WaterWired

CRS Report: 'Long-Term Federal Management of Uranium Mill Tailings - Background and Issues for Congress'

Lance N. Larson penned this CRS report (22 February 2021): 'Long-Term Federal Management of Uranium Mill Tailings: Background and Issues for Congress' .

Download CRS_Report_Long_Term_Mgmt_U_Mill_Tailings_22Feb2021

Click on the graphics to display/enlarge them.

Overview
In the wake of increasing concerns in the 1970s about human health and environmental risks posed by inactive uranium mill tailings, Congress enacted the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of 1978 (UMTRCA). Uranium milling operations generate uranium concentrate, also known as yellowcake uranium, and waste material, called tailings, which can harbor and liberate radioactive and nonradioactive constituents.

Title I of UMTRCA authorized a remedial action program for uranium mill tailings sites that were inactive prior to 1978, which produced uranium concentrate under federal procurement contracts primarily for nuclear weapons and other defense purposes. Title II of UMTRCA authorized the regulation of uranium mills and tailings sites that were operating on or after the law’s enactment, which largely produced uranium concentrate for civilian nuclear power plants. UMTRCA does not provide regulatory authority over uranium mining (the physical removal of uranium ore from the earth), waste material produced from uranium mining, or remediation of inactive uranium mine sites. The Department of Energy (DOE) is the federal agency responsible for implementing the remedial action program and administering long-term federal management of the tailings.

The site remediation costs have exceeded costs originally envisioned by Congress, the agencies, and the licensees due to an evolving understanding of the complexities and risks posed by unintended releases of contaminants from uranium mill tailings. As part of the remediation action, the uranium mill tailings are enclosed in engineered repositories, located at disposal sites, which are designed to prevent unintended release of potentially hazardous constituents for hundreds of years. DOE’s authority to perform surface remediation at Title I sites expired on September 30, 1998. Groundwater contamination has compounded the technical complexity and timeline of remedial actions at certain sites. Congress amended UMTRCA in 1988 to authorize DOE to perform groundwater remediation without expiration under the Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Amendments Act (UMTRA).

UMTRCA requires the transfer of both Title I and Title II disposal sites to long-term federal management. As of FY2020, the Department of Energy, Office of Legacy Management (DOE-LM) administers long-term federal management at 31 Title I sites, excluding the site at Moab, UT. Title II sites are regulated by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) or an NRC agreement state and transferred to DOE-LM for long-term federal management when NRC, or the state, determines that applicable standards have been met. As of FY2020, 6 of 29 Title II sites have transferred to DOE-LM, and 23 Title II sites remain privately owned under an NRC or an agreement state license. DOE-LM expects to take long-term management responsibilities of the 23 remaining Title II sites by 2048.

Under UMTRCA, Congress established that the federal government pay for long-term monitoring and maintenance costs at Title I sites, subject to annual appropriations to DOE-LM. For Title II sites, Congress intended that the licensee would pay for any long-term management costs with a one-time long-term surveillance charge (LTSC). In the event that the LTSCs are not sufficient to cover annual monitoring and maintenance costs, DOE-LM would be responsible to carry out long-term management responsibilities, subject to availability of annual appropriations.

The long-term management efforts to stabilize tailings and monitor groundwater have proven more challenging, and expensive, than originally expected. The federal government will be responsible for long-term management of all UMTRCA sites once transferred to DOE-LM. Potential oversight issues for Congress may include understanding the decommissioning and transfer status of the remaining Title II sites, the adequacy of funding to complete decommissioning at certain sites if the licensee is unable to fulfill its obligations, and the adequacy of LTSCs to meet future management needs.

Not a good optic, as they say.

Enjoy!

“A successful person is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks that others throw at him.”- David Brink

Josh's Water Jobs and More! 23 February 2021

1) Josh's Jobs

Highlighted:
 
1) Sector Strategy Coordinator – Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) (Home-Based): 19 March
 
2) Resilient Asian Deltas Initiative Lead – World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) (Asia-Pacific): 28 February
 
3) Enrolled in a Danish university: Student Assistant – UN Environment Programme-DHI Centre (Denmark): 1 March
 
4) Technical Officer – International Labour Organization (ILO) (Sudan): 2 March
 
5) Director (Corporate (Water) Engagement) – World Resources Institute (WRI)(Netherlands): Until filled

Jobs by Region:

Africa jobs

Asia-Pacific jobs

Europe jobs

Latin America and Caribbean jobs

North America jobs

Home-based/Remote jobs

Minimum years experience requested:

0-2 years
 
6) Civil Engineer – New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (Concord, NH, USA): 1 March
 
7) River-Friendly Program Coordinator – The Watershed Institute (Pennington, NJ, USA): Until filled
 
8) Aquatic Resource Biologist – Douglas County Public Utility District (East Wenatchee, WA, USA): Until filled

3-4 years
 
9) Spanish speakers: ASC Farm Assessor (South America) – Assurance Services International (ASI) (South America): 11 March
 
10) Director (Environmental Justice Initiative) – Environmental Law Institute (ELI)(Washington, DC): 19 March

5-7 years

11) European Programme Officer Nature Based Solutions – International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) (Brussels): 1 March

12) Environmental Affairs Officer – United Nations Logistic Base (Italy): 1 March

13) South Africa Program Coordinator – The Nature Conservancy (TNC) (Cape Town): Until filled

14) Finance Associate, Urban Water Resilience Initiative – World Resources Institute (WRI) (Ethiopia): Until filled

15) Project and Catchments Officer – Essex and Suffolk Rivers Trust (United Kingdom): 26 February

16) Australia nationals: Program Manager Environmental Water Delivery – Mallee Catchment Management Authority (CMA) (Mildura, VIC, Australia): 26 February

17) Stormwater Project Manager – Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership (Portland, OR, USA): 4 March

18) Staff Attorney and Campaign Manager (Pure Farms, Pure Waters Campaign) – Waterkeeper Alliance (New York): 28 February

19) Center Communications Manager, PPIC Water Policy Center – Public Policy Institute of California (San Francisco or Sacramento, CA, USA): Until filled

20) Communications and Outreach Manager – WaterNow Alliance (San Francisco, CA, USA): Until filled

10+ years

21) Subject Matter Expert - Quality & Food Safety Water (Water Stewardship) – The Coca-Cola Company (Brazil): Until filled

22) Project Field Engineer – United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)(Egypt): 27 February

23) French speakers: Chef d'équipe – Niras (Burkina Faso): 31 March

24) International Land and Water Resources Management Specialist – United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) (Zimbabwe): Until filled

Not specified:
 
25) Program Manager, Environmental Insights – Google (London): Until filled
 
26) French speakers: Marine Programme Officer – International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) (Switzerland): 28 February
 
27) Australia nationals: Hydrologist – Government of New South Wales (Sydney, NSW, Australia): 25 February
 
28) Australia nationals: Water Monitoring Officer – WaterNSW (Buronga and Mildura, NSW, Australia): 26 February
 
29) Project Officer - Water and Waterways – Reef Catchments (Proserpine, QLD, Australia): 28 February
 
30) Australia nationals: Program Leader, Water Infrastructure Assets – Government of South Australia (Adelaide, SA, Australia): 3 March
 
31) Australia nationals: Program Leader, Sustaining Riverland Environments – Government of South Australia (Adelaide, SA, Australia): 3 March
 
32) Water Resources Specialist (Hydro-ecology) – Ricardo Energy & Environment(Home-Based): 26 February
 
33) Local recruitment: Conservation Project Officer – Action for the River Kennet(United Kingdom): 26 February
 
34) Local recruitment: Working with Natural Processes Project Officer – Ouse & Adur Rivers Trust (United Kingdom): 26 February
 
35) Local recruitment: Project Officer: Water for Farmers & Wildlife (WFFW) – The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) (United Kingdom): 2 March
 
36) Mediator – Meridian Institute (Washington, DC or Dillon, CO, USA): 7 March
 
37) Program Assistant – Arizona Municipal Water Users Association (AMWUA)(Phoenix, AZ, USA): 12 March
 
38) Delaware River Advocate – The Watershed Institute (Pennington, NJ, USA): Until filled
 
