Rapid field-based assessment methods for classifying stream permanence in headwater streams are needed to accurately inform regulatory decisions regarding which streams are protected under the Clean Water Act. In North Carolina, a rapid field-based assessment method for identification of intermittent and perennial streams has been developed. The North Carolina Method (NC method) uses 26 attributes divided into three categories geomorphology, hydrology, and biology to assess a particular study reach's flow permanence. In this method, the attribute scores for a given study reach are totaled and the sum of the score is used to rank the reach as ephemeral, intermittent, or perennial. The study objective were to (1) evaluate the NC method's ability to classify the flow permanence of agricultural, low order, study reaches in Southern Illinois and (2) create empirical models that predict flow permanence at a given stream location. The results of the study show the NC method successfully differentiated ephemeral from intermittent and perennial study reaches 100% of the time. However, there was lower fidelity in differentiating between intermittent and perennial study reaches and correctly determined flow permanence 82% of the time. In two of the cases where the NC method categorized the streams incorrectly, the score was on the threshold between intermittent and ephemeral. If these study reaches were categorized during a drier period they may have scored correctly. These results suggest the NC method would be a strong foundation for the development of a rapid field-based assessment protocol method for Illinois. Regression models were developed to predict NC method scores using a variety of hydrologic, geomorphic, and land-cover metrics. Two statistically significant models (>95% confidence interval) for estimating NC method stream permanence scores were developed using these physical parameters. One of the significant regression models developed used watershed area alone as a predictor of the NC method stream permanence scores. The second significant regression model employed bankfull width, upslope surface-water area, and upslope area of grass lands. These models explained 61% and 69% of the variance in the NC method stream-permanence scores, respectively. While the regression models develop here are not capable of explicitly modeling stream-permanence class with a high degree of accuracy, they are useful for guiding stream-permanence study-site selection.

The Clean Water Act's §404 allows states to assume control of wetland dredge-and-fill permitting from the Federal Government. However, since the bill was passed in the 1970's, only two states have successfully assumed control of the permitting program. Each state that has looked into assumption has run into barriers, issues, and problems that have prevented them from successfully assuming the program. I interviewed people involved with assumption at different levels of involvement, and this thesis seeks to provide a conflict management design system that will help states overcome some of the most pernicious issues.

No description available.

High frequency water quality monitoring presents unique and unlimited opportunities of exploring spatio-temporal variation in water quality. Knowledge gained from analyzing high frequency water quality data can provide more clarity regarding transportation and processing of water constituents over time and space and scale. This study analyzes high frequency discharge, nitrate load and concentration data for three watersheds of different sizes - Cedar River Watershed, North Raccoon and Middle Raccoon. Each of these sites were monitored for 2-3 calendar years. Sudden spikes in discharge, nitrate concentration and load data, also defined as "events" were analyzed in great detail to understand the patterns in event occurrence and event intensity. Smaller watersheds seemed to have sharper and "flashier" events compared to bigger watersheds. Nitrate concentration events were flatter in shape compared to discharge and nitrogen load events. The relationship between nitrogen concentration and discharge was found to be varying over time, unlike the relationship between nitrate load and discharge, which were almost perfectly correlated for most site-year combinations. Based on more than 40,000 simulations, it was determined that high frequency water quality sampling is not only efficient in capturing minute spatio-temporal variations but can also capture nitrate exceedances to a greater degree. High frequency sampling was also associated with higher yield ratio in nitrate load estimates, not only during high flow periods, but also during the non-high-flow period.

No description available.

South Africa's water law dispensation has changed dramatically with the promulgation of the National Water Act 36 of 1998. The previous distinction between public and private water has been abolished and the Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry has been appointed to act as trustee of the nation's water resources. Through the working of section 4(4), exclusive rights of water use, which were in force before 1998, were replaced by water allowances, granted in the discretion of the relevant authority. The key issue, which is investigated in this article, is whether the state, through the provisions of the National Water Act, expropriated vested rights in property or whether such infringement merely constituted a deprivation. The new concept of property in terms of section 25 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa and the distinction between deprivation and expropriation are examined. It is indicated that the concept of property in South African law has been extended to include not only ownership but also rights in property. Although no definition of property has been formulated in the Constitution, it appears from applicable authority, that this development in the law of property is supported by the Constitution and that the protection granted by the property clause will stretch as far as the inclusion of rights in property. It is for this reason that the existing water use rights, which were available to certain individuals in terms of the 1956 Water Act, can be classified as property. Section 25(1) authorises the infringement of private property in certain defined instances. Despite the many academic works which define the difference between deprivation and expropriation as described in section 25(2), the Constitutional Court clarified this matter in First National Bank of SA Ltd Va Wesbank v Commissioner for the South African Revenue Services 2002 7 BCLR 702 (CC). Expropriation is described as a sub-category of deprivation. Section 25(1) must thus be used as the starting point in all cases in which an investigation is conducted into the constitutional validity of an infringement of property. Only when it has been established that the requirements of section 25(1) have been complied with, is the question of whether deprivation constitutes expropriation, asked. The requirements for deprivation, expropriation and inverse condemnation are discussed with reference to applicable case law. After the aim of the National Water Act was weighed up against the disadvantages which individuals suffer through the infringement of their vested rights, the conclusion was reached that the nation's need for sustainable water resources carries more weight than the individual's exclusive right of use of water. A constitutionally valid deprivation has thus occurred. Due to the fact that the state did not appropriate any rights in this process, the conclusion was reached that this provision does not amount to an expropriation. It does however appear that the provisions of the National Water Act can give rise to inverse condemnation or constructive expropriation in specific circumstances. / Thesis (LL.M. (Estate Law))--Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, 2003.

