Three aquifers of diverse lithology and hydraulic character form the ground-water reservoir in the Roswell basin. The main aquifer, the carbonate aquifer, is developed in carbonate rocks of Permian age. It is the source of about two-thirds of the ground water pumped in the basin and receives more than 90 percent of the recharge to the basin. The second most important aquifer is the shallow aquifer which lies near the Pecos River in beds of sand and gravel of both Permian and Holocene age. About one-third of the ground water pumped in the basin comes from the shallow aquifer. Prior to pumping, the main source of recharge to the shallow aquifer was probably ground water leaking upward from the carbonate aquifer. Since pumping began, the main source of recharge to the shallow aquifer is probably return flow of irrigation water pumped from the carbonate aquifer. Natural discharge of ground water from the shallow aquifer into the Pecos River causes a gain in th.e base flow of the Pecos River in the Roswell basin. The third aquifer, the shallow-artesian aquifer, is in red beds and evaporite beds of Permian age. This aquifer overlies the carbonate aquifer and underlies the shallow aquifer. The shallow-artesian aquifer acts as a minor aquifer and also as a semi-permeable unit which partly confines ground water in the carbonate aquifer. Vertical permeability of the shallow-artesian aquifer is variable and depends on the lithology and thickness of the aquifer. Hydraulic head in the shallow-artesian aquifer also varies quite widely depending on the depth to which a well penetrates the aquifer. All ground-water aquifers in the basin transect formational boundaries and are therefore not closely related to the named geologic formations. A flow net analysis of the carbonate aquifer and of the shallow aquifer imply that geologic structure is important in the movement of ground water in the basin by limiting the transmissivity of the shallow and carbonate aquifers, by forming the present pattern of surface water drainage, and possibly by the contamination of fresh ground water by highly saline ground water. The flow net analysis also shows areas of recharge to the shallow and carbonate aquifers, and areas where the carbonate aquifer looses water to the shallow-artesian aquifer and to the shallow aquifer.

A two-dimensional, finite difference model was used to simulate the lowering of the water table below a floodplain in order to affect water conservation by reducing phreatophyte transpiration. Evapotranspiration capture percentages and unit water costs associated with alternative well network designs were calculated in order to determine those factors which are most important in designing an evapotranspiration capture project.

The Bureau of Land Managements (BLM) Emergency Fire Rehabilitation (EFR) policy was developed in 1985 to encourage protection of sites from soil erosion and to minimize potential changes in vegetation communities that may result from the dominance of weedy species. To achieve the goals of EFR policy, managers often used introduced perennial grasses that established quicker and competed better with introduced annuals than did native plants. However, the change of sagebrush-grass communities to communities dominated by introduced forage grasses has led to concerns for wildlife habitat. This concern contributed to a policy change encouraging the use of native species, when available, for rehabilitation projects. This study attempts to assess the effectiveness of BLM EFR projects in meeting the stated goals of the BLM EFR policy in the Great Basin. To do this, two field offices per state were randomly selected from an inclusive list of all Great Basin field offices. In 2001, we randomly selected three EFR projects per field office from those projects that used native species. On each project site, we used a common monitoring technique in association with monitoring techniques implemented by the BLM to assess if national EFR objectives were being met. A semi-structured survey was developed to determine the potential reasons why native and introduced plants were either used or not used, why monitoring was and was not proposed, and whether monitoring was implemented in rehabilitation projects. BLM monitoring techniques did not adequately evaluate EFR goal achievement. The time it took to implement any of the BLM methods did not differ significantly from the time needed to implement the common protocol on the two projects where BLM had implemented monitoring and used native plants (F[subscript 3,12]=1.63, P=0.23). Cost to implement the common monitoring technique was minimal and it directly measured aspects of stated EFR policy goals. Vegetative cover of all natives, seeded and volunteers, contributed half of the overall cover on EFR projects and was significantly higher than sown introduced species. Invasive species were intermediate and did not differ significantly from either the natives or the introduced. The seeded species were a subset of the native or introduced classes. Composition by cover between sown native, sown introduced, and invasive species did not differ significantly. Vegetation cover increased the surface soil stability 39% of the time and subsurface stability 56% beneath the vegetation. Respondents of the survey stated that they generally use more natives and more complex seed mixtures than they did historically. Many also stated that they prefer to use native over introduced species. However, most felt that introduced species are more effective in meeting EFR goals on the degraded sites than native species. All respondents would like to access a summarized report of other rehabilitation projects. The respondents were split between accessing it through the World Wide Web or through a written report. We believe that a common database could be created and maintained on the World Wide Web if a common sampling protocol was implemented. / Graduation date: 2004

