MA, Kent State University, 2014, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Geography

Due to a combination of social and climatic factors, anthropogenic water use within Peru has surpassed natural water availability. Existing literature on water management in the arid and semi-arid regions of Peru demonstrates that there are significantly different outcomes related to water security at the community level. In order to produce a comprehensive understanding of the social and environmental causes of water insecurity, this thesis focused on a critical meta-analysis of published case studies related to community level water management in Peru. Three outcomes were analyzed including social equity to resource access, equity and inclusion in the decision-making process, and ecological consequence. As each case study in the analysis shared the environmental constraint of climatic aridity, the analysis highlights the social causes of water scarcity at the community level, providing an impetus for meaningful mitigation. Additionally, the analysis demonstrates the ability for local communities to self govern water resources and highlights the consequences of state-sponsored diversion schemes on community level water management outcomes. Finally, the thesis compares multiple ways in which social equity regarding water access, governance inclusion, and positive environmental outcomes are being achieved at multiple scales within Peru.

Committee: Tyner James (Advisor); Sheridan Scott (Committee Member); Curtis Jacqueline (Committee Member) Subjects: Climate Change; Conservation; Cultural Anthropology; Environmental Justice; Environmental Studies; Geography; Latin American Studies; Natural Resource Management; Public Policy; Sustainability; Water Resource Management

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2022, Environmental Studies (Voinovich)

This study was designed to analyze the effect of the Palmiter method of stream restoration, adapted for infrastructure protection. Many roads and most bridges in the U.S. were built along or across rivers and streams. Rivers and streams are morphologically dynamic and naturally alter their channel over time, leading to bank erosion that can impact the stability of nearby infrastructure, requiring intervention in some cases, commonly by dumping riprap along the erosional surface. Riprap does not halt the problem and in some cases can exacerbate it. The Palmiter method uses mostly on site material and manual labor to relocate the channel away from the erosion issue by shifting the stream power away from the erosional area. Over time, the stream will erode the opposite bank and aggrade the restored bank. Eight sites, including three target reaches where the Palmiter method was used, three control reaches upstream of their respective target reaches, and two reference streams, were sampled four separate times (late July 2021, early September 2021, late October 2021, and late January 2022). Data on total suspended solids (TSS), flow, field water chemistry (field parameters), pebble size distribution, bank retreat, habitat quality, and the macroinvertebrate community were collected and analyzed statistically to determine associations between the Palmiter method and stream health. Most measures of stream health in this study were found to not be significantly different between target, reference, and control reaches. The exception was in stream cover assessed as part of the habitat evaluation and some of the smaller grain sizes in the pebble counts. This suggests that the Palmiter method can protect infrastructure without impairing stream health and can be applied to bank erosion leading to non-emergent infrastructure damage.

Committee: Natalie Kruse-Daniels (Committee Chair); Kelly Johnson (Committee Member); Benjamin Sperry (Committee Member) Subjects: Ecology; Engineering; Environmental Science; Natural Resource Management; Water Resource Management

Master of Science, University of Toledo, 2018, Civil Engineering

Rainwater Harvesting is a water conservation practice with a long history of implementation. With the advent of public water supply systems, they have become less common in developed areas of the world but there has been a resurgence as people struggle to find ways to minimize our ever-increasing impact on our environment. One of the most important consideration in rainwater harvesting systems is the sizing of the tank that stores water for later consumption. With increasing tank size, more rainwater can be stored reducing the need for potable water in dual piping systems and reduced emissions from potable water, but with increasing tank size there is more tank material and greater emissions for tank material. The purpose of this study is to determine if there are existing building configuration where attempting to minimize the Global Warming Potential emissions (Maximize Sustainability method) from the system will result in lower emissions than sizing the system by maximizing system reliability (Max VR method). Simulations were conducted with @risk using both sizing approaches for five different building types a small, medium, and large office, an apartment and a house. The results demonstrate that all building scenarios show a reduction in CO2 emissions with the Maximize Sustainability method compared to BAU except for the house case. The Maximize Sustainability method produced lower CO2 emissions in all cases compared to the Maximize VR method confirming that sizing with the Maximize Sustainability method does result in improved emissions for the different building configurations.

