WaterWired

Elaine J. Hanford's Bulletin Boards: 1) Geosciences; 2) Enviro-Sciences - 26 October 2015

Final one of October!

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Here are the lists in Word/PDF: 

As a PDF: Download Bulletin_Board_Listings_26Oct2015 

As a Word document: Download Bulletin_Board_Listings_26Oct2015

Geosciences Bulletin Board – 26 October 2015. Compiled by Elaine J. Hanford. Compilation of selected current news articles pertinent to the discipline.

In honor of BTTF, if Marty McFly was a geologist, how would his thoughts have changed?

• http://www.earthmagazine.org/article/bare-earth-elements-back-future-day-few-things-geoscientists-were-thinking-1985

The process of evaporation plays a key role in global climate

• http://www.technology.org/2015/10/24/evaporation-for-review-and-with-it-global-warming/ 

Want to find gold?  Then follow the trisulfur ion (S3-)

• http://phys.org/news/2015-10-trisulfur-anion-gold-deposits-earth.html

“Geospeedometer” suggests super-eruptions have short fuses

• http://phys.org/news/2015-10-geospeedometer-super-eruptions-short-fuses.html

Life on Earth may have started about 4.1 billion years ago, earlier than previously thought

• http://phys.org/news/2015-10-life-earth-billion-years-agomuch.html

Better understanding of North Pacific Ocean circulation may lead to improved global climate models that recognize importance of coastal sea ice

• http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/10/151020144838.htm

Study of zircons may mean revising timeline of early history of Earth and the Moon

• http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Study_questions_dates_for_cataclysms_on_early_moon_Earth_999.html

Massive rockfall in the Alps in photos and in video

• http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3286195/Incredible-moment-HUGE-Swiss-mountain-breaks-plummets-1-000-feet-destroying-forest.html
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSLVhNl4YxY

Salt content of the North Atlantic is a balance between melting ice and Mediterranean outflow

• http://phys.org/news/2015-10-climate-responsible-salt-north-atlantic.html

Massive landslide on Mount Steele is one of the largest of the year

• http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/mount-steele-landslide-2015-1.3284918

NASA prediction of an M5.0+ EQ in Los Angeles within 2.5 years causes controversy

• http://www.christiantoday.com/article/jolting.news.nasa.predicts.99.9.percent.chance.of.5.0.or.greater.magnitude.quake.in.los.angeles/68514.htm
• http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-quake-prediction-20151023-story.html
• http://www.terradaily.com/reports/USGS_questions_studys_alarming_LA_earthquake_prediction_999.html 

Risk of mega-tsunami comes from potential collapse of submarine volcano as evidenced in the geologic record

• http://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2015/10/traces-of-an-ancient-mega-tsunami/411970/

A study that attempts to define who counts as a climate scientist also raises questions

• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steven-newton/who-counts-as-a-climate-scientist_b_8332374.html

Hurricane Patricia sets record with low pressure reading as storm quickly intensified & then quickly weakened

• http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-10/nsfc-nar102315.php
• http://www.technology.org/2015/10/24/patricia-eastern-pacific/
• http://www.canberratimes.com.au/world/hurricane-patricia-explainer-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-monster-storm-20151023-gkhg0e.html
• http://www.canberratimes.com.au/world/hurricane-patricia-tops-list-of-worlds-strongest-storms-20151024-gkhm3c.html
• http://www.canberratimes.com.au/world/hurricane-patricia-downgraded-as-it-hits-mexicos-pacific-coast-20151024-gkhq7a.html

17 USGS streamgage records set during October 2015 flooding in South Carolina

• http://cenews.com/post/7761/floods-in-south-carolina-set-17-usgs-streamgage-records

From US BuRec:  “Technical Evaluation of the Gold King Mine Incident” San Juan County, Colorado

• https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/2475483/technical-evaluation-of-the-gold-king-mine.pdf

Enviro-Sciences Bulletin Board – 26 October 2015. Compiled by Elaine J. Hanford. Compilation of selected current news articles pertinent to the discipline.

Celebrating the beauty of the remarkable plants that humans call weeds

• http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/unique-flower-show-weeds-are-stars-180957015/

Lineage of Yersinia pestis predates the Black Death of the Middle Ages by about 3,300 years

• http://www.technology.org/2015/10/24/plague-infected-human-much-earlier-previously-thought/

And is another plague in our future?

• http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/ask-smithsonian-world-due-another-massive-plague-outbreak-180957001/  

New global wind atlas released…is that a good thing for energy production?

• http://www.technology.org/2015/10/24/new-wind-atlas-promote-sustainable-global-power-generation/ 

Ecological restoration projects, especially of old mining regions, should consider climate change to be more successful

• http://phys.org/news/2015-10-account-climate-reclamation-billions.html

Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), commonly used as coolants, have measureable deleterious impact on the ozone layer

• http://phys.org/news/2015-10-nasa-common-coolants-contribute-ozone.html

Use of sunscreen products protect us from skin cancer, but are toxic to ocean coral reefs

• http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/10/20/after-sunscreen-protects-humans-it-massacres-coral-reefs/

PCBs were banned in the 1970s but still pollute our environment and pose health risks

• http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/2015/oct/long-banned-chemicals-still-in-paint-contaminating-chicago2019s-air

PCBs are among persistent organic pollutants (POPs) that threaten wildlife in the Arctic

• http://www.takepart.com/article/2015/10/20/remote-arctic-island-civilizations-impacts-are-persistent

Changes in the shape of the Tree of Life

• http://www.earthmagazine.org/article/tree-life-reshaped

Perspective:  Are more studies of BPA really needed to confirm toxicity?