39) Stormwater Engineer – Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (Wisconsin, USA): 7 March

Not specified (academic):

• Professors/lecturers

40) Assistant Professor Position in Integrated Water Resources Management – Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (Morocco): Until filled
 
41) Assistant Professor position in Large-Scale Integrated Hydrologic Systems Modeling – Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (Morocco): Until filled
 
42) Assistant/Associate Professorship in Hydrogeology – University of Basel(Switzerland): 28 February
 
43) Lecturer in Environmental Geography – University of Manchester (United Kingdom): 26 February

• Postdocs

44) Postdoctoral position on Snow and glacier hydrology in the French Alps – INRAE(France): 28 February
 
45) Postdoctoral researcher in Hydrology / River Hydrodynamics / Hydraulic Engineering / Flood Risk Management – Université de Liège (Belgium): 28 February

• Researchers/other

46) Director of the UNEP GEMS/Water Capacity Development Centre (CDC) – University College Cork (Ireland): 23 March
 
47) Research Fellow: Wetland Ecosystem Management Specialist – Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) (Bangkok): 9 March
 
48) Senior Research Engineer/Scientist (Hydrology/Earth Sciences) – Southwest Research Institute (San Antonio, TX, USA): Until filled
 
49) Researchers Water Quality – Wageningen University & Research (Netherlands): 26 February
 
50) Research Assistant (if close to completing PhD) or Research Fellow (if PhD obtained) in Infrastructure Governance and Finance – Cranfield University (United Kingdom): 28 February
 
51) Research Associate (Geochemistry and Organic Carbon Burial in Wetlands) – Manchester Metropolitan University (United Kingdom): 2 March

WASH:

0-2 years

52) French speakers: WASH Project Manager – Medair (DRC): Until filled
 
53) Head of WASH and Food Distribution – SEED Madagascar (Madagascar): Until filled
 
54) Paraguay nationals: Especialista Nacional: Agua, Saneamiento e Higiene (WASH) (UNICEF) – United Nations Volunteers (UNV) (Paraguay): 25 February

55) DRC nationals: Logisticien WASH – World Health Organization (WHO) (DRC): 26 February
 
56) WASH Assistant – Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) (Somalia): 28 February
 
57) Technical WASH Assistant – The Water Trust (Uganda): 1 March
 
58) Syria nationals: Shelter/WASH Officer – Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)(Syria): 3 March

3-4 years
 
59) Water And Habitat Engineer – International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)(Various): 30 April
 
60) Local recruitment: WASH & Shelter Project Manager – ACTED (Turkey): 3 March
 
61) Water Fabrication Technician Associate – Samaritan's Purse (North Wilkesboro, NC, USA): Until filled

5-7 years

62) WASH Cluster Coordinator – United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) (Iraq): 26 February
 
63) Technical Advisor (“Water Supply and Sanitation for Refugee Settlements and Host Communities in Northern Uganda (WatSSUP)” – Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) (Uganda): 28 February
 
64) French speakers: LEAD/Senior Evidence, Technology, Learning and Adaptation Specialist – Chemonics (DRC): 1 March
 
65) Private Sector Development and Finance Advisor- Sanitation Activity – Catholic Relief Services (CRS) (DRC): Until filled
 
66) Program Manager II MEAL- Sanitation Activity – Catholic Relief Services (CRS)(DRC): Until filled
 
67) USAID/South Sudan Gender Aware Sustainable WASH Activity Various Technical Roles – Chemonics (South Sudan): Until filled
 
68) WASH Technical Manager – Mercy Corps (South Sudan): Until filled
 
69) Deputy Chief of Party I- Sanitation Activity – Catholic Relief Services (CRS)(DRC): Until filled
 
70) Chief of Party I- Sanitation Activity – Catholic Relief Services (CRS) (DRC): Until filled
 
71) Social and Behavior Change Advisor- Sanitation Activity – Catholic Relief Services (CRS) (DRC): Until filled
 
72) French speakers: Un.e Senior Technical Advisor WASH – Action Contre La Faim (ACF) (Paris): Until filled

10+ years

73) Infrastructure Manager (GASWASH) – Blumont (South Sudan): Until filled
 
74) French speakers: Chief of Party (Sanitation) – DevWorks (DRC): Until filled
 
75) French speakers: Chef d'équipe – Niras (Burkina Faso): 31 March
 
76) Chiefs of Party (WASH) – DT Global (Various): Until filled
 
Not specified
 
77) Senior Policy Analyst (Hygiene) – WaterAid (London): 28 February
 
78) WASH and Shelter Project Manager – Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)(Palestine): 3 March
 
79) Global Lead for Diversity & Inclusion – WaterAid (London): 25 February
 
80) German speakers: Aushilfe WASH Advocacy – Welthungerhilfe (Berlin): 28 February

Consultancies:

81) Individual Consultancy (International) - Development of National WASH standards for Health Facilities in West Bank and Gaza – United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) (Palestine): 25 February
 
82) Spanish speakers: Country Consultant for the preparation of National Drought Plan (Peru) – United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) (Peru): 25 February
 
83) Consultancy to Develop Meghna Basin Land Use and Water Resources Atlas – International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) (Home-Based): 28 February
 
84) Terms of Reference: Development of AIP-WACDEP-G “Business Case on Economic and Societal Benefits” – Global Water Partnership - Southern Africa (GWP-SA) (Home-Based): 28 February
 
85) Terms of Reference: AIP-WACDEP-G “Providing Technical Assistance to Conduct Water Resources Assessments" – Global Water Partnership - Southern Africa (GWP-SA) (Home-Based): 28 February
 
86) Consultant to Develop A Communication Strategy for the National Adaptation Planning for Climate Resilience Zambia Project – Global Water Partnership - Southern Africa (GWP-SA) (Zambia): 8 March

87) Climate Change Adaptation Expert – African Development Bank (AfDB)(Lesotho): 1 March
 
88) Individual Consultant to Develop a practical toolkit on Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) services and Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) in South Asia – United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)s (Nepal): 3 March
 
89) End Project Evaluation (Health, WASH and Protection for IDPs and Returnees in Baidoa) – World Vision (WV) (Somalia): 25 February
 
90) Behaviour Change Capacity Strengthening Consultancy – Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) (Home-Based): 26 February
 
91) Consultant: Water, Sanitation & Hygiene – RTI International (India): 26 February
 
92) International Consultant – United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)(Bahrain): 27 February
 
93) WASH Consultant – ZOA (Myanmar): 28 February
 
94) Improving livelihoods and food security through sustainable Natural Resource Management – Aga Khan Foundation (Tajikistan): 28 February
 
95) Final Evaluation of WASH and Education Project – Mission Alliance (Sierra Leone): 1 March
 
96) Curriculum Consultant to support the development of trainer modules for our Community based Water Governance Curriculum (CBWGC0) – International Rivers(Home-Based): Until filled
 
97) Ghana nationals: Consultant (Research Assistant) – International Water Management Institute (IWMI) (Ghana): 26 February

RFP:

98) Advancing Benefits and Co-Benefits Quantification and Monetization for Green Stormwater Infrastructure: An Interactive Guidebook for Comparison Case Studies – Water Research Foundation (USA): 25 February
 
99) River Basin Management Plans for Kosovo – Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) (Kosovo): 22 March
 
100) Supporting Climate Resilience in Water/Environmental/Civil Infrastructure – The World Bank (Uganda): 1 March
 
101) French speakers: Appui àl’élaboration et la mise en œuvre duplan d'action national GIRE de la Guinée assorti d’un plan d’investissement – International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) (Guinea): 2 March
 
102) French speakers: Appui àl’élaboration et la mise en œuvre duplan d'action national GIRE de la Guinée assorti d’un plan d’investissement #2 – International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) (Guinea): 2 March

Internships:

103) French speakers: Intern (m/f/d) in the field of water, energy and food security in fragile contexts in West Africa – Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) (Germany): 7 March
 
104) French speakers: Research Interns – International Water Management Institute (IWMI) (Burkina Faso): 23 February
 
105) Spanish speakers: SEI Latinoamérica: programa de pasantías 2021 – Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) (Colombia): 28 February
 
