Theses and Dissertations at Montana State University (MSU)
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Item Water quality and physical parameters of Barnegat Bay after Hurricane Sandy(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2019) Rodenberg, Taylor; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: William KleindlBarnegat Bay is a coastal water body located off of the east coast of New Jersey. The bay is bordered by an estuary system to the west and barrier island and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. The bay is an important ecosystem for dozens of species of invertebrates, fish, mammals, birds, and amphibians, and provides millions of dollars in revenue for surrounding towns in tourism and recreation. However, coastal water bodies such as Barnegat Bay are subject to impacts from coastal storm systems such as hurricanes and tropical storms. My assessment determined how physical water properties and chemistry including water temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, salinity, turbidity, specific conductance, and chlorophyll A were affected during landfall of Hurricane Sandy on October 29, 2012. Data on these properties was collected from available sources and were analyzed for significance in year-long data before and after hurricane landfall as well as one week before and after landfall in 2012 as compared with 2013. Results suggest that significant changes in water temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity and chlorophyll a were observed in the week before compared with after the hurricane, while only significant changes in pH, turbidity and chlorophyll a could be observed in the year-long analysis. These data could be used to encourage further research in impacts to bay systems from coastal storms and to help create restoration plans following a storm system or preventive measures to ensure the health of the bay after major storms.Item Effects of road construction on water quality parameters and bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) populations in three Montana water bodies(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2019) Thatcher, Hannah Alicen; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Scott PowellRoad construction adjacent to rivers and ensuing clearing of timber and shrubs can lead to alterations in the dynamics and morphology of channel features and water chemistry that provide habitats for aquatic biota. We examined associations between bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) populations and water quality parameters related to road construction in three western Montana rivers over a 15-year study period. Bull trout have specific habitat requirements that can influence their overall abundance and distribution within a watershed, making them an important indicator species of general ecosystem health. We used average annual bull trout population data from Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks and daily water quality observations from the United States Geological Survey between 2000 and 2014 to analyze the correlation between the data sets. We used a nonparametric statistical test to determine whether any significant change was observed between the medians of pre- and post-construction water quality parameters and bull trout population numbers. The association between the water quality parameters and bull trout numbers was visually examined with scatter plots created in R where the Y-axis was population numbers and the X was the water quality parameter. The plots were then fit with a linear regression line and from this a visual interpretation of the association and strength of said associated was determined. The analysis yielded unexpected results with only some of the water quality parameters exhibiting a negative relationship with road construction disturbance. Two water bodies (Flathead River and Warm Springs Creek) showed no significant changes in bull trout population numbers, and the control water body with no road construction (the Blackfoot River) displayed significant differences between the pre- and post-construction water quality parameter medians. The parameters that did display expected outcomes (cadmium concentration in the Flathead River; water temperature, pH, and instantaneous discharge in Warm Springs Creek; and instantaneous discharge, pH, and cadmium concentration in the Blackfoot River) were not all strongly correlated with decreased bull trout population numbers. The water quality parameters common to all the study rivers that presented a negative association with bull trout numbers was pH. High levels of recreation and management activities on the Blackfoot River (the control) could explain these unexpected findings. The results do, however, partially corroborate previous studies on the negative association between bull trout population numbers and road construction-related disturbance. A longer study period combined with finer-grained data would be beneficial for future studies.Item Water quality response to water and nitrogen movement through a semi-arid dryland agroecosystem in Montana, USA(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2020) Sigler, William Adam; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Stephanie A. Ewing; Stephanie A. Ewing, Clain A. Jones, Robert A. Payn, E.N. Jack Brookshire, Jane K. Klassen, Douglas Jackson-Smith and Gary S. Weissmann were co-authors of the article, 'Connections among soil, ground, and surface water chemistries characterize nitrogen loss from an agricultural landscape in the upper Missouri River Basin' in the journal 'Journal of hydrology' which is contained within this dissertation.; Stephanie A. Ewing, Clain A. Jones, Robert A. Payn, Perry Miller and Marco Maneta were co-authors of the article, 'Water and nitrate loss from dryland agricultural soils is controlled by management, soils, and weather' submitted to the journal 'Agricultural ecosystems & environment' which is contained within this dissertation.; Stephanie A. Ewing, Scott D. Wankel, Clain A. Jones, Sam Leuthold, E.N. Jack Brookshire and Robert A. Payn were co-authors of the article, 'Drivers of denitrification across