• http://montrealgazette.com/technology/science/the-right-chemistry-the-research-on-bpa-has-been-sufficient

Ecological paradox:  more rain leads to fewer trees in the African savanna

• http://www.terradaily.com/reports/More_rain_leads_to_fewer_trees_in_the_African_savanna_999.html

Fires in the Alaskan boreal forest release more carbon than the forests can absorb

• https://news.illinois.edu/blog/view/6367/265408

Massive slash & burn fires in Indonesia create worst air pollution in a decade in Thailand

• http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Worst_haze_in_a_decade_blankets_S_Thailand_999.html

Dead trees are very important for the health of the forest

• http://www.nsf.gov/discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=136524&org=GEO&from=news

Leaked map suggests O&G industry wants to develop in the Amazon, including in Manu National Park

• http://www.theguardian.com/environment/andes-to-the-amazon/2015/oct/24/leaked-map-reveals-big-gas-eyeing-most-biodiverse-place-on-earth

Saving forests means protected watersheds for many purposes, not just better beer

• http://www.treehugger.com/clean-water/saving-forest-beers.html

The dilemma of relying on “renewable energy” derived from burning wood

• http://reports.climatecentral.org/pulp-fiction/1/

Many species in the Caribbean survived the last Ice Age, but succumbed to the arrival of humans

• http://www.treehugger.com/climate-change/22-caribbean-species-survived-ice-age-went-extinct-when-humans-arrived.html

20 goals included in new Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan for restoring & protecting Long Island Sound

• http://cenews.com/post/7758/epa-and-partners-release-new-blueprint-to-protect-and-restore-long-island-sound

Abandoned gas wells become environmental liability for states

• http://www.npr.org/2015/10/19/449976530/with-abandoned-gas-wells-states-are-left-with-the-cleanup-bill

"Even Napoleon had his Watergate." - Yogi Berra

Paper: 'Complex Network Theory, Streamflow, and Hydrometric Monitoring System Design'

Hot off the press from HESS!

Halverson, M. J. and Fleming, S. W.: Complex network theory, streamflow, and hydrometric monitoring system design, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 19, 3301-3318, doi:10.5194/hess-19-3301-2015, 2015.

Download HalversonAndFleming_HydrologyAndEarthSystemSciences_2015

Abstract. Network theory is applied to an array of streamflow gauges located in the Coast Mountains of British Columbia (BC) and Yukon, Canada. The goal of the analysis is to assess whether insights from this branch of mathematical graph theory can be meaningfully applied to hy- drometric data, and, more specifically, whether it may help guide decisions concerning stream gauge placement so that the full complexity of the regional hydrology is efficiently captured. The streamflow data, when represented as a complex network, have a global clustering coefficient and average shortest path length consistent with small-world networks, which are a class of stable and efficient networks common in nature, but the observed degree distribution did not clearly indicate a scale-free network. Stability helps en- sure that the network is robust to the loss of nodes; in the context of a streamflow network, stability is interpreted as insensitivity to station removal at random. Community structure is also evident in the streamflow network. A network theoretic community detection algorithm identified separate communities, each of which appears to be defined by the combination of its median seasonal flow regime (pluvial, nival, hybrid, or glacial, which in this region in turn mainly reflects basin elevation) and geographic proximity to other communities (reflecting shared or different daily meteorological forcing). Furthermore, betweenness analyses suggest a handful of key stations which serve as bridges between communities and might be highly valued. We propose that an idealized sampling network should sample high-betweenness stations, small-membership communities which are by definition rare or undersampled relative to other communities, and index stations having large numbers of intracommunity links, while retaining some degree of redundancy to maintain network robustness. 

Nifty application of a branch of graph theory, my old friend from long ago. 

Enjoy!

”Know how to solve every problem that has ever been solved.” - Richard Feynman 

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Report: 'Technical Evaluation of the Gold King Mine Incident'

Here is the report from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. I have not read it yet - just the Executive Summary, which I have pasted below. Not encouraging.

Download Technical-evaluation-of-the-gold-king-mine

Executive Summary

On the morning of August 5, 2015, mine reclamation activities led by the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) onsite project team triggered an uncontrolled rapid release of approximately 3 million gallons of acid mine water from the Gold King Mine located about 5 miles north of Silverton, Colorado. Commonly referred to as a “mine blowout,” the outflow carried with it iron­ oxyhydroxide sediments that had deposited inside the mine workings. The iron­ oxyhydroxide absorbed heavy metals when it formed in the mine, and when released it changed the acid water to a vivid orange-brown color. The blowout eroded soil and rock debris from the mine portal, eroded pyritic rock and soil from the adjoining waste-rock dump, and eroded road-embankment fill from several downstream unpaved road stream crossings. Most of the eroded rock, gravel, and sand were deposited in Cement Creek. As the flow continued downstream, deposition of small amounts of soil particles mixed with orange- brown iron-oxyhydroxide precipitates containing heavy metals continued to occur along the Animas River and San Juan Rivers until the plume reached Lake Powell in Utah on August 14, 2015.