106) German speakers: Praktikant*in im Themenfeld ökosystembasierte Anpassung an den Klimawandel – Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) (Germany): 28 February
 
107) German speakers: Praktikant*in im Globalvorhaben Sanitation for Millions – Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) (Germany): 3 March
 
108) Summer Research Intern – AMP Insights (Home-Based): 26 Marc
 
109) Student Intern (Hydrology) – National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) (Pleasant Hill, MO, USA): 1 March

Scholarships:

110) PhD Scholarships in Membrane Water Treatment Technology – Kyungpook National University (Republic of Korea): Until filled
 
111) Two PhD positions for the project ‘Global water quality and Water use under present and future droughts and heatwaves' – Utrecht University (Netherlands): 28 February
 
112) U.K. nationals: Indian Summer Monsoon variability in response to Pliocene climate – Open University (United Kingdom): 1 March

Fellowships:

113) 2021 Beals Healthy Streams Fellow – The Nature Conservancy (TNC) (Topeka, KS, USA): 25 February

Other:

114) U.S. nationals: Watershed Program Technician – AmeriCorps (Nevada, USA): 28 February
 
Last week’s list, in case you missed it
 
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Recruitment services

For our full list of active water jobs, please visit www.joshswaterjobs.com/jobs.

2) Additional Jobs from WaterWired

115) Position: @USAID (Washington, DC & elsewhere) - Foreign Service Program Officer. Closes: 1 March 2021. https://bit.ly/2G8tNW4 

116) Position: @USAID (Washington, DC) - Foreign Service Contracting Officer. Closes: 1 March 2021. https://bit.ly/2YLHwIG

117) Position: @FAO (Rome, Italy) - Director, Land and Water Division. Closes: Ongoing https://bit.ly/3lY9hab #JobWaWi 

118) Position: @WWF (Berlin, DE) - @WWFWaterRisk Filter Officer. OUF. https://bit.ly/3eYGWOY #JobWaWi 

119) Position: Idaho Dept. of Water Resources (Boise) - Staff Engineer. OUF. https://bit.ly/2KkFcok #JobWaWi

120) Position: Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (Mission, OR) - Fisheries Habitat Biologist I. Closes: 28 February 2021. 
Download Fisheries Habitat Bio I UHP Correct Version 1.7.21

121) From @nativehydro: MS & PhD students! Interested in working with #Indigenous communities on food, energy and water challenges? Apply to #NSF #NRT Indige-FEWSS Graduate Traineeship @uarizona http://bit.ly/36o6iCE

122) Position: Greater Oregon City Watershed Council (Oregon City, OR) - Executive Director (0.75 FTE). OUF; App review: 28 February. http://bit.ly/39spX6e 

123) Position: @PAseagrant (State College, PA) - Education Lead. https://bit.ly/3cJEugb #JobWaWi

124) Positions (2): @PAseagrant (Delaware/Bucks counties & Dauphin/Centre counties) - Coastal Outreach Specialist(s) https://bit.ly/2LfBH2U #JobWaWi

125) Position: State of NM (Santa Fe) - Environmental Scientist & Specialist - Operational. OUF. http://indeedhi.re/3jqUWDl #JobWaWi

126) Position: @USACEGALVESTON (Galveston, TX) - Civil Engineer. OUF. http://indeedhi.re/36RNeNr #JobWaWi

127) Position: UC-Berkeley (Truckee, CA area) - Station Manager, Sagehen Creek Field Station. Closes: 1 March. Download Sagehen Station Manager Position - Job Announcement (2-2021)

128) Position: @USDA (Monticello, UT) - Soil Conservationist (Resource Conservationist) http://indeedhi.re/2Z8AyNR #JobWaWi

129) Position: @OSUCEOAS (Corvallis, OR) - Instructor (Academic Teaching/Research Faculty - Geography). Full consideration: 15 March; Closes: 30 June. http://bit.ly/2Z9c1Iu

130) Position: @McKenzRivrTrust (Central OR Coast) - Central Coast Conservation Program Manager. Closes: 28 February http://bit.ly/3jGU25C  

131) Position: North Coast Land Conservancy (Seaside, OR) - Stewardship Assistant. Closes: 7 March. http://bit.ly/2Zns85k #JobWaWi

132) Positions (2): Cascade Fisheries (Okanogan, WA) - Two field technicians. Closes: 8 March. Download OBA Job Announcement 2021

133) Position: @KCDNRP (Seattle area) - Policy and Planning Team - River & Floodplain Management. Closes: 24 February. http://bit.ly/3s4Icp2 #JobWaWi

134) Position: @ColumbiaEstuary (Portland, OR) - Stormwater Project Manager. Closes: 4 March http://bit.ly/3qxUmGm #JobWaWi

135) Position: Marion Soil & Water Conservation District (Salem, OR) - District Manager. OUF. https://bit.ly/3s11AmI #JobWaWi

136) Position: @PortlandWater (Portland, OR) - Bull Run Watershed Protection Manager (Environmental Regulatory Coordinator). Closes: 5 March https://bit.ly/3dr7ids #JobWaWi

137) Position: @OregonDEQ (Bend, OR) - Eastern Region Watershed Manager (Principal Executive/Manager E); Closes: 10 March. http://bit.ly/3pxbcno #JobWaWi

138) Position: @FEMA (Bothell, WA) - Civil Engineer. Closes: 1 March. http://bit.ly/2NiHaH6 #JobWaWi

139) Position: @newmexicotech (Socorro, NM) - Hydrogeologist. OUF. https://bit.ly/3ds1zUD #JobWaWi

140) Position: Wheeler Soil & Water Conservation District (Fossil, OR) - District Manager. OUF http://bit.ly/3kioCCI 

141) Position: @CSUChico (Chico, CA) - T-T Assistant Professor of Ecohydrology. OUF; Closes 1 April. http://bit.ly/3sne0Fu 

3) Some General Employment Resources                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     AGU Career Center for research/academic jobs

GoodWorkCanada - Canada's Green Jobs Site

Congressional Research Service Positions

Check out @AidJobs - Vacancies in aid, development, humanitarian & nonprofit sector (volunteers, consultants or F-T employment) https://aidjobs.org

Conservation Jobs Board

UN Jobs in Water Resources

UN Jobs in Water Management

UN Jobs in Water and Sanitation

Global Water Jobs

WASH Vacancies

Academic Jobs Online

Higher Education Job Site

Get Hydrology Jobs

AAG Jobs

@BCWaterNews Jobs Click View Jobs

@EcologyWA - Current Openings - Updated every few days. Click here.

King County (WA)Jobs

Geoscience Job Board

California DWR Jobs

AZ Water Career Center

Florida Water Jobs

NYC DEP

Nature Conservancy jobs

State of Washington Careers

Idaho DEQ

OSU Water Resources Program

Water District Jobs

Academic Jobs in Schools of Physical/Earth Sciences

Mac's List - Jobs in Portland and Beyond!

New Zealand Hydrological Society Jobs Board

Government Jobs

Association of Oregon Counties Job Postings

Soil Science Societies Career Center

How to Find Work Overseas, with Marcelle Yeager. https://bit.ly/1pIopLT

For the full list of Josh's active water jobs, please visit www.joshswaterjobs.com/jobs

Enjoy!

“Some people are born on third base and go through life thinking they hit a triple.” – Barry Switzer

Elaine J. Hanford's Bulletin Boards: 1) Geoscience; 2) Environmental Science; 3) Coastal Zone Management - 22 February 2021

From Elaine: how about this rare 'smoke ring' from a volcanic eruption in Guatemala.

Enjoy!

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PDF: Download Bulletin_Boards_22February2021

Word: Download Bulletin_Boards_22February2021

Note: If a link does not work, try pasting the URL into your browser. 

Check out Elaine's coronavirus/COVID-19 section in the ES BB.

