaccumulation monitoring of nonradiological contaminants in aquatic biota, (3) biological indicator studies, (4) instream ecological monitoring, (5) assessment of contaminants in the terrestrial environment, and (6) radioecology of WOC and White Oak Lake (WOL). The investigation of contaminant transport, distribution, and fate in the WOC embayment-Clinch River-Watts Bar Reservoir system was originally a task of the BMAP but, in 1988, was incorporated into the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Facility Investigation for the Clinch River, a separate study to assess offsite contamination from all three Department of Energy facilities in Oak Ridge.

Third report on the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program for White Oak Creek Watershed and the Clinch River

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loar, J.M.; Adams, S.M.; Bailey, R.D.

1994-03-01

As a condition of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued to Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) on April 1, 1985, a Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program (BMAP) was developed for White Oak Creek (WOC); selected tributaries of WOC, including Fifth Creek, First Creek, Melton Branch, and Northwest Tributary; and the Clinch River. The BMAP currently consists of six major tasks that address both radiological and nonradiological contaminants in the aquatic and terrestrial environs at ORNL. These are (1) toxicity monitoring, (2) bioaccumulation monitoring of nonradiological contaminants in aquatic biota, (3) biological indicator studies, (4) instream ecological monitoring, (5) assessment of contaminants in the terrestrial environment, and (6) radioecology of WOC and White Oak Lake (WOL). The investigation of contaminant transport, distribution, and fate in the WOC embayment-Clinch River-Watts Bar Reservoir system was originally a task of the BMAP but, in 1988, was incorporated into the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Facility Investigation for the Clinch River, a separate study to assess offsite contamination from all three Department of Energy facilities in Oak Ridge

Present day design challenges exemplified by the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dickson, P.W. Jr.; Anderson, C.A. Jr.

1976-01-01

The present day design challenges faced by the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant engineer result from two causes. The first cause is aspiration to achieve a design that will operate at conditions which are desirable for future LMFBRs in order for them to achieve low power costs and good breeding. The second cause is the licensing impact. Although licensing the CRBRP won't eliminate future licensing effort, many licensing questions will have been resolved and precedents set for the future LMFBR industry

Conceptual design of the Clinch River Breeder Reactor spent-fuel shipping cask

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pope, R.B.; Diggs, J.M.

1982-04-01

Details of a baseline conceptual design of a spent fuel shipping cask for the Clinch River Breeder Reactor (CRBR) are presented including an assessment of shielding, structural, thermal, fabrication and cask/plant interfacing problems. A basis for continued cask development and for new technological development is established. Alternates to the baseline design are briefly presented. Estimates of development schedules, cask utilization and cost schedules, and of personnel dose commitments during CRBR in-plant handling of the cask are also presented

Oak Ridge Reservation Federal Facility Agreement quarterly report for the Environmental Restoration Program, Volume 1, October--December 1992

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-01-01

This quarterly progress report satisfies requirements for the Environmental Restoration (ER) Program which are specified in the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) Federal Facility Agreement (FFA) established between the US Department of Energy (DOE), the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC). The reporting period covered is October through December 1992(first quarter of FY 1993). Sections 1.1 and 1.2 provide respectively the milestones scheduled for completion during the reporting period and a list of documents that have been proposed for transmittal during the following quarter but have not been formally approved as FY 1993 commitments. This first section is followed by: significant accomplishments; technical status at Y-12 operable units, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge K-25 site, Clinch River, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, and technical oversight and technical programs; and response action contractor assignments

GIS environmental information analysis of the Darro River basin as the key for the management and hydrological forest restoration.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandez, Paz; Delgado, Expectación; Lopez-Alonso, Mónica; Poyatos, José Manuel

2018-02-01

This article presents analyses of soil and environmental information for the Darro River basin (Granada-Spain) preliminary to its hydrological and forestry restoration. These analyses were carried out using a geographical information system (GIS) and employing a new procedure that adapts hydrological forest-restoration methods. The complete analysis encompasses morphological conditions, soil and climate characteristics as well as vegetation and land use. The study investigates soil erosion in the basin by using Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) and by mapping erosion fragility units. The results are presented in a set of maps and their analysis, providing the starting point for river basin management and the hydrological and forestry-restoration project that was approved at the end of 2015. The presence of soft substrates (e.g. gravel and sand) indicates that the area is susceptible to erosion, particularly the areas that are dominated by human activity and have little soil protection. Finally, land use and vegetation cover were identified as key factors in the soil erosion in the basin. According to the results, river authorities have included several measures in the restoration project aimed at reducing the erosion and helping to recover the environmental value of this river basin and to include it in recreation possibilities for the community of Granada. The presented analytical approach, designed by the authors, would be useful as a tool for environmental restoration in other small Mediterranean river basins. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Seismic design criteria for the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morrone, A.; Bitner, J.L.; Sigal, G.B.

1975-01-01

The general criteria for seismic resistant design for structures, systems and components of the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant (CRBRP) are presented and discussed. Site dependency of the maximum ground accelerations for the Operating Basis Earthquake and the Safe Shutdown Earthquake is described from the viewpoint of historical records and geological and seismological studies for the CRBRP site. The respective ground response spectra are derived by normalization of the latest AEC Regulatory standard shapes to these maximum ground accelerations. Modeling and analytical techniques and requirements are given. In addition, loading conditions and categories, loading combinations, earthquake direction effects and allowable damping values are defined. A discussion of the testing criteria which considers both single and multiple frequency test motions, and basic test procedures for single frequency sine beat testing is presented. (U.S.)

Thermal insulation system design and fabrication specification (nuclear) for the Clinch River Breeder Reactor plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1978-01-01

This specification defines the design, analysis, fabrication, testing, shipping, and quality requirements of the Insulation System for the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant (CRBRP), near Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The Insulation System includes all supports, convection barriers, jacketing, insulation, penetrations, fasteners, or other insulation support material or devices required to insulate the piping and equipment cryogenic and other special applications excluded. Site storage, handling and installation of the Insulation System are under the cognizance of the Purchaser

Lower Red River Meadow Stream Restoration Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-05-01

As part of a continuing effort to restore anadromous fish populations in the South Fork Clearwater River basin of Idaho, Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) proposes to fund the Lower Red River Meadow Restoration Project (Project). The Project is a cooperative effort with the Idaho Soil and Water Conservation District, Nez Perce National Forest, Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG), and the Nez Perce Tribe of Idaho. The proposed action would allow the sponsors to perform stream bank stabilization, aquatic and riparian habitat improvement activities on IDFG's Red River Management Area and to secure long-term conservation contracts or agreements for conducting streambank and habitat improvement activities with participating private landowners located in the Idaho County, Idaho, study area. This preliminary Environmental Assessment (EA) examines the potential environmental effects of stabilizing the stream channel, restoring juvenile fish rearing habitat and reestablishing a riparian shrub community along the stream

Quality assurance in technology development for The Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, J.W.

1980-01-01

The Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant Project is the nation's first large-scale demonstration of the Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor (LMFBR) concept. The Project has established an overall program of plans and actions to assure that the plant will perform as required. The program has been established and is being implemented in accordance with Department of Energy Standard RDT F 2-2. It is being applied to all parts of the plant, including the development of technology supporting its design and licensing activity. A discussion of the program as it is applied to development is presented

Remedial investigation/feasibility study of the Clinch River/Poplar Creek operable unit. Volume 5

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1996-03-01

This volume is in support of the findings of an investigation into contamination of the Clinch River and Poplar Creek near the Oak Ridge Reservation (for more than 50 years, various hazardous and radioactive substances have been released to the environment as a result of operations and waste management activities there). It addresses the quality assurance objectives for measuring the data, presents selected historical data, contains data from several discrete water characterization studies, provides data supporting the sediment characterization, and contains data related to several biota characterization studies.

Clinch river breeder reactor plant steam generator water quality

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Van Hoesen, D; Lowe, P A

1975-07-01

The recent problems experienced by some LWR Steam Generators have drawn attention to the importance of system water quality and water/ steam side corrosion. Several of these reactor plants have encountered steam generator failures due to accelerated tube corrosion caused, in part, by poor water quality and corrosion control. The CRBRP management is aware of these problems, and the implications that they have for the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant (CPBRP) Steam Generator System (SGS). Consequently, programs are being implemented which will: (1) investigate the corrosion mechanisms which may be present in the CRBRP SGS; (2) assure steam generator integrity under design and anticipated off-normal water quality conditions; and (3) assure that the design water quality levels are maintained at all times. However, in order to understand the approach being used to examine this potential problem, it is first necessary to look at the CRBRP SGS and the corrosion mechanisms which may be present.

Clinch river breeder reactor plant steam generator water quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Hoesen, D.; Lowe, P.A.

1975-01-01

The recent problems experienced by some LWR Steam Generators have drawn attention to the importance of system water quality and water/ steam side corrosion. Several of these reactor plants have encountered steam generator failures due to accelerated tube corrosion caused, in part, by poor water quality and corrosion control. The CRBRP management is aware of these problems, and the implications that they have for the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant (CPBRP) Steam Generator System (SGS). Consequently, programs are being implemented which will: 1) investigate the corrosion mechanisms which may be present in the CRBRP SGS; 2) assure steam generator integrity under design and anticipated off-normal water quality conditions; and 3) assure that the design water quality levels are maintained at all times. However, in order to understand the approach being used to examine this potential problem, it is first necessary to look at the CRBRP SGS and the corrosion mechanisms which may be present

Data Management Plan and Functional System Design for the Information Management System of the Clinch River Remedial Investigation and Waste Area Grouping 6

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ball, T.; Brandt, C.; Calfee, J.; Garland, M.; Holladay, S.; Nickle, B.; Schmoyer, D.; Serbin, C.; Ward, M. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)

1994-03-01

The Data Management Plan and Functional System Design supports the Clinch River Remedial Investigation (CRRI) and Waste Area Grouping (WAG) 6 Environmental Monitoring Program. The objective of the Data Management Plan and Functional System Design is to provide organization, integrity, security, traceability, and consistency of the data generated during the CRRI and WAG 6 projects. Proper organization will ensure that the data are consistent with the procedures and requirements of the projects. The Information Management Groups (IMGs) for these two programs face similar challenges and share many common objectives. By teaming together, the IMGs have expedited the development and implementation of a common information management strategy that benefits each program.

Savannah River Site`s Site Specific Plan. Environmental restoration and waste management, fiscal year 1992

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1991-08-01

This Site Specific Plan (SSP) has been prepared by the Savannah River Site (SRS) in order to show the Environmental Restoration and Waste Management activities that were identified during the preparation of the Department of Energy-Headquarters (DOE-HQ) Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Five-Year Plan (FYP) for FY 1992--1996. The SSP has been prepared in accordance with guidance received from DOE-HQ. DOE-SR is accountable to DOE-HQ for the implementation of this plan. The purpose of the SSP is to develop a baseline for policy, budget, and schedules for the DOE Environmental Restoration and Waste Management activities. The plan explains accomplishments since the Fiscal Year (FY) 1990 plan, demonstrates how present and future activities are prioritized, identifies currently funded activities and activities that are planned to be funded in the upcoming fiscal year, and describes future activities that SRS is considering.

Second report on the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program for White Oak Creek Watershed and the Clinch River

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loar, J.M.; Appellanis, S.M.; Jimenez, B.D.; Huq, M.V.; Meyers-Schone, L.J.; Mohrbacher, D.A.; Olsen, C.R.

1992-12-01

As a condition of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued to Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) on April 1, 1986, a Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program (BMAP) was developed for White Oak Creek (WOC); selected tributaries of WOC, including Fifth Creek, First Creek, Melton Branch, and Northwest Tributary; and the Clinch River. BMAP consists of seven major tasks that address both radiological and nonradiological contaminants in the aquatic and terrestrial environs on-site and the aquatic environs off-site. These tasks are (1) toxicity monitoring; (2) bioaccumulation monitoring of nonradiological contaminants in aquatic biota; (3) biological indicator studies; (4) instream ecological monitoring; (5) assessment of contaminants in the terrestrial environment; (6) radioecology of WOC and White Oak Lake (WOL); and (7) contaminant transport, distribution, and fate in the WOC embayment-Clinch River-Watts Bar Reservoir system. This document, the second of a series of annual reports, described the results of BMAP studies conducted in 1987

Second report on the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program for White Oak Creek Watershed and the Clinch River

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Loar, J.M. [ed.; Adams, S.M.; Bailey, R.D.; Blaylock, B.G.; Boston, H.L.; Cox, D.K.; Huston, M.A.; Kimmel, B.L.; Loar, J.M.; Olsen, C.R.; Ryon, M.G.; Shugart, L.R.; Smith, J.G.; Southworth, G.R.; Stewart, A.J.; Walton, B.T.; Talmage, S.S.; Murphy, J.B.; Valentine, C.K. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States); Appellanis, S.M.; Jimenez, B.D. [Puerto Rico Univ., San Juan (Puerto Rico); Huq, M.V. [Connecticut Dept. of Environmental Protection, Hamden, CT (United States); Meyers-Schone, L.J. [Frankfurter, Gross-Gerau (Germany); Mohrbacher, D.A. [Automated Sciences Group, Inc., Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Olsen, C.R. [USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC (United States). Environmental Sciences Div.; Stout, J.G. [Cincinnati Univ., OH (United States)

1992-12-01

As a condition of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued to Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) on April 1, 1986, a Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program (BMAP) was developed for White Oak Creek (WOC); selected tributaries of WOC, including Fifth Creek, First Creek, Melton Branch, and Northwest Tributary; and the Clinch River. BMAP consists of seven major tasks that address both radiological and nonradiological contaminants in the aquatic and terrestrial environs on-site and the aquatic environs off-site. These tasks are (1) toxicity monitoring; (2) bioaccumulation monitoring of nonradiological contaminants in aquatic biota; (3) biological indicator studies; (4) instream ecological monitoring; (5) assessment of contaminants in the terrestrial environment; (6) radioecology of WOC and White Oak Lake (WOL); and (7) contaminant transport, distribution, and fate in the WOC embayment-Clinch River-Watts Bar Reservoir system. This document, the second of a series of annual reports, described the results of BMAP studies conducted in 1987.

Endangered river fish: factors hindering conservation and restoration

Science.gov (United States)

Cooke, Steven J.; Paukert, Craig P.; Hogan, Zeb

2012-01-01

Globally, riverine fish face many anthropogenic threats including riparian and flood plain habitat degradation, altered hydrology, migration barriers, fisheries exploitation, environmental (climate) change, and introduction of invasive species. Collectively, these threats have made riverine fishes some of the most threatened taxa on the planet. Although much effort has been devoted to identifying the threats faced by river fish, there has been less effort devoted to identifying the factors that may hinder our ability to conserve and restore river fish populations and their watersheds. Therefore, we focus our efforts on identifying and discussing 10 general factors (can also be viewed as research and implementation needs) that constrain or hinder effective conservation action for endangered river fish: (1) limited basic natural history information; (2) limited appreciation for the scale/extent of migrations and the level of connectivity needed to sustain populations; (3) limited understanding of fish/river-flow relationships; (4) limited understanding of the seasonal aspects of river fish biology, particularly during winter and/or wet seasons; (5) challenges in predicting the response of river fish and river ecosystems to both environmental change and various restoration or management actions; (6) limited understanding of the ecosystem services provided by river fish; (7) the inherent difficulty in studying river fish; (8) limited understanding of the human dimension of river fish conservation and management; (9) limitations of single species approaches that often fail to address the broader-scale problems; and (10) limited effectiveness of governance structures that address endangered river fish populations and rivers that cross multiple jurisdictions. We suggest that these issues may need to be addressed to help protect, restore, or conserve river fish globally, particularly those that are endangered.

Data management for the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant Project by use of document status and hold systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hunt, C.S.; Beck, A.E.; Akhtar, M.S.

1982-01-01

This paper describes the development, framework, and scope of the Document Status System and the Document Hold System for the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant Project. It shows how data are generated at five locations and transmitted to a central computer for processing and storage. The resulting computerized data bank provides reports needed to perform day-to-day management and engineering planning. Those reports also partially satisfy the requirements of the Project's Quality Assurance Program

Internal fluid flow management analysis for Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant sodium pumps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, S.M.; Zury, H.L.; Cook, M.E.; Fair, C.E.

1978-12-01

The Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant (CRBRP) sodium pumps are currently being designed and the prototype unit is being fabricated. In the design of these large-scale pumps for elevated temperature Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor (LMFBR) service, one major design consideration is the response of the critical parts to severe thermal transients. A detailed internal fluid flow distribution analysis has been performed using a computer code HAFMAT, which solves a network of fluid flow paths. The results of the analytical approach are then compared to the test data obtained on a half-scale pump model which was tested in water. The details are presented of pump internal hydraulic analysis, and test and evaluation of the half-scale model test results

The Charles River, Eastern Massachusetts: Scientific Information in Support of Environmental Restoration

Science.gov (United States)

Weiskel, Peter K.

2007-01-01

Human activity has profoundly altered the Charles River and its watershed over the past 375 years. Restoration of environmental quality in the watershed has become a high priority for private- and public-sector organizations across the region. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs worked together to coordinate the efforts of the various organizations. One result of this initiative has been a series of scientific studies that provide critical information concerning some of the major hydrologic and ecological concerns in the watershed. These studies have focused upon: * Streamflows - Limited aquifer storage, growing water demands, and the spread of impervious surfaces are some of the factors exacerbating low summer streamflows in headwater areas of the watershed. Coordinated management of withdrawals, wastewater returns, and stormwater runoff could substantially increase low streamflows in the summer. Innovative approaches to flood control, including preservation of upstream wetland storage capacity and construction of a specially designed dam at the river mouth, have greatly reduced flooding in the lower part of the watershed in recent decades. * Water quality - Since the mid-1990s, the bacterial quality of the Charles River has improved markedly, because discharges from combined sewer overflows and the number of illicit sewer connections to municipal storm drains have been reduced. Improved management of stormwater runoff will likely be required, however, for full attainment of State and Federal water-quality standards. Phosphorus inputs from a variety of sources remain an important water-quality problem. * Fish communities and habitat quality - The Charles River watershed supports a varied fish community of about 20 resident and migratory species. Habitat conditions for fish and other aquatic species have improved in many parts of the river system in recent years. However, serious challenges remain

Remedial investigation/feasibility study for the Clinch River/Poplar Creek operable unit. Volume 5. Appendixes G, H, I, J

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-09-01

The Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) Program for Phase 2 of the Clinch River Remedial Investigation (CRRI) was designed to comply with both Department of Energy (DOE) Order 5700.6C and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) QAMS-005/80 (EPA 1980a) guidelines. QA requirements and the general QA objectives for Phase 2 data were defined in the Phase 2 Sampling and Analysis Plan (SAP)-Quality Assurance Project Plan, and scope changes noted in the Phase 2 Sampling and Analysis Plan Addendum. The QA objectives for Phase 2 data were the following: (1) Scientific data generated will withstand scientific and legal scrutiny. (2) Data will be gathered using appropriate procedures for sample collection, sample handling and security, chain of custody (COC), laboratory analyses, and data reporting. (3) Data will be of known precision and accuracy. (4) Data will meet data quality objectives (DQOs) defined in the Phase 2 SAP.

Morphological, hydrological, biogeochemical and ecological changes and challenges in river restoration - the Thur River case study

Science.gov (United States)

Schirmer, M.; Luster, J.; Linde, N.; Perona, P.; Mitchell, E. A. D.; Barry, D. A.; Hollender, J.; Cirpka, O. A.; Schneider, P.; Vogt, T.; Radny, D.; Durisch-Kaiser, E.

2014-06-01

River restoration can enhance river dynamics, environmental heterogeneity and biodiversity, but the underlying processes governing the dynamic changes need to be understood to ensure that restoration projects meet their goals, and adverse effects are prevented. In particular, we need to comprehend how hydromorphological variability quantitatively relates to ecosystem functioning and services, biodiversity as well as ground- and surface water quality in restored river corridors. This involves (i) physical processes and structural properties, determining erosion and sedimentation, as well as solute and heat transport behavior in surface water and within the subsurface; (ii) biogeochemical processes and characteristics, including the turnover of nutrients and natural water constituents; and (iii) ecological processes and indicators related to biodiversity and ecological functioning. All these aspects are interlinked, requiring an interdisciplinary investigation approach. Here, we present an overview of the recently completed RECORD (REstored CORridor Dynamics) project in which we combined physical, chemical, and biological observations with modeling at a restored river corridor of the perialpine Thur River in Switzerland. Our results show that river restoration, beyond inducing morphologic changes that reshape the river bed and banks, triggered complex spatial patterns of bank infiltration, and affected habitat type, biotic communities and biogeochemical processes. We adopted an interdisciplinary approach of monitoring the continuing changes due to restoration measures to address the following questions: How stable is the morphological variability established by restoration? Does morphological variability guarantee an improvement in biodiversity? How does morphological variability affect biogeochemical transformations in the river corridor? What are some potential adverse effects of river restoration? How is river restoration influenced by catchment-scale hydraulics

The science and practice of river restoration

Science.gov (United States)

Wohl, Ellen; Lane, Stuart N.; Wilcox, Andrew C.

2015-08-01

River restoration is one of the most prominent areas of applied water-resources science. From an initial focus on enhancing fish habitat or river appearance, primarily through structural modification of channel form, restoration has expanded to incorporate a wide variety of management activities designed to enhance river process and form. Restoration is conducted on headwater streams, large lowland rivers, and entire river networks in urban, agricultural, and less intensively human-altered environments. We critically examine how contemporary practitioners approach river restoration and challenges for implementing restoration, which include clearly identified objectives, holistic understanding of rivers as ecosystems, and the role of restoration as a social process. We also examine challenges for scientific understanding in river restoration. These include: how physical complexity supports biogeochemical function, stream metabolism, and stream ecosystem productivity; characterizing response curves of different river components; understanding sediment dynamics; and increasing appreciation of the importance of incorporating climate change considerations and resiliency into restoration planning. Finally, we examine changes in river restoration within the past decade, such as increasing use of stream mitigation banking; development of new tools and technologies; different types of process-based restoration; growing recognition of the importance of biological-physical feedbacks in rivers; increasing expectations of water quality improvements from restoration; and more effective communication between practitioners and river scientists.

Public support for river restoration. A mixed-method study into local residents' support for and framing of river management and ecological restoration in the Dutch floodplains.

Science.gov (United States)

Buijs, Arjen E

2009-06-01

In many European countries, accommodating water has become the dominant paradigm in river management. In the Netherlands, extensive river restoration projects are being implemented, many of which draw serious opposition from the public. To investigate the causes of such opposition, a comprehensive study of public attitudes towards river restoration was conducted in three floodplains, both before and after river restoration. The study combined quantitative questionnaires (N=562) with open interviews (N=29). This paper describes how local residents perceive the effects of river restoration on landscape quality and how residents and protest groups use landscape quality in combination with other arguments to strategically frame river management policies. Results show that measurement of the perceived outcomes of nature restoration needs to be complemented by a more dynamic type of research, focusing on the social processes of the framing of restoration plans. Theoretically, the paper aims to contribute to the development of a rigorous research strategy to study framing processes in environmental management, using a mixed-methods approach. In general, local residents are supportive of river restoration projects. Although restoration may diminish feelings of attachment to an area, for most people this negative effect is compensated by the positive effects on scenic beauty and perceived protection from flooding. However, these positive effects may become contested because of the active framing of river restoration by protest groups. Residents use three distinct frames to give meaning to river restoration projects: (i) an attachment frame, focusing on cultural heritage and place attachment (ii) an attractive nature frame, focusing on nature as attractive living space and the intrinsic value of nature (iii) a rurality frame, focusing on rural values, agriculture and cultural heritage. Resistance to river restoration plans stems from the attachment and rurality frames

Lessons learned from the licensing process for the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dickson, P.W.; Clare, G.H.

1991-01-01

This paper presents the experience of licensing a specific liquid-metal fast breeder reactor (LMFBR), the Clinch River Breader Reactor Plant (CRBRP). It was a success story in that the licensing process was accomplished in a very short time span. The actions of the applicant and the actions of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in response are presented and discussed to provide guidance to future efforts to license unconventional reactors. The history is told from the perspective of the authors. As such, some of the reasons given for success or lack of success are subjective interpretations. Nevertheless, the authors' positions provided them an excellent viewpoint to make these judgements. During the second phase of the licensing process, they were the CRBRP Technical Director and the Licensing Manager, respectively, for the Westinghouse Electric Corporation, the prime contractor for the reactor plant

The Paradox of Restoring Native River Landscapes and Restoring Native Ecosystems in the Colorado River System

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, J. C.

2014-12-01

Throughout the Colorado River basin (CRb), scientists and river managers collaborate to improve native ecosystems. Native ecosystems have deteriorated due to construction of dams and diversions that alter natural flow, sediment supply, and temperature regimes, trans-basin diversions that extract large amounts of water from some segments of the channel network, and invasion of non-native animals and plants. These scientist/manager collaborations occur in large, multi-stakeholder, adaptive management programs that include the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program, the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program, and the Upper Colorado River Endangered Species Recovery Program. Although a fundamental premise of native species recovery is that restoration of predam flow regimes inevitably leads to native species recovery, such is not the case in many parts of the CRb. For example, populations of the endangered humpback chub (Gila cypha) are largest in the sediment deficit, thermally altered conditions of the Colorado River downstream from Glen Canyon Dam, but these species occur in much smaller numbers in the upper CRb even though the flow regime, sediment supply, and sediment mass balance are less perturbed. Similar contrasts in the physical and biological response of restoration of predam flow regimes occurs in floodplains dominated by nonnative tamarisk (Tamarix spp.) where reestablishment of floods has the potential to exacerbate vertical accretion processes that disconnect the floodplain from the modern flow regime. A significant challenge in restoring segments of the CRb is to describe this paradox of physical and biological response to reestablishment of pre-dam flow regimes, and to clearly identify objectives of environmentally oriented river management. In many cases, understanding the nature of the perturbation to sediment mass balance caused by dams and diversions and understanding the constraints imposed by societal commitments to provide

Skjern River Restoration Counterfactual

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Clemmensen, Thomas Juel

2014-01-01

In 2003 the Skjern River Restoration Project in Denmark was awarded the prestigious Europa Nostra Prize for ‘conserving the European cultural heritage’ (Danish Nature Agency 2005). In this case, however, it seems that the conservation of one cultural heritage came at the expense of another cultural...... this massive reconstruction work, which involved moving more than 2,7 million cubic meters of earth, cause a lot of ‘dissonance’ among the local population, the resulting ‘nature’ and its dynamic processes are also constantly compromising the preferred image of the restored landscape (Clemmensen 2014......). The presentation offers insight into an on-going research and development project - Skjern River Restoration Counterfactual, which question existing trends and logics within nature restoration. The project explores how the Skjern River Delta could have been ‘restored’ with a greater sensibility for its cultural...

Second annual report of the Environmental Restoration Monitoring and Assessment Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clapp, R.B.; Watts, J.A.

1993-09-01

This report summarizes the salient features of the annual efforts of environmental monitoring and field investigations conducted to support the Environmental Restoration (ER) Program at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). This report focuses on the watershed scale, striving to provide an ORNL site-wide perspective on types, distribution, and transport of contamination. Results are used to enhance the conceptual understanding of the key contaminants and the sources, fluxes, and processes affecting their distribution and movement. This report summarizes the efforts of the Waste Area Grouping (WAG) 2 and Site Investigations (SI) program. WAG 2 is the lower portion of the White Oak Creek (WOC) system which drains the major contaminated sites at ORNL and discharges to the Clinch River where public access is allowed. The remedial investigation for WAG 2 includes a long-term multimedia environmental monitoring effort that takes advantage of WAG 2's role as an integrator and conduit of contaminants from the ORNL site. This report also includes information from other site-specific remedial investigations and feasibility studies (RI/FS) for contaminated sites at ORNL and data from other ongoing monitoring programs conducted by other organizations [e.g., the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) compliance monitoring conducted by the Environmental Surveillance and Protection Section]. This information is included to provide an integrated basis to support ER decision making. This report summarizes information gathered through early 1993. Annual data, such as annual discharges of contaminants, are reported for calendar year 1992

Dam Removals and River Restoration in International Perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chris S. Sneddon

2017-10-01

Full Text Available In the Anthropocene era, questions over institutions, economics, culture and politics are central to the promotion of water-society relations that enhance biophysical resilience and democratic modes of environmental governance. The removal of dams and weirs from river systems may well signal an important shift in how human actors value and utilize rivers. Yet the removal of water infrastructure is often lengthy, institutionally complex, and characterized by social conflict. This Special Issue draws insights from case studies of recent efforts in North America and Europe to restore river systems through dam and weir removal. These cases include both instances where removal has come to fruition in conjunction with efforts to rehabilitate aquatic systems and instances where removal has been stymied by a constellation of institutional, political and cultural factors. Drawing from diverse theoretical frames and methodological approaches, the authors present novel ways to conceptualize water-society relations using the lens of dam removal and river restoration, as well as crucial reminders of the multiple biophysical and social dimensions of restoration initiatives for water resource practitioners interested in the rehabilitation of socioecological systems.

Environmental Restoration 1997 annual report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cosper, M.B.

1997-01-01

During 1997, the Environmental Restoration Program at the Savannah River Site achieved all of the ''Breakthrough Goals'' that were established with the regulatory agencies in 1995 to advance their cleanup efforts. Effective focus on field remediation was demonstrated by the allocation of 75% of program funding to remediation activities. The Remediation Phase is complete or has begun on sixty-nine waste sites that represent approximately 80% of the known environmental and health risk. The average time required for the assessment phase of active projects was reduced by 50%, from 49 to less than 24 months, which allows cleanup actions to start twice as fast as before. Breakthrough performance has tangible results. During 1997, all of the funding allocation was used effectively to accomplish environmental restoration scope worth over $123 million. That represents a validated cost efficiency of over 20% for the third straight year. Over half of the 500 contaminated acres at SRS have been cleaned up or are currently in the remediation phase. Almost 3 billion gallons of groundwater have been restored by removing over half a million pounds of organic solvents

Site Outcomes Baseline Multi Year Work Plan Volume 1, River Corridor Restoration Baseline

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wintczak, T.M.

2001-01-01

The River Corridor Restoration volume is a compilation of Hanford Site scope, which excludes the approximately 194 km 2 Central Plateau. The River Corridor scope is currently contractually assigned to Fluor Hanford, Bechtel Hanford, inc., DynCorp, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and others. The purpose of this project specification is to provide an overall scoping document for the River Corridor Restoration volume, and to provide a link with the overall Hanford Site River Corridor scope. Additionally, this specification provides an integrated and consolidated source of information for the various scopes, by current contract, for the River Corridor Restoration Baseline. It identifies the vision, mission, and goals, as well as the operational history of the Hanford Site, along with environmental setting and hazards

Phase 1 data summary report for the Clinch River Remedial Investigation: Health risk and ecological risk screening assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cook, R.B.; Adams, S.M.; Beauchamp, J.J.; Bevelhimer, M.S.; Blaylock, B.G.; Brandt, C.C.; Ford, C.J.; Frank, M.L.; Gentry, M.J.; Holladay, S.K.; Hook, L.A.; Levine, D.A.; Longman, R.C.; McGinn, C.W.; Skiles, J.L.; Suter, G.W.; Williams, L.F.

1992-12-01

The Clinch River Remedial Investigation (CRRI) is designed to address the transport, fate, and distribution of waterborne contaminants released from the US Department of Energy's (DOE's) Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) and to assess potential risks to human health and the environment associated with these contaminants. The contaminants released since the early 1940s include a variety of radionuclides, metals, and organic compounds. The purpose of this report is to summarize the results of Phase 1 of the CRRI. Phase 1 was designed to (1) obtain high-quality data to confirm existing historical data for contaminant levels in fish, sediment, and water from the CR/WBR; (2) determine the in the range of contaminant concentrations present river-reservoir system; (3) identify specific contaminants of concern; and (4) establish the reference (background) concentrations for those contaminants.

Third annual environmental restoration monitoring and assessment report for FY 1994 of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Clapp, R.B.; Watts, J.A.; Guth, M.A.S. [eds.

1994-09-01

This report summarizes the salient features of the annual efforts of environmental monitoring, field investigations, and assessments conducted to support the Environmental Restoration (ER) Program at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). This report focuses on the watershed scale, providing an ORNL site-wide perspective on types, distribution, and transport of contamination. The results presented are used to enhance the conceptual understanding of the key contaminants and the sources, fluxes, and processes affecting their distribution and movement. This information forms a basis for prioritizing sites and for selecting, implementing, and evaluating remedial actions. This report summarizes the efforts of the Waste Area Grouping (WAG) 2 and Site Investigations (SI) Project. WAG 2 is the lower portion of the White Oak Creek system which drains the major contaminated sites at ORNL and discharges to the Clinch River where public access is allowed. The Remedial Investigation Plan (DOE 1992) for WAG 2 includes a long-term multimedia environmental monitoring effort that takes advantage of WAG 2`s role as an integrator and the major conduit of contaminants from the ORNL site. During FY 1992, the remedial investigation activities were integrated with a series of environmental monitoring and SI activities at ORNL that address pathways and processes important for contaminant movement to gain a more integrated perspective of contamination movement at the watershed scale.

Third annual environmental restoration monitoring and assessment report for FY 1994 of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clapp, R.B.; Watts, J.A.; Guth, M.A.S.

1994-09-01

This report summarizes the salient features of the annual efforts of environmental monitoring, field investigations, and assessments conducted to support the Environmental Restoration (ER) Program at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). This report focuses on the watershed scale, providing an ORNL site-wide perspective on types, distribution, and transport of contamination. The results presented are used to enhance the conceptual understanding of the key contaminants and the sources, fluxes, and processes affecting their distribution and movement. This information forms a basis for prioritizing sites and for selecting, implementing, and evaluating remedial actions. This report summarizes the efforts of the Waste Area Grouping (WAG) 2 and Site Investigations (SI) Project. WAG 2 is the lower portion of the White Oak Creek system which drains the major contaminated sites at ORNL and discharges to the Clinch River where public access is allowed. The Remedial Investigation Plan (DOE 1992) for WAG 2 includes a long-term multimedia environmental monitoring effort that takes advantage of WAG 2's role as an integrator and the major conduit of contaminants from the ORNL site. During FY 1992, the remedial investigation activities were integrated with a series of environmental monitoring and SI activities at ORNL that address pathways and processes important for contaminant movement to gain a more integrated perspective of contamination movement at the watershed scale

Protected air-cooled condenser for the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Louison, R.; Boardman, C.E.

1981-01-01

The long term residual heat removal for the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant (CRBRP) is accomplished through the use of three protected air-cooled condensers (PACC's) each rated at 15M/sub t/ following a normal or emergency shutdown of the reactor. Steam is condensed by forcing air over the finned and coiled condenser tubes located above the steam drums. The steam flow is by natural convection. It is drawn to the PACC tube bundle for the steam drum by the lower pressure region in the tube bundle created from the condensing action. The concept of the tube bundle employs a unique patented configuration which has been commercially available through CONSECO Inc. of Medfore, Wisconsin. The concept provides semi-parallel flow that minimizes subcooling and reduces steam/condensate flow instabilities that have been observed on other similar heat transfer equipment such as moisture separator reheaters (MSRS). The improved flow stability will reduce temperature cycling and associated mechanical fatigue. The PACC is being designed to operate during and following the design basis earthquake, depressurization from the design basis tornado and is housed in protective building enclosure which is also designed to withstand the above mentioned events

Final Report for the Intermountain Center for River Rehabilitation and Restoration (ICRRR)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schmidt, John C. [Utah State Univ., Logan, UT (United States)

2016-08-19

The Intermountain Center for River Rehabilitation and Restoration (ICRRR) was created in 2006 by the Department of Watershed Sciences to help meet the challenge of reversing national trends in freshwater ecosystem degradation. The ICRRR was disbanded in 2015, and its activities were transferred to other research centers within the Department of Watershed Sciences. The mission of the ICRRR was to advance the science and practice of river restoration and environmental management and to transfer that knowledge to the public and private sectors by undertaking targeted research, teaching, and extension/outreach activities. The ICRRR had two foci: restoration practices of small streams and rehabilitation of intermediate and large rivers. The ICRRR focused its work in the western United States.

Ecological restoration and effect investigation of a river wetland in a semi-arid region, China

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, S.; Jiang, X.; Liu, Y.; Fu, Y.; Zhao, Q.

2015-05-01

River wetlands are heavily impacted by human intervention. The degradation and loss of river wetlands has made the restoration of river ecosystems a top priority. How to rehabilitate rivers and their services has been a research focus. The main goal of it is to restore the river wetland ecosystems with ecological methods. The Gudong River was selected as a study site in Chaoyang city in this study. Based on the analysis of interference factors in the river wetland degradation, a set of restoration techniques were proposed and designed for regional water level control, including submerged dikes, ecological embankments, revegetation and dredging. The restoration engineering has produced good results in water quality, eco-environment, and landscape. Monthly reports of the Daling River show that the water quality of Gudong River was better than Grade III in April 2013 compared with Grade V in May 2012. The economic benefit after restoration construction is 1.71 million RMB per year, about 1.89 times that before. The ratio of economic value, social value and eco-environmental value is 1:4:23.

Environmental restoration using horizontal wells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Looney, B.B.; Kaback, D.S.; Hazen, T.C.; Corey, J.C.

1992-01-01

This paper reports that under sponsorship from the U.S. Department of Energy, technical personnel from the Savannah River Laboratory and other DOE laboratories, universities and private industry have completed a full scale demonstration of environmental remediation using horizontal wells. The test successfully removed approximately 7250 kg of contaminants. A large amount of characterization and monitoring data was collected to aid in interpretation of the test and to provide the information needed for future environmental restorations that employ directionally drilled wells as extraction or delivery systems

The Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant: an analysis of the impacts of its in-migrant construction workers on local public services. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Braid, R.B. Jr.; Kyles, S.D.

1977-05-01

The socioeconomic impact study identifies certain impacts which are projected to occur to local public services in each of 14 Tennessee communities in the Oak Ridge-Knoxville area during the construction of the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant. Various in-migration scenarios are utilized, and detailed qualitative and quantitative analyses of each public service are undertaken. Per capita in-migrant cost-revenue impacts are calculated for each community in each in-migration scenario

Urban river design and aesthetics: A river restoration case study from the UK

OpenAIRE

Prior, Jonathan

2016-01-01

This paper analyses the restoration of an urbanized section of the River Skerne where it flows through a suburb of Darlington, England; a project which was one of the first comprehensive urban river restorations undertaken in the UK. It is shown how aesthetic values were central to the identification of the River Skerne as a site for restoration, the production of restoration objectives, and a design vision of urban river renewal via restoration. Secondly, the means by which these aesthetic v...

A Synthesis of Environmental and Plant Community Data for Tidal Wetland Restoration Planning in the Lower Columbia River and Estuary

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Diefenderfer, Heida L.; Borde, Amy B.; Cullinan, Valerie I.

2013-12-01

This report reanalyzes and synthesizes previously existing environmental and plant community data collected by PNNL at 55 tidal wetlands and 3 newly restored sites in the lower Columbia River and estuary (LCRE) between 2005 and 2011. Whereas data were originally collected for various research or monitoring objectives of five studies, the intent of this report is to provide only information that will have direct utility in planning tidal wetland restoration projects. Therefore, for this report, all tidal wetland data on plants and the physical environment, which were originally developed and reported by separate studies, were tabulated and reanalyzed as a whole. The geographic scope of the data collected in this report is from Bonneville Lock and Dam to the mouth of the Columbia River

Towards Biological Restoration of Tehran Megalopolis River Valleys- Case Study: Farahzad River

Science.gov (United States)

Samadi, Nafishe; Oveis Torabi, Seyed; Akhani, Hossein

2017-04-01

Towards biological restoration of Tehran megalopolis river-valleys: case study Farahzad river 1Nafiseh Samadi, 2OveisTorabi, 3Hossein Akhani 1Mahsab Shargh Company, Tehran ,Iran, nafiseh19@gmail.com 2 Mahsab Shargh Company, Tehran ,Iran, weg@tna-co.com 3Department of Plant Sciences, Halophytes and C4 Research Laboratory, School of Biology, College of Sciences, University of Tehran, PO Box 14155-6455, Tehran, Iran, akhani@khayam.ut.ac.ir Tehran is located in northcentral parts of Iran on the alluvium of southern Alborz Mountains. Seven rivers originated from the highlands of N Tehran run inside and around the city. Many of these river valleys have been deformed by a variety of urban utilizations such as garden, building, canal, park, autobahn etc. Tehran with more than eight million populations suffered from adverse environmental conditions such as pollution and scarcity of natural habitats for recreational activities. Ecological restoration of altered river valleys of Tehran is one of the priorities of Tehran municipality started as a pilot project in Farahzad river. Intensive disturbance, conversion into various urban utilization, illegal building construction, waste water release into the river, garbage accumulation, artificial park constructions and domination of invasive species have largely altered the river. Parts of the river located in Pardisan Nature Park was studied before its complete deformation into a modern park. The riparian vegetation consisted of Tamarix ramosissima and Salix acmophylla shrubs with large number of aquatic and palustric plants. The norther parts of the river still contain semi-natural vegetation which change into patchy and intensive degraded habitats towards its southern parts. In northern parts of valley there are old gardens of Morus alba and Juglans regia, and planted trees such as Plataneus oreientalis and Acer negundo. Salix acmophylla, Fraxinus excelsior and Celtis caucasica are native species growing on river margin or

Joining of Aluminium Alloy Sheets by Rectangular Mechanical Clinching

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abe, Y.; Mori, K.; Kato, T.

2011-01-01

A mechanical clinching has the advantage of low running costs. However, the joint strength is not high. To improve the maximum load of the joined sheets by a mechanical clinching, square and rectangular mechanical clinching were introduced. In the mechanical clinching, the two sheets are mechanically joined by forming an interlock between the lower and upper sheets by the punch and die. The joined length with the interlock was increased by the rectangular punch and die. The deforming behaviours of the sheets in the mechanical clinching were investigated, and then the interlock in the sheets had distribution in the circumference of the projection. Although the interlocks were formed in both projection side and diagonal, the interlock in the diagonal was smaller because of the long contact length between the lower sheet and the die cavity surface. The maximum load of the joined sheets by the rectangular mechanical clinching was two times larger than the load by the round mechanical clinching.

Diverse Approaches to Implement and Monitor River Restoration: A Comparative Perspective in France and Germany

Science.gov (United States)

Morandi, Bertrand; Kail, Jochem; Toedter, Anne; Wolter, Christian; Piégay, Hervé

2017-11-01

River restoration is a main emphasis of river management in European countries. Cross-national comparisons of its implementation are still rare in scientific literature. Based on French and German national censuses, this study compares river restoration practices and monitoring by analysing 102 French and 270 German projects. This comparison aims to draw a spatial and temporal framework of restoration practices in both countries to identify potential drivers of cross-national similarities and differences. The results underline four major trends: (1) a lag of almost 15 years in river restoration implementation between France and Germany, with a consequently higher share of projects in Germany than in France, (2) substantial similarities in restored reach characteristics, short reach length, small rivers, and in "agricultural" areas, (3) good correspondences between stressors identified and restoration measures implemented. Morphological alterations were the most important highlighted stressors. River morphology enhancement, especially instream enhancements, were the most frequently implemented restoration measures. Some differences exist in specific restoration practices, as river continuity restoration were most frequently implemented in French projects, while large wood introduction or channel re-braiding were most frequently implemented in German projects, and (4) some quantitative and qualitative differences in monitoring practices and a significant lack of project monitoring, especially in Germany compared to France. These similarities and differences between Germany and France in restoration application and monitoring possibly result from a complex set of drivers that might be difficult to untangle (e.g., environmental, technical, political, cultural).

Towards improved instrumentation for assessing river-groundwater interactions in a restored river corridor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Schneider

2011-08-01

Full Text Available River restoration projects have been launched over the last two decades to improve the ecological status and water quality of regulated rivers. As most restored rivers are not monitored at all, it is difficult to predict consequences of restoration projects or analyze why restorations fail or are successful. It is thus necessary to implement efficient field assessment strategies, for example by employing sensor networks that continuously measure physical parameters at high spatial and temporal resolution. This paper focuses on the design and implementation of an instrumentation strategy for monitoring changes in bank filtration, hydrological connectivity, groundwater travel time and quality due to river restoration. We specifically designed and instrumented a network of monitoring wells at the Thur River (NE Switzerland, which is partly restored and has been mainly channelized for more than 100 years. Our results show that bank filtration – especially in a restored section with alternating riverbed morphology – is variable in time and space. Consequently, our monitoring network has been adapted in response to that variability. Although not available at our test site, we consider long-term measurements – ideally initiated before and continued after restoration – as a fundamental step towards predicting consequences of river restoration for groundwater quality. As a result, process-based models could be adapted and evaluated using these types of high-resolution data sets.

