yes / Managing global water resources and providing water services to the world¿s people raises a continuing series of challenges, driven by increasing expectations, and a growing competition for water, which will be exacerbated by climate change. This paper explores how concepts of water governance and sustainability may help us to meet those challenges. Water governance is often equated with the role of government or management in the provision of water services. By contrast, we see governance as the system of actors, resources, mechanisms and processes, which mediate society¿s access to water. A broad conceptual framework is presented for the analysis of water governance, based on linkages between the resources available to society, the mechanisms that shape access to water and the outcomes of those mechanisms, both for people and the ecosystem. These linkages are mediated both by stakeholders and by management processes. It is argued that this conceptual framework offers a robust analytical tool for planning for sustainability as it is able to account for the complexities of water governance (of contexts, stakeholders, arrangements and uses). The paper concludes with observations about the ways in which the framework can be used to understand how different water governance arrangements produce variable outcomes in terms of sustainability.

The Hardwood Industry in United States has been challenged by low-cost competition from overseas. Although cost reduction strategies have had minimal success, the proximity of industry to the domestic market has large implications on a more customer-focused strategy. The problem arises that individual companies and supply chains evolved based on the principles of economies of size and not on the flexibility to adapt to customer needs and changing resource constraints. An increased rate at which material and information flows through the hardwood supply chains is the key to the industries' ability to be customer-focused. Information systems may offer benefits for the industry, but changes in material flow of a company or supply chain cannot necessarily be predicted when implementing information systems. It was hypothesized that by understanding the dynamics between information flow and material flow throughout the supply chain, performance improvement would be possible through more effective release and use of information. A case study analysis of a hardwood supply chain was utilized to identify the effect of increased information flow on the material flow of the supply chain. Value Stream Mapping was utilized to benchmark the current state of lead times of information flow and material flow. System Dynamics was utilized to understand the relationships between the information flow and the material flow. Finally, simulations were performed to identify the specific effects on material flow as increased information flow is released through different information strategies. The study showed that increased information flow between supply chain members increased material flow through the supply chain. For a case study supply chain, an increase in information flow, through advanced knowledge of customer demand by a supplier, was found to reduce the inventory buffers throughout the supply chain by up to 38 percent and increase the total material flow through the supply chain by 10 percent. In addition to the increased information flow caused by the advanced knowledge of demand (18 percent), information flow would increase (by an additional 7 percent) based on the reductions in buffer inventory within each company of the supply chain. / Ph. D.

In this national study, a combination of factors that affect teacher satisfaction and retention were examined. Domains that discriminate between teachers who choose to stay or leave the teaching profession were investigated. A research-developed questionnaire was administered to 450 randomly selected first, second, and third year teachers. Survey items were related to domains affecting teacher satisfaction and retention. A demographic section was included to collect background information. A principal components analysis resulted in the emergence of domains that were used in the final analysis. They are: emotional factors; school and community support; instructional support; prepration in teaching curriculum, managing students, and assessing students; collaboration; compensation and benefits; motivation to teach; and culture shock. Eleven percent of the respondents chose to leave the profession. Results of the discriminant analysis indicated that the best predictor in choosing to leave or stay in the teaching profession was emotional factors followed by compensation and benefits and culture shock. The analysis was used to determine if the individuals in the two groups were correctly classified based on their scores on the eight predictor variables. The number of cases correctly classified was 91.4 percent. / Ed. D.

The purpose of this study is to examine apparel manufacturers' inventory performance, which is one of the major performance indicators of supply chain management (SCM) with the consideration of company characteristics. The objectives of the study are (a) to identify the level of SCM activities of apparel manufacturers, (b) to examine the differences of apparel manufacturers' characteristics (i.e., product characteristic, production system, fabric suppliers, retail customers) according to the level of SCM activities, and (c) to illustrate how the SCM activities and apparel manufacturers' characteristics relate to the inventory management performance in terms of levels within the type (i.e., raw material, work-in-process, finished goods). Through an intensive literature review six SCM dimensions and 26 SCM activities were identified and four company characteristics selected for the study were found to influence the company performance. Inventory levels within the type were compared as a result of levels of SCM activities and company characteristics. Data were collected via a self-administered mail questionnaire sent to a random proportional stratified sample of 1,195 US apparel manufacturers in SIC 231 to 234. In the data analyses, 93 returned surveys were used with the adjusted response rate of 9.49%. Cluster analysis was used to identify the SCM activity groups who showed different levels of SCM activities. Factor analysis was used to determine the number of SCM dimensions and SCM activity scales, and to identify the SCM activity level of each cluster. ANOVA, Chi-square, Tukey-test, matched sample t-test, t-test, regression, and correlation were employed to determine the relationships between SCM activity level, company characteristics and inventory levels within the type. Statistical analyses supported the research hypotheses. Apparel manufacturers' SCM activity level differs and company characteristics are significantly related with the SCM activity level. Company characteristics and SCM activity level are significantly related with the inventory performance. Findings imply that basic goods manufacturers are more likely to see the benefits of SCM activity implementation in inventory performance. Lead-time for fashion goods procurement, production, and delivery takes longer than basic goods and is hard to be shortened. Limitations of the study and suggestions for future study were discussed. / Ph. D.