South Africa's water law dispensation has changed dramatically with the promulgation of the National Water Act 36 of 1998. The previous distinction between public and private water has been abolished and the Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry has been appointed to act as trustee of the nation's water resources. Through the working of section 4(4), exclusive rights of water use, which were in force before 1998, were replaced by water allowances, granted in the discretion of the relevant authority. The key issue, which is investigated in this article, is whether the state, through the provisions of the National Water Act, expropriated vested rights in property or whether such infringement merely constituted a deprivation. The new concept of property in terms of section 25 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa and the distinction between deprivation and expropriation are examined. It is indicated that the concept of property in South African law has been extended to include not only ownership but also rights in property. Although no definition of property has been formulated in the Constitution, it appears from applicable authority, that this development in the law of property is supported by the Constitution and that the protection granted by the property clause will stretch as far as the inclusion of rights in property. It is for this reason that the existing water use rights, which were available to certain individuals in terms of the 1956 Water Act, can be classified as property. Section 25(1) authorises the infringement of private property in certain defined instances. Despite the many academic works which define the difference between deprivation and expropriation as described in section 25(2), the Constitutional Court clarified this matter in First National Bank of SA Ltd Va Wesbank v Commissioner for the South African Revenue Services 2002 7 BCLR 702 (CC). Expropriation is described as a sub-category of deprivation. Section 25(1) must thus be used as the starting point in all cases in which an investigation is conducted into the constitutional validity of an infringement of property. Only when it has been established that the requirements of section 25(1) have been complied with, is the question of whether deprivation constitutes expropriation, asked. The requirements for deprivation, expropriation and inverse condemnation are discussed with reference to applicable case law. After the aim of the National Water Act was weighed up against the disadvantages which individuals suffer through the infringement of their vested rights, the conclusion was reached that the nation's need for sustainable water resources carries more weight than the individual's exclusive right of use of water. A constitutionally valid deprivation has thus occurred. Due to the fact that the state did not appropriate any rights in this process, the conclusion was reached that this provision does not amount to an expropriation. It does however appear that the provisions of the National Water Act can give rise to inverse condemnation or constructive expropriation in specific circumstances. / Thesis (LL.M. (Estate Law))--Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, 2003.

Proactive drinking water programs assist communities in the long-term protection of their water supply. The 1986 amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) seek to protect groundwater sources of public drinking water. 42 United States Code Section 300h-7 created the Wellhead Protection Program. The 1986 SDWA Amendments require all states to submit a Wellhead Protection Program for public groundwater drinking sources. The 1996 SDWA Amendments require all states to submit Source Water Assessment Plans for both groundwater and surface water sources. The 1986 and 1996 SDWA Amendments aim to protect public health by preventing contamination of drinking water sources. <p> This paper compares and contrasts the effectiveness of groundwater Wellhead Protection Programs (WHPP) in Virginia and Massachusetts. These states take different management approaches to protect public groundwater drinking sources. Virginia encourages local governments to participate voluntarily in wellhead protection activities. Massachusetts requires all municipal and private suppliers that provide public drinking water to adopt a WHPP. The relative success achieved by Massachusetts and Virginia was evaluated with two measures: percentage of wellhead protection programs implemented and the percentage of state reported drinking water quality violations. / Master of Urban and Regional Planning

Magister Philosophiae (Integrated Water Resource Management) - MPhl(IWM) / The South African National Water Act attracted attention of the international water community as one of the most reformist pieces of water legislation in the world, and a major step forward in the transformation of the concept of integrated water resources management (IWRM) into legislation. However, 20 years later after the National Water Act was promulgated, implementation of the same act has been partially successful. In many aspects, the, implementation has been weak. The argument is that the water law enforcement is not been implemented to demonstrate the effectiveness of regulations for the protection of water resources. / 2022

Masters of Science / The aim of this investigation was to provide a framework or strategy for prioritising and implementing regional groundwater monitoring in the OlifantsDoom Water Management (WMA) area. Regional groundwater monitoring is generally seen as the responsibility of the Department of Water Affairs (DW AF), but there is a huge gap between the resources that DW AF has to do monitoring, and the expectations - often conflicting - from both outside and within DW AF as to what monitoring it should be doing.