Evaluating the Response of Biological Assemblages as Potential Indicators for Restoration Measures in an Intermittent Mediterranean River

Science.gov (United States)

Hughes, Samantha Jane; Santos, Jose; Ferreira, Teresa; Mendes, Ana

2010-08-01

Bioindicators are essential for detecting environmental degradation and for assessing the success of river restoration initiatives. River restoration projects require the identification of environmental and pressure gradients that affect the river system under study and the selection of suitable indicators to assess habitat quality before, during and after restoration. We assessed the response of benthic macroinvertebrates, fish, bird and macrophyte assemblages to environmental and pressure gradients from sites situated upstream and downstream of a cofferdam on the River Odelouca, an intermittent Mediterranean river in southwest Portugal. The Odelouca will be permanently dammed in 2010. Principal Component Analyses (PCA) of environmental and pressure variables revealed that most variance was explained by environmental factors that clearly separated sites upstream and downstream of the partially built cofferdam. The pressure gradient describing physical impacts to the banks and channel as a result of land use change was less distinct. Redundancy Analysis revealed significant levels of explained variance to species distribution patterns in relation to environmental and pressure variables for all 4 biological assemblages. Partial Redundancy analyses revealed high levels of redundancy for pH between groups and that the avifauna was best associated with pressures acting upon the system. Patterns in invertebrates and fish were associated with descriptors of habitat quality, although fish distribution patterns were affected by reduced connectivity. Procrustean and RELATE (Mantel test) analyses gave broadly similar results and supported these findings. We give suggestions on the suitability of key indicator groups such as benthic macroinvertebrates and endemic fish species to assess in stream habitat quality and appropriate restoration measures, such as the release of peak flow patterns that mimic intermittent Mediterranean systems to combat habitat fragmentation and

Three-dimensional finite-element analysis of the cellular convection phenomena in the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant prototype pump

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silver, A.H.; Lee, J.Y.

1983-01-01

Cellular convection was studied rigorously during the development of the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant (CRBRP) Program Pumps. This paper presents the development of a three-dimensional finite-element heat transfer model which accounts for the cellular convection phenomena. A buoyancy driven cellular convection flow pattern is introduced in the annulus region between the upper inner structure and the pump tank. Steady-state thermal data were obtained for several test conditions for argon gas pressures up to 93 psig (741 kPa) and sodium operating temperatures to 1000 0 F (811 0 K). Test temperature distributions on the pump tank and inner structure were correlated with numerical results and excellent agreement was obtained

Restoring Landform Geodiversity in Modified Rivers and Catchments

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Ben; Clifford, Nicholas

2014-05-01

Extensive human modification and exploitation has created degraded and simplified systems lacking many of the landforms which would characterise healthy, geodiverse rivers. As awareness of geodiversity grows we must look to ways not only to conserve geodiversity but to also restore or create landforms which contribute to geodiverse environments. River restoration, with lessons learned over the last 30 years and across multiple continents, has much to offer as an exemplar of how to understand, restore or create geodiversity. Although not mentioned explicitly, there is an implicit emphasis in the Water Framework Directive on the importance of landforms and geodiversity, with landform units and assemblages at the reach scale assumed to provide the physical template for a healthy aquatic ecosystem. The focus on hydromorphology has increased the importance of geomorphology within river restoration programmes. The dominant paradigm is to restore landforms in order to increase habitat heterogeneity and improve biodiversity within rivers. However, the process of landform restoration is also a goal in its own right in the context of geodiversity, and extensive compilations of restoration experiences allow an inventory and pattern of landform (re-) creation to be assembled, and an assessment of landform function as well as landform presence/absence to be made. Accordingly, this paper outlines three principal research questions: Which landforms are commonly reinstated in river restoration activities? How do these landforms function compared to natural equivalents and thus contribute to 'functional' geodiversity as compared to the 'aesthetic' geodiversity? How does landform diversity scale from reach to catchment and contribute to larger-scale geodiversity? Data from the UK National River Restoration Inventory and the RHS are combined to assess the frequency and spatial distribution of commonly created landforms in relation to catchment type and more local context. Analysis is

Compromised Rivers: Understanding Historical Human Impacts on Rivers in the Context of Restoration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ellen Wohl

2005-12-01

Full Text Available A river that preserves a simplified and attractive form may nevertheless have lost function. Loss of function in these rivers can occur because hydrologic and geomorphic processes no longer create and maintain the habitat and natural disturbance regimes necessary for ecosystem integrity. Recognition of compromised river function is particularly important in the context of river restoration, in which the public perception of a river's condition often drives the decision to undertake restoration as well as the decision about what type of restoration should be attempted. Determining the degree to which a river has been altered from its reference condition requires a knowledge of historical land use and the associated effects on rivers. Rivers of the Front Range of the Colorado Rocky Mountains in the United States are used to illustrate how historical land uses such as beaver trapping, placer mining, tie drives, flow regulation, and the construction of transportation corridors continue to affect contemporary river characteristics. Ignorance of regional land use and river history can lead to restoration that sets unrealistic goals because it is based on incorrect assumptions about a river's reference condition or about the influence of persistent land-use effects.

76 FR 70480 - Otay River Estuary Restoration Project, South San Diego Bay Unit of the San Diego Bay National...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-11-14

... River Estuary Restoration Project, South San Diego Bay Unit of the San Diego Bay National Wildlife...), intend to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the proposed Otay River Estuary Restoration... any one of the following methods. Email: [email protected] . Please include ``Otay Estuary NOI'' in the...

Oak Ridge National Laboratory Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program for White Oak Creek Watershed and the Clinch River

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loar, J.M.; Adams, S.M.; Allison, L.J.; Blaylock, B.G.; Boston, H.L.; Huston, M.A.; Kimmel, B.L.; Smith, J.G.; Southworth, G.R.; Stewart, A.J.; Walton, B.T.; Kitchings, J.T.; Olsen, C.R.

1991-09-01

On April 1, 1986, a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit was issued for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) (EPA 1986). As specified in Part 3: Special Conditions (Item H) of the permit, a plan for biological monitoring of the Clinch River, White Oak Creek (WOC), Northwest Tributary (NWT) of WOC, Melton Branch (MB), Fifth Creek, and First Creek shall be submitted for approval to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Tennessee Department of Health and Environment (TDHE) within 90 days of the effective date of the permit. The plan, which is referred to in Part 3 (H) of the permit as the Biological Monitoring Plan and Abatement Program (BMPAP), describes characterization monitoring studies to be conducted for the duration of the permit (5 years). In order to be consistent with the terminology used for the Biological Monitoring and Abatement Programs for the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plan and the Oak Ridge K-25 Plant, BMPAP will subsequently be referred to as the Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program (BMAP). The proposed BMAP outlined in this document is based on preliminary discussions held on December 9, 1985, between staff of Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. (ORNL and Central Management), the US Department of Energy (DOE), EPA, and TDHE. 232 refs., 11 figs., 7 tabs

Oak Ridge National Laboratory Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program for White Oak Creek Watershed and the Clinch River

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Loar, J.M.; Adams, S.M.; Allison, L.J.; Blaylock, B.G.; Boston, H.L.; Huston, M.A.; Kimmel, B.L.; Smith, J.G.; Southworth, G.R.; Stewart, A.J.; Walton, B.T.; Kitchings, J.T.; Olsen, C.R.

1991-09-01

On April 1, 1986, a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit was issued for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) (EPA 1986). As specified in Part 3: Special Conditions (Item H) of the permit, a plan for biological monitoring of the Clinch River, White Oak Creek (WOC), Northwest Tributary (NWT) of WOC, Melton Branch (MB), Fifth Creek, and First Creek shall be submitted for approval to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Tennessee Department of Health and Environment (TDHE) within 90 days of the effective date of the permit. The plan, which is referred to in Part 3 (H) of the permit as the Biological Monitoring Plan and Abatement Program (BMPAP), describes characterization monitoring studies to be conducted for the duration of the permit (5 years). In order to be consistent with the terminology used for the Biological Monitoring and Abatement Programs for the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plan and the Oak Ridge K-25 Plant, BMPAP will subsequently be referred to as the Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program (BMAP). The proposed BMAP outlined in this document is based on preliminary discussions held on December 9, 1985, between staff of Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. (ORNL and Central Management), the US Department of Energy (DOE), EPA, and TDHE. 232 refs., 11 figs., 7 tabs.

Modeling and analysis of the unprotected loss-of-flow accident in the Clinch River Breeder Reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morris, E.E.; Dunn, F.E.; Simms, R.; Gruber, E.E.

1985-01-01

The influence of fission-gas-driven fuel compaction on the energetics resulting from a loss-of-flow accident was estimated with the aid of the SAS3D accident analysis code. The analysis was carried out as part of the Clinch River Breeder Reactor licensing process. The TREAT tests L6, L7, and R8 were analyzed to assist in the modeling of fuel motion and the effects of plenum fission-gas release on coolant and clad dynamics. Special, conservative modeling was introduced to evaluate the effect of fission-gas pressure on the motion of the upper fuel pin segment following disruption. For the nominal sodium-void worth, fission-gas-driven fuel compaction did not adversely affect the outcome of the transient. When uncertainties in the sodium-void worth were considered, however, it was found that if fuel compaction occurs, loss-of-flow driven transient overpower phenomenology could not be precluded

Fluvial Geomorphology and River Restoration: Uneasy Allies (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Kondolf, G. M.

2009-12-01

A growing body of literature demonstrates that river restoration based on understanding of geomorphic and ecological process is more likely to be sustainable than form-based approaches. In the early days of river ‘restoration’ in North America, most projects involved bank stabilization, habitat structure placement, or construction of rocked meandering channels, at odds with restoration of the dynamic processes we now see as fundamental to effective, sustainable restoration. Recent years have seen a growing body of restoration programs emphasizing restoration of connectivity and geomorphic process. This evolution has been reflected in publications, from the form-based approach advocated in the early 1990s by an NRC panel (which did not include a geomorphologist) to more recent works by interdisciplinary panels emphasizing process restoration. Large-scale river restoration came later to Europe, motivated by the EU Water Framework Directive (2000) requirements that member states implement measures to improve ecological status of degraded rivers. Interestingly, European approaches to restoration have often reflected a more nuanced understanding of process, including deliberate recreation of unstable braided channels, removal of bank protection, and reconnecting floodplains. In part this may reflect a reaction to the more thorough post-war channelization of rivers in western Europe. In part it may also reflect a greater influence of academic and research laboratories upon practitioners than in the US, where a strong anti-intellectual strain, cultural preference for easy fixes, and reluctance to conduct objective post-project assessments have contributed to the adoption of form-based approaches by many public agencies.

Monitoring effects of river restoration on groundwater with radon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoehn, Eduard

2007-01-01

The restoration of the perialpine river Toess in a floodplain of northern Switzerland (Linsental) included the removal of bank reinforcements and tracer studies in the river and in oberservation wells of the adjacent alluvial groundwater. The river water is continuously recharging the aquifer system and the groundwater is used extensively as drinking water. Radon activity concentrations of freshly infiltrated groundwater are interpreted as radon groundwater age between the river and a well. A first flood after the restoration operations resulted in a widening of the river bed and in a reduction of the flow distance to the wells. Sixteen days after a second flood, the results of radon measurements were compared with those from before the restoration. The radon age of the groundwater between the river and the wells decreased, probably as a result of the reduction of the flow distances. Concentrations of autochthonous and coliform bacteria increased after the restoration operation and even more one day after the first flood. Thus the findings on the bacteria corroborate the interpretation of the radon concentrations. The restoration has not yet reduced the quality of the groundwater, which is pumped for drinking water. The study is contributing to the solution of land-use conflicts between river restoration and the supply of drinking water from the alluvial groundwater. (orig.) [de

What Should a Restored River Look Like? (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Florsheim, J. L.; Chin, A.

2010-12-01

Removal of infrastructure such as dams, levees, and erosion control structures is a promising approach toward restoring river system connectivity, processes, and ecology. Significant management challenges exist, however, related to removal of such structures that have already transformed riparian processes or societal perceptions. Here, we consider the effects of bank erosion infrastructure versus the benefits of allowing channel banks to erode in order to address the question: what should a restored river look like? The extent of channel bank infrastructure globally is unknown; nevertheless, it dominates rivers in most urban areas and is growing in rural areas as small projects merge and creeks and rivers are progressively channelized. Bank erosion control structures are usually installed to limit land loss and to reduce associated hazards. Structures are sometimes themselves considered restoration under the assumption that sediment erosion is bad for ecosystems. Geomorphic and ecological effects of bank erosion control structures are well understood, however, and include loss of sediment sources, bank substrate, dynamic geomorphic processes, and riparian habitat. Thus, a rationale for allowing eroding banks in restored rivers is as follows: 1) bank erosion processes are a component of system-scale channel adjustment needed to accommodate variable hydrology and sediment loads and to promote long-term stability; 2) bank erosion is a source of coarse and fine sediment to channels needed to maintain downstream bed elevations and topographic heterogeneity; and 3) bank erosion is a component of river migration, a process that promotes riparian vegetation succession and provides large woody material and morphologic diversity required to sustain habitat and riparian biodiversity. When structures that were originally intended to control or manage dynamic natural processes such as flooding and erosion are removed, not surprisingly, a return to dynamic processes may cause

Flow Restoration in the Columbia River Basin: An Evaluation of a Flow Restoration Accounting Framework.

Science.gov (United States)

McCoy, Amy L; Holmes, S Rankin; Boisjolie, Brett A

2018-03-01

Securing environmental flows in support of freshwater biodiversity is an evolving field of practice. An example of a large-scale program dedicated to restoring environmental flows is the Columbia Basin Water Transactions Program in the Pacific Northwest region of North America, which has been restoring flows in dewatered tributary habitats for imperiled salmon species over the past decade. This paper discusses a four-tiered flow restoration accounting framework for tracking the implementation and impacts of water transactions as an effective tool for adaptive management. The flow restoration accounting framework provides compliance and flow accounting information to monitor transaction efficacy. We review the implementation of the flow restoration accounting framework monitoring framework to demonstrate (a) the extent of water transactions that have been implemented over the past decade, (b) the volumes of restored flow in meeting flow targets for restoring habitat for anadromous fish species, and (c) an example of aquatic habitat enhancement that resulted from Columbia Basin Water Transactions Program investments. Project results show that from 2002 to 2015, the Columbia Basin Water Transactions Program has completed more than 450 water rights transactions, restoring approximately 1.59 million megaliters to date, with an additional 10.98 million megaliters of flow protected for use over the next 100 years. This has resulted in the watering of over 2414 stream kilometers within the Columbia Basin. We conclude with a discussion of the insights gained through the implementation of the flow restoration accounting framework. Understanding the approach and efficacy of a monitoring framework applied across a large river basin can be informative to emerging flow-restoration and adaptive management efforts in areas of conservation concern.

Flow Restoration in the Columbia River Basin: An Evaluation of a Flow Restoration Accounting Framework

Science.gov (United States)

McCoy, Amy L.; Holmes, S. Rankin; Boisjolie, Brett A.

2018-03-01

Securing environmental flows in support of freshwater biodiversity is an evolving field of practice. An example of a large-scale program dedicated to restoring environmental flows is the Columbia Basin Water Transactions Program in the Pacific Northwest region of North America, which has been restoring flows in dewatered tributary habitats for imperiled salmon species over the past decade. This paper discusses a four-tiered flow restoration accounting framework for tracking the implementation and impacts of water transactions as an effective tool for adaptive management. The flow restoration accounting framework provides compliance and flow accounting information to monitor transaction efficacy. We review the implementation of the flow restoration accounting framework monitoring framework to demonstrate (a) the extent of water transactions that have been implemented over the past decade, (b) the volumes of restored flow in meeting flow targets for restoring habitat for anadromous fish species, and (c) an example of aquatic habitat enhancement that resulted from Columbia Basin Water Transactions Program investments. Project results show that from 2002 to 2015, the Columbia Basin Water Transactions Program has completed more than 450 water rights transactions, restoring approximately 1.59 million megaliters to date, with an additional 10.98 million megaliters of flow protected for use over the next 100 years. This has resulted in the watering of over 2414 stream kilometers within the Columbia Basin. We conclude with a discussion of the insights gained through the implementation of the flow restoration accounting framework. Understanding the approach and efficacy of a monitoring framework applied across a large river basin can be informative to emerging flow-restoration and adaptive management efforts in areas of conservation concern.

Safety evaluation report related to the construction of the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant. Docket No. 50-537. Suppl. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-05-01

Since the preparation of the Safety Evaluation Report the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards considered the Clinch River construction permit license application at its 276th meeting and subsequently issued a favorable report, dated April 19, 1983 to the Commission (See Appendix I of this report). Additional documents associated with the application have been reviewed and a number of meetings have been held with the applicants. These events and documents are identified in Appendix E to this supplement. This supplement, SSER-1, to the Safety Evaluation Report, provides an evaluation of additional information received from the applicants since preparation of the SER regarding previously identified outstanding review items, and our response to the comments made by the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards in its report

Habitat Analysis - Trinity River Restoration Potential

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The goal of the Trinity River project is to identify the potential positive effects of large-scale restoration actions in a 63 kilometer reach of the Trinity River...

Geomorphic Analysis - Trinity River Restoration Potential

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The goal of the Trinity River project is to identify the potential positive effects of large-scale restoration actions in a 63 kilometer reach of the Trinity River...

River restoration - Malaysian/DID perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmad Darus

2006-01-01

Initially the river improvement works in Malaysia was weighted on flood control to convey a certain design flood with the lined and channelized rivers. But in late 2003 did has makes the approaches that conservation and improvement of natural function of river, i.e. river environment and eco-system should be incorporated inside the planning and design process. Generally, river restoration will focus on four approaches that will improve water quality, which is improving the quality of stormwater entering the river, maximizing the quantity of the urban river riparian corridor, stabilizing the riverbank, and improving the habitat within the river. This paper outlined the appropriate method of enhancing impairment of water quality from human activities effluent and others effluent. (Author)

The passive river restoration approach as an efficient tool to improve the hydromorphological diversity of rivers - Case study from two river restoration projects in the German lower mountain range

Science.gov (United States)

Groll, M.

2017-09-01

Intensive use of European rivers during the last hundreds of years has led to profound changes in the physicochemical properties, river morphology, and aquatic faunistic communities. Rectifying these changes and improving the ecological state of all surface water bodies is the central aim of the European Water Frame Directive (WFD), and river restoration measures are the main tool to achieve this goal for many rivers. As the cost-effectiveness of all measures is crucial to the WFD implementation, the approach of the passive river restoration has become very popular over the last decades. But while costs of this approach are minimal, not much is known about the long-term effectiveness of passive river restorations. The research presented here provides essential and in-depth data about the effects of two such restoration measures on the riverbed morphology of a large river of the lower mountain region in Germany (type 9.2). More than 3200 data sets were acquired using the TRiSHa method (Typology of Riverbed Structures and Habitats). The results show a high spatial and temporal diversity and dynamic for all analyzed hydromorphologic parameters - ranging from riverbed sediments, organic structures like dead wood or macrophytes, to the distribution of 32 microhabitat types. The structures and their dynamic depend on the character of the study area (free-flowing or impounded), the location of the study sites within the research area (main channel or restored side channel), and on the occurrence of major flood events (the mapping and sampling were conducted annually from 2006 to 2008 with a 50-year flood event occurring in early 2007). These results show the potential of the passive restoration approach for creating morphologically diverse riverbeds, as habitat diversity and the spatial heterogeneity of the riverbed substrates increased significantly (e.g., more than 40% of all habitat types were only detected in the newly restored side channels). But the results also

VT River Restoration Data in Lamoille County

Data.gov (United States)

Vermont Center for Geographic Information — (Link to Metadata) Documented river and riparian buffer restoration projects in Lamoille County, Vermont. Restoration includes buffer plantings (trees and shrubs),...

Construction and operation of Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant, docket no. 50-537, Oak Ridge, Roane County, Tennessee

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1982-01-01

Construction and operation of the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant (CRBRP) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee are proposed. The CRBRP would use a liquid-sodium-cooled fast-breeder reactor to produce 975 megawatts of thermal energy (MWt) with the initial core loading of uranium- and plutonium-mixed oxide fuel. This heat would be transferred by heat exchangers to nonradioactive sodium in an intermediate loop and then to a steam cycle. A steam turbine generator would use the steam to produce 380 megawatts of electrical capacity (MWe). Future core design might result in gross power ratings of 1,121 MWt and 439 MWe. Exhaust steam from the turbine generator would be cooled in condensers using two mechanical draft cooling towers. The principal benefit would be the demonstration of the LMFBR concept for commercial use. Electricity generated would be a secondary benefit. Other impacts and effects are discussed

Comparison of oxide- and metal-core behavior during CRBRP [Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant] station blackout

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Polkinghorne, S.T.; Atkinson, S.A.

1986-01-01

A resurrected concept that could significantly improve the inherently safe response of Liquid-Metal cooled Reactors (LMRs) during severe undercooling transients is the use of metallic fuel. Analytical studies have been reported on for the transient behavior of metal-fuel cores in innovative, inherently safe LMR designs. This paper reports on an analysis done, instead, for the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant (CRBRP) design with the only innovative change being the incorporation of a metal-fuel core. The SSC-L code was used to simulate a protected station blackout accident in the CRBRP with a 943 MWt Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) metal-fuel core. The results, compared with those for the oxide-fueled CRBRP, show that the margin to boiling is greater for the IFR core. However, the cooldown transient is more severe due to the faster thermal response time of metallic fuel. Some additional calculations to assess possible LMR design improvements (reduced primary system pressure losses, extended flow coastdown) are also discussed. 8 refs., 13 figs., 2 tabs

How is success or failure in river restoration projects evaluated? Feedback from French restoration projects.

Science.gov (United States)

Morandi, Bertrand; Piégay, Hervé; Lamouroux, Nicolas; Vaudor, Lise

2014-05-01

Since the 1990s, French operational managers and scientists have been involved in the environmental restoration of rivers. The European Water Framework Directive (2000) highlights the need for feedback from restoration projects and for evidence-based evaluation of success. Based on 44 French pilot projects that included such an evaluation, the present study includes: 1) an introduction to restoration projects based on their general characteristics 2) a description of evaluation strategies and authorities in charge of their implementation, and 3) a focus on the evaluation of results and the links between these results and evaluation strategies. The results show that: 1) the quality of an evaluation strategy often remains too poor to understand well the link between a restoration project and ecological changes; 2) in many cases, the conclusions drawn are contradictory, making it difficult to determine the success or failure of a restoration project; and 3) the projects with the poorest evaluation strategies generally have the most positive conclusions about the effects of restoration. Recommendations are that evaluation strategies should be designed early in the project planning process and be based on clearly-defined objectives. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Wear of Shaped Surfaces of PVD Coated Dies for Clinching

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miroslav Džupon

2017-11-01

Full Text Available A clinching method that uses a simple toolset consisting of a punch and a die, is utilized for joining lightweight materials. This paper is aimed at investigating the wear of the die cavity of a clinching tool. A clinching tool with a specially shaped cavity was used for joining thin hot-dip galvanized steel sheets. Various types of physical vapour deposition (PVD coatings such as ZrN, CrN and TiCN were deposited on the shaped surface of the die using Lateral Rotating Arc-Cathodes technology. Hot-dip galvanized steel sheets were used for testing the clinching tool. The material properties of PVD coatings that were deposited on the shaped part of the clinching die were evaluated. Finite Element Analysis was used to localize the area of the shaped part of the die and the part of surface area of the cylindrical die cavity of ϕ 5.0 mm, in which high contact pressure values were predicted. The prediction of the start of the wear cycle was verified experimentally by the clinching of 300 samples of hot-dip galvanized steel sheets. Unlike the CrN and ZrN coatings, the TiCN coating remained intact on the entire surface of the die.

River Restoration and Meanders

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Mathias Kondolf

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Among the most visually striking river restoration projects are those that involve the creation of a new channel, often in a new alignment and generally with a form and dimensions that are different from those of the preproject channel. These channel reconstruction projects often have the objective of creating a stable, single-thread, meandering channel, even on rivers that were not historically meandering, on rivers whose sediment load and flow regime would not be consistent with such stable channels, or on already sinuous channels whose bends are not symmetrical. Such meandering channels are often specified by the Rosgen classification system, a popular restoration design approach. Although most projects of this type have not been subject to objective evaluation, completed postproject appraisals show that many of these projects failed within months or years of construction. Despite its, at best, mixed results, this classification and form-based approach continues to be popular because it is easy to apply, because it is accessible to those without formal training in fluvial geomorphology, and probably because it satisfies a deep-seated, although unrecognized, cultural preference for single-thread meandering channels. This preference is consistent with 18th-century English landscape theories, which held the serpentine form to be ideal and led to widespread construction of meandering channels on the country estates of the era. The preference for stability in restored channels seems to be widely accepted by practitioners and funders despite the fact that it is antithetical to research showing that dynamically migrating channels have the greatest ecological richness.

Contaminant characterization of sediment and pore-water in the Clinch River and Poplar Creek

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levine, D.A.; Harris, R.A.; Campbell, K.R.; Hargrove, W.W.; Rash, C.D.

1995-01-01

Sediment and pore-water samples were collected from 80 locations in the Clinch River and Poplar Creek system to characterize concentrations and spatial distribution of contaminants for use in ecological risk assessment. Sediment cores were collected at each site and the top 15 cm was analyzed to represent the biologically active zone. Sediment for pore-water extraction was collected in large volumes using a Ponar grab sampler. Pore-water was extracted from this sediment using centrifugation, All samples were analyzed for metals (including methyl mercury), organics, and radiological constituents. Additionally, sediment was analyzed for physical properties: particle size distribution, density, and porosity. Sediment and pore-water were also analyzed for total organic carbon and nitrogen and ammonia levels. Sediment and pore-water were also analyzed for total organic carbon and nitrogen and ammonia levels. Sediment and pre-water results indicate that there are several areas where concentrations of a variety of contaminants are high enough to causes ecological effects. These locations in the river are immediately downstream from know sources of Contamination from on-site DOE facilities. East Fork Poplar Creek is a source of several metals, including mercury, cadmium, chromium, and copper. Mitchell Branch is a source of number of metals, uranium isotopes, technetium-99, and several PAHs. There are two clear sources of arsenic and selenium to the system, one in Poplar Creek and one in Melton Hill Reservoir, both related to past disposal of coal-ash. High concentrations in sediments did not always coincide with high concentrations in pore-water for the same sites and contaminants. This appears to be related to particle size of the sediment and total organic carbon

Environmental flows and its evaluation of restoration effect based on LEDESS model in Yellow River Delta wetlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wang, X.G.; Lian, Y.; Huang, C.; Wang, X.J.; Wang, R.L.; Shan, K.; Pedroli, B.; Eupen, van M.; Elmahdi, A.; Ali, M.

2012-01-01

Due to freshwater supplement scarcity and heavy human activities, the fresh water wetland ecosystem in Yellow River Delta is facing disintegrated deterioration, and it is seriously affecting the health of the Yellow River ecosystem. This paper identifies the restoration objectives of wetland aiming

Creating a catchment scale perspective for river restoration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Benda

2011-09-01

Full Text Available One of the major challenges in river restoration is to identify the natural fluvial landscape in catchments with a long history of river control. Intensive land use on valley floors often predates the earliest remote sensing: levees, dikes, dams, and other structures alter valley-floor morphology, river channels and flow regimes. Consequently, morphological patterns indicative of the fluvial landscape including multiple channels, extensive floodplains, wetlands, and fluvial-riparian and tributary-confluence dynamics can be obscured, and information to develop appropriate and cost effective river restoration strategies can be unavailable. This is the case in the Pas River catchment in northern Spain (650 km², in which land use and development have obscured the natural fluvial landscape in many parts of the basin. To address this issue we used computer tools to examine the spatial patterns of fluvial landscapes that are associated with five domains of hydro-geomorphic processes and landforms. Using a 5-m digital elevation model, valley-floor surfaces were mapped according to elevation above the channel and proximity to key geomorphic processes. The predicted fluvial landscape is patchily distributed according to hillslope and valley topography, river network structure, and channel elevation profiles. The vast majority of the fluvial landscape in the main segments of the Pas River catchment is presently masked by human infrastructure, with only 15% not impacted by river control structures and development. The reconstructed fluvial landscape provides a catchment scale context to support restoration planning, in which areas of potential ecological productivity and diversity could be targeted for in-channel, floodplain and riparian restoration projects.

Informed Decision Making Process for Managing Environmental Flows in Small River Basins

Science.gov (United States)

Padikkal, S.; Rema, K. P.

2013-03-01

Numerous examples exist worldwide of partial or complete alteration to the natural flow regime of river systems as a consequence of large scale water abstraction from upstream reaches. The effects may not be conspicuous in the case of very large rivers, but the ecosystems of smaller rivers or streams may be completely destroyed over a period of time. While restoration of the natural flow regime may not be possible, at present there is increased effort to implement restoration by regulating environmental flow. This study investigates the development of an environmental flow management model at an icon site in the small river basin of Bharathapuzha, west India. To determine optimal environmental flow regimes, a historic flow model based on data assimilated since 1978 indicated a satisfactory minimum flow depth for river ecosystem sustenance is 0.907 m (28.8 m3/s), a value also obtained from the hydraulic model; however, as three of the reservoirs were already operational at this time a flow depth of 0.922 m is considered a more viable estimate. Analysis of daily stream flow in 1997-2006, indicated adequate flow regimes during the monsoons in June-November, but that sections of the river dried out in December-May with alarming water quality conditions near the river mouth. Furthermore, the preferred minimum `dream' flow regime expressed by stakeholders of the region is a water depth of 1.548 m, which exceeds 50 % of the flood discharge in July. Water could potentially be conserved for environmental flow purposes by (1) the de-siltation of existing reservoirs or (2) reducing water spillage in the transfer between river basins. Ultimately environmental flow management of the region requires the establishment of a co-ordinated management body and the regular assimilation of water flow information from which science based decisions are made, to ensure both economic and environmental concerns are adequately addressed.

Protocols for Monitoring Habitat Restoration Projects in the Lower Columbia River and Estuary

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roegner, G. Curtis; Diefenderfer, Heida L.; Borde, Amy B.; Thom, Ronald M.; Dawley, Earl M.; Whiting, Allan H.; Zimmerman, Shon A.; Johnson, Gary E.

2008-04-25

Protocols for monitoring salmon habitat restoration projects are essential for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' environmental efforts in the Columbia River estuary. This manual provides state-of-the science data collection and analysis methods for landscape features, water quality, and fish species composition, among others.

Effects of river restoration on riparian ground beetles (Coleoptera Carabidae) in Europe

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Januschke, Kathrin; Verdonschot, R.C.M.

2016-01-01

Studies addressing the effects of river and floodplain restoration on riparian ground beetles mainly focus on single river sections or regions. We conducted a large-scale study of twenty paired restored and degraded river sections throughout Europe. It was tested (i) if restoration had an overall

Geometrical Optimization Of Clinch Forming Process Using The Response Surface Method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oudjene, M.; Ben-Ayed, L.; Batoz, J.-L.

2007-01-01

The determination of optimum tool shapes in clinch forming process is needed to achieve the required high quality of clinch joints. The design of the tools (punch and die) is crucial since the strength of the clinch joints is closely correlated to the tools geometry. To increase the strength of clinch joints, an automatic optimization procedure is developed. The objective function is defined in terms of the maximum value of the tensile force, obtained by separation of the sheets. Feasibility constraints on the geometrical parameters are also taken into account. First, a Python Script is used to generate the ABAQUS finite element model, to run the computations and post-process results, which are exported in an ASCII file. Then, this ASCII file is read by a FORTRAN program, in which the response surface approximation and SQP algorithm are implemented. The results show the potential interest of the developed optimization procedure towards the improvement of the strength of the clinch forming joints to tensile loading

Protect and Restore Red River Watershed, 2007-2008 Annual Report.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bransford, Stephanie [Nez Perce Tribe Fisheries/Watershed Program

2009-05-04

The Nez Perce Tribe Department of Fisheries Resource Management, Watershed Division approaches watershed restoration with a ridge-top to ridge-top approach. The Nez Perce Tribe (NPT) and the Nez Perce National Forest (NPNF) have formed a partnership in completing watershed restoration activities, and through this partnership more work is accomplished by sharing funding and resources in our effort. The Nez Perce Tribe began watershed restoration projects within the Red River Watershed of the South Fork Clearwater River in 2001. Progress has been made in restoring the watershed through road decommissioning and culvert replacement. From completing a watershed assessment to two NEPA efforts and a final stream restoration design, we will begin the effort of restoring the mainstem channel of Red River to provide spawning and rearing habitat for anadromous and resident fish species. Roads have been surveyed and prioritized for removal or improvement as well as culverts being prioritized for replacement to accommodate fish passage throughout the watershed. Another major, and extremely, important component of this project is the Red River Meadow Conservation Easement. We have begun the process of pursuing a conservation easement on approximately 270 acres of prime meadow habitat (Red River runs through this meadow and is prime spawning and rearing habitat).

Basic research for environmental restoration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-12-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) is in the midst of a major environmental restoration effort to reduce the health and environmental risks resulting from past waste management and disposal practices at DOE sites. This report describes research needs in environmental restoration and complements a previously published document, DOE/ER-0419, Evaluation of Mid-to-Long Term Basic Research for Environmental Restoration. Basic research needs have been grouped into five major categories patterned after those identified in DOE/ER-0419: (1) environmental transport and transformations; (2) advanced sampling, characterization, and monitoring methods; (3) new remediation technologies; (4) performance assessment; and (5) health and environmental effects. In addition to basic research, this document deals with education and training needs for environmental restoration. 2 figs., 6 tabs

Basic research for environmental restoration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1990-12-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) is in the midst of a major environmental restoration effort to reduce the health and environmental risks resulting from past waste management and disposal practices at DOE sites. This report describes research needs in environmental restoration and complements a previously published document, DOE/ER-0419, Evaluation of Mid-to-Long Term Basic Research for Environmental Restoration. Basic research needs have been grouped into five major categories patterned after those identified in DOE/ER-0419: (1) environmental transport and transformations; (2) advanced sampling, characterization, and monitoring methods; (3) new remediation technologies; (4) performance assessment; and (5) health and environmental effects. In addition to basic research, this document deals with education and training needs for environmental restoration. 2 figs., 6 tabs.

A framework for evaluating disciplinary contributions to river restoration

Science.gov (United States)

G. E. Grant

2008-01-01

As river restoration has matured into a global-scale intervention in rivers, a broader range of technical disciplines are informing restoration goals, strategies, approaches, and methods. The ecological, geomotphological, hydrological, and engineering sciences each bring a distinct focus and set of perspectives and tools, and are themselves embedded in a larger context...

Wind River Watershed Restoration: 1999 Annual Report.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Connolly, Patrick J.

2001-09-01

This document represents work conducted as part of the Wind River Watershed Restoration Project during its first year of funding through the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA). The project is a comprehensive effort involving public and private entities seeking to restore water quality and fishery resources in the basin through cooperative actions. Project elements include coordination, watershed assessment, restoration, monitoring, and education. Entities involved with implementing project components are the Underwood Conservation District (UCD), USDA Forest Service (USFS), U.S. Geological Survey--Columbia River Research Lab (USGS-CRRL), and WA Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW). Following categories given in the FY1999 Statement of Work, the broad categories, the related objectives, and the entities associated with each objective (lead entity in boldface) were as follows: Coordination--Objective 1: Coordinate the Wind River watershed Action Committee (AC) and Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) to develop a prioritized list of watershed enhancement projects. Monitoring--Objective 2: Monitor natural production of juvenile, smolt, and adult steelhead in the Wind River subbasin. Objective 3: Evaluate physical habitat conditions in the Wind River subbasin. Assessment--Objective 4: Assess watershed health using an ecosystem-based diagnostic model that will provide the technical basis to prioritize out-year restoration projects. Restoration--Objective 5: Reduce road related sediment sources by reducing road densities to less than 2 miles per square mile. Objective 6: Rehabilitate riparian corridors, flood plains, and channel morphology to reduce maximum water temperatures to less than 61 F, to increase bank stability to greater than 90%, to reduce bankfull width to depth ratios to less than 30, and to provide natural levels of pools and cover for fish. Objective 7: Maintain and evaluate passage for adult and juvenile steelhead at artificial barriers. Education

Influence of Tool Shape on Hole Clinching for Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Plastic and SPRC440

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seung-Hun Lee

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP is a lightweight material that can potentially replace structural steel components in automobiles. The hole-clinching process is a mechanical clinching technique for joining brittle or low-ductility materials, such as CFRP, with ductile materials. In this study, the influence of tool shape on the hole-clinching process for CFRP and SPRC440 was investigated using FE-analysis and experiments. The parameters of the tool shape investigated were the punch corner radius and the punch diameter. The geometrical interlocking shapes of hole-clinched joints were characterized by neck thickness and undercut. Based on the desired joint strength of 2.5 kN, hole-clinching tools were designed on the basis of the relationship between joint strength and geometrical interlocking. FE-analysis and hole-clinching experiments were performed with the designed hole-clinching tools to investigate the geometrical interlocking shape as well as joinability, including neck fracture, undercut, and hole expansion, resulting from changes in tool parameters. Joint strength was evaluated to verify the effectiveness of hole clinching by a single lap shear test.

Identifying Societal Preferences for River Restoration in a Densely Populated Urban Environment: Evidence from a Discrete Choice Experiment in Central Brussels

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Wendy Y.; Liekens, Inge; Broekx, Steven

2017-08-01

One of the major challenges facing river restoration in densely populated urban areas has been the disparity between the expectations of policy-makers and societal preferences. This study aimed to elicit public preferences and elucidate underlying sources of preference heterogeneity, using the Zenne River in central Brussels, Belgium, as a case study. A discrete choice experiment was administered to a representative sample of the Brussels population. Five attributes were specified, including water quality, ecological status, hydromorphological features of channels, recreational opportunities, and monetary cost. Our econometric analysis based on mixed logit models revealed that overall public would like to have a more natural river (open and naturalized channel, good water quality, and with rich species diversity), while achieving good water quality was the most preferred attribute. Respondents categorized as male, non-Belgian citizen, or not being a member of an environmental organization constituted an inclination to prefer the status quo. Belgian citizens showed a pronounced preference for good biodiversity, and being a member of an environmental organization could moderate the strong preference for good water quality. This study provided insights into the relative attractiveness of key attributes pertaining to river restoration, in general, and served as a useful input to the ongoing discussion concerning the future plan for the Zenne River in Brussels, specifically. Possible implications also exist for other urban river restorations in the rest of Europe, where the Water Framework Directive has become a major impetus for the expansion of freshwater ecosystem restoration from rural and peri-urban areas to densely populated urban areas. Particularly, the cultural heterogeneity of societal preferences should be tested and accounted for to compare the welfare impacts of river restoration and to facilitate benefit transfer, within and between river basins, in the

Identifying Societal Preferences for River Restoration in a Densely Populated Urban Environment: Evidence from a Discrete Choice Experiment in Central Brussels.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Wendy Y; Liekens, Inge; Broekx, Steven

2017-08-01

One of the major challenges facing river restoration in densely populated urban areas has been the disparity between the expectations of policy-makers and societal preferences. This study aimed to elicit public preferences and elucidate underlying sources of preference heterogeneity, using the Zenne River in central Brussels, Belgium, as a case study. A discrete choice experiment was administered to a representative sample of the Brussels population. Five attributes were specified, including water quality, ecological status, hydromorphological features of channels, recreational opportunities, and monetary cost. Our econometric analysis based on mixed logit models revealed that overall public would like to have a more natural river (open and naturalized channel, good water quality, and with rich species diversity), while achieving good water quality was the most preferred attribute. Respondents categorized as male, non-Belgian citizen, or not being a member of an environmental organization constituted an inclination to prefer the status quo. Belgian citizens showed a pronounced preference for good biodiversity, and being a member of an environmental organization could moderate the strong preference for good water quality. This study provided insights into the relative attractiveness of key attributes pertaining to river restoration, in general, and served as a useful input to the ongoing discussion concerning the future plan for the Zenne River in Brussels, specifically. Possible implications also exist for other urban river restorations in the rest of Europe, where the Water Framework Directive has become a major impetus for the expansion of freshwater ecosystem restoration from rural and peri-urban areas to densely populated urban areas. Particularly, the cultural heterogeneity of societal preferences should be tested and accounted for to compare the welfare impacts of river restoration and to facilitate benefit transfer, within and between river basins, in the

Evaluation of Restoration and Flow Interactions on River Structure and Function: Channel Widening of the Thur River, Switzerland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eduardo J. Martín

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Removal of lateral constraints to restore rivers has become increasingly common in river resource management, but little is known how the interaction of de-channelization with flow influences ecosystem structure and function. We evaluated the ecosystem effects of river widening to improve sediment relations in the Thur River, Switzerland, 12 years after implementation. We tested if restored and non-restored reaches differed in water physico-chemistry, hyporheic function, primary production, and macroinvertebrate density and composition in relation to the flow regime. Our results showed that (i spatio-temporal variation in sediment respiration and macroinvertebrate taxonomic richness were driven by interactions between restoration and flow; (ii riverbed conditions including substrate size, organic matter content, and groundwater–surface water exchange changed due to restoration, but (iii physico-chemistry, hydraulic conditions, and primary production were not altered by restoration. Importantly, our study revealed that abiotic conditions, except channel morphology, changed only marginally, whereas other ecosystem attributes responded markedly to changes in flow-restoration interactions. These results highlight integrating a more holistic ecosystem perspective in the design and monitoring of restoration projects such as river widening in resource management, preferably in relation to flow-sediment regimes and interactions with the biotic components of the ecosystem.

Channel Restoration Design for Meandering Rivers

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Soar, Philip

2001-01-01

.... A geomorphic engineering approach is presented, which recognizes that the river is ultimately the best restorer of its natural morphology and should be allowed to participate in its own recovery...

Application of Science-Based Restoration Planning to a Desert River System

Science.gov (United States)

Laub, Brian G.; Jimenez, Justin; Budy, Phaedra

2015-06-01

Persistence of many desert river species is threatened by a suite of impacts linked to water infrastructure projects that provide human water security where water is scarce. Many desert rivers have undergone regime shifts from spatially and temporally dynamic ecosystems to more stable systems dominated by homogenous physical habitat. Restoration of desert river systems could aid in biodiversity conservation, but poses formidable challenges due to multiple threats and the infeasibility of recovery to pre-development conditions. The challenges faced in restoring desert rivers can be addressed by incorporating scientific recommendations into restoration planning efforts at multiple stages, as demonstrated here through an example restoration project. In particular, use of a watershed-scale planning process can identify data gaps and irreversible constraints, which aid in developing achievable restoration goals and objectives. Site-prioritization focuses limited the resources for restoration on areas with the greatest potential to improve populations of target organisms. Investment in research to understand causes of degradation, coupled with adoption of a guiding vision is critical for identifying feasible restoration actions that can enhance river processes. Setting monitoring as a project goal, developing hypotheses for expected outcomes, and implementing restoration as an experimental design will facilitate adaptive management and learning from project implementation. Involvement of scientists and managers during all planning stages is critical for developing process-based restoration actions and an implementation plan to maximize learning. The planning process developed here provides a roadmap for use of scientific recommendations in future efforts to recover dynamic processes in imperiled riverine ecosystems.

Application of science-based restoration planning to a desert river system

Science.gov (United States)

Laub, Brian G.; Jimenez, Justin; Budy, Phaedra

2015-01-01

Persistence of many desert river species is threatened by a suite of impacts linked to water infrastructure projects that provide human water security where water is scarce. Many desert rivers have undergone regime shifts from spatially and temporally dynamic ecosystems to more stable systems dominated by homogenous physical habitat. Restoration of desert river systems could aid in biodiversity conservation, but poses formidable challenges due to multiple threats and the infeasibility of recovery to pre-development conditions. The challenges faced in restoring desert rivers can be addressed by incorporating scientific recommendations into restoration planning efforts at multiple stages, as demonstrated here through an example restoration project. In particular, use of a watershed-scale planning process can identify data gaps and irreversible constraints, which aid in developing achievable restoration goals and objectives. Site-prioritization focuses limited the resources for restoration on areas with the greatest potential to improve populations of target organisms. Investment in research to understand causes of degradation, coupled with adoption of a guiding vision is critical for identifying feasible restoration actions that can enhance river processes. Setting monitoring as a project goal, developing hypotheses for expected outcomes, and implementing restoration as an experimental design will facilitate adaptive management and learning from project implementation. Involvement of scientists and managers during all planning stages is critical for developing process-based restoration actions and an implementation plan to maximize learning. The planning process developed here provides a roadmap for use of scientific recommendations in future efforts to recover dynamic processes in imperiled riverine ecosystems.