Previous studies have identified δ¹³C events in the Carboniferous that imply major shifts in the carbon cycle. However, inherent in this interpretation is the assumption that epicontinental seas are chemically representative of the global ocean. Our study uses stable isotope and trace element analyses of brachiopod shells to examine changes in climate and circulation of the North American epeiric sea. Formations were selected for study to provide shallow marine environments with geographic coverage of North America. These units include the Grove Church and Mattoon Formations (Illinois Basin), Glenshaw Formation (Appalachian Basin), Bird Spring Formation (Bird Spring Basin), and Oread Formation (US midcontinent). In all, 98 brachiopod shells were found to be well preserved based on screening with plane light and cathodoluminescence microscopy of thin-sections, and trace element analyses. Upper Chesterian Grove Church (Illinois Basin) samples have δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O averages of 1.1% and -3.1% respectively. These low values are interpreted as a local or regional effect caused by terrestrial runoff. Terrestrial influences are also suggested by the depositional environment: nearshore marine. Chesterian samples from the Bird Spring Formation at Arrow Canyon, Nevada average 3.7% and -1.4% for δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O respectively. The higher δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values, compared with samples from the time equivalent Grove Church, likely reflect the freer exchange with the Panthalassa Ocean at this most western edge of North America, and best represent open-ocean conditions. Samples from the Virgilian Ames-Shumway-Plattsmouth cyclothem show a progression of δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O enrichment moving west from near the Appalachians (1.9% and -3.8%) to the Illinois Basin (3.2% and -2.4%) and finally to the US midcontinent (4.2% and -1.5%). This is interpreted as the transition from nearshore, terrestrial influence with enhanced organic matter oxidation and lower salinity to well-mixed conditions with normal salinities and potential for seafloor ventilation and upwelling. This is supported by published sediment ΣNd(t) values from the Appalachian Basin (ΣNd(t) = -9) that increase further westward (ΣNd(t) = -6) due to higher influence from the eastern Panthalassa Ocean. Mass balance calculations based on the δ¹⁸O of the brachiopod shells suggest salinities of 25 and 31 psu for the Appalachian and Illinois Basins, respectively, assuming salinities of 34.5 psu for the US midcontinent. Trace element analyses do not show a systematic east-west trend similar to stable isotopes. In both time slices, spiriferids from the intermediately-located Illinois Basin are enriched in Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca relative to those in other basins. This Mg and Sr enrichment in Illinois Basin brachiopods suggests delivery of Sr-rich fresh waters and restricted circulation in that basin.

This study aims at elaborating the Integrated Lake Basin Management Planning (ILBM) approach, which is considered as a sustainable management model for lake basins, and evaluating the applicability of this approach in Turkey. ILBM considers both biophysical features and managerial requirements of lake basin systems. It pays attention to inherent dynamics between humans and nature. ILBM has been developed on the basis of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), which seeks the wise use of water / i.e. using water resources with reference to the conservation principles and thresholds. The study elaborates the ILBM planning and focuses on a case study, namely the Beysehir Lake Basin. Beysehir Lake is the third largest lake and biggest freshwater lake of Turkey. Its basin is important with the distinctive natural features it accommodates in two national parks, a special bird site, a special plant site and a natural protected site. However, improper use of the Lake&rsquo / s resources has threatened its natural and ecological qualities, despite the simultaneous conservation efforts. This study, having analyzed the past planning efforts on the Basin with regard to the ILBM principles and criteria, points to the insufficiencies in institutional structure and participation. Meanwhile, the study --depending on the findings of a questionnaire conducted with the stakeholders of the Basin-- also underlines that most of the stakeholders are unaware of the changes that the Lake faced, and they do not know about the existing plans of the Basin. This proves the need for stronger interinstitutional relationships and cooperation so as to take coherent actions. This is important for the management and planning in lake basins, but particularly in the ones which lie on more than one settlement&rsquo / s administrative boundaries like the Beysehir Lake. For the efficient and effective implementation of the ILBM in Turkey&rsquo / s lake basins, the related legislation should be revised accordingly.