Geoscience Bulletin Board – 22 February 2021 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford

Adding more detail on the Chicxulub Meteor – fragment of a comet

• https://finance.yahoo.com/news/theory-claims-finally-reveal-dinosaurs-095947787.html
• https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/02/astronomers-a-comet-fragment-not-an-asteroid-killed-off-the-dinosaurs/

Rare “smoke ring” from eruption of Fuego volcano in Guatemala

• https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/guatemala-volcano-fuego-smoke-rings-b1802419.html

Triple ice volcanoes erupt on Lake Michigan

• https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2021/02/15/rare-triple-ice-volcanoes-lake-superior/4487895001/

Well-preserved Cambrian metazoans discovered in Central Asian Orogeny Belt in Mongolia

• https://natureecoevocommunity.nature.com/posts/exceptionally-preserved-early-metazoans-discovered-in-mongolia

Narcetes shonanmaruae - Discovery of a giant Yokazuna Slickhead in the ocean

• https://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-species-fish-yokazuna-slickhead-deep-sea-predator-japan/
• Paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-80203-6

New simulations of outer core have magnetic field that matches paleomagnetic data

• https://eos.org/articles/how-geodynamo-models-churn-the-outer-core

Global winds shift as climate varies

• https://eos.org/articles/dust-on-the-wind

Sooty layers and charcoal in stalagmites of caves occupied thousands of years ago

• https://eos.org/articles/sooty-layers-in-stalagmites-record-human-activity-in-caves

Wind stress provides momentum for upper ocean – momentum flux may be larger than stress

• https://eos.org/editor-highlights/wind-stress-is-not-the-ceiling-of-momentum-flux-to-the-ocean
• Paper: https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2020JC016839

What happens if you are in the bathtub when a major earthquake hits?

• https://www.huffpost.com/entry/japan-bath-earthquake_n_6029f339c5b6591becd9f3f5

Rethinking the mammoth family tree base on new DNA data

• https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/02/million-year-old-mammoth-dna-rewrites-animals-evolutionary-tree/
• http://www.sci-news.com/paleontology/pleistocene-mammoth-dna-09365.html

Evidence from Australia of major shift in magnetic poles of Earth – Laschamp excursion

• https://www.spacedaily.com/reports/We_found_the_first_Australian_evidence_of_a_major_shift_in_Earths_magnetic_poles_999.html
• https://theconversation.com/we-found-the-first-australian-evidence-of-a-major-shift-in-earths-magnetic-poles-it-may-help-us-predict-the-next-155040
• https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/02/210216092853.htm

Climate change at end of last Ice Age, along with human hunting, killed off megafauna

• https://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Climate_change_killed_off_mammoths_sloths_megafauna_999.html
• Paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-21201-8

Model of 30-meter-deep methane crater in Siberian permafrost

• https://www.spacedaily.com/reports/3D_model_shows_off_the_insides_of_a_giant_permafrost_crater_999.html

Spillover effect of marine reserves

• https://www.nsf.gov/discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=302122&org=GEO&from=news
• Paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-82371-5

New thermodynamic model for crystallization of peridotite in the mantle

• https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/02/210217091022.htm
• Paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-21343-9

Crocodiles are resilient – they survived the Ice Age glaciations

• https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/02/210217091049.htm

Earthquakes triggered large rockslides in the Eastern Alps

• https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/02/210216133402.htm
• Paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-21327-9

Do fish poop in the ocean?  Contribute 1.65 billion tons a year

• https://phys.org/news/2021-02-fishes-contribute-roughly-billion-tons.html

Eskay Creek is among highest-grade open-pit assets in the world

• https://investors.skeenaresources.com/high-grade-open-pit-gold/

USGS updates mineral database for the mineral commodity niobium

• https://www.usgs.gov/news/usgs-updates-mineral-database-niobium-deposits-united-states?qt-news_science_products=1#qt-news_science_products

Trying to explain severe winter storms as consequence of “global warming” – do they not want to admit the glaciers might be returning?

• https://www.yahoo.com/news/freak-cold-texas-scientists-discussing-201215265.html
• https://news.yahoo.com/extreme-winter-storms-arent-inconsistent-with-global-warming-and-will-continue-for-decades-expert-says-100049313.html

Cold lava flood from Mount Semeru on Java Island

• https://en.tempo.co/read/1434574/cold-lava-flows-from-mount-semeru-today

Ancient Kauri tree log from New Zealand allows more accurate analysis of last magnetic field reversal

• https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-02/ggph-4ta021921.php
• https://phys.org/news/2021-02-earth-magnetic-field-broke-years.html
• https://phys.org/news/2021-02-ancient-relic-earth-history-years.html

Continental Drift was once considered “pseudo science”

• https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/continental-drift-a-revolutionary-theory-that-was-once-considered

New 3D model of full spectrum of slip behaviors in Nankai Subduction Zone – co-seismic slip & after-slip

• https://eos.org/research-spotlights/an-innovative-approach-for-investigating-subduction-slip-budgets

Saharan dust arriving in Europe

• https://phys.org/news/2021-02-saharan-europe-weekend.html

The messy business of mining sand

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/messy-business-sand-mining-055618294.html

Environmental Science Bulletin Board – 22 February 2021 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford

Texas crisis once again demonstrates there is no such thing as a “natural disaster”

• https://slate.com/technology/2021/02/texas-no-such-thing-as-natural-disaster.html

A financing “hiccup” for the estimated $8B high-speed rail from LA to Las Vegas

• https://www.constructiondive.com/news/brightline-socal-rail-project-still-on-track-despite-financing-cost-issues/594835/

35 bison moved from Montana to Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota

• https://billingsgazette.com/outdoors/american-prairie-reserve-donates-bison-to-south-dakota-tribes/article_6e2425d4-d608-5cbd-95c6-4be2fe09adb8.html

Chairman of Senate Energy Committee asks for reversal of decision to cancel Keystone XL Pipeline

• https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-climate-change-west-virginia-joe-manchin-33dc75f4e63ad43cdc861d0450e227f4

Ice shuts down wind turbines in Texas

• https://finance.yahoo.com/news/frozen-wind-farms-just-small-002954294.html

Hamburg, Iowa, receives approval fro US Army COE to raise flood protection levee - $8M to raise 8 feet

• https://apnews.com/article/floods-iowa-b1b61ce296b4ac9755ae5ce910950e74

“Proper” restoration of the Everglades will alleviate many environmental concerns

• https://keysweekly.com/42/proper-everglades-restoration-will-alleviate-many-environmental-concerns-expert-says/

CRS Report:  SCOTUS Preview of Environmental & Energy Law Cases & Rulings 2019-2021

• https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R46667

More trees do not necessarily equate to a cooler climate

• https://phys.org/news/2021-02-trees-cooler-planet-geographer.html
• Paper: https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/7/7/eaax8859

Is “green steel” a possibility?  Reducing environmental impacts of the steel industry

• https://www.afr.com/companies/manufacturing/the-race-for-green-steel-depends-on-hydrogen-advances-20210122-p56w2p
• https://www.spglobal.com/platts/en/market-insights/latest-news/metals/012121-feature-green-steel-whos-paying
• https://www.nord-lock.com/insights/knowledge/2020/green-steel/

Heavier cell phone use increases risk of tumors

• https://www.saferemr.com/2020/11/new-review-study-tumor-risk.html

Corn Belt in the Midwest has lost a third of its carbon rich soil across nearly 100M acres

• https://www.umass.edu/newsoffice/article/corn-belt-farmland-has-lost-third-its

Black panther spotted in Puglia, Italy, likely an escaped “pet”

• https://www.yahoo.com/news/black-panther-spotted-southern-italy-090024816.html

The root cause of their injuries is blatantly illegally crossing the US Border

• https://www.youtube.com/https://www.yahoo.com/news/war-zone-migrants-wounded-falling-060204038.htmlwatch

Environmental cleanup underway on 1,400-acre former oil refinery on Schuykill River in South Philadelphia

• https://www.yahoo.com/news/massive-refinery-cleanup-faces-century-104141262.html
• https://news.yahoo.com/150-years-spills-philadelphia-refinery-110121876.html

Two died in Houston, Texas, from carbon monoxide poisoning from using car for heat in the garage

• https://www.yahoo.com/news/two-dead-carbon-monoxide-poisoning-130200411.html

Winter storm in Pacific Northwest caused power outages & brings potential for flooding