River restoration: separating myths from reality

Science.gov (United States)

Friberg, N.; Woodward, G.

2015-12-01

River restorations are a social construct where degraded systems are physically modified to obtain a pre-disturbance set of attributes. These can be purely esthetic but are often linked to some kind of biotic recovery or the provision of important ecosystem services such as flood control or self-purification. The social setting of restoration projects, with a range of potential conflicts, significantly reduces scale of most interventions to a size with little room, or wish, for natural processes. We show that projects sizes are still very small and that the restoration target is not to recover natural geomorphic processes but rather to fulfil human perception of what a nice stream looks like. One case from Danish lowland streams, using a space-for-time substitution approach, shows excess use of pebble and gravel when restoring channelized sandy bottom streams, de-coupling the link between energy and substrate characteristics that are found in natural lowland systems. This has implication for both the biological structure and functioning of these systems as a direct link between substrate heterogeneity and macroinvertebrate diversity was not found in restored streams, while the density of grazer increased indicating an increased use of periphyton as a basal resource. Another case of adding woody debris to UK lowland streams, using a BACI study design, showed very little effect on the macroinvertebrate community even after a 100-year flood, which indicate that added tree trunks did not provide additional flow refugia. We suggest that restoration schemes should aim at restoring the natural physical structural complexity in the streams and at the same time enhance the possibility of re-generating the natural geomorphological processes sustaining the habitats in streams and rivers.

Recognition of key regions for restoration of phytoplankton communities in the Huai River basin, China

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Changsen; Liu, Changming; Xia, Jun; Zhang, Yongyong; Yu, Qiang; Eamus, Derek

2012-02-01

SummaryHealthy phytoplankton communities are the basis of healthy water ecosystems, and form the foundation of many freshwater food webs. Globally many freshwater ecosystems are degraded because of intensive human activities, so water ecosystem restoration is a burning issue worldwide. Selection of key regions for phytoplankton-related restoration is crucial for an effective aquatic eco-restoration. This paper presents a practical method for identification of key regions for phytoplankton-related restoration, using random forests (RFs) method to cluster sites based on dominance, biodiversity, water chemistry and ecological niche. We sampled phytoplankton for species richness and relative abundance and water quality in the Huai River basin (HRB), China to determine the phytoplankton communities' composition and structure and characterize of their ecological niches. A wider mean niche breadth of a species usually leads to a greater overlap with the niche of other species. Using these data and water quality indices, we identified the key regions for phytoplankton-related river restoration activities. Results indicate that our method for recognition of key regions is effective and practical and its application to the HRB identified the Northern Plain area as the key region for restoration. This area is severely polluted and contributes significantly to the HRB phytoplankton communities. Phytoplankton in this region is highly adaptable to environmental change and therefore will be relatively unharmed by environmental instability induced by restoration measures. During restoration, indices of water temperature, total phosphorus and chemical oxygen demand can be altered with little negative influence on phytoplankton communities, but measures that increase ammonia-nitrogen concentration would be highly detrimental. These results will provide valuable information for policy makers and stakeholders in water ecosystem restoration and sustainable basin management in the HRB.

Technological aspects of manufacturing and numerical modelling of clinch-adhesive joints

CERN Document Server

Sadowski, Tomasz; Golewski, Przemysław

2015-01-01

This short book describes the basic technological aspects involved in the creation of purely clinch and clinch-adhesive joints made of different types of adherent materials and employing different joining technologies. Basic parameters that need to be taken into account in the design process are also presented, while a comparison of experimental testing of the hybrid joint with simple clinching for a combination of different joining materials underlines the advantages of opting for hybrid joints. The book’s conclusions will facilitate the practical application of this new fastening technology.

Savannah River site environmental report for 1996

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arnett, M.; Mamatey, A. [eds.

1998-12-31

The mission at the Savannah River Site (SRS) has changed from the production of nuclear weapons materials for national defense to the management of site-generated waste, restoration of the surrounding environment, and the development of industry in and around the site. However, SRS-through its prime operating contractor, Westinghouse Savannah River Company (WSRC)-continues to maintain a comprehensive environmental monitoring program. In 1996, effluent monitoring and environmental surveillance were conducted within a 31,000-square-mile area in and around SRS that includes neighboring cities, towns, and counties in Georgia and South Carolina and extends up to 100 miles from the site. Though the environmental monitoring program was streamlined in 1996-to improve its cost-effectiveness without compromising data quality or reducing its overall ability to produce critical information-thousands of samples of air, surface water, groundwater, food products, drinking water, wildlife, rainwater, soil, sediment, and vegetation were collected and analyzed for radioactive and nonradioactive contaminants.

Savannah River site environmental report for 1996

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arnett, M.; Mamatey, A.

1998-01-01

The mission at the Savannah River Site (SRS) has changed from the production of nuclear weapons materials for national defense to the management of site-generated waste, restoration of the surrounding environment, and the development of industry in and around the site. However, SRS-through its prime operating contractor, Westinghouse Savannah River Company (WSRC)-continues to maintain a comprehensive environmental monitoring program. In 1996, effluent monitoring and environmental surveillance were conducted within a 31,000-square-mile area in and around SRS that includes neighboring cities, towns, and counties in Georgia and South Carolina and extends up to 100 miles from the site. Though the environmental monitoring program was streamlined in 1996-to improve its cost-effectiveness without compromising data quality or reducing its overall ability to produce critical information-thousands of samples of air, surface water, groundwater, food products, drinking water, wildlife, rainwater, soil, sediment, and vegetation were collected and analyzed for radioactive and nonradioactive contaminants

Does river restoration affect diurnal and seasonal changes to surface water quality? A study along the Thur River, Switzerland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chittoor Viswanathan, Vidhya; Molson, John; Schirmer, Mario

2015-01-01

Changes in river water quality were investigated along the lower reach of the Thur River, Switzerland, following river restoration and a summer storm event. River restoration and hydrological storm events can each cause dramatic changes to water quality by affecting various bio-geochemical processes in the river, but have to date not been well documented, especially in combination. Evaluating the success of river restoration is often restricted in large catchments due to a lack of high frequency water quality data, which are needed for process understanding. These challenges were addressed in this study by measuring water quality parameters including dissolved oxygen (DO), temperature, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), nitrate and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) with a high temporal frequency (15 min–1 h) over selected time scales. In addition, the stable isotopes of water (δD and δ 18 O-H 2 O) as well as those of nitrate (δ 15 N-NO 3 − and δ 18 O-NO 3 − ) were measured to follow changes in water quality in response to the hydrological changes in the river. To compare the spatial distribution of pre- and post-restoration water quality, the sampling stations were chosen upstream and downstream of the restored section. The diurnal and seasonal changes were monitored by conducting 24-hour campaigns in three seasons (winter, summer and autumn) in 2012 and 2013. The amplitude of the diurnal changes of the various observed parameters showed significant seasonal and spatial variability. Biological processes — mainly photosynthesis and respiration — were found to be the major drivers of these diurnal cycles. During low flow in autumn, a reduction of nitrate (attributed to assimilation by autotrophs) in the pre-dawn period and a production of DOC during the daytime (attributed to photosynthesis) were observed downstream of the restored site. Further, a summer storm event was found to override the influence of these biological processes that control the diurnal

78 FR 1246 - Otay River Estuary Restoration Project; South San Diego Bay Unit and Sweetwater Marsh Unit of the...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-08

...-FF08RSDC00] Otay River Estuary Restoration Project; South San Diego Bay Unit and Sweetwater Marsh Unit of the... scoping with regard to the environmental impact statement (EIS) for the proposed Otay River Estuary... one of the following methods. Email: [email protected] . Please include ``Otay Estuary NOI'' in the...

Environmental Restoration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zeevaert, T.; Vanmarcke, H

1998-07-01

The objectives of SCK-CEN's programme on environmental restoration are (1) to optimize and validate models for the impact assessment from environmental, radioactive contaminations, including waste disposal or discharge; (2) to support the policy of national authorities for public health and radioactive waste management. Progress and achievements in 1997 are reported.

10 years after the largest river restoration project in Northern Europe

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Astrup Kristensen, Esben Astrup; Kronvang, B.; Wiberg-Larsen, P.

2014-01-01

that erosion and sedimentation have changed the cross-sectional profiles over the last 10 years, resulting in a net input of sediment to the lower reaches of the river. However, the change of channel form was a slow process and predicted bank retreat over a 100 year period was only up to 6.8 m. Hence......The lower river Skjern (Denmark) historically contained a large variation in habitats and the river ran through large areas with wetlands, many backwaters, islands and oxbow lakes. During the 1960s the river was channelized and the wetland drained. A restoration during 2001–2002 transformed 19 km...... of channelized river into 26 km meandering river. The short-term effects of this restoration have previously been reported and for this study we revisited the river and with new data evaluated the long-term (10 years) hydrological effects of the restoration. The evaluation was done on three different scales: (1...

Linking hydrology, morphodynamics and ecology to assess the restoration potential of the heavily regulated Sarca River, NE Italy

Science.gov (United States)

Carolli, Mauro; Zolezzi, Guido; Pellegrini, Stefano; Gelmini, Francesca; Deriu, Micaela

2017-04-01

We develop an integrated eco-hydro-morphological quantitative investigation of the upper course of the Alpine Sarca River (NE Italy), for the purpose of assessing its potential in terms of environmental restoration. The Sarca River has been subject to heavy exploitation for hydropower production since the 1950s through a complex infrastructural system. As for many regulated Alpine rivers, increasing local interest has recently been developing to design and implement river restoration measures to improve the environmental conditions and ecosystem services that the river can provide. The aim of the work is to develop and apply a quantitative approach for a preliminary assessment of the successful potential of different river restoration options in the light of the recent eco-hydro-morphological dynamics of the Sarca river system at the catchment scale. The proposed analysis consists of three main steps: (1) detection of the main drivers of flow and sediment supply regimes alteration and characterization of such alteration; (2) a quantification of the effects of those alterations on geomorphic processes and fish habitat conditions; (3) the analysis of the restoration potential in the light of the results of the previous assessment. The analysis is tailored to the existing data availability, which is relatively high as for most river systems of comparable size in Europe, but not as much as in the case of a targeted research project, thus providing a representative case for many other regulated river catchments. Hydrological alteration is quantified by comparing recent (20 years) streamflow time series with a reconstructed series of analogous length, using a hydrological model that has been run excluding any man-made water abstraction, release and artificial reservoirs. upstream and downstream a large dam in the middle course of the river. By choosing the adult marble trout as target (endemic) fish species, effects of the alterations on the temporal and spatial habitat

Wind River Watershed restoration: 1999 annual report; ANNUAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Connolly, Patrick J.

2001-01-01

This document represents work conducted as part of the Wind River Watershed Restoration Project during its first year of funding through the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA). The project is a comprehensive effort involving public and private entities seeking to restore water quality and fishery resources in the basin through cooperative actions. Project elements include coordination, watershed assessment, restoration, monitoring, and education. Entities involved with implementing project components are the Underwood Conservation District (UCD), USDA Forest Service (USFS), U.S. Geological Survey-Columbia River Research Lab (USGS-CRRL), and WA Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). Following categories given in the FY1999 Statement of Work, the broad categories, the related objectives, and the entities associated with each objective (lead entity in boldface) were as follows: Coordination-Objective 1: Coordinate the Wind River watershed Action Committee (AC) and Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) to develop a prioritized list of watershed enhancement projects. Monitoring-Objective 2: Monitor natural production of juvenile, smolt, and adult steelhead in the Wind River subbasin. Objective 3: Evaluate physical habitat conditions in the Wind River subbasin. Assessment-Objective 4: Assess watershed health using an ecosystem-based diagnostic model that will provide the technical basis to prioritize out-year restoration projects. Restoration-Objective 5: Reduce road related sediment sources by reducing road densities to less than 2 miles per square mile. Objective 6: Rehabilitate riparian corridors, flood plains, and channel morphology to reduce maximum water temperatures to less than 61 F, to increase bank stability to greater than 90%, to reduce bankfull width to depth ratios to less than 30, and to provide natural levels of pools and cover for fish. Objective 7: Maintain and evaluate passage for adult and juvenile steelhead at artificial barriers. Education

Impact of river restoration on groundwater - surface water - interactions

Science.gov (United States)

Kurth, Anne-Marie; Schirmer, Mario

2014-05-01

Since the end of the 19th century, flood protection was increasingly based on the construction of impermeable dams and side walls (BWG, 2003). In spite of providing flood protection, these measures also limited the connectivity between the river and the land, restricted the area available for flooding, and hampered the natural flow dynamics of the river. Apart from the debilitating effect on riverine ecosystems due to loss of habitats, these measures also limited bank filtration, inhibited the infiltration of storm water, and affected groundwater-surface water-interactions. This in turn had a profound effect on ecosystem health, as a lack of groundwater-surface water interactions led to decreased cycling of pollutants and nutrients in the hyporheic zone and limited the moderation of the water temperature (EA, 2009). In recent decades, it has become apparent that further damages to riverine ecosystems must be prohibited, as the damages to ecology, economy and society surmount any benefits gained from exploiting them. Nowadays, the restoration of rivers is a globally accepted means to restore ecosystem functioning, protect water resources and amend flood protection (Andrea et al., 2012; Palmer et al., 2005; Wortley et al., 2013). In spite of huge efforts regarding the restoration of rivers over the last 30 years, the question of its effectiveness remains, as river restorations often reconstruct a naturally looking rather than a naturally functioning stream (EA, 2009). We therefore focussed our research on the effectiveness of river restorations, represented by the groundwater-surface water-interactions. Given a sufficiently high groundwater level, a lack of groundwater-surface water-interactions after restoration may indicate that the vertical connectivity in the stream was not fully restored. In order to investigate groundwater-surface water-interactions we determined the thermal signature on the stream bed and in +/- 40 cm depth by using Distributed Temperature

Restoring Oaks in the Missouri River Floodplain

Science.gov (United States)

Dan Dey; John Kabrick; Jennifer Grabner; Mike Gold

2001-01-01

Restoration of native vegetation and hydrologic regimes in the Mississippi and Missouri River floodplains is problematic because they are among the most altered ecosystems in North America (Noss et al. 1995), and because of the competing demands placed on these river ecosystems by commercial, private and social interests. Since the 1780s, more than half (53 percent) of...

Assessment of interim flow water-quality data of the San Joaquin River restoration program and implications for fishes, California, 2009-11

Science.gov (United States)

Wulff, Marissa L.; Brown, Larry R.

2015-01-01

After more than 50 years of extensive water diversion for urban and agriculture use, a major settlement was reached among the U.S. Departments of the Interior and Commerce, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Friant Water Users Authority in an effort to restore the San Joaquin River. The settlement received Federal court approval in October 2006 and established the San Joaquin River Restoration Program, a multi-agency collaboration between State and Federal agencies to restore and maintain fish populations, including Chinook salmon, in the main stem of the river between Friant Dam and the confluence with the Merced River. This is to be done while avoiding or minimizing adverse water supply effects to all of the Friant Division contractors that could result from restoration flows required by the settlement. The settlement stipulates that water- and sediment-quality data be collected to help assess the restoration goals. This report summarizes and evaluates water-quality data collected in the main stem of the San Joaquin River between Friant Dam and the Merced River by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for the San Joaquin River Restoration Program during 2009-11. This summary and assessment consider sampling frequency for adequate characterization of variability, sampling locations for sufficient characterization of the San Joaquin River Restoration Program restoration reach, sampling methods for appropriate media (water and sediment), and constituent reporting limits. After reviewing the water- and sediment-quality results for the San Joaquin River Restoration Program, several suggestions were made to the Fisheries Management Work Group, a division of the San Joaquin River Restoration Program that focuses solely on the reintroduction strategies and health of salmon and other native fishes in the river. Water-quality results for lead and total organic carbon exceeded the Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program Basin Plan Objectives for the San Joaquin Basin

Effects of river restoration on riparian biodiversity in secondary channels of the Pite River, Sweden.

Science.gov (United States)

Helfield, James M; Engström, Johanna; Michel, James T; Nilsson, Christer; Jansson, Roland

2012-01-01

Between 1850 and 1970, rivers throughout Sweden were channelized to facilitate timber floating. Floatway structures were installed to streamline banks and disconnect flow to secondary channels, resulting in simplified channel morphologies and more homogenous flow regimes. In recent years, local authorities have begun to restore channelized rivers. In this study, we examined the effects of restoration on riparian plant communities at previously disconnected secondary channels of the Pite River. We detected no increase in riparian diversity at restored sites relative to unrestored (i.e., disconnected) sites, but we did observe significant differences in species composition of both vascular plant and bryophyte communities. Disconnected sites featured greater zonation, with mesic-hydric floodplain species represented in plots closest to the stream and mesic-xeric upland species represented in plots farthest from the stream. In contrast, restored sites were most strongly represented by upland species at all distances relative to the stream. These patterns likely result from the increased water levels in reconnected channels where, prior to restoration, upland plants had expanded toward the stream. Nonetheless, the restored fluvial regime has not brought about the development of characteristic flood-adapted plant communities, probably due to the short time interval (ca. 5 years) since restoration. Previous studies have demonstrated relatively quick responses to similar restoration in single-channel tributaries, but secondary channels may respond differently due to the more buffered hydrologic regimes typically seen in anabranching systems. These findings illustrate how restoration outcomes can vary according to hydrologic, climatic and ecological factors, reinforcing the need for site-specific restoration strategies.

Does river restoration affect diurnal and seasonal changes to surface water quality? A study along the Thur River, Switzerland

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chittoor Viswanathan, Vidhya [Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Department of Water Resources and Drinking Water, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf (Switzerland); Université de Neuchâtel, Centre d' Hydrogéologie et de Géothermie (CHYN), Rue Emile-Argand 11, CH-2000 Neuchâtel (Switzerland); Molson, John [Université Laval, Département de Géologie et Génie Géologique, Québec City, Québec (Canada); Schirmer, Mario [Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Department of Water Resources and Drinking Water, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf (Switzerland); Université de Neuchâtel, Centre d' Hydrogéologie et de Géothermie (CHYN), Rue Emile-Argand 11, CH-2000 Neuchâtel (Switzerland)

2015-11-01

Changes in river water quality were investigated along the lower reach of the Thur River, Switzerland, following river restoration and a summer storm event. River restoration and hydrological storm events can each cause dramatic changes to water quality by affecting various bio-geochemical processes in the river, but have to date not been well documented, especially in combination. Evaluating the success of river restoration is often restricted in large catchments due to a lack of high frequency water quality data, which are needed for process understanding. These challenges were addressed in this study by measuring water quality parameters including dissolved oxygen (DO), temperature, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), nitrate and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) with a high temporal frequency (15 min–1 h) over selected time scales. In addition, the stable isotopes of water (δD and δ{sup 18}O-H{sub 2}O) as well as those of nitrate (δ{sup 15}N-NO{sub 3}{sup −} and δ{sup 18}O-NO{sub 3}{sup −}) were measured to follow changes in water quality in response to the hydrological changes in the river. To compare the spatial distribution of pre- and post-restoration water quality, the sampling stations were chosen upstream and downstream of the restored section. The diurnal and seasonal changes were monitored by conducting 24-hour campaigns in three seasons (winter, summer and autumn) in 2012 and 2013. The amplitude of the diurnal changes of the various observed parameters showed significant seasonal and spatial variability. Biological processes — mainly photosynthesis and respiration — were found to be the major drivers of these diurnal cycles. During low flow in autumn, a reduction of nitrate (attributed to assimilation by autotrophs) in the pre-dawn period and a production of DOC during the daytime (attributed to photosynthesis) were observed downstream of the restored site. Further, a summer storm event was found to override the influence of these biological

Savannah River Site environmental report for 1995

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arnett, M.W.; Mamatey, A. [eds.

1995-12-31

The 1990s have brought dramatic change to the Savannah River Site (SRS) in its role as a key part of the U.S. Department of Energy`s (DOE) weapons complex. Shrinking federal budgets, sharp workforce reductions, the end of the Cold War, and a major shift in mission objectives have combined to severely test the mettle of SRS-South Carolina`s largest employer. But the sprawling 310-square-mile site`s employees have responded to the test in admirable fashion, effectively shifting their emphasis from weapons production to environmental restoration. This report describes the environmental report for the SRS for 1995.

Savannah River Site environmental report for 1995

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arnett, M.W.; Mamatey, A.

1997-01-01

The 1990s have brought dramatic change to the Savannah River Site (SRS) in its role as a key part of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) weapons complex. Shrinking federal budgets, sharp workforce reductions, the end of the Cold War, and a major shift in mission objectives have combined to severely test the mettle of SRS-South Carolina's largest employer. But the sprawling 310-square-mile site's employees have responded to the test in admirable fashion, effectively shifting their emphasis from weapons production to environmental restoration. This report describes the environmental report for the SRS for 1995

High value of ecological information for river connectivity restoration

Science.gov (United States)

Sethi, Suresh; O'Hanley, Jesse R.; Gerken, Jonathon; Ashline, Joshua; Bradley, Catherine

2017-01-01

ContextEfficient restoration of longitudinal river connectivity relies on barrier mitigation prioritization tools that incorporate stream network spatial structure to maximize ecological benefits given limited resources. Typically, ecological benefits of barrier mitigation are measured using proxies such as the amount of accessible riverine habitat.ObjectivesWe developed an optimization approach for barrier mitigation planning which directly incorporates the ecology of managed taxa, and applied it to an urbanizing salmon-bearing watershed in Alaska.MethodsA novel river connectivity metric that exploits information on the distribution and movement of managed taxon was embedded into a barrier prioritization framework to identify optimal mitigation actions given limited restoration budgets. The value of ecological information on managed taxa was estimated by comparing costs to achieve restoration targets across alternative barrier prioritization approaches.ResultsBarrier mitigation solutions informed by life history information outperformed those using only river connectivity proxies, demonstrating high value of ecological information for watershed restoration. In our study area, information on salmon ecology was typically valued at 0.8–1.2 M USD in costs savings to achieve a given benefit level relative to solutions derived only from stream network information, equating to 16–28% of the restoration budget.ConclusionsInvesting in ecological studies may achieve win–win outcomes of improved understanding of aquatic ecology and greater watershed restoration efficiency.

Designing and Assessing Restored Meandering River Planform Using RVR Meander

Science.gov (United States)

Langendoen, E. J.; Abad, J. D.; Motta, D.; Frias, C. E.; Wong, M.; Barnes, B. J.; Anderson, C. D.; Garcia, M. H.; MacDonald, T. E.

2013-12-01

The ongoing modification and resulting reduction in water quality of U.S. rivers have led to a significant increase in river restoration projects over the last two decades. The increased interest in restoring degraded streams, however, has not necessarily led to improved stream function. Palmer and Allan (2005) found that many restoration projects fail to achieve their objectives due to the lack of policies to support restoration standards, to promote proven methods and to provide basic data needed for planning and implementation. Proven models of in-stream and riparian processes could be used not only to guide the design of restoration projects but also to assess both pre- and post-project indicators of ecological integrity. One of the most difficult types of river restoration projects concern reconstructing a new channel, often with an alignment and channel form different from those of the degraded pre-project channel. Recreating a meandering planform to provide longitudinal and lateral variability of flow and bed morphology to improve in-stream aquatic habitat is often desired. Channel meander planform is controlled by a multitude of variables, for example channel width to depth ratio, radius of curvature to channel width ratio, bankfull discharge, roughness, bed-material physical characteristics, bed material transport, resistance to erosion of the floodplain soils, riparian vegetation, etc. Therefore, current practices that use simple, empirically based relationships or reference reaches have led to failure in several instances, for example a washing out of meander bends or a highly unstable planform, because they fail to address the site-specific conditions. Recently, progress has been made to enhance a physically- and process-based model, RVR Meander, for rapid analysis of meandering river morphodynamics with reduced empiricism. For example, lateral migration is based on measurable physical properties of the floodplain soils and riparian vegetation versus

Natural resource risk and cost management in environmental restoration: Demonstration project at the Savannah River Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bascietto, J.J.; Sharples, F.E.

1995-01-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is both a trustee for the natural resources present on its properties and the lead response agency under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). As such, DOE is addressing the destruction or loss of those resources caused by releases of hazardous substances from its facilities (DOE 1991) and collecting data to be used in determining the extent of contamination at its facilities, estimating risks to human health and the environment, and selecting appropriate remedial actions. The remedial investigation/feasibility study (RI/FS) process is used to investigate sites and select remedial actions. A Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) process may be used to determine whether natural resources have also been injured by the released hazardous substances and to calculate compensatory monetary damages to be used to restore the natural resources. In FY 1994, the Savannah River Site (SRS) was chosen to serve as a demonstration site for testing the integrated NRDA framework and demonstrating how NRDA concerns might be integrated into the environmental restoration activities of an actual site that is characteristically large and complex. The demonstration project (1) provided a means to illustrate the use of complex analyses using real information on the specific natural resources of the SRS; (2) served as a vehicle for reinforcing and expanding the SRS staff's understanding of the links between the NRDA and RI/FS processes; (3) provided a forum for the discussion of strategic issues with SRS personnel; and (4) allowed the refining and elaboration of DOE guidance by benchmarking the theoretical process using real information and issues

Environmental monitoring plan for the Oak Ridge Reservation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-09-01

The Environmental Monitoring Plan (EMP) for the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) is an omnibus document providing a single point of reference for the effluent monitoring and environmental surveillance programs of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Y-12 Plant, K-25 Site, and ORR areas outside specific facility boundaries. Authorization and requirement for the EMP are contained in Department of Energy (DOE) Order 5400.1 Chapter 4, which states that environmental monitoring consists of two major activities: effluent monitoring and environmental surveillance. This EMP is intended to document the rationale and design criteria for the effluent monitoring and environmental surveillance programs, extent and frequency of sampling and analysis, analytical laboratory procedures, quality assurance, implementation, and reporting. The EMP describes one of several programs that collect and analyze data to assess the impacts of ORR on the environment and human health. Others include the Environmental Restoration Program and the Clinch River Remedial Investigation Program. While the ultimate goal for DOE may be to integrate information from all these programs into a formalized assessment of risk to ecosystems and human health, that level of integration is beyond the scope of the EMP. The EMP outlines the goals of environmental monitoring for the ORR and its facilities and includes activities that are not presently conducted. In general, the programs described in this EMP represent an increase in surveillance activities over past practices

Converging on the Clinch River: the politics of the US breeder reactor program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tench, H.G.

1981-01-01

For decades the development of nuclear technologies, including the fast breeder, was controlled by the Atomic Energy Commission, the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy, and the nuclear industry, the three pillars of the nuclear technoscience network, the analysis of the formation, culture, growth, and disruption of the network sets the stage for the study of the fast breeder, a program conceived by the scientific estate and carried along and nurtured by the administrative and political estates of the nuclear technoscience network, the early chapters delineate the dimensions of the network. The relationships and influence of its actors, and its unique and secretive culture. The cooperative-client politics of the breeder's deployment ended when the program, for years protected within the interstices of the network, emerged from this protected environment into the larger political system, where it became the subject of Washington's entrepreneurial politics. Under these changed circumstances progress on the LMFBR came to a virtual standstill. Nevertheless, the LMFBR survived the turbulent seventies, when energy and the environment dominate the political agenda, because remnants of the nuclear technoscience network in the executive branch, in Congress, and in the private sector retained sufficient power to prevent the breeder's death. This case study of the politics of the breeder's deployment addresses the dilemma of the experts, their role in the decision-making process as well as the problem of uncertainty within the framework of network theory. This perspective allows for the examination of the multifaceted controversy over the deployment of the fast breeder in the United States, a national debate that eventually converged on the Clinch River

Lower Red River Meadow Restoration Project : Biennial Report 1996-97.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

LRK Communications; Wildlife Habitat Institute; Pocket Water, Inc.

2003-07-01

The Red River has been straightened and the riparian vegetation corridor eliminated in several reaches within the watershed. The river responded by incision resulting in over-steepened banks, increased sedimentation, elevated water temperatures, depressed groundwater levels, reduced floodplain function, and degraded fish habitat. The Lower Red River Meadow Restoration Project is a multi-phase ecosystem enhancement effort that restores natural physical and biological processes and functions to stabilize the stream channel and establish high quality habitats for fish and wildlife. A natural channel restoration philosophy guides the design and on the ground activities, allowing the channel to evolve into a state of dynamic equilibrium. Two years of planning, two years of restoration in Phases I and II, and one year post-restoration monitoring are complete. By excavating new bends and reconnecting historic meanders, Phase I and II channel realignment increased channel length by 3,060 feet, decreased channel gradient by 25 percent, and increased sinuosity from 1.7 to 2.3. Cross-sectional shapes and point bars were modified to maintain deep pool habitat at low flow and to reconnect the meadow floodplain. Improved soil moisture conditions will help sustain the 31,500 native riparian plantings reestablished within these two phases. Overall, short-term restoration performance was successful. Analyses of long-term parameters document either post-restoration baseline conditions or early stages of evolution toward desired conditions. An adaptive management strategy has helped to improve restoration designs, methods, and monitoring. Lessons learned are being transferred to a variety of audiences to advance the knowledge of ecological restoration and wise management of watersheds.

Numerical Investigation of Springback in Mechanical Clinching Process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohanna Eshtayeh

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In this work, a numerical investigation was conducted to study the springback phenomena in the mechanical clinching process. The springback values were calculated using finite element simulations and it was found that these values depend strongly on the strength of the materials. A Taguchi optimization method was used to determine the optimal parameters affecting springback. However, in the case of materials with low tensile strength, determining parameters affecting springback becomes difficult. Implicit and explicit simulations of clinching joints using the springback analysis show that the distance between the joint sheets becomes almost zero after stress recovery.

Public support for river restoration funding in relation to local river ecomorphology, population density, and mean income

Science.gov (United States)

SchläPfer, Felix; Witzig, Pieter-Jan

2006-12-01

In 1997, about 140,000 citizens in 388 voting districts in the Swiss canton of Bern passed a ballot initiative to allocate about 3 million Swiss Francs annually to a canton-wide river restoration program. Using the municipal voting returns and a detailed georeferenced data set on the ecomorphological status of the rivers, we estimate models of voter support in relation to local river ecomorphology, population density, mean income, cultural background, and recent flood damage. Support of the initiative increased with increasing population density and tended to increase with increasing mean income, in spite of progressive taxation. Furthermore, we found evidence that public support increased with decreasing "naturalness" of local rivers. The model estimates may be cautiously used to predict the public acceptance of similar restoration programs in comparable regions. Moreover, the voting-based insights into the distribution of river restoration benefits provide a useful starting point for debates about appropriate financing schemes.

River habitat assessment for ecological restoration of Wei River Basin, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Tao; Wang, Shuo; Li, Xiaoping; Wu, Ting; Li, Li; Chen, Jia

2018-04-11

As an important composition component of river ecosystems, river habitats must undergo quality assessment to potentially provide scientific basis for river ecological restoration. Substrate composition, habitat complexity, bank erosion degree, river meandering degree, human activity intensity, vegetation buffer width, water quality, and water condition were determined as indicators for river habitat assessment. The comprehensive habitat quality index (CHQI) was established for the Wei River Basin. In addition, the indicator values were determined on the basis of a field investigation at 12 national hydrological stations distributed across the Wei, Jing, and Beiluo Rivers. The analytic hierarchy process was used to determine the indicator weights and thus distinguish the relative importance of the assessment indicator system. Results indicated that the average CHQIs for the Wei, Jing, and Beiluo Rivers were 0.417, 0.508, and 0.304, respectively. The river habitat quality for the three rivers was well. As for the whole river basin, the river habitat quality for 25% of the cross section was very well, the other 25% was well, and the 50% remaining was in critical state. The river habitat quality of the Jing River was better than that of the Wei and Beiluo Rivers.

The monitoring method of water quality in Ciliwung River for post restoration

Science.gov (United States)

Diyanti; Saleh Pallu, Muh.; Tahir Lopa, Rita; Arsyad Thaha, M.

2018-04-01

Ciliwung River is the biggest river which flows across DKI Jakarta, where the river flows through the city, the settlements, and slums in Jakarta. Problems that occur in the Ciliwung River in Jakarta one of which is the quality of water. This research using some datas, there are secondary and primary data like river dimension and visualization of water quality of Ciliwung River. This research using a descriptive method which describes the comparison between a physical and chemical parameter for the durationn of three (3) years post-restoration. The physical parameters used in this reasearch are temperature and TDS, the chemical parameters are pH dan DO. Based on the result of data analyzing, we get the temperature average parameter pre-restoration is 28.30°C and TDS level is 151.96 mg/L, so the logical of standard quality criteria match with class 3. Post-restoration got the temperature 22.06°C and TDS level 224.20mg/L, so that water quality criteria match with class 2. For the chemical parameters the average pH and DO values pre-restoration are 6.84 and 4mg/L, respectively which match with class 2 category. Post-restoration, the chemical parameter about pH level is 7.41 and DO 8.4 mg/L, so the standard quality criteria match with class 1.

Contrasting the roles of section length and instream habitat enhancement for river restoration success: a field study on 20 European restoration projects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hering, D.; Aroviita, J.; Baattrup-Pedersen, A.; Brabec, K.; Buijse, T.; Ecke, F.; Friberg, N.; Gielczewski, Marek; Januschke, K.; Köhler, J.; Kupilas, Benjamin; Lorenz, A.W.; Muhar, S.; Paillex, Amael; Poppe, Michaela; Schmidt, T.; Schmutz, S.; Vermaat, J.; Verdonschot, R.C.M.; Verdonschot, P.F.M.; Wolter, Christian; Kail, J.

2015-01-01

1. Restoration of river hydromorphology often has limited detected effects on river biota. One frequently discussed reason is that the restored river length is insufficient to allow populations to develop and give the room for geomorphologic processes to occur. 2. We investigated ten pairs of

Sandy River Delta Habitat Restoration : Annual Report, January 2008 - March 2009.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dobson, Robin [USDA Forest Service, Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area

2009-09-11

During the period 2008-2009, there were 2 contracts with BPA. One (38539) was dealing with the restoration work for 2007 and the other (26198) was an extension on the 2006 contract including the NEPA for Dam removal on the old channel of the Sandy River. For contract 38539, the Sandy River Delta Habitat Restoration project continued its focus on riparian hardwood reforestation with less emphasis on wetlands restoration. Emphasis was placed on Sundial Island again due to the potential removal of the dike and the loss of access in the near future. AshCreek Forest Management was able to leverage additional funding from grants to help finance the restoration effort; this required a mid year revision of work funded by BPA. The revised work not only continued the maintenance of restored hardwood forests, but was aimed to commence the restoration of the Columbia River Banks, an area all along the Columbia River. This would be the final restoration for Sundial Island. The grant funding would help achieve this. Thus by 2011, all major work will have been completed on Sundial Island and the need for access with vehicles would no longer be required. The restored forests continued to show excellent growth and development towards true riparian gallery forests. Final inter-planting was commenced, and will continue through 2010 before the area is considered fully restored. No new wetland work was completed. The wetlands were filled by pumping in early summer to augment the water levels but due to better rainfall, no new fuel was required to augment existing. Monitoring results continued to show very good growth of the trees and the restoration at large was performing beyond expectations. Weed problems continue to be the most difficult issue. The $100,000 from BPA planned for forest restoration in 2008, was augmented by $25,000 from USFS, $120,000 from OR150 grant, $18,000 from LCREP, and the COE continued to add $250,000 for their portion. Summary of the use of these funds are

The anthropogenic nature of present-day low energy rivers in western France and implications for current restoration projects

Science.gov (United States)

Lespez, L.; Viel, V.; Rollet, A. J.; Delahaye, D.

2015-12-01

As in other European countries, western France has seen an increase in river restoration projects. In this paper, we examine the restoration goals, methods and objectives with respect to the long-term trajectory and understanding of the contemporary dynamics of the small low energy rivers typical of the lowlands of Western Europe. The exhaustive geomorphological, paleoenvironmental and historical research conducted in the Seulles river basin (Normandy) provides very accurate documentation of the nature and place of the different legacies in the fluvial systems we have inherited. The sedimentation rate in the Seulles valley bottom has multiplied by a factor of 20 since the end of the Bronze Age and has generated dramatic changes in fluvial forms. Hydraulic control of the rivers and valley bottoms drainage throughout the last millennium has channelized rivers within these deposits. The single meandering channel which characterizes this river today is the legacy of the delayed and complex effects of long term exploitation of the river basin and the fluvial system. Bring to light that the "naturalness" of the restored rivers might be questioned. Our research emphasizes the gap between the poor knowledge of the functioning of these rivers and the concrete objectives of the restoration works undertaken, including dam and weir removal. Account of the long-term history of fluvial systems is required, not only to produce a pedagogic history of the "river degradation" but more fundamentally (i) to situate the current functioning of the fluvial system in a trajectory to try to identify thresholds and anticipate the potential turning points in a context of climate and land use change, (ii) to understand the role of morphosedimentary legacies on the current dynamics, (iii) to open the discussion on reference functioning or expected states and (iv) to open discussion on the sustainability of ecological restoration. To conclude, we point out the necessity to take into account the

Environmental guidance for public participation in environmental restoration activities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1991-11-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is issuing this document, entitled Guidance on Public Participation for US Department of Energy Environmental Restoration Activities, to summarize policy and provide guidance for public participation in environmental restoration activities at DOE Headquarters, Field Offices, facilities, and laboratories. While the Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) has environmental restoration responsibility for the majority of DOE sites and facilities, other DOE Project Offices have similar responsibilities at their sites and facilities. This guidance is applicable to all environment restoration activities conducted by or for DOE under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) as amended by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA); the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA) as amended by the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments of 1984 (HSWA) (corrective actions only); and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). This guidance also is applicable to CERCLA remedial action programs under the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of 1978 and the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program, where DOE is the designated lead. The primary objectives of this guidance document are as follows: acclimate DOE staff to a changing culture that emphasizes the importance of public participation activities; provide direction on implementing these public participation activities; and, provide consistent guidance for all DOE Field Offices and facilities. The purpose of this document is to provide guidance on conducting effective public participation activities for environmental restoration activities under CERCLA; RCRA corrective actions under sections 3004(u), 3004(v), and 3008(h); and NEPA public participation activities.

Progress in the environmental restoration at the Savannah River Site (SRS)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pope, J.M.; McClain, L.

1992-01-01

The Environmental Restoration (ER) Program has continued to achieve significant accomplishments important to the mission of cleaning up inactive waste sites, performing corrective actions on contaminated groundwater, planning for decontaminating/decommissioning surplus facilities and ensuring that the environment and the health and safety of people are protected. The multifaceted cleanup at SRS represents noteworthy milestones across the DOE complex. The associated lessons learned and key elements of the progress will be presented in the course of the paper

Wind River Watershed Restoration Project, Segment II, 2000-2002 Annual Report.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bair, Brian; Olegario, Anthony; Powers, Paul

2002-06-01

This document represents work conducted as part of the Wind River Watershed Restoration Project during its second year of funding through the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA). The project is a comprehensive effort involving public and private entities seeking to restore water quality and fishery resources in the basin through cooperative actions. Project elements include coordination, watershed assessment, restoration, monitoring, and education. Entities involved with implementing project components are the Underwood Conservation District (UCD), USDA Forest Service (USFS), U.S. Geological Survey - Columbia River Research Lab (USGS-CRRL), and WA Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW).

Contrasting the roles of section length and instream habitat enhancement for river restoration success

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hering, Daniel; Aroviita, Jukka; Baattrup-Pedersen, Annette; Brabec, Karel; Buijse, Tom; Ecke, Frauke; Friberg, Nikolai; Gielczewski, Marek; Januschke, Kathrin; Köhler, Jan; Kupilas, Benjamin; Lorenz, Armin W.; Muhar, Susanne; Paillex, Amael; Poppe, Michaela; Schmidt, Torsten; Schmutz, Stefan; Vermaat, Jan; Verdonschot, Piet F.M.; Verdonschot, Ralf C.M.; Wolter, Christian; Kail, Jochem

2015-01-01

Restoration of river hydromorphology often has limited detected effects on river biota. One frequently discussed reason is that the restored river length is insufficient to allow populations to develop and give the room for geomorphological processes to occur. We investigated ten pairs of

Site suitability report in the matter of Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant. Docket No. 50-537. Revision to March 4, 1977 report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-06-01

In March 1977, the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation issued its Site Suitability Report (SSR) for the proposed Clinch River Breeder Plant (CRBRP). That SSR documents the result of the staff's evaluation of the suitability of the proposed CRBRP site for a facility of the general size and type as the CRBRP from the standpoint of radiological health and safety considerations. The staff concluded in that SSR that the proposed CRBRP site is suitable for such a facility. Since the SSR was issued, several modifications have been made to the CRBRP design, additional data related to the site and its environs have been collected, and the Fast Flux Test Facility, a technological precursor to the CRBRP, has been completed and has commenced operation. In addition, new emergency planning requirements have been promulgated by the staff. This report is an update of the March 1977 SSR that reflects these matters and discusses them in terms of the previous staff conclusion regarding the suitability of the proposed CRBRP site

Restoring Environmental Flows by Modifying Dam Operations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brian D. Richter

2007-06-01

Full Text Available The construction of new dams has become one of the most controversial issues in global efforts to alleviate poverty, improve human health, and strengthen regional economies. Unfortunately, this controversy has overshadowed the tremendous opportunity that exists for modifying the operations of existing dams to recover many of the environmental and social benefits of healthy ecosystems that have been compromised by present modes of dam operation. The potential benefits of dam "re-operation" include recovery of fish, shellfish, and other wildlife populations valued both commercially and recreationally, including estuarine species; reactivation of the flood storage and water purification benefits that occur when floods are allowed to flow into floodplain forests and wetlands; regaining some semblance of the naturally dynamic balance between river erosion and sedimentation that shapes physical habitat complexity, and arresting problems associated with geomorphic imbalances; cultural and spiritual uses of rivers; and many other socially valued products and services. This paper describes an assessment framework that can be used to evaluate the benefits that might be restored through dam re-operation. Assessing the potential benefits of dam re-operation begins by characterizing the dam's effects on the river flow regime, and formulating hypotheses about the ecological and social benefits that might be restored by releasing water from the dam in a manner that more closely resembles natural flow patterns. These hypotheses can be tested by implementing a re-operation plan, tracking the response of the ecosystem, and continually refining dam operations through adaptive management. The paper highlights a number of land and water management strategies useful in implementing a dam re-operation plan, with reference to a variety of management contexts ranging from individual dams to cascades of dams along a river to regional energy grids. Because many of the

Restoration of Hydrodynamic and Hydrologic Processes in the Chinook River Estuary, Washington ? Feasibility Assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khangaonkar, Tarang P.; Breithaupt, Stephen A.; Kristanovich, Felix C.

2006-01-01

A hydrodynamic and hydrologic modeling analysis was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of restoring natural estuarine functions and tidal marine wetlands habitat in the Chinook River estuary, located near the mouth of the Columbia River in Washington. The reduction in salmonid populations is attributable primarily to the construction of a Highway 101 overpass across the mouth of the Chinook River in the early 1920s with a tide gate under the overpass. This construction, which was designed to eliminate tidal action in the estuary, has impeded the upstream passage of salmonids. The goal of the Chinook River Restoration Project is to restore tidal functions through the estuary, by removing the tide gate at the mouth of the river, filling drainage ditches, restoring tidal swales, and reforesting riparian areas. The hydrologic model (HEC-HMS) was used to compute Chinook River and tributary inflows for use as input to the hydrodynamic model at the project area boundary. The hydrodynamic model (RMA-10) was used to generate information on water levels, velocities, salinity, and inundation during both normal tides and 100-year storm conditions under existing conditions and under the restoration alternatives. The RMA-10 model was extended well upstream of the normal tidal flats into the watershed domain to correctly simulate flooding and drainage with tidal effects included, using the wetting and drying schemes. The major conclusion of the hydrologic and hydrodynamic modeling study was that restoration of the tidal functions in the Chinook River estuary would be feasible through opening or removal of the tide gate. Implementation of the preferred alternative (removal of the tide gate, restoration of the channel under Hwy 101 to a 200-foot width, and construction of an internal levee inside the project area) would provide the required restorations benefits (inundation, habitat, velocities, and salinity penetration, etc.) and meet flood protection requirements. The

The observational approach in environmental restoration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smyth, J.D.; Quinn, R.D.