Tucson, Arizona is often said to have a water problem. The water table is falling, giving rise to concern on the part of the public and conflicts between water users in the Basin. Many see the problem as a shortage of water to be solved by bringing more water to Tucson by means of the Central Arizona Project. This dissertation examines the occurrence and use of water in the region in order to determine the real nature of Tucson's water problem. First, the institutions governing the use of water in the Basin are described and the disputes between the local water users are discussed. Next, an account is given of the use of water by businesses and residences in Tucson, by the copper mines to the south of Tucson, and by the farms in the Basin. The effect of changes in the cost and availability of water on each of these classes of water user is investigated and the effect that changes in water use could have on the region's economy is discussed. Next, an account is given of the water available for use in the Basin. The occurrence of groundwater in the region is described and the merits of the proposed Central Arizona Project are investigated. The information on the use of water in the Basin and the information on the sources of water available for use in the Basin are then combined to forecast the depletions of groundwater that will take place under various circumstances. Various ways of balancing the region's water budget are described and an assessment is made of the effect that curtailing the use of water in the region would have upon the local water users and the region's economy. The principal conclusions of this study are as follows. First, there is no danger of the supply of water in the Basin becoming exhausted in the near future. The economic and physical effects of the continuing fall in the level of the water table are unlikely to be serious. The second main conclusion is that the region's water budget could be balanced very economically by retiring all agriculture in the region and making modest reductions in the amount of water consumed by urban water users and the copper mines. Given suitable institutional arrangements, curtailing the use of water in the Basin would be a much more economical way of balancing the region's water budget than building the Central Arizona Project. The final conclusion is that the real water problem is an institutional problem. The threat of the Indians' claims to the groundwater of the Tucson Basin, together with the difficulty of resolving the continual disputes between the mines, the farms, and the City of Tucson over water puts all of the local water-using interests in a position where they see the provision of more supplies of water as the only cure to their woes. The remedy to the region's water problem is not the provision of more supplies of water, but a settlement of the Indians' claims and a reform of Arizona's groundwater law to enable a resolution of the conflicts between the water users in the Tucson Basin.

Growth of riparian cottonwoods along regulated rivers can be limited by water availability. In this study we associate seasonal variation of environmental conditions and stream flows with water relations of a natural cottonwood grove located along a regulated river in southern Alberta. To link elements in the river-soil-plant-atmosphere continuum, river and groundwater levels and precipitation were monitored; sap flow was continuously measured with thermal dissipation probes in eight trees and stomatal conductance and leaf water potential were measured monthly; and weather conditions were monitored. From June through August, stomatal conductances at both leaf and canopy levels were increasingly limited by decreasing water availability. Artificially increasing the soil moisture in August resulted in an increase in sap flow and stomatal conductance at leaf and canopy levels. These responses can be attributed to seasonal changes in the water potential difference between soil and leaves or an alteration in hydraulic conductance, or a combination of both. / xiv, 135 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm

Economic data concerning the costs and benefits of Inuit subsistence in the Igloolik region of Nunavut were collected during the summer of 1992. The purpose of the research was to develop a method of valuation to showcase the high "profit", in economic terms, that harvested country food provides. / Wildlife harvesting in Inuit communities represents a traditional way of life which is threatened by the increasing expansion of wage employment, industrial development and the availability of store bought food. However, rather than having a marginalizing effect, these changes make subsistence hunting an essential economic activity. / This thesis develops a method to measure the harvest of country food through a dollar value standard thus quantifying the real economic benefits of Inuit subsistence. The value of harvested food can then be compared economically to store bought food. This comparison shows that subsistence hunting provides Inuit with a relatively inexpensive food source, equivalent to $6 million of income ``in kind'' per community in the Baffin Region. In this era of store bought food and wage employment, Inuit communities remain economically and socially integrated through subsistence hunting. Without harvesting, northern communities would be culturally and nutritionally poorer than at any time in the past.