a semiarid agroecosystem revealed by nitrate isotopic patterns' which is contained within this dissertation.Humans have increased reactive nitrogen (N) on the planet by an order of magnitude over the past 150 years. Most of this reactive N is used for fertilizer to feed a growing population, but loss of N from cultivated soils threatens agricultural and environmental sustainability. Nitrate accumulated in soil from fertilization or decomposition of soil organic N (SON) may be lost via leaching, which can reduce soil fertility and compromise water quality. Nitrate concentrations commonly exceed human drinking standards in groundwater resources around the globe. In the Judith River Watershed (JRW) in central Montana, nitrate has been detected above the standard since the 1960s. This dissertation contributes to a more holistic understanding of the fate and transport of N in the JRW. An interdisciplinary team engaged with farmers in a participatory research project, making observations in soils, groundwater, and streams to characterize water and N movement. At the landform scale, 5 to 9 cm yr -1 of the 38 cm yr -1 mean annual precipitation moves through soil to recharge groundwater and leaches 11 to 18 kg ha -1 yr -1 of nitrate-N from soil. These leaching rates are approximately 20-30% of fertilizer rates but likely reflect inmixing of nitrate from SON decomposition. Soil modeling analyses suggested that water and N losses were dominated by intense precipitation periods on wetter soils, such that more than half of simulated deep percolation and leaching occurred in two of 14 model years. Simulations further suggest that thinner soils (<25 cm fine-textured materials) experience water and nitrate loss rates five to 16 times higher than thicker soils (>100 cm). Soil sampling demonstrated that increased soil water during fallow periods facilitates conversion of SON to nitrate. Soils are then primed for water and N loss with subsequent precipitation, resulting in disproportionately high leaching rates during and following fallow periods. Isotopic evidence from fallow periods further suggests that nitrate is lost to the atmosphere via denitrification, a gas phase loss combining with leaching losses to compromise the goal of delivering N to crops. These findings suggest that reduction of fallow increases N use efficiency and reduces nitrate loss to groundwater.Item Thermal insulation versus capacitance: a comparison of shading and hyporheic exchange on daily and annual stream temperature patterns(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2017) Fogg, Sarah Kathleen; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Geoffrey Poole; Geoffrey C. Poole, AnnMarie Reinhold and Scott J. O'Daniel were co-authors of the article, 'Thermal insulation versus capacitance: a comparison of shade and hyporheic exchange on daily and annual stream temperature cycles' submitted to the journal 'Water resources research' which is contained within this thesis.Channel shading and hyporheic exchange both effect daily and annual stream temperature cycles. In streams with thermal regimes that are too warm to support native biota, increasing shading or hyporheic exchange have largely been thought of as interchangeable management strategies because they influence summertime stream channel temperatures in similar ways. But, shading and hyporheic exchange operate via different mechanisms and influence stream temperature differently at differently times of the year. To understand daily and seasonal differences of shading and hyporheic exchange on stream channel temperature we used a process-based heat-budget model of channel temperature. Our model incorporates stream channel-atmospheric energy exchanges and a novel channel-subsurface heat exchange model that more appropriately represents the effects of hyporheic residence time distributions. We used our model to conduct an in silico experiment where we vary shading and hyporheic exchange on the same stream reach. In summer, the cooling and damping of channel temperatures associated with an expansive, coarse-grained hyporheic zone were similar to shading effects. However, the differences between shading and hyporheic exchange effects were most pronounced in the winter when channel warming associated with hyporheic exchange was substantially greater than warming associated with shade. By interpreting the changes in heat fluxes between shading a stream and adding hyporheic exchange, we find that shading acts as a thermal insulator and hyporheic exchange acts as a thermal capacitor. Our results show that shading and hyporheic exchange can have similar and differently effects on stream channel temperatures depending on what part of the year the effects are investigated, which has important management and modeling implications. Geography and geomorphic context of a stream are important considerations when choosing shading or hyporheic exchange for thermal restoration. In bedrock-confined streams that historically had closed canopies, shading has the greatest potential to reduce summer temperatures while restoration of hyporheic restoration is impractical in these systems. In contrast, in large, coarse-grained alluvial stream reaches, where riparian vegetation is historically sparse, restoring hyporheic influences has the greatest potential for reducing summer temperatures while increasing streamside shading is likely unattainable.Item Irrigation-related sediment deposition and suspended sediment effects on saturated hydraulic conductivity(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 1995) Parwana, NoorjahanItem Effect of irrigation water quality, amendment and crop on salt leaching and sodium displacement(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 1991) Brock, Teresa AnnItem Irrigation water quality effects on soil salinity and crop production in the Powder River Basin, MT(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 1991) Thompson, Kathryn S.Item Effects of irrigation water quality and water table position on plant biomass production, crude protein, and base cation removal(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2003) Phelps, Shannon DaleItem Watershed