1991-07-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has committed to completing environmental restoration of its facilities within the next 28 years (DOE 1990b). In order to achieve this, DOE must ensure that its restoration activities are both effective and efficient. A key aspect of fulfilling this commitment is the recognition and management of uncertainty that is inherent in waste-site clean-up actions. The DOE Office of Environmental Restoration (DOE-ER) requested Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) to investigate the applicability and implementation of what is known as the ''observational approach'' to better address these needs. PNL's initial investigation resulted in the positive conclusion that the observational approach had potential benefit to DOE during environmental restoration. In a follow-on effort, PNL supported by CH2M HILL, has been providing guidance to DOE field-offices on observational approach fundamentals, implementation, and application to waste-site remediation. This paper outlines the fundamentals of the observational approach and discusses the progress in integrating the observational approach in DOE's environmental restoration efforts. 9 refs., 2 figs

Mining in New Caledonia: environmental stakes and restoration opportunities.

Science.gov (United States)

Losfeld, Guillaume; L'Huillier, Laurent; Fogliani, Bruno; Jaffré, Tanguy; Grison, Claude

2015-04-01

New Caledonia is a widely recognised marine and terrestrial biodiversity hot spot. However, this unique environment is under increasing anthropogenic pressure. Major threats are related to land cover change and include fire, urban sprawling and mining. Resulting habitat loss and fragmentation end up in serious erosion of the local biodiversity. Mining is of particular concern due to its economic significance for the island. Open cast mines were exploited there since 1873, and scraping out soil to access ores wipes out flora. Resulting perturbations on water flows and dramatic soil erosion lead to metal-rich sediment transport downstream into rivers and the lagoon. Conflicting environmental and economic aspects of mining are discussed in this paper. However, mining practices are also improving, and where impacts are inescapable ecological restoration is now considered. Past and ongoing experiences in the restoration of New Caledonian terrestrial ecosystems are presented and discussed here. Economic use of the local floristic diversity could also promote conservation and restoration, while providing alternative incomes. In this regard, Ecocatalysis, an innovative approach to make use of metal hyperaccumulating plants, is of particular interest.

Technology needs assessment for DOE environmental restoration programs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duray, J.R.; Carlson, T.J.; Carpenter, C.E.; Cummins, L.E.; Daub, G.J.

1992-01-01

The 'Technology Needs Assessment Final Report' describes current and planned environmental restoration activity, identifies technologies intended to be used or under consideration, and ranks technology deficiencies in the U.S. Department of Energy's environmental restoration program. Included in the ranking are treatment technologies, characterization technologies, and non-technology issues that affect environmental restoration. Data used for the assessment was gathered during interviews in the spring of 1991 with DOE site personnel responsible for the environmental restoration work. (author)

Environmental Restoration Remedial Action Program records management plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Michael, L.E.

1991-07-01

The US Department of Energy-Richland Operations Office (DOE-RL) Environmental Restoration Field Office Management Plan [(FOMP) DOE-RL 1989] describes the plans, organization, and control systems to be used for management of the Hanford Site environmental restoration remedial action program. The FOMP, in conjunction with the Environmental Restoration Remedial Action Quality Assurance Requirements document [(QARD) DOE-RL 1991], provides all the environmental restoration remedial action program requirements governing environmental restoration work on the Hanford Site. The FOMP requires a records management plan be written. The Westinghouse Hanford Company (Westinghouse Hanford) Environmental Restoration Remedial Action (ERRA) Program Office has developed this ERRA Records Management Plan to fulfill the requirements of the FOMP. This records management plan will enable the program office to identify, control, and maintain the quality assurance, decisional, or regulatory prescribed records generated and used in support of the ERRA Program. 8 refs., 1 fig

Development of a GIS-Based Decision Support System for Diagnosis of River System Health and Restoration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jihong Xia

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The development of a decision support system (DSS to inform policy making has been progressing rapidly. This paper presents a generic framework and the development steps of a decision tool prototype of geographic information systems (GIS-based decision support system of river health diagnosis (RHD-DSS. This system integrates data, calculation models, and human knowledge of river health status assessment, causal factors diagnosis, and restoration decision making to assist decision makers during river restoration and management in Zhejiang Province, China. Our RHD-DSS is composed of four main elements: the graphical user interface (GUI, the database, the model base, and the knowledge base. It has five functional components: the input module, the database management, the diagnostic indicators management, the assessment and diagnosis, and the visual result module. The system design is illustrated with particular emphasis on the development of the database, model schemas, diagnosis and analytical processing techniques, and map management design. Finally, the application of the prototype RHD-DSS is presented and implemented for Xinjiangtang River of Haining County in Zhejiang Province, China. This case study is used to demonstrate the advantages gained by the application of this system. We conclude that there is great potential for using the RHD-DSS to systematically manage river basins in order to effectively mitigate environmental issues. The proposed approach will provide river managers and designers with improved insight into river degradation conditions, thereby strengthening the assessment process and the administration of human activities in river management.

Urban River Restoration in Tehran: Challenges and Opportunities

Science.gov (United States)

Azizi, S.; Mousavi, H.; Farshad, F.; Hoseinzade Vahedi, N.; Zanjanian, M.; Khamesi, A.; Shojaee, M.; Safdarnejad, S. M.; Mirrahimi, H.; Ahmari, N.

2015-12-01

The typical treatment of urban river streams in Tehran has been limited channelization over the last 30 years. Changes in stream hydrology resulting from urbanization causes a widening gap between river and neighborhoods that results in the ecological and visual division between built and natural environments. To address these problems, a new management perspective in Tehran municipality seeks creating a sequence of thematic green spaces which serve as meeting points for adjacent neighborhoods. Implementation of pilot projects has proved that restoration of urban rivers requires a holistic approach with a range of technologies and tools that contribute to the goal of integrated planning. Currently, our team is working on Darband and Darabad catchments in north east Tehran,to provide opportunities for restoration of natural life in order to improve the amenity, ecology and sustainability of an urban river environment based on 4 key planning principles of: Demonstrating characteristics of the city's unique relationship to the river in the riverfront design; Knowing the river ecosystem and planning for a scale larger than the river front; minimizing new floodplain development; and Providing public access, connections, and recreational uses. This presentation will discuss the process of developing a new integrated GIS-based catchment planning system which helped the City shape its strategic plan for two catchments for the 2015-2030 period through multi-objective and multi-criteria optimization. The strategic plan is expected to enable the city to project the effects of introducing any future development in the catchment area on the river system, helping it to prevent such development activities which can have unintended long-term impacts.

Ecological risk assessment in a large river-reservoir. 1: Introduction and background

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cook, R.B.; Suter, G.W. II; Sain, E.R.

1999-01-01

The US Department of Energy initiated a remedial investigation of the Clinch River/Poplar Creek system Superfund Site in 1989. This site, located in eastern Tennessee near Oak Ridge, consists of 70 river kilometers and 40 km 2 of surface area. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the nature and extent of contamination, perform an ecological and human health risk assessment, and evaluate possible remedial alternatives. This introductory article summarizes the environmental setting, the contamination history, and the study approach and provides some general results of the site characterization. Subsequent papers in this series describe the ecological risks to fish, piscivorous and insectivorous wildlife, and benthic invertebrates

Mechanical clinching process stress and strain in the clinching of EN-AW5754 (AlMg3, and EN AW-5019 (AlMg5 metal plates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Cumin

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the results of Finite Element Method numerical simulation performed onEN-AW5754(AlMg3, EN AW-5019 (AlMg5 plates subjected to mechanical clinching. The goal was to observe differences between aluminum plates in the same tool; and to determine the possibility of using the constructed tool for the clinching of Al-Al material combinations. This tool construction is to be produced and tested in laboratory conditions, to elaborate prospective results, and reach additional conclusions.

CASE STUDY CRITIQUE; UPPER CLINCH CASE STUDY

Science.gov (United States)

Case study critique: Upper Clinch case study (from Research on Methods for Integrating Ecological Economics and Ecological Risk Assessment: A Trade-off Weighted Index Approach to Integrating Economics and Ecological Risk Assessment). This critique answers the questions: 1) does ...

Savannah River Site Environmental Report for 1994

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arnett, M.W.; Mamatey, A.; Spitzer, D.

1994-01-01

The mission at the Savannah River Site has changed from producing nuclear weapons materials for national defense to managing the waste it has generated, restoring the environment, and enhancing industrial development in and around the site. But no matter what the site's mission is, it will continue to maintain its comprehensive environmental monitoring and surveillance program. In 1994, effluent monitoring and environmental surveillance were conducted within a 30,000-square-mile area in and around SRS that includes neighboring cities, towns, and counties in Georgia and South Carolina and extends up to 100 miles from the site. Thousands of samples of air, surface water, groundwater, foodstuffs, drinking water, wildlife, rainwater, soil, sediment, and vegetation were collected and analyzed for radioactive and nonradioactive contaminants

Savannah River Site Environmental Report for 1994

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arnett, M.W.; Mamatey, A.; Spitzer, D.

1994-12-16

The mission at the Savannah River Site has changed from producing nuclear weapons materials for national defense to managing the waste it has generated, restoring the environment, and enhancing industrial development in and around the site. But no matter what the site`s mission is, it will continue to maintain its comprehensive environmental monitoring and surveillance program. In 1994, effluent monitoring and environmental surveillance were conducted within a 30,000-square-mile area in and around SRS that includes neighboring cities, towns, and counties in Georgia and South Carolina and extends up to 100 miles from the site. Thousands of samples of air, surface water, groundwater, foodstuffs, drinking water, wildlife, rainwater, soil, sediment, and vegetation were collected and analyzed for radioactive and nonradioactive contaminants.

Process-based principles for restoring river ecosystems

Science.gov (United States)

Timothy J. Beechie; David A. Sear; Julian D. Olden; George R. Pess; John M. Buffington; Hamish Moir; Philip Roni; Michael M. Pollock

2010-01-01

Process-based restoration aims to reestablish normative rates and magnitudes of physical, chemical, and biological processes that sustain river and floodplain ecosystems. Ecosystem conditions at any site are governed by hierarchical regional, watershed, and reach-scale processes controlling hydrologic and sediment regimes; floodplain and aquatic habitat...

Revisiting restored river reaches - Assessing change of aquatic and riparian communities after five years.

Science.gov (United States)

Lorenz, Armin W; Haase, Peter; Januschke, Kathrin; Sundermann, Andrea; Hering, Daniel

2018-02-01

Hydromorphological restructuring of river sections, i.e. river restoration measures, often has little effects on aquatic biota, even in case of strong habitat alterations. It is often supposed that the biotic response is simply delayed as species require additional time to recolonize the newly generated habitats and to establish populations. To identify and specify the supposed lag time between restoration and biotic response, we investigated 19 restored river reaches twice in a five-year interval. The sites were restored one to ten years prior to the first sampling. We sampled three aquatic (fish, benthic invertebrates, macrophytes) and two riparian organism groups (ground beetles and riparian vegetation) and analyzed changes in assemblage composition and biotic metrics. With the exception of ground beetle assemblages, we observed no significant changes in richness and abundance metrics or metrics used for biological assessment. However, indicator taxa for near-natural habitat conditions in the riparian zone (indicators for regular inundation in plants and river bank specialists in beetles) improved significantly in the five-year interval. Contrary to general expectations in river restoration planning, we neither observed a distinct succession of aquatic communities nor a general trend towards "good ecological status" over time. Furthermore, multiple linear regression models revealed that neither the time since restoration nor the morphological status had a significant effect on the biological metrics and the assessment results. Thus, the stability of aquatic assemblages is strong, slowing down restoration effects in the aquatic zone, while riparian assemblages improve more rapidly. When defining restoration targets, the different timelines for ecological recovery after restoration should be taken into account. Furthermore, restoration measures should not solely focus on local habitat conditions but also target stressors acting on larger spatial scales and take

The summary of national environmental restoration needs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-07-01

The Office of Technology Development of the US Department of Energy (DOE) has directed the Savannah River Technology Center to implement an Integrated Demonstration Program at Savannah River Site to assess new environmental remediation systems and technologies and transfer them to other DOE sites and private industry for use in full-scale remediation efforts. The first phase of the Integrated Demonstration Program is coming to a successful conclusion and the Savannah River Technology Center has asked a panel of environmental experts to prioritize national, DOE, and Savannah River Site environmental problems and make programmatic recommendations for future technology research and demonstrations. This document is a summary of national and DOE environmental problems that are common to Savannah River Site and was created as a decision making tool for the expert panel. There are many diverse environmental problems, therefore the summary has been limited to environmental problems that are significant to the Savannah River Site. National environmental problems identified in the summary are soil and water contaminated with organic compounds. Specifically, groundwater contaminated with dense non-aqueous phase liquid hydrocarbons was found to be a significant national environmental problem. The DOE environmental problems identified in the summary are soil and water contaminated with fuel and chlorinated hydrocarbon compounds, metal compounds, and radioactive elements. Savannah River Site environmental problems identified in the summary are soil and groundwater contaminated with chlorinated hydrocarbons, metal compounds, tritiated water, and other radioactive elements. Technology deficiencies that were identified in the summary were deficiencies in in situ remediation technologies, in situ characterization technologies, and in situ isolation and containment technologies

Cost-benefit analysis of wetland restoration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dubgaard, Alex

2004-01-01

The purpose of cost-benefit analysis (CBA) is to identify value for money solutions to government policies or projects. Environmental policy appraisal is typically complicated by the fact that thre are a number of feasible solutions to a decision problem - each yielding a different mix of environ...... is to illustrate the application of CBA within the field of river restoration. The Skjern River restoration project in Denmark is used as an empirical example of how these methods can be applied in the wetland restoration context....

Spatial and temporal variability of soil moisture in a restored reach of an Alpine river

Science.gov (United States)

Luster, Jörg

2010-05-01

In order to assess the effects of river restoration on water quality, the biogeochemical functions of restored river reaches have to be quantified, and soil moisture is a key environmental variable controlling this functionality. Restored sections of rivers often are characterized by a dynamic mosaic of riparian zones with varying exposure to flooding. In this presentation, the spatial and temporal variability of soil moisture in riparian soils of a restored reach of the Alpine river Thur in northeastern Switzerland is shown. The study was part of the interdisciplinary project cluster RECORD, which was initiated to advance the mechanistic understanding of coupled hydrological and ecological processes in river corridors. The studied river reach comprised the following three functional processing zones (FPZ) representing a lateral successional gradient with decreasing hydrological connectivity (i.e. decreasing flooding frequency and duration). (i) The grass zone developed naturally on a gravel bar after restoration of the channelized river section (mainly colonized by canary reed grass Phalaris arundinacae). The soil is loamy sand to sandy loam composed of up to 80 cm thick fresh sediments trapped and stabilized by the grass roots. (ii) The bush zone is composed of young willow trees (Salix viminalis) planted during restoration to stabilize older overbank deposits with a loamy fine earth. (iii) The mixed forest is a mature riparian hardwood forest with ash and maple as dominant trees developed on older overbank sediments with a silty loamy fine earth. The study period was between spring 2009 and winter 2009/2010 including three flood events in June, July and December 2009. The first and third flood inundated the grass zone and lower part of the bush zone while the second flood was bigger and swept through all the FPZs. Water contents in several soil depths were measured continuously in 30 minute intervals using Decagon EC-5 and EC-TM sensors. There were six spatial

Multi-objective sustainable river management: balancing flood control, bio-pysical restoration and socio-economic factors in a Scottish river

Science.gov (United States)

Moir, H.; Bowles, C.; Campbell, C.; Sawyer, A.; Comins, L.; Werritty, A.

2010-12-01

The sustainable management of river corridors requires an understanding of the linkages between geomorphic, hydrologic, ecologic and socio-economic factors across a hierarchy of spatial and temporal scales. Therefore, in order to be genuinely sustainable, management must ideally be set within a catchment/watershed context. However, in practice, this rarely occurs due to obstacles imposed by fragmented land ownership/governance and an incomplete understanding of bio-physical process linkages. We present our experience on a project with the goal of optimising physical objectives at the catchment scale within a framework influenced by environmental legislation and conflicting land-use pressures. The project was carried out on the Eddleston Water in the Scottish Borders and had the primary objective of providing sustainable flood risk management to settlements on the water course while also providing ecological benefit to the river corridor. These co-objectives had to be met while considering the constraints imposed by land-use (predominantly arable agriculture) and transport infrastructure on the floodplain. The Eddleston Water has been heavily impacted by many human activities for over 200 years although a modified upland drainage, markedly canalised main-stem channel and floodplain disconnection are most significant to present-day physical and ecological processes. Catchment-scale restoration plans aim to restore broad-scale hydrological processes in conjunction with re-naturalisation of the river corridor at the reach-scale (including floodbank set-back, floodplain reconnection, regeneration of riparian vegetation, large wood placement). In addition, these measures also had to accommodate the objective of sustainable flood risk management, through the combination of a re-naturalised run-off regime and the encouragement of floodplain water storage. We present the output from 1D and 2D hydraulic models of a 1km stretch of the Eddleston Water that jointly assesses the

Forward-looking farmers owning multiple potential wetland restoration sites: implications for efficient restoration

Science.gov (United States)

Schroder (Kushch), Svetlana; Lang, Zhengxin; Rabotyagov, Sergey

2018-04-01

Wetland restoration can increase the provision of multiple non-market ecosystem services. Environmental and socio-economic factors need to be accounted for when land is withdrawn from agriculture and wetlands are restored. We build multi-objective optimization models to provide decision support for wetland restoration in the Le Sueur river watershed in Southern Minnesota. We integrate environmental objectives of sediment reduction and habitat protection with socio-economic factors associated with the overlap of private land with potential wetland restoration sites in the watershed and the costs representing forward-looking farmers voluntarily taking land out of agricultural production in favor of wetland restoration. Our results demonstrate that the inclusion of these factors early on in the restoration planning process affects both the total costs of the restoration project and the spatial distribution of optimally selected wetland restoration sites.

Sediment dynamics in the restored reach of the Kissimmee River Basin, Florida: A vast subtropical riparian wetland

Science.gov (United States)

Schenk, E.R.; Hupp, C.R.; Gellis, A.

2012-01-01

Historically, the Kissimmee River Basin consisted of a broad nearly annually inundated riparian wetland similar in character to tropical Southern Hemisphere large rivers. The river was channelized in the 1960s and 1970s, draining the wetland. The river is currently being restored with over 10 000 hectares of wetlands being reconnected to 70 river km of naturalized channel. We monitored riparian wetland sediment dynamics between 2007 and 2010 at 87 sites in the restored reach and 14 sites in an unrestored reference reach. Discharge and sediment transport were measured at the downstream end of the restored reach. There were three flooding events during the study, two as annual flood events and a third as a greater than a 5-year flood event. Restoration has returned periodic flood flow to the riparian wetland and provides a mean sedimentation rate of 11.3 mm per year over the study period in the restored reach compared with 1.7 mm per year in an unrestored channelized reach. Sedimentation from the two annual floods was within the normal range for alluvial Coastal Plain rivers. Sediment deposits consisted of over 20% organics, similar to eastern blackwater rivers. The Kissimmee River is unique in North America for its hybrid alluvial/blackwater nature. Fluvial suspended-sediment measurements for the three flood events indicate that a majority of the sediment (70%) was sand, which is important for natural levee construction. Of the total suspended sediment load for the three flood events, 3%–16% was organic and important in floodplain deposition. Sediment yield is similar to low-gradient rivers draining to the Chesapeake Bay and alluvial rivers of the southeastern USA. Continued monitoring should determine whether observed sediment transport and floodplain deposition rates are normal for this river and determine the relationship between historic vegetation community restoration, hydroperiod restoration, and sedimentation.

Wind River Watershed Restoration 2004-2005 Annual Report.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Connolly, Patrick J.; Jezorek, Ian G. [U.S. Geological Survey

2008-11-10

During 2004, researchers from U.S. Geological Survey's Columbia River Research Laboratory (USGS-CRRL) collected temperature, flow, and habitat data to characterize physical habitat condition and variation within and among tributaries and mainstem sections in the Wind River subbasin. Juvenile salmonid population surveys were conducted within select study areas throughout the subbasin. We expanded our survey coverage of the mainstem Wind River to a reach in the vicinity of Carson National Fish Hatchery to assess effects of non-indigenous Chinook on native steelhead. These efforts add to a database of habitat and fish data collected in the Wind River since 1996. This research contributes to the Wind River Restoration Project, which includes active stream habitat restoration and monitoring of adult and juvenile steelhead populations. We maintained a network of 32 thermographs in the Wind River subbasin during 2004. Additionally, Underwood Conservation District provided us with data from seven thermographs that they maintained during 2004. Thermograph data are identifying areas with chronic high water temperatures and stream sections where high rates of warming are occurring. During 2004, water temperatures at 26 thermograph sites exceeded the 16 C limit for surface waters set by the Washington Department of Ecology. Water temperatures exceeded 20 C at five sites in the Trout Creek watershed. Our thermograph dataset includes information from as early as 1996 at some sites and has become a valuable long-term dataset, which will be crucial in determining bioenergetic relationships with habitat and life-histories. We have monitored salmonid populations throughout the Wind River subbasin by electrofishing and snorkeling. We electrofished four stream sections for population estimates during 2004. In these sections, and others where we simply collected fish without a population estimate, we tagged juvenile steelhead and Chinook salmon with Passive Integrated Transponder

Wildlife Response to Riparian Restoration on the Sacramento River

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gregory H Golet

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Studies that assess the success of riparian restoration projects seldom focus on wildlife. More generally, vegetation characteristics are studied, with the assumption that animal populations will recover once adequate habitats are established. On the Sacramento River, millions of dollars have been spent on habitat restoration, yet few studies of wildlife response have been published. Here we present the major findings of a suite of studies that assessed responses of four taxonomic groups (insects, birds, bats, and rodents. Study designs fell primarily into two broad categories: comparisons of restoration sites of different ages, and comparisons of restoration sites with agricultural and remnant riparian sites. Older restoration sites showed increased abundances of many species of landbirds and bats relative to younger sites, and the same trend was observed for the Valley elderberry longhorn beetle (Desmocerus californicus dimorphus, a federally threatened species. Species richness of landbirds and ground-dwelling beetles appeared to increase as restoration sites matured. Young restoration sites provided benefits to species that utilize early successional riparian habitats, and after about 10 years, the sites appeared to provide many of the complex structural habitat elements that are characteristic of remnant forest patches. Eleven-year old sites were occupied by both cavity-nesting birds and special-status crevice-roosting bats. Restored sites also supported a wide diversity of bee species, and had richness similar to remnant sites. Remnant sites had species compositions of beetles and rodents more similar to older sites than to younger sites. Because study durations were short for all but landbirds, results should be viewed as preliminary. Nonetheless, in aggregate, they provide convincing evidence that restoration along the Sacramento River has been successful in restoring riparian habitats for a broad suite of faunal species. Not only did

Environmental restoration remedial action quality assurance requirements document

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cote, R.F.

1991-01-01

The environmental Restoration Remedial Action Quality Assurance Requirements Document (DOE/RL 90-28) defines the quality assurance program requirements for the US Department of Energy-Richland Field Office Environmental Restoration Remedial Action Program at the Hanford Site, Richland, Washington. This paper describes the objectives outlined in DOE/RL 90-28. The Environmental Restoration Remedial Action Program implements significant commitments made by the US Department of Energy in the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order entered into with the Washington State Department of Ecology and the US Environmental Protection Agency

Environmental restoration and biological contamination: ecological and legal aspects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ademir Reis

2005-05-01

Full Text Available Environmental restoration is a pressing current need. However, protected areas have been exposed to biological contamination risks because the traditional techniques of restoration frequently use exotic species. This causes some concern, since biological contamination is the second major cause of species extinction in the world. It is important to use only native species in restoration projects in order to promote an effective environmental restoration without the risk of contamination. This paper discusses some issues concerning environmental restoration, biological contamination and the need for clearer laws.

Model-Based Evaluation of Urban River Restoration: Conflicts between Sensitive Fish Species and Recreational Users

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aude Zingraff-Hamed

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Urban rivers are socioecological systems, and restored habitats may be attractive to both sensitive species and recreationists. Understanding the potential conflicts between ecological and recreational values is a critical issue for the development of a sustainable river-management plan. Habitat models are very promising tools for the ecological evaluation of river restoration projects that are already concluded, ongoing, or even to be planned. With our paper, we make a first attempt at integrating recreational user pressure into habitat modeling. The objective of this study was to analyze whether human impact is likely to hinder the re-establishment of a target species despite the successful restoration of physical habitat structures in the case of the restoration of the Isar River in Munich (Germany and the target fish species Chondostroma nasus L. Our analysis combined high-resolution 2D hydrodynamic modeling with mapping of recreational pressure and used an expert-based procedure for modeling habitat suitability. The results are twofold: (1 the restored river contains suitable physical habitats for population conservation but has low suitability for recruitment; (2 densely used areas match highly suitable habitats for C. nasus. In the future, the integrated modeling procedure presented here may allow ecological refuge for sensitive target species to be included in the design of restoration and may help in the development of visitor-management plans to safeguard biodiversity and recreational ecosystem services.

Developing a broader scientific foundation for river restoration: Columbia River food webs

Science.gov (United States)

Robert J. Naiman; J. Richard Alldredge; David A. Beauchamp; Peter A. Bisson; James Congleton; Charles J. Henny; Nancy Huntly; Roland Lamberson; Colin Levings; Erik N. Merrill; William G. Pearcy; Bruce E. Rieman; Gregory T. Ruggerone; Dennis Scarnecchia; Peter E. Smouse; Chris C. Wood

2012-01-01

Well-functioning food webs are fundamental for sustaining rivers as ecosystems and maintaining associated aquatic and terrestrial communities. The current emphasis on restoring habitat structure-without explicitly considering food webs-has been less successful than hoped in terms of enhancing the status of targeted species and often overlooks important constraints on...

River Continuity Restoration and Diadromous Fishes: Much More than an Ecological Issue

Science.gov (United States)

Drouineau, H.; Carter, C.; Rambonilaza, M.; Beaufaron, G.; Bouleau, G.; Gassiat, A.; Lambert, P.; le Floch, S.; Tétard, S.; de Oliveira, E.

2018-04-01

Ecosystem fragmentation is a serious threat to biodiversity and one of the main challenges in ecosystem restoration. River continuity restoration (RCR) has often targeted diadromous fishes, a group of species supporting strong cultural and economic values and especially sensitive to river fragmentation. Yet it has frequently produced mixed results and diadromous fishes remain at very low levels of abundance. Against this background, this paper presents the main challenges for defining, evaluating and achieving effective RCR. We first identify challenges specific to disciplines. In ecology, there is a need to develop quantitative and mechanistic models to support decision making, accounting for both direct and indirect impacts of river obstacles and working at the river catchment scale. In a context of dwindling abundances and reduced market value, cultural services provided by diadromous fishes are becoming increasingly prominent. Methods for carrying out economic quantification of non-market values of diadromous fishes become ever more urgent. Given current challenges for rivers to meet all needs sustainably, conflicts arise over the legitimate use of water resources for human purposes. Concepts and methods from political science and geography are needed to develop understandings on how the political work of public authorities and stakeholders can influence the legitimacy of restoration projects. Finally, the most exciting challenge is to combine disciplinary outcomes to achieve a multidisciplinary approach to RCR. Accordingly, the co-construction of intermediary objects and diagrams of flows of knowledge among disciplines can be first steps towards new frameworks supporting restoration design and planning.

Bird monitoring as an aid to riparian restoration: Findings from the Trinity River in northwestern California

Science.gov (United States)

C. Klamath Bird Observatory and USFS Pacific Southwest Research Station

2013-01-01

The Trinity River Restoration Program began in 2000 with the goal of restoring the Trinity River's salmon and steelhead fisheries, which were severely degraded during the last half-century as a result of dams, water diversions under the Central Valley Project, and land-use practices such as gold mining. The restoration program, as outlined in the U.S. Department...

Evaluation of Environmental Flows in Rivers Using Hydrological Methods (Case study: The Barandozchi River- Urmia Lake Basin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Mostafavi

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction Development of water resources projects are accompanied by several environmental impacts, among them, the changes in the natural flow regime and the reduction of downstream water flows. With respect to the water shortages and non-uniform distribution of rainfall, sustainable management of water resources would be inevitable. In order to prevent negative effects on long-term river ecosystems, it is necessary to preserve the ecological requirements of the river systems. The assessment of environmental flow requirements in a river ecosystem is a challenging practice all over the world, and in particular, in developing countries such as Iran. Environmental requirements of rivers are often defined as a suite of flow discharges of certain magnitude, timing, frequency and duration. These flows ensure a flow regime capable of sustaining a complex set of aquatic habitats and ecosystem processes and are referred to as "environmental flows". There are several methods for determining environmental flows. The majority of these methods can be grouped into four reasonably distinct categories, namely as: hydrological, hydraulic rating, habitat simulation (or rating, and holistic methodologies. However, the current knowledge of river ecology and existing data on the needs of aquatic habitats for water quantity and quality is very limited. It is considered that there is no unique and universal method to adapt to different rivers and/or different reaches in a river. The main aim of the present study was to provide with a framework to determine environmental flow requirements of a typical perennial river using eco-hydrological methods. The Barandozchi River was selected as an important water body in the Urmia Lake Basin, Iran. The preservation of the river lives, the restoration of the internationally recognized Urmia Lake, and the elimination of negative impact from the construction of the Barandoz dam on this river were the main concerns in this

Environmental Restoration Program Management Control Plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-09-01

This Management Control Plan has been prepared to define the Energy Systems approach to managing its participation in the US DOE's Environmental Restoration (ER) Program in a manner consistent with DOE/ORO 931: Management Plan for the DOE Field Office, Oak Ridge, Decontamination and Decommissioning Program; and the Energy Systems Environmental Restoration Contract Management Plan (CMP). This plan discusses the systems, procedures, methodology, and controls to be used by the program management team to attain these objectives

Modern comprehensive approach to monitor the morphodynamic evolution of restored river corridors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pasquale, N; Perona, P; Schneider, P.; Shrestha, J.; Wombacher, Andreas; Burlando, P

2011-01-01

River restoration has become a common measure to repair anthropogenically-induced alteration of fluvial ecosystems. The inherent complexity of ecohydrologic systems leads to limitations in understanding the response of such systems to restoration over time. Therefore, a significant effort has been

Cost Estimating Handbook for Environmental Restoration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-01-01

Environmental restoration (ER) projects have presented the DOE and cost estimators with a number of properties that are not comparable to the normal estimating climate within DOE. These properties include: An entirely new set of specialized expressions and terminology. A higher than normal exposure to cost and schedule risk, as compared to most other DOE projects, due to changing regulations, public involvement, resource shortages, and scope of work. A higher than normal percentage of indirect costs to the total estimated cost due primarily to record keeping, special training, liability, and indemnification. More than one estimate for a project, particularly in the assessment phase, in order to provide input into the evaluation of alternatives for the cleanup action. While some aspects of existing guidance for cost estimators will be applicable to environmental restoration projects, some components of the present guidelines will have to be modified to reflect the unique elements of these projects. The purpose of this Handbook is to assist cost estimators in the preparation of environmental restoration estimates for Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) projects undertaken by DOE. The DOE has, in recent years, seen a significant increase in the number, size, and frequency of environmental restoration projects that must be costed by the various DOE offices. The coming years will show the EM program to be the largest non-weapons program undertaken by DOE. These projects create new and unique estimating requirements since historical cost and estimating precedents are meager at best. It is anticipated that this Handbook will enhance the quality of cost data within DOE in several ways by providing: The basis for accurate, consistent, and traceable baselines. Sound methodologies, guidelines, and estimating formats. Sources of cost data/databases and estimating tools and techniques available at DOE cost professionals

Environmental Restoration Program Roadmap: Strategic program plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-01-01

This document is a strategic plan for accomplishing environmental restoration objectives at the Department of Energy's (DOE) Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PORTS). Waste Management (WM) for environmental restoration activities and integration of these activities into the PORTS WM operations is addressed in this document. The document provides detailed information concerning specific assumptions and activities required to meet DOE's environmental restoration objectives at this site. Environmental contamination at PORTS consists mainly of spent solvents and low level radionuclides. Solvents were used for industrial metal cleaning operations required to maintain the process during operations. Plumes of groundwater contamination resulting from past disposal of these spent solvents in landfills and impoundments extend from several locations within the site. Also, two sludge impoundments associated with a chromate reduction facility were characterized as having soil and groundwater contaminated with hexavalent chromium

Development of decontamination, decommissioning and environmental restoration technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Byung Jik; Kwon, H S; Kim, G N. and others

1999-03-01

Through the project of 'Development of decontamination, decommissioning and environmental restoration technology', the followings were studied. 1. Development of decontamination and repair technology for nuclear fuel cycle facilities 2. Development of dismantling technology 3. Development of environmental restoration technology. (author)

Development of decontamination, decommissioning and environmental restoration technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Byung Jik; Kwon, H. S.; Kim, G. N. and others

1999-03-01

Through the project of D evelopment of decontamination, decommissioning and environmental restoration technology , the followings were studied. 1. Development of decontamination and repair technology for nuclear fuel cycle facilities 2. Development of dismantling technology 3. Development of environmental restoration technology. (author)

South Fork Salmon River Watershed Restoration, 2008-2009 Annual Report.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reaney, Mark D. [Nez Perce Tribe Department of Fisheries Resource Management

2009-04-15

The watershed restoration work elements within the project area, the South Fork Salmon River Watershed, follow the watershed restoration approach adopted by the Nez Perce Tribe Department of Fisheries Resource Management (DFRM) - Watershed Division. The vision of the Nez Perce Tribe DFRM-Watershed Division focuses on protecting, restoring, and enhancing watersheds and treaty resources within the ceded territory of the Nez Perce Tribe under the Treaty of 1855 with the United States Federal Government. The program uses a holistic approach, which encompasses entire watersheds, ridge top to ridge top, emphasizing all cultural aspects and strategies that rely on natural fish production and healthy river ecosystems. The Nez Perce Tribe DFRM-Watershed Division strives towards maximizing historic ecosystem productivity and health for the restoration of anadromous and resident fish populations and the habitat on which all depend on for future generations Originally, this project was funded to create a step/pool stream channel that was appropriate to restore fish passage where the 'Glory Hole Cascade' is currently located at the Stibnite Mine. Due to unforeseen circumstances at the time, the project is unable to move forward as planned and a request for a change in scope of the project and an expansion of the geographic area in which to complete project work was submitted. No additional funds were being requested. The ultimate goal of this project is to work with the holistic, ridge top to ridge top approach to protect and restore the ecological and biological functions of the South Fork Salmon River Watershed to assist in the recovery of threatened and endangered anadromous and resident fish species. FY 2008 Work Elements included two aquatic organism passage (AOP) projects to restore habitat connectivity to two fish-bearing tributaries to the East Fork South Fork Salmon River, Salt and Profile Creeks. The Work Elements also included road survey and assessment

Quantifying flooding regime in floodplain forests to guide river restoration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christian O. Marks

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Determining the flooding regime needed to support distinctive floodplain forests is essential for effective river conservation under the ubiquitous human alteration of river flows characteristic of the Anthropocene Era. At over 100 sites throughout the Connecticut River basin, the largest river system in New England, we characterized species composition, valley and channel morphology, and hydrologic regime to define conditions promoting distinct floodplain forest assemblages. Species assemblages were dominated by floodplain-associated trees on surfaces experiencing flood durations between 4.5 and 91 days/year, which were generally well below the stage of the two-year recurrence interval flood, a widely-used benchmark for floodplain restoration. These tree species rarely occurred on surfaces that flooded less than 1 day/year. By contrast abundance of most woody invasive species decreased with flooding. Such flood-prone surfaces were jointly determined by characteristics of the hydrograph (high discharges of long duration and topography (low gradient and reduced valley constraint, resulting in increased availability of floodplain habitat with increasing watershed area and/or decreasing stream gradient. Downstream mainstem reaches provided the most floodplain habitat, largely associated with low-energy features such as back swamps and point bars, and were dominated by silver maple (Acer saccharinum. However, we were able to identify a number of suitable sites in the upper part of the basin and in large tributaries, often associated with in-channel islands and bars and frequently dominated by sycamore (Platanus occidentalis and flood disturbance-dependent species. Our results imply that restoring flows by modifying dam operations to benefit floodplain forests on existing surfaces need not conflict with flood protection in some regional settings. These results underscore the need to understand how flow, geomorphology, and species traits

Numerical modeling of mechanical behavior of clinch connections at breaking out and shearing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Berezhnoi Dmitri V.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This article describes an approach to constructing the defining relationships between increment of true stresses and true deformations, with considering the contact interaction of elastoplastic deformed bodies among each other. Within the framework of finite element method, solving these problems in case of “breaking out” and “shearing” in the clinch joint, the stress fields in the zone of the clinch connection are defined, and recommendations are given for realizing the process of their creation.

The role of floodplain restoration in mitigating flood risk, Lower Missouri River, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobson, Robert B.; Lindner, Garth; Bitner, Chance; Hudson, Paul F.; Middelkoop, Hans

2015-01-01

Recent extreme floods on the Lower Missouri River have reinvigorated public policy debate about the potential role of floodplain restoration in decreasing costs of floods and possibly increasing other ecosystem service benefits. The first step to addressing the benefits of floodplain restoration is to understand the interactions of flow, floodplain morphology, and land cover that together determine the biophysical capacity of the floodplain. In this article we address interactions between ecological restoration of floodplains and flood-risk reduction at 3 scales. At the scale of the Lower Missouri River corridor (1300 km) floodplain elevation datasets and flow models provide first-order calculations of the potential for Missouri River floodplains to store floods of varying magnitude and duration. At this same scale assessment of floodplain sand deposition from the 2011 Missouri River flood indicates the magnitude of flood damage that could potentially be limited by floodplain restoration. At the segment scale (85 km), 1-dimensional hydraulic modeling predicts substantial stage reductions with increasing area of floodplain restoration; mean stage reductions range from 0.12 to 0.66 m. This analysis also indicates that channel widening may contribute substantially to stage reductions as part of a comprehensive strategy to restore floodplain and channel habitats. Unsteady 1-dimensional flow modeling of restoration scenarios at this scale indicates that attenuation of peak discharges of an observed hydrograph from May 2007, of similar magnitude to a 10 % annual exceedance probability flood, would be minimal, ranging from 0.04 % (with 16 % floodplain restoration) to 0.13 % (with 100 % restoration). At the reach scale (15–20 km) 2-dimensional hydraulic models of alternative levee setbacks and floodplain roughness indicate complex processes and patterns of flooding including substantial variation in stage reductions across floodplains depending on

Development of decontamination, decommissioning and environmental restoration technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Byung Jik; Kwon, H. S.; Kim, G. N. and others

1999-03-01

Through the project of 'Development of decontamination, decommissioning and environmental restoration technology', the followings were studied. 1. Development of decontamination and repair technology for nuclear fuel cycle facilities 2. Development of dismantling technology 3. Development of environmental restoration technology. (author)

Phase I of the Kissimmee River restoration project, Florida, USA: impacts of construction on water quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Colangelo, David J; Jones, Bradley L

2005-03-01

Phase I of the Kissimmee River restoration project included backfilling of 12 km of canal and restoring flow through 24 km of continuous river channel. We quantified the effects of construction activities on four water quality parameters (turbidity, total phosphorus flow-weighted concentration, total phosphorus load and dissolved oxygen concentration). Data were collected at stations upstream and downstream of the construction and at four stations within the construction zone to determine if canal backfilling and construction of 2.4 km of new river channel would negatively impact local and downstream water quality. Turbidity levels at the downstream station were elevated for approximately 2 weeks during the one and a half year construction period, but never exceeded the Florida Department of Environmental Protection construction permit criteria. Turbidity levels at stations within the construction zone were high at certain times. Flow-weighted concentration of total phosphorus at the downstream station was slightly higher than the upstream station during construction, but low discharge limited downstream transport of phosphorus. Total phosphorus loads at the upstream and downstream stations were similar and loading to Lake Okeechobee was not significantly affected by construction. Mean water column dissolved oxygen concentrations at all sampling stations were similar during construction.

Characterizing fish responses to a river restoration over 21 years based on species' traits.

Science.gov (United States)

Höckendorff, Stefanie; Tonkin, Jonathan D; Haase, Peter; Bunzel-Drüke, Margret; Zimball, Olaf; Scharf, Matthias; Stoll, Stefan

2017-10-01

Understanding restoration effectiveness is often impaired by a lack of high-quality, long-term monitoring data and, to date, few researchers have used species' trait information to gain insight into the processes that drive the reaction of fish communities to restoration. We examined fish-community responses with a highly resolved data set from 21 consecutive years of electrofishing (4 years prerestoration and 17 years postrestoration) at multiple restored and unrestored reaches from a river restoration project on the Lippe River, Germany. Fish abundance peaked in the third year after the restoration; abundance was 6 times higher than before the restoration. After 5-7 years, species richness and abundance stabilized at 2 and 3.5 times higher levels relative to the prerestoration level, respectively. However, interannual variability of species richness and abundance remained considerable, illustrating the challenge of reliably assessing restoration outcomes based on data from individual samplings, especially in the first years following restoration. Life-history and reproduction-related traits best explained differences in species' responses to restoration. Opportunistic short-lived species with early female maturity and multiple spawning runs per year exhibited the strongest increase in abundance, which reflected their ability to rapidly colonize new habitats. These often small-bodied and fusiform fishes typically live in dynamic and ephemeral instream and floodplain areas that river-habitat restorations often aim to create, and in this case their increases in abundance indicated successful restoration. Our results suggest that a greater consideration of species' traits may enhance the causal understanding of community processes and the coupling of restoration to functional ecology. Trait-based assessments of restoration outcomes would furthermore allow for easier transfer of knowledge across biogeographic borders than studies based on taxonomy. © 2017 Society for

75 FR 52360 - Upper Truckee River Restoration and Golf Course Reconfiguration Project, El Dorado County, CA

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-25

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Reclamation Upper Truckee River Restoration and Golf Course... and comment the draft EIR/EIS for the Upper Truckee River Restoration and Golf Course Reconfiguration... include continuing existing golf course use, removal of the entire Lake Tahoe Golf Course, or...

78 FR 13082 - Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Statement...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-02-26

...The Bureau of Reclamation has made available for public review and comment the draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS/EIS) for the Upper Truckee River Restoration and Marsh Restoration Project (Project). The California Tahoe Conservancy and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, the other lead agencies for the Project, made the EIR/EIS/EIS available to the public on February 8, 2013.

Poplar Island Environmental Restoration Project Nekton Data

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Poplar Island Environmental Restoration Project (PIERP) is a large scale 1,800 acres restoration project located in mid Chesapeake Bay. Fishery collections are...

Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility Waste Acceptance Criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dronen, V.R.

1998-06-01

The Hanford Site is operated by the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) with a primary mission of environmental cleanup and restoration. The Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility (ERDF) is an integral part of the DOE environmental restoration effort at the Hanford Site. The purpose of this document is to establish the ERDF waste acceptance criteria for disposal of materials resulting from Hanford Site cleanup activities. Definition of and compliance with the requirements of this document will enable implementation of appropriate measures to protect human health and the environment, ensure the integrity of the ERDF liner system, facilitate efficient use of the available space in the ERDF, and comply with applicable environmental regulations and DOE orders. To serve this purpose, the document defines responsibilities, identifies the waste acceptance process, and provides the primary acceptance criteria and regulatory citations to guide ERDF users. The information contained in this document is not intended to repeat or summarize the contents of all applicable regulations

Impact of occupational issues on DOE's environmental restoration program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siegel, M.R.; Lesperance, A.M.; Smith, D.

1992-01-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is in the midst of a 30-yr, multi-billion-dollar environmental restoration program for most of the facilities included in its nuclear weapons complex. Long-term planning efforts are under way to identify strategies and approaches for carrying out this extraordinarily complicated task. The DOE has already entered into interagency agreements with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and states for many of its environmental restoration sites. These agreements set legally enforceable deadlines for cleanup activities at these sites. In addition, DOE has made other commitments to Congress and the public regarding its environmental restoration schedule. Thousands of workers will be directly involved in environmental restoration activities at DOE sites. Cleanup activity will be carried out in environments involving potential exposure to highly toxic chemical substances and radionuclides. It is inevitable that occupational safety and health (OSH) issues will become both critical and highly visible to DOE. The OSH issues associated with cleanup activities will likely attract the attention of workers, unions, the media, regulators, and the public. This paper reviews three case studies describing OSH activities in DOE's environmental restoration program. These case studies will help alert DOE officials to ways that various OSH issues should be considered when planning environmental restoration activities. This activity is being coordinated with other DOE work to identify occupational requirements that are applicable to DOE cleanup work

Vegetation development following stream/river restoration: more natural fluvial dynamics and morphology, return of aquatic and riparian plant species?

Science.gov (United States)

Soons, M. B.

