WEEKLY WATER NEWS

DataStreme WES Week Seven: 15-19 October 2007

Water in the News:

(Thurs.) Project initiated to protect Oregon coast from harmful algal blooms -- NOAA's National Ocean Service has awarded a five-year project to Oregon State University, the University of Oregon and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife help coastal Oregon communities monitor harmful algal bloom events and develop response plans designed to help minimize the impact of these events. This project is to be administered by NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science. [NOAA News]
(Thurs.) Summer nights in Ohio have warmed -- The Ohio State Climatologist and fellow researchers at Ohio State University have found that summer nighttime low temperatures across the Buckeye State have increased nearly 3 Fahrenheit degrees since the 1960s, which appears to be related not only to warmer air but also higher atmospheric humidity. [Ohio State University News]
(Thurs.) Ancient ice cores studied for climate reconstruction -- European scientists participating with EPICA (European Programme for Ice Coring in Antarctica) have been assembling and analyzing continuous ice core sequences of 3.8 kilometers in length from the Arctic and Antarctic that can help provide a more complete record of the planetary climate for the last several hundred thousand years [EurekAlert!]
(Thurs.) Glaciers in Glacier National Park are shrinking -- Scientists who have been monitoring the glaciers and stream flows in northwest Montana's Glacier National Park report that the park's 27 glaciers continue to melt, as some of the streams that normally would contain meltwater have disappeared this summer, indicating that some glaciers have diminished considerably. A research ecologist with the US Geological Survey has forecasted that the last glacier could be gone from the park by approximately 2030. [USA Today]
(Thurs.) Dust from the Middle East spreads out over the ocean -- The MODIS instrument on NASA's Terra satellite captures airborne dust being carried by winds from the coast of the United Arab Emirates westward out over the Persian Gulf. [NASA Earth Observatory] The following day, a MODIS image shows dust being carried southward from the coasts of Iran and Pakistan out over the eastern Gulf of Oman and northwestern Arabian Sea. [NOAA OSEI]
(Tues.) American Rivers awarded funding for local restoration projects-- NOAA officials recently awarded the national organization, American Rivers, a grant worth more than $800,000 to continue its efforts at preserving streams and rivers across the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Northwest, and California so as to benefit a variety of fish species that migrate between salt and fresh water. [NOAA News]
(Tues.) Concern voiced on effect of global climate change on global river flow -- A recently released report by an international team of scientists warns that projected changes in climate will cause future changes in river flow and that many rivers with dams or extensive human development will need significant management efforts to protect ecosystems and people in the river basins. [EurekAlert!]
(Tues.) More water released into Delaware River -- The New York City metropolitan water utility began releasing 1.5 million gallons of water from its Upstate reservoirs into the Delaware River as part of a plan that would attempt to create a more seasonal water flow and reduce the risk of flooding on the Delaware River. [US Water News Online]
(Tues.) Monitoring the western drought from space -- A photograph taken by an astronaut on the International Space Station of western Nebraska shows Lake McConaughy, a reservoir along the North Platte River that has shrunk because of the extended drought across the region. The photo also shows the geographic, economic and social importance of the Platte River to the settlement of the semi-arid western Plains. [NASA Earth Observatory]
(Tues.) Water controversy develops in California Assembly -- Lines are being drawn in the special session of the California legislature called by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to deal with the state's water supply. Assembly Republicans would reject any water deal that does not include funding for new dams and surface water retention, while Democrats feel that underground water storage and water conservation should be emphasized. [US Water News Online]
(Tues.) Colorado needs to satisfy its water obligations to neighboring states -- The current western drought has created difficulties in allowing Colorado fulfill its water obligations with its neighboring states of Nebraska and Kansas. [US Water News Online]
(Tues.) Ancient African mega-droughts could have played major role in human history -- Scientists associated with the Lake Malawi Drilling Project report that tropical Africa had widespread extreme "mega-droughts" from 135,000 to 90,000 years ago that appear to have driven the evolution of humans and their migration out of African, along with evolution of some fish species in Africa's Great Lakes. [EurekAlert!]