EPA requested an independent technical evaluation of the Gold King Mine incident. The evaluation provided in this report was performed by the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) and peer reviewed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).

In preparing this report, BOR found that the conditions and actions that led to the Gold King Mine incident are not isolated or unique, and in fact are surprisingly prevalent. The standards of practice for reopening and remediating flooded inactive and abandoned mines are inconsistent from one agency to another. There are various guidelines for this type of work but there is little in actual written requirements that government agencies are required to follow when reopening an abandoned mine.

The uncontrolled release at Gold King Mine was due to a series of events spanning several decades. Groundwater conditions in the upper reaches of Cement Creek have been significantly altered by the establishment of extensive underground mine workings, the extension of the American Tunnel to the Sunnyside Mine, and the subsequent plugging of the American Tunnel. The final events leading to the blowout and uncontrolled release of water occurred due to a combination of an inadequately designed closure of the mine portal in 2009 combined with a misinterpretation of the groundwater conditions when reopening the mine portal in 2014 and 2015.

In attempting to reopen the Gold King Mine, the EPA, in consultation with the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety (DRMS), concluded the adit was partially full of water based on excavations made in 2014 and 2015 into the downstream side of backfill placed at the portal. Adit seepage was observed in the downstream excavations to be emerging at an elevation about 6 feet above the adit floor. It was incorrectly concluded that the water level inside the mine was at a similar elevation, a few feet below the top of the adit roof. This error resulted in development of a plan to open the mine in a manner that appeared to guard against blowout, but instead led directly to the failure.

The collapsed material in the adit and the backfill added in 2009 were derived from the collapsed rock and soil that contained a significant amount of clay. It was not a typical roof collapse comprised of mostly cohesionless broken rock. The clay content contributed to the significant attenuation (head loss) of flow in the collapsed debris and the placed backfill as the mine water flowed through it. Also, deposition of iron-oxyhydroxide sediments inside the mine likely contributed to additional reductions in the seepage flow as the sediment layer grew thicker with the passage of time. Changes in seepage were observed and documented in photographs in both 2014 and 2015, but its implications with respect to attenuation of the flow through the fill were not accounted for.

After the EPA project team concluded that the adit was not full to the top with water, they implemented a plan to open the mine in a manner similar to the one used successfully to reopen the adit at the nearby Red and Bonita Mine in 2011. The plan consisted of excavating the fill to expose the rock crown over the adit but leave the fill below the adit roof in place. Then a steel pipe (“stinger”) would be inserted through the fill and into the mine pool, a pump would be attached, and the water in the mine would be pumped down.

A critical difference between the Gold King plan and that used at the Red and Bonita Mine in 2011 was the use in the latter case of a drill rig to bore into the mine from above and directly determine the level of the mine pool prior to excavating backfill at the portal. Although this was apparently considered at Gold King, it was not done. Had it been done, the plan to open the mine would have been revised, and the blowout would not have occurred.

The incident at Gold King Mine is somewhat emblematic of the current state of practice in abandoned mine remediation. The current state of practice appears to focus attention on the environmental issues. Abandoned mine guidelines and manuals provide detailed guidance on environmental sampling, waste characterization, and water treatment, with little appreciation for the engineering complexity of some abandoned mine projects that often require, but do not receive, a significant level of expertise. In the case of the Gold King incident, as in many others, there was an absence of the following:

1. An understanding that water impounded behind a blocked mine opening can create hydraulic forces similar to a dam. 

2. Analysis of potential failure modes. 

3. Analysis of downstream consequences if failure were to occur.

4. Engineering considerations that analyze the geologic and hydrologic conditions of the general area.

5. Monitoring to ensure that the structure constructed to close the mine portal continues to perform as intended.

6. An understanding of the groundwater system affecting all the mines in the area and the potential for work on one mine affecting conditions at another.

This evaluation report provides a detailed account of the basis for these findings and recommendations for prudent engineering considerations that EPA (and others) should consider to preclude the occurrence of similar incidents.

It is important to note that although the USACE peer reviewer agreed that the report properly describes the technical causes of the failure, he had serious reservations with the chronology of events internal to EPA from the day of the telephone call to BOR and up to the day of the mine failure. He pointed out that the actual cause of failure is some combination of issues related to EPA internal communications, administrative authorities, and/or a break in the decision path, and that the report was non-specific regarding the source of information concerning EPA documents and interviews with EPA employees and the onsite contractor. The USACE believes that the investigation and report should have described what happened internal within EPA that resulted in the path forward and eventually caused the failure. The report discusses field observations by EPA (and why they continued digging), but does not describe why a change in EPA field coordinators caused the urgency to start digging out the plug rather than wait for BOR technical input as prescribed by the EPA project leader.

The BOR Evaluation Team (evaluation team) believed that it was hired to perform a technical evaluation of the causes of the incident, and was not asked to look into the internal communications of the onsite personnel, or to determine why decisions were made. The evaluation team did not believe it was requested to perform an investigation into a “finding of fault,” and that those separate investigative efforts would be performed by others more suitable to that undertaking.

I won't say my usual 'Enjoy!'

 "...BOR found that the conditions and actions that led to the Gold King Mine incident are not isolated or unique, and in fact are surprisingly prevalent." - Executive Summary

TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 17 - 23 October 2015

To the Cubs' faithful, wait'll next year really means something these days. The New York Mets will face the Kansas City Royals for baseball supremacy. Go Mets!