2012-04-01

After centuries of human interventions in stream/river dynamics and morphology aimed at optimizing landscapes for agricultural and industrial purposes, new insights have inspired water managers to try and combine stream and river ecosystem functions with the conservation of biodiversity. Around the world, aquatic and riparian species have declined strongly due to pollution, destruction and fragmentation of their habitat, so that biodiversity conservation initiatives primarily focus on habitat restoration. In the past decades many stream and river restoration projects have been carried out and often hydrological dynamics and morphology have been restored to a more natural state. However, the successful restoration of aquatic and riparian habitats very often failed to result in restoration of their biodiversity. This lack of success from a biodiversity conservation perspective is usually attributed to 'dispersal limitation', meaning that the habitat may be restored, but species fail to reach the site and re-colonize it. Especially re-colonization by aquatic and riparian plant species is important, as such species function as ecosystem engineers: their presence alters fluvial dynamics and morphology, generates additional habitat heterogeneity and provides habitat and food for animal species. Following minor disturbances, re-colonization is often possible through locally remaining populations, by seeds in the seed bank or by surviving plant fragments. However, following major disturbances, colonization and establishment from other source populations are necessary. This usually occurs through dispersal of seeds (and in more aquatic species also by dispersal of vegetative fragments) into the restored wetland area. As dispersal occurs predominantly over short distances and source populations of aquatic and riparian species may be lacking in the surroundings, dispersal may be a limiting factor in the development of aquatic and riparian vegetation at a restored site. But

Technology needs for environmental restoration remedial action. Environmental Restoration Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Watson, J.S.

1992-11-01

This report summarizes the current view of the most important technology needs for the US Department of Energy (DOE) facilities operated by Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. These facilities are the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Oak Ridge K-25 Site, the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, and the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant. The sources of information used in this assessment were a survey of selected representatives of the Environmental Restoration (ER) programs at each facility, results from a questionnaire distributed by Geotech CWM, Inc., for DOE, and associated discussions with individuals from each facility. This is not a final assessment, but a brief look at an ongoing assessment; the needs will change as the plans for restoration change and, it is hoped, as some technical problems are solved through successful development programs.

Environmental Restoration Remedial Action quality assurance requirements document

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-01-01

This document defines the quality assurance requirements for the US Department of Energy-Richland Operations Office Environmental Restoration Remedial Action program at the Hanford Site. The Environmental Restoration Remedial Action program implements significant commitments made by the US Department of Energy in the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order entered into with the Washington State Department of Ecology and the US Environmental Protection Agency. This document combines quality assurance requirements from various source documents into one set of requirements for use by the US Department of Energy-Richland Operations Office and other Environmental Restoration Remedial Action program participants. This document will serve as the basis for developing Quality Assurance Program Plans and implementing procedures by the participants. The requirements of this document will be applied to activities affecting quality, using a graded approach based on the importance of the item, service, or activity to the program objectives. The Quality Assurance Program that will be established using this document as the basis, together with other program and technical documents, form an integrated management control system for conducting the Environmental Restoration Remedial Action program activities in a manner that provides safety and protects the environment and public health

Understanding restoration of Oregon's Wood River through multi-modal hydrogeomorphic monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Dearman, T.; Hughes, M. L.

2017-12-01

Channelized reaches of the lower Wood River in the Upper Klamath Basin of Oregon have undergone extensive restoration since the late 1990's, when the Bureau of Land Management began managing for the benefit of redband trout and other native-endemic species. Restoration included reconstruction of a floodplain and channel meanders, narrowing and deepening of channel, and excavation and reoccupation of fluvio-deltaic channels connecting the river to the Upper Klamath-Agency Lake system. The goals of this study were to extend the restoration monitoring record and evaluate post-restoration performance in light of this record. Monitoring included channel-bathymetry mapping, measurements of sediment transport (bedload), and measurement of discharge at points throughout the project reach under differing stage conditions. Results indicate two distinct domains of channel response to restoration: (1) an upstream domain marked by aggradation in the early and incision in the late post-restoration periods, and (2) a downstream domain marked by the inverse responses of degradation in the early and aggradation in the late post-restoration periods. These domains are separated by the confluence of an artificial channel maintained for boating access. Flow and sediment-transport continuity are interrupted at this confluence. At high stage (winter/spring) impoundment from the lake stalls flow, inducing sediment deposition. Stage falls as lake level recedes in the summer and stream power is restored, thereby releasing the sediment trapped at high stage. Aggradation in the downstream domain coupled with excavation of a birdfoot distributary in 2010 combined to initiate an avulsion from one distributary to another during the 2015 flow recession. With the exception of this recent avulsion, monitoring data suggest the channel system is approaching a dynamic equilibrium and behaving consistently with the rate law in geomorphology. This study provides the first known synthesis of long

A newly developed dispersal metric indicates the succession of benthic invertebrates in restored rivers.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Fengqing; Sundermann, Andrea; Stoll, Stefan; Haase, Peter

2016-11-01

Dispersal capacity plays a fundamental role in the riverine benthic invertebrate colonization of new habitats that emerges following flash floods or restoration. However, an appropriate measure of dispersal capacity for benthic invertebrates is still lacking. The dispersal of benthic invertebrates occurs mainly during the aquatic (larval) and aerial (adult) life stages, and the dispersal of each stage can be further subdivided into active and passive modes. Based on these four possible dispersal modes, we first developed a metric (which is very similar to the well-known and widely used saprobic index) to estimate the dispersal capacity for 802 benthic invertebrate taxa by incorporating a weight for each mode. Second, we tested this metric using benthic invertebrate community data from a) 23 large restored river sites with substantial improvements of river bottom habitats dating back 1 to 10years, b) 23 unrestored sites very close to the restored sites, and c) 298 adjacent surrounding sites (mean±standard deviation: 13.0±9.5 per site) within a distance of up to 5km for each restored site in the low mountain and lowland areas of Germany. We hypothesize that our metric will reflect the temporal succession process of benthic invertebrate communities colonizing the restored sites, whereas no temporal changes are expected in the unrestored and surrounding sites. By applying our metric to these three river treatment categories, we found that the average dispersal capacity of benthic invertebrate communities in the restored sites significantly decreased in the early years following restoration, whereas there were no changes in either the unrestored or the surrounding sites. After all taxa had been divided into quartiles representing weak to strong dispersers, this pattern became even more obvious; strong dispersers colonized the restored sites during the first year after restoration and then significantly decreased over time, whereas weak dispersers continued to increase

Cumulative effects of restoration efforts on ecological characteristics of an open water area within the Upper Mississippi River

Science.gov (United States)

Gray, B.R.; Shi, W.; Houser, J.N.; Rogala, J.T.; Guan, Z.; Cochran-Biederman, J. L.

2011-01-01

Ecological restoration efforts in large rivers generally aim to ameliorate ecological effects associated with large-scale modification of those rivers. This study examined whether the effects of restoration efforts-specifically those of island construction-within a largely open water restoration area of the Upper Mississippi River (UMR) might be seen at the spatial scale of that 3476ha area. The cumulative effects of island construction, when observed over multiple years, were postulated to have made the restoration area increasingly similar to a positive reference area (a proximate area comprising contiguous backwater areas) and increasingly different from two negative reference areas. The negative reference areas represented the Mississippi River main channel in an area proximate to the restoration area and an open water area in a related Mississippi River reach that has seen relatively little restoration effort. Inferences on the effects of restoration were made by comparing constrained and unconstrained models of summer chlorophyll a (CHL), summer inorganic suspended solids (ISS) and counts of benthic mayfly larvae. Constrained models forced trends in means or in both means and sampling variances to become, over time, increasingly similar to those in the positive reference area and increasingly dissimilar to those in the negative reference areas. Trends were estimated over 12- (mayflies) or 14-year sampling periods, and were evaluated using model information criteria. Based on these methods, restoration effects were observed for CHL and mayflies while evidence in favour of restoration effects on ISS was equivocal. These findings suggest that the cumulative effects of island building at relatively large spatial scales within large rivers may be estimated using data from large-scale surveillance monitoring programs. Published in 2010 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The role of benthic microhabitats in determining the effects of hydromorphological river restoration on macroinvertebrates

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verdonschot, R.C.M.; Kail, Jochem; McKie, Brendan G.; Verdonschot, P.F.M.

2016-01-01

Despite the large number of river restoration projects carried out worldwide, evidence for strong and long-term positive ecological effects of hydromorphological restoration on macroinvertebrates is scarce. To improve the understanding of the success and failure of restoration measures, a

Environmental Restoration Program Control Management System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duke, R.T.

1992-01-01

Environmental Restoration managers need to demonstrate that their programs are under control. Unlike most industrial programs, the public is heavily involved in Environmental Restoration activities. The public is demanding that the country prove that real progress is being made towards cleaning up the environment. A Program Control Management System can fill this need. It provides a structure for planning, work authorization, data accumulation, data analysis and change control. But it takes time to implement a control system and the public is losing its patience. This paper describes critical items essential to the quick development and implementation of a successful control system

Hanford Site waste management and environmental restoration integration plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Merrick, D.L.

1990-01-01

The ''Hanford Site Waste Management and Environmental Restoration Integration Plan'' describes major actions leading to waste disposal and site remediation. The primary purpose of this document is to provide a management tool for use by executives who need to quickly comprehend the waste management and environmental restoration programs. The Waste Management and Environmental Restoration Programs have been divided into missions. Waste Management consists of five missions: double-shell tank (DST) wastes; single-shell tank (SST) wastes (surveillance and interim storage, stabilization, and isolation); encapsulated cesium and strontium; solid wastes; and liquid effluents. Environmental Restoration consists of two missions: past practice units (PPU) (including characterization and assessment of SST wastes) and surplus facilities. For convenience, both aspects of SST wastes are discussed in one place. A general category of supporting activities is also included. 20 refs., 14 figs., 7 tabs

Environmental restoration project configuration control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hutterman, L.L.

1991-01-01

This paper provides an overview of the approach that Westinghouse Idaho Nuclear Company, Inc. (WINCO) is using for the implementation of the configuration control requirements for a major system acquisition under the guidance of US Department of Energy (DOE) Order 4700.1, open-quotes Project Management System,close quotes for environmental restoration. The two major features of the WINCO environmental restoration approach relate to (1) the product and (2) the maintenance of the baseline for many sites in different phases at the same time. Historically, a project has typically produced a product. Environmental restoration in some ways produces no typical project product. Essentially, what is produced and what configuration control management is exercised on is one of the following: (1) the development of clean dirt, (2) the documentation to support clean dirt, or (3) the track record of each of the sites. It is the latter approach that this paper deals with. This approach is unique in that there are four baselines [cost, schedule, scope, and technical (the track record product)] rather than the typical three. This is essential in configuration management due to the lack of a uniquely identifiable product for each site. Essentially, the philosophy behind the four-part configuration controls allows the technical baseline to fulfill the function typically met by the identifiable product

Evaluating Cumulative Ecosystem Response to Restoration Projects in the Columbia River Estuary, Annual Report 2005

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Diefenderfer, Heida L.; Thom, Ronald M.; Borde, Amy B.; Roegner, G. C.; Whiting, Allan H.; Johnson, Gary E.; Dawley, Earl; Skalski, John R.; Vavrinec, John; Ebberts, Blaine D.

2006-12-20

This report is the second annual report of a six-year project to evaluate the cumulative effects of habitat restoration projects in the Columbia River Estuary, conducted by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's Marine Sciences Laboratory, NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service Pt. Adams Biological Field Station, and the Columbia River Estuary Study Taskforce for the US Army Corps of Engineers. In 2005, baseline data were collected on two restoration sites and two associated reference sites in the Columbia River estuary. The sites represent two habitat types of the estuary--brackish marsh and freshwater swamp--that have sustained substantial losses in area and that may play important roles for salmonids. Baseline data collected included vegetation and elevation surveys, above and below-ground biomass, water depth and temperature, nutrient flux, fish species composition, and channel geometry. Following baseline data collection, three kinds of restoration actions for hydrological reconnection were implemented in several locations on the sites: tidegate replacements (2) at Vera Slough, near the city of Astoria in Oregon State, and culvert replacements (2) and dike breaches (3) at Kandoll Farm in the Grays River watershed in Washington State. Limited post-restoration data were collected: photo points, nutrient flux, water depth and temperature, and channel cross-sections. In subsequent work, this and additional post-restoration data will be used in conjunction with data from other sites to estimate net effects of hydrological reconnection restoration projects throughout the estuary. This project is establishing methods for evaluating the effectiveness of individual projects and a framework for assessing estuary-wide cumulative effects including a protocol manual for monitoring restoration and reference sites.

Societal Drivers of European Water Governance: A Comparison of Urban River Restoration Practices in France and Germany

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aude Zingraff-Hamed

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The European water governance took a decisive turn with the formulation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD, which demands the restoration of all water bodies that did not achieve sufficient ecological status. Urban rivers are particularly impaired by human activities and their restorations are motivated by multiple ecological and societal drivers, such as requirements of laws and legislation, and citizen needs for a better quality of life. In this study we investigated the relative influence of socio-political and socio-cultural drivers on urban river restorations by comparing projects of different policy contexts and cultural norms to cross-fertilize knowledge. A database of 75 projects in French and German major cities was compiled to apply (a a comparative statistical analysis of main project features, i.e., motivation, goals, measures, morphological status, and project date; and (b a qualitative textual analysis on project descriptions and titles. The results showed that despite a powerful European directive, urban river restoration projects still keep national specificities. The WFD drives with more intensity German, rather than French, urban river restoration. This study showed the limits of macro-level governance and the influence of microlevel governance driven by societal aspects such as nature perception and relationships between humans and rivers.

Application of the ELOHA Framework to Regulated Rivers in the Upper Tennessee River Basin: A Case Study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McManamay, Ryan A [ORNL; Orth, Dr. Donald J [Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech); Dolloff, Dr. Charles A [USDA Forest Service, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, Virginia Tech; Mathews, David C [Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)

2013-01-01

In order for habitat restoration in regulated rivers to be effective at large scales, broadly applicable frameworks are needed that provide measurable objectives and contexts for management. The Ecological Limits of Hydrologic Alteration (ELOHA) framework was created as a template to assess hydrologic alterations, develop relationships between altered streamflow and ecology, and establish environmental flow standards. We tested the utility of ELOHA in informing flow restoration applications for fish and riparian communities in regulated rivers in the Upper Tennessee River Basin (UTRB). We followed the steps of ELOHA to generate flow alteration-ecological response relationships and then determined whether those relationships could predict fish and riparian responses to flow restoration in the Cheoah River, a regulated system within the UTRB. Although ELOHA provided a robust template to construct hydrologic information and predict hydrology for ungaged locations, our results do not support the assertion that over-generalized univariate relationships between flow and ecology can produce results sufficient to guide management in regulated rivers. After constructing multivariate models, we successfully developed predictive relationships between flow alterations and fish/riparian responses. In accordance with model predictions, riparian encroachment displayed consistent decreases with increases in flow magnitude in the Cheoah River; however, fish richness did not increase as predicted four years post- restoration. Our results suggest that altered temperature and substrate and the current disturbance regime may have reduced opportunities for fish species colonization. Our case study highlights the need for interdisciplinary science in defining environmental flows for regulated rivers and the need for adaptive management approaches once flows are restored.

HYDROMORPHOLOGICAL EFFECT OF INTRODUCING SMALL WATER STRUCTURES IN RIVER RESTORATION – THE EXAMPLE OF PBHS IMPLEMENTATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tomasz Kałuża

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The work attempts to determine the impact of small hydrotechnical structures on channel hydromorphology as a measure of river restoration. The experiment was set up in Flinta River in Polish lowland where extensive hydromorphological survey was competed. At the first stage of restoration project containers filled with plant clumps working as sediment traps (plant basket hydraulic structures – PBHS were introduced. Those structures were relatively small but at the same time, large enough to change the river flow efficiently – working like low crested weirs. Two year monitoring program provided information about the impact of introducing such structures on river morphology and explained the PBHS impact on flow pattern of the river.

Hydraulic analysis of river training cross-vanes as part of post-restoration monitoring

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. A. Endreny

2011-07-01

Full Text Available River restoration design methods are incrementally improved by studying and learning from monitoring data in previous projects. In this paper we report post-restoration monitoring data and simulation analysis for a Natural Channel Design (NCD restoration project along 1600 m of the Batavia Kill (14 km² watershed in the Catskill Mountains, NY. The restoration project was completed in 2002 with goals to reduce bank erosion and determine the efficacy of NCD approaches for restoring headwater streams in the Catskill Mountains, NY. The NCD approach used a reference-reach to determine channel form, empirical relations between the project site and reference site bankfull dimensions to size channel geometry, and hydraulic and sediment computations based on a bankfull (1.3 yr return interval discharge to test channel capacity and sediment stability. The NCD project included 12 cross-vanes and 48 j-hook vanes as river training structures along 19 meander bends to protect against bank erosion and maintain scour pools for fish habitat. Monitoring data collected from 2002 to 2004 were used to identify aggradation of pools in meander bends and below some structures. Aggradation in pools was attributed to the meandering riffle-pool channel trending toward step-pool morphology and cross-vane arms not concentrating flow in the center of the channel. The aggradation subsequently caused flow splitting and 4 partial point bar avulsions during a spring 2005 flood with a 25-yr return interval. Processing the pre-flood monitoring data with hydraulic analysis software provided clues the reach was unstable and preventative maintenance was needed. River restoration and monitoring teams should be trained in robust hydraulic analytical methods that help them extend project restoration goals and structure stability.

Successes, Failures and Suggested Future Directions for Ecosystem Restoration of the Middle Sacramento River, California

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gregory H. Golet

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Large-scale ecosystem restoration projects seldom undergo comprehensive evaluation to determine project effectiveness. Consequently, there are missed opportunities for learning and strategy refinement. Before our study, monitoring information from California’s middle Sacramento River had not been synthesized, despite restoration having been ongoing since 1989. Our assessment was based on the development and application of 36 quantitative ecological indicators. These indicators were used to characterize the status of terrestrial and floodplain resources (e.g., flora and fauna, channel dynamics (e.g., planform, geomorphology, and the flow regime. Indicators were also associated with specific goal statements of the CALFED Ecosystem Restoration Program. A collective weight of evidence approach was used to assess restoration success. Our synthesis demonstrates good progress in the restoration of riparian habitats, birds and other wildlife, but not in restoration of streamflows and geomorphic processes. For example, from 1999 to 2007, there was a > 600% increase in forest patch core size, and a 43% increase in the area of the river bordered by natural habitat > 500 m wide. Species richness of landbirds and beetles increased at restoration sites, as did detections of bats. However, degraded post-Shasta Dam streamflow conditions continued. Relative to pre-dam conditions, the average number of years that pass between flows that are sufficient to mobilize the bed, and those that are of sufficient magnitude to inundate the floodplain, increased by over 100%. Trends in geomorphic processes were strongly negative, with increases in the amount of bank hardened with riprap, and decreases in the area of floodplain reworked. Overall the channel simplified, becoming less sinuous with reduced overall channel length. Our progress assessment presents a compelling case for what needs to be done to further advance the ecological restoration of the river. The most

Savannah River Site (SRS) environmental overview

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Rear, M.G.; Steele, J.L.; Kitchen, B.G.

1990-01-01

The environmental surveillance activities at and in the vicinity of the Savannah River Site (SRS) [formerly the Savannah River Plant (SRP)] comprise one of the most comprehensive and extensive environmental monitoring programs in the United States. This overview contains monitoring data from routine and nonroutine radiological and nonradiological environmental surveillance activities, summaries of environmental protection programs in progress, a summary of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) activities, and a listing of environmental permits (Appendix A) issued by regulatory agencies. This overview provides information about the impact of SRS operations on the public and the environment. The SRS occupies a large area of approximately 300 square miles along the Savannah River, principally in Aiken and Barnwell counties of South Carolina. SRS's primary function is the production of tritium, plutonium, and other special nuclear materials for national defense, for other governmental uses, and for some civilian purposes. From August 1950 to March 31, 1989, SRS was operated for the Department of Energy (DOE) by E. I. du Pont de Nemours ampersand Co. On April 1, 1989 the Westinghouse Savannah River Company assumed responsibility as the prime contractor for the Savannah River Site

Spatial and temporal variability of nitrate sinks and sources in riparian soils of a restored reach of an Alpine river

Science.gov (United States)

Luster, Jörg; Huber, Benjamin; Shrestha, Juna; Samaritani, Emanuela; Niklaus, Pascal A.

2010-05-01

In order to assess the effects of river restoration on water quality, the biogeochemical functions of restored river reaches have to be quantified. Of particular interest is the ability of riparian functional processing zones (FPZ) to remove nitrate from infiltrating river water or agricultural runoff. Processes involved are removal of nitrate by denitrification and immobilisation of nitrogen in plant or microbial biomass. On the other hand, mineralisation followed by nitrification can lead to an increase in leachable nitrate. The latter process is fueled by the frequent input of fresh dissolved or particle bound organic matter, characteristic for temporarily flooded riparian zones. The objective of this study was to characterize the spatial and temporal variability of nitrate concentrations in the soil solution of a restored reach of the Alpine river Thur in northeastern Switzerland. The study was part of the interdisciplinary project cluster RECORD, which was initiated to advance the mechanistic understanding of coupled hydrological and ecological processes in river corridors. The studied river reach comprised the following three FPZ representing a lateral successional gradient with decreasing hydrological connectivity (i.e. decreasing flooding frequency and duration). (i) The grass zone developed naturally on a gravel bar after restoration of the channelized river section (mainly colonized by canary reed grass Phalaris arundinacae). The soil is composed of up to 80 cm thick fresh sediments trapped and stabilized by the grass roots. (ii) The bush zone is composed of young willow trees (Salix viminalis) planted during restoration to stabilize older overbank deposits. (iii) The mixed forest is a mature riparian hardwood forest developed on older overbank sediments with ash and maple as dominant trees. The study period was between summer 2008 and winter 2009/2010 including three flood events in August 2008, June 2009 and July 2009. The second flood inundated the

Quantifying the morphodynamics of river restoration schemes using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Richard; Byrne, Patrick; Gilles, Eric; Hart, John; Hoey, Trevor; Maniatis, George; Moir, Hamish; Reid, Helen; Ves, Nikolas

2017-04-01

River restoration schemes are particularly sensitive to morphological adjustment during the first set of high-flow events that they are subjected to. Quantifying elevation change associated with morphological adjustment can contribute to improved adaptive decision making to ensure river restoration scheme objectives are achieved. To date the relatively high cost, technical demands and challenging logistics associated with acquiring repeat, high-resolution topographic surveys has resulted in a significant barrier to monitoring the three-dimensional morphodynamics of river restoration schemes. The availability of low-cost, consumer grade Unmanned Aerial Vehicles that are capable of acquiring imagery for processing using Structure-from-Motion Multi-View Stereo (SfM MVS) photogrammetry has the potential to transform the survey the morphodynamics of river restoration schemes. Application guidance does, however, need to be developed to fully exploit the advances of UAV technology and SfM MVS processing techniques. In particular, there is a need to quantify the effect of the number and spatial distribution of ground targets on vertical error. This is particularly significant because vertical errors propagate when mapping morphological change, and thus determine the evidence that is available for decision making. This presentation presents results from a study that investigated how the number and spatial distribution of targets influenced vertical error, and then used the findings to determine survey protocols for a monitoring campaign that has quantified morphological change across a number of restoration schemes. At the Swindale river restoration scheme, Cumbria, England, 31 targets were distributed across a 700 m long reach and the centre of each target was surveyed using RTK-GPS. Using the targets as General Control Points (GCPs) or checkpoints, they were divided into three different spatial patterns (centre, edge and random) and used for processing images acquired

INFLUENCE OF EXTREME DISCHARGE ON RESTORATION WORKS IN MOUNTAIN RIVER – A CASE STUDY OF THE KRZCZONÓWKA RIVER (SOUTHERN POLAND

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Lenar-Matyas

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The research was conducted on the Krzczonówka River channel, one of the gravel-bedded, regulated mountain river in Polish Carpathians. The main morphological and ecological problem of the river was lack of sediment and channel downcutting. The area is currently associated with an on-going project called “the Upper Raba River Spawning Grounds”. Lowering of an existing debris dam on Krzczonówka River is a part of the project. In 2013 twelve artificial riffles have been created by heaping up stones at points within the segment of the river channel below the debris dam. The riffles are to introduce variety to the longitudinal profile of the river and to reduce the river’s slope. Consequently, these are to decrease sediment transport and to prevent further deepening of the river channel. Post-project monitoring of river restoration works is conducted to determine channel changes and development. In May, 2014, extreme flooding occurred, which caused unexpected changes in channel development. This paper describes maintenance work performed in the riverbed of the Krzczonówka River. Observations and calculations concerning changes in conditions of water flow and sediment transport are also presented. The main purpose is to characterize the influence of an extreme flow event on morphology and functioning of the recently restored gravel-bed river.

Implementation Plan. Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1994-01-01

In accordance with the Department of Energy`s National Environmental Policy Act implementing procedures in Volume 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Section 1021,312, the Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement Implementation Plan has two primary purposes: to provide guidance for the preparation of the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement and to record the issues resulting from the scoping and the extended public participation process. The Implementation Plan identifies and discusses the following: background of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management activities, the purpose of the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, and the relationship of the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement to other Departmental initiatives (Chapter 1); need and purposes for action (Chapter 2); scoping process and results of the public participation program in defining the scope of the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, including a summary of the comments received and their disposition (Chapter 3); planned scope and content of the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (Chapter 4); consultations with other agencies and the role of cooperating agencies (Chapter 5); planned schedule of major Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement milestones (Chapter 6); and responsibilities for preparation of the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (Chapter 7).

Carbon storage in the Mississippi River delta enhanced by environmental engineering

Science.gov (United States)

Shields, Michael R.; Bianchi, Thomas S.; Mohrig, David; Hutchings, Jack A.; Kenney, William F.; Kolker, Alexander S.; Curtis, Jason H.

2017-11-01

River deltas have contributed to atmospheric carbon regulation throughout Earth history, but functioning in the modern era has been impaired by reduced sediment loads, altered hydrologic regimes, increased global sea-level rise and accelerated subsidence. Delta restoration involves environmental engineering via river diversions, which utilize self-organizing processes to create prograding deltas. Here we analyse sediment cores from Wax Lake delta, a product of environmental engineering, to quantify the burial of organic carbon. We find that, despite relatively low concentrations of organic carbon measured in the cores (about 0.4%), the accumulation of about 3 T m-2 of sediment over the approximate 60 years of delta building resulted in the burial of a significant amount of organic carbon (16 kg m-2). This equates to an apparent organic carbon accumulation rate of 250 +/- 23 g m-2 yr-1, which implicitly includes losses by carbon emissions and erosion. Our estimated accumulation rate for Wax Lake delta is substantially greater than previous estimates based on the top metre of delta sediments and comparable to those of coastal mangrove and marsh habitats. The sedimentation of carbon at the Wax Lake delta demonstrates the capacity of engineered river diversions to enhance both coastal accretion and carbon burial.

Strategies for environmental restoration in an evolving regulatory environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keller, J.F.; Geffen, C.A.

1990-03-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is faced with the immense challenge of effectively implementing a program to mitigate and manage the environmental impacts created by past and current operations at its facilities. Such a program must be developed and administered in accordance with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. These regulations are extremely complex, burdening the environmental restoration process with a number of planning and public interaction requirements that must be met before remediation of a site may begin. Existing regulatory and institutional requirements for environmental restoration dictate that extensive planning, characterization and assessment activities be conducted. An important part of the process is the involvement of regulators and the public in the site characterization and assessment activities and in developing reasonable solutions for cleanup. This paper identifies the regulatory requirements and highlights implementation strategies for key aspects of the environmental restoration process for DOE. Trends in legislation and policy relevant to the DOE environmental restoration process are highlighted, with strategies identified for dealing with the evolution of the regulations while maintaining continuity in the technical activities required for cleaning up the DOE hazardous and mixed waste sites. 10 refs

A comparative analysis of restoration measures and their effects on hydromorphology and benthic invertebrates in 26 central and southern European rivers.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jähnig, S.C.; Brabec, K.; Buffagni, A.; Erba, S.; Lorenz, A.; Ofenböck, T.; Verdonschot, P.F.M.; Hering, D.

2010-01-01

1. Hydromorphological river restoration usually leads to habitat diversification, but the effects on benthic invertebrates, which are frequently used to assess river ecological status, are minor. We compared the effects of river restoration on morphology and benthic invertebrates by investigating 26

The Clinch Bend Regional Industrial Site and economic development opportunities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-12-31

This effort focuses initially on the Clinch Bend site. Other sites and developable tracts of land are identified with the assistance of communities in proximity to Oak Ridge, the State of Tennessee, and others, and compared with the projected site requirements for large industrial facilities.

Ecosystem Design Principles for Restoring Deltaic Floodplains: Examples from Mississippi River Delta

Science.gov (United States)

Twilley, R.

2017-12-01

The Mississippi River Deltaic Plain (MRDP) provides examples for many of the functions and feedbacks regarding how human river management has impacted source-sink processes in coastal deltaic basins, resulting in human settlements more at risk to flooding from coastal storms. The Atchafalaya Basin, with continued sediment delivery, compared to Terrebonne Basin, with reduced river inputs, allow us to test assumptions of how landward migration of fringe wetlands of coastal basins as result of river management over the last 75 years can provide insights to these complex issues. The average landward migration for Terrebonne Basin was nearly 17,000 m (17 km) compared to only 22 m in Atchafalaya Basin over the last 78 yrs (pmanagement decisions in deltaic coast. Restoration features focused on living shorelines may contribute to solutions to these non-linear feedbacks; but certain ecosystem design features have to be considered so such shorelines can adapt to relative sea level rise. Shorelines must have adaptive strategies compared to fixed hard structures - resulting on sediment management and redistribution as critical process to shoreline stabilization. Policies in US to encourage sediment placement associated with national dredge activities must be integrated to ecosystems services of fringe wetland restoration.

Richland Environmental Restoration Project management action process document

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1996-04-01

This document is the prescribed means for providing direct input to the US Department of Energy Headquarters regarding the status, accomplishments, strategy, and issues of the Richland Environmental Restoration Project. The project mission, organizational interfaces, and operational history of the Hanford Site are provided. Remediation strategies are analyzed in detail. The document includes a status of Richland Environmental Restoration project activities and accomplishments, and it presents current cost summaries, schedules, and technical baselines.

Richland Environmental Restoration Project management action process document

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-04-01

This document is the prescribed means for providing direct input to the US Department of Energy Headquarters regarding the status, accomplishments, strategy, and issues of the Richland Environmental Restoration Project. The project mission, organizational interfaces, and operational history of the Hanford Site are provided. Remediation strategies are analyzed in detail. The document includes a status of Richland Environmental Restoration project activities and accomplishments, and it presents current cost summaries, schedules, and technical baselines

Sediment cores and chemistry for the Kootenai River White Sturgeon Habitat Restoration Project, Boundary County, Idaho

Science.gov (United States)

Barton, Gary J.; Weakland, Rhonda J.; Fosness, Ryan L.; Cox, Stephen E.; Williams, Marshall L.

2012-01-01

The Kootenai Tribe of Idaho, in cooperation with local, State, Federal, and Canadian agency co-managers and scientists, is assessing the feasibility of a Kootenai River habitat restoration project in Boundary County, Idaho. This project is oriented toward recovery of the endangered Kootenai River white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) population, and simultaneously targets habitat-based recovery of other native river biota. Projects currently (2010) under consideration include modifying the channel and flood plain, installing in-stream structures, and creating wetlands to improve the physical and biological functions of the ecosystem. River restoration is a complex undertaking that requires a thorough understanding of the river. To assist in evaluating the feasibility of this endeavor, the U.S. Geological Survey collected and analyzed the physical and chemical nature of sediment cores collected at 24 locations in the river. Core depths ranged from 4.6 to 15.2 meters; 21 cores reached a depth of 15.2 meters. The sediment was screened for the presence of chemical constituents that could have harmful effects if released during restoration activities. The analysis shows that concentrations of harmful chemical constituents do not exceed guideline limits that were published by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 2006.

Community-based restoration of desert wetlands: the case of the Colorado River delta

Science.gov (United States)

Osvel Hinojosa-Huerta; Mark Briggs; Yamilett Carrillo-Guerroro; Edward P. Glenn; Miriam Lara-Flores; Martha Roman-Rodriguez

2005-01-01

Wetland areas have been drastically reduced through the Pacific Flyway and the Sonoran Desert, with severe consequences for avian populations. In the Colorado River delta, wetlands have been reduced by 80 percent due to water management practices in the Colorado River basin. However, excess flows and agricultural drainage water has restored some areas, providing...

Environmental Restoration Information Resource Management Program Plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-09-01

The Environmental Restoration Information Resources Management (ER IRM) Program Plan defines program requirements, organizational structures and responsibilities, and work breakdown structure and to establish an approved baseline against which overall progress of the program as well as the effectiveness of its management will be measured. This plan will guide ER IRM Program execution and define the program's essential elements. This plan will be routinely updated to incorporate key decisions and programmatic changes and will serve as the project baseline document. Environmental Restoration Waste Management Program intersite procedures and work instructions will be developed to facilitate the implementation of this plan

Environmental Restoration Information Resource Management Program Plan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1994-09-01

The Environmental Restoration Information Resources Management (ER IRM) Program Plan defines program requirements, organizational structures and responsibilities, and work breakdown structure and to establish an approved baseline against which overall progress of the program as well as the effectiveness of its management will be measured. This plan will guide ER IRM Program execution and define the program`s essential elements. This plan will be routinely updated to incorporate key decisions and programmatic changes and will serve as the project baseline document. Environmental Restoration Waste Management Program intersite procedures and work instructions will be developed to facilitate the implementation of this plan.

Modern comprehensive approach to monitor the morphodynamic evolution of a restored river corridor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. Pasquale

2011-04-01

Full Text Available River restoration has become a common measure to repair anthropogenically-induced alteration of fluvial ecosystems. The inherent complexity of ecohydrologic systems leads to limitations in understanding the response of such systems to restoration over time. Therefore, a significant effort has been dedicated in the recent years worldwide to document the efficiency of restoration actions and to produce new effective guidelines that may help overcoming existing deficiencies. At the same time little attention was paid to illustrate the reasons and the use of certain monitoring and experimental techniques in spite of others, or in relation to the specific ecohydrologic process being investigated. The purpose of this paper is to enrich efforts in this direction by presenting the framework of experimental activities and the related experimental setup that we designed and installed in order to accomplish some of the research tasks of the multidisciplinary scientific project RECORD (Restored Corridor Dynamics. Therein, we studied the morphodynamic evolution of the restored reach of the River Thur near Niederneunforn (Switzerland, also in relation to the role of pioneer vegetation roots in stabilizing the alluvial sediment. In this work we describe the methodology chosen for monitoring the river morphodynamics, the dynamics of riparian and of in-bed vegetation and their mutual interactions, as well as the need of complementing such observations with experiments and with the hydraulic modeling of the site. We also discuss how the designed installation and the experiments integrate with the needs of other research groups within the project, in particular providing data for a number of investigations thereby including surface water and groundwater interactions, soil moisture and vegetation dynamics.

Peace on the River? Social-Ecological Restoration and Large Dam Removal in the Klamath Basin, USA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hannah Gosnell

2010-06-01

Full Text Available This paper aims to explain the multiple factors that contributed to a 2010 agreement to remove four large dams along the Klamath river in California and Oregon and initiate a comprehensive social-ecological restoration effort that will benefit Indian tribes, the endangered fish on which they depend, irrigated agriculture, and local economies in the river basin. We suggest that the legal framework, including the tribal trust responsibility, the Endangered Species Act, and the Federal Power Act, combined with an innovative approach to negotiation that allowed for collaboration and compromise, created a space for divergent interests to come together and forge a legally and politically viable solution to a suite of social and environmental problems. Improved social relations between formerly antagonistic Indian tribes and non-tribal farmers and ranchers, which came about due to a number of local collaborative processes during the early 2000s, were critical to the success of this effort. Overall, we suggest that recent events in the Klamath basin are indicative of a significant power shift taking place between tribal and non-tribal interests as tribes gain access to decision-making processes regarding tribal trust resources and develop capacity to participate in the development of complex restoration strategies.

Experimental Salix shoot and root growth statistics on the alluvial sediment of a restored river corridor

Science.gov (United States)

Pasquale, N.; Perona, P.; Verones, F.; Francis, R.; Burlando, P.

2009-12-01

River restoration projects encompass not only the amelioration of flood protection but also the rehabilitation of the riverine ecosystem. However, the interactions and feedbacks between river hydrology, riparian vegetation and aquifer dynamics are still poorly understood. Vegetation interacts with river hydrology on multiple time scales. Hence, there is considerable interest in understanding the morphodynamics of restored river reaches in relation to the characteristics of vegetation that may colonize the bare sediment, and locally stabilize it by root anchoring. In this paper we document results from a number of ongoing experiments within the project RECORD (Restored CORridor Dynamics, sponsored by CCES - www.cces.ch - and Cantons Zurich and Thurgau, CH). In particular, we discuss both the above and below ground biomass growth dynamics of 1188 Salix cuttings (individual and group survival rate, growth of the longest shoots and number of branches and morphological root analysis) in relation to local river hydrodynamics. Cuttings were organized in square plots of different size and planted in spring 2009 on a gravel island of the restored river section of River Thur in Switzerland. By periodical monitoring the plots we obtained a detailed and quite unique set of data, including root statistics of uprooted samples derived from image analysis from a high-resolution scanner. Beyond describing the survival rate dynamics in relation to river hydrology, we show the nature and strength of correlations between island topography and cutting growth statistics. In particular, by root analysis and by comparing empirical histograms of the vertical root distribution vs satured water surface in the sediment, we show that main tropic responses on such environment are oxytropism, hydrotropism and thigmotropism. The main factor influencing the survival rate is naturally found in erosion by floods, of which we also give an interesting example that helps demonstrate the role of river

Decommissioning and environmental restoration of nuclear facilities in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pan Ziqiang

2000-01-01

In the beginning of the 1980s, the Scientific and Technological Commission (STC) began the study on the environmental impact of the nuclear industry in China. At the end of the 1980s, the STC initiated the study on the decommissioning of nuclear facilities and environmental restoration. In 1989 the STC completed the project entitled ''Radiological and Environmental Quality Assessment of the Nuclear Industry in China Over the Past Thirty Years''. The status of the environmental pollution of various nuclear facility sites was subsequently analysed. In 1994, the decommissioning and environmental restoration of the first research and manufacture complex for nuclear weapons was completed. The complex is now accessible to the public without restriction and the site has become a town. Some nuclear related facilities, such as uranium mines, are currently being decommissioned. Although uranium mining and milling has a more serious impact on the environment, the technology for decommissioning and environmental restoration in mining and milling installations is not much more complicated than that used for reactor and reprocessing facilities: much has been achieved in the area of mining and milling. (author)

Tualatin River - Oak Savanna and Associated Habitat Pre-Restoration Invasive Plant Treatment

Data.gov (United States)

Department of the Interior — The Tualatin River NWR’s CCP identifies a preferred alternative for site restoration on a 12-acre segment of upland located on the Atfalat’I Unit. This alternative...

Report on water quality, sediment and water chemistry data for water and sediment samples collected from source areas to Melton Hill and Watts Bar reservoirs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tomaszewski, T.M.; Bruggink, D.J.; Nunn, D.L.

1995-01-01

Contamination of surface water and sediments in the Clinch River and Watts Bar Reservoir (CR/WBR) system as a result of past and present activities by the US Department of Energy (DOE) on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) and also activities by non-ORR facilities are being studied by the Clinch River Environmental Restoration Program (CR-ERP). Previous studies have documented the presence of heavy metals, organics, and radionuclides in the sediments of reservoirs in the vicinity. In support of the CR-ERP, during the summer of 1991, TVA collected and evaluated water and sediment samples from swimming areas and municipal water intakes on Watts Bar Reservoir, Melton Hill Reservoir and Norris Reservoir, which was considered a source of less-contaminated reference or background data. Despite the numerous studies, until the current work documented by this report, relatively few sediment or water samples had been collected by the CR-ERP in the immediate vicinity of contaminant point sources. This work focused on water and sediment samples taken from points immediately downstream from suspected effluent point sources both on and off the ORR. In August and September, 1994, TVA sampled surface water and sediment at twelve locations in melton Hill and Watts Bar Reservoirs

Savannah River Site Environmental Report for 1997

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arnett, M.W.; Mamatey, A.R. [eds.

1998-08-01

The mission at the Savannah River Site has changed from the production of nuclear weapons materials for national defense to the management of waste, restoration of the environment, and the development of industry in and around the site.

Savannah River Site Environmental Report for 1997

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arnett, M.W.; Mamatey, A.R.

1998-01-01

The mission at the Savannah River Site has changed from the production of nuclear weapons materials for national defense to the management of waste, restoration of the environment, and the development of industry in and around the site

Cover gas seals. 11 - FFTF-LMFBR seal-test program, January-March 1974

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kurzeka, W.; Oliva, R.; Welch, F.

1974-01-01

The objectives of this program are to: (1) conduct static and dynamic tests to demonstrate or determine the mechanical performance of full-size (cross section) FFTF fuel transfer machine and reactor vessel head seals intended for use in a sodium vapor - inert gas environment, (2) demonstrate that these FFTF seals or new seal configuration provide acceptable fission product and cover gas retention capabilities at LMFBR Clinch River Plant operating environmental conditions other than radiation, and (3) develop improved seals and seal technology for the LMFBR Clinch River Plant to support the national objective to reduce all atmospheric contaminations to low levels

Minimizing waste in environmental restoration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moos, L.; Thuot, J.R.

1996-01-01

Environmental restoration, decontamination and decommissioning and facility dismantelment projects are not typically known for their waste minimization and pollution prevention efforts. Typical projects are driven by schedules and milestones with little attention given to cost or waste minimization. Conventional wisdom in these projects is that the waste already exists and cannot be reduced or minimized. In fact, however, there are three significant areas where waste and cost can be reduced. Waste reduction can occur in three ways: beneficial reuse or recycling; segregation of waste types; and reducing generation of secondary waste. This paper will discuss several examples of reuse, recycle, segregation, and secondary waste reduction at ANL restoration programs

Inside the "Black Box" of River Restoration: Using Catchment History to Identify Disturbance and Response Mechanisms to Set Targets for Process-Based Restoration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarah Mika

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Many river restoration projects fail. Inadequate project planning underpins many of the reasons given for failure (such as setting overly ambitious goals; selecting inappropriate sites and techniques; losing stakeholder motivation; and neglecting to monitor, assess, and document projects. Another major problem is the lack of an agreed guiding image to direct the activities aimed at restoring the necessary biophysical and ecological processes within the logistic constraints of on-ground works. Despite a rich literature defining the components of restoration project planning, restoration ecology currently lacks an explicit and logical means of moving from the initial project vision through to on-ground strategies. Yet this process is fundamental because it directly links the ecological goals of the project to the on-ground strategies used to achieve them. We present a planning process that explicitly uses an interdisciplinary mechanistic model of disturbance drivers and system responses to build from the initial project vision to the implementation of on-ground works. A worked example on the Upper Hunter River in southeastern Australia shows how understanding catchment history can reveal disturbance and response mechanisms, thus facilitating process-based restoration.

DOE model conference on waste management and environmental restoration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

Reports dealing with current topics in waste management and environmental restoration were presented at this conference in six sessions. Session 1 covered the ''Hot Topics'' including regulations and risk assessment. Session 2 dealt with waste reduction and minimization; session 3 dealt with waste treatment and disposal. Session 4 covered site characterization and analysis. Environmental restoration and associated technologies wee discussed in session 5 and 6. Individual papers have been cataloged separately

Assessing the societal benefits of river restoration using the ecosystem services approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vermaat, Jan; Ansink, Erik

2016-01-01

The success of river restoration was estimated using the ecosystem services approach. In eight pairs of restored–unrestored reaches and floodplains across Europe, we quantified provisioning (agricultural products, wood, reed for thatching, infiltrated drinking water), regulating (flooding and

Savannah River Site Environmental Report for 1998

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arnett, M

1999-06-09

The mission at the Savannah River Site (SRS) is focused primarily on support of the national defense, nonproliferation, and environmental cleanup. SRS-through its prime operating contractor, Westinghouse Savannah River Company-continues to maintain a comprehensive environmental monitoring program.

Savannah River Site Environmental Report for 1998

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arnett, M.

1999-01-01

The mission at the Savannah River Site (SRS) is focused primarily on support of the national defense, nonproliferation, and environmental cleanup. SRS-through its prime operating contractor, Westinghouse Savannah River Company-continues to maintain a comprehensive environmental monitoring program

The Missouri River Floodplain: History of Oak Forest & Current Restoration Efforts

Science.gov (United States)

Daniel C. Dey; Dirk Burhans; John Kabrick; Brain Root; Jennifer Grabner; Mike Gold

2000-01-01

Efforts to restore floodplains are complicated by our variable understanding of history and ecology; our lack of knowledge of past environmental and vegetative conditions; and our differing viewpoints of what natural, what the role of humans is in the ecosystem, and what the desirable restored state is. Managers are challenged to decide how to restore native vegetation...