Eye on the tropics ---
- In the North Atlantic basin, Tropical Depression 15 formed to the east of Bermuda late last week and moved initially east, before turning to the north. It became disorganized on Friday, well away from land areas. [USA Today] An image from NOAA's GOES-12 satellite shows clouds associated with TD-15 last Friday. [NOAA OSEI]
- No organized tropical cyclone activity was reported in the eastern North Pacific basin.
- In the western North Pacific basin, Tropical Storm Lingling formed on Saturday well to the east of the Asian Continent. As of late Monday (local time) this marginal tropical storm weakened into a tropical depression as it moved to the north-northwest.
Effects of typhoon flooding in Southeast Asia --Two images obtained nearly one week apart from the MODIS sensor on NASA's Terra satellite shows the rain-swollen rivers of northern Viet Nam and the sediment plume carried by these rivers into the Gulf of Tonkin because of the torrential rain that accompanied Typhoon Lekima at the beginning of October. [NASA Earth Observatory]
Another perspective of the record minimum Arctic sea ice -- An image of the record minimum extent of the sea ice cover obtained from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS (AMSR-E) on NASA’s Aqua satellite in September 2007 is compared with the coverage in 2005 when the previous record was set and for the median seasonal minimum for 1979-2000. [NASA Earth Observatory]
Early season snow in Alaska -- A MODIS image from NASA's Terra satellite from a week ago shows the fresh snow that covers the Alaska Mountains in south-central sections of the state, along with the mountain glaciers and the Susitna River Valley. [NASA Earth Observatory]
The official early winter outlook -- At the start of the second week of October, scientists at the Climate Prediction Center issued their first version of their official Winter Outlook for the three months from December 2007 through February 2008. Since they conclude that a La Niña event, or an anomalous atmospheric and oceanic circulation regime that favors a colder than average equatorial eastern Pacific Ocean, has developed, they foresee that much the nation should have a better than even chance of experiencing above average temperatures. Only the Pacific coast, the Northwest, the northern Rockies and the northern Plains appear to have equal chances of having above or below average winter temperatures. They also claim that the southern US, extending from the lower Colorado River Valley eastward to the Atlantic Seaboard should expect a better than even chance of continued dry conditions this winter, meaning a possible intensification of the southern drought. Sections of the Northwest and the Midwest should see a better than even chance of above average winter precipitation. [NOAA News]
Celebrate Earth Science Week -- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to include the National Weather Service, along with NASA, the US Geological Survey and several professional scientific organizations such as the American Geological Institute have recognized this coming week (14-20 October 2007) as Earth Science Week to help the public gain a better understanding and appreciation for the earth sciences and to encourage stewardship of the Earth. This year's theme for the 10th annual Earth Science Week is "The Pulse of Earth Science", designed to promote public and professional awareness of the status of earth science in education and society. [American Geological Institute]
Increased Great Basin wildfire incidence foreseen -- Researchers from the US Geological Survey and the Bureau of Land Management recently warned a US Senate subcommittee that an increased incidence of wildfires across the Great Basin is likely as potential fuels, including invasive cheatgrass and other weeds, appear to spread across the region due to projected increased temperature and precipitation across the region due to climatic change. [USA Today]
A slimy gel could help battle wildfires -- A super-absorbent polymer gel that had been used by firefighters to coat houses in the Black Hills National Forest in advance of an intense wildfire appears to have been effective in saving these structures from loss. [USA Today]
Global and US Hazards/Climate Extremes -- A review and analysis of the global impacts of various weather-related events, including drought, floods and storms during the current month. [NCDC]
Global Water News Watch -- Other water news sources can be obtained through the SAHRA Project at the University of Arizona [SAHRA Project]
Earthweek -- Diary of the Planet [earthweek.com] Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Concept of the Week: Dams and Ecological Integrity