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User's Guide - if you are new to this summary: each of the items here is a Tweet from my WaterWired Twitter account for the week ending today, arranged by category. It is not a comprehensive summary of the week's water news; it is my summary. 

To access a story, click on the link beginning with 'http://', 'is.gd', or 'bit.ly' (usually). Clicking on a link beginning with '@' will take you to that person's Twitter account;  clicking on a link beginning with '#' (hashtag) will take you to a Twitter list containing Tweets about a particular topic. Some items may not have a hot link to a story, which is fine - it may have been just an informational item or a personal message to someone. Or, I may have screwed up and forgotten the link!

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Scroll down to 'Positions Open' to see the jobs. All my individual job Tweets are archived at #JobWaWi. Previous weekly summaries are archived at:  #WaWiNews or click here.

Fabulous Fifteen + Four
Paper: 'Transboundary Aquifers along the Canada–USA Border: Science, Policy & Social Issues' http://bit.ly/1PHUxZ0    View this photo

@AGU_Eos Buzz Newsletter - 23 October 2015. The Latest Earth & Space Science News http://bit.ly/1MXftL2 

Hallelujah! @WorldBankWater Why it’s time to elevate groundwater http://bit.ly/1GZ0RUQ  (tnx @thewatercyclist) cc :@ngwatweets @GWPnews

RT @csmonitor Why conservatives applaud judges who blocked federal clean-water rules http://bit.ly/1Kgwv0b 

From @jfleck Albuquerque recovering stored groundwater, historic first for New Mexico. http://bit.ly/1PpY1QW 

From @SnowHydro #EarthScienceWeek: Top 10 stories from the past year http://bit.ly/1ONjbXC 

@HeraldandNews Good read! Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement & issues facing local farmers http://fb.me/42YFBKR4V  View this photo

Via @deborahblum: @4EnviroHealth podcast - @danfagin speaks on lessons learned from 'Toms River' http://bit.ly/1W0PYJ7  HT @kvetchingguru

@CCLContraCosta from @wordsofwalsh: Republican environmentalists? There are some - and they’re worth listening to http://ow.ly/TvZuh 

Catch up on the news! Elaine J. Hanford's Bulletin Boards: 1) Geosciences; 2) Enviro-Sciences - 19 Oct 2015 http://bit.ly/1KitDzX 

CRS Report: 'Civilian Nuclear Waste Disposal' and More! http://bit.ly/1OBOZ34 

@bradplumer: Math on staying < 2°C of global warming -> increasingly brutal http://bit.ly/1Lzr5iE  (@EricHolthaus)   View this photo

@J2PlanetEarth on @PBS: 'Extreme Realities Severe Weather, Climate Change, and Our National Security' http://bit.ly/1QUutIN 

@BBCNews The 'drinkable books' that are saving lives http://bbc.in/1M9fRHi 

@columbiawater & @CUAHSI Webinar PPTs: 'IWRM: The Emperor's New Clothes or Indispensable Process?' & 'Parsing GWP's IWRM Statement' http://bit.ly/1knfw7H 

In @capitalpress Oregon’s water perceptions need to change, top adviser says http://bit.ly/1RWgO4P  via @BCWaterNews

RT @UChiEnergy Read/Listen: Californians consider new ways to share water. http://n.pr/1jLLqdt  via @NPR #cawater

@MavensNotebook blog round-up: Capturing El Niño; #cawater rights, Delta tunnels; Dueling drought relief bills;more http://bit.ly/1NlHwSI 

By @AbrahmL in @ProPublica: Former Las Vegas water czar @P_Mulroy joins board of Wynn Resorts. http://bit.ly/1McONa7 
 

Books, Films, and Reviews
@NASciences Rpt:'Enhancing Participation in the US Global Change Research Program' PDF free http://bit.ly/1W4ey1c 

Via @cbcbooks 15 science books that everyone can enjoy http://bit.ly/1NODq8J 

Bottled Water, Drinking Water/TapWater, and Source Water Protection
By @TDSIanJames in @MyDesert: U.S. Forest Service sued over @Nestle water permit http://desert.sn/1M6Sms4  #cawater

@BBCNews The 'drinkable books' that are saving lives http://bbc.in/1M9fRHi 

See trailer of @ARiverBetweenUs - about Klamath Basin: http://www.ariverbetweenus.com  On @facebook: http://on.fb.me/1KgxP3i 

Via @raulpacheco: Martha Kaplan in @culanth 'Fijian Water in Fiji & New York: Local Politics & a Global Community' http://bit.ly/1LvM1Y0 

California
RT @CAFarmBureau CA farmers employ innovative techniques to boost #groundwater supply http://ow.ly/TEqC8  #cawater #cadrought

By @TDSIanJames in @MyDesert: U.S. Forest Service sued over @Nestle water permit http://desert.sn/1M6Sms4  #cawater

@CA_DWR #cawater Plan eNews-21 Oct 2015: Wildlife Plan~Flood Reduc~Pesticides~SGC~UCLA Wkshp~Brown Bag~Water Policy http://bit.ly/1MEKI9b 

@MavensNotebook blog round-up: Capturing El Niño; #cawater rights, Delta tunnels; Dueling drought relief bills;more http://bit.ly/1NlHwSI 