Environmental Restoration Project - Systems Engineering Management Plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, T.D.

1998-06-01

This Environmental Restoration (ER) Project Systems Engineering Management Plan (SEMP) describes relevant Environmental Restoration Contractor (ERC) management processes and shows how they implement systems engineering. The objective of this SEMP is to explain and demonstrate how systems engineering is being approached and implemented in the ER Project. The application of systems engineering appropriate to the general nature and scope of the project is summarized in Section 2.0. The basic ER Project management approach is described in Section 3.0. The interrelation and integration of project practices and systems engineering are outlined in Section 4.0. Integration with sitewide systems engineering under the Project Hanford Management Contract is described in Section 5.0

Environmental Restoration Strategic Plan. Remediating the nuclear weapons complex

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-08-01

With the end of the cold war, the US has a reduced need for nuclear weapons production. In response, the Department of Energy has redirected resources from weapons production to weapons dismantlement and environmental remediation. To this end, in November 1989, the US Department of Energy (DOE) established the Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (renamed the Office of Environmental Management in 1994). It was created to bring under a central authority the management of radioactive and hazardous wastes at DOE sites and inactive or shut down facilities. The Environmental Restoration Program, a major component of DOE's Environmental Management Program, is responsible for the remediation and management of contaminated environmental media (e.g., soil, groundwater, sediments) and the decommissioning of facilities and structures at 130 sites in over 30 states and territories

Hydrologic and landscape changes in the Middle Ebro River (NE Spain: implications for restoration and management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Cabezas

2009-02-01

Full Text Available The changes of landscape (1927–2003, discharge regime and anthropic activities with the river-floodplain of one reach at the Middle Ebro River (NE Spain were investigated with the objective to identify the factors that best explain the natural ecotope succession and propose a realistic restoration option with consideration of the landscape dynamics during the last century and the socio-economic context. Our results indicate that hydrological and landscape patterns have been dramatically changed during the last century as a consequence of human alteration of the fluvial dynamics within the studied reach. The magnitude and variability of river discharge events have decreased at the end of the last century, and flood protection structures have disrupted the river floodplain connectivity. As a result, the succesional pathways of riparian ecotopes have been heavily modified because natural rejuvenation no longer takes place, resulting in decreased landscape diversity. It is apparent from these data that floodplain restoration must be incorporated as a significant factor into river management plans if a more natural functioning wants to be retrieved. The ecotope structure and dynamics of the 1927–1957 period should be adopted as the guiding image, whereas current hydrologic and landscape (dykes, raised surfaces patterns should be considered. Under the current socio-economic context, the more realistic option seems to create a dynamic river corridor reallocating dykes and lowering floodplain heights. The extent of this river corridor should adapt to the restored flow regime, although periodic economic investments could be an option if the desired self-sustained dynamism is not reached.

DOE model conference on waste management and environmental restoration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1990-01-01

Reports dealing with current topics in waste management and environmental restoration were presented at this conference in six sessions. Session 1 covered the Hot Topics'' including regulations and risk assessment. Session 2 dealt with waste reduction and minimization; session 3 dealt with waste treatment and disposal. Session 4 covered site characterization and analysis. Environmental restoration and associated technologies wee discussed in session 5 and 6. Individual papers have been cataloged separately.

UTILIZING INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CLEAN-UP AT SAVANNAH RIVER SITE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bergren, C.

2009-01-01

The Savannah River Site (SRS) is a 310-square-mile United States Department of Energy nuclear facility located along the Savannah River near Aiken, South Carolina. During operations, which started in 1951, hazardous substances (chemicals and radionuclides) were released to the environment. The releases occurred as a result of inadvertent spills and waste disposal in unlined pits and basins which was common practice before environmental regulations existed. The hazardous substances have migrated to the vadose zone and groundwater in many areas of the SRS, resulting in 515 waste units and facilities that are required by environmental regulations, to undergo characterization and, if needed, remediation. In the initial years of the SRS environmental cleanup program (early 1990s), the focus was to use common technologies (such as pump and treat, air stripping, excavation and removal) that actively and tangibly removed contamination. Exclusive use of these technologies required continued and significant funding while often failing to meet acceptable clean-up goals and objectives. Recognizing that a more cost-effective approach was needed, SRS implemented new and complementary remediation methods focused on active and passive technologies targeted to solve specific remediation problems. Today, SRS uses technologies such as chemical/pH-adjusting injection, phytoremediation, underground cutoff walls, dynamic underground stripping, soil fracturing, microbial degradation, baroballs, electrical resistance heating, soil vapor extraction, and microblowers to more effectively treat contamination at lower costs. Additionally, SRS's remediation approach cost effectively maximizes cleanup as SRS works proactively with multiple regulatory agencies. Using GIS, video, animation, and graphics, SRS is able to provide an accurate depiction of the evolution of SRS groundwater and vadose zone cleanup activities to convince stakeholders and regulators of the effectiveness of various cleanup

Educational initiatives in environmental restoration and waste management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prestwich, S.M.

1990-01-01

Policy-makers responding to the urgency of the demands for a clean environment are finding that America lacks the technical know-how and the pool of technicians, scientists, and engineers to meet the environmental challenges. In response to the need for a technically skilled work force, government agencies and the private sector have worked to assess the probable effect of shortages and have sought ways to prevent the problem. The US Department of Energy (DOE) and its predecessor agencies have historically supported strong linkages between the academic community - the providers of scientists and engineers - and the department - the users of those workers - to assure an adequate supply of appropriately educated technicians, scientists, and engineers to conduct basic and applied research in support of the DOE's mission and to implement that mission. One of the department's challenges is the minimization, management, and cleanup of waste materials generated from departmental operations. The recently published Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Five-Year Plan for fiscal years 1992 through 1996 reaffirms DOE's policy of compliance with environmental laws and regulations. It also maps out the newly created Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management's aggressive programs to improve training and education, to arouse interest in pursuit of science/engineering careers, and to place special emphasis on recruiting minorities and women to technical fields vital to the environmental restoration/waste management mission

Field sampling and analysis plan for the remedial investigation of Waste Area Grouping 2 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Environmental Restoration Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boston, H.L.; Ashwood, T.L.; Borders, D.M.; Chidambariah, V.; Downing, D.J.; Fontaine, T.A.; Ketelle, R.H.; Lee, S.Y.; Miller, D.E.; Moore, G.K.; Suter, G.W.; Tardiff, M.F.; Watts, J.A.; Wickliff, D.S.

1992-02-01

This field sampling and analysis (S & A) plan has been developed as part of the Department of Energy`s (DOE`s) remedial investigation (RI) of Waste Area Grouping (WAG) 2 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The S & A plan has been written in support of the remedial investigation (RI) plan for WAG 2 (ORNL 1990). WAG 2 consists of White Oak Creek (WOC) and its tributaries downstream of the ORNL main plant area, White Oak Lake (WOL), White Oak Creek embayment (WOCE) on the Clinch River, and the associated floodplain and subsurface environment (Fig. 1.1). The WOC system is the surface drainage for the major ORNL WAGs and has been exposed to a diversity of contaminants from operations and waste disposal activities in the WOC watershed. WAG 2 acts as a conduit through which hydrologic fluxes carry contaminants from upgradient areas to the Clinch River. Water, sediment, soil, and biota in WAG 2 are contaminated and continue to receive contaminants from upgradient WAGs. This document describes the following: an overview of the RI plan, background information for the WAG 2 system, and objectives of the S & A plan; the scope and implementation of the first 2 years of effort of the S & A plan and includes recent information about contaminants of concern, organization of S & A activities, interactions with other programs, and quality assurance specific to the S & A activities; provides details of the field sampling plans for sediment, surface water, groundwater, and biota, respectively; and describes the sample tracking and records management plan.

HEIS: An integrated information system for environmental restoration and monitoring at Hanford

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tzemos, S.; Kissinger, B.

1991-11-01

The US Department of Energy`s Hanford Site has about 1500 waste sites that contain a complex mixture of chemical and radioactive contaminants. After many years of environmental monitoring to assess the impact of Hanford operations to the environment, the Site`s mission is shifting to environmental restoration. The Hanford Environmental Information System (HEIS) is being developed to provide advanced tools to (1) support environmental restoration and routine site-wide monitoring, and (2) aid the scientists in understanding and conducting the restoration efforts. This paper describes some of the highlights and distinctive features of HEIS.

A geochemical approach to the restoration plans for the Odiel River basin (SW Spain), a watershed deeply polluted by acid mine drainage.

Science.gov (United States)

Macías, Francisco; Pérez-López, Rafael; Caraballo, Manuel A; Sarmiento, Aguasanta M; Cánovas, Carlos R; Nieto, Jose M; Olías, Manuel; Ayora, Carlos

2017-02-01

The Odiel River Basin (SW Spain) drains the central part of the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB), a world-class example of sulfide mining district and concomitantly of acid mine drainage (AMD) pollution. The severe AMD pollution and the incipient state of remediation strategies implemented in this region, coupled with the proximity of the deadline for compliance with the European Water Framework Directive (WFD), urge to develop a restoration and water resources management strategy. Furthermore, despite the presence of some reservoirs with acid waters in the Odiel basin, the construction of the Alcolea water reservoir has already started. On the basis of the positive results obtained after more than 10 years of developing a specific passive remediation technology (dispersed alkaline substrate (DAS)) for the highly polluted AMD of this region, a restoration strategy is proposed. The implementation of 13 DAS treatment plants in selected acid discharges along the Odiel and Oraque sub-basins and other restoration measurements of two acidic creeks is proposed as essential to obtain a good water quality in the future Alcolea reservoir. This restoration strategy is also suggested as an economically and environmentally sustainable approach to the extreme metal pollution affecting the waters of the region and could be considered the starting point for the future compliance with the WFD in the Odiel River Basin.

Environmental Stewardship at the Savannah River Site: Generations of Success - 13212

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Looney, Brian B.; Bergren, Christopher L.; Gaughan, Thomas F.; Aylward, Robert S.; Guevara, Karen C.; Whitaker, Wade C.; Hennessey, Brian T.; Mills, Gary L.; Blake, John I. [Savannah River Site, Aiken SC 29808, 773-42A (United States)

2013-07-01

Approximately sixty years ago, the Savannah River Site (SRS) was built to produce nuclear materials. SRS production operations impacted air, soil, groundwater, ecology, and the local environment. Throughout its history, SRS has addressed these contamination issues directly and has maintained a commitment to environmental stewardship. The Site boasts many environmental firsts. Notably, SRS was the first major Department of Energy (DOE) facility to perform a baseline ecological assessment. This pioneering effort, by Ruth Patrick and the Philadelphia Academy of Sciences, was performed during SRS planning and construction in the early 1950's. This unique early generation of work set the stage for subsequent efforts. Since that time, the scientists and engineers at SRS pro-actively identified environmental problems and developed and implemented effective and efficient environmental management and remediation solutions. This second generation, spanning the 1980's through the 2000's, is exemplified by numerous large and small cleanup actions to address metals and radionuclides, solvents and hydrocarbons, facility and area decommissioning, and ecological restoration. Recently, a third generation of environmental management was initiated as part of Enterprise SRS. This initiative to 'Develop and Deploy Next Generation Cleanup Technologies' formalizes and organizes the major technology matching, development, and implementation processes associated with historical SRS cleanup success as a resource to support future environmental management missions throughout DOE. The four elements of the current, third generation, effort relate to: 1) transition from active to passive cleanup, 2) in situ decommissioning of large nuclear facilities, 3) new long term monitoring paradigms, and 4) a major case study related to support for recovery and restoration of the Japanese Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant and surrounding environment. (authors)

Historical perspectives on channel pattern in the Clark Fork River, Montana and implications for post-dam removal restoration

Science.gov (United States)

Woelfle-Erskine, C. A.; Wilcox, A. C.

2009-12-01

Active restoration approaches such as channel reconstruction have moved beyond the realm of small streams and are being applied to larger rivers. Uncertainties arising from limited knowledge, fluvial and ecosystem variability, and contaminants are especially significant in restoration of large rivers, where project costs and the social, infrastructural, and ecological costs of failure are high. We use the case of Milltown Dam removal on the Clark Fork River, Montana and subsequent channel reconstruction in the former reservoir to examine the use of historical research and uncertainty analysis in river restoration. At a cost of approximately $120 million, the Milltown Dam removal involves the mechanical removal of approximately 2 million cubic meters of sediments contaminated by upstream mining, followed by restoration of the former reservoir reach in which a single-thread meandering channel is being constructed. Historical maps, surveys, photographs, and accounts suggest a conceptual model of a multi-thread, anastomosing river in the reach targeted for channel reconstruction, upstream of the confluence of the Clark Fork and Blackfoot Rivers. We supplemented historical research with analysis of aerial photographs, topographic data, and USGS stage-discharge measurements in a lotic but reservoir-influenced reach of the Clark Fork River within our study area to estimate avulsion frequency (0.8 avulsions/year over a 70-year period) and average rates of lateral migration and aggradation. These were used to calculate the mobility number, a dimensionless relationship between channel filling and lateral migration timescales that can be used to predict whether a river’s planform is single or multi-threaded. The mobility number within our study reach ranged from 0.6 (multi-thread channel) to 1.7 (transitional channel). We predict that, in the absence of active channel reconstruction, the post-dam channel pattern would evolve to one that alternates between single and multi

Richland Environmental Restoration Project management action process document

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1996-04-01

A critical mission of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is the planning, implementation, and completion of environmental restoration programs at DOE facilities. An integral part of this mission involves the safe and cost-effective environmental restoration of the Hanford Site. For over 40 years the Hanford Site supported United States national defense programs, largely through the production of nuclear materials. One legacy of historical Hanford Site operations is a significant waste inventory of radioactive and/or regulated chemical materials. Releases of these materials have, in some cases, contaminated the Hanford Site environment. The DOE Richland Operations Office (RL) is responsible for protecting human health and the environment from potential Hanford Site environmental hazards by identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks posed by contaminated sites.

Richland Environmental Restoration Project management action process document

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-04-01

A critical mission of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is the planning, implementation, and completion of environmental restoration programs at DOE facilities. An integral part of this mission involves the safe and cost-effective environmental restoration of the Hanford Site. For over 40 years the Hanford Site supported United States national defense programs, largely through the production of nuclear materials. One legacy of historical Hanford Site operations is a significant waste inventory of radioactive and/or regulated chemical materials. Releases of these materials have, in some cases, contaminated the Hanford Site environment. The DOE Richland Operations Office (RL) is responsible for protecting human health and the environment from potential Hanford Site environmental hazards by identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks posed by contaminated sites

Assessing Potential Conservation and Restoration Areas of Freshwater Fish Fauna in the Indian River Basins.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhatt, Jay P; Manish, Kumar; Mehta, Rajender; Pandit, Maharaj K

2016-05-01

Conservation efforts globally are skewed toward terrestrial ecosystems. To date, conservation of aquatic ecosystems, in particular fish fauna, is largely neglected. We provide a country-wide assessment of Indian river ecosystems in order to identify and prioritize areas for protection and restoration of freshwater fish fauna. Using various biodiversity and anthropogenic attributes, coupled with tools of ecological modeling, we delineated areas for fish fauna conservation and restoration in the 20 major river basins of India. To do this, we used prioritization analyses and reserve selection algorithms to derive conservation value index (CVI) and vulnerability index (VI) of the river basins. CVI was estimated using endemicity, rarity, conservation value, and taxonomic singularity, while VI was estimated using a disturbance index derived from percent geographic area of the basin under human settlements, human population density, predominant land use, and total number of exotic fish species in each basin. The two indices, CVI and VI, were converted into geo-referenced maps, and each map was super-imposed onto species richness and forest cover maps, respectively. After superimposition, areas with high CVI and low VI shade intensities were delineated for conservation, while areas with high CVI and high VI shade intensities were demarcated for restoration. In view of the importance of freshwater fish for human livelihoods and consumption, and ecosystems of India's rivers, we call for urgent attention to the conservation of their fish fauna along with restoration of their degraded habitats.

The Role of Anthropogenic Stratigraphy in River Restoration Projects

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, J. E.; Webb, L. D.

2012-12-01

As part of a river restoration project and removal of a low-head dam on the Ottawa River (northwestern Ohio and southeastern Michigan) in 2007, a longer-term project was initiated to assess anthropogenic changes of the Ottawa River fluvial system. A composite stratigraphic section 4.5 m in length was constructed by stratigraphic correlation from three trenches up to 2.5 m in depth and 14 vibracores up to 2.5 m in length, all within a small region (tires, intact or pieces of glass bottles, and one horizon of displaced railroad ties. Age control for the composite section is provided by 4 14C dates, 6 OSL dates, and one bottle with a date stamp. Two prominent flood horizons are indicated in multiple trenches or cores, and identified as the historic floods of 1913 and 1959. The data show the following major changes in the fluvial system over time: (1) prior to approximately 5 Ka, the river system was transporting mineral-rich sediment and formed meandering point-bar sequences approximately 1.5 m thick; (2) between approximately 5 Ka and 200 YBP, the river system was transporting organic-rich sediment (i.e., blackwater stream) bordered by riparian wetlands accumulating peat (part of the regional "Great Black Swamp" discovered by settlers from eastern North America); (3) between approximately 200 YBP and the early 1960s the river system was transporting mineral-rich sediment (i.e., brownwater stream), probably sourced from extensive land clearance for agriculture, which backfilled and overtopped the previous riparian wetlands and produced an series of thin channel fills interpreted as rapidly shifting avulsional channels; (4) since the early 1960s, sediment supply has exceeded sediment conveyance capacity, leading to vertical aggradation of approximately 1.7 m, creating the fill-terrace morphology evident today; and (5) overlapping with the previous stage, channel incision and lateral channel migration has produced a fluvial system dominated by bank erosion, logjams due

Savannah River Site Environmental Implentation Plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-01-01

This report describes the organizational responsibilities for the Savannah River Site Environmental program. Operations, Engineering and projects, Environment, safety, and health, Quality assurance, and the Savannah River Laboratory are described

Using Hydraulic Modeling to Evaluate Lateral Connectivity Improvements under Alternative Restoration Scenarios in the Atchafalaya River Basin

Science.gov (United States)

Hayden-Lesmeister, A.; Remo, J. W.; Piazza, B.

2017-12-01

The Atchafalaya River (AR) in Louisiana is the principal distributary of the Mississippi River. Reach to system scale modifications on the AR and throughout its basin for regional flood mitigation, navigation, and hydrocarbon extraction have substantially altered the hydrologic connectivity between the river and its floodplain wetlands, threatening the ecological integrity of this globally-important ecosystem. Stakeholder groups agree that restoring flow connectivity is essential to maintaining the basin's water quality, and recent management efforts have focused on the 174 km2 Flat Lake Water Management Unit (WMU). Several flow-connectivity enhancement projects have been proposed by the Atchafalaya Basin Program's Technical Advisory Group, but none have been constructed. We collaborated with The Nature Conservancy and other agencies to obtain existing datasets and develop a 1D2D hydraulic model to examine whether proposed restoration projects improved lateral surface-water connectivity in the Flat Lake WMU. To do this, we employed a range of physical parameters (inundation extent, water depths, and rates of WSEL reduction) as potential indicators of improved connectivity with restoration. We ran simulations to examine two scenarios - a baseline scenario (S1) to examine current conditions (no restoration projects), and a full-implementation scenario (S2), where all restoration projects that could be examined at the model resolution were implemented. Potential indicators of improved lateral connectivity indicated that proposed projects may play an important role in improving water quality in the Flat Lake WMU. At the end of the constant-discharge portion of the run, average depths between S1 and S2 remained unchanged; however, depths and water levels were consistently lower for S2 during a drawdown. Volumetrically, up to 4.4 million m3 less water was in the Flat Lake system when projects were implemented. The results indicate that projects introduce nutrient

Factors for formulating strategies for environmental restoration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-07-01

This publication focusses on factors which are important for formulating a strategy for environmental restoration. In parallel to this effort, the IAEA has conducted activities in related areas which have been reported in companion reports dealing with (1) the characterization of radioactively contaminated sites for remediation purposes and (2) available technology for cleanup and remediation of radioactively contaminated sites. Additionally, follow-up activities will focus on two other areas, viz. planning and management options for cleanup of contaminated groundwater, and post-restoration monitoring of decommissioned sites. In a separate initiative the IAEA has developed preliminary guidance on radiological criteria for determining when cleanup action is needed and for deciding on when areas have been cleaned up to a sufficient extent. It is also concerned with radioactive contamination of soils, groundwaters, structures and biota which may have the potential for harm to people. It is intended that it will serve as an important source of information and data on the key factors to be considered in the formulation of an environmental restoration strategy

An Experimental Study on Micro Clinching of Metal Foils with Cutting by Laser Shock Forming.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiao; Li, Cong; Ma, Youjuan; Shen, Zongbao; Sun, Xianqing; Sha, Chaofei; Gao, Shuai; Li, Liyin; Liu, Huixia

2016-07-13

This paper describes a novel technique for joining similar and dissimilar metal foils, namely micro clinching with cutting by laser shock forming. A series of experiments were conducted to study the deformation behavior of single layer material, during which many important process parameters were determined. The process window of the 1060 pure aluminum foils and annealed copper foils produced by micro clinching with cutting was analyzed. Moreover, similar material combination (annealed copper foils) and dissimilar material combination (1060 pure aluminum foils and 304 stainless steel foils) were successfully achieved. The effect of laser energy on the interlock and minimum thickness of upper foils was investigated. In addition, the mechanical strength of different material combinations joined by micro clinching with cutting was measured in single lap shearing tests. According to the achieved results, this novel technique is more suitable for material combinations where the upper foil is thicker than lower foil. With the increase of laser energy, the interlock increased while the minimum thickness of upper foil decreased gradually. The shear strength of 1060 pure aluminum foils and 304 stainless steel foils combination was three times as large as that of 1060 pure aluminum foils and annealed copper foils combination.

Strategic plan for Hanford Site Environmental Restoration Information Management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cowley, P.J.; Beck, J.E.; Gephart, R.E.

1994-06-01

This strategic plan addresses information management for the Environmental Restoration (ER) Program at the Hanford Site. This Program leads the cleanup of the Hanford Site's soil, groundwater, buried waste, and the decontamination and decommissioning of facilities. The vision that drives this strategic plan is to ensure that quality information is available to the people who need it, when they need it, at a convenient location, in a usable form, and at an acceptable cost. Although investments are being made in managing the vast amounts of information, which include data, records and documents associated with the Hanford Site's production history and new cleanup mission, it is widely recognized that efforts to date have not accomplished the vision. Effective information management involves more than the compilation of massive amounts of electronic and non-electronic information. It also involves integrating information management into business processes that support user's needs and decisionmaking. Only then can information management complement and enable environmental restoration priorities and practices, help identify environmental restoration requirements, and enable communication within the Environmental Restoration Program and between the Program and its stakeholders. Successfully accomplishing the Hanford Site mission requires an integrated approach to information management that crosses organizational boundaries, streamlines existing systems, and builds new systems that support the needs of the future. This plan outlines that approach

Human health and ecological risks from environmental restoration and waste management activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pehlman, P.A.; Wollert, D.A.; Phillippi, R.H.

1994-01-01

This paper summarizes the methodologies for estimating human health and ecological risks resulting from Environmental Restoration and Waste Management activities across the Department of Energy (DOE) complex. DOE is currently assessing these activities as part of the Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EM-PEIS)

HEIS: An integrated information system for environmental restoration and monitoring at Hanford

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tzemos, S.; Kissinger, B.

1991-11-01

The US Department of Energy's Hanford Site has about 1500 waste sites that contain a complex mixture of chemical and radioactive contaminants. After many years of environmental monitoring to assess the impact of Hanford operations to the environment, the Site's mission is shifting to environmental restoration. The Hanford Environmental Information System (HEIS) is being developed to provide advanced tools to (1) support environmental restoration and routine site-wide monitoring, and (2) aid the scientists in understanding and conducting the restoration efforts. This paper describes some of the highlights and distinctive features of HEIS.

Assessing floodplain restoration success using soil morphology indicators

Science.gov (United States)

Guenat, Claire; Fournier, Bertrand; Bullinger-Weber, Géraldine; Grin, Karin; Pfund, Simona; Mitchell, Edward

2010-05-01

Floodplains are complex ecological systems that fulfil different ecological, economic and social functions related to physical, chemical, and biological processes. The fluvial dynamics of most rivers in industrialized countries have been altered to such an extent that floodplains are now one of the most threatened ecosystems worldwide. This adverse impact has been widely recognized and, nowadays, extensive attempts are underway to return rivers to more natural conditions and restore their ecological quality and essential ecosystem functions. As a consequence, the number of restoration projects worldwide is rapidly increasing. However, despite an estimated global cost of more than 1 billion dollars annually, there is a crucial lack of monitoring and quantitative evaluations. Indeed, most projects are never monitored post-restoration (NRC 1992). In Switzerland, only 35% of the projects include a monitoring program mainly based on flora and fauna (BAFU). The design, selection and optimization of indicators for project monitoring are of major importance for sustainable management of riverine ecosystems. However, despite the growing body of literature on potential indicators and criteria for assessing the success of restoration projects no standardised or generally applicable method exists. Furthermore, soils are rarely considered among the possible indicators despite their crucial roles in ecosystems such as decomposition, supplying resources (habitats, gene pool, biomass, and raw materials), and environmental interactions (storage, filtering, transformation). We therefore hypothesized that soils may constitute an appropriate synthetic and functional indicator for the evaluation of river restoration success, especially in the framework of river widening aiming to increase the terrestrial biodiversity. In agreement with the current concepts of river restoration, we propose an assessment tool for floodplain restoration based on three soil morphology criteria (soil

Environmental restoration/waste management-applied technology semiannual report, January--June 1992

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adamson, M.; Kline-Simon, K.

1992-01-01

This is the first issue from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory of The Environmental Restoration/Waste Management-Applied Technology (ER/WM-AT) Semiannual Report, a continuation of the Advanced Processing Technology (APT) Semiannual Report. The name change reflects the consolidation of the APT Program with the Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Program to form the Environmental Restoration/Waste Management-Applied Technology (ER/WM-AT) Program. The Livermore site mirrors, on a small scale, many of the environmental and waste management problems of the DOE Complex. The six articles in this issue cover incineration- alternative technologies, process development for waste minimization, the proposed Mixed Waste Management Facility, dynamic underground stripping, electrical resistance tomography, and Raman spectroscopy for remote characterization of underground tanks

Environment, Environmental Restoration, and Waste Management Field Organization Directory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-07-01

This directory was developed by the Office of Environmental Guidance, RCRA/CERCLA Division (EH-231) from an outgrowth of the Departments efforts to identify and establish the regulatory response lead persons in the Field Organizations. The directory was developed for intemal EH-231 use to identify both the DOE and DOE contractor Field Organizations in the Environment, Environmental Restoration and Waste Management areas. The Field Organization directory is divided into three substantive sections: (1) Environment; (2) Environmental Restoration; and (3) Waste Management which are organized to correspond to the management hierarchy at each Field Organization. The information provided includes the facility name and address, individual managers name, and telephone/fax numbers

Evaluating Cumulative Ecosystem Response to Restoration Projects in the Lower Columbia River and Estuary, 2009

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johnson, Gary E.; Diefenderfer, Heida L.; Borde, Amy B.; Bryson, Amanda J.; Cameron, April; Coleman, Andre M.; Corbett, C.; Dawley, Earl M.; Ebberts, Blaine D.; Kauffman, Ronald; Roegner, G. Curtis; Russell, Micah T.; Silva, April; Skalski, John R.; Thom, Ronald M.; Vavrinec, John; Woodruff, Dana L.; Zimmerman, Shon A.

2010-10-26

This is the sixth annual report of a seven-year project (2004 through 2010) to evaluate the cumulative effects of habitat restoration actions in the lower Columbia River and estuary (LCRE). The project, called the Cumulative Effects Study, is being conducted for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Portland District (USACE) by the Marine Sciences Laboratory of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), the Pt. Adams Biological Field Station of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the Columbia River Estuary Study Taskforce (CREST), and the University of Washington. The goal of the Cumulative Effects Study is to develop a methodology to evaluate the cumulative effects of multiple habitat restoration projects intended to benefit ecosystems supporting juvenile salmonids in the 235-km-long LCRE. Literature review in 2004 revealed no existing methods for such an evaluation and suggested that cumulative effects could be additive or synergistic. From 2005 through 2009, annual field research involved intensive, comparative studies paired by habitat type (tidal swamp versus marsh), trajectory (restoration versus reference site), and restoration action (tidegate replacement vs. culvert replacement vs. dike breach).

1998 Annual Report - Environmental Restoration Division

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davis, L.B.

1998-01-01

This is a 1998 annual report for Environmental Restoration. Environmental Restoration's accomplishments were significant in 1998. The division, including its support organizations, completed one year without a lost time accident. It also met 111 enforceable agreement milestones on time, with more than 80% ahead of schedule. Funds used to meet these milestones were effectively utilized and $9.63 million in regulatory scope was added. Twelve new, innovative technologies were deployed, enabling ER to achieve significant progress on major field remediation projects, including: Remediation of 25 acres of radioactive burial ground; Removal of 1,300 batteries for recycling; Removal and safe storage of a radioactive underground tank; Extraction of 115,000 pounds of solvent; and Installation of 9 new recirculation wells and a second GeoSiphon Cell for additional removal of solvent Final Records of Decision were made for 9 base unit sites. No Further Action decisions were made for 61 additional sites

A scientific basis for restoring fish spawning habitat in the St. Clair and Detroit Rivers of the Laurentian Great Lakes

Science.gov (United States)

Manny, Bruce A.; Roseman, Edward F.; Kennedy, Gregory W.; Boase, James C.; Craig, Jaquelyn; Bennion, David H.; Read, Jennifer; Vaccaro, Lynn; Chiotti, Justin A.; Drouin, Richard; Ellison, Roseanne

2015-01-01

Loss of functional habitat in riverine systems is a global fisheries issue. Few studies, however, describe the decision-making approach taken to abate loss of fish spawning habitat. Numerous habitat restoration efforts are underway and documentation of successful restoration techniques for spawning habitat of desirable fish species in large rivers connecting the Laurentian Great Lakes are reported here. In 2003, to compensate for the loss of fish spawning habitat in the St. Clair and Detroit Rivers that connect the Great Lakes Huron and Erie, an international partnership of state, federal, and academic scientists began restoring fish spawning habitat in both of these rivers. Using an adaptive management approach, we created 1,100 m2 of productive fish spawning habitat near Belle Isle in the Detroit River in 2004; 3,300 m2 of fish spawning habitat near Fighting Island in the Detroit River in 2008; and 4,000 m2 of fish spawning habitat in the Middle Channel of the St. Clair River in 2012. Here, we describe the adaptive-feedback management approach that we used to guide our decision making during all phases of spawning habitat restoration, including problem identification, team building, hypothesis development, strategy development, prioritization of physical and biological imperatives, project implementation, habitat construction, monitoring of fish use of the constructed spawning habitats, and communication of research results. Numerous scientific and economic lessons learned from 10 years of planning, building, and assessing fish use of these three fish spawning habitat restoration projects are summarized in this article.

The River Gelså restoration revisited: Habitat specific assemblages and persistence of the macroinvertebrate community over an 11-year period

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Friberg, Nikolai; Baattrup-Pedersen, Annette; Kristensen, Esben Astrup

2014-01-01

The study was undertaken on the River Gelså, Denmark, where a 1.8 km meandering course was estab-lished in 1989 to replace a channelized river reach. This restoration project was the first of its kind inDenmark and has the longest time-series of post-intervention data of any restoration project c...

Plant basket hydraulic structures (PBHS) as a new river restoration measure.

Science.gov (United States)

Kałuża, Tomasz; Radecki-Pawlik, Artur; Szoszkiewicz, Krzysztof; Plesiński, Karol; Radecki-Pawlik, Bartosz; Laks, Ireneusz

2018-06-15

River restoration has become increasingly attractive worldwide as it provides considerable benefits to the environment as well as to the economy. This study focuses on changes of hydromorphological conditions in a small lowland river recorded during an experiment carried out in the Flinta River, central Poland. The proposed solution was a pilot project of the construction of vegetative sediment traps (plant basket hydraulic structures - PBHS). A set of three PBSH was installed in the riverbed in one row and a range of hydraulic parameters were recorded over a period of three years (six measurement sessions). Changes of sediment grain size were analysed, and the amount and size of plant debris in the plant barriers were recorded. Plant debris accumulation influencing flow hydrodynamics was detected as a result of the installation of vegetative sediment traps. Moreover, various hydromorphological processes in the river were initiated. Additional simulations based on the detected processes showed that the proposed plant basket hydraulic structures can improve the hydromorphological status of the river. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluating the effect of river restoration techniques on reducing the impacts of outfall on water quality

Science.gov (United States)

Mant, Jenny; Janes, Victoria; Terrell, Robert; Allen, Deonie; Arthur, Scott; Yeakley, Alan; Morse, Jennifer; Holman, Ian

2015-04-01

Outfalls represent points of discharge to a river and often contain pollutants from urban runoff, such as heavy metals. Additionally, erosion around the outfall site results in increased sediment generation and the release of associated pollutants. Water quality impacts from heavy metals pose risks to the river ecosystem (e.g. toxicity to aquatic habitats). Restoration techniques including establishment of swales, and the re-vegetation and reinforcement of channel banks aim to decrease outfall flow velocities resulting in deposition of pollutants and removal through plant uptake. Within this study the benefits of river restoration techniques for the removal of contaminants associated with outfalls have been quantified within Johnson Creek, Portland, USA as part of the EPSRC funded Blue-Green Cities project. The project aims to develop new strategies for protecting hydrological and ecological values of urban landscapes. A range of outfalls have been selected which span restored and un-restored channel reaches, a variety of upstream land-uses, and both direct and set-back outfalls. River Habitat Surveys were conducted at each of the sites to assess the level of channel modification within the reach. Sediment samples were taken at the outfall location, upstream, and downstream of outfalls for analysis of metals including Nickel, Lead, Zinc, Copper, Iron and Magnesium. These were used to assess the impact of the level of modification at individual sites, and to compare the influence of direct and set-back outfalls. Concentrations of all metals in the sediments found at outfalls generally increased with the level of modification at the site. Sediment in restored sites had lower metal concentrations both at the outfall and downstream compared to unrestored sites, indicating the benefit of these techniques to facilitate the effective removal of pollutants by trapping of sediment and uptake of contaminants by vegetation. However, the impact of restoration measures varied

Savannah River Site Environmental Report for 1997 Summary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arnett, M.

1998-01-01

The Savannah River Site (SRS) publishes an environmental report each year to provide environmental monitoring and surveillance results to the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE), the public, Congress, state and federal regulators, universities, local governments, the news media, and environmental and civic groups. The Savannah River Site Environmental Report for 1997 (WSRC-TR-97-00322) contains detailed information on site operations, environmental monitoring and surveillance programs, environmental compliance activities, and special projects for the calendar year 1997. The purpose of this documents is to give a brief overview of the site and its activities, to summarize the site environmental report and the impact of 1997 SRS operations on the environment and the public, and to provide a brief explanation of radiation and dose.The data used to compile the annual environmental report and this summary can be found in Savannah River Site Environmental Data for 1997 (WSRC-TR-97-00324)

Ecological risk assessment in a large river-reservoir. 2: Fish community

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suter, G.W. II; Barnthouse, L.W.; Efroymson, R.A.; Jager, H.

1999-01-01

This paper summarizes the assessment of risks to fishes in the Clinch River Operable Unit due to contaminants released by the US Department of Energy's activities on its Oak Ridge Reservation in Tennessee. This paper focuses on the most contaminated area, the Poplar Creek (PC) embayment. The assessment is of interest because of its use of five distinct lines of evidence: fish community surveys, fish body burdens, toxicity tests of ambient waters, suborganismal bioindicators, and single chemical toxicity tests. None of these lines of evidence provided unambiguous evidence of a significant risk, but the surveys indicated that the fish community in PC was depauperate, polychlorinated biphenyl body burdens may have been at toxic levels in catfish, one of the three tests of ambient water showed clear toxicity, some of the indicators were indicative of toxic effects, and concentrations that have been toxic in the laboratory were detected periodically. Interpretation was further complicated by upstream contamination of both the Clinch River and PC. The risk characterization was performed by evaluating each line of evidence separately and then weighing the evidence using an ecoepidemiological approach

Survey of the potential environmental and health impacts in the immediate aftermath of the coal ash spill in Kingston, Tennessee.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruhl, Laura; Vengosh, Avner; Dwyer, Gary S; Hsu-Kim, Heileen; Deonarine, Amrika; Bergin, Mike; Kravchenko, Julia

2009-08-15

An investigation of the potential environmental and health impacts in the immediate aftermath of one of the largest coal ash spills in U.S. history at the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Kingston coal-burning power plant has revealed three major findings. First the surface release of coal ash with high levels of toxic elements (As = 75 mg/kg; Hg = 150 microg/kg) and radioactivity (226Ra + 228Ra = 8 pCi/g) to the environment has the potential to generate resuspended ambient fine particles (risk to local communities. Second, leaching of contaminants from the coal ash caused contamination of surface waters in areas of restricted water exchange, but only trace levels were found in the downstream Emory and Clinch Rivers due to river dilution. Third, the accumulation of Hg- and As-rich coal ash in river sediments has the potential to have an impact on the ecological system in the downstream rivers by fish poisoning and methylmercury formation in anaerobic river sediments.

Linking river, floodplain, and vadose zone hydrology to improve restoration of a coastal river affected by saltwater intrusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaplan, D; Muñoz-Carpena, R; Wan, Y; Hedgepeth, M; Zheng, F; Roberts, R; Rossmanith, R

2010-01-01

Floodplain forests provide unique ecological structure and function, which are often degraded or lost when watershed hydrology is modified. Restoration of damaged ecosystems requires an understanding of surface water, groundwater, and vadose (unsaturated) zone hydrology in the floodplain. Soil moisture and porewater salinity are of particular importance for seed germination and seedling survival in systems affected by saltwater intrusion but are difficult to monitor and often overlooked. This study contributes to the understanding of floodplain hydrology in one of the last bald cypress [Taxodium distichum (L.) Rich.] floodplain swamps in southeast Florida. We investigated soil moisture and porewater salinity dynamics in the floodplain of the Loxahatchee River, where reduced freshwater flow has led to saltwater intrusion and a transition to salt-tolerant, mangrove-dominated communities. Twenty-four dielectric probes measuring soil moisture and porewater salinity every 30 min were installed along two transects-one in an upstream, freshwater location and one in a downstream tidal area. Complemented by surface water, groundwater, and meteorological data, these unique 4-yr datasets quantified the spatial variability and temporal dynamics of vadose zone hydrology. Results showed that soil moisture can be closely predicted based on river stage and topographic elevation (overall Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient of efficiency = 0.83). Porewater salinity rarely exceeded tolerance thresholds (0.3125 S m(-1)) for bald cypress upstream but did so in some downstream areas. This provided an explanation for observed vegetation changes that both surface water and groundwater salinity failed to explain. The results offer a methodological and analytical framework for floodplain monitoring in locations where restoration success depends on vadose zone hydrology and provide relationships for evaluating proposed restoration and management scenarios for the Loxahatchee River.

Conceptualizing and communicating ecological river restoration: Chapter 2

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobson, Robert B.; Berkley, Jim

2011-01-01

We present a general conceptual model for communicating aspects of river restoration and management. The model is generic and adaptable to most riverine settings, independent of size. The model has separate categories of natural and social-economic drivers, and management actions are envisioned as modifiers of naturally dynamic systems. The model includes a decision-making structure in which managers, stakeholders, and scientists interact to define management objectives and performance evaluation. The model depicts a stress to the riverine ecosystem as either (1) deviation in the regimes (flow, sediment, temperature, light, biogeochemical, and genetic) by altering the frequency, magnitude, duration, timing, or rate of change of the fluxes or (2) imposition of a hard structural constraint on channel form. Restoration is depicted as naturalization of those regimes or removal of the constraint. The model recognizes the importance of river history in conditioning future responses. Three hierarchical tiers of essential ecosystem characteristics (EECs) illustrate how management actions typically propagate through physical/chemical processes to habitat to biotic responses. Uncertainty and expense in modeling or measuring responses increase in moving from tiers 1 to 3. Social-economic characteristics are shown in a parallel structure that emphasizes the need to quantify trade-offs between ecological and social-economic systems. Performance measures for EECs are also hierarchical, showing that selection of measures depend on participants’ willingness to accept uncertainty. The general form is of an adaptive management loop in which the performance measures are compared to reference conditions or success criteria and the information is fed back into the decision-making process.

Tiger team findings related to DOE environmental restoration activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levitan, W.M.

1991-01-01

Tiger Team Assessments were implemented in June 1989 as part of a strategy to ensure that DOE facilities fully comply with Federal, state, local and DOE environment, safety, and health (ES ampersand H) requirements. The Tiger Teams provide the Secretary of Energy with information on current ES ampersand H compliance status of each DOE facility and causes for noncompliance. To date, Tiger Team Assessments have been completed at 25 DOE facilities. With regard to assessments of environmental restoration activities, the performance of DOE facilities was evaluated against the requirements of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), as amended, the National Contingency Plan (NCP), and DOE Order 5400.4, CERCLA Requirements, among others. Five major categories of environmental restoration-related findings were identified: (1) environmental restoration program planning and management (found at 60 percent of the sites assessed); (2) community relations/administrative record (60 percent); (3) characterization of extent of contamination (56 percent); (4) identification and evaluation of inactive waste sites (56 percent); and (5) DOE and NCP requirements for response action studies (44 percent). Primary causal factors for these findings were inadequate procedures, resources, supervision, and policy implementation

Wind River Watershed Restoration Project; Underwood Conservation District, Annual Report 2002-2003.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

White, Jim

2004-02-01

The goal of the Wind River project is to preserve, protect and restore Wind River steelhead. In March, 1998, the National Marine Fisheries Service listed the steelhead of the lower Columbia as 'threatened' under the Endangered Species Act. In 1997, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife rated the status of the Wind River summer run steelhead as critical. Due to the status of this stock, the Wind River summer steelhead have the highest priority for recovery and restoration in the state of Washington's Lower Columbia Steelhead Conservation Initiative. The Wind River Project includes four cooperating agencies. Those are the Underwood Conservation District (UCD), United States Geological Service (USGS), US Forest Service (USFS), and Washington State Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW). Tasks include monitoring steelhead populations (USGS and WDFW), Coordinating a Watershed Committee and Technical Advisory Group (UCD), evaluating physical habitat conditions (USFS and UCD), assessing watershed health (all), reducing road sediments sources (USFS), rehabilitating riparian corridors, floodplains, and channel geometry (UCD, USFS), evaluate removal of Hemlock Dam (USFS), and promote local watershed stewardship (UCD, USFS). UCD's major efforts have included coordination of the Wind River Watershed Committee and Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), water temperature and water chemistry monitoring, riparian habitat improvement projects, and educational activities. Our coordination work enables the local Watershed Committee and TAC to function and provide essential input to Agencies, and our habitat improvement work focuses on riparian revegetation. Water chemistry and temperature data collection provide information for monitoring watershed conditions and fish habitat, and are comparable with data gathered in previous years. Water chemistry information collected on Trout Creek should, with 2 years data, determine whether pH levels make conditions

Evaluation of Cumulative Ecosystem Response to Restoration Projects in the Lower Columbia River and Estuary, 2010

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johnson, Gary E.; Diefenderfer, Heida L.; Thom, Ronald M.; Roegner, G. Curtis; Ebberts, Blaine D.; Skalski, John R.; Borde, Amy B.; Dawley, Earl; Coleman, Andre M.; Woodruff, Dana L.; Breithaupt, Stephen A.; Cameron, April; Corbett, C.; Donley, Erin E.; Jay, D. A.; Ke, Yinghai; Leffler, K.; McNeil, C.; Studebaker, Cindy; Tagestad, Jerry D.

2012-05-01

This is the seventh and final annual report of a project (2004–2010) addressing evaluation of the cumulative effects of habitat restoration actions in the 235-km-long lower Columbia River and estuary. The project, called the Cumulative Effects (CE) study, was conducted for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Portland District by a collaboration of research agencies led by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. We achieved the primary goal of the CE study to develop a methodology to evaluate the cumulative effects of habitat actions in the Columbia Estuary Ecosystem Restoration Program. We delivered 1) standard monitoring protocols and methods to prioritize monitoring activities; 2) the theoretical and empirical basis for a CE methodology using levels-of-evidence; 3) evaluations of cumulative effects using ecological relationships, geo-referenced data, hydrodynamic modeling, and meta-analyses; and 4) an adaptive management process to coordinate and coalesce restoration efforts in the LCRE. A solid foundation has been laid for future comprehensive evaluations of progress made by the Columbia Estuary Ecosystem Restoration Program to understand, conserve, and restore ecosystems in the lower Columbia River and estuary.