Although there are many positive aspects to dams (e.g., flood control, recreation, hydropower generation), dams also can disrupt the natural seasonal fluctuations in the flow of rivers and streams with potentially serious consequences for the integrity of aquatic ecosystems. For one, dams interfere with the upstream and downstream migration of fish. Storage of water in reservoirs behind dams reduces the downstream discharge of water, sediment, and nutrients. These and other alterations of fluvial habitats threaten or endanger more than 20% of all freshwater species.

The ecological impact of dams is extensive because these structures affect so much runoff. Worldwide, almost 3000 dams have a reservoir storage capacity exceeding 25 billion gallons-a combined volume roughly equivalent to all the water in Lakes Michigan and Ontario. The more than 70,000 dams in the U.S. can store half of the annual flow of all the nation's rivers and streams.

The continuity of the global water cycle implies that disruption of river and stream flow by dams can also impact marine and lacustrine (lake) ecosystems. In the Pacific Northwest, for example, only about 5% of juvenile salmon survive passage through dams and reservoirs on the Columbia and Snake Rivers. Salmon are anadromous, that is, they spawn in freshwater streams, but spend most of their adult life in the ocean. After hatching, young salmon (smolts) swim downstream to the Pacific Ocean, where they mature and then return to the same streams to spawn. But the 56 major dams in the Columbia River watershed are formidable obstacles to salmon migration. Largely ineffective are fish ladders designed to help the salmon move upstream and other structures that guide them downstream around hydroelectric turbines. (These turbines have been likened to giant food processors for smolt attempting to swim through them.) Furthermore, smolts on their downstream passage are held up in reservoirs where they are exposed to predators, pathogens (disease-producing organisms), and water that is too warm. Atlantic salmon have a similar fate. More than 900 dams on New England and European rivers prevent most Atlantic salmon from reaching their freshwater spawning grounds. Consequently, their population has declined to less than 1% of historical levels.

Traditionally, dam operators regulate stream and river flow for flood control and to supply water for electric power generation and irrigation. But recently, in response to greater awareness of the adverse impacts of dams on aquatic ecosystems, has come a growing interest in operating dams in ways that recreate the river's natural seasonal flow pattern and habitats. For example, this type of management is employed on the Flaming Gorge Dam on the Green River in Utah to protect sensitive habitats for endangered species including chubs and squawfish. The dam operator simulates spring floods of the pre-dam era by releasing a surge of water in May that facilitates fish spawning.

Controlled flooding has been used on the segment of the Colorado River that flows through the Grand Canyon in an attempt to help restore landforms and aquatic habitats downstream from the Glen Canyon Dam. Before the dam first came into operation in 1956, natural floods regularly delivered sediment from the tributaries of the Colorado River. Sand and silt built sandbars and created backwaters that provided habitat for a variety of native plant and fish species such as the humpback chub and razor sucker. The humpback chub, for example, prefers the warmer and murkier waters associated with sandbars. With the dam in full operation, sand and silt was trapped in the reservoir upstream from the dam and the sandbars and backwater habitats were gradually destroyed. The number of humpback chub in the Grand Canyon declined from about 8300 in 1993 to about 2000 today and the species is close to extinction. In an attempt to restore downstream habitats, in March 1996 a huge gusher of water was released from the Glen Canyon Dam and a fresh influx of sediment built new beaches and sandbars. But these landforms and habitats disappeared within a few months. Now the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is proposing a new flood plan based on lessons learned from the 1996 flood. The plan is to release floodwaters from the Glen Canyon Dam for a shorter period of time (2.5 days instead of the 7-day 1996 flood) and only after a sufficient buildup of sediment so that floodwaters construct sandbars and beaches rather than washing them away.

Concept of the Week: Questions

Alteration of aquatic habitats by dams [(is)(is not)] a reason why some fish species become threatened or endangered.
Anadromous species of fish spawn in [(the ocean)(freshwater rivers and streams)].