Bibliography: leaves 254-267. / Microfiche. / xiii, 267 leaves, bound ill. 29 cm

This dissertation examines some of the strengths and weaknesses in basin level governance particularly as it relates to three current policy priorities: adaptive governance, international frameworks for response to natural and man-made disasters, and resilience in integrated water resources management. While these priorities are well-established in the academic and policy literature, in practice the ability to implement them at multiple levels has proven challenging. Though my dissertation highlights these challenges using case studies of European river basins, the observations and lessons for improving integrated management at multiple levels of governance, in multiple sectors, and among various actors are more broadly relevant to other natural resource governance settings. The first paper of this dissertation explores adaptive governance in the Tisza sub-basin, considering both constraints and policy options for strengthening adaptive governance at the sub-basin level. The Tisza is the largest sub-basin to the Danube River basin, and faces increasing pressures exacerbated by climate change. The Tisza countries have experienced challenges with managing climate change adaptation in a nested, consistent, and effective manner pursuant to the European Union Water Framework Directive. This is due, in part, to inefficiencies in climate change adaptation, such as weakened vertical coordination. This paper examines the conceptual domains relating to adaptation in international governance, and adaptation in transboundary water management in particular, with a focus on multilevel governance. International laws and policies governing transboundary waters in the Danube basin and Tisza sub-basin are reviewed. Using interviews and document analysis, the paper highlights challenges to adaptation in the Tisza sub-basin, including policy, fiscal, institutional, and capacity. The paper concludes with an exploration of possible policy options for sub-basin management, such as the development of a sub-basin commission, the establishment of a permanent Tisza expert group to be housed at and coordinated by the ICPDR, the use of new or existing bilateral treaties, and designing a framework for managing the Tisza. The second paper analyzes the transition in international frameworks of response to natural and man-made disasters as incorporated and integrated at multiple levels of governance. It begins with a discussion of the distinctions between so-called “natural” disasters and “man-made” accidents, how and why they are treated differently, and how recent developments in international law and practice are raising questions about the merits of these historic distinctions. Anthropogenic climate change drives more extreme and sometimes cascading disasters that require complex and overlapping types of response; it is argued that the distinctions in response to natural and man-made disasters are counterproductive, outdated, and ultimately flawed. The paper examines the policy and institutional frameworks governing response to natural disasters and man-made accidents in the Danube River basin and Tisza River sub-basin. Using expert interviews and legal and policy analysis, it then explores the differences in how natural disasters and man-made accidents are monitored and how they are responded to. The paper concludes with an analysis of the implications of transitioning policies toward a more holistic framework for response, regardless of whether the cause is natural, man-made, or (as is increasingly the case) some combination. The third paper advances the concept of a new approach – resilient IWRM – and how this approach can be applied to the management practices of the Danube and Rhine River basins and other river basins around the world. Using the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the leading framework for resilience, and supported by expert interviews, the paper analyzes what resilience measures have been addressed, and what gaps remain in the basin management frameworks of the Danube and Rhine River basins. The paper concludes with a discussion of the current constraints in the resilient IWRM framework of the Danube and Rhine River basins, in addition to options for overcoming these challenges. This dissertation concludes with a discussion of crosscutting dimensions of analysis, specifically the challenges faced in integrating climate change adaptation, response to natural and man-made disasters, and resilience into multiple levels of water governance. While these conceptual elements are well-established, the ability to operationalize these elements has proven difficult from multiple perspectives highlighted in this dissertation. The difficulties suggest a more nuanced and pragmatic approach to both their framing and their operationalization.