An Experimental Study on Micro Clinching of Metal Foils with Cutting by Laser Shock Forming

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiao Wang

2016-07-01

Full Text Available This paper describes a novel technique for joining similar and dissimilar metal foils, namely micro clinching with cutting by laser shock forming. A series of experiments were conducted to study the deformation behavior of single layer material, during which many important process parameters were determined. The process window of the 1060 pure aluminum foils and annealed copper foils produced by micro clinching with cutting was analyzed. Moreover, similar material combination (annealed copper foils and dissimilar material combination (1060 pure aluminum foils and 304 stainless steel foils were successfully achieved. The effect of laser energy on the interlock and minimum thickness of upper foils was investigated. In addition, the mechanical strength of different material combinations joined by micro clinching with cutting was measured in single lap shearing tests. According to the achieved results, this novel technique is more suitable for material combinations where the upper foil is thicker than lower foil. With the increase of laser energy, the interlock increased while the minimum thickness of upper foil decreased gradually. The shear strength of 1060 pure aluminum foils and 304 stainless steel foils combination was three times as large as that of 1060 pure aluminum foils and annealed copper foils combination.

Appalachian Rivers II Conference: Technology for Monitoring, Assessing, and Restoring Streams, Rivers, and Watersheds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None available

1999-07-29

On July 28-29, 1999, the Federal Energy Technology Center (FETC) and the WMAC Foundation co-sponsored the Appalachian Rivers II Conference in Morgantown, West Virginia. This meeting brought together over 100 manufacturers, researchers, academicians, government agency representatives, watershed stewards, and administrators to examine technologies related to watershed assessment, monitoring, and restoration. Sessions included presentations and panel discussions concerning watershed analysis and modeling, decision-making considerations, and emerging technologies. The final session examined remediation and mitigation technologies to expedite the preservation of watershed ecosystems.

75 FR 21650 - Coral Reef Restoration Plan, Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, Biscayne National...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-26

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR National Park Service Coral Reef Restoration Plan, Draft Programmatic... Coral Reef Restoration Plan, Biscayne National Park. SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental... availability of a Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Coral Reef Restoration Plan...

Monitored retrievable storage submission to Congress: Volume 2, Environmental assessment for a monitored retrievable storage facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1986-02-01

This Environmental Assessment (EA) supports the DOE proposal to Congress to construct and operate a facility for monitored retrievable storage (MRS) of spent fuel at a site on the Clinch River in the Roane County portion of Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The first part of this document is an assessment of the value of, need for, and feasibility of an MRS facility as an integral component of the waste management system. The second part is an assessment and comparison of the potential environmental impacts projected for each of six site-design combinations. The MRS facility would be centrally located with respect to existing reactors, and would receive and canister spent fuel in preparation for shipment to and disposal in a geologic repository. 207 refs., 57 figs., 132 tabs

Concept Paper for Real-Time Temperature and Water QualityManagement for San Joaquin River Riparian Habitat Restoration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Quinn, Nigel W.T.

2004-12-20

The San Joaquin River Riparian Habitat Restoration Program (SJRRP) has recognized the potential importance of real-time monitoring and management to the success of the San Joaquin River (SJR) restoration endeavor. The first step to realizing making real-time management a reality on the middle San Joaquin River between Friant Dam and the Merced River will be the installation and operation of a network of permanent telemetered gauging stations that will allow optimization of reservoir releases made specifically for fish water temperature management. Given the limited reservoir storage volume available to the SJJRP, this functionality will allow the development of an adaptive management program, similar in concept to the VAMP though with different objectives. The virtue of this approach is that as management of the middle SJR becomes more routine, additional sensors can be added to the sensor network, initially deployed, to continue to improve conditions for anadromous fish.

The United States Department of Energy's Environmental Restoration Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whitfield, P.; Lehr, J.C.

1993-01-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) operates a large industrial complex which includes various production, processing, testing, and research and development installations across the country. This complex has generated, and continues to generate, significant quantities of radioactive, hazardous, and mixtures of radioactive and hazardous (mixed) waste. Over the past 40 + years of operation, the waste generated by this complex has been managed to then-current standards of technology and regulation. However, some of these waste management practices have subsequently been proven to be inadequate for long-term environmental protection. To improve these practices, DOE must first manage the tasks of characterizing and remediating waste sites and facilities at more than 120 locations in 34 states and one location in Puerto Rico. To accomplish this mission, DOE's Environmental Restoration (ER) Program within the Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) was established in 1989, when DOE's top priority changed from nuclear weapons production to environmental cleanup. The ER Program was created to ensure that risks to human health and the environment posed by DOE's past operations are eliminated or reduced to prescribed, safe levels. This paper gives details on the philosophy of the Environmental Restoration Program. It includes information on how the Department is managing this Program to assure cost efficiency and good stewardship of the taxpayer's dollars

Restoration of areas degraded by alluvial sand mining: use of soil microbiological activity and plant biomass growth to assess evolution of restored riparian vegetation.

Science.gov (United States)

Venson, Graziela R; Marenzi, Rosemeri C; Almeida, Tito César M; Deschamps-Schmidt, Alexandre; Testolin, Renan C; Rörig, Leonardo R; Radetski, Claudemir M

2017-03-01

River or alluvial sand mining is causing a variety of environmental problems in the Itajaí-açú river basin in Santa Catarina State (south of Brazil). When this type of commercial activity degrades areas around rivers, environmental restoration programs need to be executed. In this context, the aim of this study was to assess the evolution of a restored riparian forest based on data on the soil microbial activity and plant biomass growth. A reference site and three sites with soil degradation were studied over a 3-year period. Five campaigns were performed to determine the hydrolysis of the soil enzyme fluorescein diacetate (FDA), and the biomass productivity was determined at the end of the studied period. The variation in the enzyme activity for the different campaigns at each site was low, but this parameter did differ significantly according to the site. Well-managed sites showed the highest biomass productivity, and this, in turn, showed a strong positive correlation with soil enzyme activity. In conclusion, soil enzyme activity could form the basis for monitoring and the early prediction of the success of vegetal restoration programs, since responses at the higher level of biological organization take longer, inhibiting the assessment of the project within an acceptable time frame.

Perceptions of environmental change and use of traditional knowledge to plan riparian forest restoration with relocated communities in Alcântara, Eastern Amazon.

Science.gov (United States)

Celentano, Danielle; Rousseau, Guillaume Xavier; Engel, Vera Lex; Façanha, Cristiane Lima; Oliveira, Elivaldo Moreira de; Moura, Emanoel Gomes de

2014-01-27

Riparian forests provide ecosystem services that are essential for human well-being. The Pepital River is the main water supply for Alcântara (Brazil) and its forests are disappearing. This is affecting water volume and distribution in the region. Promoting forest restoration is imperative. In deprived regions, restoration success depends on the integration of ecology, livelihoods and traditional knowledge (TEK). In this study, an interdisciplinary research framework is proposed to design riparian forest restoration strategies based on ecological data, TEK and social needs. This study takes place in a region presenting a complex history of human relocation and land tenure. Local populations from seven villages were surveyed to document livelihood (including 'free-listing' of agricultural crops and homegarden tree species). Additionally, their perceptions toward environmental changes were explored through semi-structured interviews (n = 79). Ethnobotanical information on forest species and their uses were assessed by local-specialists (n = 19). Remnants of conserved forests were surveyed to access ecological information on tree species (three plots of 1,000 m2). Results included descriptive statistics, frequency and Smith’s index of salience of the free-list results. The local population depends primarily on slash-and-burn subsistence agriculture to meet their needs. Interviewees showed a strong empirical knowledge about the environmental problems of the river, and of their causes, consequences and potential solutions. Twenty-four tree species (dbh > 10 cm) were found at the reference sites. Tree density averaged 510 individuals per hectare (stdv = 91.6); and 12 species were considered the most abundant (density > 10ind/ha). There was a strong consensus among plant-specialists about the most important trees. The species lists from reference sites and plant-specialists presented an important convergence. Slash-and-burn agriculture is the main source of livelihood

Community-level response of fishes and aquatic macroinvertebrates to stream restoration in a third-order tributary of the Potomac River, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Selego, Stephen M.; Rose, Charnee L.; Merovich, George T.; Welsh, Stuart A.; Anderson, James T.

2012-01-01

Natural stream channel design principles and riparian restoration practices were applied during spring 2010 to an agriculturally impaired reach of the Cacapon River, a tributary of the Potomac River which flows into the Chesapeake Bay. Aquatic macroinvertebrates and fishes were sampled from the restoration reach, two degraded control, and two natural reference reaches prior to, concurrently with, and following restoration (2009 through 2010). Collector filterers and scrapers replaced collector gatherers as the dominant macroinvertebrate functional feeding groups in the restoration reach. Before restoration, based on indices of biotic integrity (IBI), the restoration reach fish and macroinvertebrate communities closely resembled those sampled from the control reaches, and after restoration more closely resembled those from the reference reaches. Although the macroinvertebrate community responded more favorably than the fish community, both communities recovered quickly from the temporary impairment caused by the disturbance of restoration procedures and suggest rapid improvement in local ecological conditions.

Remedial investigation/feasibility study report for Lower Watts Bar Reservoir Operable Unit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-03-01

This document is the combined Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study Report for the lower Watts Bar Reservoir (LWBR) Operable Unit (OU). The LWBR is located in Roane, Rhea, and Meigs counties, Tennessee, and consists of Watts Bar Reservoir downstream of the Clinch river. This area has received hazardous substances released over a period of 50 years from the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), a National Priority List site established under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). As required by this law, the ORR and all off-site areas that have received contaminants, including LWBR, must be investigated to determine the risk to human health and the environment resulting from these releases, the need for any remedial action to reduce these risks, and the remedial actions that are most feasible for implementation in this OU. Contaminants from the ORR are primarily transported to the LWBR via the Clinch River. There is little data regarding the quantities of most contaminants potentially released from the ORR to the Clinch River, particularly for the early years of ORR operations. Estimates of the quantities released during this period are available for most radionuclides and some inorganic contaminants, indicating that releases 30 to 50 years ago were much higher than today. Since the early 1970s, the release of potential contaminants has been monitored for compliance with environmental law and reported in the annual environmental monitoring reports for the ORR

Remedial investigation/feasibility study report for Lower Watts Bar Reservoir Operable Unit

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-03-01

This document is the combined Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study Report for the lower Watts Bar Reservoir (LWBR) Operable Unit (OU). The LWBR is located in Roane, Rhea, and Meigs counties, Tennessee, and consists of Watts Bar Reservoir downstream of the Clinch river. This area has received hazardous substances released over a period of 50 years from the US Department of Energy`s Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), a National Priority List site established under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). As required by this law, the ORR and all off-site areas that have received contaminants, including LWBR, must be investigated to determine the risk to human health and the environment resulting from these releases, the need for any remedial action to reduce these risks, and the remedial actions that are most feasible for implementation in this OU. Contaminants from the ORR are primarily transported to the LWBR via the Clinch River. There is little data regarding the quantities of most contaminants potentially released from the ORR to the Clinch River, particularly for the early years of ORR operations. Estimates of the quantities released during this period are available for most radionuclides and some inorganic contaminants, indicating that releases 30 to 50 years ago were much higher than today. Since the early 1970s, the release of potential contaminants has been monitored for compliance with environmental law and reported in the annual environmental monitoring reports for the ORR.

Risk-based priority scoring for Brookhaven National Laboratory environmental restoration programs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morris, S.C.; Meinhold, A.F.

1995-05-01

This report describes the process of estimating the risk associated with environmental restoration programs under the Brookhaven National Laboratory Office of Environmental Restoration. The process was part of an effort across all Department of Energy facilities to provide a consistent framework to communicate risk information about the facilities to senior managers in the DOE Office of Environmental Management to foster understanding of risk activities across programs. the risk evaluation was a qualitative exercise. Categories considered included: Public health and safety; site personnel safety and health; compliance; mission impact; cost-effective risk management; environmental protection; inherent worker risk; environmental effects of clean-up; and social, cultural, political, and economic impacts

Using a food web model to inform the design of river restoration—An example at the Barkley Bear Segment, Methow River, north-central Washington

Science.gov (United States)

Benjamin, Joseph R.; Bellmore, J. Ryan; Dombroski, Daniel

2018-01-29

With the decline of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and steelhead (O. mykiss), habitat restoration actions in freshwater tributaries have been implemented to improve conditions for juveniles. Typically, physical (for example, hydrologic and engineering) based models are used to design restoration alternatives with the assumption that biological responses will be improved with changes to the physical habitat. Biological models rarely are used. Here, we describe simulations of a food web model, the Aquatic Trophic Productivity (ATP) model, to aid in the design of a restoration project in the Methow River, north-central Washington. The ATP model mechanistically links environmental conditions of the stream to the dynamics of river food webs, and can be used to simulate how alternative river restoration designs influence the potential for river reaches to sustain fish production. Four restoration design alternatives were identified that encompassed varying levels of side channel and floodplain reconnection and large wood addition. Our model simulations suggest that design alternatives focused on reconnecting side channels and the adjacent floodplain may provide the greatest increase in fish capacity. These results were robust to a range of discharge and thermal regimes that naturally occur in the Methow River. Our results suggest that biological models, such as the ATP model, can be used during the restoration planning phase to increase the effectiveness of restoration actions. Moreover, the use of multiple modeling efforts, both physical and biological, when evaluating restoration design alternatives provides a better understanding of the potential outcome of restoration actions.

Successes, Failures and Suggested Future Directions for Ecosystem Restoration of the Middle Sacramento River, California

OpenAIRE

Gregory H. Golet; David L. Brown; Melinda Carlson; Thomas Gardali; Adam Henderson; Karen D. Holl; Christine A. Howell; Marcel Holyoak; John W. Hunt; G. Mathias Kondolf; Eric W. Larsen; Ryan A. Luster; Charles McClain; Charles Nelson; Seth Paine

2013-01-01

Large-scale ecosystem restoration projects seldom undergo comprehensive evaluation to determine project effectiveness. Consequently, there are missed opportunities for learning and strategy refinement. Before our study, monitoring information from California’s middle Sacramento River had not been synthesized, despite restoration having been ongoing since 1989. Our assessment was based on the development and application of 36 quantitative ecological indicators. These indicators were used to ch...

River Restoration by Dam Removal: Assessing Riverine Re-Connectivity Across New England

Science.gov (United States)

Magilligan, F. J.; Nislow, K. H.; Graber, B.; Sneddon, C.; Fox, C.; Martin, E.

2014-12-01

The impacts of dams in New England are especially acute as it possesses one of the highest densities of dams in the US, with the NID documenting more than 4,000 dams, and state agency records indicating that >14,000 dams are peppered throughout the landscape. This large number of dams contributes to pervasive watershed fragmentation, threatening the ecological integrity of rivers and streams, and in the case of old, poorly maintained structures, posing a risk to lives and property. These concerns have generated active dam removal efforts throughout New England. To best capture the geomorphic, hydrologic, and potential ecological effects of dam removal at a regional level, we have compiled a dataset of 127 removed dams in New England, which includes information about structural characteristics, georectified locations, and key watershed attributes (including basin size, distance to next upstream obstacle, and number of free-flowing river kms opened up). Our specific research questions address (1) what is the spatial distribution of removed dams and how does this pattern relate to stated management goals of restoring critical habitat for native resident freshwater and diadromous fish, (2) what are the structural or management commonalities in dam types that have been removed, and (3) what has been the incremental addition of free-flowing river length? Rather than reflecting an overall management prioritization strategy, results indicate that dam removals are characterized more by opportunistic removals. For example, despite a regional emphasis on diadromous fish protection and restoration, most removals are inland rather than coastal settings. Most of the removed dams were small (~ 45% 2,300 river kms over the past several decades, with implication for both resident and diadromous fish, and with many removals located in mid-sized rivers that are a key link between upstream and downstream/coastal aquatic ecosystems.

Water quality monitoring report for the White Oak Creek Embayment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ford, C.J.; Wefer, M.T.

1993-01-01

Water quality monitoring activities that focused on the detection of resuspended sediments in the Clinch River were conducted in conjunction with the White Oak Creek Embayment (WOCE) time-critical Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) removal action to construct a sediment-retention structure at the mouth of White Oak Creek (WOC). Samples were collected by use of a 24-h composite sampler and through real-time water grab sampling of sediment plumes generated by the construction activities. Sampling stations were established both at the WOC mouth, immediately adjacent to the construction site, and at K-1513, the Oak Ridge K-25 Site drinking water intake approximately 9.6 km downstream in the Clinch River. Results are described

Science Roles and Interactions in Adaptive Management of Large River Restoration Projects, Midwest United States

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobson, R. B.; Galat, D. L.; Smith, C. B.

2010-12-01

Most large-river restoration projects include formal or informal implementations of adaptive management strategies which acknowledge uncertainty and use scientific inquiry to learn and refine management options. Although the central role of science in reducing uncertainty is acknowledged in such projects, specific roles and interactions can vary widely, including how science relates to decision-making within the governance of these projects. Our objective is to present some structured generalizations about science roles and interactions as developed from the authors’ experiences in adaptive management of large river restoration in the Midwest United States. Scientific information may be introduced into decision making by scientists acting in any of the three roles common to adaptive management -- action agency representative, stakeholder, or science provider. We have observed that confusion and gridlock can arise when it is unclear if a scientist is acting as an advocate for a stakeholder or management position, or instead as an independent, “honest broker” of science. Although both advocacy and independence are proper and expected in public decision making, it is useful when scientists unambiguously identify their role. While complete scientific independence may be illusory, transparency and peer review can promote the ideal. Transparency comes from setting clear directions and objectives at the decision-making level and defining at the outset how learning will help assess progress and inform decisions. Independent peer reviews of proposals, study plans, and publications serve as a powerful tool to advance scientific independence, even if funding sources present a potential conflict of interest. Selection of experts for scientific advice and review often requires consideration of the balance between benefits of the “outside” expert (independent, knowledgeable but with little specific understanding of the river system), compared to those provided by the �

Environmental restoration and waste management site-specific plan for Richland Operations Office

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-09-01

This document was prepared to implement and support the US Department of Energy-Headquarters (DOE-HQ) national plan. The national plan, entitled Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Five-Year Plan (DOE 1990b) (hereinafter referred to as the DOE-HQ Five-Year Plan) is the cornerstone of the US Department of Energy's (DOE) long-term strategy in environmental restoration and waste management. The DOE-HQ Five-Year Plan addresses overall philosophy and environmental and waste-related activities under the responsibilities of the DOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management. The plan also reaffirms DOE-HQ goals to bring its nuclear sites into environmental compliance in cooperation with its regulators and the public, and to clean up and restore the environment by 2019 (the commitment for the Hanford Site is for one year sooner, or 2018). This document is part of the site-specific plan for the US Department of Energy-Richland Operations Office (DOE-RL). It is the first revision of the original plan, which was dated December 1989 (DOE-RL 1989a). This document is a companion document to the Overview of the Hanford Cleanup Five-Year Plan (DOE-RL 1989d) and The Hanford Site Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Five-Year Plan Activity Data Sheets (DOE-RL 1991). Although there are three documents that make up the complete DOE-RL plan, this detailed information volume was prepared so it could be used as a standalone document. 71 refs., 40 figs., 28 tabs

Community-Level Response of Fishes and Aquatic Macroinvertebrates to Stream Restoration in a Third-Order Tributary of the Potomac River, USA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephen M. Selego

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Natural stream channel design principles and riparian restoration practices were applied during spring 2010 to an agriculturally impaired reach of the Cacapon River, a tributary of the Potomac River which flows into the Chesapeake Bay. Aquatic macroinvertebrates and fishes were sampled from the restoration reach, two degraded control, and two natural reference reaches prior to, concurrently with, and following restoration (2009 through 2010. Collector filterers and scrapers replaced collector gatherers as the dominant macroinvertebrate functional feeding groups in the restoration reach. Before restoration, based on indices of biotic integrity (IBI, the restoration reach fish and macroinvertebrate communities closely resembled those sampled from the control reaches, and after restoration more closely resembled those from the reference reaches. Although the macroinvertebrate community responded more favorably than the fish community, both communities recovered quickly from the temporary impairment caused by the disturbance of restoration procedures and suggest rapid improvement in local ecological conditions.

Monitoring effects of river restoration on groundwater with radon; Ueberwachung der Auswirkungen von Flussaufweitungen auf das Grundwasser mittels Radon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoehn, Eduard [Eawag, Eidgenoessische Anstalt fuer Wasserversorgung, Abwasserreinigung und Gewaesserschutz, Duebendorf (Switzerland)

2007-03-15

The restoration of the perialpine river Toess in a floodplain of northern Switzerland (Linsental) included the removal of bank reinforcements and tracer studies in the river and in oberservation wells of the adjacent alluvial groundwater. The river water is continuously recharging the aquifer system and the groundwater is used extensively as drinking water. Radon activity concentrations of freshly infiltrated groundwater are interpreted as radon groundwater age between the river and a well. A first flood after the restoration operations resulted in a widening of the river bed and in a reduction of the flow distance to the wells. Sixteen days after a second flood, the results of radon measurements were compared with those from before the restoration. The radon age of the groundwater between the river and the wells decreased, probably as a result of the reduction of the flow distances. Concentrations of autochthonous and coliform bacteria increased after the restoration operation and even more one day after the first flood. Thus the findings on the bacteria corroborate the interpretation of the radon concentrations. The restoration has not yet reduced the quality of the groundwater, which is pumped for drinking water. The study is contributing to the solution of land-use conflicts between river restoration and the supply of drinking water from the alluvial groundwater. (orig.) [German] Die Renaturierung des voralpinen Flusses Toess in der Schotterebene des Linsentals (suedlich Winterthur, Nordschweiz) mit einer Befreiung von seinen Uferverbauungen gab Anlass zu Traceruntersuchungen im Fluss und im Grundwasser des kiessandigen Schotters. In diesem Gebiet infiltriert der Fluss ueberall und immer natuerlicherweise ins Grundwasser, welches stark als Trinkwasser genutzt wird. Radon-Aktivitaetskonzentrationen von frisch infiltriertem Grundwasser wurden interpretiert als Radon-Grundwasseralter fuer Strecken zwischen dem Fluss und Grundwasserbeobachtungsrohren. Nach einem

Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Site-Specific Plan (SSP) for fiscal year 1992 (FY92)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-09-01

The FY-92 Site-Specific Plan (FY-92 SSP) for environmental restoration and waste management at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) is designed to provide the reader with easy access to the status of environmental restoration and waste management activities at INEL. The first chapter provides background on INIEL's physical environment, site history and mission, and general information about the site and its facilities. In addition, this chapter discusses the inter-relationships between the Site Specific Plan, the Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Five-Year Plan, the environmental restoration and waste management prioritization systems, and the Activity Data Sheets (ADSs) for environmental restoration and waste management. This discussion should help readers understand what the SSP is and how it fits into the environmental restoration and waste management process at INEL. This understanding should provide the reader with a better context for understanding the discussions in the SSP as well as a better feel for how and what to comment on during the public comment period that will be held from the first of September through the end of October 1991

Evaluate the Restoration Potential of Snake River Fall Chinook Salmon Spawning Habitat, Status Report 2006.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hanrahan, T.P. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

2009-01-08

The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) Project 2003-038-00, Evaluate the restoration potential of Snake River fall Chinook salmon spawning habitat, began in FY04 (15 December 2003) and continues into FY06. This status report is intended to summarize accomplishments during FY04 and FY05. Accomplishments are summarized by Work Elements, as detailed in the Statement of Work (see BPA's project management database PISCES). This project evaluates the restoration potential of mainstem habitats for fall Chinook salmon. The studies address two research questions: 'Are there sections not currently used by spawning fall Chinook salmon within the impounded lower Snake River that possess the physical characteristics for potentially suitable fall Chinook spawning habitat?' and 'Can hydrosystem operations affecting these sections be adjusted such that the sections closely resemble the physical characteristics of current fall Chinook salmon spawning areas in similar physical settings?' Efforts are focused at two study sites: (1) the Ice Harbor Dam tailrace downstream to the Columbia River confluence, and (2) the Lower Granite Dam tailrace. Our previous studies indicated that these two areas have the highest potential for restoring Snake River fall Chinook salmon spawning habitat. The study sites will be evaluated under existing structural configurations at the dams (i.e., without partial removal of a dam structure), and alternative operational scenarios (e.g., varying forebay/tailwater elevations). The areas studied represent tailwater habitat (i.e., riverine segments extending from a dam downstream to the backwater influence from the next dam downstream). We are using a reference site, indicative of current fall Chinook salmon spawning areas in tailwater habitat, against which to compare the physical characteristics of each study site. The reference site for tailwater habitats is the section extending downstream from the Wanapum Dam tailrace on the

Potential CERCLA reauthorization issues relevant to US DOE's Environmental Restoration Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siegel, M.R.; McKinney, M.D.; Jaksch, J.A.; Dailey, R.L.

1993-02-01

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) is currently scheduled to be reauthorized in 1994. The US Department of Energy (DOE) has a significant stake in CERCLA reauthorization. CERCLA, along with its implementing regulation, the National Contingency Plan (NCP), is the principal legal authority governing DOE's environmental restoration program. The manner in which CERCLA-related issues are identified, evaluated, and dispatched may have a substantial impact on DOE's ability to conduct its environmental restoration program. A number of issues that impact DOE's environmental restoration program could be addressed through CERCLA reauthorization. These issues include the need to (1) address how the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) should be integrated into DOE CERCLA actions, (2) facilitate the streamlining of the Superfund process at DOE sites, (3) address the conflicts between the requirements of CERCLA and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) that are especially relevant to DOE, (4) examine the criteria for waiving applicable or relevant and appropriate requirements (ARARs) at DOE sites, and (5) delineate the appropriate use of institutional controls at DOE sites

A systematic approach for watershed ecological restoration strategy making: An application in the Taizi River Basin in northern China.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Mengdi; Fan, Juntao; Zhang, Yuan; Guo, Fen; Liu, Lusan; Xia, Rui; Xu, Zongxue; Wu, Fengchang

2018-05-15

Aiming to protect freshwater ecosystems, river ecological restoration has been brought into the research spotlight. However, it is challenging for decision makers to set appropriate objectives and select a combination of rehabilitation acts from numerous possible solutions to meet ecological, economic, and social demands. In this study, we developed a systematic approach to help make an optimal strategy for watershed restoration, which incorporated ecological security assessment and multi-objectives optimization (MOO) into the planning process to enhance restoration efficiency and effectiveness. The river ecological security status was evaluated by using a pressure-state-function-response (PSFR) assessment framework, and MOO was achieved by searching for the Pareto optimal solutions via Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II) to balance tradeoffs between different objectives. Further, we clustered the searched solutions into three types in terms of different optimized objective function values in order to provide insightful information for decision makers. The proposed method was applied in an example rehabilitation project in the Taizi River Basin in northern China. The MOO result in the Taizi River presented a set of Pareto optimal solutions that were classified into three types: I - high ecological improvement, high cost and high benefits solution; II - medial ecological improvement, medial cost and medial economic benefits solution; III - low ecological improvement, low cost and low economic benefits solution. The proposed systematic approach in our study can enhance the effectiveness of riverine ecological restoration project and could provide valuable reference for other ecological restoration planning. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Identifying environmental safety and health requirements for an Environmental Restoration Management Contractor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beckman, W.H.; Cossel, S.C.; Alhadeff, N.; Lindamood, S.B.; Beers, J.A.

1993-10-01

The purpose of the Standards/Requirements Identification Program, developed partially in response to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board Recommendation 90-2, was to identify applicable requirements that established the Environmental Restoration Management Contractor's (ERMC) responsibilities and authorities under the Environmental Restoration Management Contract, determine the adequacy of these requirements, ascertain a baseline level of compliance with them, and implement a maintenance program that would keep the program current as requirements or compliance levels change. The resultant Standards/Requirements Identification Documents (S/RIDs) consolidate the applicable requirements. These documents govern the development of procedures and manuals to ensure compliance with the requirements. Twenty-four such documents, corresponding with each functional area identified at the site, are to be issued. These requirements are included in the contractor's management plan

Monitored retrievable storage submission to Congress: Volume 2, Environmental assessment for a monitored retrievable storage facility. [Contains glossary

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

1986-02-01

This Environmental Assessment (EA) supports the DOE proposal to Congress to construct and operate a facility for monitored retrievable storage (MRS) of spent fuel at a site on the Clinch River in the Roane County portion of Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The first part of this document is an assessment of the value of, need for, and feasibility of an MRS facility as an integral component of the waste management system. The second part is an assessment and comparison of the potential environmental impacts projected for each of six site-design combinations. The MRS facility would be centrally located with respect to existing reactors, and would receive and canister spent fuel in preparation for shipment to and disposal in a geologic repository. 207 refs., 57 figs., 132 tabs.

Predicting environmental restoration activities through static simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ross, T.L.; King, D.A.; Wilkins, M.L.; Forward, M.F.

1994-12-01

This paper discusses a static simulation model that predicts several performance measures of environmental restoration activities over different remedial strategies. Basic model operation consists of manipulating and processing waste streams via selecting and applying remedial technologies according to the strategy. Performance measure prediction is possible for contaminated soil, solid waste, surface water, groundwater, storage tank, and facility sites. Simulations are performed for the U.S. Department of Energy in support of its Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement

Origin and evolution of the Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management programmatic environmental impact statement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strider, P.; Huizenga, D.

1993-01-01

Prior to November 1989, the diverse environmental restoration and waste management activities of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) were the responsibility of the various line organizations, which had the primary missions of weapons production, research, and related departmental activities. At that time, Secretary of Energy Admiral James Watkins saw the need to establish the Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM), which consolidated those activities under a single management structure

Quality Assurance Program Plan for the Environmental Restoration Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-01-01

The United States Department of Energy (USDOE) has initiated the Environmental Restoration Program (ERP) in an effort to manage, control and remediate existing hazardous, toxic and radioactive wastes generated at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PORTS). This ERP Quality Assurance Program Plan (QAPP) is responsive to the PORTS ESH Division QAPP and the ES Environmental Restoration Division (ERD) QAPP. This QAPP establishes the policies, requirements and responsibilities by which an appropriate level of QA shall be implemented within the PORTS-ERP. All PORTS-ERP activities shall be conducted in accordance with the requirements of this document and/or of a project level document which is derivative of this document

Documentation of a groundwater flow model (SJRRPGW) for the San Joaquin River Restoration Program study area, California

Science.gov (United States)

Traum, Jonathan A.; Phillips, Steven P.; Bennett, George L.; Zamora, Celia; Metzger, Loren F.

2014-01-01

To better understand the potential effects of restoration flows on existing drainage problems, anticipated as a result of the San Joaquin River Restoration Program (SJRRP), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), developed a groundwater flow model (SJRRPGW) of the SJRRP study area that is within 5 miles of the San Joaquin River and adjacent bypass system from Friant Dam to the Merced River. The primary goal of the SJRRP is to reestablish the natural ecology of the river to a degree that restores salmon and other fish populations. Increased flows in the river, particularly during the spring salmon run, are a key component of the restoration effort. A potential consequence of these increased river flows is the exacerbation of existing irrigation drainage problems along a section of the river between Mendota and the confluence with the Merced River. Historically, this reach typically was underlain by a water table within 10 feet of the land surface, thus requiring careful irrigation management and (or) artificial drainage to maintain crop health. The SJRRPGW is designed to meet the short-term needs of the SJRRP; future versions of the model may incorporate potential enhancements, several of which are identified in this report. The SJRRPGW was constructed using the USGS groundwater flow model MODFLOW and was built on the framework of the USGS Central Valley Hydrologic Model (CVHM) within which the SJRRPGW model domain is embedded. The Farm Process (FMP2) was used to simulate the supply and demand components of irrigated agriculture. The Streamflow-Routing Package (SFR2) was used to simulate the streams and bypasses and their interaction with the aquifer system. The 1,300-square mile study area was subdivided into 0.25-mile by 0.25-mile cells. The sediment texture of the aquifer system, which was used to distribute hydraulic properties by model cell, was refined from that used in the CVHM to better represent

LJUBLJANICA CONNECTS - Restoration of the Ljubljanica River corridor and improvement of the river's flow regime

Science.gov (United States)

Zabret, Katarina; Sapač, Klaudija; Šraj, Mojca; Bezak, Nejc; Sečnik, Matej; Vidmar, Andrej; Brilly, Mitja

2016-04-01

The project Ljubljanica connects is focused on improving connectivity and living conditions in Ljubljanica River which flows through capital city of Slovenia, Ljubljana. It represents living environment for endangered and Natura 2000 targeted fish species Danube Salmon (Hucho hucho), Danube Roach (Rutilus pigus) and Striped Chub (Leuciscus souffia). The project consists of four sets of activities: concrete restoration actions including improvement of two fish passes, monitoring of fish migration, monitoring of eco-hydrological parameters, and raising of public awareness. To improve living conditions the concrete restoration measures were performed. The reconstructions of sill and two fish passes on the Ljubljanica River have been implemented and barrier's lifting system on the weir was modernized. Above the sill in Zalog there is an oxbow which was disconnected with main river channel during the low flows. Interrupted inflow of fresh water caused very poor living conditions for animals in the oxbow. The raise of the sill helped to improve this situation. One of the fish passes included in the project is more than 100 years old whereas both are protected as cultural and technical heritage. None was working properly and due to the protection no visible nor drastic measures were allowed. With smaller improvements we managed to re-establish their operation. A lifting system of the barrier at the Ambrožev trg gate was outdated and did not allow precise regulation of the water level. Too fast raising of the barrier instantly caused deterioration of eco-hydrological conditions downstream. With modernization of the electromechanical equipment the situation is improved. The fish monitoring helps us to evaluate success of concrete restoration actions. The fish population status is monitored with marking the fish with Visible Implant Elastomer (VIE) tags. Regarding the location of catch we implant tags beneath transparent or translucent tissue combining different tag

Assessing Impacts of Hydropower Regulation on Salmonid Habitat Connectivity to Guide River Restoration

Science.gov (United States)

Buddendorf, Bas; Geris, Josie; Malcolm, Iain; Wilkinson, Mark; Soulsby, Chris

2016-04-01

Anthropogenic activity in riverine ecosystems has led to a substantial divergence from the natural state of many rivers globally. Many of Scotland's rivers have been regulated for hydropower with increasing intensity since the 1890s. At the same time they sustain substantial populations of Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar L.), which have a range of requirements in terms of flow and access to habitat, depending on the different life-stages. River barriers for hydropower regulation can change the spatial and temporal connectivity within river networks, the impacts of which on salmon habitat are not fully understood. Insight into such changes in connectivity, and the link with the distribution and accessibility of suitable habitat and areas of high productivity, are essential to aid restoration and/or conservation efforts. This is because they indicate where such efforts might have a higher chance of being successful in terms of providing suitable habitat and increasing river productivity. In this study we applied a graph theory approach to assess historic (natural) and contemporary (regulated) in-stream habitat connectivity of the River Lyon, an important UK salmon river that is moderately regulated for hydropower. Historic maps and GIS techniques were used to construct the two contrasting river networks (i.e., natural vs. regulated). Subsequently, connectivity metrics were used to assess the impacts of hydropower infrastructure on upstream and downstream migration possibilities for adults and juveniles, respectively. A national juvenile salmon production model was used to weight the importance of reaches for juvenile salmon production. Results indicate that the impact of barriers in the Lyon on the connectivity indices depends on the type of barrier and its location within the network, but is generally low for both adults and juveniles, and that compared to the historic river network the reduction in the amount of suitable habitat and juvenile production is most marked

Environmental restoration: Integrating hydraulic control of groundwater, innovative contaminant removal technologies and wetlands restoration--A case study at SRS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lewis, C.M.; Serkiz, S.M.; Adams, J.; Welty, M.

1992-01-01

The groundwater remediation program at the F and H Seepage Basins, Savannah River Sits (SRS) is a case study of the integration of various environmental restoration technologies at a single waste site. Hydraulic control measures are being designed to mitigate the discharge of groundwater plumes to surface water. One of the primary constituents of the plumes is tritium. An extraction and reinjection scenario is being designed to keep the tritium in circulation in the shallow groundwater, until it can naturally decay. This will be accomplished by extracting groundwater downgradient of the waste sites, treatment, and reinjection of the tritiated water into the water table upgradient of the basins. Innovative in-situ technologies, including electrolytic migration, are being field tested at the site to augment the pump-treat-reinject system. The in-situ technologies target removal of contaminants which are relatively immobile, yet represent long term risks to human health and the environment. Wetland restoration is an integral part of the F and H remediation program. Both in-situ treatment of the groundwater discharging the wetlands to adjust the pH, and replacement of water loss due to the groundwater extraction program ar being considered. Toxicity studies indicate that drought and the effects of low pH groundwater discharge have been factors in observed tree mortality in wetlands near the waste sites

Process benchmarking for improvement of environmental restoration activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Celorie, J.A.; Selman, J.R.; Larson, N.B.

1995-01-01

A process benchmarking study was initiated by the Office of Environmental Management (EM) of the US Department of Energy (DOE) to analyze and improve the department's environmental assessment and environmental restoration (ER) processes. The purpose of this study was to identify specific differences in the processes and implementation procedures used at comparable remediation sites to determine best practices which had the greatest potential to minimize the cost and time required to conduct remedial investigation/ feasibility study (RI/FS) activities. Technical criteria were identified and used to select four DOE, two Department of Defense (DOD), and two Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) restoration sites that exhibited comparable characteristics and regulatory environments. By comparing the process elements and activities executed at the different sites for similar endpoints, best practices were identified for streamlining process elements and minimizing non-value-added activities. Critical measures that influenced process performance were identified and characterized for the sites. This benchmarking study focused on two processes and the internal/external review of documents and the development of the initial evaluation and data collection plan (IEDCP)--since these had a great potential for savings, a high impact on other processes, and a high probability for implementation

Restoration Effects of the Riparian Forest on the Intertidal Fish Fauna in an Urban Area of the Amazon River

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrari, Stephen F.; Vasconcelos, Huann C. G.; Mendes-Junior, Raimundo N. G.; Araújo, Andrea S.; Costa-Campos, Carlos Eduardo; Nascimento, Walace S.; Isaac, Victoria J.

2016-01-01

Urbanization causes environmental impacts that threaten the health of aquatic communities and alter their recovery patterns. In this study, we evaluated the diversity of intertidal fish in six areas affected by urbanization (areas with native vegetation, deforested areas, and areas in process of restoration of vegetation) along an urban waterfront in the Amazon River. 20 species were identified, representing 17 genera, 14 families, and 8 orders. The different degrees of habitat degradation had a major effect on the composition of the fish fauna; the two least affected sectors were the only ones in that all 20 species were found. Eight species were recorded in the most degraded areas. The analysis revealed two well-defined groups, coinciding with the sectors in better ecological quality and degraded areas, respectively. The native vegetation has been identified as the crucial factor to the recovery and homeostasis of the studied ecosystem, justifying its legal protection and its use in the restoration and conservation of altered and threatened environments. These results reinforce the importance of maintaining the native vegetation as well as its restoration in order to benefit of the fish populations in intertidal zones impacted by alterations resulting from inadequate urbanization. PMID:27699201

Restoration Effects of the Riparian Forest on the Intertidal Fish Fauna in an Urban Area of the Amazon River

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Júlio C. Sá-Oliveira

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Urbanization causes environmental impacts that threaten the health of aquatic communities and alter their recovery patterns. In this study, we evaluated the diversity of intertidal fish in six areas affected by urbanization (areas with native vegetation, deforested areas, and areas in process of restoration of vegetation along an urban waterfront in the Amazon River. 20 species were identified, representing 17 genera, 14 families, and 8 orders. The different degrees of habitat degradation had a major effect on the composition of the fish fauna; the two least affected sectors were the only ones in that all 20 species were found. Eight species were recorded in the most degraded areas. The analysis revealed two well-defined groups, coinciding with the sectors in better ecological quality and degraded areas, respectively. The native vegetation has been identified as the crucial factor to the recovery and homeostasis of the studied ecosystem, justifying its legal protection and its use in the restoration and conservation of altered and threatened environments. These results reinforce the importance of maintaining the native vegetation as well as its restoration in order to benefit of the fish populations in intertidal zones impacted by alterations resulting from inadequate urbanization.

Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) program: An introduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-12-01

This booklet introduces the reader to the mission and functions of a major new unit within the US Department of Energy (DOE): the Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM). The Secretary of Energy established EM in November 1989, implementing a central purpose of DOE's first annual Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Five-Year Plan, which had appeared three months earlier. The contents of this booklet, and their arrangement, reflect the annual update of the Five-Year Plan. The Five-Year Plan supports DOE's strategy for meeting its 30-year compliance and cleanup goal. This strategy involves: focusing DOE's activities on eliminating or reducing known or recognized potential risks to worker and public health and the environment, containing or isolating, removing, or detoxifying onsite and offsite contamination, and developing technology to achieve DOE's environmental goals

Fiscal year 1990 Rocky Flats Plant environmental restoration program current-year work plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nielsen, T.; Waage, E.; Miller, D.

1990-01-01

This paper reports on the FY90 Current Year Work Plan (CYWP), intended to serve as a guiding document with which the Environmental Restoration and RCRA Compliance programs will be implemented at the Rocky Flats Plant, The Current Year Work Plan document serves to provide in one single document any cross-references necessary to understand how the DOE Five Year Plan, Site Specific Plan, or any other related documents fit into the Current Year Work Plan for the Rocky Flats Environmental Restoration. The scope of this paper will compare the planned Fiscal Year 1990 environmental restoration activities to those actually achieved at the end of the fiscal year. The DOE Headquarters (HQ) issued the Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (ER/WM) Five-Year Plan (FYP). The purpose of the FYP is to establish an agenda for compliance and cleanup against which progress will be measured. The Five Year Plan has been updated to include the Colorado Department of Health (CDH), Evironmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Department of Energy (DOE) Inter Agency Agreement Environmental Restoration activities. It addresses hazardous wastes, radioactive wastes, mixed wastes (radioactive and hazardous), and sanitary wastes. It also addresses facilities and sites contaminated with or used in the management of those wastes

Evaluating Cumulative Ecosystem Response to Restoration Projects in the Columbia River Estuary, Annual Report 2004

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Diefenderfer, Heida L.; Roegner, Curtis; Thom, Ronald M.; Dawley, Earl M.; Whiting, Allan H.; Johnson, Gary E.; Sobocinski, Kathryn L.; Anderson, Michael G.; Ebberts, Blaine

2005-12-15

The restoration of wetland salmon habitat in the tidal portion of the Columbia River is occurring at an accelerating pace and is anticipated to improve habitat quality and effect hydrological reconnection between existing and restored habitats. Currently multiple groups are applying a variety of restoration strategies in an attempt to emulate historic estuarine processes. However, the region lacks both a standardized means of evaluating the effectiveness of individual projects as well as methods for determining the cumulative effects of all restoration projects on a regional scale. This project is working to establish a framework to evaluate individual and cumulative ecosystem responses to restoration activities in order to validate the effectiveness of habitat restoration activities designed to benefit salmon through improvements to habitat quality and habitat opportunity (i.e. access) in the Columbia River from Bonneville Dam to the ocean. The review and synthesis of approaches to measure the cumulative effects of multiple restoration projects focused on defining methods and metrics of relevance to the CRE, and, in particular, juvenile salmon use of this system. An extensive literature review found no previous study assessing the cumulative effects of multiple restoration projects on the fundamental processes and functions of a large estuarine system, although studies are underway in other large land-margin ecosystems including the Florida Everglades and the Louisiana coastal wetlands. Literature from a variety of scientific disciplines was consulted to identify the ways that effects can accumulate (e.g., delayed effects, cross-boundary effects, compounding effects, indirect effects, triggers and thresholds) as well as standard and innovative tools and methods utilized in cumulative effects analyses: conceptual models, matrices, checklists, modeling, trends analysis, geographic information systems, carrying capacity analysis, and ecosystem analysis. Potential

Proceedings of the Columbia River Estuary Conference on Ecosystem Restoration.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

U.S. Bonneville Power Administration

2008-08-01

The 2008 Columbia River Estuary Conference was held at the Liberty Theater in Astoria, Oregon, on April 19-20. The conference theme was ecosystem restoration. The purpose of the conference was to exchange data and information among researchers, policy-makers, and the public, i.e., interrelate science with management. Conference organizers invited presentations synthesizing material on Restoration Planning and Implementation (Session 1), Research to Reduce Restoration Uncertainties (Session 2), Wetlands and Flood Management (Session 3), Action Effectiveness Monitoring (Session 4), and Management Perspectives (Session 5). A series of three plenary talks opened the conference. Facilitated speaker and audience discussion periods were held at the end of each session. Contributed posters conveyed additional data and information. These proceedings include abstracts and notes documenting questions from the audience and clarifying answers from the presenter for each talk. The proceedings also document key points from the discussion periods at the end of each session. The conference program is outlined in the agenda section. Speaker biographies are presented in Appendix A. Poster titles and authors are listed in Appendix B. A list of conference attendees is contained in Appendix C.