• https://apnews.com/article/floods-storms-power-outages-oregon-boise-e3ee77c6b30d19447f4de19817d32dd9

Renewing call for removal of 4 hydroelectric dams (estimated cost $33B) on Snake River despite $17B “improvements” that did little to help salmon

• https://apnews.com/article/mike-simpson-spokane-dams-fish-salmon-4faa591c3a7bd32a3f7a43dc94164adb

Technological hazard:  reassessing cybersecurity of water plants

• https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2021/02/michigan-urges-water-plants-to-eyeball-cybersecurity-after-florida-breach.html

50 years after Sylmar EQ & failure of Lower Van Norman Dam – dams remain at risk in California

• https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2021-02-10/earthquakes-climate-change-threaten-california-dams

Remediation delayed at many sites as Superfund moneys have dwindled

• https://cen.acs.org/environment/pollution/Declining-funds-slow-US-hazardous/99/web/2021/02
• https://uspirgedfund.org/news/usf/new-report-toxic-waste-cleanup-efforts-lag-putting-americans-risk
• Report: https://uspirgedfund.org/sites/pirg/files/reports/USP_AME_SuperfundUnderfunded_1.pdf

Anti-energy policies may lead to even bigger problems for the country

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/texas-grid-trouble-offers-warnings-about-biden-s-anti-energy-policies/ar-BB1dKg3M

Sea-to-Sea project proposed to import ocean water to the Salton Sea – a very expensive BandAid

• https://holtvilletribune.com/2021/02/holtville-local-news/salton-sea-could-ocean-water-import-be-fix/

Modest in name “Regional Conveyance System” pipeline to take Colorado River water to San Diego would not be modest in cost (estimated $5B) nor environmental impacts

• https://www.gazettextra.com/news/nation_world/a-5-billion-water-project-could-drill-through-anza-borrego-park-is-it-a-pipe/article_a432e5b6-b465-5157-bc04-ae621fdbfcb3.html

Proposed project to stop 48M gallons of combined sewage overflows into Rouge River & Lake Erie

• https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/oakland/2021/02/10/oakland-wayne-project-rouge-river-sewage-overflows/6705291002/

OMG!  Humans have a plan to “fix” the biodiversity crisis

• https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24933223-300-rescue-plan-for-nature-how-to-fix-the-biodiversity-crisis/
• Link to IPBES Report: https://ipbes.net/global-assessment

Assessing demands for water and energy in California – can demands be met?

• https://eos.org/articles/adaptation-can-compound-climate-change-impacts-on-energy-and-water

Visualizing demographics – countries with most old and young people

• https://www.visualcapitalist.com/worlds-youngest-and-oldest-countries/

Call for investigation of management of Texas power grid during winter storm – shocking bills

• https://www.npr.org/2021/02/16/968357225/texas-governor-calls-for-investigation-into-group-that-manages-state-power-grid
• https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/02/texas-power-grid-crumples-under-the-cold/
• https://www.yahoo.com/news/5-152-power-bill-texas-192316981.html

How cold is it in Texas?  Cold enough to bring the animals inside to help them survive!

• https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/chimpanzee-monkeys-die-texas-sanctuary-192037908.html

Environmental activists were killed in 2020

• https://www.npr.org/2021/02/09/965830153/when-defending-the-land-puts-your-own-life-at-risk
• Link to report: https://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/environmental-activists/defending-tomorrow/

Legislative measures on public lands next week face vote in House next week

• https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2021/02/package-public-lands-bills-expected-face-house-vote-next-week

Two unrelated outbreaks of Ebola – Guinea & more cases in DRC

• https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/02/ebola-outbreak-erupts-in-guinea-as-cases-tick-up-in-the-drc/

Remote sensing to measure photosynthesis on Earth

• https://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Measuring_photosynthesis_on_Earth_from_space_999.html
• Paper: https://essd.copernicus.org/articles/13/281/2021/

Flash flood from collapse of valley glacier in India causes water quality degradation in Delhi

• https://www.terradaily.com/reports/Himalaya_flood_disaster_hits_Delhi_water_supply_999.html

Sicilian village cleaning up volcanic debris following eruption of Mount Etna

• https://phys.org/news/2021-02-sicilian-village-ash-stones-mt.html

Detailed chemical profile of air pollution sources in Delhi

• https://phys.org/news/2021-02-chemical-profile-delhi-air-pollution.html
• Paper: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0045653521003829?via%3Dihub

Reducing health risk in swimming pools by reducing chlorine disinfection by-products

• https://phys.org/news/2021-02-pools-safer-chlorine-disinfection-byproducts.html

People are leaving the City by the Bay – population exodus from San Francisco

• https://www.yahoo.com/news/bay-area-exodus-leading-edge-130214666.html

Dupont accused of selling plant in south Louisiana to avoid paying for emission offsets

• https://www.yahoo.com/news/revealed-chemicals-giant-sold-louisiana-110018424.html

CRS In Focus:  Federal Land Management Agencies & Federal Lands and Related Resources

• https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF10585
• https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R43429

Change in federal policy means our southern border & national sovereignty are no longer secure

• https://www.yahoo.com/news/number-migrant-families-arriving-mexico-141710031.html
• https://www.yahoo.com/news/migrants-move-again-mexico-central-050136039.html
• https://www.yahoo.com/news/migrants-mexican-camp-brave-icy-182106902.html
• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/biden-s-dangerous-border-policy/ar-BB1dNr07

COLD winter temperatures are killing off destructive emerald ash borer in Minnesota

• https://www.yahoo.com/news/editorial-tree-pests-freezing-too-230000615.html

Chemistry can help make plastics less harmful – but didn’t chemistry help create the problem?

• https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00391-7

Progress on Ellicott City flood mitigation efforts – video:  Ellicott City Safe & Sound

• https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/howard/cng-ho-safe-and-sound-update-20210217-4zftidks2ffazkqwafc7vv5pwi-story.html

Touting green design for $1.6B Bois d’Arc Lake drinking water reservoir project in Texas

• https://stormwater.wef.org/2021/02/north-texas-river-project-champions-green-design/

Requesting more extensive environmental review of plutonium core project in New Mexico

• https://apnews.com/article/new-mexico-south-carolina-30d3e3dd6a7633c833e6b61830983687

US to rejoin Paris Accord – now the nation will pay extra for what it has already accomplished assuming that CO2 emissions are meaningful

• https://www.yahoo.com/news/u-rejoins-paris-climate-agreement-100014018.html
• https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/12/climate-change-emissions-environment-paris-agreement-emitters/
• https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/greenhouse-gas-emissions-continue-decline-american-economy-flourishes-under-trump-0
• https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/inventory-us-greenhouse-gas-emissions-and-sinks
• 1990-2019 Report: https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/draft-inventory-us-greenhouse-gas-emissions-and-sinks-1990-2019
• https://phys.org/news/2021-02-pandemic-track-paris-climate-goals.html

Cloning the endangered black-footed ferret – attempt to increase genetic diversity?