Committee: Defne Apul Phd. (Committee Chair); Ashok Kumar Phd. (Committee Member); Richard Becker Phd. (Committee Member) Subjects: Civil Engineering; Environmental Engineering; Sustainability; Water Resource Management

Master of Environmental Science, Miami University, 2007, Environmental Sciences

The purpose of this report is to describe the activities and accomplishments of my internship with the Butler Soil and Water Conservation District (Butler SWCD) from February to August 2006. This internship focused on natural resource conservation, primarily through erosion and sediment control, stormwater management, and water quality protection in urban and urbanizing areas of Butler County, Ohio. Applications of natural resource management in an urban setting are fully discussed as well as primary position responsibilities such as stormwater pollution prevention plan reviews and development site inspections to ensure compliance with local and state regulations. Strategies to enhance existing natural resource management, such as the revision of County erosion and sediment control regulations and the creation of a riparian setback ordinance, in addition to the implementation of best management practices (BMPs) of the Butler County Phase II Stormwater Management Plan are explained.

Committee: Mark Boardman (Advisor) Subjects: Environmental Sciences

Master of Environmental Science, Miami University, 2005, Environmental Sciences

The purpose of this report is to describe the activities of my internship with the Butler Soil and Water Conservation District (Butler SWCD) from May 2004 through February 2005. Since the primary focus of the internship was urban resource conservation, this report summarizes principles of stormwater management, water resource protection and sediment and erosion control specifically related to urban landscapes. Individual and collective applications of management strategies during the internship are fully discussed. Principle responsibilities included drafting new standards for stormwater pollution prevention plans (SWPPP) and reviewing individual site plans against those standards while continuously inspecting compliance with state and local regulations. A significant portion of time was spent developing ordinances and executing best management practices (BMPs) spelled out the Butler County Phase II Stormwater Management Plan, and numerous special projects are described.

Committee: William Renwick (Advisor) Subjects:

MS, Kent State University, 2023, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Geography

The Colorado River supplies water for over 40 million people throughout the North American Southwest, a region that has experienced prolonged stress on water resources for more than two decades. Through the lens of critical physical geography, this research synthesizes a physical and social science approach to explicate the many human and physical distinctions that are fueling the overuse of this waterway. The Southwest region economically benefits from settler colonialism yet lacks inclusivity of access to natural resources, including water. An investigation into the intricate dynamics of land use, water policy, and climate change in the Colorado River Basin provides a holistic understanding of environmental and climate disparities gripping parts of the region. Mixed-methods consisting of a correlation and trend analysis, along with a policy analysis, were employed to identify these evolving issues. Hydroclimatological patterns over the 1956-2022 period reveal disconcerting trends, further aggravating water supply. Historical water policies from 1922-1968 demonstrate their misalignment with evolving river dynamics and contribute to inequities in resource allocation. By extracting historic to modern-day climate and adaptation data, the evidence of this study leads to the conclusion that previous and modern-day policy not only is unsuitable to withstand the future of climate-induced changes to the hydrologic health of the river, but the impact of water scarcity faced by Indigenous communities across the North American Southwest could persist. The study emphasizes the ongoing importance for policies to be more attuned to the shifting climate and landscape while ensuring equitable resource access for all.