Advanced Monitoring Systems Initiative Project Achievements for Environmental Restoration and Waste Management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hohman, E.H.; Lohrstorfer, C.L.; Venedam, R.J.; Weeks, S.J.; Fannin, C.R.

2006-01-01

The Advanced Monitoring Systems Initiative (AMSI) project has been in existence since 2002. In this short time period, AMSI has successfully developed, tested and/or demonstrated over 30 advanced sensors and monitoring systems for applications in environmental restoration, waste management and other areas of national interest. This presentation summarizes the AMSI project, and gives examples of recent successes. The purpose of the presentation is to make Symposium attendees aware of AMSI's capabilities and experience, for possible use in the future. Example successes include the following: - Automated hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) monitoring in wells alongside the Columbia River; - Atmospheric chemical sensor array for remote, real-time plume tracking; - Wireless sensor platform for long-term monitoring of subsurface moisture; - Embedded piezo-resistive micro-cantilever (EPM) units for carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 ) and hydrogen cyanide (HCN) detection; - 'iHistorian' for efficient, real-time data management of chemical releases. (authors)

Identifying environmental safety and health requirements for the Fernald Environmental Restoration Management Corporation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beckman, W.H.; Cossel, S.C.; Alhadeff, N.; Lindamood, S.B.; Beers, J.A.

1994-01-01

This presentation will describe the Fernald Environmental Restoration Management Corporation's (FERMCO) Standards/Requirements Identification Documents (S/RlDs) Program, the unique process used to implement it, and the status of the program. We will also discuss the lessons learned as the program was implemented. The Department of Energy (DOE) established the Fernald site to produce uranium metals for the nation's defense programs in 1953. In 1989, DOE suspended production and, in 1991, the mission of the site was formally changed to one of environmental cleanup and restoration. The site was renamed the Fernald Environmental Management Project (FEMP). FERMCO's mission is to provide safe, early, and least-cost final clean-up of the site in compliance with all regulations and commitments. DOE has managed nuclear facilities primarily through its oversight of Management and Operating contractors. Comprehensive nuclear industry standards were absent when most DOE sites were first established, Management and Operating contractors had to apply existing non-nuclear industry standards and, in many cases, formulate new technical standards. Because it was satisfied with the operation of its facilities, DOE did not incorporate modern practices and standards as they became available. In March 1990, the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board issued Recommendation 90-2, which called for DOE to identify relevant standards and requirements, conduct adequacy assessments of requirements in protecting environmental, public, and worker health and safety, and determine the extent to which the requirements are being implemented. The Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Office of DOE embraced the recommendation for facilities under its control. Strict accountability requirements made it essential that FERMCO and DOE clearly identify applicable requirements necessary, determine the requirements' adequacy, and assess FERMCO's level of compliance

Great expectations: Flow restoration and sediment transport in the Waimea River, Kaua'i

Science.gov (United States)

Gomez, Basil

2018-04-01

Conventional and novel observations made in the Waimea River basin between 1960 and 1995 permit the total riverine mass flux to be estimated and the influence that flow restoration will have on sediment dynamics in the river's lower reaches to be assessed. Flows between the threshold for sediment transport ( 6.0 m3 s-1) and the most effective flow (80.7 m3 s-1) recur annually and transport 60% of the Waimea River's suspended sediment load. Discharges of this magnitude essentially were unaffected by plantation era agricultural diversions of 2.3 ± 0.7 m3 s-1. The modern-day mass flux from the Waimea River basin is 155 ± 38 t km-2 y-1, and comparison with an independent cosmogenic nuclide-based estimate implies that it has remained at about this level for the past 10 ky. Previous work indicated that: (i) most of the sand the Waimea River transports to the coast is derived from steep, rapidly eroding, sparsely vegetated, bedrock-dominated hillslopes; and (ii) the sediment transport regime of the Waimea River is supply-limited at very high discharges (recurrence interval > 2.5 years). Consequently, major floods tend to remove sand from the estuary. Climate change has caused a statewide decline in heavy rainfall, and a commensurate decline in the magnitude of peak flows in the basin's pristine, undiverted headwaters over the past 97 years. The effect this secular change in climate presently is having on streamflow was foreshadowed in the late 1970s by a naturally occurring, warm Pacific Decadal Oscillation phase reduction in the magnitude of flows with low exceedance probabilities. Additionally, the controlling base level at the river mouth has risen and been displaced seaward. Simple proportionality approximations show that, for a constant sediment supply, aggradation will occur if either the magnitude of flows with a low exceedance probability declines and/or base level rises. Thus, anthropogenic stresses on Waimea River's lower reaches are not derived from the

Uranium mining environmental restoration project (PRAMU)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asenjo, A.

2002-01-01

The National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA) started its activities 50 years ago and obtained significant results. At the present time, the CNEA is defined as an Institution of research and development in the nuclear field. It is also responsible for the management of radioactive wastes and the dismantling of nuclear and radioactive facilities. Mining and milling activities have been carried out during the past 40 years and at present the CNEA is undertaking the Uranium Mining Environmental Restoration Project (PRAMU). The aim of this project is to restore the environment as much as is possible in all places where uranium mining and milling activities were developed when taking into consideration both economic and technical reality. First, the characteristics of the problems in each site are determined through appropriate studies which identify the existing or potential impacts, the possible pathways of contamination, etc. The sites being studied are: MALARGUE (Mendoza Province), CORDOBA (Cordoba Province), LOS GIGANTES (Cordoba Province), HUEMUL (Mendoza Province), PICHINAN (Chubut Province), TONCO (Salta Province), LA ESTELA (San Luis Province), LOS COLORADOS (La Rioja Province). PRAMU seeks to improve the current conditions of the tailings deposits and mines and to ensure the long term protection of people and the environment. The CNEA is required to comply with all legislation that is in force and is under the control of various national, provincial and local State institutions. The main objectives of the project for the various sites are: (a) Malargue site: to implement the actions necessary for environmental restoration and management of the tailings derived from the uranium ores processed in the industrial plant; (b) Cordoba and Los Gigantes sites: to design, engineer and execute the activities required for closure of the sites; (c) Other sites (Huemul, Pichinan, Tonco, La Estela, Los Colorados): to develop an environmental evaluation and, on the basis of

Environmental Restoration Site-Specific Plan for the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, FY 93

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-01-01

The purpose of this Site-Specific Plan (SSP) is to describe past, present, and future activities undertaken to implement Environmental Restoration and Waste Management goals at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PORTS). The SSP is presented in sections emphasizing Environmental Restoration description of activities, resources, and milestones

Lower Columbia River and Estuary Ecosystem Restoration Program Reference Site Study: 2011 Restoration Analysis - FINAL REPORT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Borde, Amy B.; Cullinan, Valerie I.; Diefenderfer, Heida L.; Thom, Ronald M.; Kaufmann, Ronald M.; Zimmerman, Shon A.; Sagar, Jina; Buenau, Kate E.; Corbett, C.

2012-05-31

The Reference Site (RS) study is part of the research, monitoring, and evaluation (RME) effort developed by the Action Agencies (Bonneville Power Administration [BPA], U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District [USACE], and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation) in response to Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS) Biological Opinions (BiOp). While the RS study was initiated in 2007, data have been collected at relatively undisturbed reference wetland sites in the LCRE by PNNL and collaborators since 2005. These data on habitat structural metrics were previously summarized to provide baseline characterization of 51 wetlands throughout the estuarine and tidal freshwater portions of the 235-km LCRE; however, further analysis of these data has been limited. Therefore, in 2011, we conducted additional analyses of existing field data previously collected for the Columbia Estuary Ecosystem Restoration Program (CEERP) - including data collected by PNNL and others - to help inform the multi-agency restoration planning and ecosystem management work underway in the LCRE.

Opportunities for health and safety professionals in environmental restoration work

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norris, A.E.

1991-01-01

The safety of workers in waste management and in environmental restoration work is regulated in large part by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Many of the OSHA rules are given in Part 1910, Occupational Safety and Health Standards, of Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Section 120 of 29 CFR 1910 specifically addresses hazardous waste operations and emergency response operations. The remainder of this discussion focuses on clean-up operations. The purpose of this paper is to review areas of employment opportunity in environmental restoration work for health and safety professionals. Safety and health risk analyses are mentioned as one area of opportunity, and these analyses are required by the standards. Site safety and health supervisors will be needed during field operations. Those who enjoy teaching might consider helping to meet the training needs that are mandated. Finally, engineering help both to separate workers from hazards and to improve personal protective equipment, when it must be worn, would benefit those actively involved in environmental restoration activities

Standard Review Plan for Environmental Restoration Program Quality Management Plans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-12-01

The Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office (RL) Manual Environmental Restoration Program Quality System Requirements (QSR) for the Hanford Site, defines all quality requirements governing Hanford Environmental Restoration (ER) Program activities. The QSR requires that ER Program participants develop Quality Management Plans (QMPs) that describe how the QSR requirements will be implemented for their assigned scopes of work. This standard review plan (SRP) describes the ER program participant responsibilities for submittal of QMPs to the RL Environmental Restoration Division for review and the RL methodology for performing the reviews of participant QMPS. The SRP serves the following functions: acts as a guide in the development or revision of QMPs to assure that the content is complete and adequate; acts as a checklist to be used by the RL staff in their review of participant QMPs; acts as an index or matrix between the requirements of the QSR and implementing methodologies described in the QMPs; decreases the time and subjectivity of document reviews; and provides a formal, documented method for describing exceptions, modifications, or waivers to established ER Program quality requirements

Environmental Restoration Program waste minimization and pollution prevention self-assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-10-01

The Environmental Restoration (ER) Program within Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. is currently developing a more active waste minimization and pollution prevention program. To determine areas of programmatic improvements within the ER Waste Minimization and Pollution Prevention Awareness Program, the ER Program required an evaluation of the program across the Oak Ridge K-25 Site, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, the Paducah Environmental Restoration and Waste Minimization Site, and the Portsmouth Environmental Restoration and Waste Minimization Site. This document presents the status of the overall program as of fourth quarter FY 1994, presents pollution prevention cost avoidance data associated with FY 1994 activities, and identifies areas for improvement. Results of this assessment indicate that the ER Waste Minimization and Pollution Prevention Awareness Program is firmly established and is developing rapidly. Several procedural goals were met in FY 1994 and many of the sites implemented ER waste minimization options. Additional growth is needed, however, for the ER Waste Minimization and Pollution Prevention Awareness Program

Savannah River Site environmental report for 1997 summary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arnett, M.

1997-01-01

The Savannah River Site (SRS) publishes an environmental report each year to provide environmental monitoring and surveillance results to the US Department of Energy (DOE), the public, Congress, state and federal regulators, universities, local governments, the news media, and environmental and civic groups. The Savannah River Site Environmental Report for 1997 (WSRC-TR-97-00322) contains detailed information on site operations, environmental monitoring and surveillance programs, environmental compliance activities, and special projects for calendar year 1997. The purpose of this document is to give a brief overview of the site and its activities, to summarize the site environmental report and the impact of 1997 SRS operations on the environment and the public, and to provide a brief explanation of radiation and dose

Richland Environmental Restoration Project Baseline Multi Year Work Plan Volume 1 Richland Environmental Restoration Project Plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wintczak, T.M.

2001-01-01

The purpose of this project specification is to provide an overall scoping and document for the Environmental Restoration project, and to provide a link between the overall Hanford Site scope and the ER project. The purpose of this project specification is to provide an overall scoping document for the ER Project, and to provide a link between the overall Hanford Site scope and the ER Project. Additionally, this specification provides an integrated and consolidated source of information for the Richland ER Project. It identifies the ER Project vision, mission, and goals, as well as the operational history of the Hanford Site, along with environmental setting and hazards. This ER Project Specification is part of the overall ER Project baseline

Enhancing mud supply from the Lower Missouri River to the Mississippi River Delta USA: Dam bypassing and coastal restoration

Science.gov (United States)

Kemp, G. Paul; Day, John W.; Rogers, J. David; Giosan, Liviu; Peyronnin, Natalie

2016-12-01

Sand transport to the Mississippi River Delta (MRD) remains sufficient to build wetlands in shallow, sheltered coastal bays fed by engineered diversions on the Mississippi River (MR) and its Atchafalaya River (AR) distributary. But suspended mud (silt & clay) flux to the coast has dropped from a mean of 390 Mt y-1 in the early 1950s, to 100 Mt y-1 since 1970. This fine-grained sediment travels deeper into receiving estuarine basins and plays a critical role in sustaining existing marshes. Virtually all of the 300 Mt y-1 of missing mud once flowed from the Missouri River (MOR) Basin before nearly 100 dams were built as part of the Pick-Sloan water development project. About 100 Mt y-1 is now intercepted by main-stem Upper MOR dams closed in 1953. But the remaining 200 Mt y-1 is trapped by impoundments built on tributaries to the Lower MOR in the 1950s and 1960s. Sediment flux during the post-dam high MOR discharge years of 1973, 1993 and 2011 approached pre-dam levels when tributaries to the Lower MOR, including the Platte and Kansas Rivers, contributed to flood flows. West bank tributaries drain a vast, arid part of the Great Plains, while those entering from the east bank traverse the lowlands of the MOR floodplain. Both provinces are dominated by highly erodible loess soils. Staunching the continued decline in MR fine-grained sediment flux has assumed greater importance now that engineered diversions are being built to reconnect the Lowermost MR to the MRD. Tributary dam bypassing in the Lower MOR basin could increase mud supply to the MRD by 100-200 Mt y-1 within 1-2 decades. Such emergency measures to save the MRD are compatible with objectives of the Missouri River Restoration and Platte River Recovery Programs to restore MOR riparian habitat for endangered species. Rapid mobilization to shunt fine-grained sediments past as many as 50 Lower MOR tributary dams in several U.S. states will undoubtedly require as much regional coordination and funding in the 21st

Restore Harlem River's Water Quality to Swimmable/Fishable

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, J.

2014-12-01

Combined sewer overflows (CSOs) discharged untreated sewage into the Harlem River during rainstorms, elevated nutrient and bacteria levels. The river is not safe for swimming, fishing or boating during wet weather conditions. We had collected water samples from CSOs discharge point, analyzed ammonia (NH3-N), phosphate (PO43-), fecal coliform, E.Coli., enteroccus, and polychlorinated biphenyl's (PCBs). On tropical storm Arthur, we had collected CSOs: DO reduced during heavy thunderstorm dropped down from 4 to 2.9 mg/L (49 to 35%); fecal coliform was 5 million MPN/100ml, E.Coli. was 1000-2000 MPN/100ml, enterococcus was 2000-2500 MPN/100ml, turbidity was 882 FAU, ammonia was 2.725 mg/L. Nutrient and bacteria exceeded EPA regulated levels significantly (ammonia: 0.23mg/L; fecal coliform: 200 MPN/100ml, E.Coli.: 126 MPN/100ml, enterococcus: 104 MPN/100ml; turbidity: 0.25-5.25 FAU, DO: 4mg/L). Water sampling of CSOs during heavy rainstorm on 4/30/14 showed turbidity reached 112 FAU, ammonia was 0.839 mg/L, fecal coliform: 5 million MPN/100ml, E.Coli.: 500 MPN/100ml and enterococcus: 10,000 MPN/100ml. CSO collection on June 5, 2014 during morning rainstorm showed ammonia was 2.273 mg/L, turbidity was 37 FAU. New York State Department of Health (NYS DOH) suggested women under 50 & children under 15 do not eat fish such as blue crab meat, carb or lobster tomalley, channel catfish, gizzard shad, white catfish, Atlantic needlefish, bluefish, carp, goldfish, rainbow smelt, striped bass, white perch because chemical concerns (PCBs, cadmium, dioxin). Fish caught in the Harlem River was banned from commercial. Swimming in the river was not safe due to high pathogen levels. CSOs reduction, such as green roof, green wall, and wetland could help reduce stormwater runoff and CSOs. Water quality improvement and ecology restoration will help achieve the goal of swimmable and fishable in the Harlem River.

Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) program: An introduction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1990-12-01

This booklet introduces the reader to the mission and functions of a major new unit within the US Department of Energy (DOE): the Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM). The Secretary of Energy established EM in November 1989, implementing a central purpose of DOE's first annual Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Five-Year Plan, which had appeared three months earlier. The contents of this booklet, and their arrangement, reflect the annual update of the Five-Year Plan. The Five-Year Plan supports DOE's strategy for meeting its 30-year compliance and cleanup goal. This strategy involves: focusing DOE's activities on eliminating or reducing known or recognized potential risks to worker and public health and the environment, containing or isolating, removing, or detoxifying onsite and offsite contamination, and developing technology to achieve DOE's environmental goals.

Savannah River Site environmental report for 1996 summary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arnett, M.W.

1997-01-01

The Savannah River Site (SRS) publishes an environmental report each year to provide environmental monitoring and surveillance results to the US department of Energy (DOE), the public, Congress, state and federal regulators, universities, local governments, the news media, environmental and civic groups. The Savannah River Site Environmental Report for 1996 (WSRC-TR-97-0171) contains detailed information on site operations, environmental monitoring and surveillance programs, environmental compliance activities, and special projects for the calendar year 1996. The purpose of this document is to give a brief overview of the site and its activities, to summarize the report and the impact of 1996 SRS operations on the environment and the public, and to provide a brief explanation of radiation and dose

Minimizing waste in environmental restoration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thuot, J.R.; Moos, L.

1996-01-01

Environmental restoration, decontamination and decommissioning, and facility dismantlement projects are not typically known for their waste minimization and pollution prevention efforts. Typical projects are driven by schedules and milestones with little attention given to cost or waste minimization. Conventional wisdom in these projects is that the waste already exists and cannot be reduced or minimized; however, there are significant areas where waste and cost can be reduced by careful planning and execution. Waste reduction can occur in three ways: beneficial reuse or recycling, segregation of waste types, and reducing generation of secondary waste

The influence of environmental factors and dredging on chironomid larval diversity in urban drainage systems in polders strongly influenced by seepage from large rivers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vermonden, K.; Brodersen, Klaus Peter; Jacobsen, Dean

2011-01-01

, in urban waters strongly influenced by seepage of large rivers. Chironomid assemblages were studied in urban surface-water systems (man-made drainage ditches) in polder areas along lowland reaches of the rivers Rhine-Meuse in The Netherlands. Multivariate analysis was used to identify the key environmental...... factors. Taxon richness, Shannon index (H'), rareness of species, and life-history strategies at urban locations were compared with available data from similar man-made water bodies in rural areas, and the effectiveness of dredging for restoring chironomid diversity in urban waters was tested. Three...... diversity of chironomid communities in urban waters affected by nutrient-rich seepage or inlet of river water...

Developing an Approach to Prioritize River Restoration using Data Extracted from Flood Risk Information System Databases.

Science.gov (United States)

Vimal, S.; Tarboton, D. G.; Band, L. E.; Duncan, J. M.; Lovette, J. P.; Corzo, G.; Miles, B.

2015-12-01

Prioritizing river restoration requires information on river geometry. In many states in the US detailed river geometry has been collected for floodplain mapping and is available in Flood Risk Information Systems (FRIS). In particular, North Carolina has, for its 100 Counties, developed a database of numerous HEC-RAS models which are available through its Flood Risk Information System (FRIS). These models that include over 260 variables were developed and updated by numerous contractors. They contain detailed surveyed or LiDAR derived cross-sections and modeled flood extents for different extreme event return periods. In this work, over 4700 HEC-RAS models' data was integrated and upscaled to utilize detailed cross-section information and 100-year modelled flood extent information to enable river restoration prioritization for the entire state of North Carolina. We developed procedures to extract geomorphic properties such as entrenchment ratio, incision ratio, etc. from these models. Entrenchment ratio quantifies the vertical containment of rivers and thereby their vulnerability to flooding and incision ratio quantifies the depth per unit width. A map of entrenchment ratio for the whole state was derived by linking these model results to a geodatabase. A ranking of highly entrenched counties enabling prioritization for flood allowance and mitigation was obtained. The results were shared through HydroShare and web maps developed for their visualization using Google Maps Engine API.

Macroinvertebrate Prey Availability and Fish Diet Selectivity in Relation to Environmental Variables in Natural and Restoring North San Francisco Bay Tidal Marsh Channels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emily R. Howe

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Tidal marsh wetlands provide important foraging habitat for a variety of estuarine fishes. Prey organisms include benthic–epibenthic macroinvertebrates, neustonic arthropods, and zooplankton. Little is known about the abundance and distribution of interior marsh macroinvertebrate communities in the San Francisco Estuary (estuary. We describe seasonal, regional, and site variation in the composition and abundance of neuston and benthic–epibenthic macroinvertebrates that inhabit tidal marsh channels, and relate these patterns to environmental conditions. We also describe spatial and temporal variation in diets of marsh-associated inland silverside, yellowfin goby, and western mosquitofish. Fish and invertebrates were sampled quarterly from October 2003 to June 2005 at six marsh sites located in three river systems of the northern estuary: Petaluma River, Napa River, and  the west Delta. Benthic/epibenthic macroinvertebrates and neuston responded to environmental variables related to seasonal changes (i.e., temperature, salinity, as well as those related to marsh structure (i.e., vegetation, channel edge. The greatest variation in abundance occurred seasonally for neuston and spatially for benthic–epibenthic organisms, suggesting that each community responds to different environmental drivers. Benthic/epibenthic invertebrate abundance and diversity was lowest in the west Delta, and increased with increasing salinity. Insect abundance increased during the spring and summer, while Collembolan (springtail abundance increased during the winter. Benthic/epibenthic macroinvertebrates dominated fish diets, supplemented by insects, with zooplankton playing a minor role. Diet compositions of the three fish species overlapped considerably, with strong selection indicated for epibenthic crustaceans—a surprising result given the typical classification of Menidia beryllina as a planktivore, Acanthogobius flavimanus as a benthic predator, and Gambusia

River restoration strategies in channelized, low-gradient landscapes of West Tennessee, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, D.P.; Diehl, T.H.; Turrini-Smith, L. A.; Maas-Baldwin, J.; Croyle, Z.

2009-01-01

West Tennessee has a complex history of watershed disturbance, including agricultural erosion, channelization, accelerated valley sedimentation, and the removal and reestablishment of beaver. Watershed management has evolved from fl oodplain drainage via pervasive channelization to include local drainage canal maintenance and local river restoration. Many unmaintained canals are undergoing excessive aggradation and complex channel evolution driven by upland erosion and low valley gradient. The locus of aggradation in fully occluded canals (valley plugs) moves up-valley as sediment continues to accumulate in the backwater behind the plug. Valley plugs that cause canal avulsion can lead to redevelopment of meandering channels in less disturbed areas of the fl oodplain, in a process of passive self-restoration. Some valley plugs have brought restored fl oodplain function, reoccupation of extant historic river channels, and formation of a "sediment shadow" that protects downstream reaches from excess sedimentation. Despite the presence of numerous opportunities, there is presently no mechanism for including valley plugs in mitigation projects. In 1997 a survey of 14 reference reach cross sections documented relations between drainage area and bankfull geometry of relatively unmodified streams in West Tennessee. Reassessment of seven of those sites in 2007 showed that one had been dammed by beaver and that two sites could not be analyzed further because of signifi cant vertical or lateral instability. In contrast to other regions of North America, the results suggest that stream channels in this region fl ood more frequently than once each year, and can remain out of banks for several weeks each year. ?? 2009 Geological Society of America.

Restoration potential for Danube River Basin, lower Danube and Mura Drava Danube Biosphere Reserve

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

SCHWARZ Ulrich

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Originally main Danube basin floodplains would cover an area of 26,500 km², which is equal to about 3.3% of the total catchment size. In recent history, 80% have been cut off by dikes and dams for flood control, hydropower generation, to improve navigability or simply to meliorate land for agricultural purposes. River regulation, rectification and floodplain loss changed the hydromorphological conditions for many major rivers and cause the loss of large water retention areas, the acceleration and unfavourable superimposition of flood waves, the local increase of flood peaks and the loss of functional wetlands and their ecological services. The aim of the investigations commissioned by World Wide Fund (since 2009, three studies with increasing spatial resolution were carried out, for the whole Danube basin and for the lower Danube, Mura and Drava rivers was the assessment and prioritisation of potential restoration areas to support national and international activities in respect to nature conservation, the ecological status improvement under Water Framework Directive (WFD and flood mitigation. Aside of the review of existing and planned major restoration projects, new areas are proposed based on continuously available data sets including land use, spatial configuration, hydromorphological intactness, overlapping protected areas and different floodplain types.

Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) program: An introduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-06-01

This booklet introduces the reader to the mission and functions of a major unit within the US Department of Energy (DOE): the Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM). The Secretary of Energy established EM in November 198, implementing the first step in fulfilling the central purpose of DOE's annually updated Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Five-Year Plan (FYP). The first FYP had been developed three months earlier. The contents of this booklet, and their arrangement, reflect (and will, it is hoped, serve as a kind of appetizer for) the annual update of the Five-Year Plan. The Five-Year Plan supports DOE's strategy for meeting its 30-year compliance and cleanup goal. This strategy involves: (1) focusing DOE's activities on eliminating or reducing known or recognized potential risks to workers, the public, and the environment; (2) containing or isolating, removing, or detoxifying onsite and offsite contamination; and (3) developing technology to achieve DOE's environmental goals. 101 refs

Hazard classification of environmental restoration activities at the INEL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peatross, R.G.

1996-04-01

The following documents require that a hazard classification be prepared for all activities for which US Department of Energy (DOE) has assumed environmental, safety, and health responsibility: the DOE Order 5481.1B, Safety Analysis and Review System and DOE Order 5480.23, Nuclear Safety Analysis Reports. A hazard classification defines the level of hazard posed by an operation or activity, assuming an unmitigated release of radioactive and nonradioactive hazardous material. For environmental restoration activities, the release threshold criteria presented in Hazard Baseline Documentation (DOE-EM-STD-5502-94) are used to determine classifications, such as Radiological, Nonnuclear, and Other Industrial facilities. Based upon DOE-EM-STD-5502-94, environmental restoration activities in all but one of the sites addressed by the scope of this classification (see Section 2) can be classified as ''Other Industrial Facility''. DOE-EM-STD-5502-94 states that a Health and Safety Plan and compliance with the applicable Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards are sufficient safety controls for this classification

Shutdown of the River Water System at the Savannah River Site: Draft environmental impact statement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-11-01

This environmental impact statement (EIS) evaluates alternative approaches to and environmental impacts of shutting down the River Water System at the Savannah River Site (SRS). Five production reactors were operated at the site.to support these facilities, the River Water System was constructed to provide cooling water to pass through heat exchangers to absorb heat from the reactor core in each of the five reactor areas (C, K, L, P, and R). The DOE Savannah River Strategic Plan directs the SRS to find ways to reduce operating costs and to determine what site infrastructure it must maintain and what infrastructure is surplus. The River Water System has been identified as a potential surplus facility. Three alternatives to reduce the River Water System operating costs are evaluated in this EIS. In addition to the No-Action Alternative, which consists of continuing to operate the River Water System, this EIS examines one alternative (the Preferred Alternative) to shut down and maintain the River Water System in a standby condition until DOE determines that a standby condition is no longer necessary, and one alternative to shut down and deactivate the River Water System. The document provides background information and introduces the River Water System at the SRS; sets forth the purpose and need for DOE action; describes the alternatives DOE is considering; describes the environment at the SRS and in the surrounding area potentially affected by the alternatives addressed and provides a detailed assessment of the potential environmental impacts of the alternatives; and identifies regulatory requirements and evaluates their applicability to the alternatives considered

Environmental protection in the Alligator Rivers Region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riley, G.

1989-01-01

One of a series of articles on the work of the Office of the Supervising Scientist for the Alligator Rivers Region (OSS) and its Alligator Rivers Region Research Institute (ARRRI), this discusses the environmental protection function of the OSS and the role of the ARRRI in achieving this

Technology integration project: Environmental Restoration Technologies Department Sandia National Laboratories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, C.V.; Burford, T.D.

1996-08-01

Sandia National Laboratories Environmental Restoration Technologies Department is developing environmental restoration technologies through funding form the US Department of Energy's (DOE's) Office of Science and Technology. Initially, this technology development has been through the Mixed Waste Landfill Integrated Demonstration (MWLID). It is currently being developed through the Contaminant Plume containment and Remediation Focus Area, the Landfill Stabilization Focus Area, and the Characterization, Monitoring, and Sensor Cross-Cutting Program. This Technology Integration Project (TIP) was responsible for transferring MWLID-developed technologies for routine use by environmental restoration groups throughout the DOE complex and commercializing these technologies to the private sector. The MWLID's technology transfer/commercialization successes were achieved by involving private industry in development, demonstration, and technology transfer/commercialization activities; gathering and disseminating information about MWLID activities and technologies; and promoting stakeholder and regulatory involvement. From FY91 through FY95, 30 Technical Task Plans (TTPs) were funded. From these TTPs, the MWLID can claim 15 technology transfer/commercialization successes. Another seven technology transfer/commercialization successes are expected. With the changeover to the focus areas, the TIP continued the technology transfer/commercialization efforts begun under the MWLID

Technology integration project: Environmental Restoration Technologies Department Sandia National Laboratories

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Williams, C.V.; Burford, T.D. [Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States). Environmental Restoration Technologies; Allen, C.A. [Tech Reps, Inc., Albuquerque, NM (United States)

1996-08-01

Sandia National Laboratories Environmental Restoration Technologies Department is developing environmental restoration technologies through funding form the US Department of Energy`s (DOE`s) Office of Science and Technology. Initially, this technology development has been through the Mixed Waste Landfill Integrated Demonstration (MWLID). It is currently being developed through the Contaminant Plume containment and Remediation Focus Area, the Landfill Stabilization Focus Area, and the Characterization, Monitoring, and Sensor Cross-Cutting Program. This Technology Integration Project (TIP) was responsible for transferring MWLID-developed technologies for routine use by environmental restoration groups throughout the DOE complex and commercializing these technologies to the private sector. The MWLID`s technology transfer/commercialization successes were achieved by involving private industry in development, demonstration, and technology transfer/commercialization activities; gathering and disseminating information about MWLID activities and technologies; and promoting stakeholder and regulatory involvement. From FY91 through FY95, 30 Technical Task Plans (TTPs) were funded. From these TTPs, the MWLID can claim 15 technology transfer/commercialization successes. Another seven technology transfer/commercialization successes are expected. With the changeover to the focus areas, the TIP continued the technology transfer/commercialization efforts begun under the MWLID.

Code of accounts. Management overview volume: Environmental restoration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fox, M.B.; Birkholz, H.L.

1997-10-01

The purpose of this procedure is to provide the requirement for assigning cost collection codes and the structure of these codes for all costs incurred for the Environmental Restoration Contract. The coding structure will be used in the budgeting and control of project costs

Ecological risk assessment in a large river-reservoir. 8: Experimental study of the effects of polychlorinated biphenyls on reproductive success in mink

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Halbrook, R.S.; Aulerich, R.J.; Bursian, S.J.; Lewis, L.

1999-01-01

As a component of an ecological risk assessment of Poplar Creek (located on the Oak Ridge Reservation [ORR]) and the Clinch River (a large river-reservoir system), fish from Poplar Creek, the Clinch River, and Atlantic Ocean were fed to ranch mink to evaluate reproductive success. Five diets, each composed of 75% fish and 25% normal ranch mink chow, were prepared. Two diets served as reference diets and contained 75% Atlantic Ocean fish or 75% Clinch River fish collected above the ORR. The fish portion of the remaining three diets contained 25, 50, and 75% fish collected from Poplar Creek and 50, 25, and 0% ocean fish, respectively. Five mink groups (eight females and two males each) were each fed one of the prepared diets for 196 days. Polychlorinated biphenyl concentrations were determined in diets and various mink tissues, ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity was determined in liver tissue, and reproductive success was evaluated. Concentrations of PCB were greatest in the diet composed of 75% Poplar Creek fish and in tissues from mink fed this diet and their offspring. There was a trend toward decreased adult female and kit weights and reduced mean litter size in mink fed diets containing 75% Poplar Creek fish; however, at 6 weeks of age, kit survival was similar among diet groups. Liver EROD activity significantly increased in adult female mink fed 50 and 75% Poplar Creek fish diets. Estimated dietary concentrations of PCBs were similar to or slightly lower than concentrations associated with adverse effects in experimentally dosed mink. Mercury (Hg) concentrations previously reported in these same mink were below that associated with adverse effects, and there was no indication of additive or synergistic effects from exposure to PCBs plus Hg. It is unlikely that population-level reproductive effects would be observed in mink consuming fish from Poplar Creek on the ORR

Nursery stock quality as an indicator of bottomland hardwood forest restoration success in the Lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley

Science.gov (United States)

Douglass F. Jacobs; Rosa C. Goodman; Emile S. Gardiner; K Frances Salifu; Ronald P. Overton; George Hernandez

2012-01-01

Seedling morphological quality standards are lacking for bottomland hardwood restoration plantings in the Lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley, USA, which may contribute toward variable restoration success. We measured initial seedling morphology (shoot height, root collar diameter, number of first order lateral roots, fresh mass, and root volume), second year field...

Environmental Restoration Contractor Waste Minimization and Pollution Prevention Plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duvon, D. K.

1998-01-01

This plan contains the Pollution Prevention (P2) Program for the Environmental Restoration Contractor (ERC). The plan outlines the activities and schedules developed by the Bechtel Hanford, Inc.(BHI) to reduce the quantity and toxicity of waste dispositioned as a result of restoration and remediation activities. The purpose of this plan is to guide ERC projects in meeting and documenting compliance with requirements for pollution prevention. This plan contains the objectives, strategy, and support activities of the ERC P2 Program

Environmental restoration plans and activities in the Russian Federation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boldyrev, V.; Komarov, A.; Kuzin, R.; Shatalov, V.

1997-01-01

The report deals with the status of environmental restoration of uranium-contaminated sites and the methods to reduce radionuclides concentration in the solid and liquid wastes as well as their utilization potential. Attention is given to the waste utilization in agriculture and civil engineering construction. With this in view, the paper deals with waste water purification and applicable standards for natural radionuclides content in solid waste for utilization in construction activities. All works are carried out in accordance with the Special Complex Programme for environmental restoration of contaminated uranium mining and milling sites caused by the activities of the industries engaged in nuclear materials production for the Ministry of Atomic Energy of the Russian Federation. The Programme is an integral part of the Federal Programme ''Conversion of Russian Defense Industries in 1993-2000''. (author)

US - Former Soviet Union environmental restoration and waste management activities, March 1994

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-03-01

The Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy Agreement was signed between DOE and the Ministry of Atomic Energy for the Russian Federation and provides a mechanism for cooperation in research, development, and safe utilization of nuclear energy. Under the umbrella of this agreement, DOE and the former Ministry of Atomic Power and Industry signed a Memorandum of Cooperation in the areas of environmental restoration and waste management in September 1990. This document discusses the environmental situation, science and technology process, technical projects (separations, contaminant transport, waste treatment, environmental restoration), scientist exchanges, enhanced data transfer, the US-Russia industry partnership (conference, centers), and future actions

Remedial investigation/feasibility study report for lower Watts Bar Reservoir Operable Unit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-08-01

This document is the combined Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study Report for the Lower Watts Bar Reservoir (LWBR) Operable Unit (OU). The LWBR is located in Roane, Rhea, and Meigs counties, Tennessee, and consists of Watts Bar Reservoir downstream of the Clinch River. This area has received hazardous substances released over a period of 50 years from the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), a National Priority List site established under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). As required by this law, the ORR and all off-site areas that have received containments, including LWBR, must be investigated to determine the risk to human health and the environment resulting from these releases, the need for any remedial action to reduce these risks, and the remedial actions that are most feasible for implementation in this OU. Contaminants from the ORR are primarily transported to the LWBR via the Clinch River. Water-soluble contaminants released to ORR surface waters are rapidly diluted upon entering the Clinch River and then quickly transported downstream to the Tennessee River where further dilution occurs. Almost the entire quantity of these diluted contaminants rapidly flows through LWBR. In contrast, particle-associated contaminants tend to accumulate in the lower Clinch River and in LWBR in areas of sediment deposition. Those particle-associated contaminants that were released in peak quantities during the early years of ORR operations (e.g., mercury and 137 Cs) are buried under as much as 80 cm of cleaner sediment in LWBR. Certain contaminants, most notably polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), have accumulated in LWBR biota. The contamination of aquatic biota with PCBs is best documented for certain fish species and extends to reservoirs upstream of the ORR, indicating a contamination problem that is regional in scope and not specific to the ORR

Overview of environmental research at the Savannah River Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harvey, R.S.

1977-01-01

Research in the environmental sciences by the Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) has the general objective of improving our understanding of transport through ecosystems and functional processes within ecosystems. With increased understanding, the basis for environmental assessments can be improved for releases from the Savannah River Plant or from the power industry of the southeastern United States

Community Relations Plan for Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. Environmental Restoration Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1993-07-01

The Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL) has applied to the California Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), for renewal of its Hazardous Waste Handling Facility Permit. A permit is required under Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) regulations. The permit will allow LBL to continue using its current hazardous waste handling facility, upgrade the existing facility, and construct a replacement facility. The new facility is scheduled for completion in 1995. The existing facility will be closed under RCRA guidelines by 1996. As part of the permitting process, LBL is required to investigate areas of soil and groundwater contamination at its main site in the Berkeley Hills. The investigations are being conducted by LBL`s Environmental Restoration Program and are overseen by a number of regulatory agencies. The regulatory agencies working with LBL include the California Environmental Protection Agency`s Department of Toxic Substances Control, the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, the East Bay Municipal Utilities District, and the Berkeley Department of Environmental Health. RCRA requires that the public be informed of LBL`s investigations and site cleanup, and that opportunities be available for the public to participate in making decisions about how LBL will address contamination issues. LBL has prepared this Community Relations Plan (CRP) to describe activities that LBL will use to keep the community informed of environmental restoration progress and to provide for an open dialogue with the public on issues of importance. The CRP documents the community`s current concerns about LBL`s Environmental Restoration Program. Interviews conducted between February and April 1993 with elected officials, agency staff, environmental organizations, businesses, site neighbors, and LBL employees form the basis for the information contained in this document.

Savannah River Site's Site Specific Plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-01-01

This Site Specific Plan (SSP) has been prepared by the Savannah River Site (SRS) in order to show the Environmental Restoration and Waste Management activities that were identified during the preparation of the Department of Energy-Headquarters (DOE-HQ) Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Five-Year Plan (FYP) for FY 1992--1996. The SSP has been prepared in accordance with guidance received from DOE-HQ. DOE-SR is accountable to DOE-HQ for the implementation of this plan. The purpose of the SSP is to develop a baseline for policy, budget, and schedules for the DOE Environmental Restoration and Waste Management activities. The plan explains accomplishments since the Fiscal Year (FY) 1990 plan, demonstrates how present and future activities are prioritized, identifies currently funded activities and activities that are planned to be funded in the upcoming fiscal year, and describes future activities that SRS is considering

Asian river fishes in the Anthropocene: threats and conservation challenges in an era of rapid environmental change.

Science.gov (United States)

Dudgeon, D

2011-12-01

This review compares and contrasts the environmental changes that have influenced, or will influence, fishes and fisheries in the Yangtze and Mekong Rivers. These two rivers have been chosen because they differ markedly in the type and intensity of prevailing threats. The Mekong is relatively pristine, whereas the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze is the world's largest dam representing the apotheosis of environmental alteration of Asian rivers thus far. Moreover, it is situated at the foot of a planned cascade of at least 12 new dams on the upper Yangtze. Anthropogenic effects of dams and pollution of Yangtze fishes will be exacerbated by plans to divert water northwards along three transfer routes, in part to supplement the flow of the Yellow River. Adaptation to climate change will undoubtedly stimulate more dam construction and flow regulation, potentially causing perfect storm conditions for fishes in the Yangtze. China has already built dams along the upper course of the Mekong, and there are plans for as many as 11 mainstream dams in People's Democratic Republic (Laos) and Cambodia in the lower Mekong Basin. If built, they could have profound consequences for biodiversity, fisheries and human livelihoods, and such concerns have stalled dam construction. Potential effects of dams proposed for other rivers (such as Nujiang-Salween) are also cause for concern. Conservation or restoration measures to sustain some semblance of the rich fish biodiversity of Asian rivers can be identified, but their implementation may prove problematic in a context of increasing Anthropocene alteration of these ecosystems. © 2011 The Author. Journal of Fish Biology © 2011 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

ECOLOGICALLY ACCEPTABLE WAY OF DEVELOPMENT OF THE NORTH CAUCASIAN FEDERAL DISTRICT AND PLANS FOR RESTORING TEREK RIVER BASIN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. M. Abdurakhmanov

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Aim. This paper analyzes the data on contamination of the Terek river basin in the period of 1978-2012. We give assessment to process of self-purification from oil pollution of coastal waters of the Dagestan coast of the Caspian Sea; tracked seasonal and long-term dynamics of the concentration of petroleum hydrocarbons in sea water, calculated an average concentration and load of petroleum hydrocarbons in the seaside area of Terek River. We also present information obtained in the course of fieldwork in Agrakhan Bay. As a result of field research we conducted full hydrochemical analysis of water samples taken at stations, evaluating the degree of water pollution of Agrakhan Bay.Materials and Methodology. We identified features of pollution of the seaside wellhead of Terek River by analyzing the information from the review journals of the state of environment and its pollution, and magazine-yearbooks of marine waters quality by hydrochemical indicators as well as our own data collections and analysis. Agrakhan Bay Research was conducted using modern physical and chemical methods of quantitative chemical analysis. The date was collected on an integrated basis at 16 stations.Results. It was found that anthropogenic load has reached its limits in the Terek basin. The main factor for the destruction of the ecology of Terek River constitutes extremely large number of oil extracting and refining industries in the region. Studies of Agrakhan Bay revealed a high concentration of zinc. We also found a slight excess of maximum permissible concentration of lead and copper in the southern part of the bay.Main conclusion. For the revival of the Terek River it is necessary to optimize the ecological and environmental impacts of activities of enterprises and industries, improve the efficiency of the entire economy of the North Caucasian region. It is crucial to combine environmental, economic, scientific, technical and organizational measures into a single set

Flood protection as a key-component of the environmental restoration of Canal del Dique, Colombia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sokolewicz Marius

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Canal del Dique is a man-made distributary of Rio Magdalena. After its widening in 1980’s environmental degradation caused by abundant sediment load and changes to hydrology took a catastrophic form. In 2010, the Canal’s dike breached and 35,000 ha of land were flooded. In 2013 a huge effort to restore the environment in the Canal del Dique system and to flood-proof the villages was started. An integrated approach was adopted to provide an optimal solution for flood control, environment, fresh water supply and navigation. In order to prepare restoration plans, an extensive hydrologic and hydraulic assessment was carried out. 1D, 2D and 3D numerical models were developed to answer different questions, to evaluate different alternatives and to enable selection of optimal solutions. To assess the flood risk, a hindcast of 2010 flood was carried out. A solution was designed in which the inlet of water from the Magdalena River is regulated by a control structure, managed by an automated system based on SCADA and Delft-FEWS flood forecasting software and advanced statistics.

Development of educational programs for environmental restoration/waste management at two Department of Energy sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harrison, R.J.; Toth, W.J.; Smith, T.H.

1991-01-01

Availability of appropriately educated personnel is perhaps the greatest obstacle faced by the nation in addressing its waste management and environmental restoration activities. The US Department of Energy (DOE) Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) and the DOE Grand Junction, Colorado, Projects Office (GJPO) have developed two educational degree programs that respond to the human resource needs of the environmental restoration/waste management effort in ways that reflect the programmatic and cultural diversity at the two sites. The INEL has worked with the University of Idaho and Idaho States University to develop a set of master's degree programs focusing on waste management and environmental restoration. GJPO has developed an associate degree program and is developing a baccalaureate program in environmental restoration with Mesa State College. The development of these two programs was coordinated through the INEL University Relations Committee. They were conceived as parts of an overall effort to provide the human resources for environmental restoration and waste management. The background, need, and development of these two programs are presented, as well as information on associated industry parternships, employee scholarship programs, and plans for integration and articulation of curricula. 3 refs