• https://www.yahoo.com/news/two-month-old-ferret-clone-031153748.html

Technological hazard:  breaching cybersecurity of civilian government networks

• https://apnews.com/article/us-cybersecurity-hacks-solarwinds-4ae46954c9fd6cb881207d5384c2b250

Technological hazard:  Facebook shuts down (blocks) users in Australia

• https://slate.com/technology/2021/02/australia-facebook-news-blackout.html

New damage detected at Fukushima Nuclear Plant – 2011 damage worsened by recent M7.3 earthquake

• https://www.manufacturing.net/safety/news/21284018/water-leaks-indicate-new-damage-at-fukushima

Half of all rivers in the world are heavily impacted by humans – loss of fish biodiversity

• https://phys.org/news/2021-02-decade-long-rivers-world-heavily-impacted.html

Potential new approach to farming – not just crop rotation but moving crop locations to reduce pollution

• https://www.farmprogress.com/crops/study-looks-reallocating-crops-pollution-reductions

Release of nutrients from lake-bottom sediments in Lake Erie enhance annual “dead zone”

• https://news.umich.edu/release-of-nutrients-from-lake-bottom-sediments-worsens-lake-eries-annual-dead-zone-could-intensify-as-climate-warms/
• Paper: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsestwater.0c00138

Global assessment suggest nature sanitizes 2M+ cubic meters of human waste (feces & urine) each year

• https://phys.org/news/2021-02-global-cities-nature-sanitizes-million.html
• Paper: https://www.cell.com/one-earth/fulltext/S2590-3322(21)00049-X

Photo-essay:  Wildlife in India is dying in human filth

• https://techio.co/in-photos-indias-diverse-wildlife-is-drowning-and-dying-in-human-filth/

CORONAVIRUS

Coronavirus COVID-19 statistics by country (click on USA to get State statistics)

• https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/
• https://time.com/5800901/coronavirus-map/
• interactive maps: https://geodacenter.github.io/covid/map.html

‘Politicized science’ and ‘consensus science’ are not the scientific method – rational empiricism & skepticism are inherent in the scientific method

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/politicized-science-is-not-science-at-all-opinion/ar-BB1dNXyV

Assessing the state of infection in India – why are “cases” dropping

• https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/coronavirus-pandemic-finally-coming-end-002235377.html

“Cases” and deaths across the US are declining significantly – Why? not because of vaccines though policy makers are trying to take credit

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/why-are-covid-19-cases-really-falling/ar-BB1dO6QL
• https://www.yahoo.com/news/covid-19-cases-dropping-us-223500142.html
• https://www.yahoo.com/news/coronavirus-cases-fall-44-states-100035520.html

A return to “normal” by Christmas????

• https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/16/politics/biden-town-hall-february/index.html

Visualizing Global attitudes toward vaccines

• https://www.visualcapitalist.com/visualizing-global-attitudes-towards-covid-19-vaccines/

Are new school guidelines really “science based” and free from political meddling?

• https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/02/cdc-releases-updated-science-based-school-guidelines/

Virus will become endemic if this time it is successful in cross-species transmission

• https://currently.att.yahoo.com/att/cm/health-officials-coronavirus-likely-become-103017281.html

What % efficacy means – it is an estimate of likelihood that it prevented illness during drug trial

• https://www.yahoo.com/news/interpret-efficacy-rates-coronavirus-vaccines-150800901.html

Why healthcare workers are rejecting vaccines

• https://www.yahoo.com/news/heres-why-surprising-number-healthcare-140332141.html

Vaccines to be tested in pregnant women

• https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/news/2021/02/18/pfizer-biontech-covid-vaccine-pregnant-women-study

Last surviving male member of exterminated indigenous Juma group in Brazil dies

• https://www.yahoo.com/news/last-surviving-male-member-exterminated-142328587.html

Coastal Zone Management Bulletin Board – 22 February 2021 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford

Manatees and dolphins basking in shallow waters of Florida

• https://www.yahoo.com/news/nearly-200-florida-manatees-filmed-080006963.html

• Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Twk28BV7kWQ

Sea turtles rescued from Texas Gulf Coast waters

• https://www.yahoo.com/news/dozens-struggling-sea-turtles-rescued-154813500.html

Optimism that coral transplants at Dry Tortugas will be successful

• https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2021/02/researchers-optimistic-over-elkhorn-coraltransplants-dry-tortugas

Debate begins on $550M port upgrades in South Carolina

• https://apnews.com/article/nfl-technology-columbia-football-financial-marketsaddd00772d5c87d4b414cb8fefade0b9

Controversial US Army COE plan to protect Miami-Dade coast from flooding & storm surge

• https://www.local10.com/news/local/2021/02/16/us-army-corps-of-engineers-plan-to-protectmiami-dade-coast-from-flooding-and-storm-surge-ongoing/

MIDAS model predicts migration to threatened coastal areas may increase in some areas

• https://www.princeton.edu/news/2021/02/17/despite-sea-level-rise-risks-migration-somethreatened-coastal-areas-may-increase

• Paper: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/abdc5b/pdf

A1A Scenic & Historic Coastal Byway now designated as All American Road

• https://www.palmcoastobserver.com/article/a1a-scenic-and-historic-coastal-bywaydesignated-as-an-all-american-road

In Maine, “blue carbon” coastal ecosystems provide vital function

• https://www.pressherald.com/2021/02/18/maine-voices-blue-carbon-for-a-green-future/

Gloucester, Massachusetts, maritime history helps draw artists

• https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/why-this-salty-massachusetts-coastaltown-casts-a-spell-on-artists

Port of San Diego mimics tide pools as part of pilot project to test effectiveness for coastal protection

• https://www.thelog.com/local/port-of-san-diego-testing-out-new-tide-pool-armor-as-coastalprotection-on-harbor-island/

“Coastal darkening” caused by murky water is viewed as environmental nuisance & threat to marine life

• https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2021/02/coastal-darkening-threatening-marinelife/618007/

Call for ban on hunting in Cowichan Bay Estuary

• https://www.cowichanvalleycitizen.com/opinion/ban-hunting-in-the-cowichan-bay-estuary/

Muck trap to keep Lake Worth Lagoon, Florida, clean does not always work

• https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/weather/2021/02/18/muck-trap-keep-lake-worthlagoon-clean-doesnt-always-work/6762086002/

Bobcat spotted in Squamish Estuary

• https://www.squamishchief.com/local-news/bobcat-spotted-in-the-squamish-estuary-video-3429472

Hastings oyster farmers to assist with Tide to Tip cleanup of marine debris in estuaries

• https://www.portnews.com.au/story/7129236/oyster-farmers-unite-in-estuary-clean-upcampaign/

Justices to hear old water rights case: Georgia vs Florida wanting to protect oysters in the Bay

• https://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-news/florida-to-supreme-court-gas-excessive-water-usekilling-bays-oysters/XNHF4CAMJBCLVCB2GURP2OGK6A/

New legislation intended to bolster Puget Sound restoration

• http://masonwebtv.com/archives/42890

Mobile Bay National Estuary Program seeking public input on watershed management plan

• https://alabamanewscenter.com/2021/02/17/share-your-thoughts-about-worlds-mostbiodiverse-body-of-water/

Tidal wetland restoration nearing completion as permanent channel being constructed to fill in Bahia

Grande along Texas Gulf coast – 1930s ship channel

• https://www.valleycentral.com/richard-moore-outdoor-report1/richard-moore-outdoor-reportbahia-grande-resurgence/

Response to 7,000+ liter diesel spill along central coast of British Columbia

• https://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/crews-respond-to-diesel-spill-in-b-c-central-coast-1.5314496

Pensacola Bay Bridge scheduled to partially reopen in mid-March

• https://www.pnj.com/story/news/2021/02/18/pensacola-bay-bridge-targeted-reopen-march-22-lane-restrictions/6787797002/

Perspective: reviewing the plan to spend $877M on coastal projects in Louisiana

• https://www.nola.com/news/environment/article_9a95c5f6-7222-11eb-90accfd52f938cb3.html

"Philosophers are people who don't want what they can't have." - Unknown

Where Is the Bottom of a Watershed? Does It Matter?

Damned if I know the answers to those questions!

That's the title of a short paper I just stumbled upon - serendipity at work, as usual. It was published about a year ago:  

Condon, L. E., Markovich, K. H., Kelleher, C. A., McDonnell, J. J., Ferguson, G., & McIntosh, J. C. (2020). Where is the bottom of a watershed? Water Resources Research, 56, e2019WR026010. https://doi.org/ 10.1029/2019WR026010

Read it online here.

