IWW is pleased to announce the recipients of the IWW-USGS mini-grants for 2009. Sixteen proposals were received. The selection was difficult this year for many reasons; first and foremost the current economic climate continues to place the USGS funding at risk; state budget forecasts are tenuous at best, especially as the investment in the Oregon University System remains in a state of flux; and the proposals were all excellent, thus making the selection process particularly challenging. Given the current economic crisis, many of the selected proposals may be given partial funding, with the final decision resting on the final federal budget selected by the new administration and Congress. The selected proposals in no particular order follow:
Detecting Heavy Metal Contamination in the Umatilla River of Eastern Oregon, Dr. Sandra DeBano, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Hermiston Ag. Research & Extension Center, Oregon State University.
Heavy metal contamination of streams and rivers is a major threat to the health of
humans and aquatic organisms. A variety of human activities can result in increased heavy metal concentrations in water, sediments, and aquatic organisms. The impact of increased heavy metal concentrations in aquatic systems is a threat not only to the organisms living in the water, but also to terrestrial consumers at higher tropic levels, including humans. However, little research has been conducted examining the extent to which various agricultural practices, such as the use of fertilizers, result in significant increases in heavy metal concentrations in stream and river systems. This project proposes to examine whether agricultural land uses are associated with increases in the presence of biologically active heavy metals in an Eastern Oregon watershed that is heavily impacted by agricultural activity. We propose comparing the usefulness of four aquatic invertebrate taxa as indicators of the amount of biologically active heavy metals in the system. This will allow us to determine the degree to which heavy metals represent a threat to aquatic systems in agricultural areas in the Umatilla Watershed of Eastern Oregon, and to relate concentrations of heavy metal in invertebrate tissue to local land uses. The goal is to relate patterns of heavy metal concentration in aquatic invertebrates to land uses, including agricultural and urban land uses. The specific objectives of this study are to: 1) quantify heavy metal concentrations in tissues of an indigenous crayfish and four taxa of aquatic insects at 15 sites spanning the upper, middle, and lower Umatilla River, 2) determine which of four invertebrate taxa with different feeding habits will be the most useful indicator for heavy metal contamination in the future, and 3) examine the relationship between heavy metal levels in these aquatic invertebrates with known and perceived input sources of heavy metals on the Umatilla River. The project involves both graduate and undergraduate students. The results of this project will allow stakeholders in the region, including local tribes, soil and water conservation districts and
watershed councils, and agricultural producers to develop best management practices aimed at reducing heavy metal contamination.
A Local Assessment of “Abandoned Wells” in Linn and Benton Counties, Deron Carter, Geology and Physical Science Faculty, Linn-Benton Community College, Adam Stebbins, Benton County Water Projects Coordinator, Benton County Board of Commissioners Office.
The use of groundwater for domestic and non-commercial irrigation in Oregon has steadily increased since the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 and the advancement of water well drilling technology in the 1950s. The majority of this domestic groundwater use occurs within the populated rural areas of the Willamette Basin often just outside of city water service areas within rural residential zoned land. Specifically, within the boundaries of Linn and Benton counties, density estimates suggest that 300 domestic groundwater wells are located inside a single square mile. However, the estimated numbers of rural households in these areas are 20 to 50 percent fewer than State recorded well records. The gaps between current households that frequently maintain and use single water wells, and the number of State recorded well logs, can only be explained by the presence of “abandoned wells”.
Unknown, inoperative, and often unseen groundwater wells can impact water quality. These historic wells provide a direct channel to freshwater supplies, and may act as a conduit through which surface and subsurface contamination can travel and pose risks to local and regional drinking water. Water quality impacts occur where septic tank drain fields and other hazardous materials are located within the historic well capture zones, leading to pollution of water resources. Depending on the hydrogeology, soils, and land use, water quality contamination from “abandoned wells” has a range of negative impacts on groundwater and ultimately surface water quality over time.
The proposed project will locate improperly abandoned wells (defined by the State Water Resources Department) in Linn and Benton Counties by: 1) investigating, assessing, and analyzing existing Federal, State, and County land and water use records such as parcel maps, tax-lot records, hydrogeology, soil/drainage reports, and well records to determine approximate locations of abandoned wells, and 2) conducting field investigations to assess the condition of these abandoned wells. This research will be largely conducted and complied by a Linn Benton Community College (LBCC) student intern trained in technologies (i.e. Geographic Information Systems, Global Positioning Systems, magnetometer use) to effectively locate and assess abandoned wells, assisted by the principal investigators, to accomplish the following objectives during the project period:
Synthesis of Traceable Nanoparticles for Studying the Fate and Transport of Engineered Nanomaterials in Aquatic Systems, Dr. Jeff Nason and Dr. Alex Yokochi, School of Chemical, Biological, and Environmental Engineering, Oregon State University.
Engineered nanomaterials hold great promise for technological innovation due to unique properties that emerge at the nanoscale. As a result, nanomaterials are increasingly being incorporated into consumer products ranging from electronics to cosmetics, and are being evaluated for novel drug delivery and treatment of contaminated water. Unfortunately, the boom in nanoscience and nanotechnology research has not been paralleled with an equal effort investigating the environmental implications of nanomaterials. Concerns about the environmental health and safety aspects of nanomaterials are global; production, distribution, use and disposal of nanoparticles will undoubtedly result in their release into the environment, including the surface water and groundwater of Oregon. Yet, little is known about the prevalence, behavior and risks of nanomaterials in the environment.
