Search

Eutrophication, or the enrichment of lakes and reservoirs with plant nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, is an ongoing concern facing human societies around the world. Once thought to have been resolved using engineering approaches such as municipal wastewater treatment and storm water management, the problem of nutrient enrichment not only persists, but even continues to increase, being manifested in harmful algal blooms, limitations on access to safe drinking water supplies, and related concerns associated with fresh water in lakes and reservoirs. The continuing concern surrounding eutrophication fulfils the many attributes of a 'wicked' or complex problem facing society. This report reviews seriatim the ten attributes of a wicked problem, and the implications of these attributes for lake and reservoir management are discussed. Recognition of eutrophication as a wicked problem requires site-specific approaches, based on specific knowledge of individual water bodies, as well as an ongoing commitment to lake and reservoir management to respond to new manifestations of the problems of nutrient enrichment as they continue to be revealed over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sediment represents a major non-point source pollutant throughout the world. In addition to reduced agricultural productivity as the result of the loss of fertile soil, soil erosion also can have significant water-quality impacts in downstream waterbodies, reducing water transparency, degrading aquatic habitats and reducing the operational life and water storage capacity of reservoirs producing hydroelectric power. Various other pollutants also can absorb to sediment particles, creating additional downstream water-quality concerns for humans and the natural environment. In view of its human and environmental significance, two indices (an erosion index and runoff index) were developed to identify areas within the US portion of the Rio Grande Basin exhibiting physical characteristics conducive to producing significant non-point source pollution loads, focusing on land erosion as a sediment source. The erosion index is an adaptation of the Universal Soil Loss Equation, being the product of rainfall erosivity ( R factor), soil erodibility ( K factor), and a topographic factor (LS factor). The erosion index correlated well with measurements of sediment yields from runoff plots. The Curve Number was used as the runoff index. In conjunction with identified pollutant-generating land uses, or source landscapes, these indices were used to identify sub-watersheds within the US portion of the Rio Grande Basin that merit further investigation for non-point source pollution prevention and control via the use of hydrologic modelling techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrated water resources management (IWRM) is becoming increasingly accepted as the most logical and effective means of managing aquatic ecosystems for their sustainable use. Despite efforts to provide practical examples of the application of IWRM, we still lack knowledge on how to best consider and integrate the potentially large quantity of data and information, both scientific and socioeconomic, which must be considered in pursuit of the goal of sustainable water resources. The unique features of (i) an integrating nature; (ii) long water retention time, and (iii) complex response dynamics make the management of lakes and reservoirs particularly difficult to achieve. Although the World Lake Vision has provided substantial management guidance to address some of the complex issues facing lake and reservoir management, additional work directed to analysing the interactions and linkages between the scientific/technical and the socioeconomic components of the sustainability ‘equation’ is needed. This report examines the use of mathematical models as a synthesizing tool in developing and applying management strategies for lakes and reservoirs. The different types of available models, and the criteria that can be used to select the ‘best’ model for a given situation, also are discussed, as is the important role of environmental indicators in the process. A case study focusing on the restoration of Lake Fure in Denmark provides an illustrative example of the application of the approach discussed in this report. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduces articles and research papers of the June 2004 issue of the journal "Lakes & Reservoirs: Research and Management."

The article discusses the 16th World Lake Conference which will be held from November 7-11, sponsored by the International Lake Environment Committee (ILEC), in Bali, Indonesia. The article further discusses the importance of lake management, its impact on the surrounding environment and the need for monitoring the lake ecosystem in order to prevent degradation.

The article offers information about the 14th World Lake Conference, co-sponsored by the International Lake Environment Committee (ILEC) and the River Systems Institute at Texas State University, that will be held on October 31-November 4, 2011. The conference will be discussing the issues regarding lake and reservoir. The participants for the event will include state agencies, water industry, and private sector.

The article discusses various reports published within the issue which include one by Philip Micklin on the Aral Sea, Uzbekistan as the fourth largest inland freshwater body, one by Ahren Oren and colleagues on the Aral Sea, Uzbekistan and the Dead Sea, Israel, and one by Ahren Oren on the microbiology of the Dead Sea, Israel.

The article presents information related to the International Lake Environment Committee's (ILEC) 13th World Lake Conference which was held in Wuhan, China, during November 1-5, 2009. As reported, the conference was organized jointly by the ILEC, the Chinese Society for Environmental Science (CSES), the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences (CRAES) and the Wuhan Municipality. The conference highlighted lake conservation and management as a global agenda.

The article presents several reports which are relevant to the goal of sustainable use of lakes and reservoirs. A report entitled "World Lake Vision (WLV): A Call to Action" indicates the direct response to the problems on world's lakes. "World Lake Vision Action Report" determines lake basin management programmes in countries throughout the world. "Survey of State of the World Lakes" gathers the basic and environmental information on natural and artificial lakes, including physiographic, biological and socioeconomic data.

Editorial. Presents the author's reflections on becoming editor-in-chief of the journal 'Lakes & Reservoirs: Research and Management.' Aim of the journal to provide a forum for lake scientists and lake managers to exchange information; Sustainable lake use.

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including the 15th World Lake Conference, eutrophication and reservoirs.

The article focuses on the vision of the International Lake Environment Committee (ILEC) Foundation to improve the lake basins assessment and management in various countries including China, Japan, and the U.S. It states the essence of promoting a well-managed lakes by conducting research on suitable methods for environmental management and sustainability. It highlights the concept of Integrated Lake Basin Management (ILBM) for its advanced application and revision in basin all over the world.

The article introduces Dr. Tsugihiro Watanabe as the new co-Editor-in-Chief of the journal "Lakes and Reservoirs: Research and Management 2007." Watanabe will replace Dr. Saboru Matsui who is leaving as co-Editor-in-Chief of the journal. Watanabe is a professor at the Research Institute for Humanity and Nature in Kyoto, Japan. Watanabe has particular expertise in water issues related to irrigation and drainage. He has an extensive publication record that includes 50 peer-reviewed papers, 45 research reports and 19 book chapters. He is also a very personable individual.

The article focuses on the two projects for the management of lakes and reservoir basin undertaken by the International Lake Environment Committee (ILEC) and its partners. The first project is entitled "Towards a Lake Basin Management Initiative: Sharing Lessons and Experiences from GEF and Non-GEF Lake Basin Management Projects." The objective of the project is the integration of the lessons learned from the management of lake basins. The second project is entitled "Support to Implementation of Sustainable Lake Basin Management." The main objective of the project is supporting the implementation of sustainable lake basin management.

The article highlights the 11th World Lake Conference "Management of Lake Basins for Their Sustainable Use: Global Experiences and African Issues." The conference was held form October 31 to November 4, 2005 in Nairobi, Kenya. Devoted to lake and reservoir research and management issues, the conference originated under the guidance of the International Lake Environment Committee. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]