Download 2019WR026010

Key Points:

• Methods for defining the bottom of a watershed vary greatly across the hydrologic community

• Improved communication and collaborative efforts between the catchment hydrology and hydrogeology communities are needed

Abstract
Watersheds have served as one of our most basic units of organization in hydrology for over 300 years (Dooge, 1988, https://doi.org/10.1080/02626668809491223; McDonnell, 2017, https://doi.org/10.1038/ ngeo2964; Perrault, 1674, https://www.abebooks.com/first‐edition/lorigine‐fontaines‐Perrault‐Pierre‐Petit‐ Imprimeur/21599664536/bd). With growing interest in groundwater‐surface water interactions and subsurface flow paths, hydrologists are increasingly looking deeper. But the dialog between surface water hydrologists and groundwater hydrologists is still embryonic, and many basic questions are yet to be posed, let alone answered. One key question is: where is the bottom of a watershed? Knowing where to draw the bottom boundary has not yet been fully addressed in the literature, and how to define the watershed “bottom” is a fraught question. There is large variability across physical and conceptual models regarding how to implement a watershed bottom, and what counts as “deep” varies markedly in different communities. In this commentary, we seek to initiate a dialog on existing approaches to defining the bottom of the watershed. We briefly review the current literature describing how different communities typically frame the answer of just how deep we should look and identify situations where deep flow paths are key to developing realistic conceptual models of watershed systems. We then review the common conceptual approaches used to delineate the watershed lower boundary. Finally, we highlight opportunities to trigger this potential research area at the interface of catchment hydrology and hydrogeology.

1. On the Definition of Deep
Studies have demonstrated that groundwater is an important control on runoff generation (Buttle, 1994; Konikow & Leake, 2014; Tetzlaff et al., 2014; Zimmer & McGlynn, 2017), solute fluxes (Kirchner & Neal, 2013), transit time distributions (Hale & McDonnell, 2016; Maxwell et al., 2016; McGuire & McDonnell, 2006; Soulsby et al., 2006; Visser et al., 2019), ecohydrological processes (Fan, 2015; Horton et al., 2001; Koirala et al., 2017; Laio et al., 2009), and the behavior of earth system models (Clark et al., 2015; Krakauer et al., 2014). At the watershed (or catchment, used interchangeably here to refer to drainage basins) scale, nested local to regional groundwater flow paths emerge naturally from topography, and groundwater dis- charge is often a mix of shallow and deep flow paths (Figure 1). Yet the bulk of the effort to understand and represent groundwater interactions is limited to the shallowest part of the groundwater system. Catchment and land surface models commonly extend 2–3 m into the soil column and may exclude “deeper” storage or rely on a lumped approach to groundwater storage (Clark et al., 2015; Fan et al., 2019; Sellers et al., 1996). Recent critical zone (CZ) research extends deeper, generally looking tens of meters into the subsurface, while integrated groundwater‐surface water models tend to cover tens to hundreds of meter depth (Figure 1).

Although 100 m may sound deep as viewed by a catchment hydrologist, this is still less than the extent of many deep groundwater systems. Modern groundwater, as defined by the presence of tritium, is typically found at depths extending to 250 m (Gleeson et al., 2016). Similarly, active circulation of groundwater in mountain aquifers has been noted in the upper 100–200 m (Gleeson & Manning, 2008; Manning & Caine, 2007; Markovich, Manning, et al., 2019). We routinely pump groundwater for human usage from depths exceeding 100 m (Ferguson, McIntosh, Perrone, et al., 2018), and there are many examples of highly produc- tive agricultural regions that rely on deep groundwater systems (e.g., Scanlon et al., 2012).

Looking deeper, Pleistocene meteoric recharge has been found in both sedimentary and crystalline environ- ments at depths of up to 1,000 m (McIntosh et al., 2012). More recent work has characterized most groundwater at depths >250 m as pre‐Holocene in age (Jasechko et al., 2017). Groundwater discharge from these deep regional flow systems has been noted in the Colorado Plateau (Crossey et al., 2006) and the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin (Grasby & Betcher, 2002). Below a few thousand meters, most ground- waters are essentially stagnant over periods of millions of years due to a combination of low permeability (Ingebritsen & Manning, 1999; Warr et al., 2018) and negative buoyancy (Ferguson, McIntosh, Grasby, et al., 2018). The transition from fresh to saline groundwater generally occurs between 500 and 1,000 m (Ferguson, McIntosh, Perrone, et al., 2018). Nevertheless, deeper exceptions to these generalizations exist, particularly in mountainous regions where thermal springs with meteoric origins have circulation depths of up to 5,000 m (Ferguson & Grasby, 2011; Grasby & Hutcheon, 2001).

2. On the Importance of Going Deep
The fact that we can often observe modern groundwater hundreds of meters deep does not necessarily mean that every watershed study needs to extend to these depths. What defines a reasonable watershed bottom boundary will vary depending on the research questions, hydrogeologic setting, scale, available observations and computational resources (Ameli et al., 2018). As a first step, we advocate simply a critical assessment of whether “deep” flow paths (in this case referring to paths that extend deeper than one's current conceptual model) are potentially relevant in a particular place or to a given research question. To illustrate the potential importance of including deep flowpaths, we identify three cases where deep flow paths are key to developing a realistic conceptual model.

First, in places where deep flow paths contribute significantly to the catchment water balance, excluding these flow paths may lead to an incorrect formulation of the water balance or a fundamentally flawed con- ceptual model. Across larger river basins, Schaller and Fan (2009) and Fan (2019) challenged the commonly held view that catchments are closed systems, finding instead that many are regional groundwater importers or exporters. Similarly, multiple CZOs and other experimental sites operating at headwater scales have found that groundwater in fractured bedrock aquifers commonly contributes to streamflow (Brantley et al., 2017; Jin et al., 2011; Markovich, Dahlke, et al., 2019; McIntosh et al., 2017; Payn et al., 2012; White et al., 2019). Key to this discussion is the recent recognition that even at well‐studied sites, we are only begin- ning to detect that our “shallow views” on the hydrologic cycle may miss large fluxes of water or oversimplify our conceptual models of these systems. A recent study at the well‐studied Maimai catchment in New Zealand exemplifies this by demonstrating that deep groundwater, recharged in first‐order catchments, sub- sidizes flows to their parent watersheds (Ameli et al., 2018). This finding was all the more surprising consid- ering the super‐humid climate, steep topography, and low permeability bedrock—characteristics that are generally cited in shallow flowpath conceptualizations (Gleeson et al., 2011; Gleeson & Manning, 2008). A recent review by Fan (2019) suggests that such subsidies may be important in a range of watersheds settings.

Analysis of deep flow paths should not be limited to the natural interactions. Deep flow paths may be increasingly important where groundwater pumping and management operations are accessing ground- water, and connecting groundwater to the surface water budget through irrigation or other uses. Across the United States there is a trend of increasing well depth as wells are being drilled deeper to counter water scarcity (Perrone & Jasechko, 2019). This pumping represents a critical water supply for human activities but can have adverse environmental impacts. While it is well established that groundwater pumping can result in some stream capture (Konikow & Leake, 2014), recent, large‐scale modeling efforts have helped quantify the total impact that widespread groundwater pumping can have on the surface water budget (Condon & Maxwell, 2019; Konikow & Leake, 2014). Current human activities at depth may spell unknown future impacts for surface water quantity and quality. However, the treatment of hydrostratigraphy in many large‐scale watershed models remains simplistic and further work is needed to evaluate water quality at depth and the effects of pumping in deeper wells. Konikow and Leake (2014) note that deeper confined aqui- fers are less likely to result in capture of streamflow than pumping in shallower unconfined aquifers.

Second, even when deeper flowpaths contribute minimally to bulk discharge, they can still account for a dis- proportionate amount of solute fluxes. Rumsey et al. (2017) estimated that groundwater discharge to the Upper Colorado River accounted for 89% of the dissolved load in the river despite baseflow accounting for less than 44% of discharge at most gauges. While there was no attempt to determine the relative importance of groundwater and solute contributions from different depths in that study, the increase in salinity with depth typically observed in groundwater systems emphasizes the need to characterize deeper flowpaths to understand concentration‐discharge (C‐Q) relationships (Bluth & Kump, 1994; Grasby et al., 1999; Wymore et al., 2017). A deeper bottom boundary may also be necessary to capture legacy contamination. Van Meter et al. (2017) found that much of the nitrate in the Mississippi watershed was delivered as groundwater discharge. The depth of flowpaths was not explicitly explored in that study, but other regional studies in North America have found elevated nitrate concentrations to depths of up to 50 m (Mitchell et al., 2003; Nolan & Hitt, 2006; Rudolph et al., 2015).