At present, very few analytical techniques are capable of unambiguously identifying and characterizing nanomaterials in environmental matrices. As such, investigations into the fate and transport of nanomaterials have been limited to simplified systems that do not accurately reflect true environmental conditions. This work aims to bridge this current gap in understanding by:
1. Synthesizing titanium dioxide nanoparticles doped with one or more elements such that they can be quantified by prompt-gamma activation analysis (PGAA) in complex, environmental matrices; and
2. Demonstrating the utility of doped nanoparticles in preliminary, bench-scale experiments targeting the fate and transport of engineered nanoparticles in aquatic systems.
We propose to synthesize nanoparticles (titanium dioxide in this preliminary work) that are doped with small quantities of rare-earth elements. By “labeling” these nanoparticles, they can be used in laboratory and field studies to examine nanoparticle fate, transport and toxicity. Using prompt-gamma ray activation analysis, the detection and quantification of the dopants (which are present in extremely small concentrations in the environment) can be related to the nanoparticle concentration in a sample. Upon development and testing of the method, we will utilize the doped nanoparticles in bench-scale experiments investigating 1) the association of nanoparticles with naturally occurring particulate matter and 2) the removal of nanoparticles from surface water during conventional drinking water treatment.
It is our expressed intention to leverage the preliminary data collected during the project to secure external research funds for continued research in this area. We have identified several funding opportunities and the potential exists for a substantial return on this initial investment in terms of student training, seeding of collaborative relationships, and knowledge development that will help protect Oregon’s water resources. The requested funds will support a graduate student and pay for experimental costs associated with this preliminary work. In addition, this work will serve as a springboard for the PIs to begin research in an important field that is likely to be active and pertinent to the State of Oregon well into the future.
Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD): Developing an Integrated Water Resource Strategy, Dr. Gregory M. Perry, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Oregon State University, and Oregon Water Resources Department.
The wet climate of western Oregon and the relatively low population densities of eastern Oregon have delayed statewide long term water resource planning. The Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) and the Oregon Water Commission (OWC) have recently prioritized this planning necessity in an effort to develop an integrated long term water resource strategy. One major aspect of this extensive undertaking is cataloging, analyzing, and then reporting available water management strategies such as conservation programs. Water conservation programs will be analyzed using an interdisciplinary quantitative and qualitative modeling approach, following existing statewide water conservation plans from around the U.S. as a template. Ultimately, this research will provide initial and internal information to OWRD in an effort to focus further research and justify additional state legislature funding for statewide water resource planning. Long-term water resource planning is an emerging necessity world-wide, and the technical evaluations of water management strategies in this proposal will aid Oregon in its quest to catch up with the rest of nation.
Vegetation and Soil Processes in Restored Wetlands, Dr. Mary Santelmann, Water Resources Graduate Program & Dept. of Geosciences, and Dr. David Myrold, Dept. of Crop and Soil Sciences, Oregon State University.
The specific issues addressed by this project are the deterioration and loss of aquatic/riparian habitat, especially wetlands; and (2) protection of wetland resources by enhancing our understanding of practices that lead to effective restoration. Wetland restoration is being considered as a watershed-scale tool for assisting in meeting societal needs for ecosystem services (Willamette Partnership 2008). By quantifying the potential level of ecosystem services that result from wetland restoration, it may become possible to incorporate the value of wetland ecosystem services into credit trading programs. However, methods generally used to evaluate wetland functions rely on characteristics assumed to be associated with functions (e.g., denitrification) in the absence of measured data concerning wetland performance of such a function; quantitative data are needed.
In collaboration with the USDA NRCS, Portland Metro, and Institute for Applied Ecology, we will investigate relationships among wetland restoration methods, establishment of native vegetation and soil characteristics in influencing (1) native plant diversity and abundance (2) soil potential for denitrification as measured by denitrifying enzyme activity (DEA) and (3) size and composition of the microbial denitrifier community at three restored wetland sites, three natural wetland sites, and three sites that are currently being cropped, but resemble restored wetlands prior to restoration.
Project objectives are:
Dams and Development: Ecological, Socioeconomic, and Policy Dimensions, Dr. Bryan Tilt, Anthropology, Dr. Desiree Tullos, Biological and Ecological Engineering, Dr. Aaron Wolf, Geosciences, Oregon State University, and Dr. Philip Brown, Economics, Colby College.
Funding from the Institute for Water and Watersheds will support an international workshop entitled, “Dams and Development: Ecological, Socioeconomic and Policy Dimensions,” to be held at Oregon State University in April, 2009. The objectives of this
workshop are to (a) provide a forum for scholars to communicate their knowledge and expertise on the impacts of dams on ecology, society and culture in the context of contemporary development policy, (b) solicit critical review of a proposed tool for the interdisciplinary analysis of dams, and (c) develop research collaborations and publications on the topics of sustainable hydrodevelopment. The workshop builds on three years of multi-institutional collaboration by an interdisciplinary team of scientists, and an ongoing research grant from the National Science Foundation. This workshop will directly inform the improvement of the Integrative Dam Assessment Model, a multidisciplinary assessment tool to analyze the costs and benefits from dam construction and removal.