Historical Events:

15 October 1947...A hurricane made a hairpin turn off the Georgia coast after being seeded with dry ice. The storm moved over Savannah and into Georgia. (Intellicast)
15 October 1954...Hurricane Hazel struck the Carolina coastline near Cape Fear, NC. The hurricane (a category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson Scale) demolished every pier along a 170-mile stretch from Myrtle Beach, SC to Cedar Island, NC, and obliterated rows of beach homes. At Long Beach, 300 homes vanished; no debris remained. Hurricane Hazel also destroyed 1500 homes as it moved inland with 17-foot tides. Winds between Myrtle Beach, SC and Cape Fear, NC gusted to 150 mph. Later, the remnants of Hazel moved northward into Ontario and became the most remembered storm in Canadian history. Winds gusted to 75 mph and as much as 7.2 inches of rain fell. Eighty people died, mostly from flooding in the Toronto area (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel) (The Weather Doctor)
15 October 1965...Fort Lauderdale, FL was deluged with 25.28 inches of rain in a 48-hour period causing considerable road and street damage and inundating numerous homes and recently planted vegetable fields. (Intellicast)
15 October 1999...A waterspout (a tornado over water) moved onshore at Fort Lauderdale Beach, FL and blew out a plate glass window in a bar, injuring 8 patrons. The waterspout also overturned a vehicle and caused other significant damage on Los Olas Blvd. (Accord Weather Calendar)
16 October 1880...A blizzard struck eastern South Dakota and southern Minnesota blocking railroads. Snowdrifts persisted throughout the following very hard winter. (Intellicast)
17-20 October 2004…Humid air from a former typhoon east of Japan helped deepen low pressure to 941 mb over the Gulf of Anadry west of Nome, AK (18th). Winds between 50 and 80 mph, with an unofficial gust to 114 mph at Red Dog Mine on the 19th, raked western Alaska. Storm surges reached approximately 11 feet. As much as $19.9 million in damage resulted from this storm. (Accord Weather Guide Calendar)
18 October 1910...Northeasterly winds as high as 70 mph (from a hurricane moving northward up the Florida peninsula) carried water out of Tampa Bay and the Hillsboro River. The water level lowered to nine feet below mean low water. Forty ships were grounded. (The Weather Channel)
18 October 2004…San Diego, CA received 0.09 inches of rain, the first measurable rainfall since 18 April 2004, thereby ending the record 182 consecutive days without measurable rain. The welcome rain was accompanied by a waterspout from off the Pacific at Oceanside shortly after 6 AM. The resulting F0 tornado damaged the roof of an elementary school. (Accord Weather Guide Calendar)
19 October 1844...The famous "Lower Great Lakes Storm" hit the Buffalo, NY and Toronto, Ontario area. Barometric pressure at Toronto fell to 977 millibars (28.86 inches of mercury). Southwesterly winds were at hurricane force for five hours, driving lake waters into downtown Buffalo, NY. The storm drowned 200 persons. (David Ludlum)
20 October 1999...A flash flood roared down the normally placid Palikea Stream in Hawaii's Haleakala National Park, causing the stream to rise 15 to 20 feet in one minute. Twelve tourists swimming in Palikea's lower pools clung to cliff sides and were eventually rescued. (Accord Weather Guide Calendar)
20 October 2004...Rain at two stations in Nevada broke the state's previous 24-hour maximum precipitation record of 7.13 inches set previously at Mt. Rose Highway Station (31 January 1963). The new state record of 9.78 inches was established at Mt. Charleston, while Kyle Canyon also broke the old record with 8.75 inches. (Accord Weather Guide Calendar)
21 October 1938...The Hector Glacier crashes to the valley floor northeast of Lake Louise, Alberta. The valley is buried under a 1.2-mile wide by 2.5-mile long pile of ice rubble. The wind created by the falling avalanche blows down all trees on the opposite side of the valley. (The Weather Doctor)
21 October 1996...Portland, ME received 13.32 inches of rain to set a 24-hour maximum precipitation record for the Pine Tree State. (NCDC)
21 October 1998...A tropical depression formed over the southwestern Caribbean Sea about 360 miles south of Kingston, Jamaica. It would intensify over the next few days to become Hurricane Mitch, the second deadliest Atlantic hurricane on record, on the 24^th. (The Weather Doctor)