Finally, deep flow paths are critical for characterizing the shape, and particularly the tails, of water residence time distributions (RTDs) and the transit time distributions (TTDs) of streamwater. While streamflow can be disproportionately fed by young (<3 months old) flowpaths (Berghuijs & Kirchner, 2017; Jasechko et al., 2016), analysis of transit times during low flow periods has shown the opposite—that substantially older flowpaths feed rivers during these times (>20 years; Gabrielli et al., 2018; Rademacher et al., 2005). Similarly, Maxwell et al. (2016) showed that topographically controlled groundwater systems can result in a larger diversity in subsurface flow paths and that groundwater configuration can control RTD shape. These shapes are linked to plant available water and streamflow generation. Exploring how Earth's CZ shapes deep groundwater flow pathways, groundwater RTD, and stream TTD remains a fundamental chal- lenge in the hydrologic sciences (Brooks et al., 2015).

Time to cut to the chase and skip to the end...

5. Summary and Vision for Moving Forward
This commentary highlights the disparate treatment of the watershed bottom across the hydrologic commu- nity. Though there are several paths forward, the first step may simply be a (vertical) shift in the depth we consider when building our conceptual models. We see three key opportunities to improve our representa- tions and understanding of this fundamental watershed characteristic:

1. Actually “observing” the bottom of a watershed remains a major challenge, but an important need. To this end, we need more observations at depth to characterize the vertical distribution of permeability. For example, CZ and other catchment studies often have too few wells below the interface of weathered and unweathered bedrock to adequately capture spatial variability of deep groundwater. There have been some advances in small borehole installation that have allowed for important discoveries related to residence time and active circulation depths in fractured rock systems (Gabrielli & McDonnell, 2012), but these generally extend to only 10 m or so. Additional deep well drilling and greater application of geophy- sical methods (e.g., White et al., 2019) are needed to provide spatial characterization of hydrostratigraphy down to 100–200 m. New 3‐D gridded datasets that make use of existing permeability data and data from a range of other sources are needed to improve modeling efforts at large scales.

2. We need new tools to characterize deep flow paths as well as the vertical storage and release of deep groundwater. The stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen have been workhorse tracers in water studies for decades. However, variability in flowpath lengths can be masked by similar isotopic signatures, and the tails of TTD may be truncated with these methods (Stewart et al., 2010). Collecting stable isotope data for both streamflow and precipitation with high frequency (e.g., von Freyberg et al., 2017) has led to insights in catchment response and is a novel area of development (Kirchner, 2019). Across the board, we advocate for additional tracer studies as well as the implementation of novel tracers, such as synthetic DNA (Dahlke et al., 2015), and tracers representing longer transit times, such as Argon‐39 (Loosli, 1983) to inform this important question.

3. Finally, we acknowledge that perfect information of subsurface architecture and permeability is probably unobtainable, especially outside heavily instrumented catchments. This means that we will always need to rely on numerical models of the subsurface. Within these numerical investigations, we need additional research to evaluate the sensitivity of simulated results to bottom boundary conceptualization and to characterize the systems and questions most sensitive to our representation and spatial configuration of the bottom. This is vital for large‐scale land surface and earth systems models where we are still iterating how best to represent the subsurface (Clark et al., 2015; Fan et al., 2019). We therefore advocate additional modeling and observational work across a more diverse set of sys- tems, including catchments in distinct climates (e.g., Tetzlaff et al., 2015), those with complex CZs (e.g., Buss et al., 2013; Hahm et al., 2019; Shi et al., 2013; Zimmer & McGlynn, 2017), and those experiencing human stressors and management (e.g., Bhaskar & Welty, 2015; Condon & Maxwell, 2019; McDonnell et al., 2018; Perrone & Jasechko, 2017; White et al., 2019).

   Above all, we need to critically interrogate our existing conceptual models of watershed systems and allow for more dialog on what the bottom of a watershed truly represents. Such interrogations may bring rethinking the water balance alongside our basic definition of watersheds into closer focus, accelerating the poten- tial for a new conceptual model of catchments to emerge. By improving our conceptualizations of this lower boundary, we are likely to bring hydrogeology and hydrology into closer contact, creating opportunities for the coevolution of knowledge and refining our perceptions of watershed functioning from a lateral as well as vertical lens—redefining watershed hydrology from the bottom‐up.

This is a thought-provoking paper. I have pondered this issue but have not investigated it to the degree the authors have. I was originally interested because of my desire to ensure that groundwater was considered in IWRM (integrated water resources management). My perception is that most IWRM practitioners treat watersheds (often the 'fundamental unit' in IWRM-based work) as two-dimensional entities (discounting the depth) and don't focus much on groundwater unless the source of water is predominantly groundwater from wells.     

Here's a classic flow diagram from Dr. Jozsef Toth: 

Does the depth to the bottom of the watershed matter? How about the bottom diagram:

I am not sure the depth of the above watershed matters. I guess it depends on your focus. 

The above graphics are not meant to suggest that I prefer 2D approaches. More to come on this interesting topic. Comments are welcomed!

Thanks to Condon et al. for the stimulation. 

Enjoy!

"When a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully." - Samuel Johnson

CRS Legal Sidebar: 'Court Rules Dakota Access Pipeline Needs Further Environmental Review'

Adam Vann wrote this brief (3+ pages) CRS Legal Sidebar (1 February 2021): Court Rules Dakota Access Pipeline Needs Further Environmental Review.

The map is not from the CRS report but here.

Download CRS_LegalSidebar_Court_Rule_DAPL_Env_Review_1Feb2021

Introduction
UPDATE: On January 26 2021, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit affirmed the district court’s decision requiring the Army Corps of Engineers to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) prior to issuance of an easement across federal land for the Dakota Access Pipeline, but reversed the district court’s injunction prohibiting the operation of the Pipeline and directing that it be emptied of oil. The original Sidebar discussing the district court case is below.

The Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL), a crude oil pipeline developed by Energy Transfer Partners, carries crude oil from the Bakken fields in northwest North Dakota to southern Illinois. As discussed in this Legal Sidebar, the DAPL has been the subject of extensive debate and media attention, as well as prolonged litigation. Much of the attention on the DAPL centers on the portion of the pipeline route that is near or runs under Lake Oahe in North Dakota, a lake that has particular significance to Native Americans in the region. The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (D.C. District Court) recently held that this controversial portion of the route needs further environmental review.

The Standing Rock Indian Reservation is shown in orange.

Background on DAPL Environmental Review
Because the pipeline crosses waters subject to regulation under the Clean Water Act and land controlled by the federal government, federal law required the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to issue several authorizations for the project, including authorization for the stretch of pipeline under Lake Oahe. The Corps’ federal actions triggered the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which requires federal agencies to assess the environmental impacts of a proposed action before making a decision about that action. Under NEPA, agencies considering actions not eligible for “categorical exclusions” must prepare Environmental Assessments (EAs). If the federal action will “significantly affect the quality of the human environment,” agencies must prepare an EIS. (Sometimes the agency skips the EA and moves directly to prepare the EIS.) Despite a previous determination that the Corps should prepare an EIS to assess the environmental impacts of the Corps action in depth, a 2017 Presidential Memorandum encouraged the Corps to consider a previously published EA–one that concluded with a Finding of No Significant Impact– sufficient to satisfy NEPA.

Cutting to the chase...

What’s Next for the DAPL?
The Corps is likely to move forward with both the EIS and an appeal of the D.C. District Court’s decision. In the meantime, the court asked the parties to brief the issue of whether the court must vacate the easement across Lake Oahe that allows the pipeline to flow until the review on remand is completed or the issue is otherwise resolved. As those judicial and administrative proceedings move forward, legislators also have the option of superseding judicial or agency action with legislative action related to the DAPL and NEPA obligations.

See what the Native Americans - water protectors of Standing Rock -say about the DAPL (from WBUR). Also check out this 2016 article from the High Country News about the creation of maps showing the DAPL route vis-a-vis Native American and other lands by Jennifer Veilleux and colleagues.

Enjoy!

"We've lost a lot of land to history. We have to stand up for our rights." - Lee Plenty Wolf, an Oglala Lakota from the Pine Ridge Reservation