ICYMI via @WaterVidya Learn more about dam removal and rerouting of the Carmel River http://bit.ly/1GJSoIh 

@MavensNotebook This just in … California Water Commission adopts Groundwater Basin Boundary Regulation http://bit.ly/1OTLDXE  #cawater

@nbcbayarea: @SFWater & other utilities to drill 16 groundwater wells ($113M) for emergencies, earthquakes, drought http://bit.ly/1QJMObi 

Via @GetWaterSmart in @latimes: 28 things to do to prepare for El Niño rains this season http://hubs.ly/H01hZLq0  #cawater

RT @UChiEnergy Read/Listen: Californians consider new ways to share water. http://n.pr/1jLLqdt  via @NPR #cawater

@bbkericgarner El Niño rains forecast to reach far into N. California, where most needed #cadrought via @latimes http://lat.ms/1ZIdz65 

@MavensNotebook Daily Digest: Lawmakers -> Oz; SJ County Supes oppose Delta tunnels;Farmers boost GW supplies; more http://bit.ly/1QVntuZ 

Canada
In @globeandmail: Companies charged over 2013 coal tailings pond spill: Alberta Energy Regulator http://bit.ly/1kqVclM  via @WaterPortal

@OttawaTopNews Ottawa appoints three experts to review Montreal's raw sewage discharge plan http://bit.ly/1MP9gAJ  (tnx @WaterPuppetry)

@SaveLakeWpg Before voting, check out Manitoba candidates' responses to questions re: Lake Winnipeg: http://ow.ly/TpAGX 

Paper: 'Transboundary Aquifers along the Canada–USA Border: Science, Policy & Social Issues' http://bit.ly/1PHUxZ0   View this photo

In @calgaryherald: Oilsands industry reports advances in water use per barrel while output rises http://bit.ly/2028NR9  (via @WaterPortal)

Neglecting GW? @KClarkeWhistler Canada's boreal forest lakes are largest global source of available freshwater in one country. @NCC_CNC

 

Climate, Climate Change, Adaptation, and Meteorology
@bbkericgarner El Niño rains forecast to reach far into N. California, where most needed #cadrought via @latimes http://lat.ms/1ZIdz65 

 

New Model Improves Predictions for How Climate Change Will Affect Fish Habitat http://bit.ly/1KtOO2d 

Via @watercrunch The official crystal ball. U.S. Winter Outlook by @NOAA http://1.usa.gov/1MxhtVu 

Via @GetWaterSmart in @latimes: 28 things to do to prepare for El Niño rains this season http://hubs.ly/H01hZLq0  #cawater

@NASciences Rpt:'Enhancing Participation in the US Global Change Research Program' PDF free http://bit.ly/1W4ey1c 

@J2PlanetEarth on @PBS: 'Extreme Realities Severe Weather, Climate Change, and Our National Security' http://bit.ly/1QUutIN 

RT @ClimateCentral France launches global drive for climate deal ahead of #COP21: http://buff.ly/1hO6bUl  via @guardian

@bradplumer: Math on staying < 2°C of global warming -> increasingly brutal http://bit.ly/1Lzr5iE  (@EricHolthaus)   View this photo

Via @Kelly_M_House in @Oregonian: GHGs (methane) being released from beneath ocean off OR & WA coasts http://bit.ly/1RlQwrN 

@AGU_Eos: On the Rocks: The Challenges of Predicting Sea Level Rise http://bit.ly/1MXfP4g 

@AGU_Eos This Winter's El Niño Might Only Dent Western U.S. Drought http://bit.ly/1NXQuZj 

Conferences, Webinars, Workshops and Calls for Abstracts/Papers
From @traincrowd SSWM Training - 'Developing Water and Sanitation Projects that Last' - 6-8 December, Berlin http://bit.ly/1XbkDpG 

#CWNwebinar – Is your municipal water system prepared for an extreme event? 3 Nov, 2-4 PM ET http://bit.ly/1Lru7aS  @CdnWaterNetwork

@AWRAHQ 2015 Annual Conference - Early Bird registration expires 26 October http://bit.ly/1LM7XBD  #AWRA2015

IAHS 7th International Water Resources Management Conference, Bochum, Germany, 18-20 May 2016 http://bit.ly/1NSDEeW 

@columbiawater - @CUAHSI Webinar, 20 Oct, 12 noon ET: 'IWRM: The Emperor's New Clothes or Indispensable Process?' http://bit.ly/1MPgV1Z 

Workshop @Stanford: Distributed Temperature Measurement in Earth Sciences, 12-13 Dec 2015 http://bit.ly/1QK688p 

Short course @Stanford: Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in Scientific Sensing, 13 Dec 2015 http://bit.ly/1LEOaEf 

@FT Water Summit - 'The New Bottom Line: Collaborative Solutions for Growth', London UK, 27 October http://bit.ly/1NNKpys 

@theAGU Awesome field trips at @geosociety Baltimore meeting http://ow.ly/SbEtN  #GSA2015

 

Conflict, Cooperation, and Security
Paper: 'Transboundary aquifers along the Canada–USA border: Science, policy & social issues' http://bit.ly/1PBZ935 

See trailer of @ARiverBetweenUs - about Klamath Basin: http://www.ariverbetweenus.com  On @facebook: http://on.fb.me/1KgxP3i 