Committee: Chris Post (Advisor); Scott Sheridan (Committee Member); Rebecca Parylak Ruthrauff (Committee Member) Subjects: American History; Climate Change; Environmental Justice; Environmental Studies; Geography; Hydrology; Land Use Planning; Public Policy; Water Resource Management

Master of Arts, Miami University, 2021, Geography

Agricultural land cover in the U.S. Midwest is a major source of nutrient pollution that has led to severe degradation of stream water quality. Previous studies have shown that land cover, stream morphology, and hydrology can influence stream nutrient concentrations. This study examines the impact of a forested state park on nutrient concentrations within an agriculturally dominated watershed. Water samples were collected biweekly from eight stream sampling sites along four creeks and processed for total nitrogen (TN), nitrate (NO3-), phosphorus (TP), and orthophosphate (PO43-). Hydrology, channel morphology, and remotely sensed vegetation data were also collected and analyzed within the study area. An analysis of covariance test (ANCOVA) and a regression coefficient t-test indicated that the state park significantly reduced NO3-, PO43-, and TP concentrations. The park as a whole did not significantly reduce TN concentrations, however, within one of the four creeks, significant decreases in TN concentrations were detected. Discharge was a significant driving factor for changes in TN, NO3-, and TP concentrations within one study creek and change in PO43- concentrations within an additional study creek. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) was a significant predictor of reductions in TN concentrations within one of four study creeks, and NDVI was globally correlated with reductions in NO3- concentrations. The results of the study suggest that conservation of forested areas within agriculturally dominated watersheds can provide meaningful water quality improvements in the U.S. Midwest.

Committee: Bartosz Grudzinski PhD (Advisor); Thomas Fisher PhD (Committee Member); Jessica McCarty PhD (Committee Member); Michael Vanni PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Management; Environmental Science; Geography; Natural Resource Management; Water Resource Management

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2020, City and Regional Planning

In the U.S, amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act in 1996 established requirements for states to administer source water protection (SWP) for public drinking water systems. Under direction from state-level agencies and water industry organizations, public water systems create protection plans for drinking water sources. Public water systems are tasked with ensuring clean, safe, and sustainable drinking water. Protection and management efforts by public water systems to reduce the risk of drinking water contamination rely on local land use-based policies and interventions (regulatory and non-regulatory) before the treatment process; yet drinking water protection programs have received less attention in the field of planning. At the same time, updates to the American Planning Association's Policy Guide on Water (2016) called for an integrated approach to land use planning and water management. This reframing to acknowledge a land-water nexus faces challenges in both research and practice; however, barriers exist in collaboration and decision-making across jurisdictions for shared resources and in creating institutions that support the integration of historically separate planning and management sectors and activities. Literature suggests that such an approach to integrated resource management requires effective governance. Thus, I argue that local SWP and related programs present an opportunity to examine integration in practice, with a focus on governance and local resource management. Drawing from collaborative planning, governance, and integrated water resources management literatures, as well as survey results from a study of SWP planning across the Upper Midwest, I assessed five SWP plans/programs in Ohio. Using a multiple-case study design to structure my analyses, I focused on SWP plans/programs for three groundwater and two surface water systems in Ohio. Document analysis and semi-structured interviews were conducted with public water system repres (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Maria Conroy (Advisor); Mattijs Van Maasakkers (Committee Member); Kendra McSweeney (Committee Member) Subjects: Urban Planning

Master of Environmental Science, Miami University, 2003, Environmental Sciences

The purpose of this report is to describe my responsibilities and participation in projects during my six-month internship, June 3, 2002 to December 3, 2002, with the Tennessee Valley Authority. For the first ten weeks, I interned with TVA through the sponsoring internship organization Joint Institute of Energy and the Environment / Southern Appalachian Man and Biosphere Program (JIEE/SAMAB) which focused on environmental decision-making. I hosted a seminar as well as participated in each intern's seminar. Following the ten week internship, I interned directly through TVA to finish the remainder of the six months. My responsibilities at TVA included producing a Valley-wide overview of TVA's watershed water quality activities in the Tennessee Valley Basin, exploring and evaluating potential benchmarks to compare water quality in the Tennessee Valley region to another region, and assisting in the watershed water quality planning process. I was exposed to various activities and issues associated with project/middle management.

Committee: Jerry Green (Advisor) Subjects: