Thesis (MScEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This investigation arose out of the pressing need for alternatives to ineffective existing methodologies for low flow measurement in boulder bed rivers, with particular focus on the mountain streams in the Western Cape. Both empirical and mathematical verification were regarded as important if progress was to be made towards identifying a suitable approach. Historically the inability to determine the frictional effect of the streambed on the flow rate has been a major obstacle limiting the accuracy of flow calculations. From literature, the most likely relationship appears to be a power function, utilising hydraulic variables derived from physical parameters characteristic of a section of stream. Local Western Cape data was thus collected from various typical mountain streams, so that relevant analysis could be done. Testing of existing equations from literature sources on this set of data revealed limited applicability. Subsequent empirical experimentation has shown that particle size is a dominant variable in determining boulder bed flow resistance under low flow conditions. A mathematical approach was sought to provide a more suitable base for a locally applicable formula. Sediment transport theory, based on simple power conservation laws, was successfully implemented, partially bridging the gap between the applications for sand bed and boulder bed flow conditions respectively. After a certain degree of empirical adjustment, an equation form was finalised that is believed to be the most suitable for Western Cape mountain streams, with definite potential for wider application, provided further research is done. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie ondersoek spruit uit die dringende behoefte aan bruikbare alternatiewe vir bestaande laagvloei meetmetodes in riviere met bodems bestaande uit spoelklip, met spesifieke klem op die bergstrome van die Wes Kaap. Dit is as belangrik beskou om beide empiriese en wiskundige bevestiging te vind vir 'n verbeterde metode. Histories is die akkuraatheid van vloeitempo berekeninge hoofsaaklik beperk deur die onvoorspelbaarheid van die ruheidseffek van die rivierbodem op die vloei. Uit bestaande literatuur blyk dit dat die mees geskikte verwantskap waarskynlik 'n magsfunksie is, wat saamgestel is uit hidrouliese veranderlikes verkry vanaf fisiese parameters kenmerkend aan die spesifieke riviersnit. Plaaslike Wes-Kaapse data is dus versamelop verskeie tipiese bergstrome in die gebied sodat geskikte ontledings gedoen kon word. Verskeie bestaande formules is getoets teen hierdie stel data en ongeskik gevind vir direkte aanwending. Empiriese toetse het gevolg en getoon dat partikel grootte 'n dominante invloed het op die vloeiweerstand van spoelklip bodems onder laagvloei omstandighede. 'n Wiskundige benadering is daarna gevolg om 'n beter basis te verskaf waaruit 'n plaaslik bruikbare vergelyking kon volg. Sedimentvervoer beginsels, wat gebaseer is op basiese drywingsteorie, is suksesvol aangewend vir hierdie doel, en het in 'n mate die gaping tussen aanwending op sand en klip bodems oorbrug. Na afloop van empiriese verstelling is 'n formule gefinaliseer wat beskou word as die mees geskikte vir Wes-Kaapse bergstrome, maar wat ook die potensiaal besit vir wyer aanwending, mits verdere navorsing gedoen sou word.

published_or_final_version / abstract / Civil Engineering / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Ecology and Biodiversity / Master / Master of Philosophy

In our study we identify dominant hydroclimatic variables and large-scale patterns that lead to high streamflow events in the Santa Cruz, Salt, and Verde River in Arizona for the period 1979-2009 using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). We used winter (Nov - March) data from the USGS daily streamflow database and 11 variables from the North American Reanalysis (NARR) database, in addition to weather maps from the Hydrometeorological Prediction Center (HPC). Using streamflow data, we identify precipitation events that led to the highest 98th percentile of daily streamflow events and find dominant hydroclimatic variables associated with these events. We find that upper level winds and moisture fluxes are dominant variables that characterize events. The dominant mode for all three basins is associated with frontal systems, while the second mode is associated with cut-off upper level low pressure systems. Our goal is to provide forecasting agencies with tools to improve flood forecasting practices.

Urbanization has been associated with the degradation of streams, and a consequence of forest to urban land transition is a change in streamflow. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis is to examine the impacts of land-cover change in ten different watersheds in the rapidly urbanizing Atlanta, GA USA metropolitan area. Streamflow and precipitation data for a 30-year period (1986-2016) were analyzed in conjunction with land cover data from 1992, 2001, and 2011. Big Creek and Suwanee Creek experienced the most urbanization and increases (20%) in streamflow and runoff, and high flow (>95th percentile of flow) days doubled and increased 85%, respectively. Precipitation-adjusted streamflow for Peachtree Creek and Flint River decreased about 17%. Runoff ratios for South River were the highest among all watersheds, even the Etowah River, which remained moderately forested and had the most precipitation and slope.

In many complex water supply systems, the next generation of water resources planning models will require simultaneous probabilistic streamflow inputs at multiple locations on an interconnected network. To make use of the valuable multicentury records provided by tree-ring data, reconstruction models must be able to produce appropriate multisite inputs. Existing streamflow reconstruction models typically focus on one site at a time, not addressing intersite dependencies and potentially misrepresenting uncertainty. To this end, we develop a model for multisite streamflow reconstruction with the ability to capture intersite correlations. The proposed model is a hierarchical Bayesian nonhomogeneous hidden Markov model (NHMM). A NHMM is fit to contemporary streamflow at each location using lognormal component distributions. Leading principal components of tree rings are used as covariates to model nonstationary transition probabilities and the parameters of the lognormal component distributions. Spatial dependence between sites is captured with a Gaussian elliptical copula. Parameters of the model are estimated in a fully Bayesian framework, in that marginal posterior distributions of all the parameters are obtained. The model is applied to reconstruct flows at 20 sites in the Upper Colorado River Basin (UCRB) from 1473 to 1906. Many previous reconstructions are available for this basin, making it ideal for testing this new method. The results show some improvements over regression-based methods in terms of validation statistics. Key advantages of the Bayesian NHMM over traditional approaches are a dynamic representation of uncertainty and the ability to make long multisite simulations that capture at-site statistics and spatial correlations between sites.

Widespread droughts can have a significant impact on western United States streamflow, but the causes of these events are not fully understood. This dissertation examines streamflow from multiple western US basins and establishes the robust, leading modes of variability in interannual streamflow throughout the past century. I show that approximately 50% of this variability is associated with spatially widespread streamflow anomalies that are statistically independent from streamflow's response to the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The ENSO-teleconnection accounts for approximately 25% of the interannual variability in streamflow, across this network. These atmospheric circulation anomalies associated with the most spatially widespread variability are associated with the Aleutian low and the persistent coastal atmospheric ridge in the Pacific Northwest. I use a watershed segmentation algorithm to explicitly track the position and intensity of these features and compare their variability to the multi-basin streamflow variability. Results show that latitudinal shifts in the coastal atmospheric ridge are more strongly associated with streamflow's north-south dipole response to ENSO variability while more spatially widespread anomalies in streamflow most strongly relate to seasonal changes in the coastal ridge intensity. This likely reflects persistent coastal ridge blocking of cool-season precipitation into western US river basins. I utilize the 35 model runs of the Community Earth System Model Large Ensemble (CESMLE) to determine whether the model ensemble simulates the anomalously strong coastal ridges and extreme widespread wintertime precipitation anomalies found in the observation record. Though there is considerable bias in the CESMLE, the CESMLE runs simulate extremely widespread dry precipitation anomalies with a frequency of approximately one extreme event per century during the historical simulations (1920 - 2005). These extremely widespread dry events correspond significantly with anomalously intense coastal atmospheric ridges. The results from these three papers connect widespread interannual streamflow anomalies in the western US - and especially extremely widespread streamflow droughts - with semi-permanent atmospheric ridge anomalies near the coastal Pacific Northwest. This is important to western US water managers because these widespread events appear to have been a robust feature of the past century. The semi-permanent atmospheric features associated with these widespread dry streamflow anomalies are projected to change position significantly in the next century as a response to global climate change. This may change widespread streamflow anomaly characteristic in the western US, though my results do not show evidence of these changes within the instrument record of last century.

Thesis advisor: Martha Carlson Mazur / Rivermouths are dynamic systems characterized by hydrologic mixing, where water, energy, sediment and nutrients from both river and receiving water unite to form a unique yet variable environment. Water levels in these environments are thus defined by, and subject to, streamflow from the river and lake-level fluctuations. Long-term fluctuations in water levels affect hydrogeomorphic structure, as well as wetland structure, distribution, and composition. A better understanding of these dynamics will help us to comprehend the processes that govern changes in wetland area and, thus, the breadth of the ecosystem services that estuarine wetlands provide. To this end, this study examined how wetland plant communities have changed through time in relation to long-term changes in water levels from both river and lake systems, using historic aerial photograph interpretation in three rivermouths on Lake Michigan. Additionally, the observed patterns of historic water levels and streamflows were used to inform our predictions for the future in light of climate changes. Results showed that higher water levels and peak streamflows led to less wetland area; average streamflow did not play a statistically detectable role in rivermouths that had lake-dominated morphologies but was significant in the rivermouth system that was riverine dominated. This suggests that varying rivermouth morphologies respond differently to lake and stream dynamics. Restoration decisions that take rivermouth morphology into account will be important as these systems continue to change both naturally and due to climate or other anthropogenic disturbances. It is important to realize not only the extent to which humans are affecting rivermouth systems, but also the interplay between water levels, streamflows, hydrogeomorphology, and wetland ecology within these systems themselves, so as to better understand the necessary steps for restoration. / Thesis (BS) — Boston College, 2013. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Geology & Geophysics Honors Program. / Discipline: Earth and Environmental Science.

Qin, Jie. / "November 2010." / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2011. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 162-173). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract also in Chinese.

The influence of aspect on water yield variability over a long period, 1936-1964, was studied at two small, mountainous watersheds within the Davis County Experimental Watershed near Farmington, Utah. North-facing Miller Creek is densely vegetated by a conifer-aspen forest and mountain brush. Miller Creek's yield was more variable for daily, monthly, seasonal, and annual flows than yields from south-west facing Halfway Creek which is covered by mountain brush. Differences between watersheds in annual yield and snowmelt season runoff were nonsignificant. The snowmelt runoff season extended for an average of 65 days on both watersheds, but it began 24 days earlier (March 29) on Halfway. Approximately 57 percent of the mean annual flow of 19.4 inches on Halfway, and 68 percent of Miller's mean annual yield of 17.9 inches occurred during the snowmelt runoff season. One-third of Halfway's annual flow and one-half of Miller's occurred during the May 15 to September 15 growing season when only one-fifth of the annual precipitation of 42 inches usually fell. The difference between the growing season flows from the two watersheds was significant, with Miller's flow greater by 3.4 inches.