A simulation model analyzes cost effectiveness of remote facility monitoring for risk reduction in rural water supply systems by performing a break-even analysis that compares operating costs with manual and remote monitoring. Water system operating cost includes the value of water loss (i.e., realized risk) resulting from operating excursions which are inversely related to mechanical reliability. Reliability is controlled by facility monitoring that identifies excursions enabling operators to implement mitigating measures. Cost effectiveness refers to the cost relationship among operating alternatives that reveals changed economic conditions at different operating rates inherent in the inverse relationship between fixed and variable costs. Break-even analysis describes cost effectiveness by identifying the operating rate above which the more capital intensive alternative will result in lower operating cost. Evidence indicates that increased monitoring frequency associated with remote monitoring can reduce water system operating cost by improving reliability, but whether remote monitoring is cost effective depends upon system-specific factors. The lack of a documented tool for evaluating this type of cost effectiveness led to the project objective of developing a model that performs break-even analysis by simulating water system operating costs as functions of system size (delivery rate). When the spreadsheet-based static deterministic parametric simulation model is run for the Tazewell County, Virginia water system based upon 1998 data, break even is predicted at approximately fifty-five percent of annual capacity (116,338,000 gallons) with operating cost of $1,043,400. Maximum annual operating cost reduction from a $317,600 investment provides payback in nine years. / Master of Science

The CE-QUAL-W2 model has been selected as a tool for use in water quality management studies of the Occoquan Reservoir. In order for the model to achieve its best possible predictive capability, additional quantitative information on denitrification rates in the reservoir was required. A microcosm operating protocol was developed to obtain such information and also to enhance the understanding of complex nitrate-sediment-phosphorus interactions. The microcosm system developed was a biphasic system, consisting of a single continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR), or a series of CSTRs containing representative sediment and water samples from the reservoir. The system was configured to simulate the bottom waters in the upper reaches of the reservoir during anoxic conditions. Nitrate concentrations in the microcosm system were monitored, and first-order denitrification-rate constants calculated to be used as an input to the reservoir water quality model CE-QUAL-W2. Other water chemistries were also monitored to investigate the nitrate effects on water quality. From the investigation results, it appears that the first-order denitrification-rate constant of the model should be set at 0.22 day-1 instead of the model default value. Nitrate was also observed to be removed by chemical and/or biologically mediated reduction by reduced forms of manganese. Once the nitrate was depleted, soluble manganese was released from the sediment first, followed by soluble iron. The release of phosphorus was not observed in this study after the depletion of nitrate, but nevertheless, was believed to occur. The absence of the release was attributed to phosphorus adsorption to the Plexiglas reactor walls. / Master of Science