@HeraldandNews Good read! Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement & issues facing local farmers http://fb.me/42YFBKR4V  View this photo

RT @csmonitor Why conservatives applaud judges who blocked federal clean-water rules http://bit.ly/1Kgwv0b 
 

Economics and Management
@denverpost Study finds the warmer it gets, the more world economy hurts http://dpo.st/1OVczGG 

@AGU_Eos Nocturnal satellite imagery and other fine-scale data could improve global water resources management http://bit.ly/1W8Rxoh 

 

Education and Communication
In @capitalpress Oregon’s water perceptions need to change, top adviser says http://bit.ly/1RWgO4P  via @BCWaterNews

@SEIresearch WEAP Training Courses, 3-5 Nov and 23-25 Nov 2015 http://bit.ly/1PDO6q6 

@AAEA_Economics 'Communicating Out' strategy for professional societies and others http://bit.ly/1NQg56m  cc: @ngwatweets @AWRAHQ

Via @reviewjournal: @UNLVNews is trying to bump up the research and prestige http://rjnews.is/1RiwNZR 

RT @NatureNews: @UCBerkeley "immediately accepted" #GeoffMarcy resignation http://ow.ly/TuwTN 

@PaulRogersSJMN Does @UCBerkeley astronomer @GeoffMarcy1's downfall signal shift in sexual harassment attitudes? http://bayareane.ws/1VZeD0J 

Via @maggielmcg 10 Things Associations Need to Know About Upcoming Changes to @LinkedIn Groups http://bit.ly/1LVjudF 

@UDelaware doctoral candidate investigates how rainwater travels in urban forests http://bit.ly/1i0qHBu 

 
E-Newsletters and E-Newspapers
@ASA_CSSA_SSSA Science Policy Report - 21 October 2015 http://bit.ly/1PAEInZ 

@Pauldedigitect's Water paper is uit! http://paper.li/pauldedigitect/water?edition_id=c60dfeb0-7962-11e5-bdb0-0cc47a0d1605 … … Bijdrages door @WaterWired @ACWAWater @Frodo1977

The @Water_Supply Daily is out! http://paper.li/Water_supply?edition_id=49923fb0-77b7-11e5-8466-0cc47a0d164b … … Stories via @Stormsaver @OCWDWaterNews @WaterWired

@IISDRS Natural Resources Update - 21 October 2015 http://bit.ly/1krH1gp

@IISDRS Natural Resources Update - 20 October 2015 http://bit.ly/1Xi02Qw 

@CA_DWR #cawater Plan eNews-21 Oct 2015: Wildlife Plan~Flood Reduc~Pesticides~SGC~UCLA Wkshp~Brown Bag~Water Policy http://bit.ly/1MEKI9b 

Catch up on the news! Elaine J. Hanford's Bulletin Boards: 1) Geosciences; 2) Enviro-Sciences - 19 Oct 2015 http://bit.ly/1KitDzX 

Florida Section of @AWRAHQ Newsletter 'The Watershed' - October 2015 http://bit.ly/1McQuoc  #FLwater

Ethics, Gender, Spirituality, and Rights 
@PaulRogersSJMN Does @UCBerkeley astronomer @GeoffMarcy1's downfall signal shift in sexual harassment attitudes? http://bayareane.ws/1VZeD0J 

RT @WLE_CGIAR Striking a good balance when it comes to gender and the environment #RuralWomen http://bit.ly/1MrDe9p 

@networkrail New approach aims to “switch on” girls to engineering. http://bit.ly/1PBZxhQ 

Heavy hitters! @PeterGleick @profpeppard and @raulpacheco at #UConnRight2Water conference.  View this photo

Via @WaterNetwork1 Women’s Empowerment in Water management, a Road to Climate Adaptation http://bit.ly/1W3ujFt 


Groundwater and Hydrogeology
RT @CAFarmBureau CA farmers employ innovative techniques to boost #groundwater supply http://ow.ly/TEqC8  #cawater #cadrought

Hallelujah! @WorldBankWater Why it’s time to elevate groundwater http://bit.ly/1GZ0RUQ  (tnx @thewatercyclist) cc :@ngwatweets @GWPnews

In @capitalpress Underground water storage tested in Washington http://bit.ly/1LLAh7n  via @BCWaterNews

In @IdahoMtExpress Hailey joins Galena Ground Water district http://bit.ly/1W4WazU 

Texas Ag Law Blog: 'Reserving Groundwater Rights' http://bit.ly/1NlChSO  #txwater via @TiffDowell

Paper: 'Transboundary aquifers along the Canada–USA border: Science, policy & social issues' http://bit.ly/1PBZ935 

@MavensNotebook This just in … California Water Commission adopts Groundwater Basin Boundary Regulation http://bit.ly/1OTLDXE  #cawater

@nbcbayarea: @SFWater & other utilities to drill 16 groundwater wells ($113M) for emergencies, earthquakes, drought http://bit.ly/1QJMObi 

From @jfleck Albuquerque recovering stored groundwater, historic first for New Mexico. http://bit.ly/1PpY1QW 

In @twinfallstn: Idaho: Rupert Agrees to Aquifer Transfer http://bit.ly/1MHozqK 

New Model Improves Predictions for How Climate Change Will Affect Fish Habitat http://bit.ly/1KtOO2d 

Paper: 'Transboundary Aquifers along the Canada–USA Border: Science, Policy & Social Issues' http://bit.ly/1PHUxZ0   View this photo