restoration limitations at the abandoned reclaimed Alta Mine, Jefferson County, MT(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2008) Labbe, Richard James; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Clayton B. Marlow; Timothy R. McDermott (co-chair)Abandoned hardrock metal mines can have an antagonistic effect on soil productivity, vegetation, and water quality. Specifically, abandoned mines that actively generate acidity in soil are phytotoxic due to low pH and increased bioavailability of heavy metals. Arsenic concentrations in mine soils are often elevated, but may not be as mobile as heavy metals at low pH. Acid mine drainage migration from abandoned mines is problematic because it leads to water quality impairments that limit water use for certain activities (i.e. stock watering and irrigation). In this work, a previously reclaimed abandoned lead and silver mine (Alta Mine Jefferson County, MT) was characterized for its persistent impacts on soil, vegetation, and water quality. A progressive monitoring effort linked offsite water quality impacts to deep underground mine workings, shallow ground water, and metalliferous soils found at the Alta mine. Vegetative cover was measured in 16 transects in conjunction with 30 soil pits excavated on the reclaimed site. By regression and analysis of variance, sparse vegetative cover was significantly (p<0.1) linked to pH and acid generation potential. To overcome acidic soil conditions, lime and compost amendments were tested on site. The amendments significantly (p<0.1) neutralized soil acidity; however, a corresponding increase in vegetative cover was not observed. Erosion of the bare unstable slopes caused greater than anticipated seed bank loss that precluded vegetation establishment. The successful establishment of a dense vegetative cover on the abandoned mine could prevent erosion and water quality impacts due to sedimentation. Vegetation may also have minor impacts on landscape sources of arsenic and heavy metals that were identified in the study; but the most significant source of water quality impairment, deep underground mine workings, will persist under any land treatment.Item Hydrologic connectivity between landscapes and streams : transferring reach and plot scale understanding to the catchment scale(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2010) Jencso, Kelsey Graham; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Brian L. McGlynn.; Brian L. McGlynn, Michael N. Gooseff, Steven M. Wondzell, Kenneth E. Bencala and Lucy A. Marshall were co-authors of the article, 'Hydrologic connectivity between landscapes and streams: transferring reach- and plot-scale understanding to the catchment scale' in the journal 'Water resources research' which is contained within this thesis.; Brian L. McGlynn, Michael N. Gooseff, Kenneth E. Bencala and Steven M. Wondzell were co-authors of the article, 'Hillslope hydrologic connectivity controls riparian groundwater turnover: implications of catchment structure for riparian buffering and stream water sources' in the journal 'Water resources research' which is contained within this thesis.; Vincent J. Pacific and Brian L. McGlynn were co-authors of the article, 'Variable flushing mechanisms and landscape structure control stream DOC export during snowmelt in a set of nested catchments' in the journal 'Biogeochemistry' which is contained within this thesis.; Brian L. McGlynn and Lucy A. Marshall were co-authors of the article, 'Hierarchical controls on runoff generation: topographically driven hydrologic connectivity, vegetation, and geology' in the journal 'Water resources research' which is contained within this thesis.; Thomas J. Grabs, Brian L. McGlynn, and Jan Seibert were co-authors of the article, 'Calculating terrain indices along streams - a new method for separating stream sides' in the journal 'Water resources research' which is contained within this thesis.Transferring plot and reach scale hydrologic understanding to the catchment scale and elucidating the link between catchment structure and runoff and solute response remains a challenge. To address this challenge, I pursued the following questions as part of this dissertation: How do spatiotemporal distributions of hillslope-riparian-stream (HRS) hydrologic connectivity influence whole catchment hydrologic dynamics and what are the implications of this for stream biogeochemistry? What are the implications of catchment structure for riparian buffering and streamflow source water composition? What are the hierarchical controls on hydrologic connectivity and catchment runoff dynamics across 11 diverse headwater catchments and across flow states? I addressed these questions through detailed hydrometric monitoring and analysis (160 recording wells across 24 HRS transects and stream discharge across 11 catchments), tracer sampling and analysis (groundwater, soil water, and stream water sampling of major ions, specific conductance and dissolved organic carbon (DOC)), and newly developed digital landscape and terrain analyses. I installed this unprecedented network of instrumentation to address these questions across 11 adjacent and nested catchments within the Tenderfoot Creek Experimental Forest (TCEF), Rocky Mountains, MT. I determined that 1) hillslope topography, specifically upslope accumulated area (UAA), was the first order control on the duration of transient water table connectivity observed across HRS landscape positions; 2) the intersection of HRS connectivity with riparian area extents determined the degree of riparian groundwater turnover, riparian buffering of upslope water, and the magnitude of DOC transport to streams; 3) 11 catchments' stream network hydrologic connectivity duration curves were highly correlated to streamflow duration curves and the variable slopes of these relationships were explained by vegetation, geology, and within catchment distributions flowpath length and gradient ratios. This dissertation consists of five key chapters / manuscripts that address how landscape structure/organization within and across catchments can control the timing and magnitude of water and solutes observed at catchment outlets.