Water scarcity has quickly become one of the most pressing issues in the 21st century. Knowledge of the stress consumption places on water supply is therefore necessary for improved resource management. This research leverages monthly facility level withdrawal and discharge data from two different sources to provide important observations of consumptive water use across several spatial scales and water use sectors in Virginia between 2010-2016. Consumptive water is defined as water which is withdrawn and not returned to a water resource system. Consumption was estimated on statewide, watershed, county, and facility levels. The agriculture/irrigation, aquaculture, commercial, industrial, energy, and municipal sectors were considered for analysis. Facilities were matched between the two data sources by narrowing potential matches by distance and then by facility name using an approximate string distance mechanism. This analysis revealed that inconsistent discharge reporting affects estimates of consumption through time and any errors at finer spatial scales are ultimately masked at coarser levels. Statewide energy consumption in Virginia was found to be between 4-20% considering all available data and 0.4-4% across matched facilities. Non-energy consumption was an estimated 37-51% considering all available data and only 28-33% across matched facilities. Inconsistent reporting of discharge made it difficult to determine if consumption trends truly exist in Virginia, but monthly consumption appears to be persistent through time and slightly increasing in non-energy sectors. Industrial consumption in Virginia was also found to be higher than literature values. Results from this study are beneficial for water supply modeling and planning by providing more refined estimates of the actual stress withdrawals place on water supply. / This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Geological Survey under Cooperative Agreement No. G17AC00322. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the author and should not be interpreted as representing the opinions or policies of the U.S. Geological Survey. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute their endorsement by the U.S. Geological Survey. / Master of Science / Water scarcity has quickly become one of the most pressing issues in the 21st century. Improved water resource management is critical for sustainable development, especially in historically water-rich states that have not had an urgency to improve water planning. This research provides key information about the impact consumption has on water supply in Virginia, using water use data from two different sources between 2010-2016. Consumptive water is defined as water which is withdrawn and not returned to a water resource system. This includes losses through evaporation, transpiration, conveyance, and incorporation into products and animals. Consumption was estimated on statewide, watershed, county, and facility levels. It was also estimated for the agriculture/irrigation, aquaculture, commercial, industrial, energy, and municipal sectors. Facilities were matched across the two data sources by narrowing potential matches by distance and then by facility name. This study revealed that statewide energy consumption in Virginia is between 4-20% considering all available data and 0.4-4% across matched facilities. Non-energy consumption is then between 37- 51% considering all available data and only 28-33% across matched facilities. Inconsistent reporting of return flow data made it difficult to determine if consumption trends truly exist in Virginia, but consumption appears to be persistent through time and slightly increasing in non-energy sectors. Results also suggest that industrial consumption in Virginia may be higher than published literature values. This study ultimately introduces a feasible method for water managers to estimate consumption using data from multiple sources. Results from this approach are beneficial for predicting future water demand and long-term resource planning by providing more knowledge of the actual stress withdrawals place on water supply.

This study is concerned with the problem of locating p capacitated facilities on a chain graph, and simultaneously determining the allocation of their supplies in order to satisfy a continuum of demand which is characterized by some weighted probability density function defined on the chain graph. The objective is to minimize the total (expected) transportation cost. This location-allocation problem is also referred to as the capacitated p-median problem on a chain graph. Two unbalanced cases of this problem are considered, namely, the over-capacitated case when total supply exceeds total demand, and the deficit capacity case when total supply is less than total demand. Both these problems are nonconvex, and are shown to be NP-hard even if the demand density function is piecewise uniform and positive. We provide a first-order characterization of optimality for these two problems, and prescribe an enumerative algorithm based on a partitioning of the dual space in order to optimally solve them. An extension of these algorithms for solving the capacitated, unbalanced 2-median problem on a tree graph is also given. / M.S.

Industrialization and urbanization have brought about localized demand and regional competition for water resources in parts of the eastern United States. Thus, some states have faced critical decisions concerning how to best manage their available water supplies. As fundamental public values have changed over time, public opinion concerning the way in which water supplies should be managed has changed as well, especially in recent years. Consequently, many eastern states have restructured the institutional mechanisms governing water supply management to reflect those changing values and opinions. Massachusetts is a prime example of a state where changes in publicly held values have caused a thorough restructuring of the institutional mechanisms governing water supply management. A case study examines developments that led to the current institutional mechanisms in Massachusetts. Special attention is given to the issues and values that shaped the State’s water supply policy, legislation, and regulatory programs. / Master of Science

The effect of a supplemental food supply on the reproductive attainment of the gray squirrel was investigated in the squirrel populations of two food supplemented Experimental and two Control woodlots near the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, from December 1972 to June 1974. Mast, the major fall-winter food for the squirrel, was scarce to absent in the Fall of both 1972 and 1973. Due to the emigration of the residents of one of the Experimental woodlots in May of 1973, the study compared the reproductive, and other, responses of the squirrel populations in the remaining Experimental woodlot and the two Control woodlots. Two possible sources of supplemental food existed in one of the Control woodlots which may have influenced the reproductive attainment and survival of the squirrels in that area. / Master of Science