Hydrofracking, Shale Gas, and Energy
@ClimateReality @ENERGY Taller turbines,longer blades -> wind energy possible in all US? http://1.usa.gov/1jsO3RM   View this photo

@Law360: Tribes Can't Override @BLMNational #Fracking Rule, @Interior Says. http://bit.ly/1kjOP3Q 

CRS Report: 'Civilian Nuclear Waste Disposal' and More! http://bit.ly/1OBOZ34 

 

Personal, People, Interviews, and Quotes
"Reading made Don Quixote a gentleman. Believing what he read made him mad." - George Bernard Shaw

RT @NatureNews: @UCBerkeley "immediately accepted" #GeoffMarcy resignation http://ow.ly/TuwTN 

"Always and never are two words you should always remember never to use." - Wendell Johnson

Via @deborahblum: @4EnviroHealth podcast - @danfagin speaks on lessons learned from 'Toms River' http://bit.ly/1W0PYJ7  HT @kvetchingguru

Heavy hitters! @PeterGleick @profpeppard and @raulpacheco at #UConnRight2Water conference.  View this photo

"Machines take me by surprise with great frequency." - Alan Turing

RT @kirkenglehardt Ahmed the Clock-Maker Heads to the White House. http://ow.ly/TCqvb  @m_rhodan @Time #scicomm

By @AbrahmL in @ProPublica: Former Las Vegas water czar @P_Mulroy joins board of Wynn Resorts. http://bit.ly/1McONa7 

Positions Open #JobWaWi 
Joshua Newton's Water Jobs and More! - 20 October 2015 Check out #WASH jobs! Updated: 23 October http://bit.ly/1PDUz46 

Check out @BCWaterNews Jobs. Click 'View Jobs' @ http://bcwaterjobs.com 

Positions: @EcologyWA - Current Openings - Updated every few days  http://1.usa.gov/1evxlPd  #JobWaWi

Previous Weeks' Positions Open - Go To  #JobWaWi
Then click on 'Live' at #JobWaWi
Over 70! @joshnewtonH2O's Water Jobs & More - 13 October 2015 (Updated 16 October) http://bit.ly/1PdnYmF #JobWaWi

Joshua Newton's Water Jobs & More - 6 October 2015 http://bit.ly/1L4COpn #JobWaWi

Megan Kogut's Washington State Jobs & More - 7 October 2015 http://bit.ly/1NnINeJ  #JobWaWi   

Previous Weekly Water Summaries - Go To #WaWiNews
Twitter: Click on 'Live' at #WaWiNews
On the WaterWired blog - click here
TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 17 - 23 October 2015 http://bit.ly/1hYCpMR  #WaWiNews

TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 10 - 16 October 2015 http://bit.ly/1VWRBHM  #WaWiNews

TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 3 - 9 October 2015 http://bit.ly/1GAvcJ8  #WaWiNews

TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 26 September - 2 October 2015 http://bit.ly/1OMMs62  #WaWiNews

TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 19 - 25 September 2015 http://bit.ly/1iAkgWh  #WaWiNews

TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 12 - 18 September 2015 http://bit.ly/1V0h7eC  #WaWiNews

TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 5 - 11 September 2015 http://bit.ly/1J41ps5  #WaWiNews

TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 29 August - 4 September 2015 http://bit.ly/1Ng6C7R  #WaWiNews

TGIF Weekly Water News Summary, 22 -28 August 2015 http://bit.ly/1PDpKdn 

TGIF Weekly Water News Summary, 15 - 21 August 2015 http://bit.ly/1KArBfj  #WaWiNews

TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 8 -14 August 2015 http://bit.ly/1PdfBUs  

TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 1 - 7 August 2015 http://bit.ly/1hoP8sH  #WaWiNews

TGIF! Weekly Water News Summary, 25 - 31 July 2015 http://bit.ly/1DegZVY  #WaWiNews

Reports, Publications, and Journals 
CRS Report: 'Civilian Nuclear Waste Disposal' and More! http://bit.ly/1OBOZ34 

Via @raulpacheco: Martha Kaplan in @culanth 'Fijian Water in Fiji & New York: Local Politics & a Global Community' http://bit.ly/1LvM1Y0 

CRS Rpt: '@EPA Policies Concerning Integrated Plnng & Affordability of Water Infrastructure' http://bit.ly/1OBe6mI 

@denverpost Study finds the warmer it gets, the more world economy hurts http://dpo.st/1OVczGG 

 

Science, Health, Medicine, and Technology
RT @deepseadawn Discover Arc Hydro for a bevy of water resource applications http://arcg.is/1LyAxX1  #gis

From @SnowHydro#EarthScienceWeek: Top 10 stories from the past year http://bit.ly/1ONjbXC 

Via @cbcbooks 15 science books that everyone can enjoy http://bit.ly/1NODq8J 

Via @deborahblum: @4EnviroHealth podcast - @danfagin speaks on lessons learned from 'Toms River' http://bit.ly/1W0PYJ7  HT @kvetchingguru

@CCLContraCosta from @wordsofwalsh: Republican environmentalists? There are some - and they’re worth listening to http://ow.ly/TvZuh 

Catch up on the news! Elaine J. Hanford's Bulletin Boards: 1) Geosciences; 2) Enviro-Sciences - 19 Oct 2015 http://bit.ly/1KitDzX 

Workshop @Stanford: Distributed Temperature Measurement in Earth Sciences, 12-13 Dec 2015 http://bit.ly/1QK688p 

Short course @Stanford: Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in Scientific Sensing, 13 Dec 2015 http://bit.ly/1LEOaEf 

@UDelaware doctoral candidate investigates how rainwater travels in urban forests http://bit.ly/1i0qHBu 

Streams, Dams, Lakes, and Ecosystems
@highlyanne You're right, but I guess 'Cold Water Climate Shield' sounds a lot more important!