There is a critical need for scientists to reach across disciplinary boundaries to study the
effects of dams from a holistic perspective in order to help create environmentally sustainable policies regarding dam construction and management. Dams represent an important development strategy and source for energy, but also present the potential to adversely impact areas of critical biological and cultural diversity. Simultaneously, dam removal is increasingly implemented as a river restoration technique, one that is characterized by uncertainty about its consequences, particularly the unknowns related to the extent, magnitude, and timing of physical and ecological outcomes. Given the importance of dams and dam removal to the integrity of rivers, it is our goal to make Oregon State University a center of excellence in studying dams to promote a sustainable future. We thus propose a two-day research workshop that will foster communication between scholars, practitioners, and the public; promote collaboration between different academic disciplines in the holistic study of dams; and encourage the development of practical strategies for making dam development and removal more environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable.
Colloidal Transport in Variably Saturated Porous media: A Detailed Evaluation of Colloid Mobilization Mechanism, Dr. Dorthe Wildenschild, School of Chemical, Biological, and Environmental Engineering, Oregon State University.
Until some two decades ago, it was believed that only the soil water and gaseous phases were mobile and could facilitate the transport of chemicals throug the subsurface soil region above the water table, also known as the vadose zone. It is now generally accepted that part of the soil is also mobile, and that soil colloids facilitate chemical transport. Colloids are defined as particles of sizes between 1 nm and 10 μm in diameter, and are ubiquitous in natural groundwater systems. Colloids include clays, organic macromolecules, bacteria and viruses (biocolloids). Colloid‐facilitated transport is particularly important from a contaminant transport perspective due to the ability of these particles to form stable connections with various pollutants (e.g. heavy metals, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, radionuclides and other highly sorbing contaminants) that are otherwise considered to have limited mobility in the subsurface (e.g. McCarthy and Zachara, 1989; Ryan and Elimelich, 1996; Grolimund et al, 1996; deJonge et al., 1998; Kersting et al., 1999, Tolls, 2001; Hanselman et al., 2003). As a result transport of soil colloids have been studied quite widely, under saturated conditions, in batch, or under otherwise simplified conditions.
Nevertheless, differences in the deposition behavior of colloids, in 2‐D and column displacement studies have frequently been reported (Schijven and Hassanizadeh, 2000; Gao et al., 2006), and the deposition and mobilization mechanisms are vastly different for saturated and unsaturated systems: straining, for instance, is anticipated to be even more important in unsaturated than in saturated systems (Bradford et al., 2006). At present our ability to predict the transport and fate of colloids and biocolloids in natural subsurface environments is limited by our understanding of the colloidal deposition and mobilization
process. Though the state of knowledge has increased dramatically, much is still uncertain about the fundamental processes governing colloidal transport in both saturated and unsaturated environments, in particular pertaining to how colloids are remobilized during infiltration events.
Because mobilization is a central concern in many contamination situations, this proposal focuses on pore scale mobilization1 processes, such as air‐water interface scour, film thickening, and detachment from soil‐water interfaces. Failure to account for mobilization and associated colloid‐facilitated transport can severely underestimate the transport potential and risk assessment for such pollutants (Simunek et al., 2006). The proposed project will leverage a larger grant currently pending with NSF which will further support our collaboration with Dr. Lis W. de Jonge at University of Aarhus in Denmark. Dr. de Jonge is one of the world leaders in the area of colloid transport and has technologically advanced laboratory facilities for colloid transport research. The proposed request for funding is entirely focused on providing a state-of-the-art research experience for a PhD student by supporting her during Spring term 2009 so she can carry out high-resolution imaging of colloidal processes in unsaturated media, and travel for her to work in and collaborate with Dr. Lis W. de Jonge’s group during the Summer of 2009.
Short Course on Isotope Hydrology and Isotope Biogeochemistry: Developing a Critical Mass of Knowledge and Experience, Dr. Anne Nolin, Dept. of Geosciences, Dr. Jeff McDonnell, Dept. of Forest Engineering, Resources and Management, Oregon State University
This project will provide funding for a two-day short course on isotope hydrology during the spring of 2009. The course will be taught Oregon State University. The program will be limited to 24 participants comprised of Oregon University System graduate students, Oregon University System faculty and staff, and employees of the U. S. Geological Survey (USGS), U.S. Forest Service (USFS), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The short course will be led by Dr. Carol Kendall with assistance from Drs. Anne Nolin and Jeff McDonnell and graduate student Eric Sproles. Dr. Kendall is research hydrologist in the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey and is the project lead of the Isotope Tracers Project. With Dr. Jeff McDonnell, Dr. Kendall co-edited the 1998 book “Isotope Tracers in Catchment Hydrology”. As an educator, Dr. Kendall has taught isotope hydrology short courses for 20 years to federal, state, and academic organizations.