By @AP in @Oregonian: Scientists develop Cold Water Climate Shield to protect NW trout species http://bit.ly/1GORQO2  (tnx @lockwooddewitt)

ICYMI via @WaterVidya Learn more about dam removal and rerouting of the Carmel River http://bit.ly/1GJSoIh 

New Model Improves Predictions for How Climate Change Will Affect Fish Habitat http://bit.ly/1KtOO2d 

By @AP in @Oregonian Miners want feds to allow suction dredging in Oregon rivers http://bit.ly/1GXRmW3 

 

Visuals and Infographics
@columbiawater & @CUAHSI Webinar PPTs: 'IWRM: The Emperor's New Clothes or Indispensable Process?' & 'Parsing GWP's IWRM Statement' http://bit.ly/1knfw7H 

See trailer of @ARiverBetweenUs - about Klamath Basin: http://www.ariverbetweenus.com  On @facebook: http://on.fb.me/1KgxP3i 

@J2PlanetEarth on @PBS: 'Extreme Realities Severe Weather, Climate Change, and Our National Security' http://bit.ly/1QUutIN 

RT @ThirstyLandFilm Today's update is from the pumping station http://fb.me/1XW8K33aJ 

Infographic by @GreatLakesKaye in @circleofblue: America’s Septic Systems http://bit.ly/1KgGxP3   View this photo

Water/Land Quality and Contamination
In @DurangoHerald New Mexico releases monitoring plan after Gold King Mine spill http://bit.ly/1No7zZt 

By @AP in @Oregonian Miners want feds to allow suction dredging in Oregon rivers http://bit.ly/1GXRmW3 

By @AP in @DurangoHerald: @EPA says tests of Gold King Mine water sent to Navajos met standards http://bit.ly/1LsoCGO 

@DurangoHerald Gold King Mine water treatment to begin http://bit.ly/1QEw1q9 

RT @OPBnews Raw sewage spills into the Willamette River in Albany http://bit.ly/1Mxxs6b 

Infographic by @GreatLakesKaye in @circleofblue: America’s Septic Systems http://bit.ly/1KgGxP3  View this photo

By @waltonwater in @circleofblue: America’s Spreading Septic Threat http://bit.ly/1GjxEsR    View this photo

Water Supply, Quantity, Reuse, Conservation, Infrastructure
In @capitalpress Underground water storage tested in Washington http://bit.ly/1LLAh7n  via @BCWaterNews

From @jfleck Albuquerque recovering stored groundwater, historic first for New Mexico. http://bit.ly/1PpY1QW 

CRS Rpt: '@EPA Policies Concerning Integrated Plnng & Affordability of Water Infrastructure' http://bit.ly/1OBe6mI 

In @denverpost Front Range cities demand more Colorado water diversions and storage http://dpo.st/1ZYdBXE 

WTF?
RT @kirkenglehardt The person who invented non-popping bubble wrap is no fun at all.

"Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night." - Edgar Allan Poe 

Paper: 'Transboundary Aquifers along the Canada–USA Border: Science, Policy and Social Issues'

Transboundary Aquifers along the Canada–USA Border: Science, Policy and Social Issues  

Alfonso Rivera, Chief Hydrogeologist of the Geological Survey of Canada, penned this timely paper on Canada-USA transboundary aquifers.  It was recently published in the Journal of Hydrology.

Download Canada_USA_TB_Aquifers_Rivera

Click here to read the paper online where you can access a number of features unavailable with the PDF.

ABSTRACT

Study focus

Since 2005, Canada has followed international developments in transboundary groundwater issues in cooperation with its southern neighbor the United States (USA) within the Internationally Shared Aquifer Resources Management Initiative (ISARM) of UNESCO. As a result, 10 Transboundary Aquifer Systems (TAS) were identified along the border between Canada and the USA. This study is an extensive review of the current state of the 10 TAS. Documentation of scientifically-based knowledge on TAS is an important step in identifying potential issues in policies that might be adopted to address shared water-resource issues.

New hydrological insights for the region

This analysis emphasizes the need for more scientific data, widespread education and training, and a more clearly defined governments’ role to manage groundwater at the international level. The study reviews the current legal framework and summarises the current scientific knowledge for the TAS with respect to the hydrologic and geologic framework as well as some of the major drivers for supply and demand. It also describes the links, approach and relevance of studies on the TAS to the UN Law of Transboundary Aquifers and on how these might fit in the regional strategy for the assessment and management of the TAS. Clear communication, shared knowledge and common objectives in the management of TAS will prepare the countries for future negotiations and cooperative binational programs.

Enjoy!

“Canada is not the party. It's the apartment above the party.” ― Craig Ferguson

“North of the 49th parallel we value equality; south of it, they treasure freedom.” ― Michael Adams